Free Kerka's Book by Jan Bozarth

now.”
    â€œGood,” I said.
    I took the mittens out of the coat pocket and put them on. Then I slipped into the coat and noticed that it had grown a hood. Wondering if it had the power to respond to the actual climate, I zipped it up. Then I took off my crushed flower wreath and pulled the hood up over my head. I put my backpack on over the coat and adjusted my Kalis stick so I could grab it in a hurry. As I started briskly across the last stretch of meadowland, Ardee uncharacteristically galloped ahead and waited at the glacier.
    â€œWhy are you in such a hurry?” I asked. “I thought you didn’t like ice.”
    â€œI know a trick!” Ardee announced proudly. “It will help us.”
    â€œWhat is it?” I asked, intrigued.
    The reindeer bent her front leg. “See the bottom of my hoof?”
    I humored her and looked. The big pad in the center of the hard hoof wall was soft and cushy. “I see it.”
    â€œWatch this.” Ardee sprang onto the glacier.
    â€œWhat?” I asked impatiently. The ice was slippery and it took me a minute to reach her side.
    â€œHold on to my fur so you don’t fall, then look at my hoof again.”
    Ardee bent her leg at the ankle and rested the toe of her hoof on the ice so I could see the underside. The big pad had shrunken and hardened within the hoof wall, leaving the hoof with a cookie-cutter rim. When I looked up, she stomped on the slick glacier. Her hoof cut into the ice, and she didn’t slip or slide.
    â€œWow!” I was truly impressed. “Is that magic or natural?”
    Ardee moved her head from side to side slightly, the reindeer version of a shrug. “Maybe magic makes winter feet happen faster here.”
    Tightening my grip on the reindeer’s long hair, I held on as she moved forward. The ridged soles on my boots gave me some purchase on the ice, but not enough to keep me from sliding on the slippery spots.
    â€œCan you see the path, Ardee?”
    â€œYes, I have winter eyes now, too.” Ardee turned her head. Her brown summer eyes had changed to blue.
    Being dependent on Ardee made me feel strange. Then it occurred to me that I didn’t feel odd about depending on magical knots or an enchanted map, so how was depending on a living creature any different? I tried to keep this in mind as Ardee movedat a very slow pace, testing every step on the hazardous ice. I didn’t object. I could not have crossed the glacier as easily or as fast without her, and my woolen coat did not keep out the cold completely. Pressing close to Ardee’s side kept me warm as well as upright. My fingers were cold even though I was wearing mittens. Burying my hands in the reindeer’s thick undercoat helped.
    â€œDon’t let go,” said Ardee. “I really don’t want to lose you.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” I replied. “I don’t want to lose you, either. You’re doing a great job,” I added. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
    â€œReally?” she asked.
    â€œYes, really,” I said. “But we can’t talk anymore, okay? It’s much too cold and we have to make it all the way across.”
    We plodded across the white expanse in silence. I kept my head down to protect my face. Numbed by cold and lulled by the slow, steady rhythm of our progress, I lost all track of time. I was taken by surprise when we came to a halt at a wall of ice. From a distance, it had looked like part of the glacier.
    â€œWhat is it?” Ardee asked, sounding both fearful and annoyed.
    â€œA frozen waterfall,” I said. I looked up but Icouldn’t see the top of the gigantic icicle. “My dad calls them icefalls.”
    The reindeer followed my gaze. “There’s no way I can climb it.”
    I had already reached the same conclusion.
    â€œWhat are we going to do?” The reindeer’s voice quivered.
    â€œDon’t worry,” I said