Chapter 124: The High Ridge and the Iron SnareThe high hunting trails of the western pine ridges did not offer a silent approach; they smelled of ozone.Natalia led the vanguard through the ancient, towering pines, her bare feet moving with a practiced, predatory lightness over the damp carpet of brown needles. The air up here, thousands of feet above the salt-marches, should have been crisp and clean, carrying the sharp scent of resin and mountain frost. Instead, a heavy, static tension hung in the atmosphere. The fine hair on her forearms stirred against the leather bindings of her bracers, and the crimson vial in her vest pocket throbbed with a persistent, feverish heat that warmed her chest."The wind is blowing from the western valley," Kael whispered, dropping low behind a massive, moss-covered granite boulder. His golden eyes were narrowed, his nostrils twitching as he scanned the dense tree line ahead. "But it isn't carrying the scent of the Oakhaven border patrol, Natalia.
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