Private Tales The Legend's Heir

[Serafina]

His touch was changing and it left her feeling oddly warm. It was as though he were scared she would break and yet he couldn't help himself to touch her and ensure she was there. She busied herself with arranging her skirts around her legs whilst she chastised herself for thinking in such a manner. Of course he wanted to ensure she was there, she was his key to power.

"We'll be okay," she smiled down at him then peeled back the hem of her dress sleeved to reveal the fur inside. The trader in town had said the fur lined clothes would withstand all weathers but she wore a white thick cloak over the top too. At his words though she looked towards the skies and nodded grimly.

"We..." she looked at Violet groaning and stifled a laugh. "I'll keep an eye out," it would be weird not to ride up front with Luka though.

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin nodded in response, then turned on his heel.

His own Warg stood as he came closer, the beast more than prepared for the days ride ahead. There was a certain stoniness to the alpha of the pack, and as Solgrin patted the creature's neck it seemed to almost ease into itself.

Without another word the Bandit Chief pulled himself into the saddle.

There was a quick latching of metal buckles and a shifting of leathers, and then he let out a whistle.

All throughout the town the other Bandits gathered themselves on their mounts. A few of the villagers began to wave, offering goodbyes and well wishes as the men and women of Solgrin's band began their departure. Before the sun even fully crested the ridge, dozens of wargs left through the town gates.

Behind them storm clouds roiled, hovering in the air above as flakes of snow cast towards the ground.

 

[Serafina]

Sera loved the snow. Yarrin had been the most Northern point of their tiny kingdom before the mountain range that then turned into their neighbouring kingdom. Each winter it would get blanketed in snow that sometimes reached her knees. There was a whole day when the town came together to clear the paths and there was hot apple cider in the town square after. That same excitement hit her as it did then, when the first flake touched her nose.

Instead of riding ahead without Luka she had stuck closer to Sol but the more the snow fell the more excited she and Nipper got. In the end the two were practically thrumming with extra energy.

"Do you ever do something for fun?" She asked the chief suddenly and threw him a sly look.

 

[Solgrin]

It was getting cold now, and as the snow began to fall Solgrin drew his cloak closer. The thundering of paws on dirt road rang out as Serafina spoke to him, his eyes closing for a brief moment before he answered her. "Of course."

He was still human after all.

As much as he had been labeled a monster, as much as the curse set upon his flesh made him extraordinary, he still clung to his humanity. if only barely.

"I read." His father had always insisted that the font of knowledge found in books was the most important of them all. "When we have the time I play a sport with the others."

Something Serafina had not seen. "Kel'ir'ra. From the sands. It's revolves around trying to get a ball into a hoop at the end of a court."

 

[Serafina]

The brief closing of his eyes made Sera think her questions were an annoyance but he didn't snap at her so she wasn't about to stop. Violet was dozing in her saddle and she didnt have as close a relationship with the other Bandits. There was also the slight worry that whatever Nasaar had been rushed about was not yet through. Sol had magic and through her more, he was her safest bet in protecting her.

"Huh," the reading she had guessed given what he knew about her and her family. The sport however... she ran her eyes over him critically. It wasn't what she expected of the man who had butchered a militia.

"Will things be more relaxed at the fort? If there is a storm surely nobody can follow... maybe you can play there."

 

[Solgrin]

He nodded his head. "The Castle is a sanctuary of sorts."

Solgrin had not built it, but he had been the first to occupy it within dozens of years. When he'd asked the villagers no one had quite known who it had belonged to, just that it had been there for as long as anyone could remember.

The Bandit Chief had thought that it might have been a Templar Outpost or something of the sort, but what books he had found inside had been utterly ruined beyond recognition.

"Things will be more calm, safe." No one would hound them at least, that he was sure of. Guards would be posted, the gate would be locked, and things would be calm for a little while. "The snows will help."

He hoped, at least.

 

[Serafina]

"I've never seen a castle," Sera breathed out in an excited rush which could be seen as a plume on the frosty air. The manor in which she had lived with Violet could just about be described as that but it certainly wasn't a palace not a keep. The little town didn't need such things. She had seen more of the world in the last few weeks than she had her entirely life.

"I like reading too," she offered and shot him a smile before looking back to the path in front. "We used to play games on our horses - you had a long stick that you hit a tiny ball with through different ring, Lyft it was called. In the snow we had sledging races," she turned her face up wistfully to the sky.

 

[Solgrin]

The Castle was...well barely a Castle. There was a wall, a barracks, then the Keep itself of course.

Enough room for his men, the Wargs, and not much more really. That was why he suspected it as an outpost and nothing more. Despite that though, it's location and the way it was situated made it defensible, and with the storm coming even an army would have difficulty attacking.

That was why it had been his intended destination ever since he had taken Serafina. There he could break her, there he would have the time he needed.

Then he could gather the other pieces. "I wouldn't advise sledding there, too many cliffs."

He told her.

"But I'm sure there's other games to play." Solgrin pointed towards one of the men. "Einar is from the Tundra, I'm sure he knows some games that do well in the snow."

 

[Serafina]

Einar glanced over at his name. His skin was almost as white as the falling snow and his hair was a long beautifully combed tumble of blonde hair a similar shade to her own except he wore his in a bun. He gave Sera a tightlipped smile but she had seen the way he had roared at jokes the night before.

