CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE - ARRYK'S TRAINING

Hours passed, each one an eternity of worry and fear. Anna and Erik took turns watching for any sign of their missing companions, fighting against the creeping tendrils of despair. It was during Anna's watch, as the storm finally began to subside, that she saw them. Two figures, moving slowly through the thinning snow. Her heart leapt into her throat. "Erik!" she shouted, shaking him awake. "They're back! They're alive!" They rushed out to meet Arryk and Freya, relief washing over them in waves. Freya looked half-frozen, leaning heavily on Arryk for support. Her face was pale, her lips tinged with blue. "Get her inside," Arryk ordered, his voice hoarse from shouting against the wind. "We need to warm her up, now." They worked quickly, getting Freya into the tent and wrapping her in every blanket they had. Anna rubbed Freya's hands and feet, trying to restore circulation, while Erik prepared a hot drink. Slowly, color began to return to Freya's cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open, foc