Page 5 of Frostforge: Passage Two

The ship's horn echoed against the fjord walls, the sound reverberating in Thalia's chest.The sailors moved with practiced efficiency, securing lines and preparing for docking.Around her, other second-years gathered their belongings, faces set in masks of determination or resignation.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful it is," Luna murmured, gazing up at the snow-dusted Rimspire peaks that loomed above the fjord."In a terrible way."

Thalia followed her gaze."Beauty that kills."

The ship eased against the stone landing with a gentle bump.Within moments, sailors were securing gangplanks and beginning the process of offloading supplies.Thalia and Luna joined the stream of returning students disembarking onto the cold stone platform.

The air here was different — thinner, sharper, carrying the scent of snow and pine from the forests that clung to the lower slopes.Thalia inhaled deeply, letting the cold fill her lungs.Her body remembered this place even as her mind had tried to forget during the brief respite in the South.

"Look at them," Luna whispered, nodding toward the first-years being herded off the ship.

The new recruits huddled together at one end of the landing, their Southern clothes already inadequate for the Northern climate.Guards and recruiters surrounded them, barking orders that sent them scurrying into rough formation.One boy, no older than Thalia, stumbled on the gangplank and nearly fell into the dark water before a recruiter grabbed his collar, hauling him roughly onto the stone.

Thalia's comment died in her throat as she spotted a familiar figure standing near the supply sleds.Her stomach clenched involuntarily.

Instructor Maven cut an imposing figure against the gray stone and mist.Taller than most men, with broad shoulders and a frame hardened by decades of combat, she stood perfectly still, surveying the arriving students with her single amber eye.The other socket remained covered by the polished piece of blackened metal she'd forged herself after losing the eye to a glacier bear — a badge of honor she wore with fierce pride.Her steel-gray hair was cropped close to her scalp, and the ever-present claw of the bear that had taken her eye hung on a chain around her neck.

"Frost take me," Thalia muttered, quickly averting her gaze to avoid drawing Maven's attention.

Luna tracked Thalia's line of sight and grimaced."I'd hoped she might have fallen down a crevasse over the break."

"No such luck," Thalia replied, turning her back to Maven and pretending to adjust the straps on her pack.

Last year, Maven had singled Thalia out for particularly brutal treatment, assigning her impossible tasks and dangerous challenges.Thalia never understood why she'd earned the instructor's enmity, only that it had nearly killed her on multiple occasions.She had hoped — foolishly, perhaps — that Maven might not be assigned to greet the ships this year.

"Don't let her see you flinch," Luna advised quietly.

"I'm not flinching," Thalia replied, straightening her shoulders."I'm strategically avoiding."

Luna's lips quirked."A sound tactic.For now."

Thalia moved away from the main group, drifting toward the shaggy ponies that stood patiently waiting to pull the supply sleds.The small, sturdy beasts were native to the Northern mountains, their thick coats perfect insulation against the brutal cold.Their breath steamed in the chill air, creating momentary clouds that dissipated into the mist.

One pony, a dun-colored beast with intelligent eyes, nickered softly as Thalia approached.She reached out, letting her fingers sink into its thick mane.

"Hello there," she murmured."Ready for another trek?"

The pony bumped its head against her chest, a gentle gesture.The ponies and larger draft horses in Frostforge’s stables seemed indifferent to the hierarchies and cruelties of human interactions.

"Step away from the animals, recruit."Maven's voice cut through the misty air like a blade.

Thalia stiffened but obeyed immediately, taking three precise steps back from the pony.She turned to face Maven, keeping her expression carefully neutral.

"Second-year now, Instructor," she corrected before she could stop herself.She immediately regretted the words.

Maven's single eye narrowed, the amber iris seeming to glow with internal light."Is that so, Greenspire?"The instructor circled Thalia slowly, like a predator assessing prey."Strange.You still look like a child to my eye."

Thalia said nothing, keeping her gaze fixed on a point just past Maven's shoulder.Her heart hammered in her chest, but she refused to show fear.That was the first lesson of Frostforge — fear shown was weakness exploited.

Maven stopped directly in front of Thalia, close enough that Thalia could smell the metallic scent that always lingered around the instructor — iron and oil and something else, something unique to the North.

"The fact that you survived first year doesn't make you special," Maven said, her voice pitched low enough that only Thalia could hear."It makes you lucky."She stepped back, raising her voice to address all the students gathered on the landing."Form up!First-years in front, older students behind.The trek begins in five minutes.Anyone not in formation will be left for the Rimwolves."

The first-years scrambled to obey, their fear palpable.The returning students moved with more deliberate caution, taking positions and checking their gear.

Luna appeared at Thalia's side, her expression concerned."What did she say to you?"

"Nothing important," Thalia replied, adjusting her pack."Just Maven being Maven."

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