joined him, "How long do you stay on the station?"
"Ninety days on and one hundred eighty days off, it's not so bad except winters can be brutal. We can be fogged in for days at a time."
"I'm to be stationed at the school in Novi," Eli said.
"I'd rather be here than dealing with Novi, it's a bunch of spoiled little brats."
"You like the mountains then?"
"Love it here. Grew up here. I'm going to marry my sweetheart once I get down."
"Congratulations Jacob."
"I'll introduce you to Susan if you promise not to steal her away," Jacob joked. "My next station will be Eastpointe. Still close to my mountains. I'll be master when I get there."
"I just made journeyman. Been trying to catch up with my future wife for weeks." They continued their conversations as they traveled. On the second day of the fourth week, a snow storm blew in and they spent two days huddled in tents. Luckily little snow fell and they completed their mission and were joined with a third man who was excited to be relieved after ninety-eight days.
They looked across a wide valley as they stood on a steep slope." I hate the downhill part," Jacob said. "The sledges are really a pain. Avalanches are always a threat."
"Why not ride the sledges down. There're not many trees and we got about ten feet of snow."
"What about avalanches?" Jacob asked.
"We sit on the sledge and steer with our feet. We'll disturb much less snow and if worse comes to worse we can outrun the avalanche."
After discussing the plan for several minutes they agreed to give it a try. They sat on the sledge and removed their snow shoes, tying them to the deck behind them. Then putting their feet on the steering yoke began rocking back and forth until the sledges began the downward run. The speed built slowly as they flew over the snow. Snowflakes thrown into the air, dusted them with snow. The speed was exhilarating.
"YAHOO!" Eli yelled as his sledge took the lead early on. Yelling gave him a mouthful of snow.
Eli left a trail of snow powder in his wake, then hitting softer snow slowed as Jacob took the lead. It took very little movement on the yoke to make alterations in direction. All three of them using the distant inn as their target.
At that moment, Eli realized he had no idea how to stop the runaway sledges. "We need to veer off a bit or we may hit the inn," he shouted. His companions waved and they slowly altered their course. In the end they overshot the inn by an eighth of a mile.
The staff and guests at the inn had come out to cheer the racing sledges. Susan running to Jacob jumping on him both, rolling in the snow laughing. They all met at the tavern laughing. The main topic of discussion: the dragon's over flight. Eli sat with Jacob and Susan. Eli paying little attention to their talk when he heard Susan mention a girl named Elody.
"Elody was here?"
"Yes, about six weeks ago, you can't be her Eli?"
"I most certainly am. She talk about me?"
"Constantly!" Susan laughed. "She is one lucky girl. She was about to be attacked by wolves when a dragon flew over and drove the wolves off."
"Why was she with the wolves?"
"She thought they were dogs, she is a really nice girl."
"A dragon?"
"It just flew to the south."
"Where did Elodia go?"
"She went due west to Eastpointe. She and her aunt were going to take a canal boat to the coast then across the lake to Fareast. They were bound for Bell Isle and the city of Bountiful."
"I been trying to catch up with her since I walked the tables. She walking OK?"
"We danced the night away before she left. Give her a hug from me."
"Susan thank you. You have given me peace and renewed hope."
"Teach her how to differentiate dogs from wolves," Jacob teased.
"There's a difference?" Eli joked.
Chapter 11 Canal
"A unt Myrtle this is way to travel!"
"You like canal boats?"
"Oh yes, no bumps, nice and warm inside and thirty-five miles a day," Elodia said still lying in her bunk.
"If you want breakfast you better get moving."
Elodia was
"Ninety days on and one hundred eighty days off, it's not so bad except winters can be brutal. We can be fogged in for days at a time."
"I'm to be stationed at the school in Novi," Eli said.
"I'd rather be here than dealing with Novi, it's a bunch of spoiled little brats."
"You like the mountains then?"
"Love it here. Grew up here. I'm going to marry my sweetheart once I get down."
"Congratulations Jacob."
"I'll introduce you to Susan if you promise not to steal her away," Jacob joked. "My next station will be Eastpointe. Still close to my mountains. I'll be master when I get there."
"I just made journeyman. Been trying to catch up with my future wife for weeks." They continued their conversations as they traveled. On the second day of the fourth week, a snow storm blew in and they spent two days huddled in tents. Luckily little snow fell and they completed their mission and were joined with a third man who was excited to be relieved after ninety-eight days.
They looked across a wide valley as they stood on a steep slope." I hate the downhill part," Jacob said. "The sledges are really a pain. Avalanches are always a threat."
"Why not ride the sledges down. There're not many trees and we got about ten feet of snow."
"What about avalanches?" Jacob asked.
"We sit on the sledge and steer with our feet. We'll disturb much less snow and if worse comes to worse we can outrun the avalanche."
After discussing the plan for several minutes they agreed to give it a try. They sat on the sledge and removed their snow shoes, tying them to the deck behind them. Then putting their feet on the steering yoke began rocking back and forth until the sledges began the downward run. The speed built slowly as they flew over the snow. Snowflakes thrown into the air, dusted them with snow. The speed was exhilarating.
"YAHOO!" Eli yelled as his sledge took the lead early on. Yelling gave him a mouthful of snow.
Eli left a trail of snow powder in his wake, then hitting softer snow slowed as Jacob took the lead. It took very little movement on the yoke to make alterations in direction. All three of them using the distant inn as their target.
At that moment, Eli realized he had no idea how to stop the runaway sledges. "We need to veer off a bit or we may hit the inn," he shouted. His companions waved and they slowly altered their course. In the end they overshot the inn by an eighth of a mile.
The staff and guests at the inn had come out to cheer the racing sledges. Susan running to Jacob jumping on him both, rolling in the snow laughing. They all met at the tavern laughing. The main topic of discussion: the dragon's over flight. Eli sat with Jacob and Susan. Eli paying little attention to their talk when he heard Susan mention a girl named Elody.
"Elody was here?"
"Yes, about six weeks ago, you can't be her Eli?"
"I most certainly am. She talk about me?"
"Constantly!" Susan laughed. "She is one lucky girl. She was about to be attacked by wolves when a dragon flew over and drove the wolves off."
"Why was she with the wolves?"
"She thought they were dogs, she is a really nice girl."
"A dragon?"
"It just flew to the south."
"Where did Elodia go?"
"She went due west to Eastpointe. She and her aunt were going to take a canal boat to the coast then across the lake to Fareast. They were bound for Bell Isle and the city of Bountiful."
"I been trying to catch up with her since I walked the tables. She walking OK?"
"We danced the night away before she left. Give her a hug from me."
"Susan thank you. You have given me peace and renewed hope."
"Teach her how to differentiate dogs from wolves," Jacob teased.
"There's a difference?" Eli joked.
Chapter 11 Canal
"A unt Myrtle this is way to travel!"
"You like canal boats?"
"Oh yes, no bumps, nice and warm inside and thirty-five miles a day," Elodia said still lying in her bunk.
"If you want breakfast you better get moving."
Elodia was
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