Only The Strong -

Elias took half of Kael’s load, layering it onto his own. He looked like a broken crane, bent nearly double under the impossible mass. Yet, he moved. Step. Breathe. Step.

They pushed on. Kael leads at first, his raw power forcing a path through the deepening drifts. But an hour in, the cold began to leach the fire from his muscles. His breath came in ragged gasps. Every time he stumbled, the heavy pack threatened to pin him to the ice forever. He looked back, expecting to see Elias collapsed in the snow. Only the Strong

In the morning, the sun broke over a world of white. They descended into the valley, two men weighted down by the needs of others, arriving not because they were the fastest, but because they were the ones who refused to be light. Elias took half of Kael’s load, layering it onto his own

"We have to drop the packs and run for the treeline!" Kael shouted over the roar. He was already unbuckling his harness, his face pale with the realization that their speed was now their only currency. They pushed on