She shook her head. “They were cold and hungry and tired. I only saw them briefly. I guess it remains to be seen whether they lose fingers or toes from spending so much time in the weather.”
He inhaled a cleansing breath. That was a relief, although not conclusive. “Tell me the names of the men who’ve gone back out. I need to pray for them.”
A tiny thread of desperation pulled Brielle from the haze. Everything in her wanted to stay in the cradle of warmth, except that faint worry that wouldn’t leave her be.
She forced her eyes open, despite the grainy tug trying to keep them shut. Darkness shrouded her. Not the dusky version that lasted so long during winter days, but the thick black that signaled something covering her eyes. She reached out and felt the underside of the fur over her head.
Fingering along the hide, she finally pushed it off to reveal a sliver of brightness. She squinted and struggled for memory.
Like faint rays of dawn, the details slipped back to her.
The storm. Marcellus. Tucking the two of them into the nook under the stone.
The pressure at her back finally penetrated her thoughts, and she twisted her neck even as warm breath fanned her cheek. Marcellus must have covered them completely with the fur. From the regular sound of his breathing, he was still sleeping.
She turned forward again and stared out at the white still falling. The wind had stopped. Mostly. And now the snow fell in large flakes. But at least she could see farther now.
Her cheeks were growing cold, but the rest of her was warm, still covered in the fur and snuggled against Marcellus.
They’d survived.
That fact still didn’t seem possible. Against all odds, she’d found Marcellus and they both survived the night and the worst of the storm.
Now she had to figure out where they were and get them back home.
Her gaze dropped to the bit of leather showing under a covering of snow. The food pack. Was there any left?
There might be a little more of something, maybe pastry,but she couldn’t remember for sure. She should probably give that to Marcellus, as he’d probably had nothing to eat the day before until she found him.
Jeanette must be so worried. A new pressure sank over Brielle. Her own family would be worried, too. Papa, Charlotte, Andre ... and Evan. Her heart squeezed. Had anyone told him? What was he doing right now? Worrying over her?
Part of her wished he would come out and find her, but he couldn’t do that while under guard. And she didn’t want him to risk his own life.
She had to tell her father and the others that he could be trusted. Keeping him guarded at all times until the council vote wasn’t necessary. In fact, it was silly. They had much more important things to spend their resources on, like making sure Laurent had enough food through the winter. She would speak with her father as soon as she got Marcellus back.
And now she needed to take action to accomplish that last bit.
As slowly as she could manage, she eased away from Marcellus and out from under the fur, laying it back in place to keep him cocooned in warmth. It looked like he’d used his coat to cover them both. A wise move, and she was surprised she’d not awakened when he moved around to accomplish the task. She must have been half frozen and exhausted.
The frigid air wrapped around her, seeping under her coat at the neck and sleeves, and she pulled the fur tighter. After crawling a little to get out from under the stone ledge above, she pushed up to her feet.
Every part of her ached, and her legs were barely strong enough to hold her. Her feet burned like she was steppingthrough fire, so she stomped several times to bring them back to life. The pain never eased.
Frostbite would be likely after spending a day and night in the storm. She’d seen dead limbs after people stayed in the cold too long, and they weren’t pretty. What would Evan think if her toes or feet turned that otherworldly gray? Or even fell off?
She pushed the thought away. She was grateful to be alive, and that was all she could worry about just now.
Turning her focus to the landscape around, she took in the mountain to her right, the one that had sheltered them. Covered in white, everything looked different. Unfamiliar.
Worry churned in her middle, but she did her best to swallow it down. She would have to start going in the direction she thought Laurent should be and pray she found something she recognized.
She glanced at Marcellus. Should she wake him to tell him where she was going? If she did, he would probably want to go with her. She might have to wander around a while, which would be a waste of his energy. Lord willing, she wouldn’t be gone long, so better to let him sleep. She did reach in for her bow and quiver of arrows and lifted the food satchel from under the snow where he would see it.
Then, she started northward. At least ... she hoped so.
24
Despite the burning in Brielle’s feet, she was able to take long strides in the snow. Though what drifted down now was light and fluffy, the cold in the night had hardened much of what fell the day before to an icy crust. Thank the Lord for that blessing at least.
