They walked again.
The ledge curved long across the upper ridge. Not steep now, but tilted just enough that it pulled at the ankles.
Stone crumbled under the frost in places. Meren kept slipping. Ren kept laughing. Ardan walked like the mountain owed him safe footing and knew better than to argue.
Lindarion stayed near the middle. Not leading. Not trailing.
'Three hours,' he thought. 'Might as well be three days.'
The sun hadn't come out yet. Or maybe it had and just couldn't make it through the clouds. Everything above them was grey. The kind of grey that felt older than color.
Lira moved ahead, silent as always. Her boots didn't crunch like the others. The frost gave way beneath her. Not melted. Just allowed.
Ren kept glancing at her. Then at Lindarion. Then back.
He narrowed his eyes.
'What now.'
She caught him looking. Smirked. Said nothing.
He sighed.
"Alright," he muttered. "Out with it."
Ren blinked, all innocent. "Out with what?"
"That face."
"I have a face?"
