The morning air felt like it had teeth. It bit into Ella's skin with a quiet cruelty, slipping through the seams of her cloak and settling into her bones like an unwelcome guest that had no intention of leaving. Her fingers, curled loosely against Adam's arm, felt numb despite how tightly he held her. Each breath she drew in carried the sharp, metallic chill of frost, and when she exhaled, it came out in soft clouds that dissolved just as quickly as they appeared.
The forest path stretched ahead of them like a thin scar carved through the wilderness. The horse beneath them moved at a steady, unhurried pace, its hooves crunching softly against the frost-hardened earth. Around them, the trees stood tall and silent, their skeletal branches swaying faintly in the wind like watchful sentinels.
Adam tightened his hold around her, not enough to hurt her, but just enough to remind himself she was there, and attempt to keep her warm.
