Chapter 2: Defensive
Pale double moons hung high in the night sky, as Astrid shivered, watching her steamy breath rise to the heavens. She glanced at Reiner from the corner of her eye, noting how he quietly glared ahead as he held the reins from beside her. He whipped the reins a bit harder, causing the carriage ride to become much rougher as their speed increased.
Upon returning from Winterhold earlier, Reiner had beaten roughly on the door, alerting Astrid to grab her meager belongings and go. She remembered wincing when opening the door, smelling the strong scent of alcholol on his breath and seeing that his right eye had been mysteriously blackened.
"Let's go," he had demanded in a less-than-pleasant tone, as she had eyed him warily, grabbing her things. As she rode beside him on the carriage, he'd stayed strangely quiet the whole time, causing her to feel uneasy in his presence.
By first impressions alone, she didn't care for the man. He was callous, ill-mannered, and erratic. Gods only knew what living with him would be like. She folded her arms across her chest, suddenly feeling a shameful bout of anger toward her deceased mother. Perhaps if her mother hadn't been so weak and submissive all her life, Astrid wouldn't have to be in this position in the first place. What kind of a mother sought love from a crass womanizer like her father? He'd left when Astrid was very small - only a little child. Bastard - leaving them both to starve to death! She could remember the nights her mother had spent crying before her father ultimately abandoned them. She remembered how her mother pathetically begged him to stay with her, if only for Astrid's sake. Her father merely laughed, pushing her mother away and leaving to never return. Now, after the mess her mother's weakness had created, she had placed Astrid in a position to depend on a man who seemed just as repulsive as her father.
"What kind of work did you two do?" Reiner asked gruffly, abrupting Astrid's thoughts.
She slowly turned to him, seeing that his gaze was still straight ahead, as if his mind was out in the distance as well. "...Odd jobs, here and there. Mostly helping on farms, tending to gardens...Sometimes chores for those too old and feeble to perform them..." she replied hesitantly.
"At least you'll be useful to me," he muttered to himself, sounding half-disgusted for some reason. He turned to face her, the light from his lantern making his features seem ominous. "I'll have you be a laborer on my farm. Maybe I can sit back and rest for a change..." he grunted unhappily.
Astrid gave a quizzical look. "Wait, didn't mother say you inherited a small fortune? Why not just hire someone to do the work for you?"
Suddenly, his eyes grew fierce and angry. He pulled hard on the reins, causing his mare to stop dead in her tracks, jostling them both with the abrupt halting of the wagon. "There is no small fortune! It's all bloody gone!" he snarled bitterly, causing Astrid to tense. "That's why I came to get you. I have use for you, so you'd better do as I say, girl."
Feeling her temper rise from his uncalled for aggression, Astrid could barely stifle the urge to scream in his face. She simply glared, letting him know she wasn't pleased by his actions. Of course, she felt far too desperate to fight at the moment. She despised feeling so desperate. Feeling disgusted with herself, she simply glared ahead, as the two of them rode in silence toward his farm.
"Hey, wake up!" Astrid woke from the jarring motion of a rough hand on her upper arm, shaking her awake. She tensed, glaring at Reiner.
"What?" she asked, feeling completely annoyed.
"Aren't you a sweet one?" he remarked sarcastically, releasing her and jumping down from the wagon. "We're here. Get your things." he demanded.
"Fine," she huffed, clearly letting her irritation show. Grabbing her small bag of belongings, she eyed the farmhouse that would be her new home. It was a large, sturdy home that seemed to once be a beautiful dwelling. Of course, it seemed as if Reiner hadn't taken proper care of the place in years, though the garden was decent enough. A few chickens pecked at the ground in a fenced in lot, while a small herd of cattle grazed in the distance. It was nowhere near as nice as she had imagined. She couldn't help but wonder what he had done with all the money he'd inherited. Even worse, she wondered how much harder her chances of leaving would be, if he had little money himself.
Astrid swallowed back her fear, hearing his impatient voice belt out. "Well?! Come on, then!"
She rolled her eyes, following behind him as he led her to the front door. As she entered the large home behind him, she noticed that each large, lavishly furnished room had been burdened with what seemed like years of dust and neglect. Empty wine and ale bottles littered the floor in certain places, and she caught a glimpse of a set of women's undergarments splayed across a chair.
Reiner, noticing her gaping stare, smirked. "A lady of the night, if you must know. Gets lonely out here." he stated matter-of-factly, causing Astrid's stomach to churn.
"I have no need to know that, nor do I care...what you do..." she replied, disgusted. What a swine. No wonder her mother wanted nothing to do with him.
"Yes you do, girl. If you're going to stay here, you may as well know how I live. If you don't like it, then you can gladly get your arse out of here. Of course, if you do leave, you may end up like that harlot, seeing as you have no other actual skills." he stated, his tone completely insulting.
"You're disgusting..." Astrid spat, stopping in her tracks and dropping her bag of things on the floor in protest.
He turned to her abruptly, smirking. "Haha...Alright, then...Take it easy."
"No. Don't you talk to me like that. If I did have a choice in the matter, I would leave..." she hissed between clenched teeth, furious with his crass demeanor.
"Fine. I didn't mean it, Astrid. I've just had a bit to drink. I let my mouth get away from me sometimes, that's all..." he held up his hands apologetically, causing Astrid to grow more irritated. She doubted he was the type to truly be sorry for anything.
"Just show me to my room..." she muttered, grabbing up her leather satchel once more and promptly staring ahead.
...
"Here it is. I'll give you today to get settled, but first thing tomorrow morning I want you up and ready to work. Understand?" Reiner barked out, showing Astrid into her new room.
"Yes..." Astrid mumbled, eyeing her surroundings. The room had a small, but cozy bed, a dresser, and a small vanity mirror in the corner. The room was neatly ordered, but dusty, as if it hadn't been maintained or even touched in years.
"This is Nona's old room, in case you were wondering." Reiner stated, his voice sounding more somber all of a sudden. "You know, she was about your age when she left..."
Astrid remained silent, her eyes catching a small, shiny object on the vanity. She slowly stepped up to it, noting that it was an old Amulet of Mara. "Was this...hers?" she asked in a hushed tone, picking up the glimmering necklace to behold.
"Yeah...Nona wore it right before she eloped with your father...I don't have any use for it. Take it, if you want." Reiner spoke, his voice somehow sounding distant and troubled.
Astrid slowly complied, taking the amulet and clutching it in her hand. It was the only thing she had left of her mother's tragic legacy.
"I'll leave you to get settled. See you in the morning..." Reiner mumbled, quietly leaving the room.
With the quiet click of the door, Astrid quietly stepped over, locking the handle. Somehow she felt safer with the door locked. Safer from him. She looked down to the necklace in her palm, feeling a warm tear trail down her cheek.
