She tried to summon the tears she needed so badly to shed so she could find relief, but they wouldn’t come. Eventually, her heart heavy, she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Every day and night settled into a routine. The group would break their fast, mount up and start riding eastward. Sometimes the women would ride together, chatting softly while Clay walked a distance away to give them some space. Sometimes he and Lana would double up on their horse while Nym rode ahead or dropped behind to scout. When they were alone, Lana and Clay rarely spoke. It was an easy silence, the kind that naturally forms between two people who are comfortable enough with one another that they no longer need to fill the quiet with words.
When they stopped for the night, Clay and Lana would practice with their staves. She was an even match for him now, which never failed to amaze him. His years of training with various weapons were up against her extraordinary natural talent and he lost as much as he won when they sparred. Sometimes Nym would take his place, using his quarterstaff with great effect. She was not quite as skilled as he was with the weapon but she made up for it by being much faster.
The three of them would end their day telling stories to one another. Nym had a vast knowledge of elven lore and could spin a tale as well as any bard. He particularly enjoyed watching Lana while she listened to Nym speak, how animated her face would become, how she would perfectly echo whatever emotion Nym was trying to evoke.
Every night would end with him stretched out beside Lana, so aware of her presence that he wondered at times what it might feel like to not have her near. He couldn’t imagine such a life.
The White Mountains had loomed ahead of them for days now, and Clay found himself becoming anxious. He knew that the mountain pass would be difficult at best, especially this time of year when the days were getting shorter and colder. He began rationing their food because soon there would be no opportunities to forage. They all spent some time every day searching out roots and wild berries to restore their provisions. They had to be careful with their grains, some of which would need to be saved for the horses. Soon the poor beasts would be unable to graze.
Over time, the trees thinned out and finally disappeared along with anything else that was green. The ground was rocky and barren, unrelieved by even the smallest bit of growth. For days, they traveled this empty land as the White Mountains grew larger and larger on the horizon.
Finally, they arrived at the foot of the mountains. Nym and Lana were mounted and he was walking. He turned and addressed them.
“This is where things are going to get rough,” he said grimly. “I know a way across that is reasonably safe but we must start right away and we must put this mountain to our backs as soon as we can. The wind here can freeze you to your bones and there are few places to take shelter. Come.”
He started up the pathway to the pass and his companions followed closely. The footing was good for now, they’d managed to reach the mountains before the snowy season could start. They traveled as quickly as possible, always on a slight incline. He wouldn’t accept Lana’s offer to let him ride or to ride double. The horse needed all of its strength and she weighed less than him.
After some hours they came to the first rest stop on their way, a cave almost invisible unless you knew where to look. It was large with a high ceiling, which was fortunate because the wind had picked up outside and it wouldn’t be safe for the horses to remain exposed. He started a small fire near the back with some bundled twigs and tree limbs they’d gathered on the way to the mountain. Lana and Nym set their burdens down and spread out their bedding. There was silence as they all tried to get warm again, huddled together near the fire.
“Tonight, we rest,” he told them. “Tomorrow we travel until we’re on the other side of the mountain and we must get there before nightfall. There are no safe places to camp between here and there.”
“This cold makes me weary,” Lana said, stifling a yawn. “I cannot stand this for long.”
“We should stay close tonight and share our warmth,” Nym told them. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “It will be safer that way.” She settled herself next to Lana as Clay spread out his bedding on Lana’s other side. The three of them slept together that night, no one keeping watch because there were no threats on this terrible mountain aside from the elements themselves.
The next morning was frigid, the wind so cold it hurt. They put on every item of clothing they owned and wrapped themselves up tight with their cloaks. Clay finally climbed up in the saddle with Lana and they began to travel through the pass, pushing the horses as hard as was safe. Time was the enemy here as much as the bitter wind. Clay kept his cloak wrapped around Lana and himself, sharing body heat and he felt badly for Nym who had no one to warm her up. She seemed to be managing just fine on her own, though, sitting up straight with a determined expression as if she was daring the elements to try and slow her down.
Eventually, they stopped rising and started descending and Clay could have wept in relief. This was the only true threat on the path from Eva to the human lands and they were almost through the worst
