MAD WOKE TO the woolen ceiling of her tent, the familiar comfort of her cot underneath her. She blinked once, two times, and yawned. The last thing she remembered was climbing to the top of a snow rise and thennothing. She started to rise and winced as her body protested with a fierce soreness.

Gritting her teeth, Mad stood up on wobbly feet. She gingerly stepped outside and shielded her eyes as the white glare of Frigidum struggled to blind her. Most of the squad was already ...