The day bled gray into black without ceremony. Up here, the sun didn't sink so much as vanish, swallowed by low clouds and endless snow. By the time Varik chose a place to camp, the wind had already sharpened, cutting through the gorge like knives.
They found shelter in a shallow recess carved into the rock wall, half-covered by drifts. It wasn't much, barely enough to cut the wind, but with wards and fire it would hold.
Varik set his pack down and immediately began drawing a perimeter rune into the snow, mana bleeding from his fingertips in steady, precise strokes. Selindra worked on a fire pit, pulling collapsible rods from her coat that locked into a circle. She lit it with a rune stone, fire flaring blue before settling to a steady orange.
Lucen stood back, hands in his pockets, watching them with a lopsided grin. "Wow. Domestic bliss. You two could make a living decorating caves."
Selindra didn't glance up. "Are you going to help or just run your mouth?"
