HROTHGA
Cold winds whipped through the thick cluster of trees with the promise of a long lasting winter. The trees groaned, branches shivered, timber creaked. The ravens listened to the whispers of the forest. They were always listening, always watching for signs of the last Jotnar. Hrothga could hear their grating, croaking calls to each other over the crackling of the hearth. Odin's eyes and ears were everywhere and it was only a matter of time before he discovered Faye. Hrothga wondered how much longer she could keep up this ruse.
It had been little over ninety years since Faye went into hiding and the barriers around their forest withered a little more every year. The arrival of the reavers wasn't a coincidence and neither was the arrival of this strange ashen god Faye found herself in the company of.
The protections were weakening and the Allfather's wardens were just waiting for a tear big enough to wriggle themselves inside. How much longer would the sigils last, a decade? Perhaps less. Hrothga looked down at her hands, her thin tattooed fingers were shaking in the firelight.
"Don't let me remember, Hrothga. Take this pain away." Faye had begged. Hrothga feared the flood that would come once those levees broke. Secrets were wolves. They could only be kept at bay for so long, ever growing hungrier and hungrier by the day. And once they were unleashed, Hrothga feared the destruction they would wreak.
The thought brought an ache to the witch's heart. It was so long ago yet the memories were still as sharp as a battle-ready blade. It was a terrible fate to know one's own future, to see the path and have no power to change it. Groa's power of foresight had been more than a gift - it was a curse. The power of that knowledge could be too much for one person to bear but it was all Faye had to protect her people. And it had broken her.
Hrothga didn't regret what she did. It had kept Faye safe all these years, kept her close and kept her from questioning too much. She had left just enough to give Faye a thread of the past, enough for her to pull on but not enough to unravel her whole reality. How else could she spend all these years resigned to Midgard and not taking her vengeance against the gods? Hrothga wrung her hands together with worry twisting in her gut. She wondered if she should reveal the truth now, if she should give Faye her memories back.
No. Faye's instructions were clear. But a time would come.
Hrothga wondered what she ought to do now that Faye's visions were returning. Would she not discover the truth on her own? Faye would feel betrayed at the very least by her friend, without knowing that it was Faye herself that told her to keep these secrets locked away. Until the time was right.
"I have to know, Hrothga." The words were arrows to the witch's heart.
There was much that Hrothga could shield from Faye, but she couldn't save Faye from her own instincts. Even if Hrothga thought they were misguided.
The arrival of this new god changed things. Faye hadn't warned Hrothga about his arrival and Hrothga wondered if that was by design. Afterall, if it had been Hrothga who had found him, he wouldn't have been standing in her home today. She'd have his head mounted above her hearth if that's what it took to keep Faye safe. Hrothga sighed. She knew that there were things Faye had kept hidden from her.
Hrothga was unsure of what to do now. How should she protect Faye even if it meant protection from herself? The old woman knew that she could only do what she could within her means, and that meant following Faye's instructions. She had to trust that Faye knew what she was doing. No matter how hard it was for Hrothga to watch.
Denying Faye of her memories, of the visions she found too horrible to remember, it was killing a piece of herself. Faye was beginning to forget who she truly was. That much was clear to Hrothga when she saw the wound. Whether this was due to Faye denying her true nature, or forgetting it altogether - nothing good would come of it.
How much longer until Faye lost that tether of her true self completely? That's why Hrothga had to nurture that small part of Faye to keep that thread alive. Though it took convincing, Hrothga had returned Faye's runestones to her just as Faye had instructed her to. And now, all Hrothga could do was wait. Wait and trust that Faye would know what to do.
And though it was against her better judgment, Hrothga would consult her scrolls and leather-bound texts for remedies to curses made by god-magic.
FAYE
Faye sat beside her hearth with the pouch of runestones weighing heavily in her hands. She could feel the pulsating energy just beyond the thinned leather. The bones themselves did not hold power, of course. They were just carved bones. But it was the act of rune casting, the ritual of invoking the Norns, that gave them power. And that ritual was only as powerful as the caster. The bones called to her, demanding Faye use that power residing inside herself. She could feel it now, like a deep well waiting to be tapped. Or a damn, just at the brink of rupture. It had been nearly a century since Faye had invoked such a power. What would she see if she used them? Did she really want to know? The image of the child flashed in her mind. She put the runestones on the mantle.
