Sacrifice (The Snow Queen #2)(15)

Silence choked the air.

Defeated, Rakel rested her forehead against the door. What do I say to him? I’m used to fearing for my life, not reassuring people of goodwill! “Verglas…Verglas needs its king, Steinar.” She jerked back from the door when she realized some of it had started to frost over under her unconscious use of magic. “We’re muddling through, but the people need someone to follow.”

She hesitated, unsure how to voice what was in her heart. “I also need my king. I don’t have the knowledge, or the desire…”

What could convince him to rally? If I encourage him in the manner Phile commonly encourages me, he may take it as a threat.

“I’m sorry,” Rakel said, not knowing what else to say. “I’m sorry I was born with magic. Please…forgive me?”

Rakel shut her eyes and hoped…but there was not a sound nor a movement. She sighed, regretfully traced a hand across the door’s surface, and left the hall.

She straightened the vest of her light blue Bunad and fixed the fall of her cloak. She was going home—or close to it, anyway.

When Rakel left the hallway and made her way through the maze of the severely damaged palace—she still carried a map in case she got lost—she made her way to the west side, leaving the building for the cold winds gusting across the massive iceberg that jutted close to the palace.

Phile was there, as were the rest of the members of their search party. “No luck?”

Rakel shook her head. “I thought he was more open to me after the gardens, but…”

“Give him time,” Phile suggested. “It may not be you he is struggling with.”

“What do you mean?” Rakel asked.

“Guilt is a heavy burden, Little Wolf,” Phile said.

Rakel was a little confused by the pearl of wisdom, but she was distracted when she saw Crow—the Chosen mercenary—perched on a mountain pony parked in the center of the magic users that would be going with Rakel, Oskar, General Halvor, and Phile. “Crow? Why is he coming with?”

“General Halvor thinks he might be useful.” Phile tightened her saddle’s girth. “During his questioning, he said he and some of the other mercenaries were sent to scout around Ensom Peak.”

Rakel frowned. “Farrin said the raiders weren’t his men.”

“They weren’t. Crow said he reported to Colonel Kavon—an illusionist.”

“But Farrin was in charge of taking northern Verglas. He would have known if other troops marched through his territory,” Rakel said.

“That’s the interesting part—Kavon had Crow and the others do this on the sly. They scouted out Ensom while Farrin and his boys were laying siege to Ostfold and the palace.” Phile vaulted onto the back of her horse and patted the surefooted creature’s neck.

“And they didn’t go up the peak?”

“They weren’t searching for you, if that’s what you’re thinking. He said they were told to hunt for a mountain path.”

“They didn’t find it?”

“They did, but it was snowed out and impassable.”

“I see. So this Colonel Kavon was trying to hide his actions,” Rakel said.

“Yep.”

“Interesting.” Rakel edged farther into the scouting party, passing several loaded sleds and more mountain ponies. She found Frigid waiting for her at the far side of the group, eating a flake of hay.

“Are you certain you want to ride him, Princess? There’s plenty of room in one of the sleighs for you.” Oskar furrowed his eyebrows as he studied the reindeer.

“Perhaps I will switch to a sleigh eventually, but for now I wish to ride,” Rakel said.

“As you wish,” Oskar said. He found a footstool and placed it next to the reindeer, giving Rakel a boost onto its bony back.

“Princess.” General Halvor bowed after he approached her. “Our plan remains the same. We will ride across the iceberg and move west, towards Ensom. We have enough supplies to last us two weeks.”

“Excellent. Thank you, General Halvor.”

General Halvor bowed again. “King Steinar…?”

Rakel shook her head. Glancing back and forth between her attendant and longtime captain of her guards, she said, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Patience, Princess.” Oskar smiled sadly. “It’s all we can do.”

“Before the invasion, King Steinar was competent and strong. I am certain he will return to his duties one day,” General Halvor said.

Some of Rakel’s tension eased at his words. “Thank you.”

General Halvor bowed. “With your arrival, we should move on, Princess.”

“Of course,” Rakel agreed.

Oskar groaned, “I always feel like an idiot when I ride a pony. My legs practically scrape the ground.” He sighed, but resignedly mounted up a sturdy gray pony that was almost as tall as a horse.

Phile batted her eyelashes at him. “You could ride my horse, Oskar.”

“The one you stole from the Chosen Army?” Rakel asked.

“We could ride double,” Phile continued.

Oskar laughed. “While your generosity warms my heart, I’m afraid I must refuse. Ponies are the best animal for the terrain we will cover. Well—they’re the best after reindeer.” He winked at Rakel, drawing a smile from her. “Though it is very convenient that we can travel directly west. If the iceberg weren’t here, the gorge would be impassable—good for defending, not so good for speedy travel.”