by Don P. Bick
Chapter 29
Three days later they were still huddled together in the cave, awaiting the snow to complete melting, hoping the temperatures would stay up and the weather hold out for a while longer. It was still early in the season to expect the cold winter-like conditions to have set in for good. There should still be several more weeks of fair weather, according to the information kept at OceanBay during the past few years. They had inspected these records prior to setting out on their trip. The weather was something they had specifically checked into before considering crossing over the pass this late in the year.
The snow was melting fast. The wind was helping a lot. It was blowing fairly hard once again. Still, the air was warm compared to the way it was just before the storm broke. There was now less than five feet of snow left on the ground. No one would have believed it could have disappeared so fast. The temperature had increased so much it wasn't necessary for them to keep the fire going all day. At the rate the snow was melting they expected to be able to leave in another day or two.
By evening on the fourth day after the storm broke, the snow was only about a foot thick. They decided to head out at first light the following morning. It was still warm so they expected much of the remaining snow to disappear during the night.
The next morning there was only a few inches of snow left with patches of earth showing through in places. The problem was the mud from the soggy ground. The ground had absorbed all the water it could, and everywhere they stepped they sank into the mud. It didn't dampen their spirits any. They had been cooped up in the cave for so long they needed and looked forward to the exercise. They had to be extra careful in some areas due to the slippery conditions caused by the thin layer of snow left on the rocky surfaces. There were also some chasms covered with a thin layer of snow, making it appear as though there was solid ground beneath. Instead, oftentimes, there existed a drop to certain death of over a hundred feet, or more down a narrow chasm.
All in all it felt good to Camran to be out walking again. It didn't take long for them to get tired, however. They stopped much more often that day than they had prior to the long rest during the storm. They were also moving faster without really trying to. Each of them subconsciously wanting to leave the mountain pass before another snow storm arrived.
Luck was with them. They continued on through the pass for another week without a change in the weather, except for one afternoon of rain. When they started over the mountain they had no idea how long it would take them to cross over this pass and descend to lower terrain, or if that was even a possibility. For all they knew they may have to stay at that elevation until they accomplished locating the first key. There were no maps of this area to guide them.
Around midday on the eighth day since leaving the cave the winds began to calm. Gradually they left them behind. The farther they went into the mountains the less the wind blew. They had long since left the narrow ravine they had been traveling through and now were in a wide canyon. The walking became easier as well.
They stopped along a small creek that crossed the canyon bottom. Bran and Uri had gone on ahead to scout out the surrounding countryside. In less than an hour the two returned. That was unusual in itself. From the excited look on their faces the rest of the party knew they had good news. They were due some good news for a change. Just the attitude of Bran and Uri brought out smiles on the other's faces. Gena had cups of hot tea ready to hand each of them as they returned across the small creek.
Bran and Uri insisted they show the others rather than tell them what they had found. They quickly assembled their things and put their packs back on. Crossing the creek they hurried after Bran and Uri who already had a small lead over the others in their anxiety to show off their find.
Before they had traveled a mile they were able to see ahead to where the canyon walls appeared to flare out wider and then abruptly end. They had finally reached the end of the pass. As they neared the wide opening they had not expected the sight that greeted them. The view reminded Camran of the Swiss Alps. Majestic snow covered mountain peaks with sheer drop offs down into picturesque valleys lay before them. It was breathtaking, to say the least.
Below them was a scene right out of a movie," thought Camran. A large green valley filled with lakes and rivers lay several thousand feet below them. It seemed more like a picture than it did a real place. This valley was not completely forested, as had been the case everywhere else they had traveled so far. There were large areas of grass and wild flowers. Not high grass either, but normal height grass; grass that didn't exceed the tops of their boots. The trees were also normal size compared to the ones elsewhere on the Isle. They were taller than the one's on Earth that Camran was used to, but not by too much. The whole scene was a welcome sight. If Camran didn’t know better he would have thought he was back on Earth taking a hike in the mountains there.
