Maeve's Daughter ~ Throne of Glass

Chapter 10- Campfire

The following hours were chaos, in the light of day battled resumed, Morath content to let morale drop and men die during the night.

So while darkness still remained, the planned, quickly and efficiently, there were many seasonedd warriors in the room. Freya did not speak though, only occasionally shaking her head at a manoeuvre or angle of entry, updating Morath's army on the map, from her scouting hours before.

No she only looked at Aelin, who sat silently, not contributing. Only Gavriel of the cadre managed to do the same alongside Rowan.

Fenrys and Lorcan just stared and stared and stared, in disgust, in fear, in realisation, the queen they'd served for centuries was a Valg queen...

The cadre would return with Chaol and Yrene to the keep, to help with fighting tomorrow. The khagnate royals would push from here, Nesryn and Prince Sartaq leading the ruks and Princess Hasar commanding the foot soldiers and Darghan cavalry.

When they'd all deemed the plan sound, along with its contingency plan Nesryn only said, "we'll find some ruks to carry you back up to the keep."

Asking offered no response, got up and stormed out into the cold night, Freya instinctually went to move to follow a queen, but Rowan was there, shaking his head softly, before pursuing his mate into the darkness.

Nobody spoke to her, internally she chuckled, you could smell the nerves on them. She didn't care, though she continually studied Fenrys for injury or illness.

Yrene stepped to her, with kind eyes, from Chaol's side as the khagnate filtered outside, orders and shouts ringing faintly in their wake.

"I'm Yrene T-, Westfall," she smiled bashfully to her new husband behind her, "you said you are also blessed with healing power."

She nodded, "And you know how to destroy the Valg, with our light it seems."

She nodded confidently, "I do, but it takes a lot out of me, ... of us" she glanced back at her husband's cane- which Freya had noted.

"If you would teach me, then I would be glad to assist you Lady Yrene... I want to help, but I cannot fight yet."

Yrene beamed opening her mouth to speak, but Lorcan broke his silent brooding from the corner,
"You will not fight? Against the Valg? Are you still just a spy then, don't think I didn't notice you sending your report to Maeve, I know that look of discomfort when you must speak through the bond."

Fenrys cocked his head at that, studying her in a way that made her skin crawl. She kept her face blank though, and replied airily, "If I so much as step on that battlefield, she would know, as I'm sure you well know Lorcan.
So no, I'll be saving lives... maybe even yours."

With that she sent an unreadable look to Fenrys, and stalked out of the tent, Elide smirking at the ancient Fae, handling Lorcan like he was a petulant teenager, followed her with Yrene and Chaol.

~

Aelin found Fenrys alone, by a quiet fire gazing into its crackling flames. She sat on the log beside him, Rowan steadying her fear, watching from the shadows beyond the fire, a comfortable presence.

"Whenever you need to talk about it," she said voice hoarse, "I'm here."
He nodded, mouth drawn into a tight line, "Thank you."

They sat for a few minutes, the camp readying for departure around them.

Two healers hurried past them, arms full of bandages. Aelin tensed, focusing her breathing, Fenrys marked her line of sight.

"They were horrified, you know," he said quietly.
"Every time she brought them to...fix you."

"It didn't stop them from doing it."

His mouth tightened further, "No one would have left have you in those states. No one."

Broken and bloody and burned-
She gripped Goldryn's hilt. Helpless.

"They defied her in their own way," he went on.
"Sometimes, she'd order them to bring you back to consciousness. Often they claimed you couldn't, that you were too far into oblivion, but I think Maeve knew, like me that they put you there, to buy you as much time as possible."

She swallowed thickly, "Did she punish them?"
"I don't know, they were never the same....apart from one." He paused glancing over to where Freya sat gracefully, listening intently as Yrene spoke quickly and quietly to her, gesturing with her slim hands, likely explaining how she destroyed the Valg.

Aelin followed his gaze, and her own softened.

Fenrys, not removing his, muttered, "I hadn't seen her before then, so I assumed she was just a brave healer." he scoffed, "she kept her face hooded but I knew, somehow I knew she was risking something even greater to be there, at your side whenever she could."

Aelin's throat tightened, imagining the costs, "Sometimes, sometimes the oblivion felt different, warmer.
It wasn't every time, but when it was.."she trailed off.

Fenrys said nothing but she knew, they both knew that Freya had struggled against Maeve's iron will, the first time in centuries, just to try and ease Aelin's pain.

As if sensing their gaze, her dark eyes snapped to meet theirs, almost feline in the way she studied them.

Aelin was glad of the warmth that shone in them, while Freya had appeared benevolent so far, she'd hate to be on the receiving end of that gaze when it turned cold and predatory.

"She wants to talk to you Fenrys," Aelin whispered softly (like the dark female couldn't hear her) "she's never stopped looking at you since the moment she arrived. You're not exactly looking approachable at the moment though pup." She grinned softly, an echo of life flashing across her face as she got up and walked away.

Fenrys didn't reply, he only stared at Freya across the fire, and she stared right back.

Something began stirring in his gut, a new unfamiliar feeling tightening, like a tentative string pulling taught.