Return of the General's Daughter

Bener, the eldest of the group, scanned the horizon and noted that darkness would soon fall, judging by how low the sun hung in the west. He suggested that they spend the night at the peak, as he believed it would be the safest place.

Both Gideon and Percival agreed, and so did Lara. If Bener had not stated it first, then she would also have proposed that the safest place to stay for the night would be at the peak.

Mount Ourea has three peaks. When viewed from ground level, one would only see one peak, but up close, it consisted of three distinct peaks. The highest peak was located at the center and was topped by a shallow crater approximately 20 meters in diameter. This crater was adorned with a lush carpet of fireweed, whose vibrant pink and purple blossoms danced in the breeze like confetti of color. They created a striking contrast against the rugged terrain, transforming the mountain’s summit into a stunning spectacle of natural beauty that invited admiration and inspired awe.

Fireweed was easy to grow, so Lara decided to dig two of the herbaceous perennial wildflowers and plant them along the would-be pathway that led to the houses in the backyard of the Mendel estate. She intended to build a separate entrance for them so the people living in the big house would not be disturbed when people entered and exited the property.

She also had another purpose: In modern times, fireweed has been discovered to have a potent anti-inflammatory effect and has been developed into products to treat skin problems, such as diaper rash, and as a mouthwash for the treatment of sore gums.

"I didn’t know that Ourea was a volcano," Percival broke the silence as he helped the Lenard siblings clear the area while Bener and Gideon cut a few thin branches from a small tree that grew on the slopes a few meters below the crater. They would fashion the branches into a sturdy support for their tent, creating a refuge against the encroaching night, where shadows danced ominously under the fading light.

"An extinct one," Lara said. "Looking at the shallow crater, this volcano had last erupted a long, long time ago." In fact, in contemporary times, Ourea was considered a mountain. The shallow depression was missing, but instead, the middle peak had merged with the two, forming a larger plateau.

Bener and Gideon returned not long after, and they worked in tandem, driving the poles into the ground. Lara took out two blankets from her backpack to serve as the roof, but Bener refused and used his and Gideon’s instead.

While the two men were working on the tent, Lara, along with Abel and Percival, descended from the peak to the slope where Lara spotted a few rabbit burrows. Barett wanted to join them, but Lara tasked him with gathering firewood and starting a fire.