Freya's Freedom (The Tower and the Eye Book 3) (6 page)

Freya grabbed his bridle and managed to stop him while she mounted.
“Why?”

“What’s going on?” Vrenstalliren sounded confused, but he followed Freya’s lead.

“I don’t know, but Kraarz is never wrong and something has spooked the animals, so I suggest we follow suit!” Lin told him.

“There’s a dragon heading towards us. Kraarz was right, we have to get to the trees.”
Korettln said as he put his head down and galloped.

Lin and Vrenstalliren followed, the Paladin still shouting, “Why are we running?”

He started to draw rein, his face angry, but as the charger slowed, an ear-shattering roar from behind him set the horse running again.

Freya glanced back.

“Dragon!” she shouted to Vrenstalliren. “Come on.”

As they drew level with Kraarz, Lin leaned down and scooped him up onto the mare, and then all of them clung to their mounts as they ran for the woods.

Korettln began to veer north.
“The trees are closer there.”

A fireball shot past Freya and impacted to her right, setting the grass aflame, scaring Ohtár and the mare.

Korettln let out a strange sound; half neigh, half scream.
“That should have hit us. Dragons rarely miss their targets.”
He shifted his path to avoid the flames and sped up, still heading north.

Another fireball hit the ground just ahead of them and the whumph as the flames spread made Freya shriek. Korettln turned left rapidly, his hooves carving chunks of sod from the ground.

“There’s something odd about this attack,” Lin called over as the white mare drew closer. “Dragons don’t normally miss, especially from this close. It’s like we’re being herded.”

Vrenstalliren shook his head.

“How many dragons have you fought, Elysian? We have to get to the trees and the closest ones are to the north.” He turned Ohtár’s head north and clapped his heels to the stallion’s flanks. Ohtár charged, gathered himself and leapt over the flames.

“Fool.” Kraarz snorted. “This delicate mare would never make that jump.”

Freya agreed and they continued heading North West.

The dragon veered north and after a short while, they slipped into the trees, the horses’ hooves crunching on the fallen leaves.

“I do believe the monster has followed Sir Vrenstalliren,” Kraarz said, dropping down from the back of the white mare and walking alongside.

“We’re not far from the road here,” Lin said after a few moments of consulting her map.

“We’ll carry on into Jinra then. I’m sure Vrenstalliren can look after himself,” Freya said.
I know I didn’t ask him to be my protector, but I hope he can get away from the dragon.
She looked back into the woods as they rode away.

* * *

“I swear that pot hole was three feet deep,” Kraarz complained, pulling at his soaked clothing. Red mud streaks turned his already strange face into something out of a Valdierian epic.

“This isn’t a well-travelled road,” Freya shrugged. “I doubt the locals even try and keep it maintained.”

“I can see that,” the Urakh grumbled.

The trees lining the sides of the road gave way onto a large clearing in the Northern Woods. In front of them a palisade rose, smooth sharpened logs stabbing up at the overcast sky.

“The gate’s closed.” Lin frowned. “This is a village isn’t it?”

“According to my brother’s note. He said he’d meet me here, at the Cuddly Cub Inn.”

Lin looked up at the palisade and the gate.

“Well they’ve been busy, fairly recently I’d say; these fortifications are new.”

“Ho, the Village!” Kraarz called out. “Three travellers require a hostelry to clean up and rest while we await the rest of our party.”

A hatch opened to one side of the gate and a guard peered out.

“You ain’t got no monsters wid ya have…” there was a gasp and the hatch slid shut again.

Freya sighed and moved up to where the hatch had appeared. Dismounting, she knocked on it.

The hatch slid aside a little and an eye appeared in the gap.

“We ain’t lettin’ ya in. Not wid that…thing.”

Freya slipped her hand into the gap and stopped the guard from closing it again.

“He’s not a thing. He’s my Doctor and Lin is my Trainer. I vouch for them both.” She heard whispers coming from the other side as the guard looked away. “Please let us in. We need to rest and eat.”

“Who are you?”

Freya smiled.

“I am Freya of Jira, Head Dancer from the Hall of The Black Swan.”

Another gasp. More whispers, only this time, they ended with one gate being opened cautiously. Two guards stepped out, their halberds pointed at Kraarz. A third man in a red robe and gold chain stood behind them.

“We were told to expect you, Lady Freya, but not with these two strangers. Sir Grald said you were travelling with an Elven Paladin.” The third man said.

“My brother is here?” Freya caught her breath.

“No, my Lady. He went on a mission for the village. We shall allow your companions to enter the fortifications, as you have vouched for them.” The red robed man bowed “Be welcome to Jinra. I am Mayor Headstoner.”

* * *

“Everyone is almost in place, Lord,” the Jar said as they watched the elven Paladin elude the dragon and head back towards the road. “Would you like to contact Sir Grald?”

The Aracan Katuvana shook his head and moved a piece on his game board.

“Hmm. An interesting manoeuvre. I shall set it in motion at once.” The goblin carried the Jar into the next room.

The Aracan Katuvana listened to the shouting and cursing that filled the air for several moments before snapping his fingers. The heavy oak door shut with a crash, dulling the noise. He moved back to the window showing the Paladin reach the palisade around Jinra.

As the Aracan Katuvana watched, a horde of dragon spawn swarmed out of the surrounding woods, overpowered the Paladin and was about to carry him away when Sir Grald rode into the horde’s midst.

* * *

“So he freed me and we defeated the Dragon Spawn together,” Vrenstalliren boasted, downing his tenth cup of Copperberry wine. “Must have been nearly two hundred of them. I accounted for at least half of the bodies.”

“There were seventy and he killed twenty,” Grald murmured to Freya.

She giggled and laid her head against his shoulder, sighing happily.

“I’m glad you’re here, brother. I was worried about you.”

