A Different Virus - Laura's Story

Chapter 78

Three days later the snow had almost entirely disappeared. Small patches could only be found in places where direct sunlight did not strike them. The smell of spring was in the air and I loved it.

We had just finished supper as Don invited his friends to join us on our evening run. They often joined us on our leisurely run after supper. Don was starting to need more exercise now. He saw no reason that his friends couldn't share in his misery and often tried to drag them along for company. His friends saddled their horses as I inspected some plants that were already trying to sprout.

They were ready swiftly enough. Diane picked me up and put me on her shoulders. I preferred her carrying me, and it saved me from trying to deal with a horse. Some of them were quite stubborn even if Diane was keeping them in line. It was just easier for both of us this way.

Diane grinned at a guy who picked out the most stubborn horse in the stable, "Still trying to get that horse into shape?"

He chuckled and nodded, "One day he will settle down and quit being such a nuisance. I am hoping that more exercise helps."

She shook her head in disbelief, "Good luck with that one!" I agreed with Diane. That horse was never anything, but trouble.

I looked across the side of the lake and pointed, "Can we go up to that ridge?" There were a few ridges along the cliff on that side of the lake that would make excellent viewpoints.

The one guy shrugged, "Sure, why not? It has been a long time since I went to the far side of the lake, so it will be nice to see some new trails. We can get there and back before the sun sets."

Diane and Don easily jogged alongside the swiftly walking horses. The dense coniferous trees had a different type of beauty with their dark green needles and flaky bark. Don's friends talked and joked around a lot as we travelled. It took us about two hours to get to the ridge.

Diane put me down and I jogged over to a gap in the trees to look out across the lake. This vantage point allowed me to overlook the lake and the Fort. There were gaps in the ice, "Oh, look! The ice is starting to break up already on the lake! We will be able to go fishing shortly!"

I really liked fishing. I blinked as I gazed across the wide lake. The Fort was a tiny thing in the distance and any people were little dots moving. There was an awful lot of smoke though. I glanced back, Diane was checking near the horses for something, but the others were coming to enjoy the view.

I had been around Don enough that it wasn't too bad talking with him, "Uh, Don, why is there so much smoke coming from the Fort?"

Don frowned and jogged over, his friends swiftly following. Diane looked up sharply at my comment before coming over to see past the trees. All of them frowned in concern. I looked again and blinked as I realized that I could see flickers of red that looked like fire from this distance.

Diane pulled out her binoculars to take a closer look. I heard what sounded like fireworks and looked hard, but I didn't see any colorful flashes. Why would someone have set off fireworks during the day?

Diane slowly lowered her binoculars. Her eyes were actually glowing, something had really upset her.

One of the guys quickly ran back towards the horses, "We have to get back there to help!"

Huh? Help with what? What was going on? I watched the adults in confusion. Diane managed to grab the guy's elbow before he could get past her, "Wait. I saw strangers down there. I think there is an attack going on."

He winced at her grip and she quickly let go. The man shook his head, "We have to check if there are survivors. Perhaps we can pick off some of the people attacking. We have our bows with us."