They reached the shelter of a cave just as the sun vanished. As they huddled over a tiny, flickering fire, Kael watched the old man massage his scarred hip. Kael realized then that "the strong" weren't those who were born without weakness, but those who had survived their own breaking and decided to carry on anyway.
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. Only the Strong
"No," Elias said, his voice quiet but cutting through the wind. "We keep the packs." They reached the shelter of a cave just as the sun vanished