Before anyone could find their voice, there was a knock at the Soothsayer's door. On an invisible wind, the door opened to reveal one of the Elven soldiers who had traveled with them from Nida. Aeric stood to greet him at the door, their whispers muted despite how small the space was.
Her father nodded once, tension bracketing his usual smooth features as he turned to face them.
"It seems we need to depart sooner rather than later," Aeric said as he dismissed the Elven soldier with a grateful nod. "Your friend Sigurd has been spotted entering the Icewall Mountains by ship. They should be arriving in Nida by mid day tomorrow. Now that we have been successful in removing Herrick's restraint, we will need to return to Nida so that we may begin planning how to stop Vilde and Helvig once and for all."
The ice in the room seemed to crack when her father mentioned that Sigurd was nearing the Elven city. Liv had left instructions for Sigurd on how to reach them in Nida should he decide it was too dangerous to remain in Logi. Perhaps they would be able to muster up some sort of opposition after all. As if Liv had read her mind, she addressed Aeric when she spoke.
"I think it's time we join the fight, Aeric," the Elven said, unable to stop herself from glancing at Bryn. "It's time to come out of the shadows."
Something like pride glittered in her father's eyes as he took in his ward. "I couldn't agree more, Liv."
As if the words had changed the course of their path, the room started to feel lighter.
"If we are to make it to the town by mid-day, we need to leave now," Aeric continued before turning to the Soothsayer. "Hildr, as always, your company has been wonderful and instructive. We thank you for your hospitality and assistance in freeing our friend from the iron around his throat."
Hildr only nodded once, her movements slow and shallow. The older woman wasn't going to let her exhaustion show, something Maude respected.
A large gust of wind blew the window Dahlia sat under wide open, and the scent of molten steel and gardenia thickly wrapped around them. A folded note in the shape of a flower floated into the room. The Elven healer stiffened before she reached up and snatched the paper flower from the air, her strength almost crumpling the paper in her grip.
Maude started when she realized the paper flower was a single-petaled dahlia.
"Baldr," the Elven whispered before her eyes flashed up to Aeric's. Herrick stiffened behind her, his skin becoming ice as his water reacted to his emotion.
Maude turned slightly to run a soothing hand up his arm and over his shoulder, trying to coax some heat into his frigid bones.
Dahlia kept speaking to Aeric, "He never reaches out to me directly. Something must have happened."
Her father nodded gravely. "Read it."
They all sat in horrible silence while they waited for the Elven to scan over the contents of the message. Bryn and Liv were standing side by side at the door, their bodies tense as they each scanned their surroundings for a threat that may or may not show itself, while Hakon only had his singular focus on the Elven as she read.
Maude took the lapse in the conversation to turn and face Herrick, warming her hands before placing them on either side of his face.
"Beast," she said quietly, her tone demanding his attention. "Look at me."
Gold eyes as cold as the glaciers that surrounded the northern parts of Ahland stared back at her.
"Remember that this doesn't change anything," she whispered. "He is helping us, but he will still pay for what he did to you. I'll make sure of it."
Before Herrick could respond, Dahlia spoke up from behind her while she continued to hold Herrick's attention.
"Helvig knows we've removed the iron from Herrick's neck. Vilde apparently slaughtered half of their guests and soldiers during their Midsommar Ball in her rage."
Bryn sucked in a breath, her hand going to her stomach like she was going to vomit. Liv rubbed soothing circles on her back as her sister breathed through her mouth. Maude's knees buckled under her for a moment before she regained control.
Half of their guests, how many people had been at that ball? Two hundred? Three hundred? Too many.
Dahlia continued, unaware of how the news was affecting everyone else in the room, "Now, the Flame King has ordered Baldr to assemble their armies and march on Veter. He says that when he can, he will send more word of their plans."
Maude watched as the healer's words cracked the ice in Herrick's gaze, only to replace it with worry. His eyes widened, and he ran a hand through his hair.
Hakon shot to his feet, his gaze hardened as he spoke to Herrick, "We need to warn them. We need to go to Veter."
Another tense moment of silence before Herrick moved. He gently lowered her hands from his face before twining his fingers with hers, no doubt to hide the trembling in his hands, as he nodded. The motion was jerky and rough, but Maude could see that he was already launching into strategy.
Before anyone could suggest more, her father said, "We need to split up. I will go with Liv and Gunnar to meet with Sigurd while the rest of you sail for Veter."
"But—" Liv started to interject, but Aeric held up his hand.
