The CBB :: View topic - A Winter Adventure (SCS)

#1: A Winter Adventure (SCS) Author: Katarzyna, Location: Preston, Lancashire

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 3:29 pm

Ok, the PB has been bugging me to write this since I posted the first part on the other thread. I thought I might get away with it as I threw it open to you all to finish but the PB had other ideas. It's only short and it is complete - so no good chanting for more. Had to write this now as it seemed to be blocking Felicity!

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Bruno sat in his favourite place, the large French windows in the lounge, looking out at the garden. For the last five days it had been difficult to see more than a metre from the glass as the blizzard had swirled snowflakes in the air. Now the snow had settled, last night had been clear and a hard frost had formed on top. Although the sun was shining on the garden and surrounding countryside there was no heat to it and nothing stirred in the white stillness.

Bruno was bored, during the blizzard he had only been allowed out briefly to relieve himself and being an adventurous adolescent male he felt frustrated by the lack of exercise. He’d tried to liven things up by racing round the halls, helping Anna in the kitchen but it hadn’t worked. With the children away and the master out of the house there was only the mistress to seek attention from. He’d tried to get her to play but when he put his great big paws up on her desk for attention she’d yelled at him again and shut him in the lounge.

He sighed, his large dark brown eyes looked mournful, his markings, the white blaze in the centre of his forehead surrounded by the deep chestnut brown of the rest of his head seemed to furrow in concentration. Very gently for a dog of his size he pushed his body against the window. He could feel the give in the centre and began to concentrate his efforts there but something was stopping the door from opening. He jumped up to see if a higher spot would open it and as he came back down to earth his paw caught on the brass handle, pressing into down.

The door sprung open, letting in an icy blast of air. Bruno sniffed deeply and quietly made his way out into the garden. His large round paws acted as snow shoes preventing him from sinking. For a while he frolicked around the garden, diving into snow drifts, getting entagled in leafless hedges and digging the snow to find the frozen plants. At the perimeter of the gardens was a wall, which appeared lower than usual with the snow piled up against it. With one last look back at the still and silent house Bruno lept over the wall to freedom and the wide open spaces of the Swiss countryside.

He skirted quickly round the perimetre fence of the school next door to his home, lifting his head to catch the breeze and taking in familiar scents and sights. Though he would have loved to go and visit his friends and family at the school he knew all to well that he would swiftly be captured and returned to the confines of home. He frolicked in the new fallen snow as he wandered along occasionally chasing the snowballs created as the soft snow caught in the hair between the pads of his great feet.

Sniffing the air ahead of him he stopped suddenly as though frozen. He walked a few paces, his head going to the ground and swinging from side to side. There was something new here, something different. Eventually he picked up the new scent and putting his nose to the floor he swiftly began to follow, at a pace the belied his overall size.

The trail led him away from the school and his home, across the track, which passed for a road, and which led to through the next hamlet and eventually to the great sanatorium at the other end of the Platz. He follwed up into the wooded hillside, the snow was deep but not impassable, although every so often even Bruno would sink slightly where the frost had not hardened the top layer. Under the tall pine trees, their evergreen bows bent with the weight of the snow fall, it was very dark and Bruno slowed his pace. Here and there dark shadows under the snow indicated fallen trees and boulders.

The wooded area rose steeply from the path and the trail Bruno was following seemed to be growing stronger. As he reached the summit of the forest he stopped in his tracks, here he snow was no longer even and unbroken but small foot prints led away from the ridge and down into the next valley. Gathering speed as he followed not only the scent but now the visible trail.

The last few metres of his descent to the valley floor were fast and furious as Bruno finally caught sight of his quarry. A small flash of blue, lying motionless at the bottom of the valley, partially hidden by the fallen snow. The scent, that of the school, was familiar to him as was the shape buried slightly beneath the snow. Without thought to what he was doing Bruno was quickly digging around the body. He caught the blue material in his teeth and gradually began to haul the unconscious form of the girl out of the drift in which she was buried.

