Scorching Ground, page 1
SCORCHING GROUND
LEGENDS OF THE SKY PEOPLE
BOOK ONE
PEGGY L HENDERSON
Copyright © 2023 by Peggy L Henderson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CONTENTS
Prequel to Scorching Ground
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Acknowledgments
PREQUEL TO SCORCHING GROUND
As a thank you for signing up for my newsletter, you’ll receive your copy of The Last Elder, the prequel to Scorching Ground, HERE
Every year, I write a Christmas Story exclusively for subscribers to my newsletter as a special thank you for being part of my author journey.
This Christmas story is released in the format of an Advent Calendar, where each day in the month of December, I send an installment of the story to my readers. This is something fun I do to say thanks for allowing me to entertain you with my stories. I’m happy to say that I get tons of email and messages letting me know how much you look forward to those daily installments, even wishing it could go on all year!
I wish I could do that, too, but I’m not sure I could keep up with that.
When I wrote 2022’s Advent story, I knew it would be a prequel to my newest series, Legends of the Sky People. I promised a set of books involving a beloved character from the Yellowstone Romance Series. So, when that series came to an end, what better way to keep it going, in a way, than a spin off!
This prequel, The Last Elder, is not available anywhere except to my newsletter subscribers. If you are familiar with the Yellowstone Romance Series, you’ll easily transition into Scorching Ground without first reading the prequel (if you haven’t already read it).
If you are new to my books, and haven’t read the Yellowstone Series, reading The Last Elder before reading Scorching Ground is highly advisable.
Like the character, Elk Runner, this series is meant to be more fun and lighthearted than the books in the Yellowstone Romance Series. Thank you for being part of the journey!
INTRODUCTION
The Sky People have been the protectors of the sacred mountains known as Yellowstone for as long as anyone can remember. They are the keepers of an ancient vessel that can send anyone through time . . .
Finding out he is the last elder of the Sky People is a great responsibility, but one that Elk Runner takes on with pride. There hasn’t been enough time to learn all he needs to know, however. Mastery of the vessel that controls time travel, for starters. His best intentions often end up creating more trouble than he can handle. When he loses actual people somewhere in time, he must figure out how to bring them back before their presence in the past alters things the future . . .
Nothing is more important to Austin Hornsby than being the best. Nothing. His research and surprise discovery will certainly earn him worldwide accolades and success beyond his wildest dreams. Maybe he’ll even make his father proud. The ends definitely justify the means, even if it involves the potential destruction of the national park.
Shelby Osborne has grown up in a national park, surrounded by things that most people would not believe existed unless they saw for themselves. Her parents taught her to be thankful that this land was protected long ago from those who would have exploited it. At a crossroads in her life about what to do in her own future, she must decide if she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps, or go a different direction.
Being forced to work together as lab partners is one thing, but when Austin and Shelby find themselves together in a survival situation, they must put aside their differences and work as a team. With no one else around, will they let down their guard enough to open their hearts and see each other from a completely new perspective before it’s too late?
Legends of the Sky People is spin-off to the Yellowstone Romance Series.
CHAPTER 1
Yellowstone National Park, April 2038
The black ice on the road made the tires spin and the back of the pickup fishtail, threatening to send the vehicle into a wall of snow. Shelby Osborne took her foot off the accelerator and steered into the skid to avoid the mishap. She’d never live it down if she ended up stuck in a snowbank and had to call dispatch for help.
She’d pulled out of the government area at Old Faithful a little too quickly, even though she knew better that the roads were a bit hazardous due to the cold. The black ice was unexpected. Why couldn’t someone invent heated roads?
The solar panels on the roads that powered the electric vehicles could surely be redesigned to create heat in winter and keep the snow melted, just like the geysers and hot springs melted the snow on the geyser basins. Heated roads would definitely make driving less of a challenge. Then again, solar panels that powered the electric vehicles simply didn’t work in the park’s extreme winter conditions. For that reason, the park service continued to use gas-powered vehicles for winter driving.
Besides, what would be the fun of winter if the roads were melted? Experiencing winter in Yellowstone was magical, and drivable roads during these months would take away a lot of that feeling.
Now that it was several weeks into April, the snow had been removed from the roads and the park was transitioning to vehicle travel once again. The park had been closed since mid-March to tourists for that very reason. Just two more days and the spring season would arrive. With snow still predicted for another month or so, keeping the roads operational was a monumental challenge, and visitors often got stranded because their cars’ batteries were drained since the solar panels on the roads weren’t yet working properly.
