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They’d been traveling in loose formations, moving along the frozen creek and through the snow-blanketed trees. Now they spread out, some of the scouts searching for vantage spots to start watches for oncoming dakii. Iryana still hadn’t seen Pyetar or the others, but she was too tired to go look for them; the thought that not everyone might have made it out briefly played across her mind, but she was too exhausted to entertain it further. The captain who had been leading their formation checked in with them before moving on, leaving them with the somber cloud hanging over them all.

She wanted nothing more than to collapse on the snow, but she was already cold and that was an easy way to die, no dakii required.

A wall of pines provided enough shelter from the wind, boxing in their spot enough to keep them warm. Uncle Dinhal and Edvar packed down a section of snow in a gap between two trees while Iryana and Misha gathered enough pine boughs to give them some insulation from the cold ground.

Iryana moved mechanically, quiet as the others. None of them seemed to know what to say.

With the last pile of pine boughs down, Iryana helped her sister sit. Misha nearly collapsed, her legs shaking slightly.

“I’m okay,” Misha mumbled. Iryana could only pat her shoulder in exhausted answer.

Iryana waited for Edvar and her uncle to sit, having to stare down Dinhal to get him to take a seat first, before she finally let herself drop at Misha’s side. Her muscles burned from the new position, her magic roiling at the movement.

Her stomach growled, but she didn’t have any food. She was cold, despite her fire-imbued gear. She was empty inside and the terror of who she might have lost began to force its way back into her thoughts.

“I’m sorry,” Iryana finally said, her throat dry. “We lost the post.”

Misha leaned against Iryana’s shoulder, squeezing her arm comfortingly.

“We fail together, Third,” Uncle Dinhal said firmly. “Our clan has retreated many times since the dakii first arrived, this was not the first. We’ve done what we can. We still live, so that’s a win.”

She was too tired to argue, so she let it go. Her limbs were so heavy, her eyelids drooping. She needed to search for the others, see who had made it and who had not, but Iryana couldn’t keep her eyes open.

“We should sleep while we can,” she mumbled, laying back beside Misha.

She didn’t remember falling asleep, but a jostle woke her some time later.

“Hmm?”

“Shh,” Misha whispered, jostling her again.

Iryana finally forced her eyes open. It was dark now, auroras dancing across the sky. Misha was sitting up, pointing through the gap in the trees. Iryana leaned forward, looking down Misha’s finger to see a large figure moving between the various camps and inspecting the sleeping figures.

Pyetar. Looking for her?

“Go,” Misha urged quietly, pushing her up off the makeshift bed.

Iryana shook off the lingering fog of sleep, but her relief at seeing Pyetar was quickly drowned out by dread at what news he might bring her. Her body was sluggish as she made her way toward him, still feeling ill and fatigued from how much she had used her magic.

She could tell the moment he noticed her. Pyetar’s head fell back and his shoulders dropped. His whole chest expanded and sagged with a deep breath. And then he covered the distance between them in a few quick strides.

“I’m so glad you’re—”

Pyetar cut her off by lifting her in his arms, hugging her tight against his coat. He was shaking.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him back just as tightly, burying her face against his coat.

Iryana swallowed. “Is everyone else—”

“They’re fine,” Pyetar croaked. “Those from the tunnels made it too. Levek and Tonhald are in one of my camps, they’re sleeping now.”

Her whole body went limp, Pyetar the only thing holding her up. She was so damned tired—so damn relieved—that she started crying. Pyetar scooped her into his arms, cradling her gently against his chest and leaning his head down against hers.

“Gods, Iryana. I was so worried about you.” His voice was choked with emotion.

“Me too.”

“You used your forgings so much, I was worried you’d ended up like you did after fighting the nemak. And then I couldn’t find you…”