Walk A Different Path 🤍 Jaa/First

Chapter 17 ~ here to help ~

Looking on the bright side things could be worse, there could be strong winds and blizzard conditions on top of everything else but the snow was falling slowly and gently in large fluffy clumps, that was the thing with nature, it could be beautiful and yet deadly at the same time.

The landscape was covered by a blanket of powdery snow and Sam decided that now was as good a time as any to put on his protective snow goggles and advised everyone else to do the same. Raz and Pon knew they didn't need them but they complied so as not to bring attention to themselves.

They had been travelling for about an hour and a half and Sam was thinking they should have reached eagle point by now and he was beginning to question if he could deliver what he had promised but then he remembered they were travelling slower because of the deep snow so he figured they would get there in about thirty minutes.

The horses were working hard and every step they took exerted their energy as they lifted their legs higher than usual to punch them down into the snow which reached just below their knees. 

Sam wasn't an expert by any means but he remembered Maskwa telling him that it wasn't good for their tendons to be cold and wet for long periods and he knew that they would need a good rest when they got to the village before taking Kiri and Kan up to the hotel.

After another twenty minutes, Sam saw the tree, it was difficult to recognise at first because it was covered with more snow than the last time he had seen it but he could still clearly make out the flying eagle branch only this time it looked as if it had a mass of snowy white feathers as well.

"we need to veer to the right guys, follow me and stay close" Sam said.

"are you sure?" the mountie said.

"I'm positive" Sam replied leading them all in the same wide arc that Maskwa had just a couple of weeks prior.

It took about forty minutes for all the horses to reach the other side of eagle point and they stopped and rested for a minute while Sam explained that they were now halfway to the village.

The disgruntled mountie asked Sam how he knew so much about the area and Sam smiled and replied,

"I'm in a relationship with one of the Aurora Springs people"

Paitoon smiled behind his scarf, his pretty pink nose jiggling as a snowflake landed on it,

"are you ok baby?" Chit asked him.

"mmm, I'm fine" toonie replied.

Pon couldn't resist bringing his horse up beside Sam when they set off again,

"I couldn't help over hearing that you're dating one of the villagers, may I ask who?" Pon asked.

"sure, I'm dating Maskwa Maskawisiw" Sam said.

Timi was shocked and it showed on Pon's face and Sam noticed,

"are you ok?" Sam asked him

"yeah ... yes I'm ... it was just a bit of a shock" Pon replied.

"so you know him then?" Sam asked Pon as they rode beside each other, Raz kept watch from a distance.

"not really, he's a friend of a friend" Pon replied, he wasn't really lying.

"who is your friend, I might know him?" Sam asked.

"I doubt you would" Pon replied.

"it wouldn't be Pipon would it?" Sam asked.

"he told you about Pipon?" Pon asked.

"mmm the subject came up yeah, so you have loved ones up in the village?" Sam replied.