Page 39 of Frostforge: Passage Four
How ironic,she thought to herself sardonically.When it comes to making war against the South, the Northerners and the Wardens find themselves on the same side.
Calloway's expression remained neutral, but she made no move to dismiss Thalia or leave.The silence stretched between them, taut as a bowstring.
"You've put thought into this," Calloway finally said.She leaned against her desk, arms folded."But sabotage is a strong word.Especially coming from someone with a...shall we say, shaky performance record."
The barb stung, but Thalia had anticipated it."I know my record isn't perfect," she conceded."Our first challenge performance was genuinely poor — that was on us.We weren't communicating properly, we weren't functioning as a unit."
She drew a breath, steadying herself."But since then, we've improved.You saw how we did in the Golem Fields and the canoes.We've been working together daily, drilling formations, practicing commands.Felah's navigation has improved significantly.Daniel's weapon work is more consistent."
Thalia met Calloway's piercing gaze directly."We would have placed at least fourth yesterday if we hadn’t capsized.And it would’ve been difficult to fight through that wave and stay upright, even if we’d been expecting it."
Calloway's fingers tapped a rhythm against her arm as she considered.The only sound in the room was the distant howl of wind against the academy's outer walls.
"The purpose of the Command Challenge," Calloway said finally, "is to prepare you for the realities of combat against the Isle Wardens.In real conflict, equipment fails.The weather turns.The unexpected becomes the only certainty."
Thalia felt her hope faltering.Another dismissal, another Northern instructor unwilling to consider —
"That being said," Calloway continued, "I don’t necessarily think you're wrong to suspect interference."
The admission, however qualified, caught Thalia off guard.She blinked, recalibrating.
"You've noticed it, too?"
"I notice everything."Calloway straightened, her posture impeccable."Just as I've noticed your team's improvement in drills.The structural damage to your equipment was...inconsistent with normal wear."She moved to the window, looking out at the training grounds where new recruits practiced basic formations in the biting cold."Unfortunately, I cannot undo the past scores or penalties, regardless of cause.The system doesn't work that way."
Thalia's disappointment must have shown on her face, because Calloway turned back with a faint — very faint—softening around her eyes.
"Your squad's been bloodied and didn't break," she said."That's worth more than any scoreboard ranking.Your successes have not gone unnoticed, I assure you."
The words were delivered with clinical detachment, yet Thalia found herself unexpectedly reassured.From Calloway, this was practically effusive praise.
"Thank you for listening," Thalia said, unsure what else to add.
Calloway nodded once, then resumed gathering her materials, a clear dismissal."I suggest you focus on the challenges ahead rather than the injustices behind.And perhaps," she added, almost as an afterthought, "inspect your equipment more thoroughly before each trial."
Thalia understood the implied message: Be vigilant.Trust nothing.Verify everything.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Dusk spilled across the training yard in violet shadows, casting the clashing soldiers in silhouette against the fading light.Thalia pressed her back against the cold stone of the archway, watching as Senna Drake barked commands at her squadron.Even from this distance, the precision of their movements was undeniable — a coordinated dance of steel and discipline that made something uncomfortable twist in Thalia's gut.Admiration, however reluctant, for a woman she'd sooner throw from the academy's highest tower than compliment.
"She's good," Luna whispered beside her, her dark eyes assessing."Hate to say it, but she knows what she's doing."
Thalia clenched her jaw."Knowing how to swing a blade doesn't make her trustworthy."
"No," Luna agreed, "but it might make her useful."
The soldiers — twelve in all, from the Northern Reaches by their bearing — moved with alarming synchronicity.Senna stood among them like a conductor before her orchestra, each sharp command setting off a new flurry of precise movements.Her voice carried across the yard, clipped and authoritative, brooking no hesitation or dissent.
"Form up!"The squadron shifted into a defensive formation, shields locking together as seamlessly as puzzle pieces."Break!Reform!"They scattered like birds startled from a branch, then coalesced into an offensive wedge, ice-steel blades gleaming in the last rays of sunlight.
"They move like they're one creature," Thalia muttered.She'd seen the challenge in training her own small squad of first-years — the constant pushing back from Rasmus and Sigrid, the tentative uncertainty of Daniel and Felah.Senna had somehow erased all individual friction from her unit, leaving only smooth, lethal efficiency.
Luna nudged her ribs, then raised her hand in a subtle signal.Across the yard, Senna's eyes flickered their way, narrowing as she spotted them lurking in the shadows.She gave no outward sign of recognition, merely continued drilling her soldiers through another series of maneuvers.
"Again!"Senna snapped when one man's shield drifted too low."The Wardens won't politely wait while you fix your stance, Connor."
Thalia watched the chastened soldier adjust, his shoulders rigid with embarrassment.She'd never seen Senna in her element before — had only known her as the sneering rival, the conniving adversary in the halls of Frostforge.This Senna, sharp and authoritative, somehow felt more dangerous.
