Under the Northern Lights by Tracie Peterson

Author:Tracie Peterson [Peterson, Tracie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 0100-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Jayce pushed north in the direction from which he’d seen Leah come. The snowfall had covered the trail, but he was certain that if he continued in this manner, he would find some sign of his brother. The crisp air stung his nostrils and ice formed on his mustache and beard. It was considerably colder than when they’d first started the journey. He wondered how long they’d actually been gone; he’d managed to lose track of the days in his worry over Leah.

Slowing the dogs, he tried to find some sign of the trail. There was nothing, even though this had looked to be a main thoroughfare, according to John. The snow had clearly buried the evidence, and the dogs were tired from battling the trail. Jayce knew it would be easier for them if he cut the trail for a while. Jacob had taught him this during one of the other storms.

Jayce halted the dogs and let them rest while he took up his snowshoes. It wouldn’t be easy to break the trail, but it would help the animals, and that was of the utmost importance.

‘‘Come on, boys,’’ he said, taking hold of the gangline. Jayce worked to clear a path wide enough for the dogs, all the while looking for any sign of his brother having passed this way.

He tried not to think of how angry Leah would be when she awoke and found him gone. After her comments the night before, Jayce knew there would be no reasoning with her. A weight settled over him. Marriage was hard work, and he and Leah had scarcely had time alone together since their wedding. Chase had come between them in so many ways.

‘‘All of my life you’ve caused me trouble,’’ Jayce declared, as if Chase could hear him. ‘‘All of my life you’ve tried to exact some kind of revenge on me, and none of it has ever made sense.’’

Eventually the snow evened out and Jayce could see that it wasn’t as deep. He took off his snowshoes and positioned himself behind the sled once again. The dogs were happy to have their head again. The lead dog, especially, seemed to have renewed energy for the day as he pulled eagerly against the weight.

The next morning Jayce felt his cause rather hopeless. There was no sign of Chase. Any tracks he might have left had been covered by the wind-driven snow. Jayce studied the landscape for any discrepancies and found none. He thought perhaps Chase had taken a different direction. If so, Jayce would be hard-pressed to figure out what direction he’d gone.

‘‘Lord, I need your guidance. I need to know where to go and how to find my brother.’’

Jayce continued to search the trail. There was an abundance of dwarfed birch and willows. Rounded tussocks, dangerous to the sleds when hidden in the snow, were barely visible in areas where the wind had drifted the snow. It was a lonely, desperate country.

Clouds moved in, subduing the light. Soon it would be night and another day would pass without Jayce having anything to show for it.

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