Private Tales the Aftermath

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Word travelled fast and of gossip there was always more than plenty. The only hard thing about the stories was deriving the truth from them. Both bards and older women had the tendency to colour their narratives with bright strokes of terror and bloodshed. Unfortunately this time one didn’t need to add any horrific details for the reality was quite frightening as it was. This Mika found out the hard way, as she drew nearer to the capital after having spent over a year wandering the north in hopes of awakening her true self and finally becoming an adult member of the Nordenfiir.

Ruins marked her way here and there, but it were the rumors that were worse. The first bit of news came as a shock to her. A coup had taken place mere weeks after her leave - a time of terror and stillstand followed - only to be broken by the rightful heiress upon taking back what belonged to her. This, as painful for her people as it was, hadn’t been the end of a turbulent time. Darker demons than Borvenir had come forth from mysterious tears in space and wreaked havoc on their kingdom. Faarin, it was said, had suffered the worst. That knowledge left Mikaela hoping for the safety of her kin living out there.

Nothing of the above, however, had prepared her for the news of her mother’s passing.

*​

Over two weeks had passed since she had come back home and learned the horrible news from her father. Still devastated by both her own failure regarding her inability of achieving what she considered to be the pinnacle of the Nordenfiir’s existence and the ruling that led to her mother’s demise, Mika’s thoughts were far from focused at the task at hand. She was supposed to be helping out with serving food for those rebuilding what was considered one of the training halls for cubs. Fresh bread, salted fish, and smoked meat were passed around with beer and some pickled vegetables. No ale, for the builders were only on break and being drunk while placing a wall or redoing the roof would be unwise.

On her way to the stacks of bread Mika found her eyes following a very notable figure. Hair kissed by fire moved elegantly through the streets, seemingly with no company at all. Regal both in posture and appearance the woman couldn’t be anyone else but - the Queen!

Where she had felt awe once, now there was only anger at the sight of one of their most honored warriors. Blinded by grief and rage all rational thoughts left Mika, and before the young bear knew she was already gliding toward their leader with all the ominous intention of an avalanche.

“Your Grace,” violet eyes narrowed. “back from the fighting already?”

A second passed, and before she had truly weighted her words, she found herself hissing: “Or have you been covering behind the city walls as your people were dying for you?!”

* * *​

 

[Maude]

Maude wasn't traveling alone, as such, but had been ahead of her group as she made her way with purpose along the open roads of the capital. Worn armor shown just beneath a layer of wolf pelts hanging from her shoulders. The wild red hair she was best known for had been braided flat against her skull and tied out of the way, her face bore the dark markings of battle and the healing wounds of a fight well won. She'd been gone for several short weeks, and now her party had returned from a trek that took her back towards Faarin to hunt the Boid'valhar - those who had turned against their own kin in the name of a False King.

All signs to any seasoned Nordenfiir pointed to victory and success, but the expression on the Queen's face would not make them confident in this assessment. The woman had been deep in thought when approached by the young cub and turned a face of unyielding stone upon her and her accusations.

Green eyes locked upon the girl with level intensity. She said nothing at first, pausing to consider the girl and the implications of her words, and then quite suddenly lifted an armored arm with an open palm reaching for the hilt of the sword at her back. Yet instead of drawing a weapon, the Queen withdrew a leather satchel from her back and from inside procured the severed head of a Boid'valhar.

"We do not cower like our enemies, kulean," she replied, voice low, hoarse from the long trek through the mountains, but strangely gentle, "we find them and we face them and then we make them pay."

Maude took the severed head by the hair and pushed it into the girl's arms without another word.

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

The queen turned and Mika’s heart skipped a beat. For a brief moment she was convinced that the woman would strike her down for the insolence shown. If not with the blade - killing cubs wasn’t quite honorable - then surely with the hand. It’s why the appearance of the satchel came as both a surprise and a relief. The latter, however, was short lived.

