epilogues:through_the_snow_and_the_ice [Reference II]

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======Through the Rifts and the Canyons======

//Editor's note: Some elements of this epilogue have been excised as they were identified as glitches in the Bookworm system. The Alusia Foundation apologises for any inconvenience.//

The blizzard raged on, but the dim orange light from home was still visible. 

Dall turned to his three younger companions: a climber, an endurance hunter and a trapper. The four of them had been out hunting deer for their village when a horrific blizzard struck, making their route back impossible to take. However, as the group’s guide, Dall knew an alternate route home through canyons, which could offer the group shelter from the storm. 
After some arguing, Dall convinced the group to follow him. After several hours of hiking, the group hit their first major obstacle. A steep landslide which they needed to climb.

The endurance hunter gestured to the climber, who quickly examined the pile of rocks and snow to see if there was a safe way up the cliff. He tied his rifle to himself and tested the entry of a suitable route. It was slippery, but with careful footing, it should have been possible to climb the cliff face. He turned back to the group to confirm the route is safe, but before he could do so, the trapper rushed past him and began to furiously climb the cliff, where he slipped and dangled from his fingertips.

The climber watched, panicked, and quickly climbed the cliff to reach his companion. He gracefully tackled the cliff, and hoisted the trapper up with him. It wasn’t long until both men had made it to the top of the cliff face, where they looked down to their other companions, and the deer carcasses they had left at the cliff’s base in their hurry.
The endurance hunter shouted at the climber to let down some rope, and the two on the ground proceeded to tie the rope around the carcasses, which were hauled up the cliff by the two on its peak. The two on the ground were then hauled up themselves, leaving only their sled behind.

The group then looked to return to ground level at the other side of the landslide. To do this, the climber tied his rope to a boulder, and slowly lowered himself. The descent was windy, but the climber was able to make it down unharmed.
The endurance hunter and the trapper then lowered the deer down to the climber using the same rope, making sure that their elderly guide didn’t exert himself. Before the group could coordinate who was going down the cliff first, Dall grabbed the rope and began his descent, only to be caught by a sudden gust of wind, which threw them into the cliff face. He screamed in pain, before lowering himself to the ground, where he collapsed in a pile.

The others rushed down to meet Dall, and helped her up. They were in pain, but the group were able to continue towards their village, with the three younger hunters helping their guide move forward.

The path through the canyons was obscured by snow, so much that the hunters lost sight of their village. But they continued forward, trusting Dall to know the way as they tied a rope around each other to stay together. They followed the path, but they reach a dead end. It’s ok, Dall knew another way…

Yet another dead end.

The group were lost. The climber and the endurance hunter began to retrace their steps, the trapper tried to climb the walls to no success. Dall was defeated. Despair. 

“It’s a trap.” The trapper muttered.

The endurance hunter and the climber tried to comfort Dall.

“It’s a trap.” 

Dall told the group that it’s safer to camp where they are for the night to conserve energy.

“It’s a trap.”

The group became suspicious of the trapper, but they rested for the night, only to awake to the safe level of blizzard blocking their view.

“You led us into a TRAP!”

The trapper thrust his pickaxe into Dall’s head. He gestured to the others to follow him as he attempted to climb one of the canyon walls, but they did not follow. Instead, they stayed by their guide’s lifeless body, horrified. 

The group were lost, without their guide. All the climber and endurance hunter could do was stay by their guide’s side, and panic. After a few minutes, the group reconvened, and, led by the climber, decided to move forward, leaving Dall’s body behind. 

They walked through the canyons, hoping that some way, some how, they’d find their way home alone. Instead, they found a boulder of ice, which <del>scurried</del> rolled away from the group as they approached it. They followed it…

<del>“Hello?”</del>

<del>An unknown voice.</del> The winds howl, almost akin to a voice crying for aid. The group shouted <del>out to it</del> over it, only to find a young <del>person</del> wolf buried in rubble. The <del>person</del> shifting shadows warned the group that a pack of wolves was circling them…

Shapes churned and gnashed in the darkness. The wolves. The climber readied his rifle.

<del>The person introduced themselves as Jamie Rayne, the ex-Chief of Research for the Alusia Foundation.</del>

<del>And just as Jamie finished,</del> the wolves pounced, first at the climber, then at the endurance hunter and…

“I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A TRAP!”

The trapper climbed over the rubble towards <del>Jamie</del> the wolf cub, pickaxe in hand, ready to strike, but before he could do so, a third wolf pounced on him, pinning him to the ground.

<del>Jamie pleaded for their life</del> The cub whimpered as the endurance hunter pointed their spear at the wolves, gesturing to the group to save <del>Jamie</del> it. The trapper, after having a sudden change of heart, threw the wolf off himself, took <del>Jamie’s hand</del> the cub and began to pull them free from the rubble. It took effort, but with help from the climber, the group were able to lift them free, and they all began to run. The climber threw one of the few carcasses they had left to slow the wolves down enough that the group were able to hide in another cave, where they rested for the night.

The climber was the first to wake the following morning. He carefully walked out to the entrance of the cave, and looked out into the distance. The snow has cleared enough, and this cave is sat just opposite a break in the ridge at the top of the canyon, and the villagers have kept the bonfire lit, and through this perfect conjunction a flickering orange glow can just be seen. 

It's just enough - one single detail to navigate by. With careful orienteering, the <del>four</del> three travellers forge through the canyons, and despite all adversity emerge out on the Dawn Ridge. Their village is in sight, and they set off North, on their final stretch home.