I felt the icy water cool my burning lungs as I graciously accepted a drink of water.
David looked restless as he finally spoke up, “We’ll slow down the pace a bit, but we can’t stop every hour.” He gazed at the map and thought for a moment before he said, “If we slow down the pace, including breaks, sleep and room for error...we should reach Desmorelda’s location in four weeks.”
We all gasped, realizing what we had gotten ourselves into.
Delia spoke up, “What if we keep the pace we were going?”
“We will never make it, because you and Miranda will collapse,” he said hastily. Then his face softened, “I’m sorry. I know none of you are used to this. I’m sorry if I am being hard on you. We just have a rough journey ahead, and there isn’t room for coddling.”
“I understand,” I said. “We will have to slow down. Four weeks is...better than not making it all.”
Everyone nodded their head.
“Well...if you want to head back...now’s your chance,” David said.
Everyone looked at one another, but no one said a word. I looked at Delia who was sitting in the snow resting. “Do you want to head back?” I asked.
Delia shook her head, “Just give me a few moments, and I’ll be fine.”
Our group rested for about twenty minutes. As we sat around, we drank water, and some of the group had a snack. As I took a few bites of jerky, I wondered if we had enough food for four weeks.
I saw that David was sitting on his hunting back, so I walked to his side and said, “Will we have enough food for four weeks?”
David looked reluctant, but he said, “I’ll try to catch us a rabbit tonight and maybe if we’re lucky we can catch a few snow beasts on the way.”
My eyes grew wide as I had heard horrible things about the snow beasts. “Do you think...we’ll see one!” I cried.
“Probably,” he said, “But that’s why I’m here. This is what I do. I’m a hunter.”
I nodded my head, but my heart began to pound in fear by the thought. I had never seen a snow beast in person or by picture. There was talk on Sidhe that snow beasts were a supernatural, wolf-like creature with razor sharp teeth and massive in size. Occasionally the hunters killed a beast and brought it to the castle for meat, but they were the only ones who had ever laid eyes on these terrifying creatures.
“Have you ever taken one down?” I asked, as I felt my eyes begin to grow.
“Yes,” he said with confidence, “Many.”
I nodded my head, but his confidence was not contagious. Then his face went soft and he said, “Take off your bag and set it here.” He pointed to the ground just across from where he was sitting. I did as he asked, and as soon as the bag was on the ground, he patted it, gesturing me to sit down.
I plopped down on the bag, welcoming the break. As soon as I was seated, David grabbed my leg by the calf and set it on his lap. I was alarmed by his action and was about to pull away, until I felt his strong hands squeeze through my snowsuit and into my leg muscles. Instant pleasure climbed my leg as his fingers squeezed through my knotted muscles.
“Oh,” I groined, “that is wonderful.”
“Bout five minutes on each leg,” he said, “or you won’t be able to move tomorrow.”
“Thank you so much,” I said as I felt the fire in my muscles cool from the movement of his fingers.
After he rubbed each leg, I felt immediately better and relaxed. He stood up and pulled a large piece of cloth from his bag. He folded it in half, then set it across my face and tied it around the back of my head. With his special cloth, the lower half of my face was completely covered.
“This will help with the wind burn, and keep the wind from burning your lungs.”
“Thank you for everything,” I muttered through the thick cloth.
“We’ll slow down and travel for a few hours, then find camp for the night,” he said. “I'll try to hunt us something to eat.”
I smiled as I stood up. I felt much more energized after David’s massage and a short break. As soon as I was up, David announced we were heading on our way, and the group lined up.
Emerlee and David took the lead once more and I stood behind them. Ben headed to the front of the line and stood next to me. “Feeling better?” he asked.
“David gave me this to block the wind,” I pointed to the cloth, “and he rubbed the knots out of my legs.”
“When we camp tonight, I can rub your legs for you,” Ben said. Then he thought for a moment as embarrassment swept across his face and said, “I guess your husband could do that.”
I nodded my head. I wasn’t sure what to say.
