Faye's POV
Hardy had made it clear the trek to the northern outpost would consume an entire day. His words left me puzzled. How could reaching a simple military station require such time? Had we ventured deeper into these frozen territories than I'd realized?
I kept my questions to myself. If he deemed an explanation necessary, he would provide one without prompting.
So I trailed behind him, my footing shaky at first. We traveled without a wagon, carrying only the garments we wore and a handful of weapons.
Soon enough, his warning made perfect sense. Trudging through the relentless snowdrifts, with every stride disappearing into the white depths, turned our pace agonizingly sluggish. The frigid wind sliced through my clothing, and despite our constant motion, the cold crept deep into my marrow.
This wilderness seemed intent on draining every fragment of endurance from my body.
