The sky was a tapestry of scarlet and gold as I stood at the edge of the camp, my breath visible in the crisp morning air. The distant hum of clattering reached me.
Around me, the encampment buzzed with a chaotic energy, soldiers fastening armor, tents being pulled down and packed into trucks, and pack members singing as if to drown out the inevitability of what lay ahead.
The capital was still days away, but the path to it was etched into my mind like a scar. My fingers brushed the hilt of my dagger, its cold steel a reassuring presence. I had rehearsed this journey a hundred times in my head, conjuring every twist of the road, every bridge to avoid. Yet now, the weight of reality pressed against my ribs.
When Kolton approached, his boots crunching gravel, I didn't turn. It still hur
