Winters' 3 Dears- The 12: Book Three

35. Grace of God

Beatrice clapped her hands together. There weren't really as cold as they were before now that she had the alpaca mittens as well. As they wound their way to the top of the mountain she watched the back of Tennessee. She admitted she had been stubborn for the vast part of this journey and when she put her bad pride away she realized how caring he was.

"How much farther?" Beatrice asked, her voice ringing out like a gong in the silent morning.

"Can't tell," Tennessee said from just ahead. "But the frozen lake should be somewhere above our heads. He stepped back and looked up the cliff face. He found it hard to imagine there could be a lake up there. "Could be another day."

"Splendid," Beatrice sighed.

Tennessee smirked. "I thought you wanted to come on this wild adventure," he said starting forward around the corner.

Beatrice hurried to catch up. "I do but—"

Tennessee grabbed her arm and pulled her back as a huge bear stood suddenly in their path.

Beatrice screamed and he told her to stay calm.

"Don't look it in the eye," he whispered.

"Tennessee..."

"Stay calm."

"I thought bears slept in the winter."

"It's not winter," Tennessee whispered. "Whatever you do don't run." The bear let out a loud roar. "Just back up slowly, Beatrice. Beatrice?" Tennessee turned around to see Beatrice racing away. "Beatrice!" The bear let out another roar and he ran. He quickly caught up to Beatrice. "Come on we need to get off the trail!" As they ran along the mountain side he searched for a place they could dodge the bear. When he saw a narrow path to the side he stirred Beatrice into it. "Keep going!"

Beatrice could feel her muscles growing weak with fear as the bear continued its charge up the much narrower path. The path suddenly opened up wider with the mountain on one side and a rock slope into a ravine on the other.

"Don't stop!" Tennessee shouted from behind her.

A big gust of wind suddenly swept down the mountain catching them from the back and sweeping them off their feet. Screaming they blundered down the path, rolling, tumbling, staggering, until suddenly there was nothing beneath their feet. Next they were falling, down, down, down, until a thin bed of snow caught them at the bottom of a pit.

Tennessee shook himself awake and got to his feet. His heart was still racing and his breaths came in gasp. He looked up at the mouth of the hole and saw no bear. "Beatrice?"

"I'm fine," Beatrice said getting to her feet. "Where are we?"

"In some sort of pit in the mountain," Tennessee said. He grabbed onto the wall of the hole and tried to hoist himself up but it was too slick and there weren't many places to get his footing.

"Maybe if I stand on your shoulders I can reach the top," Beatrice recommended.

Tennessee doubted it but decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. He made a step with his hands then helped her onto his shoulders. But even if they stacked and stood on their bags together they wouldn't be tall enough. Tennessee let her back down and decided they could shout for help.

They called out names of family and friends they shouted and screamed until they realized it too would be hopeless. They were in the middle of nowhere.