Sample Chapter

The Trail between the Trees

THE EARLY WINTER sky was cast in a vibrant lavender that led to piercing blue above the horizon. It was as cold as hell is hot, if one can imagine the heat of hell as freezing. Graham pulled in the weighted line, hand over hand. He wrapped the twine from hand to elbow while staring down the murky blue ice hole of the frozen lake. The brown trout came squirming its way up the ice tunnel toward him to meet its fate.

Sam reached out and grabbed the greedy guy that currently hung midair. Removing the hook from its mouth, he dropped the frigid fish into a pail with its brothers. Sam and Graham were going for quantity over size when fishing in the shallow waters beneath the ice, but the chore of getting enough to feed everyone in their group had taken a little longer than usual this morning. In a matter of minutes the sky had gone from the deep blue, with a moon encircled in a fine mist to daylight so intense that eye protection was needed. Despite the warmth of the sunlight, extra layers of fur were still a necessity.

Once they’d caught enough for everyone’s breakfast, they silently gathered their gear to make their way back up the trail to camp. Like any two men who’d worked the same routine, they would perform their job without uttering a single word with regard to the task. “Get your nose out of there, Sheriff,” Graham gently warned the dog in a worn, low voice as he caught him peering into the bucket. “You’ll get your share.” He patted the dog’s head, tousling his fur, and picked up their morning haul.

Sam came up behind him with the other lines after he’d covered the ice holes with spare plywood to keep them from freezing over too much. “Ready?” Sam asked. “Yeah.”

They crunched along the reliable crust as their boots echoed in the vast open until they met the trail between the trees. Mark had recently finished clearing the paths from that night’s continuous onslaught of snow.

As they walked up into the clearing, Bang, dressed in his usual black, was already hard at work splitting wood beside a pile of freshly cut logs. The smoke rising from the chimneys meant the morning fires were going and Tala was already inside preparing breakfast.

Sheriff trotted forward, eager now, nose high as if the scent of warm food could pull him faster than any command. Graham watched him with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Routine kept them alive. Routine and quiet discipline. But even on the calmest mornings, something always waited just beyond the edge of habit.

Sam fell into step beside him. Graham could spend an entire day with him and, other than a nod or an occasional word, he wouldn’t say much, but Graham always suspected Sam was either thinking ahead or mourning the separation from his daughter Addy. Whether he’d ever let another in on his thoughts was anyone’s guess, so it surprised Graham when Sam spoke up.

“You know, Ennis won’t see another winter. You might want to be prepared for that, Graham.”

Graham spoke softly. “Yeah, I’ve pretty much figured that out. We’re losing him a little each day. He rarely talks, but when he does, it’s always warnings. Like, he’s trying to give us as much as he can before he goes.” Graham stopped midstride and scuffed his boot into the ice, sending crystals a few feet forward. “I’m thankful we’ve had him for as long as we have.”

Sam didn’t answer right away. The kind of silence that followed was heavier than any agreement. They kept walking, and the camp’s noise—small, human, living—grew louder with each step.

Inside, Tala met him at the doorway before he could even set the pail down. Her eyes were wide, her voice low. “Mark and I tried to help him up, but he said he’d wait for you. Sometimes I think he doesn’t recognize us.”

“I’ll go check on him. Has he eaten or drunk anything yet?”

“I brought him some water earlier. I don’t think he’s had any yet.” Then, lowering her voice even more, she whispered, “Graham, what are we going to do? He’s getting worse every day, and he’s avoiding water and other drinks. I think he’s got an infection.”