Frostfire Read Online Free PDF Page B

all appeared pure and
     white.
    “Why are the trees like that?” Linus asked, pointing at the only vegetation that grew
     in the winter.
    Tall evergreens dotted the landscape, and all of them were tilted slightly toward
     the east, with all their branches growing out on only one side. To people who hadn’t
     seen it before, it did look a bit strange.
    “It’s called the Krummholz effect,” I explained. “The strong wind comes from the northwest,
     making it hard for branches and trees to grow against it, so they all end up bending
     away from it.”
    As we got closer to Doldastam, the foliage grew thicker. The road narrowed, becoming
     a thin path that was barely wide enough for the Land Rover. If another car came toward
     us, we’d have to squeeze off the road between the trees.
    The trees around the road seemed to be reaching for us, bent and hunched over, their
     long branches extending out toward the path. They had long viny branches, like weeping
     willows, but they were darker green and thicker than any willow I’d seen. These were
     actually hybrids, grown only by the Kanin people. They were made to help conceal the
     road to the kingdom, so humans would be less likely to stumble across us.
    But no other car came. The empty road was normal. Other than trackers, no one really
     left the city.
    The wall wasn’t visible until we were almost upon Doldastam, thanks to all the trees
     hiding it. It was twenty feet tall, built out of stone by Kanin over two centuries
     ago, but it held up stunningly well.
    The wrought-iron gate in front of the road was open, and I waved at the guard who
     manned the gate as we drove past. The guard recognized me, so he smiled and waved
     me on.
    Linus leaned forward, staring up through the windshield. Small cottages lined the
     narrow roads as we weaved our way through town, hidden among bushes as much as they
     could be, but Linus wasn’t paying attention to them.
    It was the large palace looming over everything at the other end of town that had
     caught his attention. The gray stone made it look like a castle, though it lacked
     any towers. It was a massive rectangle, covered in glittering windows.
    I drove through the center of town, and when I reached the south side of Doldastam,
     where the palace towered above us, I slowed down so Linus could get a better look.
     But then I kept going, stopping two houses away, in front of a slightly smaller but
     still majestic stone house. This one had a pitched roof, so it resembled a mansion
     much more than it did a castle.
    “This is it?” Linus asked, but he didn’t look any less impressed by his smaller home
     than he did by the castle.
    “Yep. This is where you live.”
    “Wow.” He shook his head, sounding completely awed. “This really is like a fairy tale.”

 
    FOUR
    stable
    It was dark by the time I pulled the Land Rover into the garage, narrowly parking
     it between another SUV and a full-sized Hummer. I clicked the button, closing the
     garage door behind me.
    Technically it was a garage, but in reality it was a massive brick fortress that housed
     dozens of vehicles and all kinds of tracker supplies. To the left of the garage were
     the classrooms and the gym where trackers trained, along with the Rektor’s office.
    I hadn’t bothered to put on my jacket or boots after I had gotten Linus settled in
     at the Berlings’ house, because I knew I was coming right here. The garage was heated,
     as were most things in Doldastam. Even the floor was heated, so when I stepped out
     of the SUV, the concrete felt warm on my bare feet.
    I’d just gone around to the side of the car to get my bag out of the back when I heard
     the side door close. The Rektor’s office connected to the garage, and I looked over
     to see Ridley Dresden walking in.
    “Need a hand?” he asked.
    “Nah, I think I got it. But thanks.” I slung my bag over my shoulder and went over
     to the storage closets.
    He wore a vest and a tie, with his