Tariacopyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zRuXeZvu6
Pa woke me up by shaking my shoulder. In front of me he placed a cup of water, and some biscuits and cheese. My stomach grumbled at the sight of the food. Pa sat on the opposite of the fire, and slowly brought it back to life.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNIWPINTQ4
I sat up and stretched out my arms. Picking up a biscuit, I popped it into my mouth and sighed. Looking around the cave I noticed Kara was gone. She had clearly gone to find her own breakfast and would be back soon.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jEwYdrYox
“Was Kara gone when you woke?” I said.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8r70V5fVAJ
Pa nodded. “Yes.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hwJems1fj
“Hopefully she will be back soon.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kCKRBYiAm
I rubbed at my sore shoulder as I ate. The pain was less but the throbbing didn’t seem like it was fading.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡQINXJJ2YED
“Before we set off I’ll need to change your wrapping,” said Pa.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGVeq9ATbQ
“Okay,” I said.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡchaP22q0k0
We finished our breakfast and began to pack up the camp. Pa grabbed some fresh bandages from his saddle bag and called me over. Sitting beside him, we removed my coat and he unwound the bandage. With a wet bandage he gently wiped away the dry blood and examined my bullet wound.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaJb8sUbrz
He frowned. “The bullet went through clean and not deep enough to cause any damage, but you’ll have a scar.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8fKmGUXz5
I sighed. “My first scar, the first of many most likely.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLnYBq01ql
“Don’t be like that,” said Pa, “We might not have to fire another shot on this whole trip.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OwLZEeUQF
I snorted in disbelief.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFOJqbpk8Y
Pa didn’t respond. He just wound up my arm in a fresh bandage before disposing of the dirty one in the fire.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVKNTmdToE
***copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqsKcsprmg
Packed and ready to go; it had almost been an hour since Pa and I had woken up, and Kara still hadn’t returned. Worry was beginning to fill me. What were Pa and I to do if she never came back? Would we simply go home or would Pa want to continue on? A small part of me prayed that she didn’t return. If I could go home and see Ma and Gean again, that would be perfectly fine with me. But my conscience had other ideas. I knew it would haunt me with the thought of how I could have helped save Kara and her kind. It would haunt me forever.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PVVzl6YFe
Pa turned and looked at me from the cave opening. He rubbed the back of his head. “We should get moving.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5aIT347Xt
“What about Kara?” I said.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcTeX6Gnx3
“She can catch up to us.” Pa picked up his saddle and placed it on his horses back. “When she returns and sees that we are gone, she will track us and catch up. We can’t afford to waste a whole day waiting for her to return.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡDETyzsUFrA
I stood up and crossed my arms. “We have no idea where to go. Kara said that if we stray from the path we could get caught in all sorts of traps. And what if we got lost in these woods? We may never find our way out.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoG47A8cH6
“Kara told us that we had to make it to the valley of the White Mountains. They are that way.” He pointed west. “If we keep on heading west then I’m sure that we will find where we need to go.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtjzIgFoEc
“What if Kara doesn’t find us?”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡshQlQpOL5f
“When we reach the valley we can ask for someone’s help to find her.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZE14LBdYj
I didn’t like it, any of it. But it didn’t seem like I had a choice. Instead of fighting with Pa I walked over to my saddle. I attempted to lift it from the ground but couldn’t grip it. It landed with a thud.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDMCcuTSTx
Pa snorted with laughter. He walked over and said, “Probably best to let me do the heavy lifting while your arm heals.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mPUHGkvrq
I didn’t reply. I simply crossed my arms over my chest.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMqpOubqH9
Pa helped my mount Silver and wrapped a thick blanket around myself before he did the same. We left the cave and were hit by the morning chill on the mountains. Pa looked up the path. He said, “There is a clear path in-between the trees, I figure, if we stay between them then we will be on the path.” He looked over his shoulder at me. He seemed to want to know what I though.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1NwD01xSU
I nodded.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XgUSYAcu1
“Okay then.” Pa looked back forward and nudged his horse.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfO3FDxQ4f
The storm from the night before had left the path with a deep fresh layer of snow. Our horses struggled to move at a decent pace, but our slowness allowed us to stay alert to anything around us. Pa seemed to have one hand on his rifles handle at all times. If he was a horse I would describe him as having his ears pricked. Nothing would escape his notice. I was more alert to the cold that was creeping in through the blanket. Keeping warm was a struggle but the longer we rode the colder I felt.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OgOkUOmrH
Worry also built. Kara had yet to make any sort of appearance. There had been no sign that of her. Pa had tried to keep me reassured by he was failing.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwExqww1J1
Around midday when the sun was shining bright in the sky, but producing little warmth, we stopped. Sitting on the stump of a tree we rested the horses and had some food.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mhRpWvWNz
Pa wrapped one arm around my shoulder. He said, “Everything is going will be fine, I promise.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOnsCHmr3N
“How do you know that?” I said.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kkMSKipM1
He smiled. “I know because I am your father, and I know everything.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPnIGMFbJs
I laughed. “Yeah, okay, sure.” I shoved him.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVh8oTQLkU
He joined my laughter.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡztfTf8Eyxq
“Is it wrong of me to be scared?” I asked him.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYfYHWLm8u
