The Arctic Ch. 07

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Eira frees her people.
6.9k words
4.77
7.2k
13

Part 7 of the 7 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 02/19/2016
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~~~~ This story consists of non-consensual themes, fantasy (such as elves, lycanthropes and Jotunn), graphic violence and terrible grammar. Also, there is no smut in this particular chapter. If any of these things bother you, please read no further. All characters engaging in sexual activities are 18 and older. ~~~

*****

Nicholas began to pace, something felt wrong. Too much time had passed, Kael should have killed the guards and let down the bridge already.

"We need to be patient, we have no idea what is happening inside that castle. If we attack too soon..." Astrid didn't need to finish her sentence for him to follow where it was leading. They risked Jerrick hurting Eira, possibly even killing her. Surely what she had done to Ash and the other White Skulls made her valuable. If not King Olaf, then certainly every other Alpha looking to boost their own power structure. He sighed, rubbing his temple; he could feel her. She needed him and she needed him now.

"I am all out of patience. All I need is a distraction." he announced. Astrid nodded and before anyone could stop her she made her way towards the front gate.

"Name yourself!" A voice shouted from above. Astrid held her hands out, revealing empty palms as she slowly removed the hood of her cloak.

"I am Astrid, daughter of Tyrst, Alpha of the Northstar clan. I have come to the aide of Queen Eira," she announced boldly. A loud chuckle echoed through the nearly empty forest as a man appeared above the gate.

"And just how do you suppose you are going to do that?" he demanded, leaning over the rock, hands folded before him.

Astrid smiled, putting her hands on her hips as she counted the men guarding the gate, she had faced worse odds.

"First, I am going to climb up this wall. Then, I am going to execute every last one of you. After that I think I'll make my way to Lord Jerrick and slaughter him next."

"Quite the mouth you got there, I can think of several more practical uses for that tongue of yours." He leered, his fellow warriors whistling crudely.

"Why don't you come down here and show me then." Astrid challenged with innocent smile. He looked to be contemplating the idea when he suddenly cried out and looked down. It had started at his feet, working its way up his legs slowly, and the wolf began to panic.

"What sort of elven sorcery is this?!" he demanded angrily. Astrid let the cloak fall completely into the snow covered ground, pulling out both of her daggers from her belt. Several arrows flew through the air and she deflected every single one with practiced ease. By the time she looked up again the man was a completely frozen block of ice, his mouth opened wide in a cry of horror.

But he wasn't the only one, soon every man above the gate seemed freeze in place, all of them panicking as they stared down at their legs, ice creeping up their bodies until they were nothing more than elaborate carved sculptures. In all of her life she had never seen anything so beautifully terrifying. Nikolas stood by the wall, almost a small speck in the distance, both hands placed upon the snow covered stone of the wall that circled the entire Kingdom. There was a swirl of snowflakes around him, as though surrounded by his own personal snowstorm. His eyes were closed in concentration, and when he finally opened them his pale grey-blue eyes were piercing sapphires instead. Astrid watched as small steps made of ice began to appear on the side of the wall beside him, all leading straight to the top. Before another word could be spoken he climbed his way up and a few minutes later the gate came crashing down. By the time Astrid made it through the entryway, Nikolas had already jumped down on the other side, landing a few feet in front of her.

"Nikolas!?" She had never seen him like this before and for a second she wondered if he was lost to his magic. He whipped his head around to face her, his eyes burning bright against the shadows of the entryway.

"She needs me." That was all he spoke before he turned and then the Church bell began to ring, alerting everyone to their arrival; Nikolas didn't waste any time, instead he walked towards the courtyard, the winds around him picking up. Clan members began to surround him, staying just out of reach of their previous Alpha and his snowstorm.

"I am Nikolas, son of Ivar and the rightful Alpha of the Arctic Wolf clan. I have returned to take back my Kingdom and my wife. If any of you believe I am unfit to lead this clan; please step forward and challenge me now. Save me the trouble of executing you later" he shouted. A few warriors kneeled, abandoning their weapons instantly; however there were a couple that did not.

