Page 18 of Frostforge, Passage Four

The heat of the Howling Forge enveloped Thalia as she descended the worn stone steps, wrapping around her like a protective cloak against Frostforge's perpetual chill.

Down here, among the ever-burning furnaces and anvils that sang with the strike of hammers, she could almost forget the frost-laden tensions that plagued the academy above.

Almost. The forge's familiar scent — metal and coal, sweat and ambition — filled her lungs with each breath, grounding her as her mind churned with suspicions that had grown too heavy to bear alone.

Orange light danced across the metal-streaked walls, casting long shadows that seemed to hold secrets of their own.

She'd come seeking answers, but more than that, she'd come seeking Kaine.

Her footsteps echoed against the stone as she navigated between workstations, nodding briefly to the few smiths laboring despite the late hour.

The Forge never truly slept — its heart beat with the rhythm of creation regardless of what darkness fell outside its walls.

Perhaps that was why she felt so at home here, where purpose outweighed politics and skill spoke louder than bloodlines.

She found Kaine at his usual workbench near the eastern wall, where vents brought in just enough cold air to temper the worst of the heat.

He stood hunched over an axe blade, his broad shoulders tense with concentration, callused fingers tracing the edge with practiced precision.

He didn't look up at first, his ice-blue eyes narrowed in assessment of the metal before him.

Then, as if sensing her presence, his gaze lifted. The hardness in his expression softened instantly — a transformation subtle enough that most would miss it, but Thalia had learned to read the quiet language of his features.

"Thalia," he said, her name both greeting and question.

She didn't waste time with pleasantries. "The canoes were sabotaged."

Kaine set down his tools, wiping his hands on a rag tucked into his belt. "I thought as much when I saw you were taking on water. Someone breached your hull before you even boarded."

"Not just mine." Thalia moved closer, lowering her voice though the nearest smith was stationed away.

"Levi's canoe had nearly identical damage.

The weaknesses were planted in the same location, created with the same technique.

" She pressed her palms against the workbench's edge, leaning forward.

"This isn't random, Kaine. Both sabotaged teams were led by Southerners. "

His attention sharpened, the instructor's demeanor falling away to reveal the calculating survivor beneath. "Are you sure?”

"I examined Levi's canoe myself. The sabotage was subtle — hairline fractures in the hull where the wood joins the reinforcements.

It would hold initially, but crack under the stress of rough waters.

Both breaches tore open once we started sparring.

" She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face.

"We were both taking on water during the entire fight.

It was just luck that I managed to keep us upright long enough to take the win. Someone knew what they were doing."

"And you think it's coordinated. A deliberate effort against Southern team leaders." It wasn't a question.

"This isn't about individuals anymore. It's about undermining Southern leadership at Frostforge." Her voice hardened with each word. "First Felah's blade, then the shield. Now this. The pattern is clear."

Kaine circled the workbench, coming to stand before her. His height forced her to tilt her chin up to maintain eye contact, but she refused to step back. "Have you been targeted elsewhere? Outside of the Command Challenge?" His voice dropped lower. "Do you feel unsafe?"

The question struck a nerve. Frustration flared in her chest, hot and sudden as a forge flame catching dry tinder.

Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Kaine was a Northerner, largely unaware of the difficulties plaguing the Southern students at the academy.

But his questions, his scrutiny, laid that blind spot bare.

"It's not just about me, Kaine." The words snapped between them like a branch breaking underfoot.

"This is bigger than whether I personally feel unsafe.

It's about your people — the people of the Reaches — refusing to stand on equal footing with Southerners.

It's about sabotaging every chance we have to prove ourselves as leaders. "

The forge fell quiet, or perhaps it was just the blood rushing in her ears that drowned out the ambient sounds of metal and fire. Kaine stood frozen, taken aback by her outburst. His features softened quickly, but the surprise lingered in his eyes.

He stepped closer, voice dropping to a rumble that only she could hear. "You're right," he said simply. "I've been focused on you because I care about you. I don't want you to get hurt." A pause, heavy with unspoken things. "But you're right about the larger issue."

Thalia's anger faltered, replaced by confusion and a strange ache in her chest. She looked away, suddenly aware of how close they stood in the firelit shadows. Her heart pounded with a rhythm that had nothing to do with anger.

"Keep talking," he urged, gentler now.

She drew a slow breath, steadying herself.

"Since I arrived at Frostforge, I've been treated as less than.

Not just by students, but by instructors, by the entire system.

We Southerners are expected to fail, to break under pressure, to return home in shame if we survive at all.

" Her voice grew stronger with each admission.

"And when we succeed despite everything, they can't stand it. They sabotage our equipment, spread rumors, isolate us from our Northern comrades. People who should be our friends and peers.”

