Page 41 of Frostforge: Passage Four
"Watch yourselves," she called, voice soft enough that only they could hear."Whoever's behind this — they've already shown they're willing to kill."
Thalia and Luna watched her go, her silhouette blending with the growing darkness.
"Do you trust her?"Luna asked quietly.
Thalia considered the question, watching the space where Senna had disappeared."No," she admitted."But I believe she wants to catch this traitor as badly as we do."
"That'll have to be enough," Luna said, her eyes sharp in the gathering night."For now."
***
Thalia stood before Roran's door, fist raised and frozen mid-air, her courage faltering like a flame in a draft.Five days since they'd spoken alone.Five days since the mess hall brawl and Wolfe's lecture, and since then, Roran had retreated into himself; outside of classes, Thalia had barely seen him.The smooth wood of his door seemed suddenly insurmountable, the inches between her knuckles and its surface stretching into leagues.She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and knocked — three sharp raps that echoed down the empty corridor.
Silence stretched between her and the closed door.Thalia shifted her weight, wondering if she should knock again or simply leave.Perhaps he was asleep, or not there at all.She raised her hand to try once more when she heard movement within — the whisper of footsteps, then the soft creak of the latch turning.
The door opened a few cautious inches, revealing Roran's face half-hidden in shadow.His eyes, normally bright with mischief, looked hollowed out, the skin beneath them bruised with exhaustion.His wild black curls hung loose and unkempt around his face, several days' worth of stubble darkening his jaw.
"What do you want, Greenspire?"His voice was rough from disuse, stripped of its usual warmth.
Thalia hesitated only a moment, then decided on directness."I need your help."
Something flickered across Roran's face — surprise, then wariness, then a spark of his old self.He studied her face, searching for signs of pity or manipulation.Finding none, he gave a single, sharp nod and reached for his cloak, hanging from a hook beside the door.
"Give me a minute," he said, pulling the door wider.His room beyond was spartanly neat, bed made with military precision, personal effects minimal.Not the chaos she'd expected from someone as naturally effervescent as Roran.Another reminder of how little she truly knew him, despite everything.
He emerged a moment later, cloak fastened at his shoulders, and pulled the door shut behind him.They fell into step together, walking through the stone halls of Frostforge.The silence between them felt less tense than Thalia had expected, almost companionable.
"I spoke with Ashe a while back," Thalia said at last, her voice low despite the empty corridor."She told me Northern elders have been sending ravens to students from the Reaches."
Roran glanced at her, a furrow appearing between his brows."What kind of messages?"
"Encouraging them to undermine Southern leadership at the academy," Thalia explained, watching his reaction carefully.
Roran's jaw tightened."Charming."
"What I can't figure out," Thalia continued, "is why the Northern elders suddenly took such an interest.I doubt they wake up every morning thinking about Frostforge's internal politics."
"Someone must have written to them first," Roran concluded, following her logic."Someone inside the academy who wanted to stir up trouble."
Thalia nodded."Exactly.And I think I know who might know more about it."
They found Einar alone in the archives, hunched over a heavy tome bound in weathered leather.The lamplight cast deep shadows across his face, making the angles of his Northern features even sharper.He looked up as they approached, his expression immediately darkening at the sight of them.
"What do you two want?"he asked, not bothering to keep his voice down despite the sanctity of the archives."I'm busy."
Thalia stopped a respectful distance from his table, Roran at her shoulder like a silent sentinel."We need information," she said, keeping her voice cold and sharp."The Northern elders didn't just wake up and decide to flood the academy with ravens.Someone wrote to them to complain about Marr and the Command Challenge.Who was it?"
Einar scoffed, closing his book with deliberate slowness."As if I'd talk to you about this."
"It's a simple question," Thalia pressed, taking a step closer."Who contacted the elders first?"
"I don't owe you answers, Southerner."Einar's eyes flicked to Roran, narrowing with undisguised contempt."Or your pet Warden."
She felt Roran tense beside her, but he remained silent.Thalia leaned forward, placing her palms flat on the table."You know how dangerous storm magic can be," she said quietly, watching understanding dawn in Einar's eyes."How unpredictable.How...destructive."
She glanced sideways at Roran, who caught on immediately, shifting his stance to something more imposing.He cleared his throat and added, “You know what they say about storms, Einar.Even the quiet ones break.”
Einar straightened defensively, scowling."Are you threatening me?"
