Trent abruptly stopped and started looking around. Something seized up in me and I reached out to grab at him, "You felt it too?" I croaked out past cold lips.
He nodded and with their help I got back up. I reached for the pack, but Trent dragged it out of reach and started breaking trail off to the side of our original route. Before I could step forward after him Deshavi was at my side, with an arm slipped around me for support. I had to admit it felt good to have a little help. Not having the pack on was a relief to, but I didn't know how Trent was managing it.
Trent headed across a little open area towards a copse of trees. Once in the trees the landform changed abruptly. The hill, or what had looked like one on the approach, was actually sharply split into two halves. More warm air came drifting out toward us from the narrow rift in the hill. The closer we got the snow got less deep, until we stumbled in the muddy bare ground of the forest that was completely free of snow.
We walked up the rift, which had steep stony sides and was covered overhead by the surrounding canopy of the forest to either side of the rift in the hill. It was well above freezing within the sharp sided little canyon, in fact it was almost balmy feeling. The snow we were covered with began to melt away rapidly. Could this turn of good fortune really be possible?
A big buck stood up with a bugle of alarm followed by two does.
"Shoot them!" I called out to Trent, but he was already fumbling with a rifle, as he tried to get it unencumbered from his pack. It was the automatic function of the rifle that spewed enough bullets to bring two of the deer down, other than any ability of his cold fingers to aim the rifle at the time.
We had shelter, we had warmth, and now we had food. God had provided for us bountifully within the midst of the storm. I fell to my knees praising God for this place of sanctuary in the midst of the wilderness, even as the snow continued to fall outside, completely covering up our rough path through the snow.
One day earlier.
Chatta held the gun out before him, and with flashlight in hand stepped into the cave. He was soon flanked by the others, who were similarly armed. They weren't here!
How could that be? Who would leave a place of shelter and go out into such a storm? It was crazy and yet his adversary had kept him from claiming the victory that should have been his by right for pressing through the storm to reach this place. Chatta had been sure that given their general direction that they would find this place and be waiting here for him. They had been here though. He reached down and felt at the ashes of the fire, cold.