His laughter faded and he looked at me with warming eyes. “There is nothing wrong with being scared.” He squeezed my shoulder. “I would be more concerned if you weren’t. Being scared is what will keep you alive. Just trust your instincts.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTq61P0RAl
I wanted to roll my eyes. Trust my instincts? It was a complete cliché but I couldn’t doubt him; Pa had never led me wrong. “I don’t even know what I’m really afraid of,” I said, “I thought it was that I was leaving behind Ma and Gean, or leaving behind my normal life. I also thought that I'm scared of what I will have to do to help Kara and other familiars. But now I’m not so sure.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9O1249HCH
Pa sat silently for a moment. He stood up and looked down at me. “No matter what it is that you fear, don’t let it control you. Don’t let it scare you away from what you want to do.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cFmbmiWJq
“Want?” The word made me angry. “I didn’t want any of this.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡqykRElGEdh
“I know you didn’t want any of this.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZrO1tTaav
“I didn’t want some animal to show up and just throw my whole life into chaos. I want to be at home with Ma and Gean. I want to be helping you prepare for the arrival of the next lot of cattle. I want this to be someone else’s responsibility. And I want someone else to be getting shot at.” Tears spilled down my cheeks.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiIxETTXPC
Pa’s eyes filled with sadness. “I understand all that. I do. What I meant to say was that no matter what happens in the future, if you are in a situation and you are terrified, don’t let that stop you from doing what you have to do.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡogbI8P4Puh
I stood and wrapped my arms around his waist.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uhxji1csc
He bent down and kissed my head. “Because I know that no matter what you want to do, you will do the right thing.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkurR9lL6b
We stayed still for a little longer before I pulled back and wiped my face. I turned back to Silver and walked over to her. I stroked her nose, and said, “Let’s get going. We will need to find somewhere to camp before it gets dark.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡourzdAphpT
Pa agreed.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwoQ4I95UB
We mounted our horses and continued down the path.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDWN4NWpy3
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The road went from straight to turning in all sorts of directions. The trees, lining either side of the path, grew taller and taller; it wasn’t long before we couldn’t see through any of the leaves. Anyone or anything hidden within was invisible to our eyes. And Pa seemed to become even more alert the further we travelled.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBzesDWBJR
We had just crossed a small bridge when we arrived at what I had feared we would run into, a crossroads. There were three choices to pick from and Pa turned and looked at me. He had no idea which to choose and neither did I. If we picked the wrong one we would end up who knows where. Possibilities of picking a road full of traps, or one that took us in the wrong direction were higher possibilities then us picking the correct root.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1u9PzWLZv
I pulled Silver to a stop right beside Pa. I said, “What are the chances, do you think, of us picking the right one?”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAsmDZ8gVa
Pa’s brow furrowed. “One in three.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKMTZewVQg
The temptation to roll my eyes at him was high, but instead I tried to pick a path. “You said that we should keep heading west. So, let’s go straight?”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3ihc7R8TQ
“No,” said Pa.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHr7446dl1
“Why not?”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFMayLp5Gf
“Because there is every possibility that the road could end up going in another direction, any of these could lead anywhere.” He was right.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡluiELuLDDE
Kara was still nowhere in sight. No sign of her anywhere. It meant that it was up to us. She was no help to us.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡtimVprZvEl
I dismounted Silver and held her reigns in my hand. I looked at the road leading to the north. The snow looked completely undisturbed. It had more snow sitting on the top than the other two. Clearly it was less travelled than the other two. Possibly it meant that those who lived in the mountains knew not to go that way, or someone was trying to trick travellers from going down there. The road that appeared to head east looked the most travelled. There were fresh tracks from a cart and horse that couldn’t have been more than a few hours old. And the path seemed to wider as well. Almost like someone had made it wider to fit more travellers along it. The road leading to the south didn’t appear to have many people travel down it. The trees along either side were thick but there were a few animal prints imbedded in the snow. The snow seemed to have been pushed to the middle to hide any trace of human or animal alike, and if you weren’t really looking you would probably not even think about going down there.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡw20icz4CEL
Looking down the third road I had this suddenly feeling that it was the road that we should take. I looked up at Pa who still sat on his horse. He was studying me.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0faE1FqEj
He said, “I know that look.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48Br31S2wx
“What look?”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3zomMYqoC
He smiled. “It’s your ‘I know something’ look.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgDqqhr6H6
“Your right,” I said, “I have this feeling that we should go that way.” I pointed down the third road.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMe1dh26kz
Pa frowned. “Are you sure?”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡDICc7ZZ5pn
I shrugged.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBEm25Dubl
“That’s not reassuring.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡAB8OCl6Esr
“I can’t explain it.” I moved around Silver and pulled myself back on her. My shoulder ached as I did so. Rubbing my shoulder, I nudged Silver in towards the road. “We need to take this road. I think it’s my instincts that are telling me.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡe59QihQhnf
Pa nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6RjsTo6oA
Moving forward Pa let me take the lead. All I could do was hope that my gut was right. If I was wrong, what we found down the road could lead to all sorts of trouble.copyright protection167ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYbzNNVUso
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