The Snowy Tower by Belinda Murrell

Author:Belinda Murrell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2007-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

In the morning the children were woken by Leila shaking them. They could tell by the darkness in the tent that the sun had not yet risen. Yawning, stretching, muttering sleepily, the five children started to pack and help. Leila made tea, while Wilf, Saxon and Ethan dismantled the white felt dome. Lily and Roana bundled blankets, cushions, rugs and cooking utensils and carried them out to the sleds. Wilf’s father, Jared, packed the two sleds meticulously, obviously well practised at the task.

At last the sleds were ready. Lily and Roana groomed and saddled the five horses while Ethan and Saxon packed the saddle bags and packs. Wilf and his parents harnessed their own horses to the sleds. Wilf and Jonte were to herd the reindeer along the lake’s edge. At last the whole tribe was ready to go. The first sleds slid out across the snow with a hissing noise and a jingle of bells.

The ride was picturesque and companionable, with tribesfolk calling comments and greetings as they skated along on their skis, gliding effortlessly. Aisha enjoyed helping Wilf and Jonte herd the reindeer, barking and bossing the skittery animals. Every now and again, she ran back to check on Lily and Ethan, but she was loving the novelty of canine companionship and herding work.

Breakfast was eaten in the saddle – dried biscuits and smoked strips of reindeer meat with water from the water bottle, with a similar meal eaten at lunchtime. The cavalcade did not stop but meandered slowly and steadily along the valley floor. Children ran alongside the sleds to stretch their legs, climbed up on top of the sleds for a rest or a nap, or sat astride the shaggy, fat mountain ponies.

Leila had offered the children the opportunity to take turns riding on the sled if they needed to rest from the saddle, so all of them alternated throughout the day. It was relaxing to ride, cuddled down in furs and blankets and watching the scenery go by.

Towards dusk, the lead sleighs pulled over near a copse of trees. Children ran to gather firewood, while the adults all toiled to set up temporary shelters for the night – small tents of reindeer skin. Everyone was tired after the long day of travelling, so there was no storytelling, music or singing before bed, only a simple meal of chewy dried meat.

The next day was similar to the last. The children noticed that they were travelling deeper into the north, deeper into the snows, deeper into the wild. In the late afternoon, a shout went up. Lily, Saxon, Ethan and Roana trotted up to see what was happening. The forward scouts had spied the smoke of the camp at the tribal gathering.

Everyone sat up straighter, and the horses started to jog in anticipation.

This camp was much bigger than the one they had just left, with about eighty white domes set up already. The gathering was for all nine mountain tribes to celebrate the slow coming of spring, the receding of the snows and the growing strength of the sun.

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