Having made the mistake of letting her guard down, Kordia spread out a thin layer of her own mana as the three of them traveled the main road toward Mora Lake, riding a trio of snowshoe grandhares she requisitioned from the border guards.
The moment she felt Fruhe disappear from her senses, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Gods, your mother is terrifying," Lapins said to Sin.
"I thought she was going to disown me... but I guess I'm just exiled now," she replied with a shudder. "I've never seen her look at me like that."
"Whatever happens, I'm here for you," Kordia said. "We're family now." She squeezed her hand.
With Queen Fruhe behind them, the three took a less hurried pace in order to relax. Tomorrow, they would try for sprints, but for now, they let the sounds of the wind and forest, birdsong, and the calls of animals, wash over them.
