He exhaled slowly through his nose. Let his breath fog out in front of him before it was torn away by the wind.
'Don't complain. Don't slow down.'
He focused on the next step. Then the next.
Small things.
Little choices.
Keep the feet under control. Watch for loose stone. Make sure Meren doesn't eat snow face-first before they find a camp again.
The sky overhead stayed gray. Not threatening. Just endless. The kind of cold that didn't bother arguing. It just waited until you gave up first.
He wouldn't.
Not now.
He reached a wider part of the trail. Flattened. Safer. A break in the climb, even if it only lasted ten steps.
He stopped.
Ardan stopped with him.
Meren practically collapsed behind them. "Sanctuary. Blessed, sacred flatness."
Ren stepped past him like she hadn't heard a thing. She pulled her coat tighter and crouched near the edge, peering down into the drop like she expected something interesting to crawl up and say hello.
