The morning brought no warmth, only the pale gray light that passed for dawn in Frostfall. Xavier crouched at the cave entrance, studying the valley spread below them. Snow had fallen during the night, covering their tracks and erasing any sign of the dimensional tear that had brought them here.
His breath misted in the air as he scanned the treeline for movement. No Vorthaks. No Thornbeasts. Nothing but endless white and the skeletal fingers of pine branches reaching toward an indifferent sky.
Xavier pushed to his feet, snow crunching under his boots. They needed to move soon. Ashley required proper healing, the kind that only came from temple priests or skilled medics. Their supplies wouldn't last another day.
Behind him, voices drifted from the cave—Naomi's practical tones mixing with the occasional soft response from Ashley. At least she was conscious now. That was progress.
Xavier took one last look at the valley, then turned back toward the—