For the first time in her life she found herself facing a severed head. Slightly shaking she held it between her hands before anger turned into pure grief upon the realization that this could be her mother’s head. Someone, out there, could have done the same to Erin, could have brought this “home” to show to their followers that those of the opposite side had to die.

Unceremoniously dropping the head she took a step back. The road was slippery with ice hidden beneath the snow and the girl tumbled. Landing on her back she felt her stomach turn as the head rolled to its rightful “owner”. Shouldn’t it be for the lack of breakfast then Mika would have surely puked out her guts right about now.

Too sad to be embarrassed about her fall she soon jumped up to get into the redhead’s face again. This time a little less accusing than before, but still irrationally mad at her leader.

“I want to know where my mother’s party was sent to!”

By now it was probably quite obvious that this wasn’t about the royal struggle or picking sides, but about having lost someone who’s been close to the heart.

“Then I can take revenge! So tell me where you’ve sent them!” Her voice was demanding but had a clear edge of fear to it. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she wasn’t quite right for doing this, but it was the closest she could come to getting some sort of answers. Aside from that, perhaps she simply wanted to pick a fight with someone who could finish all of her suffering.

Pale from the cold and the stress, she reached out from beneath the furs in an attempt to grab the woman by her upper arm. “Tell me..”

* * *​

 

[Maude]

The Queen caught the rolling head with a boot and planted it atop the thing like a claimed dekbol. She stood immutable as the girl picked herself up, green eyes taking in the apparent distress with a level calculation of someone who knew exactly what those emotions were and how they felt. But for all the young cub's anger, she might as well have picked a quarrel with a mountain.

Too often did the winds howl and cry, but the mountain never bowed. Never moved.

"Dott'rhi?" her entourage, a group of seasoned warriors and faces well known around the capital had caught up, the man in the lead giving her a quizzical look. Maude dismissed any concern with a gesture of a hand, her gaze remaining fixated on the girl. What a mess. Clearly something was amiss here, as it was with many others throughout the Kingdom. Borvenir's coup had ended many lives, and the Red Mist Crisis only added to the list of those missing and lost to battle. Which made this particular case difficult to place.

Maude gave her a deep sigh of consideration before reaching to remove the girl's hand from her arm, "I will need more information before I can give you the answers you seek. Come with me."

She left the severed head on the ground, handing her pack to the man from before who picked up the head and stowed it away again. Maude turned to continue on her way into the city. Hopefully with the cub in tow.

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Blinking like a scared rabbit she didn’t put up a fight when her hand was dismissed. Left a bit lost she simply stood there looking up at the queen with a mixture of emotions written all across her face. They collided into a snowstorm that rapidly vanished to be replaced with hope when Gemaudelene told her to follow. Shaken by her own actions and the fact that she might gain knowledge of who she was supposed to kill in order to satisfy at least a bit of the fiery rage inside her guts, the cub broke free from her almost stupor-like state and quickly followed.

Of course she didn’t apologize for her outburst. For that she was too proud. As long as the queen didn’t comment on it, Mika would keep her embarrassment hidden. Besides, there were other things to be worried about. Like where they were heading to now.

Carefully remaining on the side of the redhead she got a couple of curious looks from the warriors that were the queen’s party. Most appeared to have zero interest in her and the reason why she was following them now. Mika was more than fine with that.

They followed the road. A snake of warriors except they were moving with force, not crawling. People made room for them to pass. Some spoke a couple of words with those they knew. Others gave approving pats on the warriors’ shoulders. Apparently many were known faces here. Even she herself thought to recognize a couple of those - her train of thought came abruptly to a halt when she almost bumped into the tall woman she had been following.

“Ma’am?” the cub wanted to know what the plan was, but didn’t feel comfortable asking now that her brashness had left together with the irrational anger. Still bitter, upset, sad and unsure, but unwilling to risk losing the favor of Gemaudelene looking into the matter of her mother’s journey, she spoke cautiously.

