The woods came at us fast, the tall trees reaching for the setting sun. Pine limbs brushed my legs, clad in leather and segmented armor, and when Arava touched down, it was with a satisfied snort.
I patted her neck. “I suggest sleeping. We’ll find water nearby, and I’ll have someone bring it to you.”
Arava knelt and then lay on the ground. Lasvin joined her sister, the black and white pair cuddling together. A soldier from Lord Riis’s house approached to care for the pegasi, but I waved him off. It was irresponsible, but they needed sleep more than a good brush down.
“Princess Isolde! Princess Thyra!” a voice called out. I twisted to find Lord Riis waving us over, a map in hand.
These were his lands, and he knew them well, but not perfectly. I knew them not at all, so I joined Lord Riis, Lord Balik, his sons, and many of my friends.
“We’re about right here.” Lord Riis pointed to a spot within the woods. “A stream is close by, and I suggest filling skins and letting the animals drink before we leave because we’ll be walking away from the water, not with it.”
“That town closest to the islands. Do you think it’s safe?” Arie asked, studying the map of his father’s lands.
“I doubt the members of the Royal Nava will have left their ships at all. They need to be ready at a moment’s notice. So it’s likely the town is safe, and merely curious as to what’s happening. However, we can’t be sure they’re loyal, even if they are my people. We go the wide way around.”
Just because the high lord in the area was loyal to my sister and me, did not mean that every person in the area was. This part of the kingdom was not so far from Avaldenn. Surely by now the town had received word we were shadow wielders. As we released the news of Rhistel being a whisperer right beforewe flew north, we hadn’t had time to equally damage our opponent’s reputation among the masses.
The briefing ended, but before I left the huddle, Thyra gripped my wrist.
“I want to use the Crown.”
I blinked. “You brought it?”
“In Lasvin’s saddlebag. Couldn’t risk having it on my person while fighting, but it’ll be fine in there.”
She’d said that she’d keep it in one of Lord Riis’s safes because how wouldanycrown be useful in a battle? When in all the nine kingdoms had she changed her mind?
“Why risk it?”
She swallowed. “I didn’t get to because after your vision we went right into preparing to leave. But you didn’t see Thantrel, and I couldn’t get that out of my head . . .”
I felt like the worst sister in all the nine kingdoms.
“Of course, you want to see if you can find him. I do too. You have your potion?”
“Also in the saddlebag. I’ll get it.”
“And I’ll have Astril fill our skins and retrieve water for Arava and Lasvin. But do you need to eat first?” Many of the soldiers were already sitting down and inhaling their food. Thyra and I had not eaten in hours, and as much as I wanted her to find some reassurance about Thantrel, we also needed to keep our energy up.
“I can eat as I walk.”
While Thyra went to get the Crown and her potion, I sought Saga. Not because she could do anything once the vision took over, if it did, but because Saga gave me a sense of peace when it came to seer magic. Spotting her in the crowd wasn’t difficult, and when I called out her name, she turned. I waved her over.
“What’s going on?” Saga asked.
Usually poised and well dressed, my friend appeared disheveled, and even if she made her fighting leathers and armor look good, they still did not lookrighton her. She was no warrior, but had insisted on coming, anyway.
“Thyra wants to use the Crown to see if she can find Thantrel. Stay with us?”
“Of course.”
I made quick arrangements. Once done, our other Valkyrja created a circle around Thyra, Saga, and me, cutting us off from the others.
“Bottoms up,” Thyra sat on a large rock, drank her potion and then reached for the Crown, which she’d set next to her. “Hope for the best.”
I took my sister’s hand, and with the other, she placed the Crown on her head and closed her eyes. My fingers tightened around hers, and while I couldn’t know what was happening in Thyra’s head, I was certain I felt the vision take her.
She gripped me so tightly her knuckles whitened. I cast a glance at Saga. That had been fast. Even faster than the Crown had worked for me.