The only tourists currently allowed into the park either hiked in a few miles from the west entrance, or rode bicycles. The only other vehicles on the road were park maintenance staff and rangers, or the occasional contractors. In a few days, the serenity would be replaced by thousands of people descending into the park. For now, Shelby drove her ancient, thirty-something year old, gas-powered clunker and could enjoy the solitude. She was going to hang onto this relic of the past for as long as she could. Someday it would stop running and she’d have to replace it, but for now, she loved this old truck.
Her truck straightened on the road, and Shelby stepped slowly onto the accelerator. There were icy spots, but she was going straight now and kept the vehicle to the prescribed speed limit of thirty-five miles per hour. Driving any faster would defeat the purpose of enjoying a few hours alone on the road to take in the quiet scenery one final time before the park’s opening day.
A small group of bison lumbered along the road ahead of her, and Shelby once again eased off the accelerator. She moved into the oncoming lane to give the animals space. They were all cows and youngsters. A couple of yearlings that had been born late last season were among the group as well. They’d somehow managed to survive predators and the harsh winter conditions. They all looked tired and were emaciated from a long winter of sparse food, but soon the grasses would grow again and the bison could feast and gain back the weight they’d lost. The circle of life was the only way things functioned here in the park.
Not five minutes into the drive, Shelby’s phone chimed. She glanced at the cellphone she’d tossed onto the seat next to her. She frowned and gnashed her teeth.
“What does he want?” she mumbled. The phone continued to ring but she made no move to take her hand of the steering wheel and reach for it.
She looked up at the two-lane road ahead. She’d passed the bison without incident. Thankfully, none of them had decided to walk down the center of the road, but rather moved to the side as she’d approached. Worse would have been if the bison had decided to take a nap in the middle of the road, which might have delayed her exit from the Old Faithful area even more.
The turnoff to Black Sand Basin was just ahead. She could stop there to answer the phone and walk the small geyser basin, but she had a different destination in mind. Gripping the wheel with both hands, she stared straight ahead, her eyes focused on the tall lodgepoles on either side of the road. Their branches were weighted down with snow that shimmered in the sunlight.
The phone finally stopped ringing. It didn’t buzz as expected to indicate that the caller had left a voicemail. Must not have been important. Shelby smiled. It usually wasn’t when he called. Another second passed and the phone rang again. Shelby cursed as her eyes focused on the caller ID. Him again.
Annoyed that her quiet drive was being interrupted, she reached for the phone. Maybe it was important, but nothing came to mind that would warrant a phone call today. She’d be back in Bozeman tomorrow and could discuss anything he had to say then.
Inhaling a deep breath and exhaling loudly through her mouth, Shelby pressed the button to answer the call.
“Hello.” Her voice was as even and calm as possible to disguise her annoyance. Biscuit Basin was a few miles up ahead. Too bad things weren’t like in the older days, when cell coverage was limited in the park. She’d have a good excuse to hang up.
“I knew you were simply ignoring my call, Shelby.” The person on the other end of the line sure didn’t hide his displeasure. His voice sounded like a father chastising his child. An image materialized of him looking down at her and wagging a finger in her face.
“I’m aware you don’t like being ignored, Austin, but sometimes people have better things to do than jump when you call.” The sarcasm dripped from Shelby’s lips, and she almost wiped her mouth on her sleeve.
“Since you are my research partner, I have no choice but to communicate with you, even if neither one of us likes the idea,” came the cynical reply.
Shelby sighed loudly. “I’m trying to enjoy a peaceful drive in the park, Austin. What is so important that you have to call me today?”
“You’re driving? Are you in the park?” His voice sounded a bit excited. “Pull over so you’re not distracted. It’s highly inconvenient when you’re driving and I don’t have your full attention.” The caller mumbled the last part as if talking to himself, but clearly wanting her to hear his opinion on the matter.
“Some people actually like to get away and enjoy the solitude of nature for a while without having to think about academics or research,” Shelby retorted. Her right foot pressed down further on the accelerator to speed up slightly, rather than slowing down with the intent to pull over, as Austin had requested.
“Are you going to that hot spring?” he asked. “I need more samples.”
“What for?” Shelby rolled her eyes. She should have never suggested studying the thermophiles living in Grand Prismatic Spring as part of her research project for her master’s thesis, or asked her father to get special permission to collect those samples. As head ranger for the park, he’d been able to pull some strings.
At first, her research partner hadn’t been all that interested, but that had abruptly changed when he’d said he’d made a discovery that could alter everything. Those had been his words. By “everything,” he’d meant the thermophiles could have some significant scientific applications. They’d been studied for such purposes many times before, but Austin had insisted he was onto something new.
“I just need more samples. From deeper in the hot spring. Can you make that happen?”
“I’m sorry, Austin. Can we talk about this later? I’m going to have to call you tonight when I’m at my folks’ house at Mammoth.”
