The paws of massive white wolves thudded against the snow, leaving deep, crater-like prints in the frozen earth as they cut their way through the blizzard. Their thick fur was rimed with frost, and their breath came out in steaming clouds that instantly vanished into the swirling white. The wind was a relentless predator, tearing at cloaks and whipping hair into stinging lashes across their faces. Each step carried them deeper into Nubis territory, where the air seemed colder.
Without warning, the air whistled, then screamed. Arrows, hundreds of them, tore through the blizzard like a sudden rain of death. The sky seemed to bristle with steel. Before Asher could fully react, a shaft bit into his shoulder with a sickening thud, the force making him grunt, his eyes narrowing in pain. Warm blood began to seep, darkening the white of his cloak.
