Fairchild's 7 Daughters-The 12: Book One

24. Frozen

The cold sharp wind was relentless. It blew strong and hard in the faces of the three lost girls, pummeling their weakened bodies. Heloise stopped and looked over her shoulder making sure her sisters were still behind her. "Come on!" She shouted against the wind. "We have to keep going."

Alifair staggered up to her followed shortly by Hannah. "We can't make it, Heloise. Look at Hannah."

Heloise did look at her sister. The youngest girl was shaking uncontrollably. Frost decorated her hair and eyelashes and even her coat.

"My hands," Hannah said holding her mittens. "I can't move them."

"We have to do something," Alifair said. "We'll freeze to death."

Heloise looked around them. Solid white seemed to be in every direction. She didn't even know where they were. "I'll think of something." Looking into her sister's faces she could see how hopeless they were. "I'll think of something."

"I'm tired," Hannah said lowering herself to her knees.

"No, Hannah you can't sit down," Heloise said, pulling her back to her feet. "We have to keep going. We have to do it for Mama and Papa and for Astrid."

"Astrid is gone, Heloise," Hannah shivered. "And I'm too tired." She collapsed pulling Heloise down with her.

Heloise touched her sister's hands and reared back at how frozen they were. "I'm sorry. I should have taken better care of you." She hugged her sister close to her body. "I'm so sorry," she cried out. "I'm so so sorry. It's all my fault. I brought you here." She felt Alifair put her hand on her shoulder and she looked up at her. "I'm sorry, Alifair. I've brought us here to die."

"Don't be angry at yourself, Heloise," she said kneeling next to her. "You've done all you could. No one expects more than that of you."

Heloise managed a smile against the wind. She held up her hand for Alifair to join her to keep warm, but the other sister started looking around. "What is it? Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"It sounds like dogs," Alifair said. "Many dogs."

Heloise tried to listen against the wind but heard nothing. Maybe Alifair was just hearing things.

"Look Heloise!" she suddenly exclaimed and pointed to the horizon.

Heloise turned and squinted her eyes into the storm. She could barely make out something that looked like a little train traveling across the snow.

"It's a dog sled!" Alifair exclaimed. "We're saved."

Heloise tried to get up but her limbs where stiff. Even Alifair tried helping her, but she was too heavy. "You have to go alone."

"Me?"

"Yes. Go after them, tell them you and your sisters are lost in the snow."

Alifair looked across the great white world. "I'll go," she breathed heavily. "I'll go." She started running as fast as her frozen body would allow.

"Godspeed, Alifair," Heloise whispered, hugging Hannah closer to her body. "Godspeed."

Alifair stumbled through the snow. He sides ached and her throat was raw but she kept her focus on the sled team. "Wait!" she shouted. Her voice was so hoarse she didn't even recognize it. "Stop! Help!" Her cries were swept away on the wind. She could feel her pace slowing as fatigue overtook her. "Wait!" She could clearly make out the team as she fell to her knees, but she couldn't tell if they were coming or going as the horizon blurred into one mass of white.