“I can’t disobey orders. They want me back on the border. They’re sending all the Valkyrie. But please don’t worry, it’s just a precaution and nothing more. Everyone knows the Valkyrie are the toughest ladies in all the land. When the Vargar mutts see us in the air they’re sure to tuck tail and run back into the mountains!” Raga placed a hand on their mother’s curled fist.
“So, the other ladies were right, and the rumors are true. There are more of the beasts coming.” She stated it as a fact and left no room to question what they already knew. The monsters of the mountains were getting bold.
“As I said, don’t worry about me. I’ve spent seasons scaring the mongrels away. This won’t be any different.” Freya could see their mother relax a fraction as Raga soothed her, and their father placed a hand on his mate’s shoulder to gently stroke the soft feathers trailing down her nape. She leaned into Father with a forlorn look in her eyes. She’d never wanted Raga to join the ranks of the soldiers in the first place. Freya supposed most parents didn’t, although they understood the necessity of it. Especially Father, being a former soldier himself, knew that keeping the border secure was crucial.
The girl’s father nodded solemnly as Raga let them know how soon she was leaving. Mother’s eyes glistened with unshed tears and she looked away from her family as if to hide before nearly whispering “It’s late, and the wine has exhausted me. I should turn in for the night.” She rose, and after kissing each of her daughters on the head, moved towards her and Father’s room to retire from her long day and the distressing news.
Lonan sighed in the direction of his wife before turning to his daughters. His kind eyes and slight smile helping to ease some of the tension at the misfortunate news Raga had shared. The strength of the wine had helped give her the courage to tell them, but it was best she told them this night and not tomorrow before she left. Mother wouldn’t be as wounded knowing the hard truth sooner rather than later.
“We can spend the day together tomorrow before you leave. Gwylan would love to have her daughters help her finish knitting her current quilt commission. She’s getting an abundance of requests as the nights are getting cooler.” Freya and Raga agreed to help and with that their father also left to turn in for the night.
“Help me clean up the mess?” Raga motioned to the bare dishes on the table.
“Of course not! I clean the table every night you’re gone! It’s your turn,” Freya joked sweeping the bowls over the table with her arm to rest in front of Raga’s empty bowl.
“You ungrateful thing! I spend moons protecting this family and I can’t return home to even a little rest?” Raga dipped her fingers into the last dredges of stew from a bowl and leapt for Freya’s face.
“No! I’ve already washed for the night!” Boisterous laughter filled the dining space and Raga smeared cold broth on her smaller sister’s face, one arm wrapped around Freya’s shoulders to keep her in place.
“You might as well help me now, you’re as dirty as the dishes!” Freya let out a snort unable to help herself. She managed to maneuver her arm to the same bowl now at the table’s edge and with a swipe backwards smeared leftover stew across Raga’s forehead.
Red tipped wings spread across the room as Raga leaned back in disgust and shock. She hadn’t been expecting Freya to retaliate. Deep laughter escaped from the siblings as they finally began to clear the table of dishes and wipe away the excess of supper on their faces.
Once back up in their room, Raga opened the shutters to the window between their beds. A chill breeze swept in followed by the fresh scent of the greenery outside. There was a hint of the smell of rain in the air foreshadowing the fall showers to come. Even in the dark of night and through the almost impenetrable foliage of the treetops, Freya could make out the twinkling of the brightest night stars. Freya and Raga sat shoulder to shoulder under the window listening to the wind whistle and the night owls hoot.
“I think I’ve fallen in love, Freya.” Raga whispered to her sister. “Don’t tell Mother and Father yet.” She reached out and squeezed Freya’s hand.
“Of course not. Who is it?” she tentatively implored.
“My Commander, Alvyna. I’d like to bring her home to meet everyone after this next deployment” She confided and a smile lighted over Raga’s face.
“Will you tell me about her?” the younger sister questioned. This Commander must be something to have caught Raga’s attention.
