—You were harsh, Majesty. Perhaps that was necessary.

Estie blinked away a few more tears. “Can you find the librarian’s workroom from here?”

His firm nod assured her that he could.

Trusting his hand on her arm, the Queen braced herself to make demands of Beatrix Threnody.

For several days, the skies were clear. The cold had no remorse, but the sun gave its warmth. During the day, the top layers of snow melted, and reflected glare left burns like scars on exposed faces. At night, the snow froze into sheets like brittle bone.

During that time, Queen Estie dedicated most of her hours to Lamit Karsolsky’s A Complete System of Gestures for Speech with the Deaf and Dumb, learning it herself and teaching it to her guardsmen. If anyone had asked her why she wanted to master a second mute language, she would have said that she needed something to do. That was true enough. Nevertheless it masked a deeper purpose. Her studies were a gift for her husband. She would never hear the distinctive intensity of his voice again; but he would still be able to speak with her—if he chose to make the effort.

Whenever Magister Avail addressed her, however, she interrupted what she was doing and gave him her full attention.

He must have received what he needed most from his friend. Resuming his duties, he was often with one or another of the Farsighted. He shared what they told him.

In that way, Estie heard that King Bifalt and the el-Algreb had not stayed with General Klamath. From somewhere, they had produced wagons of food and supplies. Then they had ridden away, taking only two Magisters and a single wagon with them, heading north.

One other Farsighted watched Rile’s horde of fanged strangers. Apparently, those nameless men had waited, passive and directionless, for the storm to pass. But now a number of mounted priests had joined them. They were on the move, plowing through the drifts on a line that would join the Great God’s infantry before they reached the desert.

Clearly, King Bifalt aimed to intercept the fanged men.

This news gave Queen Estie a pang, but she could not say that it surprised her. Bifalt was only being himself. A man who had survived the fall of Belleger’s Fist would not hesitate to risk his life against the far greater numbers of the horde. And he was not alone. As well as the el-Algreb and two Magisters, he had a company of riflemen and his bodyguards. Prince Jaspid and Elgart were surely with him. They might be enough.

For a day and a half after the King’s departure, General Klamath had stayed where he was, giving his men and Magisters time to recover their strength and care for their horses. At the first sign of Rile’s infantry, however, he broke camp and began to withdraw, drawing the infantrymen after him.