"You are no Alpha to me, you married an Elf , betrayed our King...I would rather go to Valhalla then bend a knee to you." Nikolas unsheathed his sword with a smile, the storm around him dissipating as he beckoned the warrior forward. The man smiled and charged eagerly, swords clashing. He grunted with effort, the use of his magic earlier had taken more out of him then he thought. It had been so long since he'd used his gifts, but most of it seemed to be coming back to him. He took a deep breath and shoved the man back.

The men began to circle each other, Nikolas already losing his patience. Eira needed him and he was wasting time trying to prove himself. Within seconds the traitor's feet began to freeze; it was slow at first.

"You hide behind your magic like an Elf ," his challenger accused.

"I am not quite an Elf, just as I am not quite a Wolf; I am both." he announced, stabbing his sword into the ground, the storm returning as more ice slowly crawled up the traitorous man's legs. He swung his own sword at the ice that was incasing him, but it was growing faster than he was destroying it.

"Let it be known, I will no longer tolerate the mistreatment of Elves OR wolves. We need to work together if we want to survive what is coming. Now...you are standing between me, my Kingdom, and my wife; and I will use every power I possess to claim back what is mine." Nikolas announced as the ice finished enveloping the wolf.

"Anyone else wish to challenge me?" he demanded as he turned to face his clan. Those who had refused to kneel the first time immediately dropped their weapons and joined the others. Nikolas nodded then charged towards the castle to rescue his wife.

~~~~~~~

Eira let Kael take the lead since he was far more dangerous than she was. She had gained muscle, some strength, but she'd barely had much training beyond some simple defense. The barrier began weakening faster, 2 more Jotunn and a small army of goblins had gotten through and they had decided they couldn't wait any longer. Nikolas promised to continue training her every available second. Thora had helped her with some meditation and control techniques for her magic, which made her feel like an elfling all over again. Someone grabbed her from behind and she thrust her dagger backwards into his abdomen. The blade sank into his flesh like a hot knife through butter. The warrior grunted, stumbling backwards, blood pouring from his wound. She hadn't given it a single thought, she had simply reacted. He began to pale as she pulled her dagger free, hands shaking.

"I-I'm sorry..." she whispered. He held his stomach with one hand and attempted to swing his axe with the other. Her reflexes reacted and she dropped, swinging her leg out, kicking his knees. Sparks flew from the axe hitting the wall and the warrior dropped. Before Eira could move further, Kael's sword went through the man's neck, more blood bubbling from his mouth as life faded from his eyes.

"Do not hold back, they certainly won't." He pulled his sword free and kept walking, not waiting to see if she followed. She was nearly running to keep up with his long strides. Kael led her into the kitchen but stopped when he reached the door that led outside. He pointed towards the stables and she glanced out the door.

"And you're sure he went that way?" Eira demanded.

"I saw the coward run straight for the stables as soon as the bell began to chime. Plus, I can smell him." She took off out the back kitchen door, her bare feet protesting the bitter cold snow.

"Are you not coming?" she demanded when she realized he was not following.

"You hired me to help you take back your Kingdom, not chase down cowards," he replied as he leaned against the doorway scraping the dried blood from his nails with indifference. She let out an impatient huff and took off without him. She was determined not to let Jerrick get away; it never occurred to her to simply offer Kael more money to help. She was too angry, Jerrick needed to answer for what he had done to her people. She ignored the cold burn of the snow and kept running towards the stables. As she neared she heard the sounds of horses whining, hoofs pounding against stall doors. Elven horses did not like smell of wolf.

"Jerrick! Show your face, you coward!" He stepped out from a nearby stall, glancing at her dagger with amusement, but his roaming eyes noticed her lack of any companions and he smiled.

"Do you honestly expect to beat me in any sort of hand to hand combat?" She held the dagger tightly, the flat edge of the blade parallel with her forearm. He began to approach her, his hands both held loosely at his sides and she positioned her legs into a proper defensive stance.

"Where is Ingrid?" He glanced at the stable doors, Eira being the one thing standing in his way out.

"You will find her in the dungeons along with a few other surprises I had saved for you." She swung her arm in an upward arc, he dodged smoothly, kicking her leg out from under her. She winced as all her weight landed on the one knee and she spun her body, landing a kick across his face and forcing him to stumble backwards. She began slashing, each blow blocked or dodged and she began to realize he was merely playing with her; like a cat watching a canary flying around in its cage knowing in the end it has nowhere to go.