There was a tingle in her fingertips. The faint vibration of primordial power calling to her. Though she resented the idea of fate and destiny, there was still a part of her that dared to peek behind the veil. Call it morbid curiosity. But what would she invite by peering into the unknown? What would be looking back at her?
Kratos' rough voice tore her from her thoughts.
"It's time," he said, returning inside. Her bow was slung over his shoulder, and with his other hand he was offering her the Leviathan axe. He insisted on checking the perimeter of her homestead every morning before dawn. As if he hadn't been wandering the woods all night, Faye thought. She was sure if there was any danger lurking so close that he would be the first to encounter it. Right now, there were other threats looming besides reavers.
They would need to start bolstering their supplies for the coming winter. Faye had enough food stored for herself to last through the winter. Harvests from her garden, dried meats, and grains, whatever she could trade from Hrothga. Yet, she had not anticipated the extra mouth to feed. Foresight might have proven useful then, she mused. Or else she might have done more planting in the spring.
"Indeed," Faye agreed, taking the axe from Kratos. Her hand brushed his bandaged knuckles as they traded the weapon. He was warm despite the growing chill outdoors. The touch sent a small shock through to her bones. He had been gone again the night before and fresh blood was staining the linens red. Her eyes caught his, the look silently asking where he had been all night. She still had so many questions. His scowl deepened, as if knowing her intention to poke and prod.
An icy chill dug its claws into the nape of Faye's neck. A voice was in her ear.
I'm sorry.
Faye flinched, her hand flying to her temple. A sharp stab like lightning slashed through her skull.
Her vision went sideways and for a moment, a flash, she saw that boy standing behind Kratos. His head bowed and eyes shrouded in darkness.
I'm sorry.
And then he was gone. Faye tightened her jaw, the chill receding as quickly as it had come.
"What is it?" Kratos asked, half turning to look at her. She was seeing the child more frequently. Whispers here and there. If her dreams were not haunted by nightmares of her past, they were filled with images of this child. Images that would escape her as soon as she would awaken. Had she carved little wooden toys for the children of her clan? Or were they for this child she saw? Her visions were muddling her memories, becoming nearly indistinguishable from one another.
"Nothing," she said, "Lets go." She could tell by the way he shifted and narrowed his eyes that he was unsatisfied with her answer. She brushed passed him but she could feel those molten gold eyes follow her.
Kratos was becoming a proficient tracker in the past weeks since he begrudgingly agreed to her deal. He was more familiar with the ways the forest betrayed its secrets to the skilled hunter. A low broken branch told of a passing deer. The slight drag in the mud told of a lame leg. The change of wind revealed the scent of predator territory. Kratos came to a trail of cloven tracks beside a stream. He bent to one knee and sampled the mud with two fingers, scrubbing the earth between thumb and forefinger.
"It's fresh," he said, bringing the bit of earth to his nose and inhaling. He frowned slightly, this was a new scent that confused him. "Deer?" he asked Faye.
"Goat," Faye corrected him. She traced her finger along the imprint. "The tips are too far apart to be a deer."
Kratos hummed his reply.
Faye liked that Farbauti was a quick study whose ego never got in the way of his understanding. When he was wrong, he corrected the mistake. When there was a lesson to be learned, he was an empty cup. Clearly he had been well disciplined and Faye wondered if he had been a soldier before he came to this land. He had a calculating mind - quick to take orders and quick to strategize.
The thought made her grow uneasy. Thor and his sons were Odin's soldier and she remembered the carnage he left in his wake. She wondered whose chain it was that had bound Kratos, and what kind of leash he had broken. All questions that made Faye watch his every move, her grip tight on the axe.
Now that his wounds were fully healed, he was growing stronger every day. Thinking over Hrothga's warning, Faye briefly considered how many strikes she would need to cleave the god's head from his shoulders. Not enough before his hand would wrap around her throat and crush her windpipe. She prayed it wouldn't come to that.
