Sacrifice (The Snow Queen #2)(5)

“How bad is it?” Rakel asked.

“Nothing they can’t survive. There have been few injuries and deaths, but they’ll need a good harvest this summer if the southern villages are to survive next winter.”

“We have to stop them.” Rakel turned to General Halvor and Oskar. “Can we send some of our magic users south?”

General Halvor shook his head. “We have too few of them to do so. Tenebris is here. They must support you and the main battle. However, we might be able to send some troops.”

Oskar winced. “Tenebris finally made it, did he? That’s a shame. I was hoping a wolf might eat him on his travels.”

“Not all of the raiding is as far south as you’d think.” Hilda ruffled her shoulders like a squat wren. “Sirpa said the raiders were on the path to sweep through Lajoki, Rollad, and Begna—and Begna is just a few hours from here.”

“I said, Little Wolf, it was snowing heavily!” Phile said.

Rakel ignored her. “We can ride out and stop them.”

“The other magic users can ride out,” Oskar said.

“Yes,” General Halvor said. “For you to ride out, Princess, would be a useless risk.”

“It wouldn’t be useless if we could wipe out all those raiders,” Rakel said. “Do they travel with any magic users?”

Hilda shook her head. “No, it’s just the mercenaries. Apparently those in the Chosen who can wield magic don’t like fraternizing with the help.”

“That hardly comes as a surprise,” Oskar said.

“If they have no magic users to defend them, they’ll be a fast, easy target,” Rakel said.

“Pst. Little Wolf. You missed your cue.”

Like everyone else, General Halvor ignored the Robber Maiden. He raised an eyebrow. “You would slay them?”

It was a legitimate question. Thus far Rakel had refused to kill—and planned to continue on with the vow.

“No. Begna is close to our Mullberg border, and there is a trader’s pass between the mountains that divide us. We could run them out of the country,” Rakel said. Verglas was partially boxed in by mountains. With a range to the north that also extended a little to the west before turning into foothills, and a second range stretching along their eastern border, there were only a few paths and passes to enter Mullberg—which was even more mountainous and isolated than Verglas.

Oskar smiled brightly. “You’ve been studying the maps in the royal library, haven’t you?”

“Little Wolf!”

“Thank you for pointing them out to me,” Rakel said.

“It was my honor.”

“What is to keep the mercenaries from reentering after you leave?” General Halvor asked.

“She can build a wall,” Phile said.

Everyone in the conversation turned to her, surprised with her sudden entrance.

“What?” she said. “Rakel was being a horrible stagehand. I wanted to come see what had you all whispering like conspirators.”

“The wall is a good idea,” Snorri said.

“There, you see? If Snorri feels strongly enough to speak up, you know it must be brilliant.” Phile pumped her arm in triumph.

“Could you do it, Princess?” Oskar asked.

“Yes—unless the pass is bigger than the maps and descriptions have led me to believe,” Rakel said.

“It might then be worth personally seeing to,” General Halvor said carefully.

“If you still wish to, Princess,” Oskar added.

“I do.”

“We must move swiftly, if that is the case,” General Halvor said. “Snorri, please inform the Fireheart Squad of our departure.”

“Fireheart Squad?” Oskar asked.

“That’s Frodi, Eydìs, and Tollak, isn’t it?” Rakel asked, recalling the various teams in which General Halvor had placed the magic users.

“Exactly so,” General Halvor said. “If you will excuse me, I will begin preparing our troops.” He bowed and then strode away, Snorri moving in his shadow.

“Hmm, perhaps it would be for the best if I returned to my room and bothered Sirpa again. She might be able to tell me just when the mercenary troops will march on Begna,” Hilda said.

Oskar offered her his arm. “I believe I have time to escort you to your room before preparing for the princess’s departure.”

“Excellent!” Phile crowed. “Rakel, you can come with me.”

“Where are you going?” Rakel asked as Oskar and Hilda began the trek to the palace.

“Nowhere. I need to finish my story, or my audience will be disappointed, forever.”

Rakel sighed. “I should have known better than to think you would do something in preparation.”

“As long as I have Foedus and an eye on you, I’m ready for anything,” Phile promised, twirling her ugly, bug-shaped dagger. The weapon was infamous for its homeliness and the many stories Phile told of how it came to be in her possession. “Come on. I don’t know how long the children will be able to sit still until they resort to mischief.”

“They aren’t like you,” Rakel said. “So it would be quite a while, I imagine.” She eyed Phile’s young audience, her expression softening when she saw Gerta and Kai sitting on the outskirts of the group.