"Your skills have improved princess, but I am curious, why not use your magic?" She scowled and swung the blade down, catching the lower part of his thigh. She had exerted so much already that she felt faint. He growled and used his foot to kick her forward, sending her into a stall door, startling one of the horses. She pushed against the wall and rammed her head into his gut. He doubled over but not before he managed to knee her in the face and she fell down. She swung her legs, one over his shins the other behind his knee and closed them, causing him to land straight on his rear. She threw a leg over his torso, and straddled him, bringing the knife down quickly, stabbing him in the shoulder. He grimaced in pain, slowly forcing the knife out, and thus pushing her along with it as she tried to stab him again. She used all of her body weight and shook as she struggled to plunge it back into his already healing chest.

"You are a foolish girl," he growled and with a grunt he forced her hands to bend inwards, stabbing herself with her own blade. Eira screamed, as she felt the pressure of the blade sinking through her flesh, followed by a deep sharp throbbing pain that made her vision waiver and a wave of nausea wash over her. His wounds slowly began to heal and hers only continued to bleed. He had her pinned on her back within seconds and he grabbed the carefully carved handle and wiggled the blade, forcing more screams to tear from her throat. It was as though someone had shoved a red hot poker into her leg and every slight movement made the pain worse.

"Did you actually think you would win?" he demanded, eliciting more screams and she rolled her head to the side just in time to vomit, grateful her hair wasn't long enough to get covered in the mess. Jerrick stood and forced her to her feet by a handful of hair, her leg no longer able to support her own weight and she struggled to balance. She felt light headed as more blood gushed down her leg, leaving a trail behind them as he dragged her towards the horses, stopping when they finally reached one of his own. He threw her back against the stable doors, ripping the blade out and tucking it into his belt. He tore the hem of her tunic and tied it around her thigh until it began to feel tingly and numb. He reached for stall door when a small knife embedded itself into the wood beside him. He whipped around, holding Eira in front of him like a shield, the bloodstained dagger at her throat. She was beginning to feel dizzy and leaned against Jerrick as she searched and found Astrid in the rafters.

"Release her," Astrid ordered. He laughed and shoved Eira to the ground as Astrid swung down from the beam, landing a few feet in front of him, unsheathing her sword from her back.

"Lets see how you handle someone with a little more training!" She charged him, not giving him another second to prepare, her sword came down and he blocked it just before it reached the nape of his neck and he grit his teeth with the effort, eyes shooting wide in slight surprise. He grunted before he threw her backwards, and swung his sword. The corridor didn't give them much room to work with, but Astrid thrived better in close combat. She swung again and he blocked it but missed the fact she'd grabbed a small axe from the back of her tunic. It missed his face by inches, splintering the beam behind him instead. He used his foot to shove her back, nearly causing her to trip over Eira's feet as she applied more pressure to her leg to stop the bleeding. Her skin began to pale and Astrid knew she wasn't going to make it if she didn't see a healer soon. She was feeling lethargic and weak.

"Quite more impressive than the sniveling princess; your father has taught you well."

"She needs a healer."

"If you think I value that trolls life you are sadly mistaken."

"If you leave now, I can still save her." Eira looked up at Astrid in disbelief.

"You can't do this!" Eira shouted, but it came out as more of a harsh whisper.

"We don't have time to sit here and argue; my father and the others are not far behind me! Leave now!" Jerrick glared as he glanced between the two and back at the stable door.

"This is not over yet, princess," he growled. And then he shifted; and a giant blonde wolf took off into the woods. Astrid knelt beside Eira and inspected the wound.

"Eira?" She lifted her head to glare at the younger girl but her vision began to swim and her chin quivered. Eira cursed and the cold began to seep into her bones, eyelids suddenly very heavy.

"Pay, he has to pay..." Her eyelids fluttered, and at first all she could make out was blurry shapes, then Astrid came further into focus. Had she passed out for a minute? She felt the warmth of magic spreading across her body and looked down to see a bright yellow light glowing from beneath Astrid's hands and her wound slowly began to knit itself back together. Thick trail of blood ran down from Astrid's shoulder and her brow was furrowed as she focused on the task before her, then everything went black.

