This time she was sure she had been walking in a circle. The day had been unusual clear for the Misty Mountains, no storm, not even a snowfall, and thus she recognized the place where she had lit her fire last night. She was devastated. It was more than she could bear today. She did not even bother to make a camp - she just lay down in the snow and fell asleep immediately from total exhaustion.
Sleeping was not dangerous for her, her ears and her nose did warn her as soon as any enemy was approaching. Dangerous was that she had not gotten nearly enough sleep these last days, because there were too many evil creatures lurking around. She had hardly slept for half an hour when the stench of the first snow-beast of this night woke her up. A short fight and another half hour of tossing and turning later, the fine clicking of scales made her jump up again. Indeed a snow-worm approached and hissed at her before attacking. The bright moonlight was her friend; it was much better to fight the beasts when she could see if another one was close by or not. Her arrows and knives penetrated the shiny white scales easily - and also those of another worm that followed right after this one, maybe lured here by all the blood.
Plinnlim decided to look for another place to sleep and stumbled, totally whacked, further into the valley. She did not even think of riding Rochlim, but her horse followed faithfully. Then, without warning, the clear moonlit night changed into a snow storm, the heaviest Plinnlim had experienced so far. Or did it only seem so heavy to her because she was at the end of her tether? And why was it getting so very dark suddenly? That was her last thought before she stumbled and fell down. This time, she did not get up again. She just lay there on the cold ground and the snow started covering her. Once again she opened her eyes and mumbled "Nana ... Ada ..." and then she fainted. Rochlim stood nearby, getting nervous. Now the question was not if they would die - that was only a matter of time. The only question left was what kind of beast would find them first.
