Descending Road - ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THROUGH by Dana W. Paxson

ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THROUGH

1560 4D

Derizan pondered. It would be an avalanche, probably, or that’s what the guards would report. If the wind kept growing, and the storm became all that the sky promised, maybe they wouldn’t need an avalanche — everybody would just freeze in mid-stride, and the snow would cover them in white graves.

But he had the gun, and that would change a few things. Years ago, he’d seen a map of this pass, and there was a narrow defile tucked up at the left just past this rise. It led downward back the way they’d come, back toward the railhead, and then with a few of the Arcus beside him, he’d see what they could do to make their own relocation. He nudged Sumiar, his taller brother walking beside him. “Up there.”

Sumiar looked back, then forward along the line, and said, “We’re clear.” The next group of relocatees had fallen back beyond their view, and the shouts of guards echoed up the pass toward them.

“Now!” Derizan urged, and his whole family followed him in a trot towards the tight opening up in the rock to their left. He and Sumiar waited as they passed, preparing to brush away the telltale footsteps, and then Darvelia, the woman from Sobi Zone, came up to him.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re getting out of this deathtrap before it kills us all. You’re coming with us, with your children.”

She looked back wildly. “My husband hasn’t returned! I can’t leave him here!”

Derizan looked back down their trail. “We can’t wait for him. If they see where we’ve gone, they’ll hunt us down. We’ve just got this one chance. Right now.”

She drew back, and the cold fury and power in her unblinking eyes made Derizan lower his head. “Then you leave,” she said. “I’m his woman, he’s my man. These children are ours. I’ll die before I let him go, and before I let them go. You just leave.”

“Please,” he asked her, surprised at the depth of his feelings for her. “It’s your only chance. You’ll all die if you don’t.”

“Please come with us,” a second voice said beside him. His wife Astina. “Your children are ours too, and you’re our sister. We can’t leave you here to--“

“Die?” Darvelia hissed in the wind. “Do you really think they’d let us die up here? We’ve got new places waiting on the other side of this pass! It’s not far! Once we get through this storm, all we have to do is get through…" Her shoulders started to shake.

Her son, Shellane it was, turned abruptly and started running back down the trail. “Father!” he called. “Father!” His voice echoed in the pass, and his sister ran after him.

Derizan swore, and swung around to where his family was edging through the opening in the rock. “Go on, hurry up!” He spun back to where the woman, Darvelia, had been, but now she was chasing her children down over the last rise, the gusting wind pushing them all along in swirls of white.

Derizan turned again, and now the air tasted bitter and dark to him. He felt for the gun in his coat, and slipped in behind Sumiar and Astina, sweeping away their trail behind him, taking a plunging, snow-clogged path that turned back on itself again and again; thoughts of death fell through him now, making his guts burn and twist in pain. I won’t let an Arcus child die of cold as long as I’m alive. He hesitated, then finally followed the others. His words smirked at him, staining his soul.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THROUGH 1560 4D Derizan pondered. It would be an avalanche, probably, or that’s what the guards would report. If the wind kept growing, and the storm became all that the sky promised, maybe they wouldn’t need an avalanche — everybody would just freeze in mid-stride, and the snow would cover them in white graves. But he had the gun, and that would change a few things. Years ago, he’d seen a map of this pass, and there was a narrow defile tucked up at the left just past this rise. It led downward back the way they’d come, back toward the railhead, and then with a few of the Arcus beside him, he’d see what they could do to make their own relocation. He nudged Sumiar, his taller brother walking beside him. “Up there.” Sumiar looked back, then forward along the line, and said, “We’re clear.” The next group of relocatees had fallen back beyond their view, and the shouts of guards echoed up the pass toward them. “Now!” Derizan urged, and his whole family followed him in a trot towards the tight opening up in the rock to their left. He and Sumiar waited as they passed, preparing to brush away the telltale footsteps, and then Darvelia, the woman from Sobi Zone, came up to him. “Where are you going?” “We’re getting out of this deathtrap before it kills us all. You’re coming with us, with your children.” She looked back wildly. “My husband hasn’t returned! I can’t leave him here!” Derizan looked back down their trail. “We can’t wait for him. If they see where we’ve gone, they’ll hunt us down. We’ve just got this one chance. Right now.” She drew back, and the cold fury and power in her unblinking eyes made Derizan lower his head. “Then you leave,” she said. “I’m his woman, he’s my man. These children are ours. I’ll die before I let him go, and before I let them go. You just leave.” “Please,” he asked her, surprised at the depth of his feelings for her. “It’s your only chance. You’ll all die if you don’t.” “Please come with us,” a second voice said beside him. His wife Astina. “Your children are ours too, and you’re our sister. We can’t leave you here to--“ “Die?” Darvelia hissed in the wind. “Do you really think they’d let us die up here? We’ve got new places waiting on the other side of this pass! It’s not far! Once we get through this storm, all we have to do is get through…" Her shoulders started to shake. Her son, Shellane it was, turned abruptly and started running back down the trail. “Father!” he called. “Father!” His voice echoed in the pass, and his sister ran after him. Derizan swore, and swung around to where his family was edging through the opening in the rock. “Go on, hurry up!” He spun back to where the woman, Darvelia, had been, but now she was chasing her children down over the last rise, the gusting wind pushing them all along in swirls of white. Derizan turned again, and now the air tasted bitter and dark to him. He felt for the gun in his coat, and slipped in behind Sumiar and Astina, sweeping away their trail behind him, taking a plunging, snow-clogged path that turned back on itself again and again; thoughts of death fell through him now, making his guts burn and twist in pain. I won’t let an Arcus child die of cold as long as I’m alive. He hesitated, then finally followed the others. His words smirked at him, staining his soul.