Rose Tolan's Arc

Chapter 4 of 8

Rose stood at the edge of the pines and watched the last light drain from the hills. The wind cut through her coat. The cat-dragon pressed against her leg, shivering. She turned in a slow circle. No cave, no ledge, no tree big enough to block the cold. Her breath came out in white clouds. She had reached the sugar hills, but the hills wanted to freeze her. "We keep moving," she said. Her voice shook. "If we stop, we get cold." She trudged up the nearest slope, boots sinking in the crusted snow. The cat-dragon whined and lagged behind. Rose scooped it up and tucked it inside her coat. Its heart beat fast against her chest. Twice she stumbled. The dark grew thick. She had no plan left but to walk until she found something. Then a small dog burst over the rise. It was a brown-and-white chihuahua, ears up, barking sharp and quick. It circled Rose's feet, then ran a few steps and looked back. "You want me to follow?" Rose asked. The dog barked again and bolted. She had no better idea, so she ran after it. The chihuahua led her around the shoulder of a hill. A warm orange light glowed ahead. Beside it stood a small halfling woman, brown hair pulled into a topknot, a forked walking stick planted in the snow. She was crouched by a fire, feeding it sticks. When Rose appeared she didn't flinch. She grinned. "Well, Mocha found something better than a rabbit," the halfling said. She stood and leaned on her stick. "Name's Jackie Lightfoot. You're blue as a plum, girl. Sit before you fall down." Rose dropped by the fire. Heat washed over her stiff hands. The cat-dragon crawled out of her coat and stretched toward the flames. Jackie set a red bowl down for the dog, crisp bacon stacked high, a blue bowl of water beside it. Mocha dug in. "Camp's simple," Jackie said, "but the fire's real and there's room in the tent." "I thought I was going to freeze," Rose said. Her teeth still chattered. "You nearly did." Jackie tossed her a wool blanket. "Nobody sleeps rough on the sugar hills and wakes up. What's a kid doing up here alone?" Rose pulled the map from her bag and smoothed it by the firelight. She pointed past the hills, to the X. "I'm going there. For the rainbow crown." Jackie leaned close. Her grin faded to something sharper. She tapped the mark. "I know that spot. I've been near it." She looked up at Rose. "It's guarded. Two of us have a chance the paths won't give one. I'm coming with you." Rose stared at the fire, warm at last. She had survived the night. And she was no longer climbing toward the crown alone.