THE ASH-MAR

was harder t

blew sideways like a hand pushing them back. As if the mountain itse

first, spear st

er, breath frost-thic

th blades strappe

ame moved quickl

rear - eyes always

s pa

the valley floor, the wo

il

sh

ath held

out wide - but no

urtains hung unmovin

imneys - but too s

alive bu

a sl

't lik

e didn'

d closed. No children ran between houses. No

lung like

t - a symbol painte

t crowned

gnized it

a wen

whis

of the Sor

e rising in his chest lik

fur, steadying him before ra

arefully,"

not stop what wa

-aged, wrapped in dark wool. Her eyes were dull, unfo

- slow,

ome,

ine f

ot given

declared h

lf to her knees - not i

you wou

gures e

ze

e

me

de

faintly into their skin - not bloody or o

ose together,

watc

wa

lcomes

to Jackline, blades

embled b

hed the broken cir

er-red beneath fur - tor

stepped

ear r

ce tre

t here t

gasp, not fear, but disturbance, like

front lifted he

nd. We do not as

slightly - unnat

you to

unted her since the mirror, the trial, the

ointed slow

you must surre

er hand towa

rone, you must f

like winter

tapho

hecy ha

cision. A

e cut tensio

s manip

sed under

to break h

, frightene

oose one. We

and the world narrowed to

es fli

lv

e

lv

rd the

derst

stepped

aw

h

line's palm - no words this t

oose between

e path where

lifted

the silent village l

neither

how

ws tw

- cracks of fear or awakenin

e more step, voi

we break the curse and take

side her - guardian

arked villa

hread ha

pell had

nd fearless - was sometime

t Remem

s did not mo

der. Some faces flickered with something almost like hope. Others t

rst fractur

s bright and unclouded. No ash-mark stained her skin. Sh

" she w

olf f

placed it against his cheek. The villa

eaned into

hild knew his name-not curse-na

ooked up at Jackl

Silver Knight. She said if he ever retu

es gli

uld come with t

rouched to

w we ar

her sleeve slightly-revealin

s serve the k

forward-elderly, shaking

d. Some sti

oke like a t

... forg

rg

urren

sharpened like a

help you

d take root, a horn ec

ark. F

nd flew to

eadied h

ffened, e

voice w

s riders'

ours

nu

mes, others running toward Jackline as if s

bbed their p

aces cracked

dy, calm, even with danger

he village

. "We can't f

manded, "

stepped forward

lagers

her, silver eyes brigh

ilver dagger-second k

built on obedie

ak obedience

eached ever

may hide. Or you ma

le

h

forward-tears sh

ed of bei

mark flickering faint

ves to grow w

, they ste

ba

acks

ith tremb

with sc

sold

op

le are c

ftened-almost a

army, Jackline.

nodded

cour

taff groun

eal itself when this vi

th visible, eyes steady. He press

fe

warn

ian

ed her hand b

this place,

shed innocent b

her voice t

ll you to kneel. They will promise sa

ice wa

wer them with

catching on her hair, her spear, th

quee

beco

her side like a

e, the thunder of

King was reac

e was no lo

as st

as le

as cl

silent as ash-began

gains

h trembl

he bones of every structure in the silent village. Chickens fluttered. Horses snorted

riders

or, silve

ike rave

crescent moons e

at

n t

n m

ightened, bla

her spear into

, but didn't hide -

one at Jackline's side - s

wled, not loud - but deep enou

ra

rn

mping ash into the snow. A tall figu

Silver," he called, "the lost h

line instantly - knowi

ew no

dn't nee

stepped

d not

coiled thunder. His eyes glowed silver des

r tilted

the crown'

carried clear a

right to c

d through th

r - awa

ed slowly to f

el will be spa

burn with the trait

n it ha

rk vivid along his neck - step

my family," he sa

orry, J

un, fury

sed under

oze in d

e didn'

there, he stopped shaking. His face twisted - not wit

sed by

e gloved hand towar

upp

raitor

epped forwa

ease

voice did

ety. Like all

red glinted beside

d the boy, teeth bared, fur

hand clenche

gasped - kn

e didn'

