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CHAPTER ONE

Unexpected Truce

It’s fucking cold

My head is spinning, and I can’t focus on anything around o, I’d fired ering an avalanche It was either that or be strangled by Sebastian Stark, the reigning chaal tournament battles to the death

The trick had worked, but I’m not so sure I’m in better shape now

The avalanche itself has run its course Soainst some rocks but not buried I can’t explain why, but I’ll take this over being covered in ice Stark is presumably buried somewhere underneath the snow I find it somewhat ironic that he’ll likely die of suffocation, considering he had been trying to strangle me

I breathe frigid air into s and shake my head to clear it The lance down to get s

There is rock and ice wrapped around the left half ofand arm are totally buried, and as I try to shift around, I find out very quickly that I’ pain runs froertips It’s the only way I know my arm is still attached to my body

Randohts about phantom pains reported by anore theers, I can feel the movement I’m pretty sure my arm is still attached

I can et it out from under the rock I try to push so The hips around my exposed face, and I realizewith the GPS locator and the caht have told someone where I am

Maybe I will be found lying here and ht spot me It’s the only chance I have at this point; I can’t free myself

Maybe that’s best

I close my eyes and rest my head on the rock It is far from comfortable, but at least it isn’t sand I’d spentto that

The cold is seeping intoto set in quickly I try to recall if that’s considered a good way to go or not, but I can’t remember

A good way to go

Have I given up? A to just lie here and let myself die?

There are no answers to my internal questions I’m as cold inside as I ao I’ to death My Barrett M82 sniper rifle, , and I was forced to leave it behind so I couldmyself slip away does have a certain appeal At another time in my life, I probably would have done just that It’s different no I have a reason to return home

Lia

Before she cah the motions I killed because it was ood, not bad I like shooting, so there has always been that level of enjoyment about what I did The bodies that stacked up in ave me a reason to kill—to protect her