Ferro trudged through the snow, thinking about how the first snow he'd ever seen was in the Duat. Malz and Anko weren't talking to each other, and it was only out of practicality that they were still together at all. The argument that occurred in the wake of Kiryu's departure had almost risen to blows, but reason and a shared interest in survival won through in the end.
Their destination was Chainsfree, mostly because it was the only place for them to go. Ferro wasn't about to head back to Aaru; he alone would have needed more food than they had, and Anko wasn't about to help Malz cross the desert after what she saw as a betrayal.
In truth, Ferro appreciated Malz standing up for them, but in retrospect, he'd sensed Kiryu had been looking for a way out of bringing them along even before Malz snapped. He also felt betrayed by Malzkael, but he understood why she'd done it. Just as he understood why she now refused to apologize or back down to Anko, one of her former captors.