Shelby probably could have answered his question, but today wasn’t the day she’d wanted to be tied down to taking water samples from Grand Prismatic Spring. She’d simply wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet of a final day in the park without tourists.
“Shelby.” Austin shouted into the phone. Insistent. Annoying. Just like the way he treated her at the university’s lab. If being bossy wasn’t enough, he always had to be right about everything and dismissed her ideas as if she wasn’t an equal partner in the research.
Shelby ended the call. She’d deal with him the following day. Maybe she’d even bring that sample he’d asked for. No, not asked. More like demanded. Grating on her nerves. She should be more enthusiastic about this project, but he called all the shots and treated her no better than an undergrad assistant. Worse, in fact. A little passive-aggressiveness wouldn’t hurt.
To think that she’d had a crush on the guy from afar a year ago when they’d had a biochemistry class together. He’d been smart and top of his class, and not bad looking to boot. That notion had changed when they’d been thrown together on the same project and she got to know him better. His people skills were sorely lacking, and he rubbed a lot of their classmates the wrong way.
Shelby’s eye caught the dial on the speedometer of the old truck. She was going way over the speed limit, thanks to Austin. She eased her foot off the accelerator and slowed the car back to thirty-five miles per hour. The snowy landscape on either side of the two-lane road calmed her nerves.
Things were beginning to thaw out, but winter was far from over in Yellowstone. They were due for another snowstorm on opening day, which could keep some tourists out of the park, but more than likely would create chaos. Those who had cars didn’t know how to drive in winter conditions, and folks tended to forget all rules of the road in Yellowstone on a good day, much less on days when the weather was less than optimal.
If the storm was predicted to be severe, the park service might opt to delay opening the park for everyone’s safety. The law enforcement rangers were already stretched thin enough. Adding accidents and rescues to their endless list of duties would make for an unpleasant beginning to the spring and summer season.
Shelby stared at the road ahead. Thick fog engulfed the trees and landscape about a mile away as thermal activity met with cold air.
“Approaching Grand Prismatic Spring,” she whispered. Seeing the hot spring would be much nicer on a warm day when things were visible, but a stroll on the boardwalk past Excelsior Geyser and then along the giant Grand Prismatic Spring when she was the only one there was worth walking through fog and breathing in geyser steam.
Shelby parked the car in the empty parking lot. She glanced over her shoulder to the back seat of the truck before getting out. One of her bags there contained some collection vials. She was here. Might as well take a few more samples from the hot spring.
“Damn you, Austin,” she muttered. “I’m not doing this because you told me to. I’m doing it for my own research.” She reached behind the seat and grabbed her bag, then stumbled out of the truck.
Now would be easier to collect samples than in a few weeks, when nosy tourists would ask all sorts of questions about her research and why she was allowed to take water from the spring when it was against the law to remove anything from the park.
Shelby slung the bag over her shoulder and made her way across the Firehole River via the wide bridge that led to the boardwalks. She stopped and glanced downstream. The steam from Excelsior Geyser obstructed much of her view in the cold morning air, but every now and then, visibility improved enough to see the runoff channels from the dormant geyser. After its explosion in the eighteen hundreds, Excelsior was nothing more than a large crater.
Hot water rushed down the steep slope that led from the crater to the Firehole River. Colorful bacterial mats outlined the stream of water, indicating the changes in temperature by their vibrant orange color.
Shelby continued across the bridge and up the slight incline of the boardwalk. The steam in the air became thicker as she approached Excelsior’s crater. Visibility was almost non-existent. If she stepped off the boardwalk, it could spell disaster for her. Luckily, there was a wooden guardrail that prevented people from falling into the crater.
She continued without stopping to look down into Excelsior’s gaping crater. There wasn’t much to see at the moment, and when there was, it looked nothing like what this magnificent geyser must have been like before its self-destruction. Few people had ever seen the geyser erupt, and from those accounts, eruptions had been massive and spectacular.
The wooden boards beneath her feet creaked as she made her way toward Grand Prismatic Spring. Dense steam came off the hot spring, giving the illusion that the steam was turquoise blue, just like the deep pool of the spring. A large orange ring surrounded the hot spring along with orange streaks indicating run-off channels. The unusual color was formed by the heat-loving bacteria that called Grand Prismatic their home.
The hot spring was so massive, it was impossible to appreciate its true grandeur from ground level, but a hike to the overlook to see it from above was not possible today. While she was allowed to travel the roads on administrative capacity, the park service didn’t allow its employees to recreate while the park was closed to the public. She technically wasn’t even supposed to be on the boardwalk here, but no one would say anything if they happened to drive by and see her lone vehicle in the parking lot.
