Page 27 of Frostforge, Passage Six
The northern wind bit through Kaine's furs as the captured Warden ship glided into Frostforge's fjord, its touch both punishment and welcome after weeks in the sweltering South.He stood at the bow, shoulders straight despite the weight of exhaustion that had settled into his bones.
Rimmed with ice, the familiar cliffs of the fjord rose on either side, their sheer faces scarred by centuries of wind and water.Home.Though Kaine had no true home anymore, the North was in his blood—its harsh beauty and unforgiving nature a reflection of his own.The familiar scent of pine and frost filled his lungs, replacing the salt and fish stink of Verdant Port with each breath.
Behind him, the refugees huddled in small groups, their Southern garments pitifully inadequate against the North's bite.Thalia's mother and sister stood apart from the others, dignity in their posture despite the chattering of their teeth.Celeste's arm wrapped protectively around Mari's shoulders, her weathered hands—a healer's hands—red and chapped from the cold.They had the same stubborn set to their jaws that Thalia did when she'd made up her mind about something.The resemblance twisted in Kaine's chest like a blade between ribs.
It had taken days to convince them to leave Verdant Port.Days of arguments that echoed his final conversation with Thalia—the one that had sent her running straight into danger.
"Verdant Port is my home," Celeste had insisted, her chin lifted in defiance as she stood in the wreckage of her herb shop."These people need healers now more than ever."
Kaine had bit back his frustration, knowing that sharp words would only strengthen her resolve.Instead, he'd appealed to what he knew of her—a mother first, a healer second.
"The Wardens will return," he'd said quietly."And when they do, they'll remember who stood against them.Mari will be in danger."
The mention of her younger daughter's safety had cracked Celeste's resolve, but not broken it.It wasn't until he'd described Frostforge's need for skilled herbalists—the academy's growing population of Southern refugees requiring medicines different from those Northern healers knew how to prepare—that she had finally relented.
"Like mother, like daughter," he muttered now, his breath clouding in the frigid air.Both were willing to risk everything for what they believed was right.Both are infuriatingly stubborn.Both are impossible to protect unless they are allowed to.
The ship's hull scraped against the dock pilings, the sound jarring Kaine from his thoughts.He narrowed his eyes against the harsh northern sun, focusing on the reception waiting for them.
Instructor Wolfe stood at the forefront, her arms crossed over her chest, her face an impassive mask carved from ice.Beside her, Admiral Marr's dark features were set in thoughtful lines, his glass-threaded cloak catching the light as it stirred in the wind.Behind them stood a row of Frostforge guards in their distinctive uniforms of blue and silver, weapons at the ready.
Among the guards, Kaine recognized Senna's tall figure, her silver-gray eyes fixed on him with an intensity that hadn't dimmed since their days as a matched pair in the Northern tribes.Before his fall from grace.Before prison.Her squadron flanked her, a testament to her authority at the academy now.
Dockworkers moved forward to secure the ship's lines as it settled against the weathered planks.Kaine turned to the refugees, pitching his voice to carry over the wind.
"Welcome to Frostforge," he said, gesturing toward the imposing structure carved into the cliff face above them."You'll be safe here."
The words felt hollow even as he spoke them.Was anywhere truly safe anymore?With vanishing islands and Wardens fleeing to the mainland, with fortress-whales disappearing into deeper waters and strange forces stirring beyond the archipelago's boundaries?With Thalia sailing directly into that unknown danger?
He pushed the thought aside and moved to help Celeste and Mari disembark.The wooden gangplank creaked beneath their weight as they descended to the dock.Kaine followed close behind, feeling the weight of Wolfe's gaze like a physical pressure against his skin.
"Ember," she said, his name sharp as a blade on her tongue."Where is Greenspire?"
The question hit him like a blow to the sternum, though he'd expected it.Kaine arranged his features into what he hoped was a convincing expression of surprise.
"Greenspire?"he repeated, his voice carefully neutral."I assumed she was here."
The lie tasted bitter, but it was necessary.If Wolfe knew that Thalia had deliberately disobeyed orders to pursue the fortress-whale mission, the consequences would be severe.Court-martial at best.Execution at worst, given her repeated insubordination.
Wolfe's eyes narrowed, the slight deepening of the lines around her mouth the only indication of her displeasure.“Why are you back here?I doubt you’ve already accomplished your task in the archipelago."
Kaine straightened his shoulders, meeting her gaze directly."Bright and Redwood continued the mission as planned," he said, the half-truth easier to deliver than the outright lie."I returned with the intelligence we recovered and these survivors from Verdant Port."He gestured to the refugees now gathering on the dock, their faces turned upward to take in the cliff’s imposing silhouette."Given the nature of what we found, it seemed prudent to deliver this information immediately."
Wolfe studied him for a long moment, her expression betraying neither approval nor suspicion.But Kaine felt the tension in the air as if she already doubted him, already knew he was concealing something vital.
"And what exactly did you find, Ember, that justified abandoning your assigned mission?"Her voice was ice over steel.
From the corner of his eye, Kaine could see Senna step forward slightly, her posture tense.Concern, not suspicion, radiated from her—concern for him.The realization was both surprising and oddly warming.
"Documents on the ships," Kaine replied, reaching into his pack to withdraw the parchments they'd recovered from the Warden ship's captain's quarters."Written in Warden script.There are more still aboard, in locked compartments that will require careful handling to access."He held out the rolled parchments."From what we could decipher, they appear to detail invasion plans—not just for Verdant Port, but for the entire mainland coast.They need to be fully translated.I can begin work immediately, if you'll permit it."
"You were meant to sail for the archipelago," Wolfe said, her tone making it clear she found his current assignment a poor substitute."To gather intelligence on fortress-whale defenses and capabilities."
Kaine felt a twinge of frustration—not at Wolfe, but at Thalia.Her impulsive decision had not only put herself in danger but had potentially damaged his standing with the academy's leadership.But he swallowed the feeling, knowing it would serve no purpose now.
"Bright and Redwood insisted I return with the intelligence and refugees," he said, threading another half-truth into the narrative."They believed this information was too critical to risk losing if the mission...encountered difficulties."
Wolfe's expression didn't change, but she nodded once, a sharp downward jerk of her chin."Very well.You will work on translating these documents while we await word of the fortress-whale mission's success or failure."She turned to Marr."See that these refugees are processed and assigned temporary quarters.”
