Elaria Silverstan's Arc

Chapter 3 of 22

The fawn slowed near a break in the snow and stopped. Elaria stepped past it and saw why. The ground split open in a wide crevasse, blue ice falling away into dark. The far side waited just out of reach. Wind cut through her coat. The sun was sliding low. She knelt at the edge and looked for anything that might carry her across. The fawn moved past her and stood beside a low shelf of snow. Elaria brushed the powder away and found a thin arch of ice curving over the gap. It was narrow, glassy, and older than her doubts. She pressed her palm flat to its surface. The ice did not bite her. It welcomed the chill in her blood. She rose, set one boot on the span, and walked. Each step held. She reached the far side as the sun touched the ridge. Behind her, the fawn was gone. Ahead, the slope climbed white and silent toward the glacier.