~

Nikolas arrived as Astrid finished healing her own wounds.

"Where is he?" Nickolas demanded.

"I let him go." He saw the trail of blood running down her arm and quickly realized what she'd done. She had cut through the Rune of Iza and reawakened her magic. He knelt down beside his wife, pulling her into his lap as her eyelids fluttered.

"She hasn't had nearly enough training to take him on, she is reckless. He has runes branded into his skin and infused with magic; that's how he became the Alpha in your absence." Astrid announced.

"Where could he have possibly gotten the magic required to use those runes?"

"By killing nearly half my Kingdom and then you let him go! " Eira growled softly, glaring at Astrid. She glanced down at her leg and saw that it had been healed and sat up, pushing herself away from Nicholas.

"And you are the one who brought him here!" Nicholas didn't bother reaching for her, instead he looked down.

"Eira, I'm s..."

"Let me guess, you're sorry!?" she demanded, climbing to her feet. She was tired, sore and weak but most of all she was angry.

"I never thought..."

"No, you didn't think! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go free my people." she interrupted for the second time. Nicholas grabbed her arm as she began walking away, but he quickly pulled away with a hiss, the palm of his hand a bright red. Her very skin had literally burned him and he took a step backwards.

"Do not touch me!" she warned through clenched teeth and made her way back towards the castle, tears falling almost as fast as her footsteps. She was so upset she failed to notice the steam that rose from the melting snow beneath her feet. What would she tell her people? The truth? Would they believe her? She had married Nicholas against Ingrid's advice; she had believed him when he said it would keep her people safe. She couldn't even manage to keep herself safe, how was she going to save the entire Islet of Skógrland?

Perhaps giving up the crown was a better option. Let the remaining noble families vote in their next ruler, she didn't deserve to be their Queen. Eira felt numb as she made her way back through the back kitchen doors and past the dining hall where Kael was meticulously cleaning his blade.

"I will have your gold ready by dawn, then I want you and your men out of my Kingdom."

"Fine with me, your majesty ," he bowed mockingly and she didn't bother with a retort as she continued her journey. It wasn't until she made it to her father's office did she realize she couldn't free her people without Nicholas. His people didn't take her orders, they wouldn't answer to her without him there. She turned around just in time to find Nicholas in the doorway.

"You should be resting, let me take care of this."

"They aren't going to trust you." she spat. She could tell the comment hurt by the way he winced, but it felt good. She wanted him to hurt, to feel just an ounce of what she was feeling.

"Please Eira..."

"I need to free my people, if you would please instruct your men to do so immediately , I would be very grateful." Her tone was formal and made it clear she wasn't ready to hear more apologies.

He sighed and called a warrior to his side who nodded and led them down the stairs and towards the Pit. The sight was still grotesque, two of his warriors were slowly plucking the heads from the pikes like flowers in a garden and placing them in burlap sacks.

"What is going to be done with them?"

"We started a pyre for the dead out in the courtyard."

"But they need to be identified so that their families can grieve them properly."

"Do you wish to be the one to sort through the bag of decapitated heads?" he demanded rather harshly. She shook her head, she didn't wish that fate on anybody. Eira stopped in the center of the blood stained circle and waited as the warrior unlocked the cell door.

The light from the torches highlighted her subjects within and she realized what a sight she must appear to be. Her hair shorn and blonde, a bloodied tunic for an outfit. She took the torch and stepped into the first cell, the stench of sweat and other gross bodily fluids permeated the air, nearly knocking her back. Her eyes watered a bit, but she pushed it aside and stepped forward. Dozens of people lined the benches, their wrists and ankles all chained to one another. She held her hand out wordlessly for the keys and began unlocking them.

"They need water, food and medical attention; can you manage that?" Nikolas nodded and after a few quick orders the warrior took off. The Elves began to gather in the Pit, there was maybe a couple dozen and she realized they were all staring at her, waiting.

"Where is everybody else?" she asked. This couldn't be all that was left of her people, they had a few hundred in the castle alone. She didn't see a child or old person alike among them, so maybe they were being held elsewhere; the alternative was apprehensible.

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