Dreadful was the word one would use to describe nature. The untamed wild did not desire to reconnect with the men who had left its savage clutches behind. It craved only the cruel crucible that forced all creatures to struggle toward the law of survival of the fittest.
Nature was beautiful, and because it was untamed, it was savage.
Ric pushed himself to his feet and found the golden-haired girl standing over him. For the first time since they had met, the arrogance on her face was gone, replaced by a worried expression as her sharp eyes scanned their surroundings.
Slowly, carefully, he began inching away while her attention was elsewhere. He had just opened his mouth to say something when his gaze drifted toward a distant peak.
Something was standing there.
Its silhouette was barely visible against the dark mountain, yet its eyes remained fixed on them.
Ric did not know what kind of monster it was.
But he knew it was bad.
"What is that?" he muttered under his breath.
