Page 45 of Goddess of Light
“I’d say she wouldn’t hurt her own son,” Rasmus says carefully, “but I have a couple of cracked ribs that say otherwise.”
I clench my jaw so hard, I think I crack a tooth.
“What else do you know?” I manage to ask, my hands curling into fists. Her goal will be to use Tuonen’s horns to conjure Rangaista, so she already hurt him. Now, I can only hope she has enough motherly instinct to keep him alive.
Or turn him against you, a voice says. I can’t bear to think of that right now. Either way, we’re getting him back.
I do my best to rein in my emotions as I bring my focus back on the attack.
“If she has Tuonen, she wants me to come and get him,” I muse. “She knows I won’t let go of my son so easily. She expects us, doesn’t she?”
Rasmus nods. “Yes. She knows you’ll go to her, but she’ll be ready. I really don’t think you’ll get to Shadow’s End without going through more than a few battles. The Old Gods are everywhere, as are the Bone Stragglers. Those fuckers have been waiting to exact their revenge on you for a long time, and that’s what she’s been counting on. You’ll have to get through all of them before you can get remotely close. They’ll be ready, and once you’re spotted, she’ll be ready too.”
I need to be strategic. “Boats on the River of Shadows—could she use them as a feint while sending another force through the forest?”
Rasmus nods begrudgingly. “You must expect attacks from multiple fronts.”
“Vellamo will have control of the river. She can take care of them. We will prepare to fight in the Hiisi Forest. It’s the best place for the Old Gods to hide and where Tapio can wield the trees to his advantage.” I realize I’m thinking out loud now and don’t really need Rasmus at this point. I clear my throat. “Very well. Be thankful you’ve been useful.”
I leave him there, guarded, and return to the hall. The generals and Lovia look up as I enter. “Rasmus confirms Louhi may have used Tuonen’s horns in a spell to conjure Rangaista,” I say grimly.
Lovia lets out a soft gasp, her lips curling into a sneer.
“I’m sorry,” Torben says.
“No matter,” I say with a wave of my hand. “I should have expected as much. It means she knows we’ll try and pull off a rescue mission regardless. She is expecting us to attack, which means the battles will start long before Shadow’s End. I feel the moment we hit the Hiisi Forest is the moment the real battlebegins. But we can take control of both the forest and the river through Tapio, Tellervo, and Vellamo. If we can get there before they know we’re coming, we’ll have the upper hand.”
Torben taps the map with his staff, frowning. “Then we must strengthen the wards along the forest edge and the riverbanks both. That means splitting our meager resources.”
Lovia’s eyes flash. “We’ll have to be smarter than Louhi. If the forest is the main thrust, we put a stronger defense there.”
General Pekka suggests deploying scouts with signal horns in the forest canopy, but that’s too risky. She might hear them before we do. Torben proposes placing enchanted stones along the river’s edge to create illusions of safe passage, luring their boats into dead ends. It isn’t a bad idea, especially if Vellamo is using the river to flood certain areas.
The planning continues until my head aches with details.
At midday, I excuse myself. Lovia follows me into a corridor, and I beckon her to accompany me outside. “We need fresh air,” I tell her quietly. She doesn’t argue. We pass through a side gate and down a slippery path to the swamp’s edge.
It’s colder here, the snow drifting in fine flakes. The Star Swamp, usually half-frozen or at least chilly, now shows signs of thawing despite the snow. Water pools under the crust of ice, reflecting a dull, pale sky. The contrast is unsettling—snow above, thawing swamp below. The realm’s natural order is twisted. We must keep Torben’s spells strong if we want any hope of stable terrain. If the swamp shifts unpredictably, our plans will crumble, and we’ll lose most of our army.
Lovia stands beside me, her breath visible in the cold air. We walk slowly, careful not to slip. “It’s strange,” she says, voice subdued, “to see the swamp like this, as if it can’t decide on a season. As if it’s fighting us.”
I nod. “Torben may need to reinforce his spells. I’ll let him know. The power of Oblivion is strong, even more so in aland where Louhi’s influence has held steady for so long. Evil corrupts the natural order of things.”
She glances at me sideways. “When this is over, do you think things will ever go back to normal?”
I wish I could offer reassurance, but I’ve learned to be cautious with promises. “Not the old normal,” I say quietly, “but perhaps a new balance. Tuonela will heal, in time, if we can restore what was lost. We might be able to make it even better.”
Lovia’s gaze drifts over the pale reeds. “I’ve been thinking about Tuonen,” she says gently. “And Sarvi. I wonder if…if my mother would actually kill them…”
The fear gnaws at me, but I can’t show it. “Tuonen is clever—he would know to keep his head down until it’s safe. And Sarvi is resourceful.”
But I don’t doubt Louhi would dispose of Sarvi before anyone else. She hates that unicorn. Then again, she hates all things with an allegiance to me. Sadly, that might also include our son.
Lovia nods, blowing on her hands for warmth. “Still, I’m worried.”
I stop walking and turn to face her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I know,” I say softly. “I’m worried too.” Admitting it feels risky, but I’m her father. She deserves honesty. “I take comfort in knowing they’re not reckless. They’ll find a way to survive until we set this right.”
She meets my eyes, and I see her fear and resolve mirrored there. “You really think we can win this, Father?”