Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #13 April 2015 | Page 14

track was still opening up when Northwind pulled
out.”
An idea thrilled Chloe. “Might it run on forever? A
limitless north?”
“We would run out of coal.”
“Cut wood from the forests.”
The stoker looked up at the two-handed axe in the cab
and grinned. The driver touched his holstered firearm,
‘the forests are deep, possibly dangerous, definitely
unknown. Even so, an intriguing thought.”
“An adventurous thought,” Chloe said.
“I just drive the train, miss,” the driver said. “And Red
Ham here stokes the fuel.”
Hamish looked down at Chloe and gave her a ponderous wink.
#
Poul returned to the carriage, weary from digging.
“We’ll be under way soon.”
“Thank you for working so hard.”
The carriage jolted as Ice Maiden reversed to put slack
in the couplings, then the train rolled smoothly forwards.
He had more colour than usual. “I need to wash, then,
shall we go to the dining car?”
“With pleasure.”
All afternoon the train rolled on. Snowdrifts still
covered the track, but never too much for the plough.
Snow-covered plains folded into valleys and hills.
Patches of white-capped conifers merged into a dark
forest of old pine and northern hemlock. As the train
slowed on a bend the forest pulled back to form a
concave clearing.

PAGE 14

“Look,” Chloe exclaimed, “People.”
A group of fur-clad figures stood in the shadows of the
tree line. Some carried a short bow and quiver, others held long, light spears. As Chloe watched, one of
them stepped forward, planted his foot, drew back his
arm. The train pulled round the curve and the figures
dropped out of sight.
Poul stared intently back through the wind ow. “There
were children.”
#
Time passed slowly, a drowsy and companionable
afternoon gave way to evening. Gathering speed, the
train broke free of the wintry forest. Outside, the sun
set as a distant blood red ball behind tatters of freezing
cloud. A bitter twilight faded to night and just then,
for a fleeting moment, Chloe and Paul glimpsed the
distant lights, the spires and domes of an unknown
northern city.
Chloe drew in her breath. “Shall we take supper in our
compartment?”
“My thoughts exactly,” Poul said.
The trolley rattled as the young waiter guided it down
the swaying corridor. “The driver says the wind has
cleared the track ahead,” he said, as he removed the
domed covers from the steaming food. “He intends to
take Ice Maiden to top speed.”
After they had eaten, Cloe and Poul sat with the last
of the wine. The window was a black square, Poul
reached up to lower the blind.
“Please don’t,” Chloe said.
His hand fell back. Chloe smiled and brushed back a
lock of hair.
Poul raised his glass: “To adventure.”
Chloe’s eyes met his. “To adventure.”