I can evolve everything

"arrive."

Ryan reined in his horse.

Through the swirling snowflakes, a dark silhouette could be vaguely seen ahead.

He saw a gray stone tower built against the mountain, its top adorned with a magical crystal that emitted a faint glow in the wind and snow.

Below the stone tower, several bonfires were burning, and the figures of patrolling soldiers could be vaguely seen.

"Is this the base of operations in Shattered Tooth Canyon?"

Ella squinted, her pointed ears twitching slightly as if trying to catch any information in the wind. "It looks pretty quiet. Nothing but the sound of the wind."

Ryan did not answer immediately.

People were walking on the city wall. The gate was tightly closed.

The beacon at the top of the tower was not lit.

Everything seemed normal, befitting the routine expected of a border post.

"Everything seems normal."

Raine withdrew his gaze, exhaled a puff of white breath, and turned to give orders to the soldiers behind him.

"Get your gear ready to move in."

He patted the horse's neck and led the way toward the stone tower.

"Although it looks like a godforsaken place," Ella muttered under her breath as she followed behind him, her hand never leaving the hilt of her sword, "the smell in the wind... it just feels a little too clean to me."

Upon hearing this, Renn's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Stay vigilant."

"Rain said in a low voice, only he and Ella could hear it," Rain said.

"Let's go take a look."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Snow and wind gathered at the entrance to the Shattered Tooth Canyon, gradually piling up on the cliffs on both sides.

The stone tower stood silently in the heart of the snowstorm, perched on the edge of the cliff.

Ryan pulled on the reins, and Rye snorted uneasily, the horse's hooves pawing the snow with a sharp crack.

He did not rush forward, but waited for the twenty soldiers behind him to catch up.

"Who's there!?"

Atop the tower, a figure peered out from a firing port.

Despite the heavy snow, the crossbow in his hand remained firmly aimed at Renn.

Clearly, in this desolate land, any moving living thing would be presumed to be an enemy by these heavily guarded soldiers.

"Northern Fortress, Patrol Team 22."

Raine spoke slowly, making sure his voice could be heard by those on the tower.

He took out the token that Commander Roderick had personally given him from his pocket and held it high.

In the dim light of the day, the wolf head relief on the iron plaque appeared even more profound due to the light absorption.

The guards on the tower were taken aback, clearly realizing that Rein must be the knight who had led the patrol team on a routine inspection.

He quickly pulled his head back, and then a series of sounds came from behind the door.

"Crunch—"

The wooden gate, covered with sheet metal, slowly lowered.

"Quick, come in! Don't let the wind and snow get in!"

The voices inside were urging them on urgently.

Renn spurred his horse and led the group in single file.

As soon as the last soldier crossed the threshold, the gate was immediately pushed shut by several people, completely shutting out the wind and snow.

The sounds of wind and snow outside vanished in an instant.

This is the front yard of the Shattered Tooth Canyon encampment.

Although it's called a front courtyard, it's actually just a small plaza enclosed by high walls.

The surrounding area was piled high with chopped firewood, and several campfires were burning brightly in a sheltered corner, with an iron pot on top, bubbling away some kind of soup.

"Damn weather."

They were greeted by a middle-aged soldier missing his left ear. Although he looked somewhat disheveled, he still observed all the proper etiquette.

He strode up to Renn's horse, not noticing Renn's overly young face, but instead checking once again the knight's badge on Renn's chest and the iron plaque.

"Commander of the Garrison, Sergeant Hank, salutes you, Sir Knight."

Hank straightened his back and gave a military salute.

A dozen or so lax garrison soldiers gathered behind Hank and formed a line.

Ryan dismounted swiftly.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sergeant Hank." Ryan gestured for Hank to relax.

"We are here on the orders of Commander Roderick to carry out a routine patrol and, incidentally, to check the operation of the beacon tower."

"The orders of the Knights of the North are our will." Hank nodded, then turned and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Take the horses to the stables! Make room for a fire!"

The atmosphere at the encampment instantly became lively.

Ella dismounted, removed her hood, and her red hair stood out prominently. She looked around curiously, her nose twitching slightly.

"It's really clean."

Ella walked over to Rein and said in a low voice, "Look, there's not even a speck of trash. That's unusual in a military camp. Usually, there should be some moldy food in the corners of places like this."

Even though Ella spoke very softly, Hank seemed to have exceptionally sharp hearing and caught the whisper. He glanced at the half-elf girl with pointed ears, quickly walked up to Renn, and smiled apologetically.

"This knight is very observant."

Hank walked over and pointed to the top of his head.

"This is the Shattered Tooth Canyon, also known as the Throat of the Wind. The wind direction here is very special; it doesn't blow outwards, but rather is drawn into the canyon due to the terrain on both sides."

He paused, his tone becoming serious.

"If we don't clean it regularly, the stench of decay will drift along the wind tunnels and into the depths of the canyon. The creatures living there have a much more sensitive sense of smell than dogs. If we were to lure out some monsters passing through the depths, our numbers wouldn't even be enough to satisfy their hunger."

Hank pointed to a sealed metal barrel in the corner.

"All the excrement and kitchen waste will be put there, burned into ash with kerosene every day, and then buried under the frozen soil."

Ella nodded, and the doubt in her eyes gradually disappeared.

"I see. This must be what they call survival wisdom." She looked at Raine and winked.

Renn nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the stationed soldiers.

Although their equipment was old, it was in excellent condition.

The people here may seem somewhat laid-back, but upon closer inspection, one can see that each soldier has a clear division of labor and performs their duties. Clearly, their long-term survival under the strict system of the Northern Fortress has maintained their extremely high level of professionalism.

"Please come inside, sir." Hank stepped aside, intending to lead the two knights into the compound.

"It's still a bit chilly outside, but warm inside. We just roasted a lamb; the meat was a little dry, but it went perfectly with some strong liquor."

The main building of the encampment was a stone house that was half-embedded in the rock wall.

Once inside, Ryan finally felt a bit of warmth. The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, and the long wooden table was piled high with slices of roasted meat.