The Smolder by Kathryn Judson

Author:Kathryn Judson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, clean romance, christian fiction, dystopian, tyranny, inspirational fiction, antiracism, future adventure romance, dystopia fiction, utopias dystopias, utopia dystopia, futuristic america
Publisher: Kathryn Judson

<[59] John had said to zag southwest from the rock formation. Southwest they went, with Phil carrying John in a variety of fireman's carry. The plan was to trade off: Phil to Dan to Luke, and back to Phil again, etc., as needed, for as long as they needed.

Clarence rumbled after, murmuring his willingness to tote someone. Mindful of his hurt paws, Miriam fell back to walk with her hand on his shoulder when the trail was wide enough for both of them, and leading or following him when things got tight.

Sam, upset that he couldn't help carry John, and seeing that the bear was busy being Miriam's bearfriend, assigned himself to the prisoner. Maria and Anne, officially in charge of watching the prisoner, decided to humor him.

The prisoner kept looking between Sam and the bear, as if he were afraid that Sam would need to feed the bear soon, and might not stick at feeding him an experson guilty of attempted annihilation of a rock worshipper.

At first, his earlier muddy footprints headed against them on the trail, clearly showing how dejected and weary he'd been, and how alone. But the snow came down hard. Those prints said less and less.

The group's new prints said more and more.

The wind picked up. The rescuers reminded each other that without wind, their tracks would stay stark, and therefore more dangerous. The positive thinking didn't help much. The cold bit. The wind bit. The snow half blinded them. Their tracks were not being erased completely, although it seemed likely the storm might get bad enough to get that job done soon.

They took a vote, and agreed to not talk about it any more, if they could help it.

They came to a gully, as expected. It had water nearly to their knees, chilled to bitter cold. The terrain on either side of it didn't look passable.

"You came through this?" Sam asked the prisoner.

The man nodded.

"This morning?"

Another nod.

Sam volunteered to scout ahead, so that people wouldn't get wetter and colder than they needed to, if this route didn't pan out.

Luke squashed that idea, on the grounds that Sam was injured. (This was not to mention that Luke had visions of trying to explain to Lt. Westpoint that he'd found his man, only to let him wander off again.)

Dan suggested that he go instead of Sam, or at least that he take the gully, while perhaps others scouted along the sides, hoping to find a way to safety that didn't involve walking dangerously through raging ice water in a snowstorm.

"Didn't the Astorians try that?" Maria said. "Splitting up on different sides of a river to scout, I mean."

"And everybody had to hole up for the winter in different places. And at least one of them went stark raving mad, too. John Day, was it?" Miriam said, getting a good grade in history, but not necessarily moving the conversation in a healthy direction.

"I'm open to better ideas," Luke said, managing to make it clear that so far he hadn't thought of any, but didn't like this delay or the demoralizing thoughts.

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