As she walked on the near un defiable small path clad in snow, that lay within the forest, she found her thoughts returning to the dream that had haunted her for a while.
'The dream was always the same, nothing taken away or added from the night before.The man that had came to her in her sleep was of old age, his hair almost white, crawled out from under his hat, while he was leaning on his gnarly staff.
He had turned around and moved towards her, his feet leaving no prints, nor a sound in the white carpet on the ground. He had sat down and simply said " Snow", while he had peered into her eyes.
Suddenly he had stood as fast as he had sat down, and reaching for her hand while he spoke again." Help.", he had said. Without offering any further explanation.
Dragging her along to the edge of the cliff he had pointed down over the clearing with a few more words uttered." Path...Home", was all he had said before he had looked at her again, " The young must live...must live".
The sound that came after he had uttered those words, was one she would remember for as long as there was life in her. A rumbling, almost like boulders rolling down the mountainside.
Low. Frightening. Far away, but yet close.
He had pushed her away from himself and she had stumbled backwards, falling on her behind in the snow, her mouth open in surprise as the old man was disappearing right before her eyes.
And then he was gone.
No trace of him.
No footsteps in the snow, nor even a mark from his cane upon the frozen ground.
Nothing.
He had vanished as mysterious as he had appeared.
Casting a glance over her shoulder back at Whunjo, watching the large man throd through the deep snow. He was the one that had found her. Freezing cold she had been sitting there, her eyes fixed on something that had not been. A warm cloak was draped around her shoulders.
Scared and confused she had gently been coaxed to tell him what she had seen.
She had told him everything, hoping that she would forget about it.
That it would finally subside and be forgotten.
But the old man came back the next night, telling her the same thing over and over.
She had spread word to the rest of the north men and Whunjo had concluded that this must be a sign from the "Spirits". With naught else to do but wait and starve or move on, it was decided, they would follow the advice of the elder. She thought about it and Whunjo's words, a spirit that had come to her and showed her the way Home? She was as much in doubt over this as the others. Uhruz, the great big man and brother of Whunjo, saw only signs of warning in the message.
Kalf's daughter Asatrid did not want to go for unspoken reason, it took some convincing for her to go along without being a fuss. It was almost comical though, the sour look she gave in the anticipation of what was to come.
And now, all of them were well on their way over the mountains. The snow knee deep and hard to master at times, their legs aching from the constant climbs. The wind blowing harshly at what skin they could not cover from the elements. Yet they were hardy men and women, even as food was running low and they had to march with the sound of groaning and grumbling bellies they kept moving. In all minds or atleast most there was only one thought though; Home at last!
Her voice could not be heard over the wind while she mumbled,
"May the Spirits guide our way."