Yet, there were times where she could see the man inside the beast. Small moments that were almost imperceptible, but Faye's eyes were trained for those minute details. Like the forest, Faye wondered about all the ways this god would betray his secrets to her. If not with his words, then in his eyes and the way his gaze steadied on her when he thought she wasn't looking. The way he relented to her touch when she had changed the bandages that wrapped from his knuckles to his elbows. The way he had caught her mid-fall while visit Hrothga. There was tenderness there. She thought of that sad smile that had crossed his face for the briefest of moments when she spoke of hope. What had she said?
'In the end, hope is all we have.' She regretted that she didn't always believe her own words. It made her feel like a fraud.
She couldn't deny that there were other things besides hope that had sated her spirit all these years in Midgard. The thirst for justice, revenge even. Hatred for the gods - that she had plenty. And what of hope? She used to think she hoped for a world without gods, without senseless violence. Humans could be just as terrible as gods, that much the reavers had taught her. She had been naive to think that the species made a difference.
Violence begets violence begets violence, she thought bitterly. Looking at Kratos, she didn't know what more she had to believe in. Perhaps she just hoped that he was different.
A cross breeze made Kratos and Faye tense up. The wind carried the scent of smoke, leather, the tang of horse sweat, and something else. Instinctively, Faye dropped to a knee and allowed the thick undergrowth to disguise her body. Kratos joined her. The moment stretched out between them as they listened. Kratos let out a harsh exhale, his breath tickling her neck. He was so close now, crouched just beside her shoulder. Close enough that as Faye focused her senses she could hear the thunderous beat of his heart. Goosebumps prickled on her arms.
"You sense it too." she said, her entire body bristling. Kratos answered by notching an arrow. Faye inhaled letting the scent wash over her again. Mixed among the others was something metallic and almost sweet. She knew it well. It was blood.
"Reavers," Kratos snarled. She could almost feel the rage radiating off him, that or it was just his unnatural heat. His eyes burned low and hot like embers. At least he knew which side he was on. She jerked her head in the direction of the strongest scent trail she was picking up.
He and Faye kept themselves low as they moved through the thick branches, thistles, and twisted overgrowth. Their eyes scanned for the signs of the unwanted visitors like they were tracking a hunt. Horse tracks, footprints, wagon trails, anything that might give hint that more strangers had crossed into her land. She wrung the handle of the Leviathan in her grasp.
Faye followed her instincts which were leading her west, upwind toward a ravine where the forest met a clearing of tall grass. Dawn had only just broken and the icy morning dew clung to the leaves and brush. Moisture was beginning to seep through Faye's clothes. She held out her arm, she and Kratos coming to a brief stop. Her eyes were on the sky, looking for what she knew she would find.
"Black smoke," Faye murmured, pointing further west. "They're burning wet wood."
Faye sensed a silent understanding between her and Kratos that they ought to suss out the reaver numbers and evaluate the threat. Especially if the reavers felt comfortable enough to make camp in this territory. Faye led the way and Kratos followed. Doubt crept in. Even if they found them, what could she do in her condition? She glanced back at Kratos whose golden eyes were already on her, waiting for orders.
"This way," she whispered. She led them to a rocky outcrop overlooking the ravine that swept into the grassy clearing. The closer they came, there were the evident sounds of an encampment. The disgruntled mumblings of the early morning, the gentle whickering of horses, and smell of roasting meat. Kratos and Faye crouched low as they came to the edge of the outcrop. They crawled on their hands and knees and concealed themselves among the foliage.
Faye spotted the prisoners first. Four of them tied around the trunk of a tree. One was an older man, in his late fifties. The rest were women, a mother and her two teenage daughters. A family, traders and merchants if they had come this far were all beaten to some extent, the man worse for wear than the women. Though the younger looking of the daughters looked as if she had put up a hell of a fight. She had a busted lip, half her face was swollen with purplish bruises blooming along her temple and jaw. That's when Faye saw the body.