Our group continued on through the forceful snow at a slow but steady pace. David and Emerlee kept the lead with Ben and I directly behind them. Damon stood behind us as he helped his mother along, and my father and Nathen took the rear as we hiked at a steady pace for several hours.
As we trampled through the snow, strong winds slammed into us, throwing us off balance. Each time a gust of wind knocked me to my feet, Ben helped me off the ground. The wind knocked Delia’s tiny body over several times, and I heard her whine each time her body collided into the ruthless snow. Emerlee collapsed a handful of times, and even Nathan and Damon were knocked down. The wind was harsh and our group was unsteady, but we carried on.
Finally after three hours of hiking through thick snow, David halted us to stop. We all gathered around him as he spoke.
“There’s a frozen lake ahead, and we need to pass it. Once we make it across, I’ll find dinner, and we can camp for the night,” he said.
Everyone nodded their head, but David continued on, “The lake should be frozen solid, but that doesn't mean it will be an easy trek. It’s a long walk across and it will be extremely slick. With the weight of your backpack, one gust of wind can knock you down. “ He paused. Then he said, “We will have to go one at a time.” He looked us all up and down and changed his mind, “Weeell...Damon, you and your mom can go across together. Miranda and Emerlee, the two of you can cross together. The rest of you...are too heavy. You’re gonna have to go alone.”
Ben, Nathen and my father nodded their heads.
David continued, “Ben you go first. Emerlee and Miranda, the two of you will follow behind. Damon and Delia...go third.” He looked at my father, “Alexander...you go next and then Nathen. I’ll go last.”
Everyone nodded their head once more, trusting David’s direction. Emerlee and Delia both looked nervous, especially Delia who had fallen several times.
We all lined up at the edge of the ice and prepared to cross. Just as Ben was about to step across the ice, David handed Ben a copy of the map and said, “If I don’t make it, I want you to take care of everyone. Emerlee has the other copy.”
Ben nodded his head, but looked unsure of himself. He slowly stepped onto the slick ice, as he feared he would fall through. Once his whole body was atop the ice, his expression settled as he carefully inched across the slick ice. Ben continued across, walking carefully each step at a time.
When he was halfway across, his confidence grew and he picked up his pace. Suddenly a strong gust of wind shot through the clearing and straight across the frozen lake. As the gust hit Ben, he lost his balance and began to wobble around. I threw my hand across my mouth, terrified he would lose balance and fall. Ben threw his hands out, trying to regain his balance as he slid across the ice. My heart was thundering in my chest in anticipation of what would happen.
Finally, Ben found his balance and steadied himself. He stood still for a moment as to catch his breath. My heart slowed down the moment Ben began to step forward, and I sighed in relief. Ben continued across the frozen lake at a slow pace until he finally reached land on the other side.
When Ben stepped onto the snow, David nodded for Emerlee and I to go across. “One foot in front of the other,” he said.
Emerlee stepped first, and she immediately slid and had to catch her balance as both feet hit the ice. As I s
tepped onto the ice, I moved much slower in fear I would slide. Emerlee walked very slowly across the ice as I followed directly behind.
Despite her careful effort, suddenly Emerlee slid and began to quickly glide forward. I reached forward and tried to grab her, but she was moving too fast across the ice. She threw her hands forward for balance and screamed as her body flew across the solid ice.
“Keep your balance!” I heard David yell from behind. “Miranda, you keep going!”
I kept walking slowly across the ice feeling helpless as Emerlee wailed in fear. She was moving quickly and her speed was picking up as she was almost to the other side of the lake. Ben stood at the edge of the lake, running around trying to predict where she would end up, so he could help her.
Finally, Emerlee flew across the last part of the ice, and Ben reached out to grab her as she slammed into him. Emerlee screamed as they both collapsed into the snow. As the two stood up, I continued across the lake at a slow but steady pace, and when I finally reached the end of the ice, Ben reached out and pulled me onto the snow. I breathed a sigh of relief as I had made it across the lake in once piece.
