You press on, into the snow field, surrounded by a vast and uncaring landscape of white. You don’t know if minutes or hours have passed when you hear Roth quietly murmur, “We’re being tracked.” Fear shoots down your spine. You turn to look in the direction Roth is facing.
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In the distance, but catching up quickly, a fox is trotting. It moves across the snow like an ghostly apparition.
“How long until it catches up?” Halpra asks tightly.
“Soon,” Roth replies, his voice tired.
“Options?” asks Halpra shortly.
Roth considers. “It’s alone. But we can’t outrun it. And night is coming.”
You stare at the fox, gracefully approaching with the promise of death.
But Roth is still talking. “If I can surprise it with an attack, I can buy you more time, maybe even stop it from pursuing you,” he says, readying his quiver of crossbow bolts.
“Just you against a fox? No. I can’t allow that.” replies Halpra.
“There’s a stand of trees ahead,” Roth replies, checking his crossbow string. "I’ll position myself below a tree. If I’m lucky, I can get a few good shots off at a distance and then climb to safety. Maybe even shoot a few more rounds from the branches.”
“And if you’re not lucky?” you ask quietly.
Despite his frosted fur and chapped lips, Roth grins. “Don’t worry Tolo. I’m always a lucky shot.”
Halpra stares hard at Roth, who calmly gazes back. A silent, frustrated exchange happens between them. But finally, she nods curtly. At the stand of trees, she digs through her pack and hands Roth extra food and water. Then you and Halpra depart towards Mossden. You turn back only once to see Roth waiting, his dark cloak silhouetted against the white snow. Alert and intent, he waits for the enemy.
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