Having put on their furs to warm their numbed and shivering bodies, the couple silently repacked their packs to continue the journey. They trudged along the trail with a lost sense of exuberance they had felt before when encountering new territory. It had become an obligation to get over the passes and down into the valleys where it was much warmer and much less dangerous.

Tsen and Shin could sense it, too, and mourned in their own way. Shin even whimpering as he followed, and sometimes even led them on their path upward to the next pass and its breathless, cold, sometimes windy, environment. Yet, spectacular views all around.

As they were coming close to reaching the pass between towering granite peaks on either side, ominous clouds were forming and they knew they had to find shelter. Up ahead, off the trail some distance was a rocky outcropping. They headed for that and arrived just as the first drops of icy rain started pelting them. But not before a lightning strike hit the mountain above them with a bright flash followed by a loud boom that nearly blinded them and, momentarily left them deaf from the concussion.

As quickly as they could, Tor and Shea removed the seal skin sail from Tsen's pack and piled rocks on it to keep it held down on the top of the overhang. Going below as they started getting pelted with hail, they crawled underneath where a very wet and smelly Shin joined them, leaving Tsen out in the rain, wind, hail and lightning that was all around them and could strike him at any time.

As they huddled under the seal skin holding it away from them in the dark and cold, at least they were warm and dry. They hugged each other knowing that vicious storm would end soon and they could continue their journey. However, it raged on for some time. After the rain, all the rocks were very slippery and their ill fitting fur boots tended to slide rather than grip. So the going was rough until they reached the top of the pass just as the sun was setting illuminating another mountain they would have to pass in the future.

Working their way down as far as they could from the height of that pass to a lower altitude, they found another outcropping where they could spend the night. Setting it up the same way they did the earlier shelter, they crawled in and ate smoked meat, giving Shin some for him to chew on. He always waited politely for a handout, no longer a frisky puppy, but a useful and helpful dog.

Throughout the night while the exhausted couple fell into sleep with nightmares of what had happened that day entering in and out of their minds, they survived where they had not intended to stay the night, facing another day. Tsen spent the night searching the mountainside for tufts of grass that he found delicious and full of dew to whet his thirst.

Another pass, and another lay ahead before they would reach the beautiful Lake Geneve in the shelter of the lower lands where breathing was easier and the strength came back to their legs. Still remorseful, the couple moved faster, wanting to leave these angry gods of the mountains behind.

But they hadn't gone far, when a new peril confronted them. A landslide had crossed the trail and left a wide swath of scree in its place. The place was rather steep coming down from the left and then, off to the right to where it disappeared over a cliff to an unseen distance far below.

Knowing the tragedy of the day before, Tor was more vigilant than ever to see how they could get across about three lengths of his body and right at the length of his rope, now dried and stiff from being wet the day before.

Once again, he tied one end of the rope around Tsen and the other end around his waist. This time, he led Tsen right down to where the scree began and told Shea, "Keep him calm and help with the rope if I fall."

Shea replied, "Okay." But she could see the growing fear in his eyes that Tor was worried that he couldn't make it across. She hoped for the best.

Tor started off very carefully, with each step the flat rocks tended to slide out underneath him and he would take another step to avoid sliding further. So each step was precarious as though he were on slippery ground with each motion requiring him quickly to take his weight off the foot that was sliding down. He had almost made it across when both feet came out from under him and he went down, sliding down the mountain, grabbing onto rocks that gave way.

Tsen, excited by what he saw, reared up before the rope got tight. Shea gently patted him down and took hold of the rope as it pulled up taut, urging Tsen to pull his master back to solid ground.

Once the rope became tight, Tor was able to regain his feet and walked his way with Tsen pulling him to safety. Tor was scraped and bleeding and in Shea's grateful arms in a moment. Both were shaking with fear and adrenaline. They cried happy tears until Tor realized the choices they had.

They could wait until deep snow covered the rock fall, making it possible to cross over to the other side. They could go look for large rocks that might give them some stability on those unstable rocks, but there was no guarantee. Both would delay them and they would be left on the mountain to freeze and starve. With the raging deadly torrent behind them, there was only going forward. Tor would have to try again. This time with sore and bleeding muscles.

He took off his ill fitting boots. He was much more surefooted, barefoot. But it was bitter cold on the mountain and he risked his feet going numb where he would be unable to feel his way carefully anymore.

With no time to waste, he positioned Tsen and Shea, like before, and gingerly began treading his way across the sliding rocks as fast as he could with each step falling out from under him and still, making it across just as the rope became tight on the other side.

Greatly relieved, Tor called out to Shea, "Tie the rope onto your waist. Take off your boots and store them in your pack. And then run very fast across the rocks toward me. You can make it… I know you can make it… Hurry… Before your feet get cold and you can't feel them like mine are!"

Shea did as he told her and was soon skipping across the sliding rocks even better than Tor had. Excited by his masters’ crossing, Shin gingerly crossed the sliding rocks with ease, jumping up on his masters and licking their faces as they both hugged and cried happily that they had made it. The gods being generous this time.

In the meantime, Tsen, sensing danger from the sliding rock, once again, circled around and took a mighty leap onto the near other side of the scree and then scrambled the rest of the way with the rock sliding out from under every hoof until he made it to solid ground.

Energized by their success, the couple moved on over two high passes that day and as the sun was setting in the west they quickly descended to the shining blue lake far below and into the night, by moonlight until they reached a safe and warm place under a mighty fallen tree on the bank of the lake for the night. A warm fire and fresh marmot meat and eggs to help them sleep more easily that night.

Copyright 2021 © Ronald W. Hull

8/1/21