“Let’s keep moving,” she said, mounting Huī. “The faster we get outta sight of Danville, the sooner we can build us a fire and warm up.” Violet was quick to agree. Soon, they were off again, riding deeper into the darkness of the early evening.
They did not get as far as they would have liked before Mei called for them to stop. With the sun fully gone, she and Violet would risk pneumonia if they didn’t dry soon. So, the Railwalkers found a pair of trees to hang a line on, and then worked quickly to build as big a fire as they could muster. Violet instantly took refuge beside it, and wrung out the water in her dress and hair. Even with the help of the fire, Violet was chattering with cold, and held her arms tightly to stave off the chill.
Mei, also soaked to the bone, sat beside Violet. M
