The prince's eyes hardened. For a moment, hesitation flickered there. His father was not a man easily loved. Years of harsh words and cold lessons had carved distance between them, a chasm too wide for most bridges to cross.
And yet…
He clenched his jaw, his grip on the spear tightening.
No matter what kind of man Erik was, he was still their father. The foundation of their blood, the source of their strength.
And that was enough.
He remembered it clearly, even as they closed in on the beasts, the creatures barely seemed to acknowledge their presence. They moved single-mindedly, indifferent. Only when struck did they react, and when they did, the counterattacks were brutal.
That, too, was strange.
After their retaliation, they simply stopped. No pursuit. No hunger.
The prince's breath misted in the cold air as he slid down the frozen construct, boots scraping over jagged ice. He landed halfway before pausing, his eyes narrowing.