“She’s terrifyingly fierce. There’s no other Valkyrie like her, especially since she reached Commander at a young age. No one can stop her in battle, I’m sure she let me win when we were sparring,” Raga got a distant look in her eyes as if they were full of clouds. “Alvyna is impressively strong, but when she’s adding fresh dye to the faded red of my wings, she’s so compassionate, and gentle when she helps me preen at night. She’s yellow like a canary, and in flight she looks as if she’s made of pure sunlight.” There was an unmistakable wistful tone in her voice as Raga spoke of this woman who had captured her attention.
Freya could feel Raga’s heartbeat increase while thinking of her fellow warrior. Her sister seemed happy and it eased some of Freya’s worry to know there was someone out there who would look after Raga while away from home.
“She sounds lovely, and I can’t wait to meet her. I know it’ll be a happy occasion.” The sisters shared a hug and separated to their beds. Both were asleep as soon as they were nestled and warm in their bundles of covers, protected from the chill of the night air slipping in through the window.
Even though Freya had the comforting presence of her sister, she didn’t sleep soundly. Plagued by poor dreams she tossed and turned throughout the night as if she were being chased. Red eyes followed her in the night, and she ran as fast her bare feet could take her. Through the trees she caught a glimpse of glimmering white fangs and crimson eyes stalking her as if she was no more than measly prey.
Freya whimpered and urged the wings she didn’t have to work, as if on instinct. She tried helplessly to leap off the ground and get away from the monster coming after her. As she knew they would, the phantom wings stayed limp behind her nothing more than a reminder of what she lacked.
The whoosh of something moving fast behind her nearly made Freya trip as she tried to get away. A beast gnashed its teeth trying to clamp its jaw around the tips of the dream-wings dragging along the ground. Freya just managed to leap away before it could catch her up in its gaping maw filled with rows of dagger like teeth. Massive clawed paws aimed down from the sky to land on Freya and rip her to shreds when time slowed down.
As the creature’s movements started to lag just inches from her face Freya turned away and leapt. When she opened her eyes, she was falling from a cliff and time sped up again in a rush as she plummeted. Again, she urged the wings she didn’t have to move, even just to spread open and slow her descent to no avail. With a last wailing scream she plunged into the ice-cold river at the bottom.
Freya woke trembling and covered in a freezing cold sweat. She’d tossed and turned so violently that her blankets hung over the side of her bed. The first rays of morning light were shining through the open window and chasing away the chill of the night. Yet, even with the coming sun she couldn’t shake away the chill that had settled deep in her bones.
By midday, Freya was able to put the nightmare behind her while surrounded by her family. Father stayed home late to spend time with Raga before leaving to attend the fields with other Adaryn who lived at the edges of the colony and tended the crops. Father promised to bring home extras for a large meal together upon his return for supper.
The sisters took lunch on the stoop with their mother, enjoying the sunlight flitting down through the tops of the trees. Freya watched other Adaryn when they came in and out of view, trying not to be envious. After her dream the night before she was having a hard time not feeling further apart from the rest of her people, not for the first time. Freya attempted to focus instead on her feelings of happiness while her sister was
home.
That night Raga made sure her things were ready for her departure and spent time again brushing out and braiding Freya’s hair. The long near white locks fell down her back and over the downy feathers covering the length of her spine. Her hair was much longer than the cropped short, wavy locks that surrounded Raga’s proud face. Ever since they were little fledglings, Raga made sure to braid Freya’s hair each night and to help keep her feathers clean and preened.
Freya returned the favor by braiding Raga’s hair into a crown atop her head, wishing she had flowers to tie in as she’d done when they were younger. Raga could sense the tension around Freya as they simply enjoyed each other’s company.
“Don’t worry, little one. I’ll come home as soon the borders are clear,” Raga confirmed as she gently pushed Freya to her bed before climbing into her own.