He must have been the girls' father, they shared the same white-blonde hair. He was lying face-down in the mud and blood stained that white-blonde hair. Too much blood for him to be alive. A wave of nausea came over Faye. Closer now the scent was thick, that mix of metallic and saccharine sweetness. Blood from the brain smelled like that, poor bastard's head was smashed in. Above the nausea came the rage. She was going to split the reaver bastard skulls who did this.
On the opposite side of the camp were the horses. They must have belonged to the family as well, heavy with saddle bags already being picked through by the reavers who had captured them. As for reavers - there were at least three that Faye could see, perhaps more inside the few makeshift tents around the encampment. Six altogether, if she had to guess. That was an optimistic count. Faye had taken on such numbers by herself but that was before her injury. Before Faye could think of any creative ways to kill the bastards, Kratos' spoke in low rumble.
"We should go before they start moving," he murmured. He was already backing away from the stony ledge.
"What?" Faye hissed. Kratos gave her a look that said he wasn't going to repeat himself. Faye shook her head.
"We have to help them."
She stole another glance at the family before backing away to drag Farbauti back. He was already on the trail back to the homestead. She couldn't understand how he didn't want to squash the reaver threat or rescue the family at the very least. The god could probably take out ten men at the same time if he wanted to. It was selfish, he knew she couldn't do it alone.
"They aren't my concern," he said over his shoulder, "It is best not to get involved."
"I can stop this." Faye could hear the desperation in her own voice and she hated it. But she couldn't stand by and watch this, not when she could do something about it. Her mind flashed with the image of the traveler's body from before, that look of sheer terror etched into his face forever.
" We can stop this," Faye amended. But Kratos wasn't slowing down.
He seemed so unbothered. It infuriated Faye. She caught up to him and snatched him hard by the forearm. He froze, glaring down at his arm then her. Her hand was wrapped around those chain-linked wounds that never seemed to heal. She knew what she'd done when she touched him there. It was an unspoken, desperate plea.
Help them as I have helped you. Don't let them suffer as you have.
"You are in no condition to fight."
"Then help me. Help them," Faye said with a hard tug on his arm. "Please."
Faye hated that she was begging. Begging a god for his help. Did he want her to pray? Faye would do it if it meant saving this family from their fate. She knew she couldn't take all of the reavers alone in her state. She needed Farbauti's help. She wasn't sure if she could reach that part of him, the human part, that she knew had to care. Did she know? Or just hoped that it existed.
For a moment she saw that look in his eyes that she had been searching for. A flash of humanity crossed his face but he was still altogether unreadable. But as soon as she saw it, it was gone. Whatever was going on beyond his eyes, something inside him burned it all away leaving only the wrathful god. He shook off her grip and squared himself to her.
"I am not your mercenary," he said with a hard jab of his finger at her collar bone. Then he turned and continued walking away. Faye was shocked for a moment.
Faye imagined that this was how the gods had treated the suffering of her people. Those who hadn't chosen a side just...decided not to care. How could they ignore the screams? They claimed neutrality, that they didn't want to get involved . How could they sleep knowing that their inaction helped the hands that killed her people?
"Selfish, stupid god." Faye chased after Kratos, cursing in every language she knew. " Bastard son of a whore without honor. The crows will feast on your eyes when I'm done with you!"
"We had a deal!" she snarled. He stopped again, annoyed.
"This goes beyond our deal."
"Disgraceful, honorless whoreson!" She moved to slap him but he snatched her arm with a rough yank.
"You're hurting me," she growled and tried to fight his grip. Instead of letting her go, he wrenched her closer so they were eye to eye. This close, Faye realized that she forgot how much taller the god was. She only reached up to his collar so he had to bend to meet her gaze. Faye's throat tightened and her heartbeat quickened in her chest. Breathing hard, she was consumed by his scent - of pine and smoke. The last time she'd been this close to him was when she was strangling him on the floor of her home. And he was creating the irresistible urge for her to do it again. She found herself still searching his eyes for that spark of humanity she had seen. Where had it gone so quickly? Faye felt foolish, reaching for something that may not even exist.
