Chapter 7: You Should Know They’re Talking About You

FREYA

Freya walked along and waited for Alvyna to speak. She felt intimidated.

“You should know those men of the council were talking about you,” Alvyna whispered as they entered an empty space behind a closed stall and stopped walking.

Freya summoned her courage and looked her in the eyes. She hadn’t seen Alvyna since the night she had brought the news of Raga’s death. Seeing her now took her back to that moment. This was the woman Raga had died to protect. And Freya didn’t know what to say to her.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it. I promise it’s nothing new.” Freya cleared her throat.

“It bothers me,” Alvyna said.

“But you’re not from here. This is how they always treat me. And I can’t avoid it. I have to do the shopping for my mother now that…” Freya trailed off. It was too hard to talk about how badly her mother was doing.

“Oh, I know you’ve had to pick up her work. I’m so sorry. It happens sometimes with Valkyries, when they lose someone close. They turn inward.” Alvyna sighed. Her feathers ruffled, although there was no wind.

Freya wanted to think of something comforting to say. Her sister was special to her, but Alvyna had also loved Raga. Alvyna was also grieving.

“I’m so sorry about what happened,” Alvyna said. “Your sister saved me. I was her commander. The responsibility to protect her was mine. Not the other way around. It should have been my mother dealing with this grief, not yours.” She choked out the words like they were strangling her.

“It was her nature to protect.” Freya wrapped Alvyna’s waist in a hug as the urge to comfort overcame her. “It’s not your fault. She probably disobeyed your orders.”

The Valkyrie let out an awkward, short laugh. “That’s true. How did you know?”

Freya just held Alvyna. “She was my sister.”

After a few moments in silence, they each let go. The Valkyrie had tears on her cheeks. She turned in the direction of the sunlight before closing her eyes. She took a deep breath.

“I will always be sorry for what happened to your sister, Freya. She was better than what we deserved. Better than what I deserved.” Her voice broke, and she immediately cleared her throat.

“Raga was always prepared to make that decision. Her life was always for her people. We were never going to stop her,” Freya said. She wished her mother could be the one to say it to her. She needed to hear her sister had a purpose in making her choice.

“You know she loved you,” Freya said.

Alvyna put a hand to her mouth. She didn’t say anything, but she nodded. “You know I loved her, right?”

Freya nodded. “She knew you loved her.”

Alvyna looked at the ground. “Thank you.”

Freya could see why her sister would love this woman. She was kind and strong and beautiful.

“It’s only been a few weeks,” Alvyna said. “I’m worried about your mother. If she’s still like this in a month, please find me and tell me.”

Freya nodded. She didn’t know that she could get to the Valkyries to ask, but she knew Alvyna meant what she said.

“If you need help with anything, please let me know. You meant so much to Raga. I know how much she loved you. I’d hate myself if I didn’t help you in her absence.” Alvyna peered into Freya’s basket.

“Thank you, Alvyna. Please visit us anytime. My father is out working a lot, but it would be good for my mother to see you. And I’d like to talk with you more. You must miss her so much.”

Freya gave the commander a hug before stepping back. In the light of the setting sun, Freya had to admit her sister was right about Alvyna’s wings, they looked like the sunlight.

The truth was she’d meant to get beans, and flour, and she needed a new sewing needle. But as much as she told Alvyna it was normal for people to stare at her, it wasn’t normal for influential members of the colony to be talking about her. So she left the market with a nearly empty basket.

***

She tried to tell her mother of meeting Alvyna, but her mother just turned her face away.

Life slipped back into an unbearable monotony. Freya cooked, and cleaned, and brought her mother food. Her father was coming home later and more tired from the extra exertion of working the fields, and her mother was withering away despite her best efforts.

Freya needed to feel free again, even if things would never be the same for her or her family. Freya knew Raga wouldn’t want her to stop enjoying the things that made her feel whole, like running the forest and hunting.

Feeling determined one night, Freya decided she was going to go out in the morning.