[Chr24] Avalanche! Watch out

The mountain loomed ahead, its jagged peaks lost in low-hanging clouds. Snow covered the uneven ground, crunching underfoot as the group ascended, catefully stepping through n the treacherous terrain. The wind howled, sharp and cold, biting at their exposed skin and stealing their breath.

Sparse, frost-covered trees clung to the lower slopes, but higher up, the landscape turned to sheer rock and ice. Haden walked ahead of the group, her sharp eyes scanned the terrain ahead while her hands stayed tucked in her pockets. Behind her trudged her brother Damon, his expression tense but focused. Slate, relaxed and commanding, stayed at the rear, his sharp voice cutting through the whistling wind when he gave instructions. Pride, however, dragged his feet lazily, head low, as though he’d rather lie down in the snow and let the mountain take him than make the effort to climb it.

“Pride, pick up the pace,” Slate barked. 

Pride yawned, his breath fogging in the cold air. “I'm coming, just... conserving energy,” he mumbled, earning a sharp glare from Slate.

“Less talking, more moving,” Haden called back without even glancing at the group. Her tone was calm, bordering on disinterested, but her steps quickened.

“We’ve been walking for hours,” Pride grumbled, his voice barely carrying over the wind. “Do we even know where we’re going? Or are we just walking until one of us drops?”

“We know where we’re going,” Slate replied, his tone clipped. “The problem is, you’re slowing us down.”

Haden called over her shoulder, her voice calm but firm. “The sooner we get past this section, the sooner we can rest.”

Damon glanced back at Pride, his expression soft with concern. “Do you want me to carry some of your gear? It might help.”

Pride waved a dismissive hand. “I’m fine, Mom. Save the pep talks for later.”

Haden let out a quiet snort of amusement but didn’t comment. Instead, she pointed to the ridge ahead. “If we can get to that overhang, we’ll be sheltered enough to stop for a bit. Slate, how much daylight do we have left?”

Slate glanced at the sky, where the clouds hung heavy and dark. “Not much. An hour, maybe less. We’ll have to be quick.”

“Fantastic,” Pride muttered. “An hour to freeze to death instead of two. Lucky us.”

“You can complain all you want, as long as you keep moving,” Haden replied coolly, stepping over a mound of snow. “Unless you’d rather stay here and let the mountain decide your fate.”

“I’m thinking about it,” Pride replied, letting out an exasperated sigh.

For a moment, the group fell silent, aside from the sound of their labored breathing and the crunch of their steps in the snow.

The rumble came suddenly. It was faint at first, a distant growl that could have been mistaken for the wind. Damon froze, his head snapping up. “Do you hear that?” he asked, his voice tinged with unease.

The others stopped, the sound growing louder, more insistent. It was a sound that demanded attention, a primal roar that sent a spike of fear through each of them. Pride squinted toward the mountain’s peak, his tired expression giving way to alarm. “That’s not good,” he muttered.

Haden turned sharply, her sharp eyes widening as the avalanche came into view—a massive wall of snow barreling down the slope, devouring everything in its path. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the air filled with the deafening roar of destruction.

“Run!” Slate’s voice cut through the chaos, snapping them into motion

Haden’s gaze darted across the landscape. The slope was too open, offering no real cover. Then she saw it—a dark opening in the rock face, partially obscured by a snowdrift. “There!” she shouted, pointing.

The group surged forward, the snow fighting them every step of the way. The avalanche grew louder, closer, a force of nature that promised to crush anything in its path. Haden reached the cave first, throwing herself into its shadowy depths just as the avalanche slammed into the mountainside with a deafening roar. One by one, the others followed, tumbling into the cave as the snow surged past the entrance, sealing them inside.

The faint light from the cave’s entrance was now dim, filtered through a wall of packed snow. Damon sat against the rough stone wall, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. “That... was too close,” he murmured

Slate stood and began surveying the cave. The walls were rough and damp, the space just large enough to accommodate the four of them if they didn’t mind being cramped. “We’re stuck here for the night,” he announced, his voice steady. “No point in trying to dig out in the dark.”

Haden leaned against the wall, her arms crossed as she regarded the blocked entrance with a detached expression. “Could’ve been worse,” she said, her tone betraying none of the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

Pride groaned as he sank onto the cold ground, his head lolling back against the stone. “Great. Stuck in a freezing cave. Just when I thought this trip couldn’t get any better.”