Page 17 of Frostforge, Passage Six
Her mother's pallet was empty, the blankets neatly folded.Thalia glanced once more at Mari, deciding to let her sister sleep.She slipped through the curtained doorway that separated their sleeping quarters from what had once been the herb shop.
Celeste stood with her back to the door, a sliver of morning light from the broken front window illuminating her as she ran her hands over barren shelves.Her shoulders—once straight and proud despite years of hardship—now curved slightly inward, as if bearing an invisible weight.Her hair, pulled back in a simple knot, showed more silver than black in the unforgiving light.
The shop that had sustained their family looked like the victim of a particularly thorough thief.Shelves that had once held neat rows of jars and pouches now stood empty, their contents scattered or stolen.The broad wooden counter where Thalia had watched her mother mix countless remedies was cracked down the middle, as though someone had taken an axe to it out of spite rather than necessity.
"Mother?"Thalia called softly.
Celeste turned, her weathered face softening at the sight of her daughter."Good morning."She gestured to the bare shelves."I was just taking stock.The Wardens were thorough, I'll give them that.They took everything—even the cheap mixture I use for calming upset stomachs."
Thalia moved closer, noticing the lone jar her mother cradled in her hands—a small ceramic container with a cracked lid."You found something?"
"Moonshade seeds," Celeste said, opening the jar to reveal a handful of tiny black specks."Must have fallen behind the shelves during the ransacking.Not much, but enough to start again."She offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes."I'll have to spend a season gathering, but we'll rebuild our stores.The forests around Verdant Port still hold their secrets, even if the city itself has changed.Once the people bring down those walls, I can go out foraging."
Thalia frowned, remembering their conversation from the night before."Mother, you aren't staying here.You and Mari need to go to Frostforge, where you'll be safe.The Wardens will return—you know they will."
Celeste replaced the jar on the otherwise empty shelf, her movements deliberate."We've survived this long in Verdant Port," she said, her voice even."This is our home, Thalia.These people need healers now more than ever."
"These people need to evacuate," Thalia countered, struggling to keep frustration from her voice."The city isn't defensible.The Wardens will come back with more ships, more soldiers—"
"We'll discuss it," Celeste said in a tone that suggested the discussion was already over.She moved to the broken counter, running her hand over the splintered wood."Tell me about your time at Frostforge.You've been stationed at the academy itself?As a guard?"
Thalia hesitated, weighing how much to share.The truth—that she had abandoned her post twice now, that she faced court martial upon return—would only worry her mother."Yes," she said carefully."After graduation, I was assigned to Frostforge's defense.When we heard about Verdant Port's fall, I...joined Kaine, Ashe, and Roran on their mission to investigate."
It wasn't exactly a lie, but the omission felt heavy on her tongue.She said nothing of stowing away against orders, nothing of the risks she had taken that went far beyond what any commanding officer would sanction.
"And now you've liberated an entire city," Celeste said, pride evident in her voice."My daughter, the warrior.When you left, you were just a girl trying to save her family.Now look at you—confident, strong, a leader of others."Her eyes shone with unshed tears."Your father would have been so proud."
The mention of her father sent a pang through her chest.Would he be proud of a daughter who disobeyed direct orders?Who stowed away in the cargo hold of a schooner, leaving her duty far behind in the north?
"I'm not a leader," Thalia said, the words coming out more sharply than intended."I just did what needed to be done."
"That's what leadership is," her mother replied simply."Seeing what needs to be done and having the courage to do it, even when it's difficult.Even when others might not understand."
The praise felt like salt in an open wound.Thalia had not acted out of noble purpose but out of fear for her family.She had abandoned her post, defied her superiors.If—when—she returned to Frostforge, she would face discipline, perhaps even expulsion from the academy's ranks.She was not an exemplary soldier, and she certainly wasn’t a leader; she was a reckless renegade at the bottom of the military’s hierarchy, a grunt incapable of following orders.
A soft knock interrupted her spiraling thoughts.Both women turned toward the front of the shop, where the door had once stood.Now there was only an opening, the hinges torn from the wall during the occupation.
Kaine stood in the doorway, his large frame filling the space, one hand raised in a gesture that mimicked knocking on a door that was no longer there.
"I'm sorry to intrude," he said, his pale Northern features softening as his gaze moved from Celeste to Thalia."I can come back later if—"
"You're not intruding," Thalia said quickly, grateful for the interruption.Guilt over her deception and shame over her failures threatened to spill out if the conversation with her mother continued much longer."I was just about to come find you."
This, too, was a small lie, but one that allowed her an escape.She crossed to the doorway, pausing only to kiss her mother's cheek."I'll be back soon."
"Take your time," Celeste replied, her eyes twinkling with sudden understanding as they flicked between Thalia and Kaine."I imagine you two have much to discuss."
Thalia felt heat rise to her face at her mother's knowing look.The wink that followed only deepened her blush."Mother—"
"Go on," Celeste shooed her toward the door with a wave."Mari and I will be here when you return."
Kaine stepped back as Thalia exited the shop, a question in his eyes that she pointedly ignored.They walked in silence for several paces, emerging into the narrow street where signs of the previous day's battle were still evident in scorched walls and discarded weapons.
Despite the early hour, people were already at work clearing debris and making repairs.A woman Thalia recognized as a former weaver of fishing nets was sweeping broken glass from the cobblestones, while two young men struggled to lift a fallen beam from a doorway.
"How are they?"Kaine asked finally, nodding back toward the shop.
"Resilient," Thalia answered."My mother is already planning how to rebuild her herb stores.She thinks she's staying."
