Chapter 70

No great speeches heralded our purpose that night. Nor did any follow early the next morning, when my Pack rose well before the break of dawn and began making our preparations to depart.

I spent the night wrapped comfortingly in Cillium's arms, feeling his gentle breath cascading down the back of my neck -- and for a just moment, I could almost forget the gnawing dread that waited just over my shoulder. I was at peace... and yet I slept fitfully. Panic lurked just beneath the surface of my most pleasant dreams.

The first task of the morning was getting food into everyone's bellies and shaking the cobwebs from our heads. Thankfully, our supplies still allowed for a hearty breakfast, which I'd attempted to plan for from the beginning. I decided to let us warm up whatever we could by rekindling our small fire from the previous night. At this altitude I wasn't very