As I took a few deep breaths, I turned around and saw Damon and Delia already making their way across the ice. They were steadily walking at an even pace with Delia in the lead. As they continued on, suddenly a strong gust of wind slammed through the air, sending Damon and Delia flying across the ice. Damon howled and Delia screamed as they sped down the ice away from us.
“Damon!” I screamed as I ran down the bank in the direction they were heading.
Ben was following behind as I lifted my knees high to tread across the snow. As Damon and Delia slid down the lake, Damon tried reaching out for his mom, but it was no use as he began to spin around.
“Damon!” Delia screamed as she continued to slide while Damon slid around in circles, trying to regain balance.
Suddenly there was another giant gust of wind, and Damon slammed into the ground. A loud cracking noise echoed through the air.
“Damon!” I screamed as I nervously stepped onto the ice.
“No! Stay there!” David yelled as he slowly stepped onto the ice to go after Damon.
Delia was trying to stop, but she continued sliding down the lake. Nathen was running as fast as the snow would allow, so he could catch up with his wife. I stood still from the other side of the lake as I helplessly watched Damon, hoping he would rise from the ground. My breath stood still in anxiety, and I felt as if I would collapse. Suddenly Damon began to move and lift himself from the ice. I felt as if could breathe again, knowing Damon was okay.
My breath returned too soon; just as Damon was about to stand up, another strong gust of wind slammed into him and sent him falling to the ground once more. His backpack slammed against the impaired ice as another loud crack echoed through the cold air. This time, the merciless ice shattered beneath his body, and he screamed in horror as he descended into the ice-cold water.
“Damon!” I screamed, as I quickly stepped onto the ice once more.
“Miranda, Get off the ice!” David screamed. “I will get him.”
“Damon!” I screamed again as I obediently stepped back into the snow. I began trembling in fear that Damon would die. Ben stood next to me and held me tight as I screamed and shuttered in his warm embrace.
David slid across the ice as quickly as his body would allow. As he traveled to Damon, he screamed to me, “Go up the hill! Set up a tent, lay out blankets, and start a fire!”
I didn’t want to move, but I knew it was the only way to help Damon, and I instinctively trusted David. Ben and Emerlee followed behind me as I paced up the hill. When I reached the top, there was a small clearing where I quickly threw down my bag.
“Ben, try to find sticks...anything to hold a fire. Emerlee help me set up the tent.”
Ben ran into the woods to gather wood as I reached into my backpack and pulled out a small tent. Emerlee and I were rapidly setting up the tent as David came running up the hill with Damon in his arms.
My heart began to burn when I saw Damon wasn’t moving.
Emerlee placed the last tent pole into the ground as David yelled, “Lay down the blanket in the tent. We have to undress him now!”
I threw a thick blanket on the tent floor as David tossed Damon’s body on top of it.
“Help me undress him!” David cried.
David and I quickly peeled off Damon’s snowsuit, and I realized his skin was turning blue.
“Is he dead!” I screamed.
“You need to calm down! Take off the rest of his clothes.”
I ripped off Damon’s pants and underwear as David pulled off Damon’s shirt. The moment Damon’s pathetic blue body was completely exposed, David wrapped him in the blanket. David picked him up and carried him towards the fire.
“Get another blanket!” David cried.
I reached in my bag and pulled out a sleeping bag. I followed David out of the tent as he laid Damon’s body by the fire then yanked the sleeping bag from my hands and wrapped Damon up more. Then he cried, “We have to heal him. It’s all we can do.”
I nodded my head as David and I placed our hands on Damon’s body and began the healing ritual. Ben and Emerlee stood by nervously waiting to see if Damon would respond. Moments after we began, Nathen and Delia ran up the hill. The moment Delia saw her son, she starting howling and Nathen ran to our side to help us chant.
“Your father is crossing now,” Nathen said as he kneeled down next to me, to help save his son. As David and I chanted on, Nathen placed his fingers on Damon’s neck and leaned his ear towards his face, then said, “He has a pulse, but his breathing is shallow.”
