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I turned around and pulled my sword from the scabbard

His eyes didn’t glance down at me “I won’t kill you, but I still need your help”

“Why should I help you?”

“Doesn’t see”

I gave hiuy He was so rough around the edges, rough to his very core

“You spared et a choice in this”

“If I help you—”

“There is no if You will help me”

“Fine After I help you, will you let o?”

His ansas a hard stare

“I asked you a question—”

Roooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr

My sword dropped to my side as I listened to the sound carry across the entire world, shaking the snow off the trees, round unstable beneath our feet It carried like it possessed its own energy to keep going and going

He hooked his ax over his back and walked past o”

I looked past the spot where he’d just stood, as if I would see athis way?”

“Do you want to stay and find out?”

EIGHT

Ivory

We ran to the cave that we had stopped in on the way, the very one where I’d first heard that hty roar The entrance was a small crevasse that you had to squeeze past, and then the cave opened up to accommodate several people

I eyed the firewood but didn’t bother

Huntley took a seat on a stool near the entrance to the cave, peering through the crack to the snow-covered trees outside With his ar snow and to the wilderness beyond

I leaned against the wall,do we have to hide?”

He gave a subtle shake of his head, his eyes still outside

“What is it?”

“Yeti”

I allowed myself a couple seconds to process the word “Yeti?”

He was motionless, his eyes focused

“What the hell is a yeti?”

“A beast that stands nine feet tall, with claws as sharp as swords, with fur that perfectly blends into the snowy landscape so you ht in front of you It’s happened to me a couple of times…”

“So…it’s like a bear?”

He turned to me, his eyes cold

“Can’t we just shoot it with an arrow?”

Like it was a stupid question, he looked away “If they were easy to kill, I wouldn’t be hiding in a cave—with you”

“I guess I’d have to see it to understand”

“Trust me, you better hope that never happens”

“Have you ever killed one?”

“Several”

“Then why are you afraid?”

“Afraid?” He turned back to me “What you mean is, why ato prove to anyone, so I’ to try to do it alone”