Lost Creek Hollow Pickled Hot Peppers

Breccan was not difficult to convince and a good thing it was, because Nunataq would not have asked twice and would have simply left her fellow pepper cadet to fend for himself. That's, what life in the squad was - every person chose their own trouble to get involved in and mess to clear up.

The longer they put between themselves and the moose, the more relaxed and confident was Nunataq in her movements. And pretty soon there was no sign of the scared yearling of earlier, but a proud, motivated and fearless youth instead. So great was her relief that in response to Breccan's wordless question, she leaped up, grabbed and broke a small branch of a nearby fir tree and holding it as a trophy she pranced around the boy proudly.