Further along the plateau about five feet below the rim was a shallow ledge protected by overhanging rock. It only jutted a couple of feet out from the cliff, but it was long enough for the pair of them to stand on and be protected from anything falling past.

Peter turned back. “Coop.”

Cooper’s hand fell away from Snowball’s neck and he just stood there with his back to Peter, saying nothing.

“Cooper.”

“Yeah. I heard you.”

Cooper turned round and his dark eyes searched now as was often the way when he was looking to connect with the part of Peter that belonged to them. But there was something else this time. A sudden pain that hadn’t been spoken.

Peter shook his head. “You blame me for not killing the stranger when I had the chance. I tried my best, I did. You’re angry at me, aren’t you?”

But that wasn’t it.

Cooper shrugged. “What about Snowball?”

“He’s OK, isn’t he?”

“Where’s he gonna go, Pete? There int time to get him out of the way.”

Peter’s throat tightened. “Cooper, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking right.”

“He won’t leave me.”

“Course he won’t.”

“He won’t even try runnin’.”

“Then we all leave together,” said Peter. “I’m sure we can make it in time. Maybe I got the distances wrong.”

But even as he said the words, the grey mass coming their way started to have features. All raggedy hands and rolling eyeballs. The herd was close now and Cooper was left with no choice but to say his goodbyes.

Cooper walked forward, taking Peter by the hand. He leaned in so their foreheads touched and kissed him softly. And they stayed this way for a moment, but soon he quietly made his way back to Snowball, placing both arms around his neck, and stroked him. But to watch the pair of them any longer was an intrusion, so Peter made his way along the rim of the plateau, sitting with both legs dangling over the edge, and looked down.

The ledge was just a short jump down. It only seemed so much deeper because Peter’s eyes were further away from it than his feet. But nothing would break the fall into the valley if he misjudged it. He gripped a tuft of frozen grass and shuffled forward. His legs became pendulums, heavier than the rest of him now gravity had a stronger pull. He edged forward just a little further and his body slipped from the cliff.

He landed, arms flailing to propel his body away from the edge. He thrust them forward until he could feel the heels of his boots touch down, and planted his back against the cliff. He ducked beneath the rocky overhang and Cooper’s boots struck behind him.

“Pete,” he said flatly. “They’re comin’.”