Jorick met Katelina's eyes. With no time for conversation he simply shouted, "Stay!" and then ran towards where Alistair lay prone in the snow. He grabbed Alistair by a leg and an arm and swung him into the tree. He twisted in midair and took the impact on his side. Katelina heard the crunch and imagined broken ribs. Despite the injury, he dropped into a roll and pulled to his feet.

Meanwhile, Oren had recovered. He swiped stray hairs from his face and gave Katelina a cursory ...