While overlooking the valley Camran scanned toward the west with his binoculars to see if he could find any signs of the eagle mentioned in the Oracle. He passed the glasses around but no one saw anything that could remotely be related to an eagle.
They had made it! They were through the mountains and no longer had to concern themselves with the threat of snow.
Without hesitation they began making their way down the steep terrain to the valley below. The walking was difficult in places due to the steepness of the grassy slopes. More than once each of them slipped a little and then slid a ways down one of the hills. Fortunately, no one was injured.
The rest of the day and half of the next they continued working their way down into the valley. The temperature warmed up considerably the lower they went in elevation. By the time they reached the valley floor they had shed themselves of their coats and heavy clothing. It was not only warm but they were tired from pushing the walk the past few days, dreading the possibility they might be caught in another snow storm. They dropped their packs on the edge of a grass clearing and set up camp near a swift moving river that ran along its border. It was only early afternoon but they needed a rest. They also needed some time to discuss plans for their next move. So they elected to stop for the remainder of that day and night.
They all took turns bathing in the river. There was a small cove just up from where they made camp that made a perfect spot for bathing. The water was shallow and slow moving in that particular area. None of them had taken a bath for a couple of weeks, although they washed whenever the opportunity permitted. The cold of the mountain pass and the snow had given them a good excuse to stay dressed in recent days.
After cleaning up Bran and Druc went fishing for dinner. It was obvious the result of their last fishing attempt was heavy on their minds. The two friends sat on the river bank hoping they wouldn't catch anything for a while, so they could just sit there and enjoy the fishing. That isn't what happened, however. In minutes, they both had hooked onto a fish. Neither thought they had anything on their line because their poles barely bent. Druc thought he had snagged something on the bottom, until he started to pull his line out of the water. Then, whatever was on his hook began to fight back. So did the one Bran had attached to the end of his line. Druc got his catch in first, Bran landed his shortly thereafter.
When he saw what he had caught, he didn't know whether to be delighted, or sad. It was a fish all right, a beautiful fish that looked similar to a northern trout, but it was only two feet long. Bran's was the same, though a little smaller.
Twil started making jokes about them being too scared to catch anything but bite sized fish. The truth was they were all excited as they crowded around to look. They hadn't seen any fish that small since they arrived. These, for some reason, looked better and healthier to eat than anything they had seen anywhere. Bran and Druc caught another one apiece, so they ended up with more than enough for a feast for dinner.
The fish were sweet and everyone commented that they were the best fish any of them had ever eaten. They hadn't eaten any fresh food for a couple of weeks so this
meal was a real treat. Along with the fish they had berries with their meal. Gena and Ve-Nah had discovered some berry bushes along the river bank. These berries were very rare along the coast but seemed plentiful here. Gena said there were more in this one spot along the river than she had seen all together since they began their travels.
These berries were also bigger than the ones along the coast. They were about the size of a small fist, and had the same shape as a strawberry, but were blue in color. Nor did they taste like any berry Camran had ever tasted. They were infinitely sweet and yet had a tart aftertaste to them. A flavor all their own. In fact, it was the best tasting berry Camran had ever put in his mouth. Because of their size they only had to eat a couple of them to become full. It was especially nice not to have to pick handfuls in order to have enough to go around.
All in all it was the best dinner they had eaten in a long time. Stuffed, they sat around the fire chatting until late in the evening. They knew they had to head west through the valley, but still had no idea about the eagle, what it was or what else might be up ahead of them in this enchanted valley.
Something had been nagging Camran ever since they set foot in the valley, yet he wasn't able to put his finger on it. As he lay there trying to go to sleep it came to him. They hadn't seen or heard any animals since arriving here. That didn't make any sense. In the mountains was where animals where known to be. That was why man didn't venture too far outside of their settlements. It was also why most of the Isle was unexplored. As he drifted off to sleep he knew there must be some logical explanation, but he couldn’t put his finger on it before his consciousness moved on into the world of dreams.