Green Fox Chapter 14

The sun soon vanished behind the looming peaks, plunging the barren valley into an eerie twilight. A biting wind hammered the small group, but they kept going, none of them willing to surrender to the waiting bounty hunters. Chunks of ice scraped across the rocks as the river carried them to the marsh.

Up ahead, the valley opened up into a wide plain scattered with house-sized boulders deposited there by the retreating glacier that dominated the western end. It shone in the dying light before fading as night swiftly fell upon the land. “How can anyone live here?” Mildred asked as she clung on to her boys. Albert pressed against her as they all leaned on each other. “Birds do,” Eva said, pointing at distant eagles. “And fish. You can live anywhere if you have to. We could--” “We can’t go on like this,” Turr said, interrupting her. The blanket wrapped around his shoulders slipped free in the wind, but he caught it before it flew away. “This is madness. We’ll freeze if we stay out here.” “Cosi won’t let us,” Eva said, her eyes focused on Cosi’s back as he strode far out in front. He stood out against the fading light, almost glowing against the scattered rocks and loose scree. “Don’t those birds have homes to go back to?” Turr asked, peering up at the black dots circling overhead. At least a score of the enormous creatures kept pace with the party, never straying far. “They’re just waiting for one of us to fall over. Then they’ll be down here, picking over our bones.”

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