EPILOGUE - MIREILLE

** TWO YEARS LATER **

The first snows have landed. The next full moon is a fortnight away, but we will probably be underground before then. No pilgrims have arrived this month either.

Things are a lot quieter at the Fortress these days. The grand days of my parents' first few years have definitely waned. A trickle of pilgrims instead of floods now make the dangerous journey over the mountain tops.

I still stand at the top of the fortress and watch the sun descend.

Every night, I stare at the black ridges of the mountains. I did it as a child. I did it the night before the rogues arrived and turned my life upside down.

Now I stand every night we are above ground and observe its fiery descent and try to be thankful for what I have.

Three wonderful children. A mate who worships me. Loyal, wonderful friends and family who made the last two freezes more than bearable.

At first, I struggled with my survival. When Cyrus held me in his arms and told me dozens of times how he doesn’t need