Chapter 137: [137] March of the Unknown
The tension in the wagon had become so thick Xavier could practically taste it. Every bump in the road sent Naomi shifting against him, while Ashley’s posture grew so rigid it seemed she might snap the reins in half.
Xavier checked his Soul Bond display, noting the numbers had shifted again. Naomi sat at 34%, unchanged from this morning. Ashley had jumped from 9% to 12%—not much, but considering their current circumstances, any increase felt significant.
"So, any idea what we might face between here and Hearthome?"
Naomi’s fingers traced lazy circles on his chest through his coat. "Besides the usual monsters trying to eat us? I’m sure Ashley has thoughts."
"A few." Ashley’s voice carried that particular edge that meant she was choosing her words very carefully. "The closer we get to Hearthome, the more patrols we’ll encounter. Both theirs and... others."
"Others?"
"Winter Court scouts. They’ve been probing Hearthome’s defenses for months." Ashley guided the wagon around a particularly deep rut. "Plus there are rumors about something new in the mountains. Something big."
"How big?" Naomi asked, finally showing interest in something other than territorial marking.
"Big enough that even the Rimeguard are nervous."
Xavier’s nonchalant posture straightened. From his borrowed memories of this world, the Rimeguard didn’t get nervous about much. They were the elite warriors who specialized in fighting winter beasts—if something had them spooked, it was worth worrying about.
"Any details?"
"Tracks, mostly. Massive ones, leading south toward the trade routes." Ashley’s shoulders rolled, working out tension. "Whatever it is, it’s new. The pattern doesn’t match any known winter beast."