Homecoming from Hogwarts

When Jasna woke up from her coma again, the small village that had sheltered her for several weeks had completely disappeared.

The carriage was moving steadily along the glacier. In sight, the densely growing coniferous pine forests on both sides of the glacier kept sliding away.

Dense clouds covered the sky again, and the sky turned gray again.

I don't know when old Enma came into the carriage. He stuffed firewood into the stove and roasted a few skewers of cold and hard venison over the fire.

Cough cough--
There was no chimney, and the thin smoke in the carriage made Jasna cough a few times. She supported herself with her arms and sat up, lifting the quilt.

The re-bandage on her right leg made Jasna purse her lips slightly.

Perhaps to avoid embarrassment.

During the days they lived in the little house, old Enma would always help her untie the bandages and apply medicine while she was sleeping, then re-bandage her and put on the splint.

Every time she woke up and found that old Enma had changed her medicine, she couldn't help feeling a little surprised.

Someone played with her legs while she was sleeping, but she didn't wake up, and she didn't even feel any rejection.

Jasna could only explain that old Enma had no ill will towards her, so it did not trigger her vigilance.

"How many days will we be on the sled?"

Asked Jasna, who was in a better mood, after lifting the flowing hair in front of her eyes.

"If nothing unexpected happens, it will take three days--"

Old Enma handed the grilled skewers to Jasna and pointed to the kettle on the side, indicating that there was hot water there.

Three days is not a very long time.

However, they are faced with the possibility of encountering snowstorms at any time, and have to withstand temperatures dropping to dozens of degrees below zero at night.

Three days seemed very long.

Several hours had passed since they had set out. After pulling the heavy carriage loaded with objects and people, the several sled dogs that old Enma had borrowed from the village were exhausted. The speed of the sled had obviously dropped. Even through the thick leather tent, Jasna could hear the heavy breathing of the sled dogs.

"These dogs need a break--"

Jasna said, and old Enma nodded. He banged on the carriage a few times, and then the well-trained sled dogs began to 'brake'.

The heavy carriage slid forward for a long distance before stopping.

Old Enma climbed out of the carriage, found a few pieces of venison from the lower level, and went to the front carrying a kettle and a wooden basin.

Listening to the sounds of the sled dogs feasting outside the tent, Jasna suddenly became interested. She moved her body and got off the car, carefully holding on to the frame and walked to the front.

These sled dogs really looked exhausted. With the temperature at minus ten degrees Celsius, wisps of white smoke were coming out of each sled dog with thick white fur.

The two leading sled dogs were burying their heads in the wooden basin, eating enthusiastically with grunts, while the rest were waiting in line with their eyes wide open.

In less than two minutes, the tub was empty.

The leading sled dog wisely stepped aside.

Old Enma poured some more boiling water into the wooden basin and grabbed a handful of snow from the ground to cool the water. Finally, he threw in a few pieces of venison.

The two at the back could not wait to surround it. The grunting sound started again.

Not to mention those who were waiting in line, even the two leading dogs who had eaten were watching eagerly.

“They don’t seem full?”

Jasna pointed at the lead dog that was drooling with anticipation and said to Old Enma with a bit of girlish naivety.

"That's enough—"

Old Enma shook her head and said in a muffled voice,
“There’s not enough food.”

Woohoo——
The clever lead dog whimpered and his ears drooped.

Jasna bit her lip, showing a hint of reluctance, but then her expression brightened.
"We should let them eat more. When we encounter danger, running faster can save our lives."

Jasna said, pointing a finger toward the ice a few feet away.

call out!
A sharp breath rolled through the void, making the space hazy.

A deep cut suddenly appeared on the originally flat snow surface, and there was a crackling sound as the ice below was cut into pieces!
The two leading dogs immediately pricked up their ears, and the sled dogs waiting in line for their meals nearby also stared at the scene with confused eyes.

Swish, swish, swish! There were several more sharp cuts, and a large piece of the ice surface shattered.

Even the two sled dogs that were eating stared at Jasna in horror.

Wow!

A shadow flashed beneath the water, and a fish weighing more than twenty pounds leaped out of the water.

call!
The wind was howling, and one of the two leading dogs leaped forward and caught the fish in mid-air in its mouth!

The splashing water hit Jasna's face. The sudden coldness made her scream and she staggered to fall, but a pair of free hands supported her from behind.

Uh, uh—
The leading dog who got the fish whimpered and took small steps to Jasna, its tail wagging rapidly behind it.

"This is for you—"

Jasna said with a smile.

Well!
The lead dog whimpered again, and it moved its furry head closer and rubbed Jasna's left ankle.

The rest of the sled dogs also understood, and they all ran over to guard the ice cave, staring at the water.

The sky was a little darker than before, and the slowly falling snowflakes were more complete than before.

Old Enma noticed this, but he didn't say much. He just watched silently, as if Jasna had taken off all her burdens and disguises, and rejoiced for every sled dog that caught a fish.

The stiff face softened quietly.

"All right!"

After more than an hour, when each sled dog had at least two fat catches, Jasna, who had regained some of her girlish nature, clapped her hands contentedly and turned to old Enma behind her and said,

"let's go."

So they started their journey again.

Thick leaden clouds descended toward the earth, the sky grew darker, and in the wilderness where water froze into ice, the howling of the cold wind sounded like the wails of evil spirits.

"Enma, is it going to snow?"

Even Jasna in the carriage realized that a blizzard might be coming.

"Um--"

Old Enma responded, raised his head and looked at the clouds in the sky with indifferent eyes.

I'm afraid no one understands this extreme weather better than him.

What is about to fall is not a blizzard, but a more severe snow!

Just as Jasna was about to ask again, the sled that had been moving along the glacier suddenly deviated from its direction.

Under the control of old Enma, the sled dogs pulled the sled straight up the river bank and into the gloomy forest.

With a calm glance, Old Enma locked onto a rocky mountain standing on a high slope among the undulating snow plains.

The experienced sled dogs didn't even need to be commanded. Led by the lead dog, a team of sled dogs ran towards the rock mountain with all their might, and successfully stopped the sled on the leeward side of the rock mountain.

"What's wrong, Enma?"

Jasna in the carriage asked.

"We need to take shelter--"

Old Enma said calmly.

He jumped off the sled and deftly untied the reins from around the necks of each sled dog.

The sled dogs that were freed did not run around; instead, they maintained their tacit understanding and order, and jumped into the carriages one after another quickly but not chaotically.

Old Enma took advantage of this time to quickly put the reins around the sharp corners of the rock mountain, firmly securing the sled.

"It's going to be okay, Enma?"

The heavy and solemn atmosphere like lead and mercury in the cold air made Jasna nervous. She looked at old Enma who was squeezing into the already crowded carriage and tightening the drawn curtains, and asked.

Woo!
The sky and earth suddenly darkened, and white snow fell. (End of this chapter)