••{GARRICK'S POV}••
The cold nips at my face as I dismount.
I see my breaths with every inhale and exhale, drifting from my lips in faint wisps before the wind carries it away.
Every crunch of snow under my boots feels deafening in the heavy silence, and my fingers tighten around the hilt of my sword but I keep them relaxed enough to signal I mean no sudden moves.
Before I can even reach the woman blocking our path, she raises her axe and aims the sharp edge at my neck.
"Step back," she warns, her voice carrying across the clearing. "Or lose your head."
Every muscle in my body tenses, and I take a cautious step back, raising both hands.
"This is your last chance," she says, her voice hard and unwavering. "If you wish to see the next sunrise, turn around and leave."
I swallow against the lump in my throat.
"Please," I say, my voice steady despite the frost biting at my lungs. "We come in peace."
