Three months.
Ninety long, grinding days had passed for Ragnar. Most of them spent riding in circles, though there had been several short, sharp battles. Twice, the Surtr had ambushed them, costing Ragnar two men on the first, and another on the second. But his guards had taken at least thirty heads in turn, including the three ambushes that they themselves had struck.
Three months without Annie. That was what hurt the worst for him. The hole in his heart was palpable. He had dreamed of her nearly constantly, and those around him had to be noticing how irritable he'd been lately.
Ragnar lay on his cot, a thin sheet pulled over him, staring at the roof of his tent. The camp outside was just beginning to awaken, the noises of servants and their helpers kindling the fires and cooking the morning meals.
Rising, Ragnar stretched, feeling the pain that coursed through his body. Master Tobias and Suttungr had been riding him pretty hard during their sessions each morning, but from what they'd said, he was actually beginning to improve. He'd defeated Tobias twice more, but he still couldn't beat Suttungr. Some of the men from the other parts of the Army had taken to watching them.
Let them see me growing stronger.
He scrubbed his face from the small tub of water by his cot, before hanging his head.
I can't do this anymore. Not without Annie.
Ragnar felt tears welling up.
Why can't she be here with me, He thought, I need to hear her voice! I need to feel her touch, kiss her lips! Damn it!
His hands trembled, as they had every morning for the past three days, as memories of his short time with her swept through his mind. Steadying his hands, he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and began to scribble a letter to her.
Dear Annie,
The War has not gone well. I've lost three men, and don't see any chance of getting reinforcements anytime soon. Your grandfather and Suttungr-
He stopped writing, crumpled the paper and threw it into the corner of the tent, where a considerable pile had formed. Grabbing another sheet of paper, he wrote simply:
Annie,
I miss you, and hope all is well.
Ragnar
He held it in his hands for a long time, staring down at the letters. He folded it, deciding that this would have to be enough. A spot of wax from a candle, a push of his ring, imprinting his seal and holding the letter together.
The courier hadn't left, but he didn't seem too happy when Ragnar walked up.
"This is to make it to the Royal Apartments, to be delivered to Lady Eleanor Styr or Lady Annie."
The man, more a boy when Ragnar looked at him again, looked at the letter for a moment before stuffing it into his satchel.
"Yes, My Lord."
Then the boy was trotting off, and Ragnar was making his way back to camp. He looked towards the dimly visible form of Niflheim. Freyr and the other leaders of the Army had decided to take up residence there, leaving most of the daily chores to their subordinates.
He spat on the ground, remembering how little support his men had gotten from Freyr. Usually, a group from the Army would show up several hours after a battle. But it was always too little too late. The Army knew this too, they'd had no successes so far against the Surtr, while Ragnar and his measly little group of guards had killed their own number in Surtr, while the Army had accounted for a handful.
They still hadn't been able to lock down the Surtr's base in the area, where their main force was staging out of. Ragnar had been pushing further and further south and west with each patrol, trying to get some indication. Even the nitwits in the Army could bring to battle the Surtr's main force with at least some likelihood of victory.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the presence that had come up behind him.
"Ragnar, sending love letters now, are we?"
He turned to find Suttungr standing a few paces away from him.
"Oh, hey brother. And not a love letter… Just something."
Suttungr smiled.
"I bet," He said, "I gave the courier a few letters for Arnora, Griselda and the children."
"Brother, how do you cope with it?"
Ragnar had stepped close to his brother, and though he was a few inches taller than Suttungr, he still felt like he was looking up to him.
Suttungr lifted an eyebrow, and then noted how exhausted Ragnar looked. The bags that were beginning to form under his eyes, the scraggly beard that he'd let grow and the… emptiness in his eyes.
"Ragnar, have you been sleeping at all?"
Ragnar averted his eyes, looking down. Suttungr reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You need to get some sleep, Ragnar! How do you expect to lead your guard when you can barely function! Now comeon, you're going back to bed. Damn mine and Tobias' training."
