I AWOKE TO AN EERIE SILENCE, inside what appeared to be a log cabin. Malaiki hovered over me, tending to my leg. She didn’t see my open eyes. Through the doorway I saw a tall, mustached gentleman with a big smile and a woman I didn’t recognize, wearing an apron and talking with Victoria. Looking out a window, I saw what appeared to be the fringes of a small town. Between us and the western slope of Peirasmos was a stand of evergreens, a natural barrier shielding the town from the mountain’s wrath.

The faint scent of maple syrup nudged me. Frodo licked my ear.

“Welcome back, Nick,” Victoria called, running to my side.

“How …?”

“Relax. We carried you here. Cal and Helen say we’re welcome to stay as long as we need to.”

Malaiki put senaba juice to my lips, and I gratefully accepted. I caught a scent from behind me, familiar and comforting—Shad.

He came around my bedside and took my hand. His callous grip reminded me of my father’s, a hand I’d held far fewer times than I wished, but now longed for. Shad smiled broadly. I watched a single tear flow down his weather-beaten cheek. Before I knew it, he’d bent over and his arms were around me. I heard and felt him sob—I kept thinking of my father and didn’t want him to let go.

We stayed in the cabin two days, enjoying wonderful meals and conversation while I began to recover. I had no broken bones but was sore in places I didn’t know I had. My ankle had a chance to heal along with everything else. I had time to think about the penguin hikers, especially Shaun. They surely must have perished in the avalanche, all of them. I couldn’t get Shaun off my mind.

I would have liked to stay a week, but Shad was eager to move, so we packed up our things. After a wonderful breakfast of bacon and sausage and fresh bread and strong rich coffee and senaba, we took off, moving slowly in the cold but bright red sunshine. My ankle throbbed, my calves burned, and my shoulders ached. Once I got in a groove, though, it was actually a pleasant gradual descent.

It warmed up rapidly, and by midday we hit level ground, where we drank from a cool stream and basked in the sun. We lounged in tall grass and flowers, feeling like we’d come from the bitter frigid winter to the bright blossoming warmth of spring. We laughed and rested. I clenched and unclenched my sore but warm hands. Just before the avalanche I’d told myself if I ever got warm again I would never take it for granted. I thanked the King again.