The War for Eventyr

19 | Priorities

Sunlight bled into the den as dawn arrived, flickering across Trygve's eyelids and covering his vision in a soft pink haze. He always slept right next to the entrance of the den, so that the sun's warm rays would wake him early enough to make the most of every day before the winter's long nights took over. For once, he was torn on how he would spend it.

He would usually run to Dagny's, watching her groggy morning muzzle swear at him for waking her so early. Today, he had some other fox to wake––to spend his waking hours with. He had to. Thridi ordered them to stay together, and Dagny had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with his Shadowborn friend. It was her loss.

His mind was still wrapped around the thought of Skadi, quiet and reserved even as the night she spent among them wore on. She was kind of like snow: beautiful but cold. Perhaps her heart still needed some time to thaw.

Trygve glanced around the den for the fox in question. Among the sleeping forms of his family, he found no white-pelted fox. Skadi was gone.

A cold wave of panic washed over him; he had one job. To keep her in sight. If Thridi found out that he misplaced her, his chance to be elected would shatter. Worse yet, maybe he'd been too quick to trust her. He stood quickly and raced up the den's tunnel.

What if Skadi really was danger––

His body collided with something hard, but it gave way beneath his weight. Trygve clamped his eyes shut, bracing for a painful impact. Instead, a cushion of squirming flesh broke his fall. A growl rang out beneath him; the source was a snow-white muzzle.

His eyes met Skadi's amber gaze, and her single pupil shrank as she recognized her attacker. Trygve gave an awkward smile, and she grimaced in response, shifting her weight again. With a start, he realized he was still on top of her and scrambled back.

"S–sorry," he stuttered, "I didn't see you."

She shook the dirt from her fur and kept her gaze low. "It's fine. I didn't see you, either."

Trygve nodded, sighing a breath of relief. He was more relieved that she hadn't run off and abandoned him. Glancing her up and down, he noticed that she seemed a little out of breath. Tired, like she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep. That added up; he'd seen how restless she was for the first half of the night, spent on the other side of the den in the isolated corner she'd chosen. Stone, of course, positioned himself close enough to keep an eye on the intruder, but still she'd snuck past them all while they slept.

"What were you doing outside?"

She licked her chops, taking only half a second to breathe. "A run," she said quickly. "I needed to get some fresh air. Alone." Skadi dipped her head, allowing a subtle sadness to droop her ears.

Trygve pressed his nose to her cheek. "I get it. It's been a lot of change in just one, short day." And only more would come.

Skadi looked up at him with a tiny smile and nodded. "Thanks," she muttered. Then she tossed her nose over her shoulder, toward the forest beyond the entrance of the tunnel. "So what are we supposed to do now?"

He nudged her forward, and the two stepped out into the full, warm sunlight. Bowing playfully before her, Trygve laughed. "We have a little time to spare, Ms. General." He enunciated the title teasingly, then bounced at her muzzle.

Skadi only stumbled back, brows furrowed. Trygve wagged his tail, cocking his head curiously. Her hardened expression never cracked. Did she not know how to have fun?

Shrugging off the thought, he stood up and straightened his shoulders. "You're right." He cleared his throat and started down the path at the edge of the trees. "We shouldn't waste time. We've got to meet with the elders and discuss your plan."

She trotted after him without a word. Stomach rolling with butterflies, he cursed himself for acting like such a kit. He needed to be more serious––more like her. Especially if he was going to be on the Council.

–❈–

When they arrived at the Gathering, the elders were already there, and so was an audience of foxes. Jafenhar collected Skadi from him, and she parted ways with a nervous glance. The old tod assured him that no interrogating would happen, only that they needed complete and total privacy while they planned. They couldn't chance having the details slip out to the rest of the skulk.

Feeling dejected, like he had more than enough right to be involved with the information he was responsible for, Trygve marched away. He became just another part of the crowd, watching and waiting for second-paw news about. He noticed his grandmother's face across the clearing, a permanent scowl. She wasn't happy about any of it, but she seemed more agreeable today.

"Has the mighty elder hopped off his pedestal?" A mocking voice feigned a gasp. "I can't believe he graces us commoners with his presence."

Trygve felt the heat from her glare before he even turned. Fierce green eyes met him. "Dagny, look––"

"If it's an excuse, save it," she snapped. "I'm not even here to talk to you, just to see what scat you're digging this skulk into." With a loud harrumph, she turned on her paws and started walking, but Trygve called after her.

"Stop!" He bounded after her, quickly blocking her path. "Why are you so upset?" he asked. "What did I do?"

A loud guffaw left her muzzle, loud enough to draw the eyes of a few stray foxes. Trygve shushed her, but the shouts weren't softened. "Why do you think, idiot? Maybe because you forgot about me as soon as those stupid, twitterpated eyes landed on your girlfriend over there." She flicked her muzzle toward the huddle of elders; Skadi sat in the middle.

"Girlfriend? Is that really what you think?" he asked in disbelief. "Because it isn't true. Y'know that I don't actually care anything about her, right? I just need her"––his voice lowered to a whisper––"her knowledge. To help me get elected." He blurted the words before he could really think about them. In a way, they were true. In a way, they were lies.

Dagny shook her head and rolled her eyes. She tried to walk away again, but Trygve stepped on her paw.

"Believe me, Dagny," he pleaded. "Nothing could come between our friendship."

She growled and pushed him off. "You're a jerk either way. Maybe you should get your priorities straight." Bared teeth followed her words, and Trygve knew not to try her any further. She walked past him and didn't look back. "Nothing will get between our friendship, because we aren't friends anymore."