Page 5 of Saved By the Soldier
"The closest survival shelter is about ten miles north. The weather is worse up there. You're gonna have to stay here."
"Okay, thanks."
He takes the radio off me. And I hear it crackling. "Frank, Frank, it's Luke."
"Hey Luke. The weather is getting worse, are you okay to stay up there, I wouldn't risk coming down the mountain at this stage." More crackling.
"I'm staying put, I'm not stupid. I have the missing hiker. She's here too. She's gonna bunk in with me until the storm dies down, then I'm gonna send her back down the mountain to you, Frank."
"Great. Stay in touch, Luke and thank you." Then I hear crackling and the call clicks off.
"Thank you, Luke. I'm Emma. I really appreciate your help. It was fierce out there. I really wasn't sure if I could survive another night in the tent. Last night was terrible enough."
"Well, I can tell you you’d never survive out there for a full night, not today anyway. As you can see, the snow is higher than when you arrived and it's only going to get worse. Your clothes look dry, but that's because of the fire I'm guessing."
"Yeah, I'd say so. So, erm I can take the couch tonight and I really appreciate it. Do you have any food by any chance? I only have one protein bar left. I really didn't expect to stay up here more than three nights and four days."
"Yes, I was going to make a stew today, I have everything ready." He walks into the kitchen.
"But first I need to take my wet clothes off and dry them out. If you want to make yourself useful, you can prepare the vegetables, and I’ll cook it when I get back." He nods his head over to the pile of vegetables in the sink and shows me the drawer for the knives.
"Thanks, I'll have it all done in a few minutes."
He moves away to change his clothes. I peel the vegetables and cut them up. I leave them on the cutting board as I wait for him to return. He's planned the cabin very well, and it’s a bit likea Tardis because it looks much bigger on the inside than it does on the outside.
He comes back, and he's in his gray sweatpants. No, I will not look. Oops I looked. I totally checked out his dick in his gray sweatpants. You know what they say about those. I’m going straight to hell. I clear my throat and move out of his way to let him get in and cook the stew.
"So, Luke, where do you come from and how come you have such a beautiful cabin up in the mountains?" I lean against the counter and face him.
"I'm from the town at base camp, Blue Mountain, and I need peace and quiet away from the rat race of town life. So, I come here for solitude." He looks at me. "I've never had anyone else staying here before. I'm not sure how I feel about it right now."
"That's because we don't know each other. We'll just talk about ourselves, what we do and why we were in the mountains yesterday and today."
He looks at me and says, "You go first." He turns back to making the stew.
"Well, you know my name is Emma. I'm a photographer and journalist. I've traveled all over the world taking shots of nature, animals, and people. I love it, I've seen so much. I'll show you some of my photos later."
"And why were you in this mountain during a snowstorm? You know how stupid that is, right?"
"I know. I’m trying to find the Blue Wolf Pack, it’s been rumored they’re here on your Blue Mountain."
"Do you really believe that? It's an old legend, it's not real." He laughs as he shakes his head.
"I do believe it. I’ve seen some photos that were taken years ago." I'm sad he thinks it's a myth.
"How does someone know they’re here, but there are no photos? Where did you hear about them?" He looks at me again. I can't stop staring at his blue eyes. They are so beautiful.
"There's a lot of message boards and other groups for rare and exotic animals. I know it might be a hoax, but I also think this time it's true. And what's the harm in trying to see if they are here. If I don't find them, then it's not a wasted journey, I've taken some photos of other wildlife here in the forest. So, it's a win-win for me anyway."
"And if it is true and you do find them, what do you think is going to happen to them when you tell the world they’re here on Blue Mountain?"
"These wolves are known for moving from mountain range to mountain range. They rarely stay long enough in one place to be either seen or caught. They’re known to be stealthy and disappear quickly." I believe in them and I truly believe they’re here. He’s just being skeptical. He seems that type.
"If the storm has settled in the morning, then we can try and go higher up the mountain to see if we can find them. But, if more snow has fallen during the night, then we’re going to have to stay put." He stares at me and goes back to making his stew. It smells delicious, and I don’t realize how hungry I am.
"Do you need help with anything? Can I set the table or something?"
He looks at me and then the very small table he has with two chairs, only two steps away from the edge of the kitchen. He looks at me and laughs. "I think I'm capable."