The Frost Gate: A Retelling of Snow White by Hanna Sandvig

Author:Hanna Sandvig [Sandvig, Hanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Phouka Publishing
Published: 2024-01-24T00:00:00+00:00

27

Niamh

As eager as I was to leave the cottage and do something, falling asleep on the couch after lunch hadn’t done much to convince Kylian or Estrid of my regained strength.

“I can’t stay here forever,” I grumbled that evening while eating my portion of Kylian’s excellent lentil and carrot stew with some bread I had made the day before. “You’re the one who wants me to be queen.” I waved my spoon in Kylian’s direction. “What kind of queen would I be if I stayed in a cottage for the rest of my life?”

“You were willing to stay in Liadan’s tower for the rest of your life,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but I wasn’t bored then.”

“You would think that being poisoned would be enough excitement for the month,” commented Estrid, who had stolen the two largest books from the library shelf to bring her seat up to dwarf height at the table.

Yes, you would think that. I couldn’t explain it, but after spending a lifetime barely leaving the limits of Pilot Bay, I was curious to see more of the world. Besides, traveling in Faerie sounded much more exciting than traveling in the Kootenays. No offense to the mountains.

Kylian tapped his spoon on the table, thinking.

“You mentioned that you were interested in rune magic.” Estrid rolled up her sleeves and eyed her runes. “We can’t do too many runes—not in the condition you’re in—but we could do one or two. Maybe thurisaz?” She looked over at Kylian. “The shielding rune would help keep her safe while we wait for her to fully recover.”

“And uruz,” he agreed after some thought.

“Really?” I sat up straighter. “Let’s do it!”

“I don’t have my equipment.” Estrid scraped up the last of her stew with her bread. “I can pick up the gold dust and my ink and needles tomorrow.”

“And molasses.” I took a bite of buttery bread.

“Do they use molasses in tattoos in the human realm?” Estrid looked up skeptically.

“No, no. I just want to make cookies.”

“I’ll get it for you, but it might be a day or two before you’re recovered enough to bake again.”

“I’ve gotten a tattoo before,” I huffed.

“I know.” She slid off the chair and cleaned up her dishes. “But not like this, you haven’t.”

* * *

The next day, I sat cross-legged on my bed while Estrid arranged her tattoo kit and Kylian leaned against the doorway.

“What were you thinking of, for placement?” Estrid set a bottle of gold paint on the bedside table. “Your right arm?”

I looked at the milky skin of my arm. I had been thinking of getting something done there. But . . .

“Do I have to see the runes for them to work?” I asked.

“It can be helpful,” said Estrid. “But no, you just have to visualize the rune. Most people prefer to see them until they get them memorized, though.”

“Why do you ask?” Kylian examined a bottle of shimmering gold dust suspended in black ink.

“It just seemed like it would be an advantage to not announce that I have the runes.

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