Maeve's Daughter ~ Throne of Glass

Chapter 21- Orynth

Faster, faster, they weren't travelling fast enough, Morath were already upon Orynth, attacking during the day, leaving fear to fester, worse than any wound, during the night.

The khagan's army were moving as fast as they could, but it was too slow, too large. They were only now just reaching Endovier.

Each night, or whenever they begrudgingly stopped to rest, Freya stayed with Fenrys, nothing more, it was just comfortable. They held each other, and he made stupid jokes that had her heart crumbling.
She told him the story of her life, of her suffering, how she'd known him all these centuries, but never had courage enough to defy her mother. He said nothing while she told him, but the fury burning in his eyes told her he'd found yet another reason to hate Maeve.

However, after that first night, she was never there when he awoke, seemingly vanished from the camp for a few hours.
He never mentioned it.

Restless, she was restless.
She was currently watching the young queen of fire burn down a small section of Oakwald, so they could avoid marching through a Valg infested Perranth. There were tears in her turquoise eyes as she whispered apologies to Brannon and the Little Folk.

When she was done, she turned to face Freya and Rowan, standing at either side of her,
"It's too far for a scout," she began hesitantly, "and I can't leave the army..."

Rowan nodded immediately understanding,
"I'll go, I'll help Aedion, hold the fort till you arrive."

Freya saw the fire flicker out in Aelin's eyes, her face remaining unchanged, and cut in, "No."

Blinking Aelin looked at her, and she saw the silent gratitude in them.

"You need Rowan here, as your general-prince," she smirked slightly, "Whereas I, I can go and make a difference." She faltered as her eyes drifted to Fenrys stood with Gavriel in the camp.

Aelin still seemed hesitant, Freya was a powerful defence, should any of Morath be sent to intercept them, plus she cared about the woman.
As if sensing her very thoughts, Freya's face darkened into a wicked grin, "You haven't seen me properly fight, majesty, I can handle myself."
By the Gods Aelin knew she could. So she nodded.

"Would you...," she trailed off, still staring at the white wolf. "He'll try and persuade me...or he'll try to come, I-"

"I'll explain." Aelin promised softly, and she nodded her head to her gratefully.

"Aelin, you know I wouldn't leave you if I could help with the... Lock." Rowan stiffened imperceptibly.
"The gods would never accept my presence, and it's you they have chosen...but I" She trailed off yet again.

"I know."

Their eyes met, full of the unspoken words there.

With one more glance across the clearing, she turned, shifting, and flew North.

~
Aedion was having a fucking awful morning. His arm and ribs were on fire, worse that the searing heat of the firelance and any level of Hellas's burning realm.

He'd just regained consciousness from a healer's hands and waved her off, his Fae heritage knitting his skin together rather uncomfortably, when he'd noticed something that had made his blood run cold.

Lysandra had been using the element of surprise to ambush Valg soldiers from underneath the river that flowed out underneath the city, but this had only alerted Morath to the other secret entrance into the Orynth's walls.

Shit, shit.

As he clambered back atop the blood slicked walls, Valg still swarmed them and the western gates. In the skies the numbers of Crochans and Ironteeth had thinned, but barely. The Thirteen were a distant vicious cluster.