Isolde ran without any clear idea of where she was going, her breath coming in short, painful gasps as the cold air scraped against her throat.
The uneven ground forced her to watch every step, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing back, each look confirming that the two men were coming after her.
"Stop running, you little bitch!"
The shout made her flinch, and she hurried around a low outcropping, nearly losing her footing on the loose stones beneath it.
She caught herself before falling, but the brief stumble cost her precious distance. Heavy footsteps were already approaching from behind, far quicker than her own.
'Please... Where is everyone?'
She searched desperately for something familiar, some sign of the depression where they had made camp, but the pale stretches of ground ahead looked no different from those she had already crossed.
Her eyes were swimming with tears, making it even harder to see, and she wiped at them hurriedly without slowing down.
