Chapter 10
Freya looked up at the general's audible confirmation, surprise flashing over her features, while hope began to kindle in her chest and a shy smile played around her lips.
Their short moment was interrupted only a second later by an abrupt knock resonating through the room.
Annoyance flashed over Anya's face as she called out the permission to enter. A young handmaid peeked her head inside, relaying the message that the group which would join them would be ready to begin their travel in a candle mark. The young woman also carried a bundle with clothes; the tailor had sent everything for Freya, he had been able to come up with on such short notice. Anya dismissed her again immediately with the order to proclaim that the both of them would be ready by then.
"Do you want to eat a little more?" Anya coaxed the girl with a slightly hopeful tone, the princess had still not eaten nearly enough to her liking.
Freya shook her head in the negative, a hint of guilt flashing over her features minutely, as she lowered her eyes again.
Anya sighed under her breath, opting to pack some of the leftovers for later instead, that way the princess would be able to eat something if she pleased on the road, without the need to call for the whole group to pause. She internally wondered if forcing the girl to ride through the day was really such a good idea at all. She stood from the table, wrapping some of the bread into a cloth and storing it in a bag.
Freya busied herself with inspecting the clothes the handmaid had brought. To her internal relieve she found a pair trousers, a warm shirt and a coat, together with some dark boots, which would all fit her much better than the loose clothing she was wearing at the moment.
"You should change into them" Anya interrupted the girl's thoughts nonchalantly, arms stretched over her head as she weaved her typical braids into her hair, pulling some of them away from her face.
Freya nodded and slowly undressed again, biting her lips slightly at the pain the simply movement still caused her. Dressing again took her even longer than undressing previously had, but the clothes really fit much better. The trousers actually were pretty tight fitting and Freya was sure that she would need a little time to get used to the feeling of the material, sitting on her body as if she wore a second skin.
Anya watched the girl dress from the corner of her eyes and she internally had to note that the clothing suited the girl much better than the loose dress had. Dresses were also highly impractical on a journey. If the princess truly enjoyed wearing dresses, she would be able to do so in the capitol, but on the road, trousers were simply the logical choice. A blush dusted over her cheeks minutely at the thought that the subtle roundness of the girl's backside was accentuated nicely by the tight material. She cleared her throat audibly, shooing her thoughts from her mind for now. "Do you want me to braid your hair too?" she offered instead in a kind tone. She usually only wore her hair completely open during the night or while bathing.
Freya nodded in mute agreement immediately, sitting down on the stool the general motioned her to with her back straight.
Anya quickly brushed out the girl's long blonde hair, before she began to weave a few tight braids from the girl's forehead back, minimizing the amount of hair which would be obscuring her view later. "You know already that I prefer a verbal answer when I am talking to you, instead of only nodding and shaking your head" she commented, tone carefully light, but Anya failed at banishing all annoyance from it.
Freya's shoulders dropped visibly, as guilt flashed over her features "I will try harder…" she immediately promised with a sigh. It was hard for her to now act so different again, she had learned how to behave for her mother painfully over the years and it already contrasted starkly to what Anya obviously wanted her to be like.
Anya nodded in acknowledgment, she knew that it would take time for the princess to adapt her behaviour to her new living situation and she resigned herself to the fact that she would probably be repeating this quiet a lot in the immediately future, until it had truly sunk into the girl's mind.
"I want you to have this" she addressed the princess, after retrieving a dagger and a matching sheath from a trunk filled with various weapons. Anya offered the handle of the blade to the girl and waited patiently until Freya grasped onto it.
Freya's fingers curled around the handle of the blade instinctively, she had been relatively talented when it came to fighting with a dagger during her training. She was slightly surprised to be handed a weapon at all.
"If we are attacked, you will not be completely defenceless" Anya reasoned, frowning slightly at the open surprise on the girl's face. She had explained to her already that she would not be treated as a prisoner, so it angered her slightly that the girl was so surprised to be offered a means of protection.
"Thank you" Freya proclaimed honestly, blue eyes only minutely flicking up towards the general's face, before she also took the sheath and fastened it to her trousers. It had been such a long time that she had been armed with a weapon, that its weight felt slightly alien, dangling at her hip like that.
Anya nodded curtly, banishing the slight surge of anger from her mind forcefully, while she fastened her own weapons to her body. She did not know how well the girl could fight with a sword, so she had decided against providing her with one. She hoped that the princesses' health would allow her to start training her at least a little during their time in TonDC. She would feel better if she knew that her wife could efficiently protect herself, it would be naïve to assume that the assassins from the previous day, would remain the only ones seeking to kill the Ice princess.
"We shall leave now" Anya proclaimed finally, buckling her coat closed "Is there anything else you need during the journey?" she asked, she had tried to think of everything, but she did not know the girl well enough to truly assess her wants.
Freya shook her head in the negative, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth minutely. "Will I get a horse as well?" she questioned finally.
Anya grimaced lightly. They would be riding the whole day and she highly doubted that the girl was healthy enough to manage riding on her own all these hours. "I would prefer for you to share my horse for now" she finally settled on as an answer.
