Over the fire, roasted meat sizzled and popped with fat. Everyone sat around the flames, drying their clothes and shoes.

The trek of several thousand kilometers had sanded down everyone’s rough edges. Sparks popped and crackled from the fire. A pot of bone broth stewed nearby as Evelyn Ford took a log and pushed it into the flames.

The weather had turned harsh recently. With no tall mountains or trees to block the cold wind, they felt incredibly cold even with extra layers of clothing.

The soup in the pot came to a rolling boil. Everyone came over one by one to ladle some out. A layer of oil floated on the surface of the steaming broth. Evelyn Ford blew it aside before taking a sip.

"If only we had some scallions," Quincy sighed.

"In the summer, there are wild onions on the plains."

"I wonder when the weather will warm up. Khoros doesn’t have any deserts, does it?"

"It does. Several big ones, and snow-capped mountains too."

"Hot weather isn’t good either, actually. When it’s too hot, you worry about water. No water is scarier than no sun. You can live without sun, but you can’t live without water."

They had all experienced extreme heat and knew just how terrifying a lack of water could be.

Evelyn Ford remained silent. After she finished eating, she called Ronan Kendrick over and they went into a small grove of trees. She took out the two bodies and more than a dozen skulls from her space, deciding to bury them here.

The frozen ground was incredibly hard. Evelyn Ford took out a shovel and, with great effort, managed to dig a pit. Then, she placed the bodies and skulls inside.

"This is the great plains. I hope you like it here."

After filling in the pit, the two of them left the grove. The others were still chatting by the fire. Evelyn Ford went back to the horse-drawn carriage to get an iron bucket and ladled it half-full of boiled, melted snow.

"The temperature has dropped again since we reached the plains."

Evelyn Ford glanced at Ronan Kendrick. He was tending to the stove.

"It might rain tomorrow," Ronan Kendrick said as he loaded the charcoal, then took out a Magnesium Rod to light it again.

"I think it’s going to rain too. When I was in the woods just now, I noticed the leaves were dripping with water."

Evelyn Ford soaked her feet, then slumped into a chair. "So sleepy."

"The water’s getting cold. Go to sleep. Just leave the water there, I’ll dump it."

Evelyn Ford looked at the foot-soaking water and gave a mischievous grin. "Oh, I couldn’t possibly trouble you."

Though her words feigned embarrassment, her expression showed she took it for granted.

Ronan Kendrick lowered his gaze and smiled. He walked over, picked up the basin, opened the carriage door, and poured the water out.

Evelyn Ford snuggled under the covers. They had traveled over fifty kilometers today, and she was genuinely tired.

Outside the carriage, Ronan Kendrick let out a whistle. Two birds flew back and landed on his arm. By the time he returned to the carriage with them, Evelyn Ford was already asleep.

Ronan Kendrick sat by the bed, watching Evelyn Ford for a long time. In the dead of night, after everyone had returned to their carriages to sleep, he finally lay down, gathered Evelyn into his arms, and whispered, "Good night."

The next morning, raindrops hammered against the carriage. Evelyn Ford opened her eyes and stared at the push-out window, waiting for her mind to fully awaken before pulling back the covers and getting up.

The spot beside her in bed was still warm. ’Looks like Ronan Kendrick just got up too.’

Stepping out of the carriage, she watched the sleet fall onto the wooden planks. Evelyn Ford took out a tarp and, with the help of the others, set up a shelter. Then they herded the sheep, horses, and the Mammoth underneath it.

"This damn weather. Rain is one thing, but now it’s sleet? What the hell."

"It’s so cold. Should we go cut some branches and logs? I’m afraid we’ll be stuck here for a few more days."

Evelyn Ford glanced around and saw Ronan Kendrick returning from a short distance away, wearing a raincoat and carrying two gray rabbits in his hand.

Taylor Vance checked the time, his face weary. "Everyone, have a bowl of hot soup first. Then grab your machetes. We need to go cut some logs to rig up a bigger rain shelter with the tarp. The rain looks like it’s getting heavier, so we need to get the carriages under it too."

Ronan Kendrick placed the rabbits in the carriage and took the machete Evelyn Ford handed him.

"You really didn’t wake me up."

"I was planning to wake you when I got back, but you woke up on your own."

Ronan Kendrick helped her put on her goggles and led her to the fire. Everyone was complaining about the fickle weather. Evelyn Ford shivered and quickly drank a bowl of hot soup, which instantly soothed her stomach.

Wyatt Vaughn looked pale. Evelyn Ford caught the faint smell of blood and told him to go back to the carriage to rest, but Wyatt refused to stay behind.

"I can manage."

"You barely have the strength to speak, how can you manage? Go back and rest. I’ll come by and treat you with a few needles later."

Quincy also chimed in to persuade him, and Wyatt Vaughn finally relented.

Not wanting to waste any time, the group grabbed their machetes and hurried toward the small grove. After two hours of chopping, they finally dragged branches and logs back. By then, the rain had grown heavier, with hail now mixed in with the downpour.

They propped up the tarp with the logs to create a simple rainproof shelter and moved the carriages underneath it. Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

The chopped branches were thrown into the sheep pen. Looking at the thick fog rising in the distance, Evelyn Ford felt a sense of unease.

The shelter flapped loudly in the wind. Because the ground was frozen solid, the logs supporting the tarp weren’t set very deep. A fierce gust of wind blew past, making the posts sway back and forth.

The firewood was very damp, producing thick smoke as it burned and making everyone choke and cough.

"ACHOO!" Quincy sneezed, shivering from the cold.

"It’s a good thing we found this little grove. Without the trees, we wouldn’t have even been able to put up a rain shelter."

"This wind is too strong."

Zion Lowell found some rocks to weigh down the tarp securely. Everyone huddled together inside the shelter, not daring to go out. The wind outside was so strong that it was impossible to stand steady.

Officer Graham brought over a straw raincoat for Wendy to wear, but she absolutely refused, insisting that he wear it instead. The father and daughter went back and forth, each trying to give it to the other.

Evelyn Ford also put on her raincoat and rain boots. She had just finished treating Wyatt Vaughn with needles, and his medicinal herbs were now brewing in a pot over the fire.

The atmosphere was tense. Everyone was prepared for the worst.

Evelyn Ford took out her pocket watch to check the time. Grabbing a bucket and a shovel, she prepared to go out and gather some snow.

Ronan Kendrick walked over and took the bucket and shovel from her. As the two of them stepped out of the shelter, a fierce wind slammed into them. Evelyn Ford had to pull Ronan down into a crouch to keep from being blown over.

Out on the plains, snow could only be found on the higher ground. It was a thin layer, mixed with branches and weeds. Rainwater dripped from the brim of her raincoat’s hood. The snow was impossible to shovel up, so Evelyn Ford had no choice but to take some from her space and put it in the bucket. By the time they returned to the shelter, the others were already cooking.

After lunch, everyone returned to their carriages. In the adjacent sheep pen, a few sheep, frightened by the fierce wind, were jumping and scrambling about, their bleating shrill. Officer Graham and Taylor Vance went over to check on them and fed them some branches, which finally calmed them down.

After taking off her raincoat, Evelyn Ford grabbed a towel to dry her hair and face.

"The plains are more dangerous than I imagined. The weather changes too quickly."

Ronan Kendrick’s hair and clothes were also wet. He took off his shirt to change into a sweater. As he did, Evelyn Ford caught sight of his impressive eight-pack abs and raised an eyebrow.