He began to push Ragnar towards his distant tent, but Ragnar resisted.
"Tell me, Suttungr! How do you deal with being away from your wives?"
Suttungr stopped pushing and looked into his brothers eyes.
"Simple, I trust them, and just try to send them my love whenever I can," His lips quirked up, "Now trust me, you need to goto bed! Today is the one day we get off from patrols."
Ragnar gave in and allowed his brother to lead him back to his tent.
"You are under arrest!"
Eren looked up, hearing the vaguely familiar voice from behind, as he walked down the streets of Chlorba. The Scouting Legion had come here to launch the next expedition beyond the Walls, but they'd experienced nothing but trouble.
Replacement parts for their 3DMG gear hadn't arrived on schedule, the forges that produced their blades had turned out half the number they should have, and they'd only received a dozen replacement members, instead of the forty they were promised.
Erwin, along with Eren and Levi, had spent the morning trying to persuade the owners of the forges to speed up their work. Which had turned into Levi threatening them rather violently.
Luckily we kept any blood from being spilled.
The entire party turned to find Niles Dawk, along with a dozen members of the Military Police, standing with rifles trained on them.
"What the fuck do you want, Dawk?" He heard Levi say.
"By order of the King," Dawk yelled. Eren heard the zipping noise of 3DM gear, and a dozen more military police appeared, their blades unsheathed as they landed atop the rooftops. "The Scouting Legion shall be disbanded, and all of its upper level members jailed! Eren Jaeger shall henceforth be transferred to the Military Police, as will all members of the 104th Legion."
What the hell?
Levi moved to interpose himself between the group, but Erwin's single remaining hand shot out to block him.
"Stop, Levi," He said, "We shall do as they say."
Eren and Levi both looked at the Commander, as the Military Police closed in.
"Commander, what are we doing?" Eren whispered, "We can take them."
Erwin turned his calculating eyes on Eren, holding his gaze for a moment.
"There are other objectives we must consider, don't do anything foolish," He said quietly, "Remember what I asked you all those months ago. Who is the real enemy?"
Eren blinked, and thought furiously, even as the Military Police roughly placed him in shackles and hobbled his feet.
"Is it true then? My wayward daughter has returned?"
Historia looked up into her father's eyes, his dark brown conflicting with her own blue. Unlike her own, his were exuding pure fury. Though his lordly voice did not hold any of that fury. He sounded as if he was glad to see her.
After her return from the successful operation to retrieve Eren, she had been summoned to the central district. Someone must have heard her using her true name, and not that gossamer lie, Krista. After being dragged away from her devastated friends, by members of her father's entourage, she'd been brought to her families' estate.
There, they had locked her away for weeks, albeit in splendor and luxury instead of in chains and filth. She'd tried numerous times to escape, but without any kind of gear, she'd been ill equipped, and had barely made it out of the house before she was recaptured.
They were trying to break me, before my father spoke to me. Well, I learned enough from Ymir that they couldn't break me if they tried.
At the thought of her lost friend, she felt a pang in her heart, but cut it off as he father began to speak again. Several members of his entourage, including his wife, her "mother", the woman who had made Historia's life a living hell, watched with hard eyes.
That monster was the one that was so instrumental in killing my mother... Though, even my own mother did not truly love me.
"I am relieved to see that you are okay," Her father spoke falsely again, "But to hear that you ran away to join the military. How could you do such a thing? I thought I told you to live a life of squalor? And to never use your true name again!"
Historia remained silent, until her father reached out and shook her.
"Why, Historia, why? Do you think yourself better than us now?"
She flinched as his hand reared back, and she winced in pain as his hand slammed into the side of her face.
"You think since you got to play dress up and wear a uniform that you're better than us? Eh, is that why you're silent? Speak now!"
He slapped her again and again, but she didn't speak.
I have nothing to say to these people, they are weak.
Her father eventually wore himself out, and ordered her taken back to her room.
I shall escape. I shall see Ymir again.
She smiled at the thought of the woman she loved.
