Page 29 of Frostforge, Passage Six
“How did you know?”he said eventually.“That Thalia—”
Senna snorted.“That Greenspire commandeered your mission?Please.You’re back here, she’s not, and neither are Redwood and that stormspawn.I can guess exactly how this went down.”
"I tried to order her to return to Frostforge," he admitted, the words falling from him like stones."I pulled rank.Told her it was for her own safety."
Senna's bark of laughter startled a nearby bird from its perch."And how did that work out for you?"
Kaine's lips twisted in a humorless smile."About as well as you'd expect."
"You're an idiot," Senna said, but there was no heat in the words."Greenspire doesn't take orders—she never has, if you’ve been paying attention.Not from Maven, not from Wolfe, certainly not from you."She shook her head."You should have asked her.Given her a choice."
The simple truth of it struck Kaine like a physical blow.He should have known better.Should have recognized that Thalia would never respond to commands, to being sidelined or protected.She'd spent her entire life fighting to prove herself, to carve out space in a world that tried to diminish her.Of course, she would reject any attempt to push her aside, no matter how well-intentioned.
"You're right," he said, the admission easier than he'd expected."I was an idiot."
Senna's eyebrow arched in surprise at his ready agreement."Well," she said after a moment, "at least you're learning."
***
Kaine's footsteps echoed against the stone corridors of Frostforge's eastern wing, each sound amplified in the pre-dawn stillness.Sleep had eluded him since his return, his mind too full of vanishing islands and Thalia's absence to find rest.The documents recovered from the Warden ship lay heavy in his satchel, their secrets pressing against his side like a physical weight.Without Roran's fluency in the Warden tongue, translation would be arduous—but not impossible.Not with the right help.
He paused before a weathered oak door, one of many identical entrances lining the dormitory corridor.The quarters Thalia shared with Luna and Ashe when not deployed on missions.His knuckles hesitated against the wood, a flicker of doubt passing through him.It was early—too early for most of Frostforge's inhabitants.But Luna Meadows had always kept different hours than most, her peculiar habits a subject of mild fascination among her peers.
He knocked, three sharp raps that felt too loud in the quiet hallway.
Seconds stretched into a minute before the door cracked open, revealing Luna's face—alert despite the hour, her dark eyes already cataloging everything from his posture to the satchel at his hip.She didn’t seem surprised to see him, but then, Luna never seemed surprised.
“Kaine," she said, none of the performative distraction she sometimes affected for strangers present in her voice."You look like you haven't slept in days."
"I haven't," he admitted."Are you on duty this morning?"
Luna leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed."Guard shift on the plateau in an hour.Why?"
"I need your help."Kaine glanced down the corridor, then lowered his voice."Find someone to cover for you."
Luna's eyebrows rose, interest kindling in her gaze."That serious, is it?"She studied him for a moment longer, then nodded."I'll ask Brynn.She owes me a favor."Her eyes narrowed."What's going on?"
In answer, Kaine reached into his satchel and withdrew one of the scrolls, allowing her a glimpse of the angular Warden script.Luna's breath caught, her casual posture vanishing as she straightened.
"Are those—"
"Documents recovered from a captured Warden ship at Verdant Port," he confirmed, returning the scroll to his satchel."They need to be translated fully and quickly.With Roran gone..."He left the implication hanging between them.
Luna's face transformed, the last traces of sleepiness vanishing beneath a sudden, sharp focus."Give me ten minutes to find Brynn and change."Her lips curved into a genuine smile—rarer than most realized."Gods, something actually consequential.I've been bored out of my skull on guard shifts since your mission left."
Before she could close the door, Kaine added quietly, "I also have something you should know… about your father."
Luna arched an eyebrow, unsurprised.
"Based on what we could gather, it seems he left Verdant Port before the Wardens arrived," Kaine said."He seems to have fled, probably anticipating trouble."
Luna nodded slowly, a wry smile tugging at her lips."That makes sense," she said, as if this were entirely expected."My father has a knack for reading the early warning signs of disaster.He’s done it my whole life.He probably saw this coming months ago."
Kaine studied her, noting the mixture of resignation and pride in her expression."Still.I thought you might want to know.He’s in the South.He’s safe.”
“Thank you,” Luna said, inclining her head.“Now give me ten minutes.Meet me at the stairs.”
The door closed with a soft click.Kaine leaned against the opposite wall for a moment, fatigue pressing down on his shoulders like a physical weight.He hadn't slept properly since leaving Verdant Port, his mind too full of Thalia’s letter, of worry for her fate.Then he heaved himself upright and stalked toward the stairs.