“Where am I .. following you to?”

Were they going to the palace? Were they planning to get a meal and drinks first, in order to rest from their apparently successful battle? Perhaps they planned to have a meeting first, to discuss their findings, the dead, and form a strategy for their next journey. Whenever that one would be.

Clearing her throat a bit, she tried again for curiosity never left her. “Whose.. head was that?”

Had she known the name of the one she had slain?
Mike wouldn’t mind knowing whose head she had held for the briefest of moments.

* * *​

 

[Maude]

"To the Community Hall," Maude replied shortly, returning greetings to those they passed by with a nod. Their path turned upwards along the incline of the mountain upon which Nordengaard was built, her boots holding steadily over ice, stone, dirt, and snow alike. A glance was give back to the child, one of threadbare patience.

"He was Ugalthir," she said, turning to lead the way up a long set of steps carved into rock, "once an honored Warrior of King Iordahn's council, turned upon him and slain the King's family in their beds at the Usurper's order. He was Boid'valhar," her tone leveled over a soft growl, "traitor and leader of Borvenir's remaining men. The one's that got away after the coup. His band had been murdering my Rangers on the mountain pass to Faarin."

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Maude seemed to know her share of both pain and revenge, but Mika was too young and inexperienced to get over her own and bond over their mutual loss. Of course, she still felt shocked by the king’s “fall”. He had been a good man. A man who was loved by many, but not by all. It angered her to hear such details about his family-members.

“No honor.” the cub whispered with bare teeth. Fire raged through her guts, swirling violently once again now that Maude had poked it. Even at her age Mika would rather fight to the death than try to kill someone in their sleep. Should she have been a cat her fur would have risen with indignance. The emotions were easily readable on her face once again.

As much as she was progressive, to some Nordenfiir’s standards, Mika thought that the only way to take the crown was by a fair challenge. A coup was not their way. It wasn’t right. She quietly eyed the redhead from the side. The signs of battle, the steadiness she moved with, the power that radiated from her presence - the woman was frightening, beautiful, but scary. Should Mika have had the time to study her before her angry rant had taken place, it might have not happened. The queen was impressive and Mika was now intimidated.

Sunken in thoughts she followed her all the way to the Hall. By the time they were there various conclusions had been made by the youngest Ryurik. First, Maude had done the right thing, partly she had managed to avenge the King’s death, had done what Mika wanted to do to those who were responsible for her loss. Second, if they followed the same principles then this might be a good leader, someone appreciated by their people, someone Mikaela herself could try to compare with and fight for if necessary. Third, should the first two lines of thought turn out to be correct then she would never betray her for treason was filthy.

That’s why the moment they stood still she took her chance to speak up again.

“I want to be like you.”

* * *​

 

[Maude]

The group had come to stand at the entrance of the Community Hall where others had crowded to hear the outcome of their mission. Maude glanced the young girl and her words, brows lifting and expression lightening at the admission. Wasn't the first time she'd been looked up to by others, but it had been a long time since she'd been admired by a cub so openly. The smile she gave to Mika in return was fleeting and heavy with the weariness of her travels.

"Come," she said a firm but gentle hand at the girl's shoulder to press her through the crowd towards the back of the hall. Maude accepted a horn of ale along the way, releasing the cub to lead her up the steps to where the minor throne chairs sat and around the wooden-paneled wall behind them. There a separate smaller hall greeted them, away from the noise and chatter, warmed by braziers and a long, stone firepit at the center.

The Queen spent a moment detaching various weapons from her figure, setting twin solstal blades across the table and a shield against the wall. Outer pelts followed, hung over the backrest of her chair before she took a seat with a heavy sigh. Attendants were quick to fill her alehorn and bring food: fresh cooked meats, broths, and fish.

"You look hungry, eat something and tell me what all this is about your mother."

