Chapter 5
Freydis
"I saw you with Ragnar yesterday."
Siggy's words pulled me out of my reverie, and I turned to her. Siggy came from the West and was sold to the thrall market by her father. My mother saw her when she traveled west to look for my father during the war.
She said Siggy was thin, with her bones visible, and she was so pale from fever. My mother took her in and cared for her. Siggy was a few years older than me. We grew up together, with her serving as my thrall from the day she was bought.
But Siggy was more than a thrall to me. She was like an older sister—the only friend I had in the village. One of the few people who could make me laugh. I cared for her deeply.
I believed she cared for me just as much. She was always by my side unless she had work to do in the house. She knew so much about me, but there were still some things I couldn't tell her—things only Ake, my guard, and I knew. We kept those secrets to ourselves because if others found out, it could put me in danger.
"You saw us?" I asked.
"Yes. I went to deliver some ale to the warriors in the training room."
Running my tongue over my lip, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. We were in my chamber, and she was helping me braid my hair.
Through the mirror, I saw Siggy's face. She was a beautiful young woman—tall and slender, with pale skin, long brown hair, and small eyes.
"What did you hear?" I asked.
"Nothing."
Knowing Siggy, I knew she wouldn't let this go without wanting the full story.
"Well…" I started.
"Well what?" she asked. "What did he tell you?"
"I don't know what you're trying to get from me," I said with a smile.
"You've seemed more excited since your uncle arrived," she said. "What is he telling you?"
"He wants us to sneak out in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep so I can experience the outside world."
Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
I nodded.
"Does this mean he likes you?"
"Siggy!"
"I'm sorry, my lady," she apologized with a smile. "I got too excited."
"He likes me as family, not the what you're thinking."
"What did you say to him?"
"I didn't say anything," I replied. "But I'm thinking about rejecting his offer. What if we got aught? What will people say about me?"
"I don't think you'll get caught with Ragnar," she said.
I bit the inside of my cheek. The truth was, I wanted to go with him. Before Siggy came into my room, I had been lying on the mattress, thinking about what he said. Where was he planning to take me?
I looked away from the mirror, turning to the window. Once Siggy finished braiding my hair, I stood and gazed out at the forest near the house. Guards were patrolling, armed with axes and swords. Some carried bows and arrows.
Siggy stood behind me. "There haven't been any attacks from the Hounds in days."
"They always strike unexpectedly," I said. "Sooner or later, they'll come. That's why I'm training. If I'm to become Queen, I'll need to protect my people from them. I must find a way to rid them from our land."
"I'm sorry," she looked away from the window. "That you carry this burden on you."
"You're always apologizing when you've done nothing wrong," I said.
She stared at me, her small eyes darting.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Can I be honest with you?"
I nodded.
"What if the Hounds were sent as punishment for what we've done? What if the gods are angry with us?"
"You're starting to sound like my mother," I teased.
"But it's the truth," she said, reaching for my hand. "We're no match for the Hounds. At this rate, we'll have no warriors left to defend us. I think we should beg the gods for forgiveness."
"How many times have we prayed to them? And have they ever responded?" I asked. "What if the gods are dead? What if they never existed?"
"Hush now, my lady," she said quickly. "A thousand years ago, the gods lived among humans. They're not dead—they're asleep. Even in their sleep, they hear us."
I opened my mouth to speak when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I said, and Ake walked in. When I looked at his sun-kissed face, I noticed his long hair partially covering it.
"My lady," Ake said, his expression grim. I knew something was wrong.
.....
Arriving at the house Ake mentioned, he knocked on the door, and I stood behind him. I already knew there was a problem.
There was always a problem with the Hounds still roaming Fellur. Their poisonous bites infected our people, and if untreated, the victim would turn into a Hound within a few days. Then they would begin to hunt us.
It's the curse they've carried for centuries. Rumors say the Hounds have existed since the age of the gods. They were created by the gods but cursed after their creation.
The first time a Hound released its venom into someone, I touched the victim out of empathy, and they were healed. That was in Ake's presence, and from then on, we worked together to help the bitten.
But I never revealed myself to the people. If they found out the King's daughter had powers, word would spread like wildfire. And it already had—whispers of an unknown woman healing the cursed had reached the village.
The door opened slowly, and a young man stepped out.
"Good morning," the man said.
"Let us in," Ake said. The man bowed his head and opened the door wider.
The man had sweat and tears on his face. "I heard of the woman healing those bitten by the Hounds. But I didn't expect you to come," he said, bowing slightly. "Thank you."
"Where is she?"
"In the other room," he said. "Follow me."
He led us down a narrow corridor. "I didn't want the neighbors to see her so I kept her locked in the other room. If they did, they'd want her dead."
"How was she bitten?" I asked.
"She went into the woods to harvest some plants and was attacked by a Hound. He bit her and left her to die. She survived, but the bite remained. I gave her herbal tea to ease the pain, but it only got worse—headaches, dizziness. I knew I had to try something else."
He opened the door, and we entered. A young woman, younger than the man, was lying on a mattress.
Her eyes were closed. She looked very pale. Her muscles were unusually large, and her face was stretched. Sweat covered her body, and her breathing was heavy.
Everyone reacted differently. Some turned into Hounds within days. Others within hours—or even minutes.
"Gundrud?" the man called, but there was no response. A sob escaped him.
"Everything will be okay soon," Ake said to him.
I approached her.
I knelt beside the mattress and reached for her arm. Just as my hand touched her, her eyes snapped open— they were yellow.
She growled. Her teeth elongated, and hair sprouted from her skin.
"Gundrud?" the man called again.
I stood quickly.
She rolled off the bed, falling to her knees. The sound of bones popping filled the room, and my eyes widened.
"We came too late," I whispered to Ake.
She screamed, her voice sweet and pleading. "Please help me, brother!"
Another crack sounded. Her skin melted away, revealing thick, brown fur.
She growled, lowered her head, and screamed as the bones in her neck snapped.
"Help!" Blood splattered on the floor.
The young man ran toward her, but Ake stopped him.
"Help her! She's in pain!" he shouted.
"It's too late. We can't help her—but we can ease her pain," Ake said, dragging him out.
"No! Don't kill her! She's all I have left… Please…" His screams faded as Ake pulled him away.
I turned to Gundrud. She was no longer screaming—just growling. She was a beast now. I had to kill her.
Gripping my axe tightly, I held her gaze.
She bared her sharp fangs and lunged.
In that moment, I spun to the side. As she charged, I brought the axe down hard, embedding it in her neck and sending her crashing to the floor.
The beast whimpered, lying in a pool of blood. For a moment, I hesitated. Maybe I could let her go—release her into the wild.
But the growl returned. She tried to rise.
I didn't wait. I drove the axe deeper into her neck and decapitated her.