He could sense that all was not well and nuzzled the girl’s face where she lay on her back in the snow, gently licking a small trail of blood which had frozen on her face from a gash at her temple. Her body was cold and inert, even when he gently pushed at her with his nose he received no response. Instinctively knew what to do, digging a small hollow in snow under the edge of the tree line he pulled the unconscious girl along and settled her in the hollow, he then settled himself beside the girls body, shielding her from the winter’s cold in a way that his body heat could, hopefully, revive her.

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To discover where this young girl had come from and what she was doing lost and buried in the snow you would have to turn the clock back several hours

_____________________

The rising bell was beginning to peal and throughout the dormitory Cecil could hear the moans and soft footfalls as they all began to rise

“Everybody up please” Kitten Lucy’s voice commanded from the corner cubicle which she occupied by privilege of her position as dormitory prefect. “first baths, off you go, quickly”.

There was a scampering of feet as those girls mentioned rushed from the dormitory, knowing full well that it was a tight squeeze to get everything done in the morning. Cecil flung her plumeau back shivering slightly as she did for the dormitory was that warm in winter. Quickly she made her bed and got out her clothes ready for the morning’s schooling. A quick rush to the bathroom and dunk in the chilled water bought colour to her cheeks and warmed her up considerably.

“Line up” Kitten commanded and the whole dormitory of 12 and 13 year olds began to emerge from behind their cubicle curtains. Once she had marshaled them all into a row they marched smartly to the dining room and took their seats for breakfast.

“Oh goody, I’m starving” Marjory Graves whispered to Cecil as they waited for grace
“your always hungry” Cecil said with a grin
“not like this, it’s the cold I think”

Hilda Annersley, from her position on the dais, struck the bell in front of her and rose to her feet. The girls in front of her immediately stopped talking
“Good morning girls” she greeted them, her clear pure toned voice reaching the back of the room with ease “before Grace I just wanted to advise you that although it is no longer snowing it is not safe yet to go out and more snow is forecast for later in the day” There were groans from several points around the room and the 13 girls which made up the prefect body looked at each other with concern, there were various members of the middle school who were becoming dangerously bored with the lack of exercise.

After breakfast the girls cleared their own tables. Cecil, in the process of picking up her own crockery suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning she found herself under the gaze of Matron
“Cecil, I wonder if you could tell me why Rosemary hasn’t been at breakfast this morning” she asked sternly and Cecil blanched, even her mother admitted to being scared of Matey.
“I, um, she” she stuttered
“Well” Matron said sternly
“I don’t know Matron” Cecil finally gasped miserably
“you haven’t seen her today?” Matron asked, Cecil didn’t dare look at her so missed the small flicker of concern that crossed her face.
“No matron” Cecil replied dolefully shaking her head
“Please” Marjory interrupted “I didn’t see her this morning, and she should have bathed at the same time I did”
“very well, Kitten Lucy’s your dormitory prefect isn’t she”
The two girls nodded and Matron bustled away out of the room. Turning to her friend Marjory said quietly
“lets go search for her, she’s got to be around somewhere”

The two girls, who should have gone straight back to their dormitory’s to make their beds, quickly ran down the corridor towards the middle school common room.

“Rosemary” Cecil called as she pushed open the door but there was no reply
“where next” Marjory asked
“form room” Cecil said turning on her heels and racing down the corridor. The form room too was empty and Cecil lent against the door frame to catch her breath
“she’s around somewhere, she’s got to be” Marjory said hopefully
“yes, but I’m supposed to be sheep dogging her” Cecil said gloomily “it’s only the second week of term and I’ve lost her”
“Oh deary deary me” came a sarcastic voice behind the two girls “little bo-peep has lost her sheep”
The two girls turned to face the newcomer and found themselves in front of a group of five girls, including Cecil’s own sister Felicity
“looking for someone” Felicity said arily
“No” Marjory lied “we were just going” she tried to push past the group of girls
“leave me alone” Cecil growled at her elder sister
“or what” Felicity asked raising her eyebrows. One or two of the older girls started to laugh at this until Win Everett, how had been standing at the back of the group said clearly
“hey, don’t you two start another family fight”
“keep out of it” warned Cecil glaring at her sister
“Make me” Win said stepping between the girls. Win had the advantage on Cecil in age and on Felicity, who was small and thin, in size. “Right” Win continued decisively “this is what we are going to do”
“who made you boss” interrupted Lucy Peters
“I did” win said with a glare and Lucy subsided

