The Adventures of Pocahontas and John Rolfe: Book I

Chapter 22: Snow Angel

The Adventures of Pocahontas and John Rolfe: Book I

Chapter 22: Snow Angel

It was clear that a great storm was coming in with heavy gray clouds near on the horizon. Pocahontas saw tiny sparse snowflakes fluttering around her. During that day's hunting expedition she had nearly gotten close enough to a family of wild hogs to take a shot at the male but something had frightened them away before she could even get in position. The wind soon picked up, disabling Flit's flight capacity. The bad weather meant no more hunting. Pocahontas snatched Flit right out of the air and stuffed him down inside one of her biggest pockets. She hated to go back to the cave empty-handed yet again. With the exception of the hummingbird, everyone's physical condition was worsening day by day. If they failed to find food soon, they would not be able to travel anymore and would have to pick a place to pass the winter. Maybe her mother's guiding spirit would lead them to a friendly nearby village. Otherwise, their prospects looked pretty grim.

On the way back to the cave, Pocahontas and Flit heard Percy's distant barks over the roar of the wind. The panicked pug was howling loudly. Despite her lethargy, fear spurred Pocahontas into a sprint and she ran to see what the trouble was. The last thing that she expected to find was John Rolfe collapsed on the frigid ground near the river as the snow fell heavier and heavier. "John!" Pocahontas screamed at the top of her lungs, charging over to him. Percy was at the Englishman's side, nudging him with his nose in an attempt to revive him. "Oh no! What happened? John, wake up!" the young woman cried.

Pocahontas fell to her knees at John Rolfe's side, shaking him. She soon came to realize that he was soaking wet and chilled to the bone. How he had gotten into that condition, she could only venture to guess. She barely heard him groan as she shooed Percy aside, rolling Rolfe over onto his back. His pallid eyelids fluttered as the life was draining out of them. "C-c-c-c-cold-d," he stuttered, his teeth visibly chattering. Tremors ran through his body all over, sending a spike of fear through Pocahontas's heart.

Just then an icy cold wind picked up, making her cheeks sting terribly. She could only imagine the effect it was having on John Rolfe and she threw her body over his to protect him from the worst of it. When it died down, more snowflake flurries fell from the heavens. The gray sky was quickly becoming a pall of white. "John, we have to get back to the cave right this moment. Get up!" Pocahontas commanded, pulling on his arm with all her might. He was shivering so badly that he struggled to push himself up from the ground, even with Pocahontas's help. Once he was in a sitting position, she reached for a long fallen branch and held it up to him. "This should help you get to your feet. Hurry, a storm is coming!" she exclaimed, shouting over the wind. "Please, get up!"

John Rolfe took hold of the stick with his bare hands, his knuckles blue. Pocahontas came up behind him and buried her elbows beneath his underarms, using a wide stance to help him pull himself to his feet. A fierce gust nearly bowled them over but Pocahontas kept a tight grip on the chilled Englishman. "C-c-c-can't feel my f-f-feet," he uttered.

Pocahontas grabbed John Rolfe's arm and draped it around her shoulders to help him support himself. "Walk! Go on. One leg in front of the other," Pocahontas cried over the howling gale. Once again, it was not her mother's spirit that she sensed but something far more sinister. She could not have been more grateful Juanito was gone in that moment.

They slowly made progress toward the cave as the snow thickened even more. Oversized flakes swirled around the pair. Percy had already run for the cave, unable to bear the windchill any longer. It did not help that they were moving up an incline. While it was not steep at all, it still made it harder to reach their destination. Once they had nearly reached the cave, a wintry gale hit them from the front and caused them both to lose their balance. They stumbled over. It almost felt like the wind was trying to stop them from reaching their destination. Pocahontas growled in determination and jumped up, grabbing both of John Rolfe's icy hands. She dragged him backward into the cavern with all of her strength. Meeko and Percy both huddled together between the rucksacks, shivering.