Nightshade: Chapter VII
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VII –The Cruel and The Kind
Noë woke to ambient voices calling her name.
With a start she woke against a Black Forest tree on the shore, cloudy grey skies leaning over the land in a whispered mist of overcast sun as waves pushed along the coast.
“Are you alright?”
She looked to her left where Orion crouched beside her, two additional rogues behind him packing up what seemed like camp for the night.
He frowned deeply as she took her hand to her face, wiping the tears she had cried during her fitful dreams.
She nodded slowly, not quite sure herself as her stomach sunk. Prepared to cry again, she was stopped by a horse's gentle nudge against her arm as Hrim walked closer, guiding his snout in her hands.
Noë wiped thick grey ash from his black cheek as she smiled in relief. At least Hrim was okay. “I have a Gods’ Raven as well. Almost as big as your eagle and I haven't seen him since before the fire. Have you?”
Orion knew the bird well.
“Huginn?” hope rimmed her eyes. “I haven’t, but I'm sure he's somewhere close.”
As he placed a hand over his chest she felt her own, finding his fine cloak removed, still wrapped around her chest. She peeled it from her top and saw precisely why he had covered her. She felt her cheeks warm from embarrassment.
Orion noticed her concern over her dress. “No one else saw. I carry extra clothes, you’re welcome to them if you’d like. I did not want to undress you without you knowing.”
He eyed her small frame. She was full figured, but very short. It was not likely the clothes would not fit quite right, but they would cover her better than the torn dress.
Noë nodded. “That would be nice, thank you.”
He stood and went through his bag guarded by a small blond elf who looked over at her in shock.
With Orion’s movement, the black haired elf stopped his packing and waved her over. “She wakes! Come, you must be hungry. Let’s eat quickly before moving on. You too, Princely.”
Noë looked around the fire as all three turned to look at her. Thankfully Orion spoke for her.
“She’s just awoken. Allow her a moment to change, Haemir.” He came back to her and set the dark tunic in her hands and a cloak she planned to tie around her waist.
“Thank you.” she said quietly as she looked at him sheepishly with expectation.
Clarity came to him and he stood, shielding her from onlookers with the cloak she had used for cover.
What little there was of the dress she dropped, making a white pool at her sandaled feet and into the dark green grass. She stared at Orion’s wide back, high above her head, his lean muscular form evident as he held the ends of the cloak in front of himself in an arc.
“Did he call you… Princely?” she asked curiously as she changed.
“Yes…” he said sheepishly as he kept his focus ahead. “He thinks himself overly clever and charming. Don’t pay him any mind.”
His tunic wrapped her in his scent, spiced sweet leaves and barley soap surrounding her as it fell well past her rear.
Still not satisfied with the coverage she doubled the cloak over, tying it between her legs to cover her most sensitive region and draping the leftover fabric as a makeshift skirt.
“So he’s the one who spoke to Geran then? He seems nice.”
Orion hummed quietly in response.
He was thankful for Haemir.
A friend in more ways than one, he could trust no one as he did him.
Orion felt her touch his back twice gently.
He dropped the cloak and moved from her path.
Sweet blood oranges followed her as she passed him, their eyes catching briefly as he eyed her in his clothes.
His forefinger twitched, tempted to reach out and run his fingers through her white hair and down her back to the intake of her waist.
He turned back to the mountain side as he folded the residual cloak, allowing the blush on his face to pass.
“Hello.” Noë said as she took a seat on the log next to Haemir. Not a second later he handed her a bird leg. She looked at the brown crusted meat feeling her stomach yearn for food.
She eagerly lifted it to her lips.
“Ah, wait!” Haemir said excitedly as he went into his pouch and pulled out a red powder. She held the leg closer to him, allowing him to sprinkle the powder on top. “Now try it.”
Noë looked at it cautiously as her stomach grumbled and took a small bite. Garlick bulb and pepper peak smoothed over her tongue with gentle heat. Savoury joy spread through her mouth. “That’s really good! Garlick and pepper… and something else? What is that?”
“Wow, you have elven senses, Vala. Your tastes may be just as strong as ours.” Haemir laughed as she excitedly took another full bite.
He removed the full flower and root from his gathering pouch, the dried tan stem led to black and red corn pepper pebbles on its red antenna. “It’s Asture, A flowering weed you can find at the maw of the mountains by Fjord. It helps with the cold and keeps your blood moving.”
“Vala?” she asked in interest between bites.
“It means ‘Goddess’. It's a sign of respect.” Glea added shyly as he looked at Orion for confirmation that he hadn’t spoken out of turn.
Orion gave him a reassuring nod.
They were all free to talk to her as they wished, but he had made it clear no one was to discuss what they knew of her in her presence.
He sat the grey saddlebag they had found in the stables by her side.
“Thank you.” She took it with a smile.
The supplies from Geran were all there. “How did you know?”
“Don’t even bother!” Haemir interrupted cheerily. “I stopped asking him that long ago.”
She felt for the pouch behind her to pull out her journal and coal. “Asture… Is it okay if I draw it? I like to catalogue new plants I find.”
Haemir handed it over to her as she grew excited and began drawing on the tan pages. As she flipped through it, he thought he saw the fire Valkyrie at the very front. “You draw people too?”
Noë nodded with a smile. “Yes, my–” she stopped herself as she began to think of Dahlia. “My Aunt… she would tell me stories about my family and the realms. I wrote them all here so I wouldn’t forget.”
Orion glanced at her with intrigue.
Prophetic drawings and mapping, she and Baldur were more alike than she knew.