Drumming hooves, beating hearts, breathe visible in the cold.
Ragnar awoke to them all. He drearily got up, and noticed that the sun was coming up as he pushed open his tent flap. A cold blast of air hit him, and he was glad that he had put on his cloak.
Suttungr was right, he though, I do feel a lot better now.
He looked over to find Luigi standing, speaking with a pair of men on horseback wearing his brothers' livery. Luigi turned to look at Ragnar as the two riders began to make their way back to Niflheim.
"You and Suttungr have been summoned," He said, as Ragnar buckled his sword belt onto his waist. "As are myself, Beth and Alex. Apparently they received an envoy from the Surtr."
Suttungr walked up at that point, with Master Tobias in tow.
"What in the hell is Freyr thinking," Suttungr cursed, gripping his sword hilts with white knuckled anger, "We know that Arthur is a rat bastard, how can he think to speak with his envoy! This is going to be a clusterfuck."
Ragnar agreed with his brother, but held his silence. They saddled their horses, and rode towards Niflheim. The miles long ride was not overly taxing, but entering the town was. Niflheim, while not as large as Yggadrasil, was a large city, with at least twenty thousand people inside the city proper, and a quarter that again in the outskirts.
Suttungr turned, seeing Ragnar's distasteful look.
"Just be glad they aren't throwing things at us," He said, as their two huge warhorses clopped down the paving stones, "They're showing us quite a bit of indifference. That's an improvement!"
"I'd have to agree. I just wish we didn't have to come here under such circumstances."
The Governor's residence, where Ragnar and Suttungr's brother Rolf usually lived, was grotesquely ornate, rivalling even the King's Palace in Yggadrasil with its majestic columns and grandiose façade. They rode through the gate, and found a dozen men in brown cloaks eyeing them from under their raised hoods.
"Fucking Surtr…" He heard Suttungr mutter.
Dismounting, their three guards followed Ragnar and Suttungr into the Governor's house, and were directed to a large room. Freyr stood, speaking to a man wearing the brown cloak of a Surtr, but something seemed familiar about him…
"Is that a… Hninga?" Ragnar whispered to Luigi.
"Yes, that is Davos Hninga… The one who put together the assassination attempt on your life… and Annies."
Kill. Kill the enemy!
The Beast's urging hit him like a tidal wave, seeing the mustached man turn his eyes upon him. He clenched his fists, feeling the hate and rage rising.
Stop it, damn it!
He relaxed, as the Beast slunk back into its pit. And walked in step with his brother, their Guards choosing not to follow any further, before stopping a dozen paces from Davos. The man, his bald head shining and his long mustachios twitching, turned and sneered at them.
"I think I'll be leaving now," He said, "I'm beginning to feel a... sickness coming on."
Ragnar scowled at the man, which made the man laugh.
"Ah, Brothers, good, you're here," Freyr said as they approached him, "Father has sent word that you are to return to Yggadrasil with your men. And anyways, I no longer require your services, especially now that Lord Arthur shall be coming to sign a peace treaty."
"What?" Ragnar and Suttungr both said in sync.
"Lord Davos was sent by Arthur to negotiate," Freyr said, "The man only wants peace. His price was easy to give him. He shall remain Lord of Muspell, and we shall not attack him anymore."
Ragnar was dumbstruck by his brother's lack of sense. His mouth opened, but snapped shut when Suttungr launched into a tirade.
"Freyr, for goodness sakes," He said, "Have a bit of sense! Arthur is simply maneuvering, trying to draw you into a-"
"Shut up, Suttungr," Freyr yelled, his fists clenched and face pinched with anger, "I want peace! And I shall have it! You and Ragnar are the only ones holding us back from it," His voice trailed off, "When I become King, I shall most definitely not be having you at court!"
Ragnar snorted, watching his brother with eyes that finally saw him for what he was.
A coward's blood runs through his veins. 'Peace' is what he wants, but if you aren't willing to fight for what you want, then you don't deserve it.
His hand went out and grabbed Suttungr's shoulder.