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Of all the ways she had imagined this to turn out - as far as she had thought about it at all - this was the best one. Carefully watching as the interactions came and passed, she let Maude lead her up to another hall. There it was time to curiously study the weapons as they were put down.

“These are really finely made, woah,” she carefully touched the steal, but didn’t dare to turn it for it was not hers. “dad showed me the basics, but these must have been made by a master!” Somewhat mesmerized by the steel she loved, Mika was only distracted by them when food came in. The smell was delicious and considering she hadn’t eaten that day, her stomach roared angrily to rival the crackling of the fire.

“Her name was Erin Eniisa, she came from Faarin where a part of our family still resides.” Pausing she took a seat where Maude had meant for her to take place. Now came the hard part. The problem started with her father only having information that had reached him later on due to his travels to Solstal. By the time he was back in the capital there was only a letter from one of the party with the names of the ones who had perished. The letter didn’t belong to Oryn - her father - and so she did not know who had brought the information of her mother’s death.

Carefully trying to explain all that she then came to a point where her own travels had to be revealed. Having not been in the capital or anywhere near.. Mika went from confused and sad to sad and shy.

“I didn’t receive the information because I was trying to find myself.” Came the conclusion to her story.

Now neither Oryn nor she knew where to look for whoever had send the party, where they had went, or whether there was someone left of them to ask for details.

Silently nibbling on some fish, because that was her favorite, she bitterly wondered why she had left to Take the Path in hopes of returning and see her parents being proud, just to come back a failure and find a broken home.

* * *​

 

[Maude]

Though her own hunger was verging on painful, the Queen rested back in her chair to rest and to listen. Cubs were an important part of Nordenfiir society and in moments when there was time and food to spare, having them eat first was normal. Chin resting in one hand with an elbow on the armrest of her chair, she watched the girl shift between eating and speaking.

After Mika had finished her story Maude sat in silence for a short while, taking in the details and trying to place the pieces somewhere on the timeline of Faarin.

"The Usurper's coup took many lives across many settlements. Iordahn's loyalists were systematically hunted and killed by the Boid'valhar during Borvenir's rule," a slow intake of breath as she tried not to let her mind linger on the details of just who had been taken from her own life, "but if what you say is true, this does not sound like a casualty of his. Shortly following my ascension to the throne there was an event just beyond the borders of Faarin. A dormant Portal Stone awakened and leaked red mists across the land that killed anything they touched."

Her brow furrowed as she recalled the timeline of events, "The Jorn Larsson of Faarin called for volunteers to investigate and sent several small parties out into the mists. When they did not return, he sent a missive to me telling of the event and asking for aid."

"I am sorry, kulean," a faint frown pulled at her lips, "it seems to me your mother may have been one of those volunteers. If that is the case, then know that she was very brave to face such unknown to protect her people and kin. She will be feasting with other honored warriors alongside Eogorath."

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

She etched the name of the Jorn into her mind, but it turned out to be unnecessary. What followed was something she hadn’t quite expected. The wild stories about the mists were a mixture of disbelief, anger, and confusion. The Portal Stone had bled and taken lives, but what for or in what way. Stopping eating to think she found herself staring at the food between them with a certain emptiness in her stomach. And it wasn’t hunger.

“If so.. then.. then..”

There was no way of going there where the red death had come from. Nobody could be held accountable for that. Above all, she knew Erin to be the type to volunteer. Her mother had never been one to sit still, to stay on the sideline when one needed help, or to allow the unknown to scare her. Mika clearly had her curiosity from that side.

“I cannot avenge her.”

If it wasn’t one of the traitors who was to blame … if nobody was to blame. Thought collapsed on one another. For a while now Mika’s had the plan to dig her daggers in those who’ve hurt her family. Unfortunately this didn’t appear to be a realistic plan. Where strength she would gather and her soul she would find in time, because embarrassment about her first attempt wouldn’t stop her from doing a second, killing something that was no longer there was simply impossible.

