White Stag (Permafrost #1)(86)
Soren was right about one thing: People vastly underestimated me.
I stood. “We have to help him.”
Seppo stood too, shock etched across his face. “Wait, what?”
“Did you mishear me? We have to help him. He can’t die. He has to become the next Erlking. Gods be damned, I’m not letting Lydian become Erlking.” I started to pace, then snatched my bow and quiver from the ground, counting to make sure all the arrows were there. I grabbed the stiletto from where it was stuck in the ground. “Thanks for getting my weapons.”
Seppo’s mouth fell open. “You could leave. You could leave for good, and nothing would ever come back to haunt you. And you’re going to stay and risk everything. If you interfere with Lydian and he wins, you will suffer whatever he originally had planned for you. And you’re going to do it?”
“Why is that so shocking?” I asked.
“Well, considering you almost died from the breaking of the bond, not to mention everything else you’ve been through, I guess I figured you would be happier living a normal life.”
“My life was never normal, and I don’t want it to be. It just took a damn long time to realize it. Besides, do you want Lydian to become Erlking for all eternity and possibly throw the world into chaos while he’s at it?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t want that … it’s just…”
I frowned. Seppo’s eyes were wide, and he choked on a cough. “What’s wrong, Seppo?”
“I just—” He coughed again, and I realized he was trying to disguise his laughter. “You are so … unbelievable. Do you ever stop? You nearly died. Multiple times. Everyone else I know—even my own mother probably—would have lain down and quit weeks ago. And yet you’re here, a human for the sake of the gods, running yourself into the ground and somehow continuing to stand. It’s unbelievable.”
I frowned. “Would you rather I quit?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s admirable. Damn stupid at times, but admirable. I think I’ve come to accept that you won’t stop until you’re physically unable to move.” He cast a glance at the fresh bruises on my body.
“If I stopped because I was in pain, I would have killed myself a long time ago,” I said. “I’m a survivor.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “We don’t have to do this. Or, well, you don’t have to. I kinda thought up a plan…”
“Do you think I’d let you go in there alone?” I said. “You’re a … a friend, Seppo. I can’t just let my friends go and attack a deranged goblin bent on ruling the Permafrost for eternity and his crew alone, can I? Besides, I don’t have a plan, so let’s hear yours.”
Seppo smiled, showing the small points of his canines. “In that case…”
* * *
WE RODE THROUGH the night on the backs of the wolves. I couldn’t see in the darkness, but the wolves easily swerved through the forest and dodged the trees and rocks that came in their path. Seppo and Hreppir were in the lead as far as I knew; the only bit of them showing was Hreppir’s lightly colored tail. Lykka’s silver fur glowed in the moonlight. But besides that, everything else was encased in darkness.
“Breki,” I asked the wolf underneath me. “Can you hear the stag?”
The wolf huffed. Aye. I can. But he’s not there yet. We have time.
Plenty of time, came Hreppir’s response.
I wouldn’t say plenty. But enough. Lykka was the only wolf without a rider, and sadness radiated from her fur. Despite their bickering, the arrogant she-wolf missed Soren.
Well, she won’t have to miss him for long. We’ll save him.
We ran until the first, dusky gray rays of dawn peeked over the horizon. Across our backs in bags were the ashes gathered from the land that used to be my home. Even through the thick leather the iron dust burned my skin, and I shifted it every so often, wincing at the pain.
“Are you sure you’ll be able to heat this?” I asked Seppo, not for the first time. It was common knowledge that goblins could channel their power into unique abilities if they wanted. Soren could heal things he nipped. It wasn’t too out there to assume Seppo’s whistling could heat the iron enough for a fire to catch. The young goblin had caused a rockfall already, and I was sure he’d been the one who whistled the attack signal that made our ears bleed during the mountain battle.
“Of course,” Seppo scoffed. “The main problem will be the area around it. We have to make sure the heat goes to the underbrush as well or else there won’t be a big enough fire.”
The first time I heard his plan I thought it was ludicrous, but it was so ludicrous it might actually work. It was dawning on me that most of Seppo’s plans were of that shade. But making a circle of iron and ash a mile around Lydian’s campsite before the stag could be attracted to them, thus causing the stag to stay clear, Lydian’s power to be drained, and giving us a chance to sneak in and grab Soren until we could figure out another way to take his uncle down? Insane.
“Can you hear them fighting?” I asked. “Do you think Lydian’s already trying to draw the stag to them?” Even with strained ears, the air lacked the thunderous clash of two powerful beings battling. The only sound was my own power buzzing constantly.