POV: Ryker Ironwolf
The cabin was perfect.
It sat in a valley surrounded by mountains so tall they made you feel small. Real small. The kind of small that made you understand why people felt safe in places like this. The world could not reach you here.
Kael had built it years ago. A retreat for when leadership got too heavy. Stocked with supplies that had been rotated every season. Weapons. Healing herbs. Food that would last months. The cabin was not just a hiding place. It was a fortress.
We spent the first full day recovering.
Kael slept for fourteen hours straight. His body was knitting itself back together but it needed rest to do it properly. Darius hunted and brought back two deer. He was moving better now too. The constant stress was lifting. Sera did not stop moving. She cleaned. She organized. She kept her hands busy like standing still might let reality catch up with us.
I sat on the porch and thought.