"Suttungr, let's go." He said simply, before turning on his heel and walking out. Suttungr held Freyr's gaze until the other man averted his gaze, then he too followed.
Neither heard what Freyr mumbled under his breath.
"Have a nice trip, brothers."
"Astrid, stop harassing Annie for a moment and go help your brother."
Arnora and Annie sat on the couch in their room, which was much larger than Annie's. Griselda had taken the two other children out to see the King. Eleanor and Tyr were lazing on another couch across from them, while Nick stood by the door, legs spread and hands behind his back. And Astrid was busy asking Annie questions about her fighting technique, which they had practiced just this morning.
"So, Annie, have you heard the news yet?"
Annie looked up from trying to fix her dress, to gaze into the older women's eyes. She felt lightheaded and slightly nauseous, her stomach had been hurting for the past few days.
"What news?"
"The King has decided to recall Suttungr and Ragnar," She said, and Annie's eyes flew open with… what, anticipation, excitement, she couldn't decide, "They should be here within the next few days. What will you do when he returns?"
Annie thought about it for a minute.
"I think I would like to see him, very much." She said simply, feeling the ache in her bones for the man who had so entangled her affections, "Very, very much."
Arnora smiled, and then looked up as someone knocked on the door. All eyes turned as Nick opened the door and ushered in Griselda and the other two children, who quickly went to their rooms.
"They both decided it would be a fun idea to play with the guards," Griselda said, pulling out a package that smelled of fresh bread, and sending a scathing look after the two quickly retreating children, "Snuck up behind one and tied his boots together!"
Everyone laughed, even Annie. The smell of the bread grew strong in her nostrils, and became overpowering…
What in the hell?
She dashed for the bathroom door, barely making it before she emptied the contents of her stomach into a sink. Eleanor and Arnora were behind her, and held her hair.
"Annie, what's wrong?"
Annie tried to look up, but grew dizzy and dropped limply into Eleanor's muscular arms.
"I… don't know," She said, wiping her mouth with a towel that Arnora handed her, "I must be getting sick…"
Eleanor and Arnora exchanged glances, as Griselda hustled the children and the pair of curious men away.
"Annie… um," Eleanor began, trying to put her thoughts together delicately, "Have you ever been sick before?"
Now that I think about it, I don't remember ever being sick, except after Trost…
"Not that I can remember, why?"
"Jotunn don't get sick, at least not like normal people," Arnora said, "This is going to sound slightly intrusive, but… when was the last time you and Ragnar, um… you know. Made love."
What the hell are they getting at? Did Ragnar get her sick?
"I don't know what you're talking about," She said innocently.
"Oh stop it, Annie," Eleanor said, rolling her eyes, "The only time I remember them doing it was, what, about three months ago?"
How in the hell does she know?!
"I'm your Guardian," She said, as if reading Annie's mind, "I just know these kind of things. It's my job."
Arnora turned expectant eyes on Annie.
"What? Yes, we did it a month ago, but not since then," She said, her strength coming back to her a little bit, "What of it? Did Ragnar infect me with something?"
She blushed red when both of the women began to laugh.
"I'm serious, why am I sick?"
Arnora wiped tears from her face.
"You're partly right, Annie," She said, her voice filled with humor, "Ragnar did infect you with something… A baby. That's just about the only thing it could be."
Annie's mouth dropped open, and the world began to close in around her.
What the fuck. She thought, before fainting.
Sorry for the extended waits between chapters, works picked up quite a bit, and I decided to resprain my ankle, which requires pain meds. Pain meds that make me write really strange stuff.
Now, I'm happy with how the story is progressing, I have an idea of how I'm going to end it. But nonetheless, I had quite a bit of trouble writing this chapter. Couldn't decide what I wanted to do, and that's the reason I'm gonna claim for, well, the last little chapter. Don't get too excited though, I've been rereading the manga and watching all the depressing stuff I can, so expect the worst.
Message me if you have any questions, or favorite, follow or review if you like it!
Updated:11/13/13