“I saw…” she trailed off, blinking against the light of the setting sun. “I saw the world.” She sat back, and her voice grew softer. “It was beautiful.” Falthejn smiled and left her to her thoughts for a few minutes. … Continue reading →

Falthejn nodded gravely. “That is the greatest risk that we who weave magic face. When we draw near to that point, the world does not work as it should. You may find yourself violently ill, or floating above the ground, … Continue reading →

“Falthejn,” Sif said. The diviner opened his eyes. Sif stood a long pace away, holding out the carved stick at arm’s length. He took it, and she stepped back. “Will it work?” He turned it over in his hands. “Yes, … Continue reading →

He turned downslope—no sense going toward the road and revealing their hideaway—and headed for a patch of undergrowth, clinging precariously to the hillside in a patch of sunlight the trees had not yet colonized. Bright yellow blossoms drew his eyes … Continue reading →

“Try the fruit and the nuts,” Falthejn advised. He inspected his handiwork. The length of stick almost hummed with power. He sheathed his knife. “Do you think you could cut the top of this away for me?” “I used to … Continue reading →

Falthejn mimicked Sif, leaning against his pack and resting his legs. The land here was beautiful, in its rugged way. Down the hill, a bare patch of ground left a break in the canopy at eye level. It revealed leagues … Continue reading →

The road cut into the side of a steep hill. The conifers upslope leaned out over the heads of Falthejn and his company, before bending upward toward the sun. On the other side, the land dropped away precipitously. “Here,” Hrothgar … Continue reading →

The sun, high overhead, made its trek down toward the horizon. As it did, they came across a few felled trees, left by the side of the road. Saws and grapples laid beside them. “These men left in a hurry,” … Continue reading →

Sif watched him sneakily. Weariness showed in his face. He looked like a rope pulled almost to breaking. She wondered if she looked the same. Suddenly, it hit her: of all the people in the world, she knew nobody as … Continue reading →

“What does it mean for us?” said Alfhilde. Falthejn looked away, lips pressed together. After a moment, he said, “I may miss others, or perhaps see those who will not be there. I can be certain about one thing, at … Continue reading →