Sophia Cross, known affectionatly by her family and friends as "Granny Sophie" hobbled across the hardwood flooring of her small cabin near the edge of Icecicle Inn. The worry in her expression evident as she sat in a chair facing a window that looked out over to the eastern mountains. She sighed with a heavy sadness and looked to the snowy mountains. She was expecting her husband Eric soon but whenever he went off on his hikes through the mountains, she uncontrolably broke down and became a nervous wreck constantly worrying that he was hurt and would never return. She was reasonably frightened, Eric was approaching his 67th birthday and the tundras east of Icecicle and the mountain range alike were severly harsh and unforgiving.

Sophie sighed again, and looked away from the window to the woodburning stove situated in the far corner of the room. She sat there staring at the charcoal stove thinking to all the time she had spent beside her husband when they were younger huddled close beside it during harsh winters and occasionally whenever they needed to be close. The woman sat entranced in her thought for a short time, until there was a knock at the door.

Sophie's old tired eyes looked to the door and she felt a mixture of elation and annoyance. Eric sometimes knocked when he came back to pester his wife. She grinned a little a tear of happiness escaping her.

"Oh Eric, the door is open you old fool..." She whispered "Come in, the door is open."

For a moment there was no response from beyond the door. Then the doorknob turned and slowly opened, Sophie was overcome with happiness and stood quickly her eyes tearing up as she hurried over to the door. A tall muscular man with short brown hair and a bushy beard walked in, with a woman with long brown hair and a soft smile. He turned to Sophie who looked distraught and walked over beaming.

"Mother guess what?... Mother, what's wrong?"

Sophie sank a little and wiped her eyes with her shawl. She smiled and hugged her son.

"Nothing Chase, I'm just worried about your father."

"Dad hasn't come home yet?"

Sophie shook her head softly and sat back down in the old wooden chair facing the window. She glanced quickly to the mountains again, and looked to her son still smiling.

"What was it you wanted to tell me son?"

"Oh, Mother me and Sarah came to tell you... That we're going to be having a baby soon."

Tears came to the elderly woman's eyes again. she stood and hugged her son again crying into his shirt a little. she then looked over to the woman standing beside the stove.

"I'm so happy for you two. You'll make great parents."

"Thank you mother."

The three smiled to each other silently for a brief moment.

"I just wish you're father could've been here for the news he would be so proud of you."

Just then the solid wooden door burst open and a grey haird man entered the room adorned in a heavy fur coat. he looked to Chase paniced and grabbed him by the arm.

"C'mon son we gotta go there's a couple out in the drift nearly frozen to death." he said in a scratchy voice.

Chase and the old man disappeared out the door again. Sophie stood up and hurried to the window. She watched at her husband and her son disappeared beyond a small hill and into the tundra. She went tothe coat rack beside the door and took up her own fur coat gesturing for Sarah to follow her.

"Come along deary we better see if everything is alright."

Sarah simply nodded and followed Sophie out the door and around to the hill. the two stood atop it and looked down upon the two men half buried in the snow struggling trying to move two person sized heaps of what looked like blankets.

"Are they alright Eric?!" Sophie cried to her spouse.

The old man looked up and nodded quickly leaning back down and heaving one of the two into his arms. Chase followed shortly after him carrying the other. Sophie and Sarah met the men at the summit of the hill and followed them back to the house trying to check on the two people who were wrapped in heavy blankets.

"There's a young man and a young woman. Neither of em got a stitch of clothes on em either.
They're still alive but damn they're cold." Eric said roughly as he laid down the young woman on the bed in the cabin. Chase laid the young man down beside her and the four stepped back to look at them for a moment.

"Poor things. lets get them warmed up." Sophie said as she looked down on the two laying unconcious in the bed.