“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ve thought a lot about it, and I can’t see another solution.”
“Neither can I.” She slid her soft fingers up the side of my neck, then tugged me toward her. “We know what we have to do, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Kiss me?”
I gazed down at her, wishing there was something more I could do. In my gut, I truly believed she’d be happy here—far happier than she’d ever be back in the guild. That place and those people would make her miserable. Eventually, she’d become a husk of the elf I’d come to love. But I also knew she hated vanishing on her family like this. They might not have done right by her, but she clearly loved them and would mourn their absence in her life.
“Don’t make me beg, Rune,” she whispered.
“Never,” I promised.
26
FRIDA
Heavy clouds blotted out the moon, drowning the shoreline in an impenetrable darkness. The waves lapped at our boots. In the tense silence, the sound of the sea seemed as loud as a dragon’s roar. Rune stood resolutely beside me with a steadying hand on my back. Before we’d left, I’d told him I understood if he needed to stay at home. Encountering an ice giant, even though it had been decades since Isveig’s fall, might not be a particularly pleasant experience for him, but he’d insisted on accompanying me to the ship. If something went wrong, he wanted to be there.
I waited with my chin held high, but nerves tumbled around my belly. This was the right decision for me—that much was certain. But it didn’t come without an aching sense of loss. I’d never again see my family, my home, my old neighbors, or my horse. As much as I would choose this life, over and over again, I wished some things could be different.
I knew I’d likely never stop missing my family.
An orange light flashed in the distance, and Rune’s hand tightened against my back. Louisa’s signal. She was here. If I flashed a light back or never showed, she’d move on and return in another two weeks. And that would be her final attempt to retrieve me.
“Are you ready?” Rune asked.
“No, not really. There’s a chance she could laugh in my face.”
“It’s still not too late to change your mind,” he said. “We can turn around now, return to the cottage, and spend the next two weeks ignoring the world.”
“No, you were right before. I don’t want to put it off and have it hanging over my head any longer.”
He nodded. “After you, then.”
I grabbed the edge of the boat and tugged it into the water. Rune followed after me, climbing inside. He took the back, while I took the front, and together we rowed toward the distant ship. Every now and then, Louisa’s signal flashed in the darkness, helping lead the way. It was a good hour or so before the tiny rowboat slid through the dark waters near the ship.
From the deck, a shout rang out. Soon a rope ladder dropped over the side, and Rune and I anchored our boat to climb.
When we reached the railing, Louisa was waiting for us with her hawk perched on her shoulder. Several other ice giants fanned out behind her, armed with swords. A tense hush fell across the ship.
Louisa eyed Rune, but she spoke to me. “Frida, I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece, but I must say I’m surprised to see an orc on board my ship. Care to explain?”
“It’s a long story. To share in private. Will you tell your men to stand down?”
She flicked her eyes my way, then instantly swung them back to Rune. “I’m sure you can see why I might not think that’s a smart idea.”
“I mean you no harm,” Rune said with his hands raised.
“Last time I checked, orcs hated us ice giants,” Louisa said, narrowing her eyes. “And for good reason.”
“Were you involved in Isveig’s invasion?” Rune asked.
Louisa scowled. “Absolutely not.”
“Then I hold no ill feelings toward you.”
“Hmm.” Eyes still narrowed, she held up her hand to motion at her crew. “Stay back. I’m taking Frida and the orc into my cabin for a private chat. I want three of you to stand guard outside. If you hear shouting, feel free to barge in.”
When I opened my mouth to argue, Louisa shot me a murderous look. “You should be happy I’m giving you this much. If you were almost anyone else, they would have cut you down already.”
“All right. Sit down.” Louisa motioned at two high-backed leather chairs that perched on one side of her cluttered desk. She stood on the other side, pouring whisky into three dented tin cups that had seen better days. As I took a seat, she slid one across the table to me, the next to Rune, and then she downed the third herself in a single gulp.
