The sun bled into the horizon, gold dripping into the dunes. Their makeshift camp flickered in its dying light, the air thick with the scent of dry rations and sweat.
Max sat with Ash and Mark, voices low, conversation slow. Nearby, Kael stretched, rolling his shoulders.
"Good, You're back. Looks like you'll be getting your post again. Managing starving people isn't exactly my thing."
Ash exhaled a quiet chuckle, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Kael crouched beside them, gaze flicking to the crate.
"Now that we're free, mind telling me where you ended up after the valley?"
Ash's expression shifted. Not fear. Not relief. Something distant.
"The place after this looks safer. But… there are still creatures."
Max's stare sharpened.
"You said you found a settlement. What was it called?"
"Ironhold."
Kael's head tilted.
"And?"
Ash's fingers twitched. A face flashed in his mind.
'That woman'
He shook it off.
