The icy, unforgiving descent into the ravine had successfully shaken Kael’s three immediate trackers, but it had cost Ronan and Lyra precious time and physical strength. When they finally clawed their way out onto the silent, dense forest floor, the sun was high enough to cast sharp, confusing shadows. Torr and Kaida rejoined them half an hour later, breathless but having successfully led the Silvermane scouts on a long, futile chase toward the Black Needles.
"They'll know they were fooled," Kaida reported, adjusting the quiver on her back. "They'll fall back to Kael’s nearest waypoint and report a loss of visual."
"Which means the net widens," Ronan said, his jaw tight. He checked the fastenings on the supplies Lyra carried, then met her gaze. "We are now crossing the Great Barrens bord
