Day Seven Hundred Forty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We are descending. Not from the mountains, that is certain. Just into a space at a lower elevation than the peaks around. And signs of habitation therein raises our curiosity.

Even now Tomas has left us to see what he can see. The Captain advises again to go around rather than through.

I walked and talked with Mei all day. She laid bare her heart and even now holds out hope. This despite word from all quarters, save Tomas himself for he has been avoiding her.

I intend to speak to Elijah about this, but I am sure he will tell me that it is up to Tomas to make his intentions clear.

Thus the torture continues for poor Mei.

Advertisement

Day Seven Hundred Forty Three #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We finally relented, and allowed Lung to go back down the trail, accompanied by Tomas. They reported that the trail was washed out by the force of the water from the glacier.  And that a huge chunk of the glacier had cascaded down to a lower elevation.

Still, Lung desires to get back to his unit with this intelligence. And to see if any of the runoff has made its way down to the lake.

Elijah advised him to continue on with us until another way down can be found.

At the same time, Mei let it be known that she does not want to return.

This caught Lung completely by surprise.

We put further discussion aside and continued on.

Day Six Hundred Eighty Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We arrived in an area at a lower elevation – and less cold. The advance units of the army had disappeared further down the pass and the main body had marched into view.

They moved more swiftly than before. At the double quick.

At first I wondered how long they could maintain that pace, but then I was struck by perhaps a more important question – why.

Tomas chimed in with the thought that they may have discovered evidence of their enemy’s presence back in that defile.

Our discussion on this topic was interrupted by the Captain who brought the news that we were not alone on the trail.  He had found tracks on our path that merged onto it from above.

Day Six Hundred Eighty #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The open tableland  came to an end, and with that our ease of movement. Our progress slowed with much time taken up in the descent to a lower elevation.

When the pass below came in view, no one was in sight.

We wondered if we had outpaced the army.

The Captain suggested we halt to wait and see. Elijah, however, said we had things to do further along.

And so it was before the daylight faded, Tomas spotted another force, hidden in ambush in a defile off the trail of the pass.

Elijah took up a position above them and struck the ground with his staff. The mountain quaked and the defile below filled in with an avalanche of rock.