The flash of purple slipping in and out of the clouds fired my adrenalin, giving me an inordinate amount of strength to traverse the remaining distance until we reached safety. I was so relieved when I saw the outline of the Eastern Nexus Checkpoint and I pulled that sledge as if there was no tomorrow. But the price was exhaustion. My back and shoulders screamed from hauling that cargo. The sledge was heavy enough with supplies, but the added weight of Aden had increased it tenfold.

Felenn was equally spent and as soon as we stepped inside, she collapsed at the entrance. Garret moved to her side and helped her cross the floor to the rear of the shelter away from the icy wind and persistent snow flurries.

Araellor came to my side. "Are you alright?" he asked while positioning some furs and blankets for me to rest. I appreciated his concern and nodded. "Good," he replied. "We will be safe here for a while." He then went to converse with Garret. The two men organised the sledges, unpacking and setting up some hides that would provide more shelter as well as added security and warmth for the group as a whole.

I shuffled over to help Felenn who had started to tend to Aden. Some blood was smeared halfway up his trouser leg. Tentatively, Felenn pushed up his pants leg to expose the wound and Aden winced as she eased the fabric from his skin. The mage hunter had done plenty of damage to Aden's trousers, with its teeth also having broken the skin below his knee, but thankfully it wasn't life-threatening. Nevertheless, he was in pain. Felenn voiced that she thought it was more muscular as opposed to the rent flesh that was causing his discomfort.

I made sure Aden was comfortable, rolling up a soft hide to serve as a pillow and sorting a couple of blankets and another fur to keep him warm. The last thing he'd need was for shock to set in, let alone the low temperatures ravaging his body. He mumbled his gratitude while Felenn searched her little bag of medicines. She possessed an impressive knowledge of potions and elixirs as I watched and listened while she applied ointments to the wound and gave him a potion to drink to help ease the pain. Before long, he was much calmer and surrendered to sleep.

"How long do you think he'll need?" Araellor quietly asked Felenn as he crouched beside us.

"It's hard to say, really, but a few hours will be required."

I could see the disappointment on the hunter's face.

"How much further is it to the Nexus?" I asked him.

"A good half day's trek - if this weather persists," he replied, clearly downtrodden.

I couldn't blame him. The thought of being out here overnight was daunting to say the least, made doubly worse with the inclement weather and a member of our party injured.

"We can only hope conditions improve soon, and then we'll make good progress," I said, more to make us feel better than just to bolster the hunter.

"Providing Aden recovers well," Felenn added. Oh, well. My attempt was in vain after all.

Araellor nodded. "Yes, of course. Meanwhile, we'll camp here. Stay put while we get some brush to place around the sledges; that way, we'll be better sheltered from both the cold and any more beasts."

I watched as he and Garret ventured back out into the white, unforgiving landscape. With only Felenn and an injured Aden for company, I suddenly felt very vulnerable and exposed again, even though Araellor and Garret had done their best to keep us concealed.

"It wouldn't be so bad if we could at least use magic to defend ourselves," I grumbled, keeping an eye on the entrance for any sign of our foragers' return.

"There may be a way," Felenn said thoughtfully.

I turned to face her. "What do you mean?"

A look of surprise crossed her face as if she hadn't meant to say the words out loud. But she had, and my curiosity was piqued. Ensuring Aden was still sleeping, she motioned we move along to the second sledge. I followed closely, impatient to hear what she had to say.

"I thought it was too risky to use our magic," I whispered. "If those watchers see us channelling…"

"That there is the point. We must make sure they don't see us."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Not because I thought it was madness, although clearly it was, but more because I hadn't imagined Felenn to be one to take risks; at least not ones that bore a price on our heads. She always appeared to be so timid and one for playing by the rules.

"Has the weather affected your brain?" I asked with a smile, so she knew I wasn't insulting her.

She chuckled. Endearing. "Perhaps a little," she replied both charming and jovial. "But the island is a conduit for arcane energies. It's everywhere. Can't you feel it?"

I was taken aback by her boldness. And her obvious ability to 'feel' the magic. Granted, when there had been a discharge close by, the magic left behind a residue – often a smell, like Sulphur, or burning wood, and sometimes it was even fragrant like flowers. Others left visual signs, such as smoke, or a shimmer, often with subtle hues of blue, purple, silver or green. It all depended on what spell was used and its intention. But to be able to sense magic without being directly in its path? Without casting in the first place? Or being with others who have cast ? How was that possible?

"I – I can't. No," I replied somewhat dejected. All this time I'd believed I had a natural gift, that I was destined to be a mage, a spell weaver. Yet, hearing that my colleague could practically taste it when none had been cast, rendered me ineffective. Unlearned. Lacking.

I resented the piteous look in Felenn's eyes and quickly turned my attention to the entrance of our shelter. I was actually praying for Garret and Araellor to appear. Anything to dampen my feelings of inadequacy. But they didn't.

And Felenn's blessed hand rested on my forearm as it always did when she wanted to comfort or calm me down. Unbidden tears were pricking my eyes and a lump in my throat that burned like hot coals was threatening to undo me. I prayed that my mother, as she sailed in the buoyant, beautiful Twisting Nether, safe from failure, disappointment and constant self-doubt - didn't know how I was feeling. Yet, I knew she would. And she'd be trying to bolster me. To convince me that I was good at what I did. That I was gifted. That I was enough.

"Oh! I must have gotten carried away," Felenn said, interrupting my self-deprecation. Pawing at the covering on the sledge we were nestled behind she pulled out a package, opened it and showed me the contents, raising it for me to smell. "It was the herbs I was smelling. They remind me of certain magics."

I tentatively sniffed. Yes, they did have a particular aroma, although I couldn't say for sure that they mimicked any thaumaturgy I could think of.

"I have a keen sense of smell," she continued to explain, "and with using some of these on Aden to help his wound, it seems to have lingered." She then tucked the package back in place and returned to Aden's side.

I was wholly confused at that point. Was that merely a coincidence? Had she just made that up about the herbs? Or had she genuinely made a mistake?

I was left to ponder until our two colleagues returned.