~Kaida Orion POV~
He glanced at me, his face shadowed by the torchlight. "Then we make a choice, but not before we've tried everything."
We reached a bend in the path. The torchlight brushed against the jagged cliff wall, revealing faint markings.... symbols I didn't recognize, etched deep into the stone. Biat slowed, studying them.
"I've seen these before," he murmured. "They're ward marks."
"Wards against what?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he shifted Lupus's weight and kept moving. The air grew colder as we climbed, Lupus stirred once, murmuring something under his breath, I leaned closer, straining to hear.
"…don't… let it out…"
"Let what out?" I asked quickly.
But his eyes stayed closed, his lips still, we reached the ridge, the trees bending under heavy snow. Beyond them lay the narrow trail into the birch forest, I could see faint lights flickering in the distance... lamps from the healer's hut.
