Lady Squire- Dawn's Ascension by Leonard D Hilley II

Author:Leonard D Hilley II [Hilley, Leonard D II]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DeimosWeb Publishing
Published: 2016-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty-four

Crukas awakened from his sleep. Hunger gnawed at his gut. After eating all of the stolen walnuts, he didn’t have anything more to eat. He was only a few hours from Glacier Ridge, so he wouldn’t starve. His stomach might protest on his way down the mountainside, but that was about the worst of it.

He rose and stepped past the old horse to look outside the cave opening. The dark cloudy horizon hadn’t lessened, even after spilling out several more inches of hard ice pellets onto the narrow mountain path. In ways, he wished he had continued downward during the brunt of the falling ice instead of hoping it passed. Now his descent was more treacherous than before and night was coming, which made it even worse.

With the threatening storm still hanging overhead, waiting for the following morning was not an option. If more heavy snowfall came overnight, he could be trapped inside the small cave for days or until he starved to death depending upon the severity of the storm. He needed to reach Glacier Ridge soon.

Crukas wasn’t certain if the horse could make the trip down, due to the slipperiness of the path. He’d leave the horse behind if he knew the horse would eventually find its way to the bottom, but he doubted it would attempt such a trek alone. To abandon the horse meant it would starve to death. Although he was a thief, he wasn’t heartless. He refused to allow the beast to die in such a manner. He’d lead it down the icy slope, but he wouldn’t chance riding it. That would prove deadly for both of them.

Quickly checking all of the bags, he took the horse by the bridle and turned it toward the opening. Whistling wind pressed against him. He tucked his chin to his chest and flipped his hood over his head.

Icy rocks made his first few steps awkward. He pressed against the mountain wall, bracing himself, and focusing on his balance. At first the horse resisted his lead, but after a good fifty feet, it eased forward. Bracing against the cold, Crukas estimated walking at least three more hours before he entered the rear entrance of Glacier Ridge. Warmth of a roaring fire, hard alcohol, and a hot meal were incentive enough to make him walk a bit faster.

“Easy,” Crukas said to the horse. “One step at a time. We’ll make it.”

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