Reality came like a hard blow to the gut that sent the air from her lungs. She would have to do it alone. She could probably wait for the cover of nightfall if they kept the prisoners alive that long. Sneak into their camp and slit their throats as they slept. Faye was calculating the ways she could kill the reavers when Kratos' sharp eyes narrowed. Like he knew what she was thinking.
"Don't be stupid," He rumbled, and his voice reverberated through her chest. Kratos released her, shoving Faye back a bit. She regained her footing and gripped her arm. He waited for her to register his order and when she looked up, he began walking again. More wary this time. He could try to stop her but she was faster than him, even with her injury. Would he come after her? Drag her back to the homestead? Another thought occurred to her.
Don't be stupid.
He wouldn't leave her to die if it meant losing his blades forever. He would come for her, he had to. If not for her sake, then for the sake of his blades. It was a risky bet but a risk she was willing to take if it meant she could do something for that family. It was a wrong that she could right in the world, a small bit of justice to pay for the loss of her people. The universe owed her that at least.
Kratos walked a few more steps before realizing that Faye was not following. Turning, he saw in Faye's face what she was about to do. She gripped the Leviathan Axe tight.
"Don't," he ordered.
Faye bolted.
"Faye!" he called after her.
It was the second time he'd said her name. The first was when he had found the body of the traveler. Was that sincerity she sensed? It didn't matter now. She had to put distance between her and the god before he tried to stop her. Faye summoned as much strength as she could and ran hard. Her lungs burned and her side split with a stab of pain. They hadn't moved far from the encampment, but she had to circle around the reavers and approach from the rear. She'd create a distraction with a bit of magic, set the prisoners free and put them on their horses. That'd be the easy part. After that, well, she just hoped she was right about Farbauti.
Thundering footsteps came close behind her. Shit, he was fast. How close was he? She couldn't look back, that'd only slow her down and give him a chance to catch her. Her heart pounded hard in her chest and there was fire in her blood. She could make it, Faye thought. She had to make it. A hand grazed her shoulder, running along the locks of her auburn hair tied back in a coil of braids.
No.
Faye cut right down a steep incline and let herself slide down. Hard roots and sharp rocks scraped along her sides. She hit the bottom hard, the air pressed out of her lungs. Pain blinded her for a moment and she struggled to regain herself. Scrambling to her feet and regaining her breath, she heard Kratos' momentum carry him for a few more lumbering steps at the top. The footsteps stopped but she continued running. Confident that she had put enough distance between her and the god, Faye stole a glance back over her shoulder. But her pale god was already gone. Faye knew what she had to do. She kept moving.
The reaver camp was just beginning to stir. The sun had risen hazy and faint in the clouded sky and icy winds pushed a thin veil of mist down to the ravine. It was good cover to conceal Faye's approach through the thick tall grass encircling the rear of their encampment. The horses were hitched to another tree on the opposite side of the camp from the prisoners. They whickered softly to each other, stamping the ground and munching on what bits of grass they could reach.
There were three reavers on watch, two nodding off by the fire and one pacing back and forth beside the horses. The others were probably sleeping in the tents. She couldn't get to the tents and kill the others without revealing herself to the others.
She'd have to do away with the one that seemed most alert to make a path to the prisoners. They were awake, thankfully, but they looked drained. She prayed that they would have the strength to run to the horses. Scanning the forest again, she didn't see any signs of Farbauti. She search for that red stripe tattoo of his, and the pale skin amongst the leafy foliage. But she saw none.
He'll come , Faye convinced herself. H e has to.
She crouched in the cover of the tall grass and peeked through to get a better view of the reaver pacing back and forth. He was still a boy. Thin, tall and wiry with his hair shorn to the scalp and a messy scar running across his cheek. What had gone wrong in his life to push him to become this? Had times become so desperate that he had no other choice? She couldn't think about that.
The boy turned in Faye's direction, looking out at the clearing. The only weapons he had was a spear which he carried and a dagger sheathed at his hip. He had a nervous, shifty look in his eye. She could use that for her distraction. Faye focused her will on that well of power inside her. She could feel the magic there just beneath the surface, it only needed the words to command it.
