The Shadow

Chapter 25

 The leafless trees made the woods seem colder than usual, their thin branches covered in powdery white. Although the plants were still beautiful, the world seemed devoid of life, as if the frigid air had sucked away the forest's soul.

It was hard for Kai not to feel as if his own soul had been sucked away; hard for him to think of anything other than his dying friend. But he had to focus on the task at hand. There was no doubt that enemies lurked nearby, and if he did not find their location...Kai tried not to consider what could happen in the following days if they were left oblivious. Beyond that, he had to get away. Had to divert his mind and do something useful, if he could. Staying beside Harper would not heal her, and neither would worrying himself.

Nothing made worry wash away like hunting. Harper had taught him how to blend into his surroundings, becoming part of the forest. Her teachings stuck with him now more than ever, despite the fact that he hunted men and monsters rather than rabbits and deer. If he was lucky, perhaps he'd find Snowhold, though it was hard to say where he even was on his map. After leaving the Green Path, the map had become useless.

Kai studied the thin, unnamed path before him. Any footsteps or signs of life had been covered by the morning snow—he would not find a trail today.

"She'll be okay," Kai whispered to Lunar, patting her neck. "Don't worry." The horse brayed in response, shaking frost from her mane.

Kai sighed, pulling his hood to his eyebrows as Lunar sped into a trot. He watched as frozen streams, boulders, and towering trees fell away behind him, a blur of white and gray. Flakes of ice fell from the sky as he made his way further north, growing in size and quantity.

The cold was absurd. Northshore had never reached such extreme temperatures, nor Sleetshire to the east. But then, the unworldly chill was hardly a surprise after all that Kai had seen in Ath.

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Hours turned to days as Lunar trudged through the snow, Kai atop her back. The snow was nearly three feet deep, hiding any remnants of the forest floor. Should he stop? Kai wondered. Should he go back? He had been gone for two days, and at Lunar's pace, Snowhold could be hours or days away. There was no way to gauge its location, and he had not found any hint as to where his enemies might be lurking.

Slowing Lunar to a halt, Kai jumped down to the powder-covered ground. A small stream ran beside him, covered with a thin sheet of ice. He broke apart the ice, leading Lunar to the water. Pulling jerky and a skin of water from his bag, Kai settled onto a rock near the stream, taking slow bites as he planned his next move.

The sun shone morning rays of light upon the frozen ground as he bit away at the cold jerky. He had brought enough food for Lunar and himself to last at least another few days, assuming that he found no game along the way.

After a short rest, Kai remounted Lunar, pushing her gently along the frozen path. If he found nothing by nightfall, he would return to camp at the first light of the next day, he decided. He could not bring himself to leave Harper alone for much longer. The wraith had come from the North, but more could be lurking near camp. There was no way to be sure.

Kai sighed, bringing Lunar to a canter. The snow was four feet deep, but the mare plowed through it with ease. Her mane blew in the cold breeze, powder melting against her warm coat. Kai thought back to the day he had first seen her. It had been soon after arriving at Ath, when his hopes and curiosity had been higher than ever. Sleetshire had been quiet, most likely due to the strange creatures that prowled about the continent.