Had she believed him?
And most of all, did he believe himself?
Hadjar looked back at the other side of the Ice Ladders, the entrance to the mountain’s borders. Before, he had believed that every step brought him closer to home, but now... Now it felt like every step only carried him farther away.
By the Heavens...even with all his strength and wind paths, it would take him at least a year to return.
“Hadjar...don’t scare me, please,” Lathea pleaded, her voice tinged with fear.
The General flinched and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sorry, Lathea,” he apologized, shaking his head. “I was lost in thought for a moment.”
“Ready?” Arnin’s gruff voice interrupted them, his impatience clear. “Then let’s go. The bartender is right, a storm is coming. We can’t afford to waste any mor
