Page 4 of Frostforge: Passage Two

"Shall we?"Luna gestured toward the gangplank that was being lowered."We should secure a spot on the rail.Unless you want to be stuck below deck for the journey north."

Thalia nodded reluctantly."You're right."

They boarded among a trickle of returning students, all bearing the subtle marks of Frostforge training — watchful eyes, efficient movements, and an instinctive spacing that would allow for combat if necessary.Thalia recognized faces from different training cohorts, exchanging nods with those she'd trained alongside.No one smiled.

Luna led the way to a prime spot along the starboard rail, where they could observe the dock.The deck smelled of iron, oil, and salt, an oddly comforting combination that triggered memories of last year's journey — the fear of the unknown giving way to the certainty of hardship.

"Look," Luna nudged Thalia, pointing to the far end of the dock.

A procession of young people marched toward the ship, flanked by stern-faced recruiters in Frostforge gray and city guards in Verdant Port green.The new recruits — this year's first-years — moved with varying degrees of confidence.Some walked with shoulders squared, chins high — volunteers seeking glory or escape.Others glanced around frantically, eyes wide with panic; still others walked with their heads down, as if approaching the gallows.

"Gods," Thalia breathed."Were we that obvious with our fear?"

Luna's mouth curved in a humorless smile."You weren't.But most of them?Yes."

Thalia remembered her own recruitment day — she had volunteered, hoping to secure her family's future with the stipend families received for sending children to Frostforge.It had been the only path she could see out of poverty for her mother and sister.Now, watching the new recruits, she wondered how many were there by choice and how many by conscription.

A commotion at the dock's edge drew her attention.City guards held back a crowd of family members, straining to catch final glimpses of their children.Some wept openly, others stood stone-faced, and a few shouted encouragement or advice that was swallowed by the general din.

Thalia's heart clenched as she spotted her mother's tall figure and Mari's smaller one at the edge of the crowd.Her mother wore her best dress — faded blue cotton, carefully mended — and had styled her hair in a complex braid reserved for important occasions.Mari, now thirteen, clutched their mother's hand, tears streaming down her face.

"There," Thalia pointed, her voice catching."My family."

Luna followed her gaze."Your sister looks more like you than I realized."

"She's growing so fast," Thalia murmured."Another five years and she'll be of age."The thought sent ice through her veins, even now that the threat of Mari’s Selection was gone.

Thalia raised her hand in greeting.Her mother spotted the movement and nudged Mari, who looked up through her tears.Thalia gave them her most confident smile and a firm nod.I'll come back,she tried to say with her expression.I promise.

Her mother lifted her chin, returning the nod with quiet dignity that nearly broke Thalia's composure.Unlike many in the crowd, her mother wasn't wailing or collapsing in grief.She stood tall, shoulders back, eyes clear — believing in her daughter's return even as the statistics argued otherwise.

"They have faith in you," Luna observed quietly.

"They have to," Thalia replied."It's all we have."

Below them, the last of the first-years boarded, some needing to be physically guided up the gangplank by the recruiters.The contrast between their terror and the composed returning students couldn't have been more stark.

Luna turned to Thalia, her expression thoughtful."Strange to see them, isn't it?We were them once."Her gaze drifted back to the frightened faces of the new recruits."Feels like another lifetime, doesn't it?"

Thalia nodded slowly."A lifetime ago."

“If I’m being honest,” Luna said, “Verdant Port feels less real now than Frostforge.”

Thalia blinked, momentarily taken aback by the candid remark.Then she let out a long breath; she knew exactly what Luna was talking about.“My old neighbors are like strangers now,” she admitted.“I’ve more friends at the academy.”

Luna nudged her with one elbow.“That’s one upside to going back, isn’t it?Seeing our friends.”

Despite herself, Thalia smiled.Luna, Ashe, Roran, Kaine.Even in the most dire of circumstances, she’d managed to find allies.People she trusted, with whom she’d forged bonds stronger than ice-steel.

The ship's horn bellowed again, vibrating through the deck beneath their feet.Sailors moved with practiced efficiency, casting off mooring lines and preparing for departure.The sails unfurled fully, catching the wind with a sound like distant thunder.

With surprising gentleness, the massive vessel pulled away from the dock.Thalia kept her eyes on her mother and sister until they became indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd, then remained fixed on Verdant Port as the city began to shrink behind them.

The ship cut through the harbor waters, leaving a trail of white foam in its wake.As they passed the harbor's protective arm, the wind freshened, bringing with it the scent of open sea and the promise of ice to come.The Southern warmth would give way to the brutal cold of the North with each league they traveled.

Luna leaned against the rail beside Thalia, their shoulders almost touching.Neither spoke.There was nothing to say that they didn't already know—the challenges ahead, the odds against them, the determination to survive another year.

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