The last part of their journey was hard going. They had to climb the coastal mountains, find the pass and then descend on the other side.
The Black Sea looked blue and tranquil, but its name was derived from the storms that could prove very dangerous to voyagers and were as unpredictable as any woman.
The winds in the pass blew away most of the dust they had collected on the plains, but even so Natasha was glad when they finally camped at the foot of the mountains on a fertile green plateau bestrewn with wild flowers.
Here it was warm and protected from the wind and there was a stream flowing down the mountainside providing water for the horses and themselves.
Natasha’s tent, which was part of the equipment she had brought from Shamyl, was small, comfortable and weatherproof, but nothi