" Vindr ," Faye whispered. A swirl of wind rustled the grass not far off the boy's field of vision. He stopped, glancing between the grass and the men by the fire. The others would be unforgiving if he didn't guard the prisoners well. Faye could sense his indecision. Check for danger or risk being beaten and accused of being a coward. Gripping the spear, the boy marched forward.
Faye whispered her incantation again. Another rustle came further in the grass. The boy flinched and cursed under his breath but continued moving, his spear poking at the grass. His shoulders dropped when there was nothing to be found. Sighing, he turned back to the camp. Faye spurred into action. She came up from behind him faster than he could react. Faye hooked the handle of the Leviathan at his throat, choking out a cry for help. She kicked out his legs and took them down into the grass. He struggled for a few moments. Kicking and flailing his arms.
Faye pulled harder against the Leviathan until he stopped squirming. When he fell still, she rolled him off her and checked his pulse. He was alive. Good. Maybe when he'd awaken he'd choose a better path.
The other reavers were still at the fire, half-dozing with their heads bobbing at jugs of what Faye guessed was stolen mead. Still, they weren't drunk enough not to notice the boy had gone missing. She'd have to be quick.
Faye prowled back through the grass, silent as a cat as she made her way to the family. They were tied with their hands at their backs against the trunk of the tree. One of the girls was alert, the one who had put up a fight. Her eyes went wide as Faye approached. Faye could sense her fear as strongly as if it were her own.
Faye crouched beside the girl and whispered in her ear as she cut the bindings at her wrists.
"Release your family, cut through the grass to the horses," Faye said. She pressed the dagger into the girl's hands. It took a moment for her to register that she was being rescued.
"Quickly," Faye hissed. The girl gave a jerky nod and started to release the others as Faye went to the tents. She could take out the sleeping ones first then take on the ones by the fire. Faye crept around the back of the tent and lifted the canvas, slipping inside.
But the tent was empty.
Shit. Her mind calculated. She was sure there had been more in the tents. Unless they had awoken in the time it took for her to take out the boy and free the family. A voice, groggy with sleep, came loud and grating.
"Have you seen Halvar? He was supposed to be guarding." The reaver called, further off than the two by the fire.
"Probably went for a piss," one by the fire grumbled.
"Little shit's not been pulling his weight," growled the alert one. "When I find him…"
Footsteps were closing in on the tent. She couldn't slip back out, too close now and the reavers would see her. A form came to the tent but paused just before the opening the canvas flap.
"Where the fuck are the captives!?" He roared. She had to move now. Fire burned in Faye's gut. Frost grew along the Leviathan's blade. With a roar, Faye charged from the tent. She threw all of her weight into the reaver.
"What the-" the other reavers stumbled back from the fire as Faye attacked their companion. She had to create a distraction for the family to escape or they'd all be killed. Faye toppled the reaver, taking him by surprise. She crouched over him, the handle of the Leviathan pressed at his throat. The other men were shocked looking at her, then the axe, then back at her.
Before they could come to their senses and advance, Faye jerked the axe's blade across the reaver's throat beneath her. Blood spurted from his neck. A wet gurgle came from his lips. That's two.
"Get her!" The reavers shouted, diving in toward her. From the corner of her eyes, Faye coils see movement at the other tents. Faye leapt up and swung down, the axe biting into the flesh of a reaver's thigh. He screamed, his flesh turning to ice and frost crawling up his leg. Swinging down she was able to use the axe's momentum to her advantage but it had taken its toll on her injury. She tore the axe from the reavers leg. Faye gasped and fell to a knee, her strength faltering.
She wasn't able to get to her feet before the other reaver advanced. She raised her arm to defend. He took her wrist, wrenched it back and drove his knee into her side. Pain split her mind, a scream tore from her lips.
"You fucking whore!" the wounded one was cursing, holding his heavily bleeding thigh. "Witch! She's a witch!"
On her back, Faye threw the axe between the attacking reaver's legs. She hooked the blade around his ankle and yanked with all her strength. He grunted as he was pulled off balance and fell. Faye crawled over him and raised the axe, intent on bringing it down and splitting his forehead.
