I stayed by the cave's entrance all night. The waterfall roared like a warning, cold mist blowing through the cracks. The rain had stopped, but the wind hadn't. The trees outside shivered like they were waiting for something to go wrong.

I didn’t dare sleep. Behind me, Mira was curled around Lark, trying to keep him warm. He was pale, breathing shallowly. We’d wrapped his wound the best we could, but the blood soaked through. He needed a real medic and a pack healer. It was ...