They left the village before dawn, the mist still clinging to the ground in soft veils.
Jorghan walked beside Ilysa through the waking forest, the only sounds their footsteps and the occasional call of a distant bird. She didn't speak, only cast him the occasional glance to make sure he followed as she subtly guided him off the beaten trail and toward the jagged rise of the northern ridge.
As the terrain changed from forest floor to stone, their breaths puffed white in the chill air. The path wound narrow and steep between craggy rocks, the ledge so tight at times they had to turn sideways. Ilysa moved with assured grace, her sky-blue braid swaying down her back, her light-orange skin glowing with exertion. Jorghan kept close behind, eyes on her sure-footed climb and the sway of her hips beneath a utilitarian wrap.
