The Mountain Pass

You decide the sooner you can get through this tundra the better and make a beeline for the mountain pass.

You walk for hours as the sun remains high, moving slowly across the sky.

By the time you reach the mouth of the valley, you're just about ready to collapse. You sit down and take a minute to observe your new surroundings.

You hear nothing but the howling wind as you scan the valley with your eyes. Where the landscape behind you was a barren tundra. Ahead of you lies a sanctuary shielded from the worst elements by the valley walls. You can see signs of life and habitation by small critters, at most hares and foxes, but no living animals. It's as if they've all been scared off and are hiding.