Freya nodded immediately "I don't mind" she reassured quickly, before she added "I doubt that I can remain on a horse all day without help". Honestly, she was looking a little forward to being close to the general for such a prolonged time, maybe they would have a little privacy as well during the journey. She smiled slightly at the general, emphasizing her words mutely with it.
Anya inclined her head subtly, motioning the girl towards the door, casting one glance back through the room, but not being able to think of anything which they might have forgotten now.
Freya felt anticipation settle back into her mind, once she stepped outside of the room. She looked over her shoulder, waiting for the general to join her. She steeled herself against the hostile welcome, Freya was honestly expecting from the group of Trikru warriors waiting for them at the base of the tower. It would have to suffice that Anya would be at her side, but a little part of Freya feared that the general would in fact treat her different outside of the privacy of their quarters. She gave the older woman a shaky smile, when Anya stepped up next to her, trying to calm her frantic nerves.
Anya watched the girl from the corner of her eyes, wondering why she looked so tense all of a sudden again. Only moments ago, the girl had looked almost excited at the prospect to begin their journey, so she did not understand her obvious change of mind. She let one of her hands rest lightly on the small of the girl's back for a moment, while they waited for the elevator to complete the descend to the basement of the tower, hoping to reassure her with her fleeting touch. She let her hand fall back to her side, once the door of the elevator slid open again and she motioned the girl outside.
Freya breathed in deeply once they stepped outside, she had kept her gaze mostly fixed at the ground at her feet, knowing all too well how the guards posted around the tower had been constantly glaring at her venomously. The morning air was crisp with a hint of frost, foreshadowing the upcoming cold season. Freya absentmindedly thought of her mother's fortress, already buried deeply under layers and layers of snow and ice. She knew that the season passed differently in Azgeda in comparison to the lands of the other clans, while the Desert Clan for example never saw snow, the deepest parts of Azgeda were constantly covered in snow. She wondered how Trikru looked like in winter and how a real summer would feel like, she had never before experienced the blazing heat of a summer day, only having heard tales of it so far.
"Come" Anya pulled the girl out of her thoughts after a moment, touching one of her elbows only for the fraction of a second.
Freya inclined her head, swallowing once, before she straightened herself, walking beside the general until they reached the group obviously waiting for them. She briefly left her gaze travel around the group. The group consisted of twelve people and she only recognized Nyko among them, she had never seen any of the others.
All of them nodded respectfully towards Anya and Freya internally wondered if any of them were on the same rank as the general, but it did not really matter anyway. She had not expected any of them to acknowledge her own presence in any form, but Freya was positively surprised, that she did not see any of them really glare at her as well. Their expressions were not exactly friendly either, but she would take cold indifference over open hostility gratefully at this point.
Freya followed the general hesitantly, the older woman had immediately went over to a hazelnut horse, caressing the soft skin between the mount's nostrils gently, whispering something to the horse. The general's expression clearly portrayed her fondness for her horse.
Freya smiled slightly at the sight, a hint of amusement dancing through her blue eyes. The older woman had mostly appeared stern and austere until now and this surely showed another side of the woman, Freya wondered just how much she could still uncover of the woman.
"Her name is Bre" Anya said, glancing over her shoulder minutely at the girl, motioning her closer. The hazelnut horse flicked its ears immediately, huffing at the newcomer. "Give me your hand" she ordered, holding out one of her own towards the princess, palm upwards.
Freya frowned slightly at the order, but willingly placed one of her hands into the warm palm of the general, feeling her calloused fingers close lightly around her own fingers.
Anya pulled the girl's hand slowly towards Bre's nostrils, holding still and giving her horse a moment to sniff at the princesses' fingers.
Freya smiled slightly at the feeling of the horse's breath tickling over her fingers. She emitted a little laugh, when Bre suddenly raised her enormous head and huffed out a huge breath, ruffling her hair slightly in the process.
"She likes you" Anya assessed thoughtfully, letting go of the girl's fingers with a satisfied expression, feeling a little warmth settle in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the princess genuinely laughing. She heard the shuffling of feet around her and a few of the others had already mounted their own horses, obviously impatient to finally leave the capitol. Her brown eyes quickly flitted over their surroundings, she could not spot anything suspicious at the moment, but all of them would need to keep vigilant during their journey.
Anya put her hands on the girl's hips, hoisting her up into the saddle quickly. Her brown eyes showed a hint of an apology, as she immediately mounted behind the princess, she was not deaf to the girl's suppressed hiss of pain.
Freya breathed in deeply at the sensation of being weightless for a second, surprised slightly by the general's obvious effortless strength. The older woman had lifted her onto the horse, as if she was not weighing anything at all.
Her mind flashed back unbidden to the last time, she had been on a horse and the less than ideal conditions of it.
Anya frowned, when she felt the girl tense in front of her only a second later, wondering what could have spooked the girl. She lightly nudged Bre's flank, prompting the horse to begin to move in a slow pace and motioning the whole group mutely, to get moving. She cast one last glance at the tower minutely, before she focused on their surroundings. Anya put one arm around the girl's body, grasping onto Bre's reigns lightly, while her other hand rested on the princesses' hip. She lightly squeezed down over the girl's hip, feeling the girl's body still tense against herself "You are safe now" she reassured Freya, leaning forward slightly, breathing her words into the girl's ears.
