Ember Frost’s POV

After a long discussion the night before, we finally settled on a plan. At first light the next day, we would begin searching the mountains, spreading out to cover the area within about two miles of the ruins.

On paper, it didn’t seem like much.

But anyone who had spent time in these mountains knew better. The ground was buried beneath thick snow, broken by jagged rocks, fallen trees, and steep slopes that made every step a struggle. Even covering a few hundred meters ...