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One of the students moved to support the boy's head, their own hands trembling visibly.Thalia crushed the silverleaf between her fingers, the dry leaves crumbling into a fine powder that released a sharp, astringent scent.When a cup of water appeared at her side, she took a single mouthful, using it to create a paste with the crushed silverleaf.

The mixture turned a pale green as it reacted with her saliva, exactly as her mother had described.Thalia leaned forward, using two fingers to pry the boy's jaw wider, then carefully rubbed the silverleaf paste along his gums and under his tongue, where the blood vessels would carry it most quickly into his system.

"What are you doing?"someone asked, the question tinged with both hope and doubt.

"Silverleaf can neutralize bloodshade toxin if it's administered in time," Thalia explained without looking up, her attention fixed on the boy's face."It won't reverse the damage already done, but it can stop the poison from spreading further."

The dining hall had fallen eerily silent, the usual clatter of utensils and murmur of conversation completely absent.Every eye was fixed on Thalia's desperate efforts, Northern and Southern students alike holding their breath as if their collective will could tip the scales toward survival.

The boy's breathing grew increasingly labored, each inhale a struggle that lifted his chest only slightly before subsiding.Thalia crushed more silverleaf, adding honey from a tiny jar she kept specifically for medicinal purposes, creating a second dose of the remedy.This she massaged into the pulse points at his wrists, where the skin was thinnest and absorption most efficient.

"Come on," she whispered, more to herself than to the boy."Fight it."

For one terrible moment, the boy's breathing seemed to stop altogether.A collective gasp rippled through the watching crowd.Thalia pressed her fingers more firmly against his wrist, feeling for the pulse that would tell her whether they'd lost the battle.

Then, the boy's chest rose in a deeper breath than before.His eyelids fluttered, though they didn't open fully.The rigid tension in his limbs began to ease, the fingers that had been clutching spasmodically at his throat relaxing by increments.

"It's working," Ashe murmured from somewhere behind Thalia, the relief in her voice palpable.

Thalia sat back on her heels, exhaustion suddenly washing over her as the fierce concentration that had carried her through the crisis began to ebb.She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a smear of green from the silverleaf paste.

"He needs to go to the infirmary," she said, her voice rough with emotion she hadn't allowed herself to feel until now."The silverleaf has neutralized the worst of the toxin, but he'll need monitoring.And fluids — lots of fluids to help flush his system."

Two older students stepped forward, one Northern, one Southern, Thalia noted with distant surprise.They carefully lifted the semi-conscious boy between them.The crowd parted to create a path to the door, the momentary unity born of crisis transcending the usual divisions.

As they carried him away, whispers erupted around the hall, the spell of silence broken.Thalia became uncomfortably aware of the many eyes still fixed on her, expressions ranging from awe to suspicion to calculation.

"That was incredible," Ashe said quietly, appearing at Thalia's side to help her to her feet."Where did you learn to treat bloodshade poisoning?"

"My mother," Thalia replied, her legs unsteady as she stood.The adrenaline that had sustained her was fading, leaving her light-headed."We saw cases every summer when the mountain berries ripened.Sailors would go foraging in the hills above Verdant Port, not knowing the difference..."

She trailed off, the implication of what had just happened settling over her with renewed weight.A student had been desperate enough to eat unknown berries, risking death for a moment's relief from hunger.How many more might make similar choices as their rations dwindled further?

Luna handed Thalia her abandoned cup of water, concern evident in her dark eyes."Drink.You look like you're about to collapse yourself."

Thalia accepted the cup gratefully, gulping the cold liquid despite knowing she should sip slowly.The water revived her somewhat, clearing the fog that had begun to settle over her thoughts.

"I need to find more healing herbs," she said, the decision crystallizing even as she spoke it aloud."And there must be some edible plants growing on the academy grounds — roots, pine nuts, maybe even winter mushrooms if we know where to look."

"You can't feed the entire academy by foraging," Ashe pointed out, though her tone held no criticism, only pragmatic assessment.

"No," Thalia agreed, "but I can teach others what's safe to gather.Knowledge spreads.And maybe it will be enough to prevent another incident like this one."

As the three girls returned to their table and their abandoned meal, Thalia noticed something subtle but significant.The rigid division that had separated Northern and Southern students only minutes before had softened, just slightly.Conversations crossed the invisible boundary, concerned glances were exchanged without the usual suspicion.

Crisis had momentarily united them, reminding everyone that beneath the cultural differences and political tensions, they were all just students fighting to survive Frostforge's brutal challenges.The question that weighed on Thalia's mind as she forced herself to finish her meager portion of haddock, was whether that unity would last beyond the moment of emergency — and whether it could be nurtured into something stronger before hunger and fear drove them all toward more desperate measures.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Thalia's boots crunched through a thin layer of frost as she trudged the final steps to the Crystalline Training Grounds.Her muscles ached from the climb, protesting after days split between classes, foraging expeditions, and extra hours at the forge.The wind hit her like a physical blow as she crested the rise, whipping her hair across her face and stinging her exposed skin with cold so intense it felt like tiny needles.She tucked her chin into the collar of her coat, squinting against the brightness of sunlight reflecting off ice in every direction.Ahead, a cluster of black-clad figures stood in stark contrast to the white expanse; her fellow first-years were already gathered and waiting for instruction.

She quickened her pace, not wanting to draw Instructor Maven's attention by being late.The plateau stretched before her, an endless plain of crystalline white bordered by jagged cliffs that rose like teeth against the pale blue sky.The air here was thin and dry, each breath scraping her throat raw and leaving her lips cracked despite the salve she'd made from alpine flowers and tallow.

Thalia slipped into place beside Luna just as Maven strode to the center of their formation.The imposing instructor's single amber eye swept over the assembled students.

"Today," Maven announced, her voice carrying effortlessly over the wind's persistent howl, "we practice facing Isle Wardens on a battlefield."

A ripple of tension passed through the students.Even here, hundreds of miles inland, the mention of Isle Wardens caused spines to stiffen and jaws to clench.Thalia had grown up hearing stories of their raids on coastal towns like her own Verdant Port — swift, merciless attacks that left buildings shattered and people dead or missing.