Ezra's mind was numb with cold and exhaustion. He struggled to keep up with the sherpas. His whole existance focused on taking one more step, and then another and another. He thought no further than the next step.

Around him the mountains loomed, austere and cold, beauty frozen into the rock and ice. They were in a high pass, no climbing today, and walking almost on level ground for the first time in two weeks.

Suddenly he bumped into the man in front of him. The sherpas were excited, piling their burdens and dragging out the tents. Was it time to camp at last? Ezra stood staring stupidly at them and then realized slowly that these people were franticly building a shelter. He raised his eyes to see a wall of white blowing snow sweeping down towards them. A hard but friendly hand pushed him into the shelter as the snow closed in on them....