Icefall (24 page)
Authors: Matthew J. Kirby
“You want to tell me a story? You and your raven?”
I look at Muninn. “Yes.”
“Very well. Tonight, then.” He stands, and I feel some of his soul-armor returning. “I must speak with Harald and then survey the steading. Go see if you can be of help anywhere. And I believe Hake wants to speak with you.”
“Yes, Father.”
He leaves, and I am at peace.
I find my berserker standing at the cliff. I join him, Muninn preening on my shoulder, and side by side, we face the ocean. The air, though not yet warm, smells of sea and pine. The sky is clean, new like the buds of green sprouting from the tree branches, and the fjord is open wide.
“I must thank you,” I say.
“For what?”
“For helping me see what I could be.”
“You would have seen it without me.”
“I don’t know if I would have. I don’t know who I would be if not for you. Or for Alric.”
“You would be who you have always been,” he says.
I pull my braid around in front of me and untie the leather ribbon holding it. Perhaps there is some truth in what he says. There is still much I have to learn. I finger out the braid, and then I vigorously rub my scalp and let the wind run through my loose hair.
“Father said you wanted to speak with me about something.”
“I do. Will you perform tonight?”
“Yes.”
“A story about Alric?”
I smile. “Yes, Hake.”
He nods. “Your father will be proud of you.”
“Perhaps he will.”
He looks at me out of the corner of his eye.
“I don’t think it matters to me as it used to,” I say. “I will be a skald, with or without my father’s approval.”
“For what it’s worth,” Hake says, “I am proud of you. But you are still young, and the world is dangerous. But I could … that is, your father might be more agreeable to your plan if he knew you would be safe. Perhaps … perhaps if I offer to come with you, wherever you choose to go. To guard you. Perhaps then he might agree.” Hake swallows. “If you would have me.”
My joy blossoms into a smile. “I wouldn’t have anyone else.”
He inhales deeply and returns his gaze to the sea. “I enjoy this time of year. Everything is so new.”
He is right. We have risen from the flood to a new world. One upon which we can write our own stories. Craft our own legends. I do not know what Alric meant about me shaking the earth or shaping it. But I know that I feel as if I am just waking up. I do not have Asa’s beauty, but I know that my stories do. I do not have Harald’s strength, but inside I feel a power of my own.
I know who I am.
I am Solveig.
Icefall
was a challenging book, and I would like to express my gratitude to those who supported, encouraged, and assisted in the writing of it. When I first presented the idea to my agent, Stephen Fraser, his advice and enthusiasm were what gave me the reassurance I needed to approach something new and different. The individual members of my critique group each offered their valued and unique perspectives. Danielle Jones provided additional insights, as did fellow writers DaNae Leu and Carrie Brown-Wolf. I owe a special debt to author Rebecca Barnhouse, for it was while reading the manuscript for her novel,
The Coming of the Dragon
, that the inspiration for Solveig’s story came to me. My editor, Lisa A. Sandell, guided me through the revision process with great patience and care, and her insights helped bring Solveig more fully to life. My coworkers in the Davis School District continue to provide me with friendship, especially Laurel and Don,
who have each found special ways to show their support. As always, my family has been a source of love and encouragement, as well as much-needed first readers.
And finally, though there are no words to adequately express it, I am grateful to Azure, whose grace, intelligence, and understanding are what make my books possible.
Matthew J. Kirby has been making up stories since he was quite small. He was less small when he decided that he wanted to be a writer, and quite a bit larger when he finally became one. His father was a doctor in the Navy, so his family moved frequently. Matthew went to three different elementary schools and three different high schools, and he has lived in Utah, Rhode Island, Maryland, California, and Hawaii, which means that while growing up he met many people and had many wonderful experiences.
In college, Matthew studied history and psychology, and he decided that he wanted to work with children and write stories for them. So he became a school psychologist, a job he truly enjoys. He then went on to write novels, including his debut,
The Clockwork Three
, and now
Icefall
.
Matthew currently lives in Utah with his wife, where he still works with children and continues to write stories for them. You can visit him at his website: www.matthewjkirby.com.
Also by MATTHEW J. KIRBY
The Clockwork Three
Text copyright © 2011 by Matthew J. Kirby
Cover art © 2011 by Owen Richardson
Cover design by Elizabeth B. Parisi
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kirby, Matthew J., 1976–
Icefall / by Matthew J. Kirby. — 1st ed. p. cm.
Summary: Princess Solveig and her siblings are trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen fjord, along with her best friend and an army of restless soldiers, all awaiting news of the king’s victory in battle, but as they wait for winter’s end and the all-encompassing ice to break, acts of treachery make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst.
ISBN 978-0-545-27424-1
[1. Winter — Fiction. 2. Ice — Fiction. 3. Self-confidence — Fiction. 4. Storytelling —Fiction. 5. Fantasy.] I. Title.
PZ7.K633528Ic 2011
[Fic]—dc22
2011000890
First edition, October 2011
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eISBN: 978-0-545-38816-0