Page 71 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Eren sputtered his drink. “You what?”

Snow peeked a careful glance at me and then snarled at her friend.

Penelope laughed, missing the tension on the table entirely. “Funny story that one—” The young girl took one look at Snow and lowered her head over the food. “Never mind. It wasn’t that funny really.”

Larg returned to the table, lowering a plate overflowing with the earthy vegetable. “I’d start with the pine ones. They are the best in this season. I’ve sprinkled them with some spiced salt. Handmade by me.” He puffed his chest, wiping his hands on the pink apron he wore decorated with more pink flowers. “Jam, liquor, bread, pickled vegetables, cheese. You name it, I make it.”

Snow blinked some more at him. “Crafty.”

“Raised by a tough woman,” he said, patting his shoulder. “My ma only had me. Had to learn some stuff.”

She pointed at Alaric, chewing and humming on the mushrooms. “He can do a mad moss stitch. You two should have tea together sometimes. Make sweaters for each other.”

My godfather belly laughed, patting her head again like she was some cat. “I’m in need of a good sweater, the cold is starting to chill our lands. Now I know who to ask.”

Alaric sighed, shaking his head. “Come to me, old friend. I’ll fit you one nicely.”

Nia snorted. “You still haven’t finished my hat.”

“Anger keeps getting the best of me,” he said roughly and looking almost mad. “I lose it when I miss a loop.”

“A family thing,” Nia explained to Larg. “We’re working on it.”

Larg let out a long breath, eyes filling with tears. “You have a good bunch, Alaric Drava. I hope you know what a lucky bastard you are.”

“Yeah,” Alaric muttered, lowering his eyes and filling his mouth with more food. “Lucky.”

After sniffling and wiping his eyes, Larg patted my shoulder. “I’ll pack you some jam, cheese and liquor to take with you. What about some crackers?”

I nodded. “Thank you, Snow loves them.”

“I do?”

“Remember when we were studying Eamon’s book?” I asked, stealing a mushroom from her plate. “All Larg’s food. Even the apples were from his backyard.”

“Oh.”

Caiden reached for a mushroom, too, and Snow batted his hand off. “Talking about Eamon,” he said, shaking his hand that was almost chopped off. “How is catching V—”

I hit him under the table and he groaned. “Hells, what was that for?” He looked between his confused friend and I, realising I’d not told her yet. “No business talk on the table, fine.”

Oryn blinked a little flustered under Snow’s perusal and the poor man’s shoulders shrunk. “Is there something, my queen?”

“Snow. And yes, there is.” She leaned forward. “I gave blue gyre to Skadi or Moregan, call her what you like, she didn’t mind.”

“Blue gyre?”

“Dark bane. The name changed about sixty years ago,” Nia explained. “Old women and men were hunting it and using it to protect themselves from dark magic during and after the Ater battles, but ended up severely poisoned after they found out it consumed any other dark emotion as well. Once they became numb from pain, they didn’t realise death was nearing.”

“I see.” He thought about it for a moment. “Any particular reason why she is taking it?”

“She was the first person they turned into a beast. Her symptoms from the dark magic were worse than the rest. Once I tried to see if it affected Vas, she began taking it as well. Her symptoms lessened. She became more coherent, could sleep, even remembered what happened during the time she was turned. She was struggling to turn at some point and taking command from Melanthe.”

His eyes slowly widened. “This could be quite the discovery…Snowlin.”

“You think we could be able to use this?” I asked.

“Possibly. Dark bane itself won’t probably do much more than just unveil some of the effects of the dark magic. To become potent enough to erase it entirely, it is mixed—”