The wind stung. The cold bit. The ice stabbed. Ignore it, my child. This world is nothing against you. I have you in hand. We cannot die. Yes. Nothing mattered. Not the air, not the ground, not the sea. Nothing but the chase. Nothing but the kill.

He clenched his teeth as he resecured his mask and hood. He could hardly see through the surrounding fog of ice particles but that does not matter while I am with you. I see with more than eyes. So he continued trudging, following the sense of direction his beloved inspired within. For you are beloved to me as I am beloved to you, and in this bond we shall see each other through.

Tonight he would need to eat, though. So annoying, having to stop and feed the flesh. But it was necessary. Navatoro’s grace, warmth, strength, could only sustain for so long without support. Imperfections aside, he’d trained hard to be a good host to his beloved and you have done well, so he could take the burden. Which is why I share my gifts with you, my—

A cutting chill ripped through him. The whole world went so much colder, so much darker so much… Wait. Wait, where was Navatoro? He’d felt him there within his mind, seeping through to his bones, only a moment before. And now? Now where—what—why—?

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He stopped, shivered, and nearly fell to his knees. The world….was the world again. And all at once. Without warning! This hadn’t happened before, not like this, not without a scolding or-or-or something! His god would never just leave him! Not here. Not in this place. Not like this. Not to die before his time…

The suppressed hunger gnawed at his insides. He was too cold to think. Every muscle and joint within him ached. How long had he been walking? There wasn’t a need to keep count of the hours until—

Beloved!

A wave of sweet warmth rolled through him, from the top of his head, down his neck, his arms, his legs, and finally rolled up in his core. He took a sudden, deep breath as the cold lost its power over him.

But the relief only lasted so long. Something took you from me, he realized. But what? How? No. We must hurry. We must not stray. Those fools at the fort delayed us too long. We must go! The faster they caught up to the Garast’na, the faster they could go home. But what—pay it no heed! I am here. I am you. We shall not fail.

No. No he would not fail. He would not fail his queen, and he would not fail his god. The Garast’na would fall, as would all who got in his way. There is no room for doubt. There was no room for fear. There was the mission and your love for me. Ignore all else. We shall succeed.