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Though Bryn felt a chill run down her spine, she saw the exact opposite reaction spark in her sister's eyes. Maude had spent most of her life running from her fate, only facing it now because she had been cornered. Already, Bryn could see the wheels turning in her mind.

What had they gotten themselves into?

Maude tried to summon fear about Hildr's warning, but only hope flared in her chest.

Except, if she were to fail, whoever she made an oath with would be affected as well. Something occurred to her then.

"What other ways can a fate be affected?" she asked as she released Bryn's hand, the silver ink flattening again.

Hildr was quiet for a moment, deciding how much information to divulge. Only when the Soothsayer turned to sit on a cushion, her body seeming to deflate a bit, did she answer.

"As you all know, the Allfather is the one who sacrificed his eye for wisdom and is, therefore, able to work with the Norns in weaving fate," she began.

Even as the night was coming to a close, the sky lightening to a soft pink, the room seemed to grow darker as the Soothsayer spoke.

"After he has declared a path for someone, the Norns begin to weave their tapestry.

What is not so commonly known is that the other gods have the opportunity to interfere. "

The room grew still.

"What do you mean 'interfere'?" Herrick asked, the tension in his body ready to burst at any moment.

"If any god decides to weave in their plans for someone, they can do so early on before the fate telling," Hildr explained, her words growing more exhausted by the minute.

"This is why the ceremony for fate tellings don't occur until the child has lived for one year.

It gives the gods time to interfere if they should want to. "

Bastards, all of them , Maude thought bitterly.

What a fool she was to think that by going along with Odin's plans, she would be spared further heartbreak.

Her thoughts seemed to be mirrored along everyone's faces except Herrick.

She tried to discern what his thoughts were, but he had slipped on the mask of the battle-proven General of Rivers. Unreadable, calculating.

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.

"Gunnar is still recovering, and Liv knows Sigurd as well as any of you.

With them, we can assemble our armies and sail to Veter to aid the Kingdom of Rivers.

But the rest of you need to get there sooner than later to warn them of the fight to come.

You will sail with the Elven soldiers that traveled here with us. "

No one could argue with the sound logic. Their group hated to split up; it had never ended well for them. But what choice did they have now?

All at once, they began to move. Liv and Bryn shared a long look, neither woman speaking what was so clearly written on their faces.

Maude tried to hide her shock when Bryn was the one to break their stand-off, reaching up to place a soft kiss on Liv's cheek before putting her forehead against Liv's.

Be brave, Brynna , she had told her sister. It looks like she was finally listening.

Hakon and Dahlia excused themselves to pack up their belongings while Aeric bartered with Hildr for one of her longships. Finally, Herrick met her stare again. The worry on his face echoed in hers.

"We'll get there in time, beast."

"We need to," he sighed before pulling back. "I'll grab your things while you say goodbye to your father."

When Maude turned to find Aeric, he was already waiting for her. He pulled her into a hug before she could protest. At first, she didn't know what to do. Then, like a switch had gone off in her brain, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back.

"I'll see you soon, minn m?ne . We will have that time to get to know each other more. In the meantime, don't forget how loved you are already," her father whispered as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. She tried to swallow but found her throat too thick to do so. "Til Valhalla, Maude."

He pulled back just enough for her to look up and meet his stare

"Til Valhalla… Father," Maude said slowly, the words feeling surprisingly comfortable as she uttered them into the world.

Aeric gave her a broad smile, his eyes watering slightly before he turned away and left.

Alone with just the Soothsayer, Maude lingered in the room, though she didn't know why. Just as she was about to follow Herrick out of the small cabin, a small but strong hand grabbed her elbow and forced her to turn.

Standing behind her, with both of Hela's weapons wrapped in fur, was Hildr. She extended the bundle of weapons to Maude, the otherwordly presence of the two blades together palpable in the small space between them.

Uneasy, she reached for the blades. As soon as her hands wrapped around the bundle, Hildr pulled her close enough that whatever she would say would go unheard by the others.

"Your fate has been written, the interference already showing itself. War will follow you. Justice will always find you. Take this weapon, Daughter of Chaos, and know that you will find light within the shadows when it is time."