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T he sounds layering the wind were highly distracting now that Ali’s senses were heightened. More than just the flurry of snow, she could actually hear the snowflakes hitting against one another, a tapping that grew less gentle as the storm increased. The gusts were thunderous now and the only thing that could penetrate past them was Red’s voice. Its vibration was so throaty and masculine that she stared at him a second longer each time he finished talking, so struck by the sound.
“There has to be a place to hide from these winds. They’re tearing at my open skin.” The pain was evident on his face and the slowness of his movements. The gashes in his body were grotesque and hard to look at, especially now that snow and ice had lodged in them. The one good thing about the cold was that the blood had stopped flowing. He had lost too much already, and she worried for him, no matter what he said. They stayed close to the mountain, the sharp rise showing no route to climb for at least two miles now. They both needed something good to happen.
Where is he taking us? This is insane. Will he last the night? Please God, help us!
Just as they turned a sharp bend, he cried out, “There! You see it?” She followed where he pointed and saw a small, dark cave tucked in a crook of steep granite. He looked down and met her eyes. “Until this storm passes.”
He held his hands in front of his torso as a fresh burst of wind slashed at their bodies. She stayed by his side, glancing up to him often as they trudged toward the jagged hole. He paused and panted against the pain, and Ali nudged his hip with her muzzle, urging him to keep going.
He rasped, “I’m fine. Don’t worry,” and started walking again.
The cave’s entrance was not quite six feet high. Red had to bend to go in, and he grimaced, no longer pretending not to be in agony. Thankfully, inside, the granite ceiling extended upwards, allowing him to stand at full height and not to have to bend the places that stung.
With the dramatic advancement of her night vision, she was able to see inside the primitive space. The walls glistened with a light dew, snow’s condensation swept in by the wind. Stalactites suspended from the dark gray ceiling. The cave narrowed as it went deeper into the mountain and Ali padded in that direction, looking over her shoulder at Red.
“Yes, let’s get further in. There will be no dry wood to gather for a fire. We will have to keep each other warm.” He offered her a weak smile.
He is just as worried as I am. I can see it in his eyes!
The tunnel had only two rooms leading off of it before it stopped in a dead end. He chose the smallest one. “We’ll be able to make the most of our body heat in here.”
He winced as he bent to clear the sharp straws of granite dripping from the door’s arch. Lowering himself to the hard, stone floor, he watched Ali wrap her body around his back to keep his kidneys warm, careful not to touch his wounds with her fur. She’d heard somewhere that if you warm the kidneys, you won’t be as cold; it’s why vests work.
“Thank you, Ali,” he said on an exhale.
She laid her muzzle on his uncut leg and stared at the granite wall in front of her. The details of it were extraordinary, tiny crevices and long flat lines formed by water, eons ago.
“Are you seeing the world for the first time?”
She looked up and nodded. He smiled and touched her face, running one thick finger the length of her snout. She closed her eyes as he swiped between them. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? You know, when I lost the battle, I regretted that the most. I wanted to show you the things I had seen. But it didn’t occur to me until now that you wouldn’t be able to see it like I could, like you can now.” Feeling around, he inspected his leg. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to bleed again. But it’s probably just frozen.”
Ali angled to see the leg. It looked even more ghastly than earlier. She
T he sounds layering the wind were highly distracting now that Ali’s senses were heightened. More than just the flurry of snow, she could actually hear the snowflakes hitting against one another, a tapping that grew less gentle as the storm increased. The gusts were thunderous now and the only thing that could penetrate past them was Red’s voice. Its vibration was so throaty and masculine that she stared at him a second longer each time he finished talking, so struck by the sound.
“There has to be a place to hide from these winds. They’re tearing at my open skin.” The pain was evident on his face and the slowness of his movements. The gashes in his body were grotesque and hard to look at, especially now that snow and ice had lodged in them. The one good thing about the cold was that the blood had stopped flowing. He had lost too much already, and she worried for him, no matter what he said. They stayed close to the mountain, the sharp rise showing no route to climb for at least two miles now. They both needed something good to happen.
Where is he taking us? This is insane. Will he last the night? Please God, help us!
Just as they turned a sharp bend, he cried out, “There! You see it?” She followed where he pointed and saw a small, dark cave tucked in a crook of steep granite. He looked down and met her eyes. “Until this storm passes.”
He held his hands in front of his torso as a fresh burst of wind slashed at their bodies. She stayed by his side, glancing up to him often as they trudged toward the jagged hole. He paused and panted against the pain, and Ali nudged his hip with her muzzle, urging him to keep going.
He rasped, “I’m fine. Don’t worry,” and started walking again.
The cave’s entrance was not quite six feet high. Red had to bend to go in, and he grimaced, no longer pretending not to be in agony. Thankfully, inside, the granite ceiling extended upwards, allowing him to stand at full height and not to have to bend the places that stung.
With the dramatic advancement of her night vision, she was able to see inside the primitive space. The walls glistened with a light dew, snow’s condensation swept in by the wind. Stalactites suspended from the dark gray ceiling. The cave narrowed as it went deeper into the mountain and Ali padded in that direction, looking over her shoulder at Red.
“Yes, let’s get further in. There will be no dry wood to gather for a fire. We will have to keep each other warm.” He offered her a weak smile.
He is just as worried as I am. I can see it in his eyes!
The tunnel had only two rooms leading off of it before it stopped in a dead end. He chose the smallest one. “We’ll be able to make the most of our body heat in here.”
He winced as he bent to clear the sharp straws of granite dripping from the door’s arch. Lowering himself to the hard, stone floor, he watched Ali wrap her body around his back to keep his kidneys warm, careful not to touch his wounds with her fur. She’d heard somewhere that if you warm the kidneys, you won’t be as cold; it’s why vests work.
“Thank you, Ali,” he said on an exhale.
She laid her muzzle on his uncut leg and stared at the granite wall in front of her. The details of it were extraordinary, tiny crevices and long flat lines formed by water, eons ago.
“Are you seeing the world for the first time?”
She looked up and nodded. He smiled and touched her face, running one thick finger the length of her snout. She closed her eyes as he swiped between them. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? You know, when I lost the battle, I regretted that the most. I wanted to show you the things I had seen. But it didn’t occur to me until now that you wouldn’t be able to see it like I could, like you can now.” Feeling around, he inspected his leg. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to bleed again. But it’s probably just frozen.”
Ali angled to see the leg. It looked even more ghastly than earlier. She
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