David nodded his head as Nathen placed his hands on Damon’s arm to help us heal him. Delia was screaming and crying in the background as she thought her son was going to die.
“Please don’t yell,” David said calmly, “We’ve already been loud enough. There are predators out here.”
Delia was struggling to settle down, so Ben wrapped his arms around her and tried to calm her down.
“My baby...my baby,” she trembled.
As Delia whined, I could understand her pain, as Desmorelda had my baby. My heart was breaking inside as Delia cried in pain and I tried to save my dying husband.
Soon my father was safe across the lake and joined the three of us to help heal Damon, but even between the three of us, Damon showed no sign of recovery. His skin was a purplish-blue and ice cold. Ben continued to hold Delia as Emerlee paced around.
Finally, David said, “Can we use magic to warm his body? The healing chant isn’t working fast enough.”
No one said a word, but I suddenly had an idea. I could send fire to my fingertips, without sending flames. I could use my fire power to warm his body. As I held my hands against Damon’s chest, I pushed flames towards the tips of my fingertips without allowing them to escape my skin. I felt the warmth of the flames tingle my fingertips, and when they grew too hot, I sucked them back in. I continued to pulsate my flames against his chest for several moments, until I finally saw his skin turn blush.
“Whatever you’re doing is working Miranda!” David cried.
“I’m warming him with my fire power,” I said.
“Try it on his feet,” David said.
I moved down to Damon’s feet and placed my hands inside the blanket. His feet were as cold as ice, but I quickly wrapped my fingers around them. I quickly pulsated flames into my fingers as I felt his feet begin to warm.
After several minutes of warming Damon’s body and continuing the healing chant, I heard David cry out, “It’s working. His breathing is getting strong. He’s going to make it!”
I breathed a sigh of relief. After all that happened the last few days, I couldn’t live with myself if Damon died.
Finally after several more minutes of trying to warm him, I heard Damon groining, and David said, “Let’s put him in the tent and hang his clothes to dry.”
Nathen
and David carried Damon into the tent and laid him down. They made sure his body was thoroughly covered in blankets. As Emerlee and Ben set Damon’s clothes near the fire, Delia went to sit with her son, and my father and I set up the other two tents.
A few moments later, David came out of the tent and said, “I’m gonna get us dinner.” He looked at Ben, “Wanna come?”
Ben looked at me as if he needed my approval, so I nodded my head. “Sure,” he said.
Ben and David packed up some supplies for their hunt, and before they headed off, Ben took me aside.
“Miranda,” he said, “Just in case something happens—”
“Nothing is going to happen. David is...pretty great,” I said.
“Well...just in case. I want you to know I love you. Even if we’re just friends…you’re the mother of my son, and I love you.
“I love you too Ben. I really do.”
Ben kissed me on the forehead and headed towards David.
Before the two headed off, David looked at me and said, “We should be back in two hours with dinner. If we aren’t back by tomorrow morning...I want you to keep going.”
I nodded my head, but I didn’t want to go on without them.
Chapter 9
While David and Ben were away, My father, Emerlee and I set up camp while Nathen and Delia took care of their son. After almost an hour, Delia came out of the tent and said with a joyful look upon her face, “He’s awake!”
I ran into the tent and sat by Damon’s side. I took his hand and held it in mine and said, “Damon, how are you feeling?”
“I’m cold, but I’m feeling better,” he replied.
“I can keep you warm,” I said as I placed my hands on his chest and pulsated fire into his flesh.
He smiled as he felt the sensation of my warmth. Then he said, “I love you Miranda, so much.”
“I love you too,” I said as I realizing I had just confessed my love for Ben not long before. As near death situations seemed to be a common occurrence, I realized my feelings for both Damon and Ben were growing more twisted and intense.
Damon and I were quiet for some time before he finally said, “It hurts that you slept with Ben...it really does. But I forgive you...and I love you, and if we survive this, I want you forever as my wife. I just want you to know that.”
The Portal to Sidhe: Book 2 Page 9