ac

n the boy's neck - not with magic she un

ked across her ha

-mark s

sed - breathin

gain - louder,

ed, eyes burning br

es not own th

ever

half word, rising like a voice bre

re

lo

perf

cl

hed - first cra

ot to strike, but to claim sp

ped behind her - o

arked mov

esitated, but

the riders were ou

ider's voi

nnot wi

er was steady a

ready

he briefest moment, a glint

ke

ned with silver, shaped to match the crescent

thir

ed once, clear

ere the fin

d mean tearing it from the

s r

spear, not to surre

unning," she

her spear int

rew bot

fear and stepped

- but controlled, wa

er voice like lig

ant th

ped into

earn

d for the th

er with

ots crunching frost, cloak swe

e wolf side by side-a vision the k

t no tremor

ainty in

a flanked her l

ep behind, young

withheld breath, torn

ed slowly,

eyes flickered-

te

oth o

r lifted

eel, and you may

lifted

and, and k

g didn't

elief

First

in a single fluid motion. Steel met spear with a ri

ine b

ped

nte

nds-not perfect, but instinct grown into skill. She brushed

way, gracefu

next-two bl

her, then kicked her back with force

spear thrust

e-handed-magic cracklin

e didn'

alread

xploded

wi

lo

tro

e wrapped in fur and strength. His teeth snappe

wung low-Ar

lea

en Jackline li

comm

nec

e curse forced him, but

ine e

my f

softly-not ref

, guarding

es narrowed be

e curse better

her spear at him-

rol him. We f

rred-belief shaki

egained

her spear int

ourage to himself

acked again-f

hed. Spark

ked a strike

ed a thrust mea

lade grazing the ride

rom behind, mak

ance instantly-

line was

w the

his right

aned fraction

sked a predi

ine w

tc

the m

stepped inside his guard and

at her be

light

ack-rev

flickering with ill

r a heartbeat,

young a

fear, he hid be

slaved,

ered bac

n't be able

wered her s

to him. You are c

ing through armor deepe

gers

eyes w

grip ti

l softened i

his chest as if figh

me..."

e could act-so

aking bone-thoug

es wen

seized him like

sword again-no

uman

tro

at his belt like a p

he must free h

ifted her

close enough that his

spered, vo

his chains, he

ered, sharp

tate, he wil

were

s voice c

l another ensla

epped

oved wi

ath they chos

sometimes in

was the only thr

S THE HAR

raised, eyes empty, movem

uman

lled by a d

pulse beating with hers. She did not want to kill him. She wanted to f

was bou

lled t

to th

e, teeth bared, breath low and fierce

his shoulder -

eed to r

but warning - then stepped asid

tepped for

- blade coming

idn't

sting her instinct, trusting her training, t

found h

r touched

- not as an attac

s true face surfaced again

gh the spell like ice

lp

ne whi

a

rough the dagger - not

led like m

k on his ne

- like shack

one knee - sword fall

ath

iv

r

lagers

wered he

haled in

th hope so fierce i

fing the air, testing the c

as f

placed a steady h

re no

, eyes clearing lik

me," he whispered, v

ine w

llowed

ela

e rec

orward, voice me

u through fear. But fear

Jacline

me. I owe y

hook her h

yalty.

as if no one had ever

the obsidian pendant - th

-shadow, half-silver - completing th

of two

f moonligh

ash and

e pi

dest

ry could settle,

ting. His eyes flared bright red -

ast the vil

followed

breath

riders w

than

st

sita

their

urned bone, pulled by

, voice barely

not so

a wen

t's

s not waiting in som

comin

choice led to this moment. The trials. The keys. The r

runn

knee

ndi

aller than fear,

he village

es alone - but

- shoulders squared, ey

ed behind her like f

stood on both s

dagger tight - af

shaky - stepped to one knee before Jac

s mine. Lead,

down at the fina

harp. B

ys are align

the crown was no

was