Page 3 of Frostforge: Passage Two

"You should sleep," Thalia said, pulling herself back from the memory."Tomorrow will come whether we're ready or not."

Mari sighed, nestling closer."Will you tell me more stories about the academy when you come back next time?The not-scary parts?"

"All the not-scary parts," Thalia promised, knowing she would need to invent many of them."Now sleep."

She hummed softly, an old lullaby their mother used to sing.Gradually, Mari's breathing deepened and evened out.Her body grew heavier against Thalia's side as sleep finally claimed her.

Thalia continued to stare at the ceiling, wide awake despite the late hour.Tomorrow, the ironclad ship would dock, its massive hull throwing shadows across the harbor.The recruitment officers would check their lists, ensuring every Selected student boarded.Then the journey north would begin — back to the academy nestled high in the Rimspire mountains, where winter never truly released its grip.

She was caught between two worlds now.Home was warm, filled with love and simple comforts.The smell of her mother's cooking, Mari's laughter, the predictable rhythms of the port city.But it felt smaller somehow.Constrained.The concerns that had once consumed her — a leaky roof during rainy season, stretching coins to afford food for the week — seemed distant now.She had faced death and survived.

Part of her feared she would never truly belong here again.The girl who had left Verdant Port was gone, transformed by Frostforge's brutal crucible into someone harder, sharper.Someone who instinctively calculated escape routes in crowded markets and slept with a knife within reach.

Yet when Mari curled against her, seeking comfort and protection, Thalia knew with absolute certainty that she had made the right choice.She would return to Frostforge tomorrow.Would endure whatever trials awaited her there.Would become whatever the academy demanded of her.

Because every day she survived was another day, Mari wouldn't have to face Selection.Every skill she mastered brought her closer to graduation and the officer's commission that would permanently exempt her family from further obligation to the academy.

Thalia closed her eyes, focusing on her sister's gentle breathing beside her.She had learned to find rest even when true peace eluded her — another skill Frostforge had taught.As sleep finally began to claim her, her last conscious thought was of tomorrow's ship, waiting like a dark promise on the horizon.

CHAPTER TWO

The salt-laden breeze tugged at Thalia's hair as she stepped onto the familiar weathered planks of Verdant Port's main dock.She adjusted the worn leather strap of her travel bag, the weight of it different now — heavier with items she'd never thought to bring last year, lighter without the fear of the unknown.The calls of sailors and merchants echoed across the harbor, a sound so familiar it almost hurt.One year at Frostforge had changed everything.The dock beneath her feet no longer felt like home, but rather a brief stopping point between two worlds.

Thalia inhaled deeply, tasting brine and smoke on her tongue.Six weeks had passed too quickly.Six weeks of helping her mother in the herb shop, of teaching Mari what she'd learned about the energy currents in plants, of pretending that her nightmares about Frostforge were nothing to worry about.Six weeks of recovery that now felt like a half-remembered dream as reality loomed before her.

Movement caught her eye — a slight figure leaning against a weathered wooden post, seemingly absorbed in watching a pair of gulls fight over a fish head.Thalia's heart leapt with recognition.

"Luna?"she called out, raising her hand in greeting.

Luna Meadows turned, her short dreadlocks adorned with new silver beads that caught the morning light.Her face, which appeared perpetually distracted to most observers, broke into a genuine smile when she spotted Thalia.She pushed away from the post with fluid grace that belied her petite frame.

"And here I thought you might have decided to become a fishwife instead," Luna said, her large dark eyes sparkling as she approached.She wore simple travel clothes, but Thalia noted the fine quality of the fabric — a reminder of Luna's privileged background despite her father's political exile.

Thalia grinned, letting her bag drop to the dock as they embraced."A fishwife might have better prospects than a second-year at Frostforge."

Luna pulled back, holding Thalia at arm's length.Her gaze sharpened, those seemingly unfocused eyes suddenly penetrating."So, did you consider it?Running?This is your last chance, you know.Once we're on that ship..."She tilted her head toward the harbor entrance.

For a moment, Thalia thought she was serious, then caught the subtle quirk of Luna's mouth."If I planned to flee, I wouldn't have come to the docks," Thalia replied with a chuckle."Besides, who would keep you out of trouble?"

"Me?Trouble?"Luna's expression of wounded innocence dissolved into laughter."I'll have you know I maintained a perfect record of appearing completely harmless all break."

"I'm sure you did," Thalia said, picking up her bag again.She studied her friend, noticing the slight shadows under Luna's eyes."How was your father?"

Luna's smile dimmed slightly."He's a bit depressed, I'm afraid."She straightened her shoulders, the momentary vulnerability gone."But he was pleased I survived the first year.Not many from the South manage that, as we well know."

Thalia nodded, a comfortable silence falling between them.They had both beaten the odds — Southern recruits typically had the highest mortality rate at Frostforge.The Northern Reaches claimed the academy was equal opportunity, taking students from all the lands, but the brutal conditions naturally favored those born to ice and snow.

A low, resonant horn cut through the harbor noise, drawing all eyes to the sea.Thalia felt it in her chest before she fully registered the sound — the distinctive call of a Frostforge vessel.

"Right on time," Luna murmured.

The ship appeared around the harbor's protective arm, its prow cutting through the waves with predatory precision.Unlike the merchant vessels that frequented Verdant Port, the Frostforge ship was built for intimidation as much as function.Its hull, reinforced with ice-steel that gleamed like frozen mercury, tapered to a knife-sharp edge at the waterline.The majestic sails, a pale blue-gray that matched the frozen wasteland of its destination, billowed in the wind.

"They've added more ice-steel," Thalia noted, eyeing the reinforced plating along the sides."I wonder why."

Luna's gaze sharpened again."Interesting observation.More Isle Warden raids in the North, perhaps?"

The ship glided into dock with unnatural grace for a vessel its size.Dock workers scrambled to secure mooring lines, their faces grim.No one enjoyed servicing the Frostforge ships — they carried away the youth of Verdant Port and returned with fewer each year.

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