Kaelin stood. His legs were trembling. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked Feargol.
‘That was really fast,’ said the boy.
‘Yes, it was.’
Kaelin stumbled out onto the ice. The sled was lying on its side. He righted it, and saw that it was relatively undamaged. His pack was lying close by, as were the spear and Finbarr’s musket. The pistol was nowhere in sight. Replacing pack, spear and musket he dragged the sled to the bank.
‘The bear isn’t following us,’ said Feargol, happily.
‘It looks that way,’ agreed Kaelin.
It took some time to find a way out of the river bed, but eventually man and boy hauled the sled up onto more solid ground. It was here that Kaelin discovered his snowshoes had also been lost. His temper snapped and he swore loudly.
‘Those were bad words,’ said Feargol. Kaelin took a deep breath.
‘Yes, they were.’ He grinned at the child. ‘Not a word to Chara about them.’
‘She’ll send you to bed without supper,’ said Feargol.
‘Aye – and more than that,’ said Kaelin.
The journey to the cliff cave took more than six hours. Feargol was cold and trembling as they reached the cliff, and could not make the climb to the cave entrance. Kaelin swung the boy to his back. ‘Hold on tight,’ he said. Then, removing his gloves, he reached up for the first hold. The cliff face was ice-covered, but the holds were deep, the climb easy. The cave entrance was only some ten feet above the ground and Kaelin made it in moments, carrying the child inside and lowering him to the floor. There was wood stacked by the far wall. Kaelin prepared a fire, and, once it was started, sat Feargol beside it. Then he returned to the sled, removing the pack, musket and spear. The spear he threw haft first into the cave. The pack and musket he carried up. Feargol was lying beside the fire asleep. Kaelin shook him awake. ‘Not yet, boy,’ he said. ‘First we must get you warm. Otherwise you’ll die.’ Removing the boy’s topcoat and hat he rubbed at his arms and legs. The fire grew brighter and warmer. Feargol began to tremble and shiver. His lips were blue. His eyes closed. ‘Stay awake!’ roared Kaelin.
‘S-s-sorry,’ said the boy.
‘I’m not angry,’ Kaelin told him. ‘You can sleep in a little while. First we let the fire warm our bodies. Then we eat a little. All right?’
‘Yes, Uncle Kaelin.’
‘You are a tough boy. You’ll be fine.’
‘Who left the wood here?’
‘I did. A man should always be prepared. There are lots of places around these highlands where I have left fuel, or supplies. My uncle Jaim taught me that.’
Feargol’s colour was better now, and Kaelin relaxed a little. Fetching his pack, he took out more of the dried meat and cheese and shared it with the child. The cave was warmer now. Some sixteen feet deep and fourteen feet wide, it had once been considerably larger, but, on the western side, a rock fall had collapsed part of the roof. One wall was now merely a wedged mass of broken stones, and several boulders had tumbled into the cave. Kaelin glanced at the wood store. He had spent the best part of a day last autumn bringing wood to the cave, and stacking it by the east wall. There was enough now to last through the night and tomorrow, if necessary.
It would still be a tough journey home, but if they travelled with care they would make it. Feargol lay down on the floor. Kaelin folded the now empty pack and made a pillow for the child. ‘I’ve never been that fast in the sled,’ said Feargol, sleepily. ‘Daddy never let us go down the long slope.’
‘A wise man, your daddy,’ said Kaelin, ruffling the boy’s red hair. ‘Sleep now. It will be a tiring day tomorrow.’
Feargol closed his eyes. Kaelin covered him with his own topcoat then sat by the fire. He dozed for a while, and dreamt of Finbarr Ustal. When first Kaelin had arrived at Ironlatch Farm Finbarr had been hostile. They had since become friends, and Kaelin had come to respect the highlander. To be honest he had never liked his wife. Strong though she was she had a harsh tongue, and was mean-spirited. Kaelin had never understood how Finbarr could have loved her. He noted that even the child had talked about Daddy, but not his mother. Still, mean-spirited or not, no-one deserved a death like that.