old everything had become in the night. I woke with a stiff neck, frozen toes, and a deep a

felt scr

ded w

stream somewhere below-a thin trickle weaving through stones.

limbs. The air bit at my skin the moment I stepped into the open, a

glittered

formed p

ked pe

a

below wasn't s

ouring his kingdom for a girl

were cracked from the cold, and the sharp ground stung with each shif

al mea

ant I was s

ck, familiar shadows. Pines towered overhead, their needles dripping wi

long, caref

voi

hor

clink of r

stones. I cupped my hands and drank greedily. Cold rushed down my throat, shocking the dry

rea. The forest here was denser than the lower woods, fu

t for

le for

sted sharply, reminding me that be

herbs. The healers in the castle had taught me enough to keep me alive-but on

red prisoners

that t

and moved deeper

eams. I reached a patch of thorn bushes and carefully p

thorns bit in

ng on the tiny cut at my fingertip. The

red under my breath

med to mock me wit

es of wild sorrel near the roots of an old oak tree. Bitter, but safe to eat. I gat

und again, the hairs on t

g felt..

dang

hreat

...

the s

irds

ustl

cracking

st was l

chi

m under my skin flickered again-soft, quick, like a

ins

xpecting a rider or a wolf or eve

th

, long an

ispered to myself. "

s burned. My breath grew ragged. But the forest began to sound normal again-bird

ongnes

ated a natural overlook. I used the walking stick I

d down, my b

escaped. Tiny patches of smoke rose through the trees-ca

n's r

sweeping w

h w

gripping the stone u

earching

ding

ng mo

ause of th

e of t

l pulled us like

line, I ran-and he want

tightened

myself

lumes of smoke w

ed dis

er g

e s

sou

pe r

abov

o stay unp

gold. By the time I found another decent resting place-a sheltered spot under

th. The night would fall cold again, but I knew now that th

surviv

ad

ingdom, the armies, the

ething I'd ne

i

wasting a s