The cold of the northern wilderness still dominated those lands ravaged by the war against the Beast Monarch. The sky remained shrouded in almost permanent gray clouds, while the wind swept across the devastated fields carrying the scent of damp wood, ancient blood, and smoke. Entire forests had been crushed during the monstrous creatures' advance months ago. Villages vanished. Trade trails were destroyed. Entire tribes lost leaders, hunters, and much of their reserves. The territory still bore scars too deep to disappear quickly.
Beatrice watched in silence as she rode slowly along the uneven road with Cassandra and Daniela. Behind them, dozens of wagons struggled through the muddy terrain. Entire families traveled crammed between boxes, blankets, rusty tools, and the few belongings they managed to salvage after the war's destruction. Many people no longer even had a home to return to.
Now all that remained was to move forward.
