Farrin chuckled again and nudged their horse forward.
Someday I will see Phile unnerved.Rakel vowed.Someday!
Rakel had assumed allbut the night watch—and probably General Halvor—would be asleep when they arrived in Tana. It was in the early hours of the morning, but dawn was still a long way off.
To Rakel’s surprise, the outpost was well lit and bustling with activity. Spotting a familiar face in the chaos, she called, “Knut.”
“Princess,” he saluted.
“Did something happen?”
Knut hesitated.
“Did the attack on Dovre go badly?” Phile furrowed her brow in worry.
Knut smiled. “No, it went quite well. The magic users chased the Chosen troops all the way to the Kozlovka border.”
“Really?” Phile beamed. “Excellent—two wins in a night! That will pull Tenebris’s beard.”
“Tenebris does not have a beard,” Farrin said.
Rakel eyed Tana. “If it wasn’t the attack, what is it?” No one was crying, and the air was crisp and clean—not heavy with the metallic scent of blood—but it seemed like all thevillagerswere up and huddled together.
Knut’s face lost its animation. “You see, Princess…”
“Princess!” Gerta hurtled across the village, running towards her with a tear-streaked face.
Rakel knelt so she could catch her and embrace her. “Gerta, what’s wrong?” Her mind raced with possible disasters.Did something happen to Hilda—or Kai and his magic?
Gerta gulped. “It’s Kai’s mom.”
Rakel released Gerta and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Was she injured?”
“No. She ran away!”
For a moment, Rakel felt relief. No injuries, no lost battles, no outbreaks of magic…and then her words sank in.She ran away.“With Kai?”
Gerta shook her head. “She left him.”
All the muscles in Rakel’s body went numb.She abandoned her child? Just like that?“There must be a misunderstanding.”
“She snuck out when Kai was sleeping. She took her clothes ’n a pack—she didn’t leave nothing of hers.”
Phile was incredulous. “And sheleftKai behind?”
Gerta burst into tears, and Rakel wanted to join her.How could she? How could she abandon sweet and gentle Kai?“Gerta, where is Kai?”
Gerta scrubbed at her face with her mittens and hiccupped.
“Princess.” Oskar joined the little group. His face was lined with exhaustion and sadness as he bent over and scooped up Gerta in his arms. “She told you?”
“It’s true? Kai’s motherleft?” Rakel asked.
Oskar nodded. “Halvor sent out some troops with the intension of tracking her, but even if they catch her…”
He trailed off, and Rakel dazedly nodded.Even if they find her, what can we do? If we force her to take him, how will Kai suffer?
“Where is he?” Rakel asked.