“What do you know of the mist?” she asked, wide-eyed. Suddenly she wondered if there was a way to go through the Portal Stone and to.. to do what, exactly?

Mentally slapping herself for such stupid hopes she took another bite. Now, to honor her mother, she asked for a drink. Just one.

* * *​

 

[Maude]

"It doesn't seem so," the Queen agreed, leaning forward to fill her plate and finally dig in to a meal long awaited. She ate in silence for a time, weighted by hunger and an exhaustion that had finally caught up to her. Their trek through the mountains after the Boid'valhar had been long, arduous, and not without mishap or losses. They would need to build funeral pyres yet, but it could wait until after her team rested up.

Green eyes glanced up, Maude paused in her eating to take a drink of ale, "Nothing more than second hand accounts. My team and I did not make it to Faarin in time, we were beset upon by a maelstrom coming through the mountains. When we arrived the event was over, the portal stone had been destroyed, and the red mists were no more."

She wiped at her mouth then reached for a bowl of broth, drinking deeply of it until it was empty.

"There is one who may be able to tell you more. A Nord Witch who goes by the name Sigrith. She and her elf companion were there during the event and went into the red mists with the others of Faarin. They and few others escaped alive, but I do not know where Sigrith and the elf went."

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

One turned into two and two into three, and by the end of the last one Mika had gained some bravery.

“Wait..a Portal Stone next to Faarin?” she questioned while carefully shoving some platters and bowls across the table. One represented Nordengaard, another Faarin, then there were the cities in the South and the portal she knew about from stories and scripts. The map, and she was pretty sure that it was right, didn’t match the story and that’s when she realized that there had been a second portal. The original one wasn’t destroyed, Maude was speaking of something else.

A young woman tried to place another plate of fish, but Mika quickly stole it from her. “Sorry, not there, please.” That would have ruined her map, and so gave it to Maude instead, to hold for a moment, or to eat from. First, however, she stole a part of it together with the tail. An innocent smile together with careful puppy-eyes was offered to the queen for that.

Keeping the Nord Witch in mind she first wanted to address something else she felt worried about. “Dott’rhi?”

There was a bit of hesitation because she didn’t want to offend Maude, but figuring that the older Nordenfiir would know that it wasn’t meant in a bad way, she carefully continued.

“If the portal appeared out of nowhere, it could happen again, no?” Now the worry was clear. “Do you think we, as a people, could do something to prepare ourselves should it happen again?”

Placing the actual tail with grates protruding next to Faarin which was marked by the now empty bowl of broth Maude’s had she thoughtfully stared at the map. The smaller settlements of which she knew were scattered all over the land. Roads were frozen, walking took quite some time. If not for the Herrevans then the passing of information would be even slower.

“Do you perhaps know where Sigrith usually resides?”

* * *​

 

[Maude]

A slow yeees, was offered to the girl's curiosities in between bites of fresh bread and gulps of ale. She watched her move objects about, a quizzical brow raising that did not hide the moderate amount of annoyance at having her dinner table rearranged mid-meal. Maude took the plate of fish as it was shunned from the table, eyes narrowing as Mika elected to swipe a bite from it before it was passed aside.

CLUNK.

Maude set it down with force, dejected but, ultimately, too tired to really do much about it. She blinked away frustration and instead skewered a whole trout with a dagger, holding it up to tear a bite from - skin and all. She chewed wordlessly while Mika pondered away her thoughts, looking up again only when the girl spoke again. The Queen inhaled deeply and released a heavy sigh through her nose.

She nodded, "Not in our entire history has a new stone been discovered or awakened. This marks the first. The stone that awoke by Faarin was a waypoint marker our people and others had used for centuries, we did not know what it was and we do not know why it suddenly activated."

There were reports from her new contacts in the summerlands that other stones just like it had also awakened. That Faarin was not the only city in the lands to suffer the red mists. Whole fields and vistas in the south were now barren and black, everywhere the red mists had spread.

