Knowing Hannibal would lose most of his elephants to the bitter cold of the mountains, Karina suggested he protect them with heavy coats made from the furry hides collected from the bodies of the Vocontii they’d killed in battle. These were mostly skins of the brown bear, plus a few hides of wolf, badger, and fox.
Hannibal agreed and set a dozen slaves to work on the huge fur coats. He also liked Autumn’s idea of thick leather boots for the elephants. These would protect their feet from the cold, as well as from the sharp rocks on the scree-covered slopes of the higher elevations. The wool coats would be rolled up like venetian blinds and tied securely on the backs of the animals until needed.
In studying modern maps of the Alps, Sarge and Karina knew the army couldn’t master the St. Ber