Haemir heard her voice stutter. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Noë looked up at him, and struggled to smile as a tear fell. “Thank you.” Dahlia had warned her that many were hateful towards the Asgardian Gods for abandoning them in Fimbulwinter and may lash out. But Haemir’s kind brown eyes and his welcoming aura told her that she was safe.
Orion heard the waver in her voice.
He watched her, with the face of her mother and the eyes of her father. “She’s with her sisters now.”
Noë looked into his eyes and nodded, briefly comforted by the thought of it.
“Hel’s breath. We’re travelling with the Daughter of Lord King Kirk Verdulke.” Glea added in awe.
“That's why I peppered her leg.” Haemir said in jest, sending laughter through them all as they continued their breakfast.
Noë watched Orion sit across from her, the fire between them glaring in their eyes as they examined one another.
Seeing him outside of the void seemed otherworldly.
Noë looked closer at his handsome face, his eyes now clear blue instead of clouded.
“Your eyes… They keep changing. Why?”
Though Haemir and Glea looked at him with worry, he rummaged through his cloak pocket, unoffended by her question. Out came a closed orange flower bulb bound with thin lime grass, wrapped next to bright powder with mustard seed. “It’s Thilreed. Naturally my eyes see little else than shape and vague colour because of the Fates. I use it to dull the senses, and regain control over my mind for awhile.”
She came next to him for a closer look.
“And the mustard seed?” she moved her pointer finger through it to see the individual pellets. “To keep it fresh?”
He nodded, putting it away. “That’s right. It isn’t naturally occurring in the wilds any longer, so I grow my own and store it when I travel.” He was finding that she was a gifted herbalist. “Did you learn about plant life from your Aunt?”
She smiled fondly. “Yes. She was… absolutely crazy about her garden. I wanted to be so like her. She could make the most incredible things from nothing at all. Sometimes I wonder if my mom loved that about her too.”
Noë looked back to Orion. “What did you speak about the day before last when you came?”
Orion thought briefly. To tell her the truth now… so close to her Aunt’s welcomed death, her body unable to contain her any longer… would not be wise. But it was what she needed to hear. “I came to warn her of Tihala’s arrival, and to seek anything you might need for your travel.”
Her heart pounded with hatred as he said the Red Valkyrie’s name. “You knew she was coming and did not warn us?”
He could sense her anger building. “I encourage you not to waste time being angry for something you could not change. It was always Dahlia’s fate to die by a sister’s hand. And Tihala’s to be the one wielding the blade.”
Cold and factual, Noë’s wound was too fresh.
She stood blinking away tears and moved away from the fire’s sight.
Orion stood, watching her go as Hrimfaxi accompanied her. Was it something he said?
Haemir took his shoulder as he saw confusion pass Orion's face. “She only just lost her aunt, brother. Perhaps next time be more gentle with your delivery.”
He took his words with consideration. “I keep having these… strange impulses.”
Haemir nearly laughed. “Feelings, you mean? You like her, silly. Of course you’re having… impulses.”
Orion looked on as she pet her horse, wiping away a few tears. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, he had only thought hearing the truth would be helpful to her.
He pat Orion twice. “I’ll speak to her.”
Before Orion could protest, Haemir went through the trees after her.
Noë looked up as he approached with his pack on his back.
“Your mother saved us all. Midgard would no longer stand as it does today without her.” Haemir commented as he waved to her defensive horse–the great beast that it was. “I imagine she was very kind. It takes someone incredible to sacrifice themselves–and meeting their child–for the realms.”
Noë nodded and held her heart.
She knew.
It could only have been her mother to protect everyone from Surtr’s destruction during Ragnarök. “I’ve never seen her, really seen her. Everyone has these memories of her, these grand illusions about what kind of person she was, but only my Aunt has ever been real to me. And now she’s gone too.”
Haemir could not imagine the loneliness sinking within her.
“Dahlia, would keep her memories of her from me. She thought they would hurt too much.”
“You see visions like Orion?”
She shook her head.
“Not the future. I see reflections like pieces or impressions from others left behind by their energy. Like a dream.” She didn’t know when it had begun, but she knew it had scared Dahlia silly.
“What about what happened at the cottage? Other powers of yours?” Haemir pressed, curious to know what exactly they had all seen.
Noë retracted into herself as he questioned her ability.
She couldn’t explain it. In panic or overwhelming fear the darkness inside of her crawled out, causing her to lose control.
Just as she had at the cottage, and one time before that.
“I’m sorry for scaring you. Did I hurt any of you?”
Haemir looked to where Orion and Glea had finished packing, walking over. It had been like the fire had a mind of its own, sequestering itself around her as if it lived. “No. Though I think Glea shits himself near you.” He paused as her eyes flickered with angry admiration. “Orion’s not much of a people person, but the same could not be said of his heart. It helps to assume he has the best intentions, even if his words do not correctly portray it.”
Her eyes met Orion’s as he doused the fire, stirring her belly as Hrim neighed softly.
“Where do we go now?”
He and Glea arrived next to Haemir, looking westward towards the forest cliffs. “We go further into the Malioods and on Southward to Marrowvault. There’s an abandoned dwarven vault door off the sea. We take that through the mountains and into Vertan.”
“I thought the only way through were the Malioods or the Caraxe Pass?” she countered.
“There's a new one, dug by refugees, Shoor Cliff. But it's too far north. The rest are swamped with dwellers. Forgotten paths like this one are safer. They take more time and are far more dangerous, but dwellers often don’t bother that deep into the ground.”
Orion noticed her hesitation.
“We take paths like this all of the time. You’ll be safe.” he took her pack and tied it to Hrim’s saddle. “The rest of my team is there waiting for us. I promised them to arrive before nightfall. Leave anything you don’t need so we can move quickly.”
To be continued...