Jacob sat beside Alice and Furi in Theodosia’s workshop. There was an awful silence in that room, punctuated by Furi’s occasional sniffs as she composed herself. Jacob knew that kind of grief. It would come and go, triggered by the most random things, and only time would lessen it.
“Decades of peace since the Deadlands War,” Smith said, sagging back into his seat at one of the workbenches. “Gone in a flash.”
Mary nodded but didn’t say anything.
“I always thought it would be Charles who broke the peace,” Drakkar said, turning a pewter stein in his hand. “His gift for weapons was unparalleled. But now I see those same skills in Jacob, and I worry for the legacy he will leave in the end.”
“As long as my friends and family are alive, I don’t care,” Jacob said.
Rin tightened his fists. “Steamborn and Skyborn working together, forming an alliance. We are everything our leaders feared. The key to a new age, but I fear for the coming storm.”
Jacob remembered the first time he was called Steamborn, and it had been with the same disgust people used to call him a Lowland maggot. The Skyborn were no different, forced into the slums of Ballern to suffer the same fates as those in Ancora’s Lowlands.
“Stormborn,” Alice whispered, sitting up straighter.
“What?” Rin asked.
“We’re something else now. Stormborn. Steamborn and Skyborn united.”
A shiver ran down Jacob’s arm.
Furi undid the buckle on her pouch and raised the patch Alice had given her. “And we already have a symbol. The Shadowwing.”
Rin held out his hand, and Furi passed her pack to him. He studied the abstract wings framed in a red octagon, jagged edges forming the outline of a gentle creature. “I don’t like the red. It reminds me of Fel.”
“But it stands against everything Mordair is,” Alice said. “This is our future. An alliance that cannot be broken by time and distance because we’ve already seen the worst our cities have to offer.”
Furi took her pack from Rin. “Get used to it. We’re Stormborn now.”
Rin blinked before a slow smile crawled across his face. “So be it.”
“A united front from old enemies,” Drakkar said. He gathered a few more steins and passed them out to the group, filling them with a bubbly amber liquid. Done, he returned to his post at the workbench. “I do not suppose you would have room for a Cave Guardian and a couple pirates?”
Smith and Mary both raised their drinks.
Furi grinned at Drakkar. “We have room for anyone who would stand at our side.”
Drakkar inclined his head before raising his stein. “To the Stormborn.”
The drink had an odd flavor, bitter yet not entirely unpleasant. A hint of leather and fruit hit Jacob’s palate, and it was not nearly so harsh as some of the things he used to sneak sips of when his dad wasn’t looking.
“It’s going to get bad, isn’t it?” Furi asked.
“At least we’re with friends,” Rin said, smiling at Furi. “And we have a chance to do something for the Skyborn. I would risk much for that chance, Furi.”
Samuel put his stein down. “I still owe Mordair for what he did to the Spider Knights. I’m just here for revenge.”
Alice scoffed at him. “We know you better than that.”
“I’ve known you for a week, and I know you better than that,” Rin said.
Drakkar leaned forward and slapped Samuel on the back. “You put on a good show, Spider Knight, but we all know you are a good person.”
Samuel looked like he was going to say more, but then relaxed against the bench instead. “Anyway, I’m coming with you.”
“We lost more than Beck today,” Furi said. “Some of those ships would have been crewed by Skyborn. Some of them won’t want to see what really happened here.”
“Kura’s done good work,” Rin said. “Kura will help find those who aren’t loyal to Ballern. And now? With the queen dead? I think we may have more allies than ever before.”
“Even if they’ve been told Belldorn assassinated the queen?” Mary asked. “You think they’ll see through that?”
“Some of them will. Time will tell how many.”
“It’s going to look awfully suspicious that the queen died right after Mordair appeared in Ballern,” Alice said. “That has to help.”
“I don’t think we’ll know until we get there,” Mary said. “Get some rest. We need to decide on a plan of action, and like Rin said, I think Kura is going to be crucial to anything we do in Ballern.”
“Is Archibald chasing down the rest of their fleet?” Rin asked.
“Eva doesn’t think so. The warships and Porcupines are just off the coast, and after that last maneuver, most of the remaining fleet appears to be in a full retreat.”
“Mordair has already moved against Ballern,” Smith said. “I do not believe we have the time to await Archibald and Kat’s decision.”
“What are you saying?”
“I am saying we should plan to return to Ballern. Speak with Kura privately and see what can be done to rally those who are not loyal to the monarchy.”
“We can come with you,” Rin said.
“Perhaps. But perhaps it would be better if you returned to Canopy to inquire about their willingness to send Dragonriders across the sea.”
Rin frowned. “You mean, take our mounts with us?”
“Yes. I believe it could be done with a large enough warship, could it not?”
Rin rubbed his hands together. “It’s possible, but the feed and care would not be insignificant. And the ship would have to proceed at a slow pace to avoid losing any that decide to explore our surroundings.”
“All issues we can address, if you are willing to stay behind for now.”
“I’ll return to Canopy. But I can’t promise I’ll wait for this entire plan to come together. Ballern was my home for a long time, and the Skyborn mean a great deal to me.”
Furi held out a hand before pulling it back. “I’ll talk to Kura, Rin. But I think there might be something we can do in the meantime.”
Everyone focused their attention on Furi, as she detailed an idea that raised more than a few eyebrows.