Sif sat, shellshocked. Alfhilde kept talking, probably saying something comforting, but Sif remained stuck on the news that Falthejn had just left. How could he? She had stood up for him when Alfhilde looked down on him. She didn’t want … Continue reading →

“That much is clear already.” Hrothgar shook his head. “It’s more than that.” Looking back to the paper, he read, “‘Friends, I apologize for my abrupt departure, but I have seen what I have seen. If I do not leave … Continue reading →

Alfhilde opened her eyes and turned over in her bedroll. It was still dark. To her left, Hrothgar snored away along with Jakob, the baby sprawled on his father’s chest. To her right, Sif curled up, sleeping peacefully. Alfhilde sat … Continue reading →

“What if you could, though?” Alfhilde said. Sif raised her eyebrows. “What is it you’re really looking for? A place to belong?” Sif thought for a long few heartbeats, then cautiously nodded, not yet daring to hope. “I understand if … Continue reading →

Sif looked at the pouches of food in front of her, made a decision, and cinched the pouches closed. She would want something to snack on during tomorrow’s march. “I think so too. It’s good for us—we get to survive—and … Continue reading →

Mercifully, the day’s march passed uneventfully. They found a place to set up their camp, set back from the road and out of sight. Falthejn went off to one side of the camp by himself, drew a circle on the … Continue reading →

Falthejn could give them the slip without trouble, especially if he waited until night, and his watch. Would they go on without him? In one set of hypothetical futures, he stayed nearby to watch. They would, if he left them … Continue reading →

Following the road with some corner of his mind, Falthejn spent most of his attention on his foresight. The effort of using his magic without his usual totems, runes, or tools of any sort, and walking besides, strained him nearly … Continue reading →

Alfhilde didn’t care. “In a fight? Yes! The man has been trained since birth to kill, and he can see the future. He is a better fighter than you.” She caught herself, and her tone softened, as her face did … Continue reading →