We leave the gates so early in the morning that the exhausted, broken city of Ymir still sleeps. Quinn wears her usual leather armor and brings a wood shield and axe. Lord Kazmer wears his Rahasian cloak and a scimitar at his hip, explaining that his Rahasian uncle had taught him how to wield it during his time at the faraway university. And I carry a dagger, tucked into my belt at Zoya's request.
I might as well consider the dagger to be an invite to their unofficial wedding.
"How long's it gonna take the jötunn myki? He's got legs the size of trees. He should move faster than this."
"He disappears at nightfall, maybe it's for a reason," counters Leif.
"Or maybe he's turned his back on us," I mutter, "serves us right." But even as I speak those bitter words, I know it can't be true. I remember him, the scared, shaking boy in Fólkvangr. He would not turn away from us.
Not when we're all he has left.
"Cassia," my name echoes upon the breath of the wind. "Cassia..."
"Well, drit, the bastard's here. How the Hel did we miss him?" Quinn huffs, one hand resting on her sword.
He strides from out behind a tower of rubble, leftovers from the battle, keeping to the shadows. His ice armor reflects light that almost make him invisible in the scant morning light. He falls to one knee, holding out his hand.
"I am here to repay my debt to Cassia."
Quinn and Leif move forwards, but the frost giant pulls back.
"Only Cassia." He murmurs.
"Please, they're allies. This is Quinn, and this is Lord Kazmer, otherwise known as Leif."
The giant bends his head towards me, "last I checked, it was Queen Cassia who offered me royal protection, not Quinn or Leif."
"They are under my protection, as well." I amend.
"You're not a queen yet—." I elbow Leif in the ribs just as he's inspired to speak this foolery.
"Very well," Leif intones, dropping his hand again for us all to step forth. "You are welcome to travel, Leif and Quinn."
Leif gives Quinn a pitiful look, "are we really?"
But Quinn strides forth without consulting the young lord. "I go where Cassia goes."
We all sit in the palm of the jötunn's hand as he lifts us to a pack at his side, crafted from a long-extinct animal's wooly hide with a flap over it that we can nestle into as a blanket.
"Where first?" Fell looks to me, patient.
I think of the people who rebelled at our gates. Best to get the worst of it out of the way. "To the western cities." I reply.
"We go towards the mountain then," Fell intones, "it is the fastest way."
And with that, Fell glides over the land towards the Ossium.
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Let's go to the mountain!