FREYA
Freya sat with Vistra, ready to drink as much of the sweet-smelling mead as she could. She didnât care about the taste of drinks anymore. She just wanted to feel a little numb.
Plates and mountainous heaps of smoky meats were placed in front of Freya. The smell was overwhelming and off-putting. For all the pride she took in hunting, her family rarely ate meat. It wasnât the Adaryn way. Now she didnât see a single green thing in front of her.
She was going to have to get used to things being different here. She wondered if sheâd at least be allowed to hunt. Perhaps she could gather berries and other fresh foods.
As the sun set and the Vargar continued to party, Freya drank as much as she could. The alcohol of the beasts was stronger than any of the sweet drinks the Adaryn made. Sheâd managed to eat a few bites of gamey meat and a brown roll. Most of her dinner was drink, and it helped her feel less scared.
It didnât help that the bloodied man at a table away was staring a hole into her. As much as she tried to ignore her new partner, she couldnât. Even though he was deep in conversations with others of his kind, she knew he was still keeping an eye on her.
âDonât worry about him. You look like youâre afraid heâs going to eat you,â Vistra leaned over and whispered.
~Was that supposed to be a joke?~ He was scowling and covered in blood. It was ingrained in every nestlingâs brain that these people were vicious enough to eat her kind if they wanted to.
âI apologize, I donât mean any disrespectââ Freya started.
The wolf-mother placed her hand on Freyaâs shoulder and leaned in close, chuckling.
âDear girl, donât apologize. There was much debate going into this peace. I wasnât too thrilled either. Someone had to make amends for what my brother did.â Vistra scowled in the direction of Ivar who was bound and sitting alone with another Vargar watching him.
This confession made Freya pause. She was starting to understand that the attack that had killed her sister wasnât from the wolf-mother, but from her brother Ivar.
âMy son, Cain, he is a good man, and he will honor this agreement. I know youâre afraid, but he will not hurt you. Iâll hang him by his toes if he even thinks about it.â Vistra chuckled with a warm and motherly smile on her face.
It helped Freya to feel even more at ease. She never thought in her life sheâd be sitting with the Vargar wolf-mother and actually feel relaxed. She thought of her own mother. She wondered if her being gone would help her mother recover, and then she felt bad for thinking that.
As if he knew he was being talked about, Cain got up from the table after downing the rest of his drink and slamming the cup onto the table.
A few heads turned in his direction. He stared up at where Freya sat with his mother. He started to walk in their direction. Then he left the celebration.
She couldnât pull her eyes away as he stalked off into the approaching night.
Around the same time, the still uncomfortable Adaryn decided it was time for them to make their way back to the colony. Allen Grouse had a very smug look on his face as he glanced at Freya sitting beside Vistra.
âWeâll be taking our leave now. If you need anything until the ceremony, you can contact a soldier at the outpost nearby. Our commander here,â he gestured at Alvyna who was glaring up into the black sky, âwill be stationed there for the duration.â
âEnjoy your night, Grouse. Thank you for bringing the little bird to us,â Vistra replied with an air of authority.
Freya was starting to admire this woman already, even if she terrified her, and the new name wasnât her favorite. ~Little bird~. She didnât want to be thought of as little, and she was hardly a bird, without wings.
Alvyna hurried to Freya and leaned down opposite Vistra to whisper, âIf anything happens at all, come find me at the outpost that I pointed out to you on the way here.â
Freya nodded, and only hoped that sheâd be able to find her way to the outpost on foot if she had to. It seemed impossible, but she knew that was all Alvyna could offer.
With a final and somber look from Alvyna, the Adaryn departed. The Vargar only began to get louder from that moment on into the night. Eerie howls rang into the night sky at the lost new moon.
She knew one of those howling voices would be Cainâs. She hadnât even heard him speak yet. She wondered what he would say when he finally decided it was worth his time to speak to her.