We waited until nightfall before we dared move from the row of bushes near the dormitory. My limbs were stiff from sitting in the same position and all the tensing whenever we heard a sound or saw someone. The fear of being discovered had kept me on edge and left me exhausted.
We’d seen a handful of Elves being collected or returned from the dormitories, all in chains. No sign of Sim though… Perhaps that was for the best, given every prisoner had looked much rougher when they came back.
It was hard to walk away, even if there was nothing we could do until we had a better plan. At least we managed to reach the hut on the ice lake without being seen.
We stared at the wooden trapdoor and I couldn’t help but feel nervous. The last time we went back down there, we almost didn’t make it back
