part 2: Daughter
Chapter 1
I stepped out of the store on to the cobblestone street. In my new coat and boots some of my lower legs were still exposed to the chill air, but the rest of me was warm and cozy. It was an elegant winter jacket with feminine contours and a faux-fur lined hood, which I wore up to combat the cold wind. The boots were fine Venetian leather.
Marla lived on the outskirts of St. Moritz, an astoundingly gorgeous vacationer's town in Switzerland. The cold came early there, with the temperatures already close to freezing despite the fact that it was merely late August. I was surrounded by charming old world architecture set against the backdrop of swaying evergreen trees and majestic snow capped mountains. It was an old time village gone modern, with plenty of shops and cafes priced for the deep pockets of wealthy travellers. To my dismay this meant my coat didn't come cheap.
Feeling ready to leave the town for my mother's house, I hailed a cab. He pulled up and leaned to the passenger window, smiling welcomingly.
"And where may I take you tonight, young miss?"
His smile faded quickly when I gave him Marla's address.
"My dear, I'm afraid I can't take you there. It's a good way up the mountain, on narrow paths that can't be driven."
"That's fine. Just take me as far as you can, and I'll walk the rest."
He hesitantly reached to unlock the door, then decided against driving off with me. "No, I can't do that. It's cold and so vast, I'm afraid you wouldn't make it."
"Look, it doesn't matter whether or not you think I'll make it. I'm going there... and I'll pay whatever I have to, to do so."
He blinked at me, wondering whether or not he was going to give in. I put my hands on my hips and gave him a cross look.
With a chuckle and a shake of his head he succumbed, unlocking the door to his car. "Alright, alright my dear. Let's go."
***
The day was already ending as we left the town. Looking back, it was like an island of gleaming amber orange light against the wintery blue of the snowy landscape, fading into the distance. I hoped Marla would welcome me; it would be no small feat returning to civilization on my own.
Ahead, the road was bumpy gravel. We were steadily rising in elevation, and as we went the winter's presence grew more pronounced.
Finally the road came to an end. "Okay Miss, we've gone as far as I can go. I'll have to let you off here."
"That's fine, and thank you sir." I paid him a generous tip and got out of the car.
It was significantly colder that far up the mountain. A broad but rough path met the ending of the road, leading into the pine forest. I could make out fresh hoof prints in the snow -- evidently those who lived on the mountain took to horseback to get around.
I took a look at the GPS in my phone and saw that my location was two thirds of the way to Marla's home. Turning to look back at St. Moritz, it had been reduced to an orange dot on the horizon. I flipped my hood up and began to hike the forested path.
***
Tirelessly I trudged uphill through the snowy forest, never stopping for a break. Though the air was bitingly cold against my exposed skin I was sweating beneath my coat from the labour of ascending that path. The journey took about two and a half hours, and by the time I saw the dim light of windows it was night.
According to my GPS I'd found the place. It was a gorgeous old style home, almost large enough to consider a mansion, built into a clearing in the woods. To the side of the building was a small stable, able to hold just a couple horses.
Although the trek had left me numb I felt a swell of anxiety as I made my last couple steps toward Marla's front door. It was old and made of heavy wood, and had a well worn brass knocker which when I swung it clunked deeply against the resonant surface. Above the door was a security camera, and there was an intercom speaker mounted on the wall.
No one was answering, and I couldn't hear anything. Was anyone home? I could hear the snorts of their horses in the stable, reassuring me that the house wasn't vacant, but there was nothing else to suggest I wasn't wasting my time.
Chapter 2
Two women rode on horseback through the woods, bundled up tightly against the cold. It was a treacherous uphill path strewn with fallen tree trunks and boulders, but their mounts knew the trail well and wouldn't fail, even with the heavy loads their riders had brought. They were headed home.