Chapter 2

Ryan was struck with horror the moment he entered the tent. He held me up firmly by the waist with one arm and gripped the reins with the other, racing through the gathering dusk.

"I'm heading out first! Kael, Earl, you both follow with the supplies."

After a long, arduous journey, he brought us to a halt beneath the lee side of a cliff to rest. As he lifted me from the mount and removed my protective gear, he caught sight of my joints that were raw, chafed, and bleeding.

Ryan sucked in a sharp breath and immediately stripped off his own fur-lined outer garment to wrap around my wounds.

"I'm sorry, Evelyn. I shouldn't have dismissed your pleas for help as whining."

I asked in a calm voice, "If I hadn't fainted, you'd still have thought I was just being unreasonable, wouldn't you?"

He lowered his head, unable to meet my eyes. He then said, "I would have ridden as fast as I could to make sure you suffered less."

I drifted in and out of unconsciousness, but Ryan never left my side. Every 15 minutes or so, he would offer me a sip of water and readjust my cloak.

By midday, the medicine finally took effect, suppressing the surging, feverish toxins in my blood.

Ryan let out a long, heavy sigh of relief. He plucked a wildflower from nearby and tucked it behind my ear, trying to soothe me.

"Do you remember the first time I carried you on my back to the ice springs when we were still little pups?"

I brushed the petals lightly.

"I remember. You got lost and couldn't even tell which direction to go. We nearly died out there on the snowfields. And when Kael finally found us, you were crying so hard you nearly wet your pants."

I couldn't help but chuckle as I recalled the past. I felt my heart stir, just a little, even though I'd long since steeled it against any further expectations from Ryan and the others.

But just then, a piercing scream from Maya erupted from the woods behind us.

Ryan sprang to his feet instantly, knocking over the cup and spilling water all over my tunic. But he didn't notice a thing. He shot me an anxious look and said, "Wait here for me. I'll go take a look and be right back."

I grabbed his sleeve. "You'll come back, won't you?"

He patted my hand and pulled his sleeve away. "Of course."

With that, he turned and ran toward the woods, vanishing as swiftly as a gust of wind.

I sat in the path of the wind, waiting for him, watching the scorching sun climb higher and higher. It felt as though every drop of moisture in my body was being baked away, and yet, I could hear loud laughter and chatter drifting toward me from the direction of the woods.

It turned out Maya had merely been bitten by a small insect in the grass.

The moment he realized it was a false alarm, Ryan smacked her sharply on the shoulder. "You scared the life out of me!"

I assumed he would return the moment he confirmed Maya was safe, but she just laughed and punched him back, and the two began chasing each other and roughhousing.

Kael and Earl rushed over to break it up, only to be pulled into the fray by Maya, until all of them ended up rolling around on the ground together.

The boisterous noise rang out, filling the air and pouring into my ears.

I wanted to call for help, but I didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

It wasn't until the sun hung high at its zenith, and Maya mentioned that the waterskin was empty and she needed to fetch more, that the laughter in the woods finally came to an abrupt halt.

Ryan, Kael, and Earl suddenly cried out in unison.

"Evelyn!"

Ryan was the first to dash over, scooping me into his arms.

I had long since curled up in a corner, unable to even open my eyes.

"She's suffering from heatstroke!"

Kael hurriedly shoved some medicine into my mouth while Earl scrambled to fetch water for a cold compress.

After resting for a long while, I finally regained enough strength to ask, "Are we still going to the ice springs?"

This was the last shred of hope I held for them.

"Yes! We're leaving right now!" all three of them answered at once.

I let out a long, relieved breath and began to pull myself up onto my feet.

Just then, Maya pushed aside the branches and stepped out, exclaiming, "I just spotted a red fox! I wounded its tail with a shot. Could you wait a few more minutes? I'll be able to catch it in no time."