“Well?” demanded Signe, and Saga forced in a calming breath.
Alfson cleared his throat. “I assure you, Your Highness, they came highly recommended.”
“Not recommended enough!” Glass shattered beyond the wall.
Signe’s anger was like a quiet storm, always held between carefully placedwords. Knowing Eisa had caused the queen’s loss of control brought a malevolent smile to Saga’s lips.
“’Tis a positive sign that one of them was wounded,” said Alfson.
“Wounded, not dead. Not captured. Not on a ship bound south!”
“They are the best trackers in the kingdom, Your Highness. We must be patient.”
“You well know I have plenty of patience, Alfson. It isincompetenceI cannot tolerate!”
Alfson’s low reply was difficult to hear, and Saga’s ears strained. “The girl is cunning,” he said. “And her companion…he’s Galdra. Used to concealing himself. Unafraid to spill blood, and it seems he’s quite adept at it.”
Saga’s heart was dancing in her chest. Eisa had a companion—someone to help her, perhaps to keep her safe. It eased the worry in her gut.
“What do you suggest?” demanded the queen, her impatience clear, even through the stone.
“We must get into their minds—think like them. Were you in their place, what would you do?”
Silence for a moment, then, “I’d hide until the search died down.”
“The north is vast,” said Alfson. “Hundreds of villages.”
“It is an impossible task!” exclaimed the queen.
“Notimpossible,” replied Alfson. “A challenge, to be sure, but not impossible. Let us consider the pair. Based on what we know, does Eisa have knowledge of the north?”
“No,” mused the queen. “But this Slátrari…what of him?”
“Precisely, Your Highness,” said Alfson. “Her companion is the key to finding Eisa.”
“His likeness has been spread throughout the north,” said Signe. “Someoneknows this man.”
“It will take some time for the etchings to reach each remote village in Nordur,” said Alfson. “In the meantime, I suggest we change our tactics. Seek information rather than capture. We will learn how this man thinks. Which connections he has.”
“Let them grow comfortable,” said the queen. “Lay out the noose. And when they least expect it, pull it taut around their necks.”
“According to this message, the Wolf Feeders are trekking through the eastern wilds of Nordur and will send an update when they reach Völfell,” said Alfson.
“How long will that be?”
“Difficult to say,” said Alfson. “Perhaps a week? This will giveus some time to gather information about the man. Here is what I propose, my queen: have the Black Cloak spread word in the northern cities that we now merely seek information. And when someone comes forth, have Geira pen a letter with this information and send it to the Wolf Feeders to narrow their search.”
Saga reeled.Geira.Her mind returned to the queen’s bondswoman, returning from the falconry tower. It seemed Lady Geira was involved in more than delivery of correspondence. With a shake of her head, Saga tried to refocus.
The queen’s sigh could be heard through the thick stone wall. “Very well,” she said. “But what is to say the Wolf Feeders won’t fail once more?”
“They’ve been shamed,” said Alfson. “I’m certain it has only spurred their resolve. They’ll hunt the pair down with even more vigor.”
“Very well,” said Signe after a long pause. “But if the Wolf Feeders fail once more, I want their heads on pikes.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Fading footsteps. A door closing. The conversation, it seemed, was done. Saga’s head swirled with what she’d just heard. Eisa had escaped. She had a companion. But she was far from safe.