“When have I ever let you down, Lil Sis?” Grald slipped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “I’ll always be with you from now on.”

Vrenstalliren poured another cup of wine and toasted Grald with it.

“Here’s to Sir Grald, a veritable powerhouse of a knight, with the loveliest sister in existence.”

The whole common room cheered and cries of “Sir Grald!”; “Sir Grald the Brave!”; “Sir Grald and Lady Freya of Jira!”; “To the Lovely Lady Freya!” rang off the rafters.

Freya blushed rosily.

Grald grinned at his sister’s expression.

“Thank you, Prince Vrenstalliren. Both for your compliments and the care you have taken of my sister on her journey north from Jira.”

“’Twas nothing, Sir Grald. She is a wonderful travelling companion.” Vrenstalliren burped, coloured and looked surprised as he slid off his seat.

Freya laughed. “Maybe you ought to take him up to his room, Grald.”

“Probably a good idea,” he said and then lowered his tone. “Will you be okay with these two?” He flicked one finger at Lin and Kraarz, who sat on the opposite side of the table.

“Of course I will. Besides, they saved my life,” Freya frowned at her brother. “That dragon would have had me for lunch without them.”

He shrugged and got up, retrieved a lightly snoring Vrenstalliren from the floor under the table, slung him over his shoulder and carried the elf up the Cuddly Cub’s stairs.

With the two heroes out of the room, the common room settled down again. Freya sipped her mug of mulled wine and looked at Kraarz.

“Is Vrenstalliren’s story true?” she asked, her voice loud enough to carry to the Urakh’s sensitive ears.

“I was wondering that too, your Highness,” Lin said.

“I shall find out, My Lady.” Kraarz closed his eyes and began to hum a strangely compelling melody. Lin watched the crowd around them with wary eyes, one hand on her long knife.

Kraarz opened his eyes and Freya held in a gasp. His eyes were emerald green from edge to edge.

“A Horde of Dragon Spawn attacked the Paladin as he alleged,” Kraarz said, but it wasn’t the Urakh's voice.

“Vox?” Freya whispered.

“In Kraarz’ flesh, indeed it is me. You are even more beautiful in the physical realm than your soul is in the Otherworld.” Vox/Kraarz winked.

Freya was speechless.

“So the Paladin is telling the truth. Excellent. What of Sir Grald?” Lin asked. “Did he really just arrive at the right moment?”

“That is the truth, Lin, but all else is lies. He has made a pact with the Dark Gods.” Vox/Kraarz told her. “Freya, you must leave here immediately.”

I can’t believe that. My brother is good!
Freya shook her head.

“I will not leave my brother’s side.

“I shall remain with you then. You are far more important than you realise, or Calliale would not be trying to protect you,” Vox/Kraarz said. “Look for my arrival tomorrow morning.”

Kraarz closed his eyes again and when he opened them, it was to reveal his normal white ones. “What did my friend say?”

Lin quickly related the conversation.

“I see.” He sighed. “I do hate it when Vox does this. He always manages to hinder more than he helps.”

“Well, I’m going to have a bath and go to bed.” Freya stood up.

Lin stood quickly. “I have sworn to serve you and serve you I shall. A bath sounds like a wonderful idea.”

Kraarz laughed.

“If you two are going to retire, then I will also. I fear that without your positive presence in the room, I may be in danger.”

The three of them headed for the stairs.

Grald was in the process of coming down.

“Going to bed already, Freya? I was hoping to catch up with you. I have lots of news.”

“I’m tired and I need a bath. Lin and I are sharing a room, so I will be perfectly safe with her.” Freya smiled, stood on her tiptoes and kissed Grald’s cheek. “I will see you in the morning. Good night, Graldai.”

* * *

“You humans take forever to wake up.” A small voice by Freya’s ear shocked her into wakefulness.

She turned her head to find a small, silver-furred Flixen cub with emerald green eyes curled on the pillow beside her. “Vox?”

“How many Flixen do you know that talk?” the cub licked her cheek with its pale pink tongue. “It’s four hours after dawn.”

Freya yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.
If it weren’t for those tiny little wings, Vox might get mistaken for a kitten. O’course, Flixen aren’t exactly well known animals outside of Elysia, but I’m not sure where I’ve seen them either.
The gap in her memory made her frown as she sat up.

“Time for breakfast then.” She pushed back the covers and swung her feet around. Lin wasn’t in the room, but her bed had been made. “Lin must be downstairs.”

The Flixen watched while she washed.

“You have a definite resemblance to your father and your mother’s shape is far more appealing on you than it was on her.”

Freya ignored the comments.

“Do you want me to call you by name?”

“You might as well. Lin and Kraarz will know who I am, but your brother and that blind Paladin who insists on protecting you, won’t.” Vox stood up and stretched like a cat. “By the way, Korettln is feeling rather lonely. How about we go for a ride this morning?”

Freya smiled.

“I can’t see why not. After all I have two heroes, an Urakh Shaman and an elite Elysian warrior to protect me.” She pulled out one of the riding dresses she’d bought in Jiren and slipped into it, smoothing the tight bodice over her toned abdomen. “Would you like me to carry you?”

Vox turned a somersault.

“That would be wonderful. This creature form may have wings, but until the body matures, I can’t fly.”

Freya finished dressing quickly and swung a thick woollen cloak around her shoulders before she held her hands out. The fox-eared animal jumped into them and scrambled up her arm, the tiny cat-claws gripping the thick woollen material until it reached Freya’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Vox purred into Freya’s ear, swiping its bushy tail up under her long plait around her neck like a scarf.

The dancer smiled and left the room.

The common room was half-empty. Lin and Kraarz sat at the same table they had occupied last night. Grald and Vrenstalliren were nowhere to be seen.