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CHAPTER TWENTY

Thalia pulled her collar higher against the biting wind as they ventured deeper into the Golem Fields.Jagged ice formations rose from the ground like broken teeth, interspersed with the twisted metal remains of ancient war machines.Each breath crystallized before her face, joining the swirling snow that stung her exposed skin.She cast a sidelong glance at Brynn, who walked several paces away, her daggers glinting at her hips.Thalia couldn't shake the feeling that bringing her rival on this expedition had been a terrible mistake.

"Keep up," Ashe called from ahead, her voice barely audible over the howling wind.Her tall frame moved with practiced ease through the treacherous terrain, each step confident despite the slippery ground.

Kaine walked beside Thalia, close enough that their shoulders occasionally brushed.His presence was reassuring, a solid wall of warmth in the bitter cold."You are doing all right?"he asked, his breath forming a white cloud between them.

"I'm fine," Thalia replied, though her fingers already ached inside her gloves.The cold was alive, almost sentient in its cruelty."Just worried about how much we'll be able to gather before dark."

"We'll find what you need," Kaine assured her, but his gaze kept drifting to Brynn, who lagged behind them, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

The distance between them wasn't accidental.Since they'd left Frostforge's walls, Brynn had maintained a calculated space — not close enough to suggest camaraderie, but not far enough to be accused of isolating herself.Thalia had caught her watching them with narrowed eyes whenever she thought no one was looking.

"I still don't understand why she came," Thalia murmured, low enough that only Kaine could hear.

He shrugged, his broad shoulders shifting beneath his heavy coat."Maybe she wants to prove something.Or maybe she's curious about what we're really doing out here."

"Or she's making sure we don't find anything helpful," Thalia replied, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

Ahead of them, Ashe stopped abruptly, turning back with an impatient gesture."If you two are done whispering, I've found something."

They gathered around where Ashe stood, careful to maintain their distances.Thalia couldn't help but notice how Brynn positioned herself to keep all three of them in her line of sight as if expecting an ambush.

"Look," Ashe pointed to a depression in the snowy ground, partially sheltered by the massive, frozen arm of a fallen golem.Nestled in the relative protection were clusters of delicate gray flowers, their narrow, tapered petals shimmering with an inner light.Smokeneedle.

"Perfect," Thalia breathed, kneeling to examine them."These are exactly what we need.The petals can make a poultice for burns, and the stems can be ground into a paste for treating frostbite."

"How convenient that you know so much about Northern herbs," Brynn commented, her voice deceptively light."Almost as if you've been preparing for this shortage."

Ashe's head snapped up, her eyes flashing."What exactly are you implying, Firstborn?"

"I'm not implying anything," Brynn replied with a cold smile."Just noting that our Southern herbalist seems remarkably well-versed in plants that don't grow anywhere near Verdant Port."

Thalia bit back a sharp retort."My mother traded with Northern merchants.I learned what I could from their supplies and books."

"How enterprising," Brynn said, the word dripping with disdain.

"Enough," Kaine interjected, stepping between them."We came here for herbs, not accusations.The sooner we gather what we need, the sooner we can get back."

Ashe's gaze lingered on Brynn for a moment longer before she nodded."He's right.Let's spread out a little; there should be more clusters nearby.Stay within sight of each other."

They fanned out, each searching the uneven terrain.Thalia focused on gathering the smokeneedle, her fingers working with practiced precision despite the cold.Each bloom needed to be harvested carefully — cut too close to the root and they'd wither before they could be used; leave too much stem and the potency would drain away.She placed each collected specimen in a small cloth bag tucked inside her coat, where her body heat would keep them from freezing solid.

The weight of the gathered herbs against her chest was comforting.Each plant represented another student who might recover from illness, another potential life saved.Her herbal remedies couldn't replace proper supplies, but they might buy enough time for Frostforge's leaders to find a solution.

"Found another patch," Kaine called from several yards away.He stood beside the half-buried torso of a massive golem, its metal frame streaked with frost.Around its base, more frostblooms grew in abundance, their pale blue glow visible even through the swirling snow.

Thalia made her way toward him, carefully navigating between sharp metal fragments jutting from the ice.As she drew closer, she noted the features of these particular blooms — they were larger than the others, their petals unfurled to reveal centers that pulsed with an almost electric blue light.

"These are perfect," she said, kneeling beside the cluster."They're mature specimens — twice as potent as the younger ones."

She began harvesting them, filling a second bag as Kaine kept watch.Ashe joined them a few minutes later, her own collection meager compared to what they'd found.

"Snow’s picking up," she said, eyes scanning the horizon where visibility was rapidly decreasing."We should head back soon."

"Just a few more," Thalia insisted, her fingers working faster."These could make the difference for so many people."

Brynn approached from the opposite direction, her arms crossed."Listen to Redwood.The weather's turning.Only fools get caught in a Frostforge blizzard."