The next morning arrived beneath a sky the color of steel.
No sunrise painted the horizon.
No golden light warmed the camp.
Only clouds.
Heavy.
Dark.
Waiting.
Elira woke before dawn.
For a moment she didn't remember where she was.
Then the sounds returned.
Armor clinking.
Horses shifting.
Soldiers speaking in hushed voices.
The army.
The mountains.
The gate.
The darkness.
Reality settled over her like a weight.
She pushed herself upright and winced as her shoulder protested.
The wound was healing.
Slowly.
But every ache reminded her how close she'd come to death.
A few inches.
A few seconds.
That was all that separated life from loss.
The thought should have frightened her.
Instead, it made her restless.
Because almost dying had changed something.
She wasn't afr
