Marrying a Warhound (Cassian) novel Chapter 56

Book 2- The Rise of the Northern Consort

ATASHA’S POV

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“The north is the coldest place on the planet, but it doesn’t mean we are destitute,” Grace said, smiling as she handed me a bowl of warm porridge. I took it and murmured thanks. “In fact, the north is very wealthy.”

I nodded. Since childhood, I’d been told the North kills the careless, you can freeze before sunrise and even a small beast can drag you from a tent. But never about their wealth. Still… I nodded.

It had been two weeks since we left Crimson Howlers‘ territory, two weeks since we burned Crimson Howlers and Nightfall Pack. News came in fragments from scouts. I noted it and let it go. I wasn’t ready to make sense of any of it on the road. Instead I focus on our journey.

The snow started four days ago and didn’t stop. By today it buried the shoulders of the track, covered the pines, and packed over the rock so deep the wheels cut trenches. The driver had the team on chains and a slower gait.

Outriders rotated every mile to keep their faces from freezing. The glass kept fogging, and each time I wiped it with my sleeve, I caught Cassian’s banner slipping in and out of the white ahead while the rear patrol checked our tracks for anything following.

Travel changed with the weather. Horns sounded more often, one short for a drift, two for a choke point, three for a halt. The heater core under the bench hummed and kept our breath from frosting inside the carriage, but the cold still pushed through the seams.

Because of that, Cassian rode ahead with Lucas to clear the pass. When I asked to go, he refused. And told me that the north was too harsh, and I wasn’t acclimated yet. He left two wardens with me and told Grace to keep me inside the column.

I thought I’d fight him on it, but I didn’t. The order gave me what I needed, time to breathe, go through some notes, and arrive with enough strength to face what waited at Blackfrost.

And of course, the biggest change had been Grace who was asked to accompany me all the time.

Grace poured me more tea from a lidded tin. “You’ll see our first village after the pass. We call it Frostgate. From there, caravans branch cast and west. Most families earn coins through the

mines.”

“Mining?” I asked. “In this weather?”

11:17 Wed, Sep 10

Chapter 56

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“We work under it.” She pointed to the floor, as if I could see through the packed snow and rock. “Old veins run along the mountains and the frozen rivers. We follow them. It’s not all iron and salt. The wealth is in Fac stones.”

I looked up. “Fae stones… the same stones that amplify abilities?” I have read about these stones in the past. However, they weren’t very detailed about it.

“The same,” she said. “They form in pockets where the earth is thin and the air hums. We grade them by color and weight. Clear is common. Blue holds cold and wind well. Amber takes to healing or growth. Red carries impact and fire. Black is rare and dangerous.” She tapped the side of the cup. “Cut right and set in silver, a stone can power a ward–tower, heat a barracks, or strengthen a gifted fighter for a few minutes. We sell refined stones south and west. That trade is why the north is rich.”

“Who controls the mines?” I asked.

“Lord Cassian and the guild council. The guilds handle picks, food, medicine, and contracts. The lord sets taxes, guards the roads, and keeps the monsters out.” She glanced at the window as the carriage rocked over a drift. “When the snows come early, the beasts push down out of the white. Frostboars, glass–wolves, sometimes a wraith. They smell heat and blood. Hunts keep them back.”

“Is that why he rides ahead?”

“Yes. The scouts flagged sign yesterday. Something big crossed the river ice. He took Lucas and a dozen riders to sweep the slope.”

I set the bowl aside. “Do children work the mines?”

“Not inside the deep shafts. Apprentices start above ground, sorting, washing, carting. Down below is for trained hands. We lost enough men before we learned that lesson.”

“What about the stones themselves? Are they safe to handle?”

“Raw stones hum in the bones. Too much contact makes you dizzy. The black ones burn out the nerves if you press them to skin for long.” She pulled a small pouch from her coat and loosened the top. A dull blue shard sat inside, the size of a thumbnail, wrapped in oiled cloth. “We carry them shielded. Only cutters and smiths handle them bare, and only for a breath.”

“What do you do with them after cutting?”

“Most go to the forges and sold to the Facs.” She counted off on her fingers. “Obviously, we also work with Faes to create power cells for the ward–towers. The best stones go to the keep, accounts, reserves, or the lord’s personal stores. The rest are traded for grain, medicine, and

iron.”

11:17 Wed, Sep 10

Chapter 56

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I nodded. Faes live further north. It is only expected for them to interact with the wolves who are mining their stones. “And the villages live off the guild contracts?”

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