A rough hand tore into her hair, wrenching her backward with brutal force. Faye shrieked and landed on her spine. The Leviathan was knocked from her grasp. Pain shattered across her chest. She struggled for air as the reaver came to stand over her. He had scraggly blonde hair and hazy blue eyes. There was a dagger in his hands. From behind she could see two more reavers had come from the tents. Three against one, not exactly counting the one with the wounded leg who was still blubbering. She had to keep fighting, just a little longer.
He will come.
She turned on her belly and began crawling to the axe, just out of her reach.
"The horses!" A reaver cursed. Faye could hear the pounding of hooves against the earth as the horses took off into the thicket. The girl that Faye had freed spared a look back at her, worry etched across her beaten face. But she didn't have long to linger before nudging the horse to a gallop.
While the reavers were distracted for a moment, Faye got to her knees and crawled to the axe and used to as a crutch to stand. There was a reaver armed with a bow. He notched an arrow and pulled, aiming for the girl. Faye roared, pulling the Leviathan over her head and hurling it with all her remaining strength at the reaver. The axe spun through the air with an icy scream. His leg and his body fell in different directions. He was screaming. Three.
Blue Eyes who must be their leader, spun around and drove a punch at Faye's jaw. Skin connected to skin. Pain exploded through Faye's face. She tasted blood.
Faye stumbled back and connected with a tree, otherwise she would have fallen. Blue Eyes threw another punch but Faye dodged. He roared, fist colliding with the bark. Faye fell to the ground, coughing and spitting blood. He still held the dagger. Why hadn't he used that? A chilling realization came to Faye. Because then it would be over too soon. They would overpower her. She steeled herself for what would come after that. Faye searched the surrounding forest for Kratos as the remaining three reavers approached. They took their time.
The wounded reaver had regained some composure and had grabbed a hatchet.
"Gonna gut this little pig!" he whined, limping toward her.
"Who ya looking for, witch?" Blue Eyes taunted.
He will come.
A kick to Faye's side threw her on her back. Her breath was coming in wet gasps. The meager spells she knew wouldn't save her.
Kratos.
Blue Eyes dropped to Faye, pinning one arm down with his knee. Faye swung her free arm at him but he caught it and wrapped it across her chest. She struggled hard but stopped at the touch of cold metal against her throat.
"I'll kill you," she rasped.
"We like the ones that put up a fight," he returned.
"Fuck you," she choked. Blue Eyes leaned down, the stink of mead was on his breath. Faye bit back a wave of hot bile rising in her throat.
"I'm gonna take my time with you."
While he was close, Faye reared up and drove her skull into Blue Eyes. He stumbled back holding his face. Blood poured from his nose. Faye smiled through blood stained teeth, a wet laugh on her lips.
"You fuggin' bish!" Blue Eyes shrieked. He coughed and spit blood, trying to compose himself.
"Enough of this," said the only one not yet wounded yet. He drew a dagger and took a lethal step forward, blood lust in his eyes. Then he stopped. A choked sound came from his mouth. Faye's mind was catching up with her eyes. There was an arrow clear through his temple. She hadn't even heard the arrow loose.
The remaining two reavers turned their attention to the trees. Faye followed their gazes. It had to be him. But she saw nothing amongst the forest.
"What?" Bad Leg whined. This time, Faye could hear the scream of another arrow loose.
Bad leg dropped. An arrow between his eyes, a dumb look stuck on his face.
"Fuck!" Blue Eyes shrieked. Faye got to hands and knees, trying to stand. But there was a hand in her hair again, wrenching her upward now. She managed a wet gasp. The pain was blinding. Blue Eyes held Faye with her back to his chest and that dagger at her throat.
"Where are you? Show yourself!" he cried, sniffling through his broken nose. He was panting hard in Faye's ear. She could sense his terror. Good. These reaver bastards deserved every drop of it. Blue Eyes spun them around, the knife biting into her skin.
"Show yourself!" he cried. Faye's heart beat hard so loud in her ears that she didn't hear Kratos approach.
Blue Eyes spun him and Faye around and there he was. Skin ashen, his red tattoo like a stripe of blood. Faye couldn't help the flood of relief that overcame her.