The next morning when Freya woke, her sister and her armor were gone. Raga had left before the sun rose, flying back to guard Adaryn territory with the rest of the Valkyrie.
Chapter 2
After a fortnight passed and a few fall rains had descended over the forest Freya was able to get back out and attempt to hunt. The dirt at her feet was only damp and she was glad not to be sinking into mud.
No word had returned yet of the situation at the border. The ladies that Freya’s mother met with had no rumors to share. The rains had kept many in the comfort of their homes since the Council had ordered a bulk of soldiers to patrol. It wasn’t uncommon to go awhile without hearing from Raga, but Freya had a knot in her gut unlike the times before.
In an attempt to put her worry behind her Freya inhaled the scents of the forest and began the perilous climb into the nearest tree. Years of being flightless and restless at home had caused her to learn to adapt. Her father had taught her to use a bow and arrow, but she learned from the ground what others learned as aerial combat. Raga had been the one to encourage her climbing and hunting from above. Even if she couldn’t fly, it was safer in the trees.
Although Adaryn didn’t eat a lot of meat or hunt much, knowing how to use the bow for protection was still important. Her mother had even insisted she learn to use it if Freya continued demanding to be allowed out in the forest alone, and she was thankful for the opportunity.
Freya had more freedom this way and was able to avoid sitting at home knitting with Mother or visiting the other Adaryn. The way they looked at Freya made her feel more inferior than not being able to fly at all. She would prefer to be a defect while alone than a fractured girl to be gawked at.
Diverting her attention from the negative thoughts in her mind, Freya began to scope out the floor of the forest from her new vantage point. Up in the heights of the woods she had a fantastic view of the land. If she looked back, she could make out the feint outlines of Adaryn homes in the thickets beyond. Further back she could see the dark stone of the plateau the Royal’s and Council called home. The Royal castle was built at the top, out of her line of sight above the treetops.
Suddenly, a shuffling sound caught her attention. Freya narrowed her gaze and made out a small herd of nighthogs in the distance. Almost unheard of, she’d caught a young farrow once before and the meat had lasted her family through several meals as they used it sparingly. Remembering the taste of the smoking fresh meat brought a rush of excitement. Freya began her aerobatic progression through the upper levels of the forest cover. Young boar was delicious, and Freya was determined to bring one home this day however hazardous the pursuit.
A break in the treetops caused a shaft of midday light to shine down onto the forest floor. This column of light suddenly assaulted Freya’s eyes as she attempted to jump from one branch to the next. Instead of safely landing a great height over her intended prey, Freya’s palm just nearly scraped the bark.
For the first time she felt a real fear of falling. Years of confidently running the forest and this had never happened before. In spite of that, she was now coming closer and closer to the hard ground below. The sharp tusks of the monstrous nighthogs pointed up in her direction as they noticed her descent.
Was that Freya screaming? A loud shrill sound full of fear like nothing she’d expected was escaping her lips. She began to hope her family would find her later, but then thought better of it. What shame a fallen daughter would bring to her parents more than what they already experienced from a broken one.
A hard force collided with her body and instead of plunging towards the forest floor and the sharpened tusks of a beast, she opened her eyes to see the sky. Freya was above the treetops with the warmth of the sun on her skin and the cool wind blowing away the hot tears that had been pricking the corners of her eyes.
Strong arms were wrapped around her, holding her to a man’s chest in a vise-like grip. She began to relax a fraction at the warmth and absence of falling to her sudden death. Unable to look up at her savior, she couldn’t seem to shake the rigidity from her bones.
It wasn’t long before they made their descent back through the treetops to the forest floor. Freya could hear the rushing of wind through feathers as they began to glide down. His boots crunched the foliage below and the savior dumped Freya on the ground unceremoniously. She wasn’t expecting to be dropped and let out grunt as she landed on her backside. After a moment of catching her breath she looked up and lost the ability to inhale further.
