Gilda could see the tall mountains ahead and felt exhilarated at the prospect of climbing them. There were small, thin clouds that veiled the highest peaks. It wouldn’t be long before the sun would disappear behind them.
By the time they stopped for the night it was dark, and everyone was tired. Their meager meal was eaten in silence. Gilda and Freda set their blanket rolls side by side, and the men settled down a short distance away.
By the next morning the weather had changed, and the mountains had vanished under heavy cloud. The women had gone into the bush to refresh themselves while Justin and Leonardo discussed whether it was wise to try crossing in the cloud cover.
“The weather can be unpredictable this time of year,” Leonardo offered.
“We aren’t in any hurry, but on the other hand we don’t have provisions for a long delay,” Justin replied, remembering how disappointed Gilda had been with the dried meat and cheese. She did like her food.
“The main problem is visibility. If it wasn’t for the nuns, I’d say give it a try,” Leonardo said.
Both men looked up to see Gilda and Freda approaching them. Leonardo flushed, wondering if his words had been overheard.
Freda made it clear they had heard him by saying, “I think we should give it a try. We aren’t going to be harmed by a bit of rain.”
“It’s not just a matter of wet clothing,” Justin answered. “The trail can become treacherous when wet.”
“If you can do it, so can we,” Freda replied. “I was riding a horse before you were born.” The last comment was aimed at Leonardo.
With a grin that was meant to charm, Leonardo said, “I did notice how well you sit a horse.”
Freda grinned back, knowing he must have observed how uncomfortable she had been on the thin saddle. “You have a smooth tongue, Leonardo.”
“You have found him out, Sister Freda,” Justin said. “If we’re going over the mountain today, we should start immediately.” He saw Gilda staring at the food he had been wrapping. “If it hadn’t taken you so long to dress, or pray, or whatever you were doing, you’d have had time to eat breakfast.”
At the expression of alarm on her face, Justin grinned. “Don’t worry, Gilda, you can eat something while we saddle the horses.”
Surprised that the sober Justin was displaying a bit of humor, Gilda almost forgot to be thankful that her hunger would at least be somewhat satisfied. She and Freda ate quickly while the men saddled and packed the horses.
They hadn’t gone far up the steep path when a light rain began to fall. It didn’t do much more than dampen their clothes, and as they continued, the visibility actually improved. Justin was hopeful their luck would hold, but by the time they reached the summit he knew it wasn’t to be. A sudden heavy downpour made the path slippery and forced them to stop for a rest.
“We’ll have to continue on foot. I’m afraid the horses might slip and be injured.” Justin spoke loudly to be heard over the rain as they began their descent. “Leonardo, Matthew, and I will lead the horses and you can follow,” he said to the women. “Just go slow and be careful.”
The normally hard-packed trail was slick. As the women tried to follow Justin’s instructions, Gilda saw that Freda was a bit unsteady on her feet. Not for the first time in her life Gilda wished she were taller. She did her best to steady Freda with her hand on her elbow, but it was hard to really help the tall woman, and they soon fell behind the men.
At a sharp turn in the trail Gilda let go of her hold on Freda, then watched in dismay as the nun lost her footing and began sliding off the slick trail.
“Wait, wait!” Gilda shouted, as though Freda had any choice. In her rush to catch up, she also lost her footing and slid right past Freda. She didn’t stop sliding until she collided with a tree.
Freda wasn’t far behind, and Gilda grabbed hold of her arm before she slipped by. Holding Freda pulled Gilda off-balance, and both nuns ended up on the ground against the tree, with Gilda on the bottom of the heap.
Justin had rushed back up the trail when he heard Gilda shout to Freda. “Damnation,” he muttered when he saw the two women lying entwined against the tree. With all the black clothing, it was hard to tell where one body ended and the other started. “What can I do?” he asked.
“Help me off Gilda,” Freda said as she lifted her arm toward him.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, pulling her upright.
“Just my dignity. Gilda softened my landing.”
Once Freda was standing, Justin pulled Gilda to her feet, almost dropping her when she groaned. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I’m fine now,” she said, trying to pull away from him.
Justin’s grasp tightened. “You’re not fine. Just relax, Gilda. If either one of you is hurt, you’ll delay our journey,” he pointed out impatiently.
“I’m not hurt,” she muttered. “Just a bit sore where I hit the tree.”
Leonardo had come to help Freda, and they carefully worked their way up the slope to where Leonardo had tied the horses.
Although there were no more accidents, they descended the mountain slowly, stopping often to rest. It was dark by the time they reached level ground where the men could put up a shelter. Since the rain gave no sign of letting up, they made up their pallets under cover. Gilda thought of asking for something to eat, but for once she was too tired to make the effort and was soon asleep.
When Gilda awoke, she found herself face-to-face with a sleeping Justin. She couldn’t remember settling so close beside him, but then she had been the first person to fall asleep. She thought about moving but