“What’s going on here” a voice sounded from the end of the corridor and the girls turned to face their head girl, Samaris Davis.
“Please” blurted out Marjory “we’ve lost Rosemary”
“explained please” Samaris said shortly and all the girls started talking at once. Samaris held up her hand and continued “stop that, it doesn’t help. Now, was one of you sheep dogging her?”
“yes” Cecil said miserably “I was”
“right, so do the rest of you need to be here or should you be getting ready for lessons” the elder girls seemed to melt away at her words but Marjory stayed next to Cecil a determined look on her face clearly showed she had no intention of going
“ok you two” Samaris said with a smile “let’s go along to the prefects room and talk about this in comfort”

Neither Marjory or Cecil, who were usually law abiding creatures, had ever been in the prefects room and they soon found themselves seated at the big conference table, where the prefects held their meetings, which stood in the centre of a small yet bright and airy room. With them sat Samaris and two of her colleagues, the second prefect Althea Glenyon and game prefect Val Pertwee.

“Now” Samaris began “why don’t you tell me when you last saw Rosemary”
“last night” Cecil began mournfully “just after prayers”
“and she wasn’t there this morning”
“I don’t know” Cecil blushed as she spoke “I didn’t notice”
“your dormitory prefect didn’t notice either” Val said swiftly and Cecil shook her head
“Val, would you mind fetching her” Samaris asked and Val swiftly left the room “now, was she all right when you last saw her”
“all right?” Marjory asked
“yes, was she sick or anything, could she be with Matron”
“no, she’s not with Matron” Cecil said with a shudder “she noticed that she wasn’t at breakfast”
“I see” Samaris said with a raised eyebrow “well if Matron knows she’s missing I am sure that she will be searching the school”

The door to the prefects room opened and the girls, expecting Val to be returning with Kitten turned to face it
“Len” gasped Cecil as she looked up into the face of her eldest sister, the current staff baby.
“Miss Maynard” Samaris said carefully rising to her feet
“Miss Annersley would like to see Cecil and Marjory at once” Len said swiftly “if they could come with me”
“of course” Samaris replied
“I think you and Althea had better come along too” Len added “and Val if you know where she is”
“she’s will be along in a second, I sent her to fetch Kitten Lucy”
“oh good” Len smiled at the head girl “I was to find her as well”

Len led the girls down the main corridor and off into the staff’s own quarters, where, in the last office on the left Miss Annersley resided.
“Herein” she called as Len taped on the door
“Miss Annersley” Len said formally “the girls you wanted to see”. Cecil and Marjory found themselves propelled forward by Len until they were in front of the desk
“Good” Miss Annersley said with a tight smile “we have a bit of a problem girls. It would appear that Rosemary Majors is missing”
“please” Cecil said her voice shaking “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice this morning”
“never mind that now Cecil the important thing is to find her. Now have you any ideas where she might be”
“We tried the form room and the common room” Marjory volunteered adding “we were about to try the spl I mean cloakroom”
“I see” Miss Annersley replied “Matron, Miss Wilmot and Miss Ferrars are currently searching the school. Can you tell me why she might have gone missing?”
“She wasn’t happy” Cecil admitted quietly
“wasn’t happy about what” Miss Annersley asked
“about being at school” Cecil replied
“I see” Miss Annersley who knew more about Rosemary’s background than the others looked worried “Cecil” she asked pointedly “did she say why she wasn’t happy at school”
“not really” Cecil looked up at her head “but she said that she didn’t want to come and that she would leave the first chance she got”

The door to the study flew open and Nancy Wilmot, looking flushed with her normally neat hair flying around her head, barged into the office
“her outside things are gone” she gasped “and the side door was open”
“I see” Miss Annersley said calmly “Miss Wilmot, will you please gather the staff together, Althea could you get the prefects to supervise the younger girls in their common rooms and Miss Maynard” both Cecil and Len looked up at this “I mean Len” Miss Annersley explained with a smile “could you call the area search team. Samaris, will you take Marjory and Cecil to the prefects room and keep them there until someone comes for you”
“of course Miss Annersley” Samaris replied gathering the two younger girls by the hand as the others left the office speedily to fulfill their tasks.

