Page 56 of Frostforge, Passage Six
Mari looked to Celeste, uncertainty written across her face."Where are we going?"
"Somewhere better than this."Thalia began collecting their meager belongings, folding the blankets with quick, efficient movements.
Celeste caught her arm."Thalia, we can't just leave.They've assigned us here—"
"I've earned some privileges," Thalia said, the lie slipping easily from her lips.In truth, she'd been stripped of all privileges, but what were rules compared to her family's welfare?"I can arrange better accommodations."
After a moment of hesitation, Celeste nodded and began to help gather their possessions.The pile was pathetically small—everything they'd managed to salvage from their lives in Verdant Port fit into a single satchel and a small cloth bundle.
The corridors were quieter now as they climbed through the levels of Frostforge, leaving the public areas behind.Thalia led them through passages she'd walked countless times before, up narrow staircases and past armories and training rooms, until they reached the dormitory section where students and soldiers were housed.
"Should we be here?"Mari whispered, eyes wide as she took in the more austere but infinitely more private surroundings."Isn't this for...for defenders?"
"And what do you think I am?"Thalia asked with a small smile, though the question pricked at her.What was she now?A disgraced soldier?A custodian?She pushed the thought away as they reached the door to her shared chamber.
She paused, hand on the latch.What if Luna and Ashe objected?The room was designed for three, not five.But she couldn't bear to take her family back to that overcrowded hall, to that single cot where her mother's back would ache and Mari would struggle to sleep amid the constant noise.
Taking a deep breath, Thalia pushed open the door.
Luna and Ashe were both inside, Luna cross-legged on her bunk with a scattering of papers around her, Ashe sharpening a dagger with methodical strokes of a whetstone.Both looked up as the door swung open, surprise registering on their faces.
"Thalia," Luna said, her eyes flicking from Thalia to the two women behind her."And...company."
"My mother and sister," Thalia said, ushering them into the room."Celeste and Mari."
Ashe set her dagger aside, the whetstone making a soft click against the wooden table.Her expression was unreadable, but Thalia knew that look—the Northern warrior assessing a situation, weighing variables.
"I wasn't aware we were going to have visitors," Ashe said, her tone neutral.“I would’ve straightened up my bunk.”
"I’d prefer if they weren’t visitors, but something a bit more permanent," Thalia said, straightening her shoulders."They've been housed in one of the lecture halls, but the conditions there..."
She trailed off, suddenly feeling the audacity of what she was asking.This room was a sanctuary for all of them, a private space amid the controlled chaos of Frostforge.And here she was, bringing in strangers—even if they were her blood.
"I'm asking if they can stay here," she finished, forcing herself to meet first Luna's gaze, then Ashe's."With us."
A heavy silence fell.Celeste shifted uncomfortably behind her, and Thalia sensed her mother was about to suggest they return to their assigned quarters.Before she could, Luna spoke.
"Well, it's certainly not against regulations," she said, a spark of her old mischief glinting in her eyes."Not specifically, anyway."
"Luna," Ashe's tone held a warning.
"What?It's not as if the rule book has a section on 'appropriate housing for the family members of demoted soldiers during a refugee crisis.'This is uncharted territory."
Thalia felt a rush of gratitude toward Luna.
Ashe sighed, running a hand through her black hair, the red streaks catching the light."It's going to be crowded."
"We don't take up much space," Mari offered, her voice small but determined."And we're quiet."
`Something in Mari's tone—the dignity in it, the earnest promise—seemed to sway Ashe.The Northern warrior's expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"Very well," she said at last."But when Instructor Wolfe finds out—"
"She won't," Thalia said quickly, though they all knew it was wishful thinking.In Frostforge, very little escaped Wolfe's notice for long."And if she does, I'll take full responsibility."
"As if that's any comfort," Luna muttered, but she was already clearing space on her bed, moving her papers to make room."I’m not sure how much more ‘full responsibility’ you can survive in this place.”
Thalia chose to ignore this—and the curious, alarmed glance her mother shot her.Instead, she cleared her throat.“Mother, Mari, let’s get you settled in.”
