The journey north was long and grueling, the harsh winds of the wilds biting at Isabel's skin, the cold seeping into her bones despite the fire that burned within her. The roads were rough and the terrain unforgiving, but Kainen's command over the path was absolute. He led their small party through the vast wilderness, his knowledge of the land crucial to their survival. The rugged mountains of the Northshield were within their sight, their jagged peaks cutting through the gray skies like ancient sentinels. But Isabel felt an unease deep in her chest, something she couldn't quite place, a foreboding that whispered on the edge of her senses.
As they approached the outskirts of the Northshield stronghold, the air grew heavier with anticipation. The land was scarred from years of war, the gr
