GA Writing Prompts - 31. # 117 The Smell of the Snow

The Smell of the Snow

‘What is that smell?’ Gavin thought. And what was that sound that he heard? The strange whispers filled the air. Gavin looked at the men beside the fire who drowsily rose to their feet. He tried to figure out if they had also heard the faint sounds. But their faces were blank. None of them mentioned the whispers. They looked tired and yawned.

The sun was just rising. The air was chilly, and fog lay low and heavy. It was the beginning of November. Another hard winter was near. Luckily, snow had not yet fallen. But Gavin already smelled the snow in the air.

~~**~~

Gavin rubbed his cold hands.

"Hurry," Ewan said in a rough voice, padding Gavin’s shoulder. "We’ll be in Berwick-upon-Tweed by sunset."

Gavin looked at Ewan.

"I look forward to having a hot bath. I have not had one since…May," Ewan said, laughing loudly.

Gavin wiped his eyes and then rose to his feet. He joined the other men. They mounted their horses.

They had been roaming the land for several months. They lived on raiding, plundering and mugging, like many groups did after they had left the battlefield. Gavin had no qualms about it. His life on the road had taught him a few things: Who dares wins and impudence wins, for instance.

They moved on slowly that frosty day. They looked filthy and ragged and Gavin knew that their smell was repellent. But he didn’t care at all. They carried swords, daggers, and crossbows. They looked strong and threatening on their black warhorses. It gave Gavin a good feeling and he shook off his sense of foreboding.

The air was chilly, and fog lay low and heavy. Luckily, snow had not yet fallen. But Gavin already smelled the snow in the air. His life on the road had taught him a few things, unbreakable laws and regularities. The smell of the snow reminded him of the most important law of all: Survival of the fittest. Another hard winter was near.

~~**~~