Kris (30 page)

Pel and his men drove their sleds with fury toward the river, where they hoped to find Kris and the boy. They could hear the wolves now and knew this was a bad sign, for it meant the wolves were working to unnerve their prey as they stalked and hunted it.

In cry after cry, the wolves announced they were the masters of this land.

On the crest of a high plateau, Pel pulled his sled to a stop, and the other men did the same. Haakon and Baldur yelled that they could see movement below and pointed in that direction so Pel could move closer and observe the party of men they had come upon.

Eilif asked Pel if he thought it might be the men who hunted Kris and the boy.

Pel signaled for them to be quiet and watch.

And as the three men on sleds and one on horseback moved through the muted light in the distance, Pel was able to make out Kris's red coat and Sebastian's powerful form. He announced to the men that it was Kris, but that he did not know the others.

The wolves continued their echoing cries, and Pel ordered his men to hurry onward so they might join Kris and his companions.

As I listened to the cries of the wolves, I knew they would attack their prey soon. I was convinced beyond question that their prey was Olaf. I rode faster and pushed Canute and the other men to follow me with increased speed. We split at a small bridge that spanned the river on the chance that Olaf was on the other side.

Halfway across the bridge, I could see both sides of the river into the distance, but the wolves and the prey they hunted were not visible in the dim light.

Canute and his men hugged their side of the river. He felt that was where the wolves would go and where any creature trying to flee from them would likely run, for there was no other route of escape.

Jorgen and Vegar pulled the muskets from their packs and secured them within reach across their sleds. Canute signaled to me to go ahead.

As I made it to the other side of the river I could hear the sound of men calling. I turned to see Pel and his companions racing down the slope not far from Canute.

Olaf was exhausted from the energy spent running through the wet snow. He stumbled as he ran, falling to his face in the slushy mess. Wolfie jumped on him and licked his ears, but Olaf chased him off and cautioned him to stop playing now that they were in danger. Wolfie took the admonition well and looked about, listening to the wolf calls as Olaf regained his footing and got up. His clothing was wet, and he knew he must find shelter from the wolves. The ice already was beginning to form a heavy crust on his pants, and the stinging cold of its abrasive surface rubbed his legs raw and made it harder to walk.

Before he could fully consider the predicament he now found himself facing, he heard the growling of a wolf that snarled at him as it charged.

Olaf gripped his ice axe and swung it at the wolf as it lunged at him, clipping it squarely in the head and wounding it severely as the wolf knocked him to the ground. For a moment, Olaf lay stunned while
Wolfie barked and growled at the whimpering wolf. Olaf got to his feet and ran calling for Wolfie to follow him.

The fear in his heart removed the sting of the cold and the pain he had felt when he fell. He threw his pack off and continued running toward the river with his ice axe held firmly in his hand.

There were many wolves now moving across the snow, in and out of shadows. The wolves had caught their scent and now searched aggressively stalking the boy.

Olaf continued running with Wolfie close behind. As he got close enough to hear the rushing river, he decided that he would plunge into it with Wolfie in hopes that it would carry them far enough away to escape the wolves. But a pair of wolves began to charge at him from the shadows, and he screamed in fear, knowing he could not evade them. He ran a few more steps and heard the crack of a musket shot that felled one of the attacking wolves. Olaf turned to see who had fired the rifle, but the second wolf continued its attack and charged directly at him. Olaf ran for the river.

I rode at high speed toward Olaf behind the wolves that chased him. Across the river, Canute and his men fired weapons at them.

But the wolves did not relent so easily.

Three more wolves made a sudden charge at Olaf as he approached the river and scrambled over rocks at the water's edge. I called out to warn him, and Olaf turned to see who had shouted his name, but a wolf leapt at him and knocked him back into the river, where he fell and was swept off by the current.

I jumped from Sebastian's back and ran to the water in an effort to save Olaf. Canute and the hunters fired shots at the remaining wolves, hoping to score a hit or discourage any more attacks.

The wolves scattered and ran in defeat as the shadows amid the rocks and forest reclaimed them.

Wolfie danced in worry on the large boulders beside the river where Olaf had fallen. He barked and barked, trying to arouse Olaf, who floated without movement in the water. Then Wolfie sprang, leaping into the air and landing in the raging water beside Olaf, struggling to stay afloat. Somehow he wedged himself under one of Olaf's arms, propping him up and lifting the boy's face from the water.

I rushed onto the rocks and ran beside the river where Olaf floated and threw off my coat. I flopped onto my stomach near the edge of the water, reaching for the boy and the dog. Stretching and crawling as far as I could, I was finally able to grab Olaf by his collar and drag him up onto a large flat stone. Then I snagged the dog by the scruff of his neck to pull him to safety, too.

Wolfie shook himself off and sprinkled us with icy cold water once he was standing on the stones. I was soaked by the river's frothy wash that sprayed up over us as I held Olaf to determine whether he was alive.

Carrying the boy to where I had deposited my coat, I wrapped the freezing child inside my red jacket, still hot from the warmth of my body. Sebastian loped up behind me and nudged me with his nose. The boy moaned, and his eyes opened lazily.

“Just rest now,” I said soothingly. “I have you.”

At Sebastian's top speed, I could have the boy home in little more than an hour, which I determined was the best place for him. He and his dog had covered a lot of ground for their tiny legs. And his mother
was sure to be sick with worry. Besides, he needed warm shelter, fresh clothing, and food.

I draped the boy over Sebastian's back then stepped up to sit behind him to hold him in place.

Pel and the other men waved from the other side of the river. I waved back, letting them know all seemed well, then launched Sebastian into a run. Wolfie ran persistently alongside.

O
laf slept through the ride home
.

I watched him sleep under this great canopy of sky. He looked so much like my young brothers whose faded images I had carried with me in my heart and mind throughout my life.

We had been so blessed to come upon Olaf before the wolves had taken him. As I had said to Canute, it was indeed a miracle—a miracle
due in great part to the good hearts of Canute and his men, who came to our aid.

Despite my own weakness and the chills that had overtaken me, I was determined to return Olaf safely to his parents and his sister and his village this day. I could only suspect that they had lived in endless fear since his disappearance. And I knew Christmas had gone quite sour for Olaf's family and those who worried about him.

I was still unsure of the precise reason for his journey, though I suspected he was warning me about the men tracking me. Regardless, I was sure his parents would be pleased to have him in their arms, safe once more. What I did not know was how they would treat me when they realized who I was.

Olaf's breathing was ragged, and my own breathing was even more difficult. Exposure to the icy cold water and winter's unflinching grip had brought us past the limit of our endurance. I too needed rest now. But my health was less important than getting Olaf safely back home.

Thatcher led Jacob and the other men over the long trail back to their village. Jacob remained agitated and uncomfortable that they had accomplished so little.

“I want to try one more pass, this time near the fjord,” Jacob said finally.

The other men were worn out from the search and wanted nothing more than to be warm at home with their own families, but it was Jacob's son who was missing, and they realized the agony he must have felt.

“We'll take one last pass,” Thatcher said after looking at the other men, who reluctantly nodded their heads. “If we don't learn something more of value, or find Olaf, we will head home and re-provision.”

“Agreed,” Jacob said. He was pleased the men would not give up so easily.

And so they turned in the direction of the fjord, seeking the lost boy.

The cold air bit at my lungs, and I relied on Sebastian's strength to carry me forward. Olaf was alert from time to time, and I told him to rest as quietly as he could and not to worry because we were returning to his home.

He didn't question me or seek to know why we had rescued him, but the relief showed in his eyes each time I spoke to reassure him.