Chapter 6. Pink Snow

October 11th, xxxx - Kamil's POV

SIX IN THE MORNING, twenty-one soldiers jog through the Winter Forest beaten path.

Major Sandcastle leads the training, Community Princess trots at his heels and Anduan picks up the slack behind.

Kamil is just getting started. He knows he’ll have to steer the troops away from the Forest soon. The burning in his thighs is from physical exertion but the tightening in his chest and the slight lightheadedness fogging his vision is from being in the Winter Forest for too long.

Ten minutes. A glance behind him tells him of the brave faces the soldiers wears. Anduan catches his eye and it look like she’s enjoying herself better than everyone else.

Nine minutes. Kamil decides to do something crazy. He picks up the pace, increasing the jog to a sprint, makes a U-turn and zips to the left away from the well trodded path towards the forbidden.

He stops just before the barrier. The hooting of owls becomes more pronounced, the