Page 47 of Frostforge, Passage Six
Thalia met her gaze, hearing the unspoken fear beneath the question.These people had already lost one home to the Deep Ones; now they risked losing their temporary sanctuary to the suspicion of their ancient enemies.
"I will," Thalia promised, the words emerging with unexpected fierceness."I swore to your captain I would bring you to safety.I won't break that oath."
The woman studied her for a long moment, then nodded once—a gesture of tentative trust that felt more significant than any formal agreement could have been.Without further comment, she helped secure the ropes that would lower them to the water's surface far below.
Thalia climbed into the canoe first, Roran and Ashe following with the fluid grace that marked all their movements.The craft dipped beneath their combined weight but remained surprisingly stable, its design clearly intended for waters far rougher than the relatively calm surface of the fjord.The Warden guards lowered them with practiced efficiency, the ropes sliding through their calloused hands with controlled speed.
As the canoe touched water, Thalia glanced back at the fortress-whale that had carried them to safety.From this angle, its true scale became even more apparent—a living island crowned with volcanic stone, its scarred flanks rising from the water like the edge of another world entirely.The Wardens who lined its railings appeared tiny against that massive backdrop, their faces indistinct with distance, but their postures conveying the universal language of uncertainty.
She raised her hand in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture, then turned her attention to the shore ahead.Roran took up the paddle at the stern, guiding them toward the dock with strong, sure strokes that barely disturbed the water's glassy surface.
The smell of brine and pine mingled in the cool morning air, growing stronger as they approached the shore.Behind them, the fortress-whale remained motionless in the center of the fjord, a dark silhouette against the brightening sky.Its presence felt impossible in these waters—a fragment of the archipelago transported to the very heart of continental defense.
When they reached the dock, Thalia was the first to step ashore, her boots striking the weathered planks with a hollow sound that resonated through the still morning.The wood felt solid beneath her feet after days aboard the living fortress, its stability almost disorienting after growing accustomed to the whale's subtle movements.
"Home," she murmured, though the word tasted strange on her tongue.
Was Frostforge still home?After everything she had witnessed, everything she had learned about the true nature of the conflict between mainlanders and Wardens, could she still claim this place as her own?The questions lingered, unanswered, as she helped secure the canoe to the dock's weathered cleats.
The familiar path wound upward from the shore, cutting through pine forest and across rocky outcroppings toward the academy's towering gates.Thalia led the way, her strides quickening as they climbed.Every moment that passed increased the risk of misunderstanding, of Frostforge's defenders mistaking the fortress-whale for an invading force.
"They'll have spotted it by now," Ashe commented, keeping pace easily despite the steep incline."The question is whether they'll wait to assess or strike immediately."
"Depends on who's in charge of the watch," Roran replied grimly."Some of the Northern guards would fire first and ask questions of the corpses."
A chill that had nothing to do with the morning air slithered down Thalia's spine.She increased her pace, boots slipping occasionally on pine needles that carpeted the path.The forest around them held a strange silence—no birds called, no small creatures rustled through the underbrush.It was as if the entire mountainside held its breath, waiting.
They had nearly reached the final bend in the path when it came—a deep, resonant horn blast that echoed through the fjord with bone-shaking intensity.Thalia froze mid-step, her heart seizing in her chest.That sound, that particular note held for that precise duration, could mean only one thing.
Frostforge was signaling imminent danger.The academy was preparing for an attack.
The sound shattered the forest's unnatural quiet.Birds erupted from the trees in dark clouds, their panicked cries filling the air as they wheeled away from the perceived threat.Small animals darted across the path, seeking deeper cover from whatever violence might be coming.
"Well," Roran muttered, "they've definitely spotted us."Static electricity crackled visibly between his fingers, storm magic responding to his rising tension."And they're not sending a welcome party."
Ashe's hand went to her glacenite blade, the motion so fluid and automatic it seemed more reflex than conscious decision.Her body shifted into a fighting stance, weight balanced perfectly despite the uneven ground beneath her feet.
"We need to move," Thalia said urgently, forcing her legs back into motion."Now—before they mistake the fortress-whale for an attack and open fire."
They abandoned stealth for speed, racing up the final stretch of path toward the academy's imposing walls.Thalia's lungs burned with the effort, each breath a sharp reminder of the hours she had spent in these same forests, training for battles against an enemy she now sought to protect.
As they crested the final rise, Frostforge Academy came into view—a massive structure of stone and ice-metal built directly into the sheer cliff face.Its battlements bristled with defenders, dark silhouettes against the morning sky.Archers lined the walls, their bows drawn and ready.Ice-mages stood at intervals between them, hands raised in preparation for spellcasting.
Before the towering gates, a battalion of Frostforge's elite guard had assembled in tight formation, their ice-steel armor gleaming in the early light.Their weapons—a mixture of polearms, swords, and glacenite blades—caught the sun's rays and reflected them back in cold, blue-white flashes that hurt the eyes.
At their head stood Senna Drake, her black hair pulled back in a severe braid that emphasized the sharp angles of her face.She wore ice-steel armor, and her insignia was pinned to a leather inset on her chestplate, marking her as a commander of significant rank despite her relative youth.The set of her shoulders, the lift of her chin, the hand that rested casually on her sword hilt—everything about her posture spoke of confident authority.
Beside her stood Brynn Firstborn, equally imposing in her own way.Where Senna projected cold command, Brynn radiated calculated precision.Her daggers remained sheathed at her sides, but her fingers hovered near them, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
Thalia halted at the edge of the clearing before the gates, raising her hands high to show she carried no weapons."Hold!"she shouted, her voice carrying across the open space with surprising strength."It's Thalia Greenspire!Roran Bright and Ashe Redwood are with me!We're returning from our mission!"
The defenders didn't lower their weapons, but neither did they attack immediately.Uncertainty rippled through their ranks—a subtle shifting of weight, an exchanged glance, a moment of hesitation.
"Lies!"someone called from the battlement above."It's a Warden trick!"
Senna's hand tightened on her sword hilt, her expression hardening into the mask of a warrior prepared to give the order to attack.The tension in the air thickened until it seemed to vibrate with potential violence, a string drawn too tight and about to snap.
"Wait!"The shout came from behind the defenders' ranks, a voice that cut through the tension like a blade through ice."Drop your weapons!Hold your fire!They're ours!"