Freya shuddered slightly, when the general's calm tone penetrated her mind, shooing her dark memories away for now. She breathed out deeply, letting her hand join lightly on the general's hand on her hip. "I know" she retorted lowly, her voice quivering slightly, although she did believe the words in this moment. She kept herself stiff in the saddle, unsure if she should lean back, while she let her gaze travel over the capitol. She had not seen more than the markets before, but they were deserted at this time of the day, the vendors still had to open their respective stalls.
Anya rolled her eyes at the girls, impossible for Freya to see behind her back "You can lean back" she reassured softly "Make yourself more comfortable, you will surely be stiff anyway tomorrow" she added with a slight note of a tease.
Freya sighed under her breath, with a nod, before she let herself fall back slightly, body slackening as she relaxed against the general's firm body, feeling her arm curl around her midriff immediately, securing her in the saddle.
Once they had passed the wall, which had been erected around the inner cycle of Polis, it did not take them long at all to reach the outskirt of Polis, the buildings thinned out, as more and more trees intermingled in the streets. The pavement from the pervious world had already broken up in places, destroyed by nature claiming back its original place on the world.
Freya watched the surroundings change with a smile, on her way to the capitol she had been nearly delirious with fever and had not been able to process any of the sights, but now she noticed just how green the capitol already looked and she wondered how dense the forests within the Trikru lands were, when the capitol already was vegetated like this. She would have liked to actually talk with the general, but the group of warriors were riding so close, that she was fairly certain that at least some of them would be able to listen in into their conversations, so she kept her mouth shut, focusing on the nature around them instead. She was also acutely aware of the general's arm still lying around her midriff and she could feel her chest pressing against her own back through her coat.
There was not much talk during their journey, Freya quickly noticed that the warriors were all occupied with cautiously observing their surroundings. She had wondered already why the group which travelled with them was so large, but she guessed that the commander and Anya shared her opinion, that her mother would not have just sent a single pair of assassins after her.
Anya felt Freya's body slackening even further in her arms as the time passed. They had made good progress until now and it did not seem as if they had been followed by anyone out of Polis. The sun had been shining down on them for some hours now, midday had already passed and she judged that they had at least covered half of their route.
She wondered if it would be better to call for a short pause, but it could probably not harm to let the princess sleep either. So, she mutely adjusted her grip on the reigns, giving her a better hold the girl's slack body, as she had no intention of letting her fall down from Bre.
"We should stop soon" Nyko suddenly addressed her from his own mount. His blue eyes showed his concern for the Ice princess plainly as he asked "Have you applied more of the ointment in the morning?"
Anya inclined her head, but she grimaced slightly at the remembrance that some part of Freya's wounds had looked a little inflamed.
Nyko openly glared at the general at the new information and he cussed under his breath. "You should have told me that before we began our journey!" he accused the woman heatedly "She should not be riding at all. If she relapses and dies, that is on you" he added, blue eyes serious.
Anya appeared speechless for a short moment, shocked slightly at the healer's bluntness. She had not assumed that it would change the girl's frail health this drastically. She frowned slightly at the thought that Freya could die, because of her decision and she immediately pulled at Bre's reigns harshly, loudly proclaiming that they would be taking a break for now.
Some of the others did not seem pleased with it, but no one outright argued with her, surely briefed by the commander that Anya was to have command over the group.
Freya startled awake at the general's raised voice, tensing immediately.
"We are taking a break and Nyko will look at your wounds again" Anya quickly explained. They had left the open spaces and reached one of the forests, so typical for Trikru.
Freya did not formulate an answer to Anya's words, mind too focused on all the immensely rich green colour surrounding them. She had never seen trees covered in moss like that, if she did not know it any better, she would have said that even the air seemed to have a greenish moist tint.
"Are you running a fever?" Anya asked, worry rising immediately at the lack of any kind of reaction. Bre had stopped abruptly, neighing a little in protest at the sudden stop and Anya let go of the reigns, feeling the princesses' forehead for an elevated temperature.
"No" Freya shook her head with her brows creased together. She could clearly hear the worry in Anya's tone, but she was unable to puzzle out why the general seemed worried. Had they already spotted assassins following them?
Anya nodded in acknowledgment, but was not entirely convinced. She dismounted quickly, keeping one hand on the girl's hip in case she would suddenly loose her balance in the saddle, before she hoisted Freya down from Bre again.
Nyko watched the general's antics with a mixture of a frown and amusement. He had not assumed that his words would mean anything to the general, but it was obvious that the woman was worried now. He would not have assumed for the woman's mind to change so quickly, he could still remember the open hostility Anya had shown, when she had nearly dragged the feverish princess in front of the commander. Whatever had transpired in the mean time between the general and the princess, had obviously already changed both of them and only time would tell now, if they would truly find a home in each other.