Page 3 of Frostforge, Passage Six
The mist parted like a veil drawn back by invisible hands, revealing the jagged coastline of Verdant Port.Thalia's breath caught in her throat as familiar shapes emerged from the gloom—the curved sweep of the bay, the rocky promontories that guarded the harbor's entrance, the steep cliffs where she'd once gathered rare cliff-moss for her mother's remedies.
Her home, shrouded in unnatural fog, transformed by Warden's presence into something that felt both achingly familiar and disturbingly wrong.
From her perch in the crow's nest, Thalia scanned the shoreline, searching for the reassuring flash of light that had guided ships safely to port for generations.The lighthouse—a stone tower rising from the largest promontory—stood dark and silent, its beacon extinguished.No warm glow spilled from its windows, no keeper moved behind its glass.The Verdant Flame, as locals called it, had never gone dark, not even during the fiercest storms.
Until now.
Thalia's fingers tightened around the railing, the wood rough beneath her calloused skin.The lighthouse's darkness confirmed what she'd feared since leaving Frostforge—this wasn't a simple raid.The Isle Wardens hadn't come to plunder and vanish like sea-foam at dawn.They had taken Verdant Port, claimed it, occupied it.
As if summoned by her realization, the fog thinned further, revealing what waited in the harbor's mouth.Four Warden warships—massive vessels with hulls painted midnight black and sails the color of storm clouds—formed a tight blockade across the entrance to Verdant Port.Their decks crawled with movement, dark figures shifting like shadows against the pale morning light.Harpoon launchers lined their railings, chains coiled on their decks, ready to ensnare any vessel foolish enough to approach.
This was no ordinary occupation.Four warships to blockade a trading port spoke of something more—something the Wardens valued enough to commit significant resources to holding.What could they possibly want with Verdant Port?The city was prosperous, yes, but hardly strategic.It held no military value, no arcane significance that she knew of.
Had the Wardens discovered something in Verdant Port that made it worth conquering?Or was this simply part of a larger campaign against the Southern Kingdoms?
The familiar skyline of Verdant Port rose beyond the blockade—the square tower of the harbormaster's office, the domed roof of the merchant's guild, the clustered buildings that climbed the hillside in neat terraces.Smoke rose from chimneys, suggesting that life continued, albeit under Warden rule.The sight made Thalia's chest ache with a peculiar mixture of relief and dread.The city stood, but it was no longer free.
Somewhere in that maze of streets, her mother and sister might be waiting, hoping for rescue, unaware that Thalia was so close yet separated by an impenetrable line of warships.
"Greenspire!"Roran's voice cut through her thoughts."Get down here.Now."
She glanced down to see him standing at the base of the mainmast, his expression tense.Behind him, the hatch to the lower deck had opened, and Kaine emerged, followed by Ashe.Their weapons were already strapped on—Kaine's massive ice-glacenite warhammer slung across his back, Ashe's crossbow loaded and ready.
Thalia slid down the rigging, her hands finding familiar holds in the ropes, her body remembering the movements despite the years since she'd helped sail fishing boats in these same waters.Her boots hit the deck with a soft thud as she landed beside Roran.
"They've seen us," he said without preamble, nodding toward the blockade."The signal flags just went up."
Thalia followed his gaze.Sure enough, a series of black pennants had risen on the nearest warship, fluttering in the breeze like the wings of carrion birds.She couldn't read the Warden signals, but their meaning was clear enough.
The four of them huddled near the mainmast, voices low despite the distance that still separated them from the enemy vessels.
"We won't make it through that blockade without a fight," Roran said, his fingers tapping against the pommel of his cutlass."Not four ships, not with that many Wardens.We need to hit hard and fast, punch through their line, then disappear into one of the coastal inlets before they can organize a pursuit."
"We'd have to abandon the schooner," Kaine pointed out, his Northern accent more pronounced under stress."Those inlets are too shallow for a vessel this size."
Roran frowned."Better to lose the ship than our lives."
"There's no inlet deep enough to hide us," Thalia said, shaking her head."Not for miles in either direction.I used to gather shellfish all along this coast.The only approach to Verdant Port is through the main harbor.Everything else is too rocky, too shallow, or too exposed."
"The Wardens have already spotted us," Roran insisted, a muscle jumping in his jaw."We can't turn back now without raising suspicion."
"And we can't afford to lose this ship," Kaine countered, his pale eyes flicking toward the blockade."Not yet.Not when we might need it to evacuate Thalia's family and any others we can rescue."
Roran scowled, clearly irritated that Kaine had spoken against his plan."Then what do you suggest?We sail straight into their arms?"
"We fight."Ashe's voice was calm, matter-of-fact, as though suggesting nothing more dramatic than a change in the watch schedule."We're stronger than they know."
Thalia glanced at the Northern warrior woman, whose red-streaked hair was now bound tightly for battle.Ashe gestured toward the hold.
"Kaine has fitted our ship with two ice-glacenite cannons.Technology the Wardens have never seen.And Roran can strike with storm magic when they least expect it.Right now, aboard this vessel, we are at our strongest."
"Just the four of us against a blockade?"Thalia asked, doubt coloring her tone.
"Four highly trained Frostforge soldiers with surprise on our side," Ashe corrected."The Wardens would expect a ruse or an escape attempt from within.They're not expecting a frontal assault with weapons they've never encountered."
Thalia weighed their options, her gaze returning to the distant skyline of Verdant Port.Every moment they delayed was another moment her family remained in danger—if they were still alive at all.The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine.
"We go through," she said finally, meeting each of their gazes in turn.
