Rakel turned to listen, but she almost jumped when Farrin moved to stand next to her. “You will speak to her?”
“I trust her.”
Farrin nodded. “Though I know you will not believe me, there will be no more assassination attempts from our camp. But you cannot win this war alone, Your Highness. It would be wise to consider alternate options.” He captured a lock of Rakel’s wild hair, slid his gloved fingers down it, and tucked it over her shoulder.
The action could only be considered affectionate, but it made Rakel’s spine tighten to have him so close to her when she knew he could harm her in less than a heartbeat.She considered stepping away, but the thought came to her too late.
Farrin left, leaving a wind in his wake as he headed back to Glowma.
Rakel shivered.I may have spent twelve years in seclusion, but even I can tell he acts peculiarly compared to others.
“Little Wolf!”
“Oskar would say he has a mineral deficiency,” Rakel sighed as she moved towards Phile’s voice. She called out enough that Rakel had no difficulty finding the thief mounted on her stolen horse and brandishing a torch.
“Rakel—please.”
“Are you still certain my paranoia is misplaced?” Rakel said, stepping into the torchlight. Even though she knew Phile wasn’t responsible, she couldn’t help the frost that crusted her voice.
“King’s nose hairs, you’re safe,” Phile said, sagging in the saddle. She sprang off the horse and threw her arms around Rakel, pulling her into a warm embrace. The Robber Maiden’s hug was stronger and more fierce than the embraces Gerta and Kai sprinkled on Rakel, but it was just as warm, and Phile also seemed to smell like warm gingerbread.
After several long moments in which Phile didn’t seem to mind that Rakel didn’t respond, Rakel raised her uninjured arm and patted Phile on the back. She didn’t know what one was supposed tododuring an embrace, so she kept patting her. Phile squeezed harder, and Rakel’s breath hitched. “My side.”
Phile released her. “Sorry, I forgot about that. I’m just so glad you’re unharmed. Halvor is blaming himself, you know. Aleifr was in his squad—the one that guarded you.”
“I know,” Rakel said, her anger flaring again.
“Knut and Snorri had to hog tie Oskar. Literally. He thought you would eventually go back to your ice-castle, so he wanted to start up the mountain tonight. Some of us tried to tell him that if you were running, you would flee the country, but he insisted you would eventually return to the castle, perhaps not for years, but you would return.”
“If you are trying to guilt me into coming back, it will not work.”
“I’m not trying to guilt you. I’m trying to tell you that there are people who care for you. Half the encampment is searching the woods—I just happened to find you first because I’m the only one mounted.”
“How can you ride a horse in this weather?”
“You don’t give Farrin and his minions enough credit. All the Chosen horses were outfitted with horse snowshoes.”
“I see.”
“Won’t you come tell Captain Halvor and Oskar you’re safe?” Phile captured Rakel’s uninjured arm.
“No. Though I am sorry they are distraught, I cannot believe you would evensuggestI return!”
“Why not?”
“I was nearlykilled, Phile, after you had just spouted poetry of people revering and trusting me, and after taking me to task for the healthy—and appropriate—fear I have for my life.”
“The timing was awful,” Phile admitted. “But I stand by my words.”
“How? Do you make light of the threat against my life?”
“Certainly not,” Phile said. “It is only because I was so concerned with finding you that I have not had an opportunity to slip a knife in that traitor. But it is gravely unfair of you to make sweeping generalizations about your supporters because of the actions of a handful.”
Rakel gaped at her. “Unfair?After everything I have lived through?”
“To an average person that might be a good rebuttal, but you’re above that, Little Wolf.”
“I amnotabove looking past violence against me.”