"But yes, that concern is one I share. We are making efforts to coordinate with other peoples and settlements to ensure we know of all landmarks of similar nature. As for the Witch, she is a vagabond. I know of no other who has traveled these lands and knows their secrets quite so extensively as she. Last I spoke she was intended to return to Withereach where her Coven resides."

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

In deep thoughts once again she stared at the various plates before taking some broth and a piece of bread. While she loved fish there were different other foods she enjoyed. Ale, too. She realized a little bit too late when her rather thin figure alerted her that the room was spinning gently whenever she sat very still. Getting up right away was out of the question. To fall onto the queen’s table would probably be worse than accusing her of being a coward. In any case, she had pushed her luck for the day and wasn’t planning on going against the redhead again, tonight.

Out of the corner of her eye she studied Maude who was fixed on her food. The woman must have been starving because the amount she was consuming, and at a quite high rate now that Mika had moved slightly to the side, well, it was legendary.

Where Nordenfiir ate a lot, this one ate .. incredibly.

And she shared her concern! Which actually had the cub feeling somewhat proud about herself. Even though any sane person would have come to the same conclusion. When that reality had sunk in, a bit slower than it should have, she wasn’t so sure about her comments any longer. They seemed like a waste of Maude’s time now that Mika looked a bit closer at them. For a moment silence reigned, and a very insecure cub wondered if the annoyance on Maude’s face was the result of her silly talk. Fortunately, after a bit more food, the older Nordenfiir spoke once again, and Mika managed to relax.

“Withereach.” the South. The city was quite a distance from the capital. Not a distance Mika wouldn’t cross, though. Not if it meant getting answers regarding the events which had transpired at Faarin.

“I should be able to get there..” she mumbled, more to herself but probably loud enough for Maude to hear should she have been paying attention.

Leaning against the seat she had been sitting on at the start her legs went passed the side of the table. There was fur behind her, and she dragged it a bit closer. The stress and anxiety from before had let go of its iron grip on her. Filled with nice food and too much ale, she found herself sitting wrapped on the ground by the table.

“Ma’am?” Sleepy violet eyes turned to Maude. “Would you teach me how to fight?” There was a dreamy look to the question. Perhaps this was unrealistic, but she wondered and she asked because she was a Nordenfiir.

Blushing a it from the drink she found herself making a promise she wasn’t sure Maude cared about. “I promise I will not disappoint you as a student.” A young, lean student without a Svalen, but also a very curious and sharp-minded one.

* * *​

 

[Maude]

"Hm," the Queen gave a grunt of amusement, eyeing the cub distractedly as she finished up her meal, "I am sure you wouldn't. Not now though, kulean. I have much to do and you have a journey to take."

Standing from her seat, she took up her weapons once more, sliding the straps back over her head to settle them against the back of her shoulders.

"If you wish to help your people and follow in the steps of your honored mother, as you travel you would do well to look for more stone formations like the one by Faarin. Note them and anything else peculiar you happen upon, send me regular updates. On this you have my royal blessing as a Scout of the Frozen Halls. Perhaps when you return from your adventures we can speak on training further."

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

To say she wasn’t slightly disappointed would be a lie. However, she also knew that this wasn’t the end. For one, Maude hadn’t simply said “no”, which would have been her right to do, but here there was a promise and therefore a trace of hope. The journey implication was obvious for Mika. Before she could train with a warrior Maude’s strength and skill, she had to gain her inner-strength. A journey called for her, indeed. But the thing calling for her more was sleep. It, together with the ale, almost floored her when she got up to nod dutifully while the queen picked up her weapons.

“I will, ma’am.”

Note it down, send updates, and return.

With that out of the way the cub decided to nap as others continued their feasting downstairs. For in the morning she would go home and ready a satchel to leave the capital. There were things that had to be done and none of them would be if she were to remain sitting, sulking, in the safety of the mountain and Nordengaard in general.

* * *​