Elaine
The howl faded into the distance, swallowed by the hush of the forest. For a moment, I thought I’d imagined it — that my mind was still half-caught in the worries I refused to voice aloud. But Kave had gone still beside me, his head tilted slightly, every muscle in his body drawn tight.
“You heard it too,” I whispered.
He nodded once, golden eyes reflecting the firelight. “Far east, beyond the ravine.”
The packhouse felt suddenly too quiet. Even the crackling fire sounded distant, as if the air itself were holding its breath.
Kave crossed to the window and pushed aside the curtain. Snow drifted softly past the glass, the flakes catching in the light like falling stars. He didn’t say anything for a long time, just stared into the woods as if he could see through the trees and in
