Sunspire Mountains dead woman walking

She glanced to her right: east. In the warmer months, it was probably a swamp. Presently, all the pools of water were frozen, creating something of a gauntlet. If Javelina slipped on some ice, she wasn’t sure she would be able to get up again.

Her eyes cut over to the looming mountain range. Did she possess the strength to climb them? She shook her head, gazing toward the icy tarns again. It was a directest route, anyway. She just had to be careful.

The terrain proved much more treacherous that anticipated. Javelina slipped. In the instant before she hit the ground, she felt a flash of anger with herself. She’d gone so long without making any errors. Now she’d made two in a row that would not just cost her her life but also a dignified death.

She couldn’t help the yelp that tore out of her mouth when she made impact. She hadn’t fallen on her “bad” side—where the stag’s antlers had slashed open her right thigh—but it was still painfully jarring.

Javelina let out a whimper of angry despair as she sprawled there, breathing harshly. The cold immediately began seeping into her bones.