Kaine listened without interruption, his expression grave. When she finished, he nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry," he said, the words simple but weighted. "I can't undo the damage that's been done, but I can help stop what's happening now."

His quiet acceptance only complicated the tangle of emotions in her chest. It would be easier if he argued, if he defended his people. Instead, his understanding left her without a target for her frustration.

"We need to be proactive," he continued. "Stop the sabotage before it happens rather than reacting afterward."

Thalia nodded, grateful to focus on solutions. "I searched the weapons room a few days ago, but didn’t find any trace of sabotage. Do you think it's the same group that Einar and Morrigan are part of? The ones plotting against Roran and other Southerners?"

"Possibly. Or they could be working separately toward the same goal." Kaine crossed his arms, thinking. "Either way, we need to identify the ring leaders. And we need to protect the Southern squads in whatever challenge comes next."

"If we could catch them in the act—" Thalia began, but the heavy creak of iron hinges cut her off.

The forge doors swung open with a forceful push, sending a gust of cold air rushing through the space. Sparks leapt from nearby furnaces, dancing upward like frantic fireflies. Thalia turned, already knowing who would stand in the doorway before her eyes confirmed it.

Senna strode in, her movements fluid and purposeful. She wore reinforced leathers that hugged her frame, practical yet unmistakably Northern in their detailed craftsmanship. Her silver-gray eyes swept the forge until they landed on Kaine and Thalia, standing closer than propriety might suggest.

Thalia tensed, anticipating the flash of jealousy or disdain that typically crossed Senna's face when finding them together. But Senna's expression remained neutral, even slightly smug, as if she'd expected to find them exactly as they were.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked, her voice carrying only the barest hint of venom.

"What do you want, Senna?" Kaine's tone was carefully professional, instructor to academy guard.

Senna approached them, her boots striking the stone floor with decisive steps. "I came with information that might interest you, Ember." Her gaze flicked to Thalia. "Both of you, actually."

Thalia crossed her arms, skepticism evident in her stance. "What information?"

"Northern extremists have been plotting to sabotage Southern fourth-years in the Command Challenge." Senna leaned against a nearby anvil, looking perfectly at ease in the sweltering heat. "Several of the war canoes were targeted before today’s combat."

A surge of vindication rose in Thalia's chest. "We already knew that," she said, unable to keep the smugness from her voice. "We were just discussing the sabotage and how we can identify the culprits."

Senna's lips curved into a faint, amused smile that set Thalia's teeth on edge. "Then you're already a step behind," she replied. "Because I know where they'll strike next."

Kaine's expression hardened to match the steel he so often worked. "Where?" The single word carried the weight of command.

Senna glanced between them, drawing out the moment with obvious pleasure. Thalia fought the urge to grab the woman by her collar and shake the information from her.

"The fjord," she said at last. "Calloway told my squad about the next Command Challenge. There's going to be a sailing race — testing your ability to lead an inexperienced team in multiple different roles. If they want to sink you, that's where it'll happen."

A heavy silence followed, broken only by the hiss of a nearby furnace venting steam.

Thalia's mind raced with the implications, conjuring images of fast-moving waters, treacherous currents, and skiffs that could easily capsize if tampered with.

Saboteurs could disable rudders, loosen critical rigging, or plant weaknesses in hulls that would only reveal themselves when stressed by the fjord's challenging conditions.

“You’re sure?” Thalia asked, unable to rid herself of skepticism. After all, the last time Southerners had been targeted with sabotage, it had been Senna behind it.

"Quite," Senna replied, examining her fingernails. "My sources are reliable."

Kaine moved closer to Thalia, his presence solid beside her. "How did you come by this information?"

"Let's just say I keep my ear to the ground," Senna said. "Some of my former classmates still believe I share their... concerns about Southern influence."

The implication hung in the air like forge smoke. Thalia studied Senna's face, searching for deception. Why would she help them? What angle was she playing? "And you're telling me this out of the goodness of your heart?"

“No,” Senna said, her voice suddenly sharp. “I’m telling you this because I’m a soldier, and it’s my duty to protect this academy. Sabotage threatens the integrity of our defenses against the Isle Wardens. Personal vendettas weaken us all."

Despite the heat of the forge, Thalia shivered. Senna’s words seemed to echo the note Luna had shown her. Undermine confidence in shared command. Sabotage bonds before they are forged.

The writer of that note hadn’t hoped to merely undermine the Southern students; they had been targeting Frostforge as a whole, aware that continental unity was their greatest strength against the Isle Warden threat.

If Senna was right — if the Northern saboteurs succeeded in fracturing trust between North and South — they would hand the Isle Wardens a victory without a single battle.