The EARTH story - January 31, 1372
After a quiet, warm night snuggled down in Kelar's tent, you emerge
on the morning of January 31st to find that the snow has stopped and
the wind has dropped. Behind you, up in the pass, though, all you see
are clouds. The worst is behind you, now - you hope - and looking
ahead to the west you see a great valley opening up before and below
you. Visibility is not the best - there is still some blowing snow
about - but the valley seems to be many scores of miles wide, and
runs from south to north. Far off in the distance you think you see
more mountains.
You set off, Jo-owrn leading, down into the valley.
You make poor time. Still leading the horses, you have to fight
for every inch of progress through snow over 3' deep. Where it has
drifted it is more than twice that depth. All the same, it is
downhill, and by late afternoon you have come down out of the
mountains and are again on more or less level land. There is dense
coniferous forest here, and it shelters you from the constant wind.
The temperature struggles up to 10F, but by the time night falls and
you set up camp, it has dropped back to close to zero.
The night passes quietly.