Heart of Ice (The Snow Queen #1)(14)
But, if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t going to throw herself against the Chosen just because they were carrying out evil acts. It was also because she fostered a deep-seated hope that maybe, if she was heroic enough, the citizens of Verglas would see beyond her powers and welcome her.
“Captain, if I were to use my…talents, do we have a hope of casting them out of Verglas?” Rakel abruptly asked.
“Yes,” he said without a moment of hesitation.
“Very well. If that is so, I wish to go to war. What do you advise?”
A smile—the first smile Rakel ever saw him wear—spread across the captain’s face. “I prayed for this day, Princess.”
“Thank you. I hope I am not too late.”
“Never, Princess,” Oskar said, shaking his head in mock disapproval.
“Knut, get Aleifr and the Fyran elders,” Captain Halvor said.
“The captain has been planning this for days,” Oskar said, winking at Rakel as he escorted her inside. “Is the library a suitable place to meet, Halvor?”
“Yes. Snorri, go to my quarters and retrieve my map—”
“I already have many maps—of the continent and Verglas,” Rakel said.
Oskar sighed wistfully. “Yes, I envy your collection.”
“The first step will be to build a war council. Our supplies and numbers are limited. After we are organized, we need to concentrate on freeing additional troops,” Captain Halvor said. (He was not about to be distracted now that his hopes were coming together.)
“They didn’t slaughter our soldiers?” Rakel asked.
Captain Halvor shook his head. “They killed many, but they took great pains to capture troops.”
“They probably want fighting slaves,” Oskar said grimly.
Captain Halvor bowed his head in acknowledgement.
“Very well. Where is the nearest place in which our soldiers are being kept?” Rakel asked as they entered her library.
“There is a garrison not far from the foot of the mountain. Here.” He pointed to a map she brought to him and then paged through others, searching for a different one.
Oskar, meanwhile, strolled past the shelves. “Did you enjoy all the books, Princess?”
“Yes.”
“Even though it seems like most of your collection is nonfiction?”
“There are a few collections of fairy tales, but in truth I enjoy informational books the most. I employed many of the methods outlined in the architecture books when building this castle, and I was grateful for the knowledge the history books imparted.”
“I’m glad.”
“Here. Namsen, another village, is between Vefsna and the enemy garrison. You will probably wish to clear it first, but I doubt you’ll encounter much opposition. The real difficulty will be the garrison. My soldiers and I can—”
“No,” Rakel said.
Captain Halvor blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“Neither you nor your men will accompany me while I fight. Once I push the garrison out, you are free to reclaim the Verglas soldiers, but I will not allow anyone to stand with me while I fight.”
Captain Halvor scowled.
“It’s not wise to fight alone, Princess,” Oskar said, his voice gentle.
Rakel knew his words were wise…but the garrison was so close to the mountain that if she studied her geography, she could possibly manipulate a partial avalanche. The last thing she wanted was for Oskar and Captain Halvor, who had treated her with something akin to kindness, to see what she was capable of.
If they do, they’ll know how unnatural I am.
“I am aware my demand is risky.”
Captain Halvor snorted.
“However, it is the only way I will face the garrison.”
Oskar and Captain Halvor exchanged glances. The captain flattened his lips in displeasure, but Oskar clasped a hand on Halvor’s shoulder. “She is the princess,” he said.
“After taking out the garrison and reclaiming Verglas soldiers, where do we go?”
“Our end goal should be Ostfold—the capital. It’s been occupied for several weeks, and it has a large number of Verglas soldiers,” Captain Halvor said, pointing to the dot that marked the map.
“And my brother,” Rakel said.
“Yes.” The amount of care and studied nonchalance the good captain could put on one word was incredible.
“I agree we must free Ostfold as swiftly as possible, but shouldn’t we open up other pockets first?” Oskar asked.
“Yes,” the captain repeated—this time with relief. “There are several settlements and fortifications we should take out first. Depleting them will make it harder for the enemy to regroup and try to recapture Ostfold, if they are so inclined.”
“I see,” Rakel said.
Knut stomped into the room; another soldier—a younger man with a ruddy complexion and easy smile—followed in his wake. “I’ve brung Aleifr, and the elders have been notified. What next, Captain?”
Captain Halvor smiled—miraculously—a second time. “We go to war.”
CHAPTER 5
THE ROBBER MAIDEN
“You are certain all the Verglas soldiers are in those four lean-tos?” Rakel asked. She had defeated Namsen with ease an hour or two ago.