Page 14 of Blood of Ancients

Chapter 6

Arne

I RE-READ THE LETTERthen slammed my fist on the little nightstand in my sorry excuse for a bedroom. It shook and nearly toppled over, forcing me to catch it with a cringe.

“Sorry,” I said to the nightstand, frowning as I set it upright, then swooped the fallen letter off the floor. I didn’t want to destroy my one piece of furniture—my single tabletop in this cubbyhole.

Stretching my arms high, hands on my head, I paced the floor from my bed to the door, trying to think.

I was flustered and frustrated. When I got that way, I was prone to outbursts, which didn’t help anyone. I knew that about myself, yet I couldn’t stop my anger from boiling over.

I’d finally received a message from Dieter, an ally and leader of the Lepers Who Leapt. I’d been trying to get through to him since the end of last term. The blizzard delayed his response.

There was no mail service at Vikingrune Academy, which meant anyone who wanted to send a letter out had to figure it out themselves. For me, that involved a daisy chain of operatives between our two groups—Leper spies who schooled at Vikingrune, students who parlayed with the hidden rebel group.

What I’d received from Dieter was not what I wanted to hear. I read the letter again while I paced:

Arne,

Unfortunately, what you are asking of me is above my pay grade. Stripping your sister of her status within the group is impossible. Our anarchical nature means I don’t have the power to unilaterally depose anyone, whether that be the newest grunt or a leader with seniority.

Furthermore, Frida holds sway. She is our foremost Ritual Keeper, and a great teacher for the newest crop of Lepers to make the Leap. Five failed runeshapers have made the plunge in the icy waters since the end of your term. One perished, while four of them have joined our ranks. They look up to Frida’s leadership.

No one is more determined than her to bring our people peace and safety. She has allies. I am one of them.

I understand your frustrations. On our side of the wall, however, people are quick to forget unfortunate circumstances, as long as we continue moving forward. Which is what we’ve done.

Earnestly,

Dieter

I shook my head, folding the letter and setting it down on the table.

Yes, I wanted to knock my sister down a peg. Frida had gone against decency and loyalty when she betrayed us in the tunnels leading to Vikingrune Academy, after me and Ravinica gathered up Corym E’tar, the elf.

Frida sided with the enemy of the Lepers Who Leapt—the Huscarls of Vikingrune Academy—in order to buy the magicless rebel organization more time and “peace” from Gothi Sigmund.

I had hoped to use her betrayal—and her siding with the academy—against her, so she would be punished.

Alas, Dieter was not as firm an ally as he appeared at first blush. If I was reading the letter correctly, there was a chance my younger sister was actually more influential than even him, within the Leper hierarchy.

The salt-and-pepper-bearded Leper, who had more seniority than any other member, called himself an ally of my sister. Almost as a warning—not to continue this line of thinking.

It baffled me people were so quick to forget what she’d done. She’d gone against Leper oaths. The note said she was worshipped by the Lepers, especially the newer recruits, and there was no way to change their minds about her.

---