Raven Girl

Chapter 18

Elias felt somewhat satisfied to see Gylfi with a hangover the next morning, his head resting on the table as he clutched a mug of coffee. The pirate maintained that he was happy about it, though, because he'd proved to his crew that he could still drink Jari under the table.

"I'd rather take the disappointment," Regina said.

"You wouldn't want to, not if you're the captain of a ship," Gylfi replied. He moved his head, and his forehead hit the wood. Nadine snickered from the corner.

Sven just rolled his eyes and sipped at his tea. "I've met your crew. They're all lightweights."

"Anyway, why are they holding the Stormdanser so far away from the Great Fjord?" Elias said, keen to discuss their next step.

"They do that with confiscated ships, so if they get stolen back, it's harder to just sail away," Sven said.

"The station is near the mountains, on the edge of the River Elv," Gylfi said. "Leif told me."

"Which mountains?" Nadine asked. Jötunheim certainly had a lot of mountains, Elias thought. More than Ravenna. Most of Easfall's mountains were dry and rocky, bordering the deserts and the tundra.

"Those green ones on the opposite side of the fjord," Gylfi said.

Elias looked at Nadine, who seemed excited at the thought of travelling through the breathtaking mountains. Beautiful, she had called them. Elias hadn't thought a street rat, a city thief, would care much for the scenery of the wild. But Nadine was always surprising him. One moment she would be the feral, spitting wildcat he had encountered in the dungeons of the Palace, always looking out for her own safety, and the next... she would become just a young woman, someone who was alone and running.

Sometimes she reminded him of himself.

Alone. Running.

"When are you setting off?" Sven asked, jolting Elias back into reality.

"Today." Gylfi sounded certain.

Sven gave him a sorrowful look, but didn't object. They prepared their things, and Gylfi went to book a passage across the fjord, one that could accommodate their horses. They gathered their packs, stuffed food into their saddlebags.

Sven stood facing Gylfi on the doorstep, as Elias waited with the girls on the street.

"We have to go and get this mission over with," Gylfi said. "Then I'll come home."

"I don't think you're destined to stay home, brother," Sven said with a sad smile. "The gods have a different plan for you. Vandrende valp." He pressed a kiss to Gylfi's hair.

"What does that mean?" Nadine called, and Elias frowned at her. She shouldn't pry in their affairs. Even though they'd heard every word of the exchange.

"Wandering puppy!" Sven yelled, grinning as Gylfi pulled away from him, looking embarrassed.

"Shut it," he muttered, half-heartedly shoving Sven away.

"Goodbye, Gylf. Safe voyage."

"Thank you. Bye, Sven."

They led their horses to the city's main harbour. Their horses didn't like the wooden docks, and kept trying to shy away and turn around. It was a struggle to get them to the boat – a traditional longboat, but wide enough to fit the horses.

"Hurry up, we haven't got all day. The wind is in the right direction!" a brash female voice called, and Elias spotted Ingrid at the bow of the boat, a hand on its carved figurehead.