Dawn came clear and hard.
The clouds had thinned overnight. A pale sky sat over the ridges and a wind cut straight through damp cloaks. Kaelara had the column moving before the sun cleared the high ground. Horses' breath steamed in the cold.
The trail was still wet from the previous day's rain, so the pace stayed careful. No one spoke more than necessary.
Aiden rode close to Elizabeth through the morning. The proximity was not required by the formation, but neither of them corrected it. When the trail narrowed, their knees nearly brushed. When a low branch hung across the path, his hand lifted it for her without a word.
His fingers grazed her shoulder through the cloak. The contact lasted half a second longer than the task needed. She did not pull away.
The cold kept their faces set and their attention on the ground ahead, but the space between them carried its own weight.
