The forest around us grew denser, the ancient trees blocking out what little remained of the day’s light. The lanterns cast strange, shifting shadows that danced across the snow, giving the journey a dreamlike quality.
After about twenty minutes of walking, I began to hear it—a deep, rhythmic drumming that seemed to vibrate through the earth itself. The sound grew louder as we continued, joined gradually by voices raised in a chant that sent shivers down my spine despite its beauty.
"We're almost there," Ragnar murmured, his hand coming to rest over mine where it still lay on his arm. The casual touch sent a wave of warmth through me that had nothing to do with the exertion of our walk.
And then, suddenly, the trees opened up before us, revealing a sight that stole the breath from my lu
