The horses had been running for two days straight.
Gabriel didn't need to stop. His body had changed in ways he was still discovering. The exhaustion that used to claw at him after hours of riding simply didn't come anymore. His muscles didn't burn. His breath didn't shorten. The cold that should have bitten through his cloak felt distant, like a memory of discomfort rather than the thing itself. He could ride until the horse beneath him collapsed and then keep walking.
But Tess couldn't.
He forced himself to remember that. Forced himself to check over his shoulder every few hours and see her slumped in the saddle, her face pale with fatigue, her hands gripping the reins with determination. Dark circles had formed under her eyes. Her lips were cracked from the wind. She swayed slightly with each step the horse took, fighting to stay conscious.
She hadn't complained once. She wouldn't. But her body was human in ways his wasn't anymore.
So he stopped.
