Jorick met Katelina's eyes. With no time for conversation he simply shouted, "Stay!" and then ran towards where Alistair lay prone in the snow. He grabbed Alistair by a leg and an arm and swung him into the tree. He twisted in midair and took the impact on his side. Katelina heard the crunch and imagined broken ribs. Despite the injury, he dropped into a roll and pulled to his feet.
Meanwhile, Oren had recovered. He swiped stray hairs from his face and gave Katelina a cursory glance. Then, he dashed past her to tackle Alistair. By the time he'd landed, the brunette was gone.
Oren growled in wordless frustration. Jorick spun, his dark eyes searching for their enemy. His shirt was ripped and Katelina could see that the blood had come from a wound in his chest. She wanted to call to him an
