"It's a rather longer story than that, but more or less. Ghilan'nain came across a hunter who had slain a hawk, an animal sacred to Andruil. As punishment, she called on Andruil to curse the hunter so he could never kill again." Hiking uphill is breathless work, so she pauses for breath. "The hunter was angry, so he tracked Ghilan'nain and blinded her first, then bound her. But because of his curse, he could not kill her, so he left her for dead. Andruil sent hares to chew through the ropes he used to bind Ghilan'nain. But because she was blind, Ghilan'nain could not find her way home, so Andruil turned her into the first halla--a white deer sacred to my people."

They've climbed high enough, so Pel pauses for breath before stooping down and getting to work. Without comment, she begins to form ice under her hands that takes the shape of a sled as she works.