3. Emma
3
EMMA
"Fuck," I shout when I wake up. The tent is almost on top of me. Not that big. I realize I shouldn't shout. I don't know if Viktor and his team are nearby. I wonder if they stuck it out or went back down to the town. I know him, though, and I know he won't give up. He'll be back today. I need to keep on moving up so that I'm harder to find and also I think that's where the wolves are going to be. Climbing out of the tent, I roll it up, put it in the bag, and attach it to my backpack. I'm so glad I did Girl Guides all those years ago. I grab a protein bar and a bottle of water from my bag and eat that on the way up the mountain.
The snow is falling heavily. It wasn't this bad when I went to sleep. I wonder if I should just abandon the mission and go back down to town. I have a feeling that the Blue Wolves are here. I don't know why I feel it, but I do, and I’m never someone who backs away from a story when it starts to get tough. Never.
It's getting harder to walk through the snow, though. I only have my hiking boots on, and I didn't pack any waterproofs, so my trousers are getting soaked. I'll probably die of hypothermia out here. After about an hour, I can smell burning wood. I walk toward that smell. Is there someone living here? Up this far in the mountains? Surely not.
But as I get closer to the smell, I see the smoke coming out of a chimney, and then the roof is visible. It's a beautiful log cabin. It's like something you would see on a box of chocolates or in a movie.
As I get closer, I see the floor to ceiling windows.
"So beautiful."
I knock on the door after looking through the window and not seeing anyone. No answer. "Hello, is there anyone there?" Nothing. I walk around to the back and see that there is freshly cut wood under the snow. Someone must have been here earlier today. I wonder if I can just open the door. I need to get some warmth and take my trousers off. Surely, someone who lives here is used to travelers who are stuck coming to their cabin.
The door opens and I step inside. The heat hits me immediately.
"Oh god, this is heaven." I take my boots off, so I don't bring snow inside, and I close the door behind me.
"Hello, anyone here?" I know they can't be far if the fire is still hot.
But no one seems to answer. I giggle nervously.
"I feel like Goldilocks, all I need is some porridge on the stove." Looking into the kitchen, I don't see any, and I giggle again.
I want to sit down, but I know that with it being so warm, I'll probably fall asleep. It's a beautiful place, very manly with no feminine touches. I could stay here easily, away from the world. Although I'd need internet access for my job, I'm sure there could be a work-around for it. I must ask whoever owns it if he rents it out.
I stand by the fire for about twenty minutes, getting warm and I can feel my toes defrosting. I was worried about frostbite there for a while.
"Fuck it, I'm sitting down."
Of course, I feel myself drifting off to sleep. I'll just have a quick catnap and then I'll radio base and see if I can stay in this beautiful cabin until the snow calms down enough for me to leave and go back to base.
Suddenly, I'm woken by a gruff voice shouting. "Who the fuck are you? What are you doing in my cabin? And how the fuck did you get in?"
I'm a little bit hazy because I didn't sleep well last night, and this cabin is so warm. I rub my eyes as I jump up.
"Who? What?" Then I open my eyes, and I know I am dreaming. This guy looks like a mix between a Viking and a Greek God. Ooh, I am going to enjoy some sexy time in my dream with him. I walk over to him and put my hand on his chest.
"Are you going to punish me?" I don't know where I've gotten my sultry tone.
He reaches down and takes my hands off his chest. "What are you doing in my cabin?" It's only then I realize I’m not dreaming, and that he is in fact real and standing in front of me.
"I'm sorry. I got lost in the snowstorm and I saw your cabin. The door was left open, so I walked in. I didn't know if it was one of those survival shelters that I've heard they have in the mountains for hikers who get stuck in bad weather." I stop talking and look around. How did I ever think that this beautiful cabin is one of those survival shelters?
"Well, this is my cabin. I built it."
I nod my head. Yes, I can see you did. Images of him shirtless, cutting wood with an axe, come into my mind and I have to close my eyes to get rid of those thoughts. What the fuck is this man doing to me?
"I need to call base to let them know I'm okay. I know the old guy down there will be frantic wondering where I am." I look around the cabin for a radio. He turns around and then I see a radio sticking out of his back pocket. I reach for it and grab it, pulling it out of his pocket.
"Erm, what are you doing?" He's really grumpy. Who pissed in his cornflakes this morning?
"I saw the radio."
"You must be the missing hiker I've been out in the bad weather looking for." He unzips his jacket and takes it off before moving closer to the fire.
"Oh, you were looking for me? That's nice." I don't know why I am goading him, but it's fun.
"You should be more thankful. The weather is really bad out there." He looks around and out of the floor to ceiling windows, which I have to say are gorgeous.
"I know. Sorry and thank you for looking for me. Do you think it's too bad to leave and go back down to base?"
"Yeah, the weather is going to get worse. We need to bunker down for the next couple of days. I'm not sure how long it's going to last." He undoes the zipper on his trousers. They’re like ski salopettes and steps out of them. I can't stop staring at him, because I guess I hoped he didn't have anything on under his trousers, but he does. He has thermals on.
"Am I allowed to stay here, or should I move to a survival shelter nearby?"
He looks uncomfortable at the thought of sharing his cabin with me.
"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 like a 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."
"I don't want to just stand here looking at you while you cook."
He turns to me and nods toward the fridge.
"Grab a bottle of wine and two glasses, then sit down and I'll sit down too when it's cooking on its own.”
I sit at the small table with my cold glass of white wine in my hand. What a strange day it's been. Not what I was expecting this morning when I woke up in the cold tent.
I don't know if I can leave this cozy home. It will feel even colder out there after being in here.