______________________________

The snow had begun to fall again and Bruno, who still lay next to the unconscious girl, was himself beginning to feel the cold. Part of him wanted to get up and stretch his stiff legs but intuition told him that he must stay and protect the girl. Closing his eyes again he drifted into sleep.

He was woken by a faint sound on the edge of his hearing. Sitting up gently he strained his ears to hear the sound again. There it was a shrill whistling sound but a long way off in the distance. Not wanting to leave the girl he started to bark, a steady monotonous sound, declaring his position to anyone that heard.

Every now and again Bruno stopped barking in order to listen, the sound of the whistles grew nearer and now he could also hear the sound of voices and trampling feet. Glancing over at the fallen girl he noticed that she was beginning to rouse, mumbling quietly to herself and throwing her arms around. He was torn between keeping up his barking to alert the humans of his position and wanting to keep the girl warm and safe

Opting for the later he settled down next to the girl, whose twitching fingers attached themselves firmly to his long fur. Occasionally he would give a loud bark. This was enough for the rescue party to follow and soon Bruno could smell the scent of his master.

At the first sight of one of the rescue party Bruno broke away from the young girls grasp and stood barking at the top of his lungs
“over here” the general cry went up from the rescuers and soon the whole area of wood was filled with people. Bruno didn’t leave the girls’ side and even as his master cleaned up the cut on her forehead, wrapped her in blankets and loaded her on a stretcher he wouldn’t be moved from his place

“leave him” Jack Maynard commanded as one of the rescue workers tried in vain to pull the 15 stone St Bernard away from the small girl “he can come to the San with her, Joey can collect him later”

And so Bruno travelled in the ambulance to the San at Rosemary’s side. When his mistress finally caught up with him rather than receiving the scolding he had anticipated for breaking out of the house he was rewarded with hugs and a hearty meal.

As for Rosemary, who thanks to Bruno had escaped hypothermia, recovered consciousness the following day. After a lengthy interview with Miss Annersley she decided that running away from school was not a good idea, particularly in the middle of the winter, and she soon settled down to become a regular Chalet School Girl, which is not to say that she didn’t have further adventures.

#2: Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 3:43 pm

That was lovely Kat, it's fantastic to see Bruno doing so well at he job he was bred for.
Well done.

#3: Author: PatMac, Location: Yorkshire England

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 4:17 pm

Oh, that was lovely! And to think we took the same start and went into mayhem.

thank you for posting all that. Very Happy

#4: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 4:43 pm

Great, Kate, a lovely story. I'm still glad that we have the fun story too. Why don't you contribute to that as well?

#5: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 5:23 pm

Excellent stuff, Kate! I loved it! But what was up with Felicity - bitch!

#6: Author: Katarzyna, Location: Preston, Lancashire

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 5:26 pm

probably typical older-sisteritis! Twisted Evil

she just felt that way when i was writing so that was how she came over!

#7: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 5:30 pm

Fair enough. And I suppose every story has to have a baddie.

#8: Author: Rosie, Location: Huntingdonshire

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 6:55 pm

Aw, that was lovely! Bruno is so sweet.... Don't think much of Felicity though!

#9: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 3:35 am

Kate that was lovely. so nice to see Bruno being so typical of his breed.

#10: Author: Lesley, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 9:10 am

Kate - that was great - good to see Bruno had the instincts of his breed!

#11: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 1:55 pm

That was lovely Kate. Thank you.

A different side of Felicity for you!

#12: Author: Vikki, Location: Possibly in hell! It's certainly hot enough.......

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:46 pm

Kate, that was lovely!! Good for Bruno!
I wanted to smack both Felicity and Win too!!!

#13: Author: pim, Location: the place where public transport doesn't work properly!

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:54 pm

That was great. Good old Bruno.

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