Page 195 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Chapter thirty-nine

White Pawn takes B5

Snowlin

So it had started. Our last ally had been made considering the smug look on Mal’s and Thora’s faces when they crossed through the camps.

“Thought you’d send an army after us for not returning sooner,” Mal said, throwing an arm over my shoulders.

“She did,” Visha murmured from behind me, still not lifting her eyes up from the grimoire she was reading. “Golgotha sent word to shore that you were going to stay the night in Hellas. The king and her camped by the shores of Sitara all night just in case he’d lied.”

“Matters not,” I said, ignoring the snitch. “He agreed, I gather?”

“He did. Even wants to join us tomorrow and remain here to try and deter Silas’s Crafters from playing any dirty tricks on us before the war.”

“You believe that?”

“Not one bit, but I will be keeping an eye on him.”

I glanced between him and my sister. The frozen stance. The distance. The side glances. “What’s wrong with you two?”

He gave my sister a massive shove and stretched his neck. “She’s been annoying me these days.”

Thora got up from the ground, dusting her leathers, unbothered. “Thought you liked being annoyed.”

“Moderately, little bird, moderately,” he said, retreating away.

I raised a brow at her and she flashed me a sweet grin like she did when she was younger and didn’t want to be told off. “We are getting ready now, aren’t we?” she asked, linking an arm around mine while we walked back to the main tent.

Hammers, footsteps and orders thundered louder than the skies above. There were many flags raised around the camp in Fernfoss that was now but a ghost of a village. Solaryan, Hanaian, Eldmoorian and Vrammetheni insignia had joined Olympia’s and Adriata’s side. The colour of our armours and leathers were so starkly different, but we’d gathered to fight as one.

“Any day now, Rora. Any day.”

Caspian parted with his soldiers and crossed the distance to us. “My father is leading the last group of civilians out of Theros.” He searched above for the sun hidden between fog and clouds. “Are you certain Silas will aim for our city first?”

“Positive.”

“Then why are we abandoning the city for them to take so easily?”

“Take? What are they taking? What’s there to rob in an empty house? What do four empty walls turn to when the door is shut?”

He looked at Thora and then back at me.

“A trap, Caspian.”

My little sister formed a circle with her hands and whispered, “Snow slaughterhouse. That’s what we decided on calling it.”

He blew a long sigh, still doubting my plan. “Any more news from your friend in his court?”

“Ally, not friend.” I handed him the last letter she had given Memphis. “His troops have left the northern and eastern camps and are preparing to march south and southeast. From there I presume they will head toward west Hanai and Adriata.”

“It is too soon. How do they plan on tearing the Adriatian walls down—” His words were cut in half when he read the last few sentences.

The sceptre has been put together. Urinthia has been seen by the guards down the dungeons.

He folded the paper and sighed. “She will do it for him. So that is the plan then? You're commanding her back to the sceptre?”

Thora tensed beside me, her grip on my arm tightening.