Chapter 2 — When the Mountain Closed

The blizzard arrived three days later.

It came without mercy.

Snow fell through the entire night.

By sunrise, fences had disappeared.

Roads were buried.

Trees bent beneath the weight of ice.

The mountain pass was completely closed.

Pine Hollow had been cut off from the outside world.

At first, people treated the storm like an inconvenience.

They had food.

They had firewood.

They had livestock.

They thought the snow would stop.

But it didn’t.

For two days, the wind screamed across the rooftops.

On the third morning, a frightened man arrived at the village hall.

His name was Thomas Reed.

He came from a small settlement called Cedar Ridge, nearly twelve miles beyond the mountain.

His face was white with cold.

“We need help.”

Everyone became silent.

“What happened?” someone asked.

Thomas swallowed.

“The children are sick.”

A doctor had been trapped there with several families.

Their medicine supply was running out.

One little girl had developed a dangerous fever.

Another child couldn’t breathe properly.

The only medicine they needed was stored in Pine Hollow.

But there was no way to reach Cedar Ridge.

The main road was buried under nearly ten feet of snow.

A rescue team tried using a truck.

It made it less than two miles before becoming trapped.

Another group attempted the northern trail.

They turned back after losing the path.

The villagers gathered in the hall.

Nobody spoke.

Then Sarah stood.

“I can take it.”

Everyone looked at her.

Caleb shook his head.

“Take what?”

“The medicine.”

“With what?”

Sarah looked toward the window.

“Ash.”

A few people laughed nervously.

Caleb stared at her.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“That old horse?”

Sarah nodded.

“You’ll kill him.”

Sarah’s expression hardened.

“No. I’ll trust him.”

The village doctor, Dr. Evelyn Carter, stepped forward.

“How long would it take?”

Sarah looked at the map.

“Four hours if the trail is still passable.”

“And if it isn’t?”

Sarah looked toward the mountains.

“Then we’ll find another way.”

Caleb shook his head.

“There hasn’t been a horse on that trail in twenty years.”

Sarah quietly replied:

“Ash has.”

Everyone turned toward her.

“What?”

Sarah tightened her coat.

“The trader who sold him to me told me Ash spent his younger years carrying supplies through these mountains.”

The room became silent.

Suddenly, the old horse everyone had mocked seemed a little different.

Still, Caleb wasn’t convinced.

“You’re gambling your life on an animal everyone else gave up on.”

Sarah looked at him.

“No.”

She picked up the medicine pack.

“I’m gambling on the fact that he hasn’t given up on himself.”