The Maiden of the Barren Rime

Mina exhaled as much of the building rage inside her as she could. There wasn't much she could do about her predicament, but she could keep herself from sleeping next to a corpse at the very least. "You are. By far. The stupidest and most obnoxious man I have ever met in my entire life."

"Honestly," Sebastian's fingers stopped drumming, "I'm just glad to be the most something in anybody's life."

~~~

The Fallow Peaks, a frozen wasteland of cruel mountains and bloodthirsty beasts, where the veil between the Realm of Mortals and the fae realm thins: where very few adventurers have dared to tread, where very few guides are qualified to lead.

Guides such as Mina, unfortunately.

Isolated by choice, Mina finds her solitude interrupted by a sudden request from the Crown of Lanholde: lead their latest band of contractors up the Peaks to finish their quest and deliver their bounty to the capital. The overly friendly five-some she's contacted to escort seem hell-bent on stepping over her every boundary - no matter how stern and scornful she acts - worst among them their leader, Sebastian Windenhofer.

Will the fire wizard warm Mina's cold heart? Or will the reasons behind her icy demeanor turn them all to ice before he gets the chance?