Kratos' face was made of stone and rage. He was about twenty paces away and he had an arrow pulled aimed at the reaver's head just beside Faye's. For her sake she hoped he was an excellent shot.
KRATOS
Kratos admitted that he was impressed with the damage that the hunter had done despite her injury. But she had not gone unscathed in the attack. Her lip was bloodied and a dark bruise was already forming at her swollen jaw. Badly beaten, but still alive. He was both impressed and relieved. Besides his relief, he was enraged with the hunter. Her actions were stupid and reckless and that kind of behavior he would not abide. His thoughts shifted to her injured ribs and hoped that no further damage had been done. He couldn't have her dying on him without his blades.
That hadn't been Kratos' first thought when he heard her scream.
Save her , his mind screamed. Save Faye.
Kratos had the bow pulled when the reaver turned and spotted him. If the bastard stopped moving he could strike him in the throat. When Faye saw him, her ice blue eyes came alight. Her lips drew up in a blood-stained smile.
"Kill him Farbauti," Faye croaked. Her tattooed hands were gripping the reaver's arm, attempting to put distance between her throat and the blade. The reaver pressed harder, drawing a hiss from Faye. Blood dribbled at the dagger's edge.
"Shut up," the reaver snarled in her ear. His eyes shifted from Kratos to the bow. "Drop it - or I kill the bitch."
Kratos weighed his options for a moment. If the blade was well sharpened, then Kratos couldn't kill the reaver before he slit her throat. If Kratos put down the weapon, the reaver could kill her anyway. The muscles in Kratos' jaw worked over.
"Drop it now," the reaver ordered. Faye's eyes were pleading with Kratos. Where was her axe?
Kratos' eyes searched the bodies scattered around. There it was, cleaved low into a tree trunk beside a dead reaver missing a leg. Would the axe's power answer Kratos' call? It was his only option. He had to try.
Kratos eased the tension in the bowstring and lowered the bow to the ground. His eyes were on the axe.
"Easy," Kratos said to the reaver, "Let the woman go."
"Not gonna happen," the reaver said, backing away from Kratos.
Kratos took a step forward.
"Don't you move!" the reaver cried.
" Farbauti ," Faye pleaded. Kratos reached out to the axe with his mind and every drop of will he had. He had been able to command frost upon the axe. Calling it to him should be no different. Or so he hoped. Kratos held out an open hand - his attention split between the reaver, the blade at Faye's throat, and the axe.
"What are you doing?" The reaver whimpered.
Kratos willed the axe to obey. Faye realized what Kratos was attempting and her eyes went wide. Kratos could sense a wavering indecision from the axe. As if it was unsure of its master.
Obey , Kratos commanded. Kratos could see the axe handle twitch from its place in the tree. Kratos had been a god that had legions of soldiers under his ironclad command, what was an axe to him?
"Stop!" The reaver was pulling the dagger.
"Kratos!"
Obey. Kratos felt the axe relent, bending to his will.
The Leviathan pulled from the tree with an incredible unseen force. It came spiraling through the air with the haunting moan of the cold northern wind.
The axe clipped the shoulder of the reaver. There was a spray of blood and the reaver's hand dropped. Rather, his whole arm dropped. The axe continued on through the air to Kratos' open, awaiting hand. The handle slammed into Kratos' grip and he spared a moment to marvel at the axe's power.
The reaver didn't even have time for a proper scream as Faye stole the dagger from the fallen arm and stabbed upward through the bottom of his chin.
"I told you I would kill you." Faye bared bloody teeth in a vicious smile. She pulled the hilt of the knife upward and dragged the reaver to his tip-toes. The reaver gurgled, his remaining arm swinging uselessly at his side. Faye held him there for a ruthless breath then jerked the dagger down. The reaver dropped to the earth in a heap.
Faye turned to face Kratos. She was heaving in labored breaths, holding her injured side with one hand and the bloody dagger in the other. The reaver's blood had sprayed over her face and copper hair. She was a bloody mess. She was alive.
Beautiful, Kratos thought. She was beautiful.
And stupid.