He was tall, and glorious. Wide gilded wings spread at his sides and the sunlight reflected the same gold in his eyes. Freya didn’t need to see the finery he wore to know she was in the presence of a member of the royal family.
Anxiety and shame flooded through Freya as she realized who stood before her. Even more so as she noticed the fury burning in his eyes as he looked down on her. She was overcome by the urge to look away from him, unable to stand the anger in the beautiful gold eyes directed at her. Her joy at being saved was washed away by the feelings of inadequacy bubbling within her.
In an instant Freya threw herself forward on the damp ground to grovel at the feet of the royal who had saved her.
“In all my life I never thought I’d see an Adaryn fall from a tree. What a shame you bring to our people bumbling about the forest to die in the most pitiful way. Not even fledglings would be so clumsy,” The deep voice washed over her as he began to reprimand her.
Freya shivered as she was being scolded, holding in tears on the verge of spilling over. With all the strength she could muster she started to pull herself up off the ground. She didn’t want him to see she was trembling, although in her mind she knew it was apparent that she was shaking like a leaf.
“What – What is this?” a hand was at her back, feeling the empty space where her wings should have been. The tone is his voice had immediately changed to one of curiosity. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to reply.
“I don’t have them,” Freya whispered. His hand gently explored around the harness of the quiver at her back, and the touch sent a chill through the pale feathers at her nape as this stranger helped himself to explore her.
The royal stepped around to look her in the face. She expected to see pity or more anger from the golden eyes of the royal and was held in a gasp when instead they held intrigue. He was looking Freya up and down as though he was examining her.
“What happened to them? How long have you been unable to fly? Were you born like this?” The man fired off his questions rapidly. Freya was taken aback at how interested he appeared to be in her. Everyone else who knew about her just cast her off with a disapproving glance, and yet here was one of her Royal superiors asking about her.
“I was born like this. My mother had me far too early and they never got a chance to develop, Your Highness.” Freya nearly stuttered as she answered with her head bowed in respect. “A physician removed them when it was clear they were becoming deformed.” She couldn’t help but cringe as she remembered.
“Please, call me Aurik,” The royal affirmed with a clear voice. “What is your name? I’d like to know more about you, and how
I never knew there was an Adaryn like you in my colony.”
Aurik Aurelian, the Heir to the Adaryn throne. The realization nearly made all of the air in Freya’s body leave her with the gasp she let slip free.
His change from berating what he thought was a clumsy fool to seemingly interested in one of his crippled subjects had Freya’s head spinning. She stood in the presence of the man who would be her king one day, and he was curious about her?
“I’m Freya Mourning. My family lives on the outskirts of the Colony so it’s no wonder you didn’t know I existed,” She explained while still keeping her eyes to the ground.
“A lovely dove. Well, I’d like to change that,” The prince pronounced enthusiastically.
“What?” Freya was a whirlwind of confusion and her breath came out shaky as she tried to comprehend what was happening.
“I’d like to get to know you. Better yet, I’d like to help you.” He took a step closer and reached his hand out to her. Freya hesitated a moment before taking the outstretched hand, for fear of the potential this future king held and what his intentions were.
Freya must have been in a state of shock as she stood there letting a golden royal examine her. However, the gentleness of Aurik’s touch was soothing if only from the warmth of his hand. Turmoil boiled within Freya as she looked up into the glorious handsome face of her people’s Prince who was practically glowing at the prospect of her with his eyes wide and a smirk spread across his lips.
“Why? Why do you want to know me?” She voiced the thought that had been buzzing around in her mind. Her trepidation must have been obvious as she gazed up at the golden man before her.
Aurik stepped back and removed his hands from Freya’s. His eyes still glimmered with a flurry of excitement as he looked her up and down once more. He straightened up to his full height and a look of pride enflamed the prince’s gilded eyes.
“You are one of my people, and as such it is my duty and my responsibility to see you are able to meet your full capabilities and live a long and happy life.”
The Bird and The Wolf Page 2