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Rafe waved to him, moving his arms open and closed in an X over his head.
Tally got the message and sped up his amble to a sprint.
But the mammoth was getting far too close. The wind shifted, and Rafe picked up another, more worrisome scent.
Predators…
He swung himself up onto the sleigh and looked out onto the horizon. As the creature got closer, he could see that it was younger than he expected, and on the skinny side. That would make it ideal prey. And sure enough, a pack of snow wolves was hot on the trail of the mammoth and closing fast. No wonder it was in such a hurry.
“What’s happening?” Jade asked.
“The mammoth isn’t charging,” Rafe told her, keeping his voice calm and steady. “It’s running from a pack of wolves.”
Her eyes widened. But to her credit, she simply nodded.
“The deer will spook, and I’m not sure the stake will hold him,” Rafe told her. “And the sleigh is an easy target with us in it. We have to get out and hide behind it. If they don’t see us, they’ll pass us right by.”
Rafe wasn’t so sure about that. But there was no reason to worry her when there was nothing they could do about it.
“Mammoth,” Tally yelled as he approached the sleigh.
“We’re going to hide back there,” Rafe told him calmly. “Stay where you are.”
“It’s charging,” Tally gasped.
“It’s not charging,” Rafe told him, swinging back to the ground and offering Jade his arm.
She took it and jumped to the ground, landing in a crouch with Gus cradled to her chest in his sling.
The nanny-bot moved around to the back of the sleigh as well, looking to him for instruction, as if she knew he was in charge right now, and not her mistress.
“There is a pack of snow wolves chasing that mammoth,” he explained to them all quietly. “They must have separated this one from the herd. They always go after the easiest prey.”
Jade nodded.
“They’ll be focused on the mammoth,” Rafe said. “If we stay quiet they’ll never even know we’re here. We’ll wait until they’re out of sight, and then move ahead slowly.”
Jade nodded again, her eyes on the horizon.
Rafe could feel the mammoth’s weight reverberating in the frozen ground now. The pack wasn’t far behind.
Let it outrun them long enough to get out of our range, he prayed to any gods that might be listening all the way out here.
Jade held Gus close to her chest. Her eyes were closed, as if not seeing what was happening would help her to remain calm.
The mammoth was close enough now that Rafe could see its wide eyes and the froth around its mouth. It had been running for a long time.
The wolves snapped and snarled behind it, gaining ground.
If they felled the mammoth, they would be very sensitive to scavengers. Rafe would have to keep his whole party still and silent during the entire kill and the subsequent feeding.
Please, no…
Just as the wolves came level with the carriage, the mammoth let out a panicked trumpet.
The next few seconds seemed to slip into slow motion.
Gus lifted his little face from Jade’s chest and cried out in protest at the very loud and scary interruption of his nap. His wail rang out like an alarm in the frozen air.
