Chapter62: Altinna of Old

*Maerilee* The horse moves swiftly beneath us, its hooves thudding against the scorched ground, but I hardly feel it. My body is solid, grounded, but the rest of me feels like smoke. The battlefield stretches endlessly in every direction, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the woman seated in front of me. Her silver braid glimmers even in the dim, ashen light, and every part of her radiates calm and command. I have never met her before. I am certain of that. And yet, something deep inside me stirs. Her presence tugs at something old, something buried in the marrow of my bones. It is not comfort exactly, but a strange sense of being known. As if she has walked beside me through every hardship, even though I know that cannot be true. My voice is quiet when I speak. “What’s your name?” She glances over her shoulder, and when her silver eyes meet mine, it is like the world stills. “I am Seraphira,” she says simply. “Queen of the Faeblood. First daughter of the kingdom you now call Altinna.