Page 35 of Frostforge: Passage Two

Roran retrieved Thalia's sword and handed it back to her, his expression carefully neutral.But Thalia saw the tightness around his eyes, the forced quality of his smile.Behind him, a group of Northern students watched with undisguised suspicion.

"Thanks for the bout," he said, loud enough for others to hear.Then, more quietly: "Sorry about the disarm.Didn't have much choice."

Thalia took her sword, frustration burning in her chest.She wanted to say something — to call out Maven's obvious bias, to confront the staring students, to tell Roran he had nothing to apologize for.Their eyes met, and she saw the warning in his gaze.

Don't.Not now.Not for me.

She gave him a small nod, accepting his unspoken request, though it felt like swallowing glass.She'd learned early at Frostforge that picking the wrong battles could make life unbearable.Roran was already targeted enough without her adding fuel to the fire.

He squeezed her shoulder briefly, then turned away to find a new sparring partner.Thalia watched as the Northern students divided around him like water around a stone, none willing to pair with him directly but all keeping him in their sights.The accusations of being an Isle Warden spy had diminished in volume but not in effect.Despite his proven skills and Southern heritage, Roran remained an outsider, viewed with suspicion.

"Gather up!"Maven bellowed, drawing the class's attention.She stood in the center of the plateau, her metal eye patch gleaming in the sun, the glacier bear claw pendant stark against her dark training gear."That's enough for today, though I use the word 'enough' very generously.What I've seen is barely adequate for first-years, let alone second-years preparing for the Forge Gauntlet."

The students assembled in a loose semicircle, breathing hard from exertion.No one spoke; Maven's critiques were rarely worth challenging.

"Movement patterns are sloppy.Reaction times are pathetic.Half of you still telegraph your strikes like you're sending advance warning by messenger bird."Her single eye swept over them, lingering accusingly on several Southern students."If this is your best effort, you’re in poor shape for what’s to come.Metalworking isn't the only skill tested in the Gauntlet."

Thalia kept her expression neutral, though internally she seethed.Maven's criticism always seemed to land hardest on Southern students, regardless of their actual performance.She'd seen Northern students make identical mistakes without comment.

"Dismissed," Maven concluded."Additional practice sessions are available this evening for those of you with enough sense to recognize you need them."

The students dispersed, some heading directly for the path back to the academy buildings, others lingering to discuss the day's lessons.Thalia remained where she was, waiting as the plateau gradually emptied.Maven busied herself with collecting the training equipment, her movements efficient despite the bulk of her scarred frame.

"Instructor Maven," Thalia said once the last student had departed, "may I speak with you?"

Maven didn't look up from her task."Make it quick, Greenspire.Unlike some, I don't have time to waste."

Thalia approached, careful to maintain a respectful distance.Maven had a renowned dislike of having people at her back or in her blind spot.

`"It's about the metallurgy supplies in the Howling Forge," she began."I've noticed irregularities in the metal alloys being used for student projects."

"And?"Maven continued collecting practice swords, lining them up in a wooden rack with methodical precision.

"The irregularities aren't random.Someone is systematically replacing high-quality ores with inferior substitutes."Thalia pressed on despite Maven's apparent disinterest."Yesterday, a student was seriously injured when his golem malfunctioned.I examined the metal afterward, and it was fundamentally flawed — unable to properly channel magical energy."

Maven straightened, turning to face Thalia directly.The scar that ran past the edges of her eye patch seemed to deepen as she frowned."And you're telling me this because...?"

"Because it's dangerous," Thalia said, struggling to keep frustration from her voice."And it connects to the weapon thefts.I think someone is deliberately sabotaging our materials."

"I see."Maven's tone was flat, unreadable."And naturally, you — a second-year student with barely eighteen months of formal training — are qualified to make such assessments?"

Thalia felt heat rising to her face."I may not have decades of experience, but I know when metal is impure.I can feel it.The steel used in that boy's golem was at least thirty percent contaminated with non-responsive elements."

“Oh, you canfeelit?”Maven’s voice took on a mocking tenor.“Well, say no more.”

“Instructor, please —”

Maven held up a hand, abruptly cutting Thalia off."Enough."

"But—"

"No, Greenspire.Listen carefully."Maven stepped closer, her imposing height forcing Thalia to look up to maintain eye contact."What you're describing is not sabotage.It's incompetence.Southern students consistently fail to properly prepare their materials before forging.They rush the purification process, skip essential steps in the alloying procedure, then wonder why their constructs fail."

The dismissal was so absolute, so casually delivered, that Thalia momentarily lost her words.When she found them again, they came out sharper than intended."That's not true.The metals are being replaced before the students even receive them.I've seen the difference, and it’s not only Southern —"

"What you've seen," Maven interrupted coldly, "is the difference between properly trained Northern students who understand metallurgical principles and Southern students who lack the basic foundation needed for this work."

"That's unfair," Thalia protested."The Southern student whose golem malfunctioned was using academy-issued materials.He never had a chance to contaminate them."

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