"Aye, I know a few games. Or when yer leg is better I can show yer how to hunt in the snow, not to leave footprints," he raised a brow. Sera's eyes lit up. Chores were boring but she had always wanted to go on the big hunts the men went on.

"Yes! Oh yes, please?" She glanced to Sol for permission. It would mean learning to shoot and learning to shoot would mean learning to protect herself.

 

[Solgrin]

He shrugged. "Why not."

Einar was another of those men that Solgrin trusted without hesitation. The man had been at his side for more than a decade. He had seen the northman slaughter men, women, and even children when called for, but had always maintained steadfastly loyal.

Solgrin had never understood it, but the man had always just claimed he had saved him.

The Bandit Chief had never argued the point, so if there was anyone he could trust in taking Serafina on a hunt it was him.

"A week or two." He said. "For your leg to heal properly, after that."

 

[Serafina]

Einar nodded solemnly as though he had just been given babysitting duty but Sera was beaming. Noting his less than enthused expression Sera bumped her elbow against his arm sweetly and smiled.

"If we catch something, or rather you catch something, I'll roast it up for you," Sera had not been lying about being a good cook and though Sol insisted that she helped with other chores there had been a call every night since the first meal she made for her to cook again. Even nettle stew took on a richer flavour with the herbs she pointed out to them in the wilds. A real grin split Einar's face as he lived up to the tradition of Northernmen being ruled by their stomach's.

"Now you have yourself a deal," he chuckled and ruffled the girls hair for good measure before moving off to chat to one of the Bandits who called for a second pair of eyes on some other tracks. Sera settled back by Sol's side looking pleased.

A snowflake fell on her nose and she glanced back up at the sky.

"Will the reason you want me so bad be one of the things you tell me in the mountains?" she asked quietly.

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin pursed his lips for a few seconds in consideration of the question, as if he actually had to think about the answer he was going to give.

"I thought you were smart enough to figure that out yourself by now." Some amusement flickered through his tone. It was rather obvious after all. The magic that she could bare was why he had taken her, the blood in her veins.

Though of course she likely meant the specifics of it, the truth.

Ironically, Nasaar would have been better at explaining it, and one of the other two even more so. It was they that had first told him the stories, the truth of it. Solgrin had just been the one to figure it out first.

He'd always been good at puzzles.

"I'll tell you." Solgrin said. "I'll make sure everything is on the table."

That hint of amusement didn't go away.

 

[Serafina]

Sera gave him a frustrated look and her cheeks burned with her rising temper and embarrassment. This hadn't been the first time she had asked him the question so he knew exactly what she meant. What was it he wanted to do with it? In truth it hadn't occurred to her he simply wished to yield that power for himself out of simple lust for being strong. The way he fought, the way he had spoken to her that night after the first time she had managed to call the power down herself... it had all spoken of a man who had a goal. A debt to settle.

She also did not appreciate it being implied she was stupid.

The gem heated in warning against his palm, unbeknownst to Sera.

"You know what I mean," she muttered sourly and swallowed her temper. But if everything was going to be on the table she would hold him to it. "I think it is only fair I know what I'm being used for."

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin sniggered quietly, apparently amused at her anger. "I will tell you."

He assured her.

"When we are alone." There were few in his band that he did not trust, but after the events of the last few days...things needed to be questioned a little more. Einar and Maria he could trust, he knew, a few more than them too.

Yet his men were fifty three strong, fifty two now with Luka dead. Prying ears were everywhere, and Solgrin preferred not to speak. Not with what had happened with Nasaar, not with the other two Councilors still lurking within the world. They each had their ways, and Solgrin would not risk it.

Besides that...he needed her more receptive, a little more broken. "I promise."

He assured her.

 

[Serafina]

Sera blew out a frustrated breath and her cheeks turned scarlet when he laughed at her. His words did at least soothe her somewhat so she didn't utter anything more on the subject.

The snow was falling heavily and the group had been forced into a slow walk due to the turbulent headwind. Sera had thought for sure that there would be a call to move into shelter but it did not come until what she thought was the evening - it was hard to tell when the sky was a monotonous shade of grey. The call filtered back through the group to Sera and Sol. She let out a relieved sigh from beneath the layers of wool she was using to shield her face from the icy shards that were being flung at them and she tried to urge Nipper on quicker. All the Wargs seemed to sense the end was near and summoned some strength from somewhere to push on.

The snow obscured the view of the castle until they were walking through the gates.

"PUT THE WARGS IN THERE THEN GET INSIDE!" one of the Bandits was shouting through the storm, motioning to two doors which had been flung open by the scouts whose wargs were already inside licking themselves clean of the snow. Sera slid off her mount and promptly fell through the mound of soft snow up to her knees. With a curse she half clambered and was half dragged out by Nipper who was impatient to get into the warm barn. Inside she quickly untacked him and then glanced to the main keep gates where the rest of the Bandit's were wading their way towards. It would be near impossible in the brace on her own.

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin swept behind both of the girls as they stood at the entrance of the barn.

Someone else was taking care of the Wargs, as they usually did. The Alpha that he rode was usually not as fierce towards others as the younger cubs, mostly to to it's age. The beast knew who it's true master was, why bother fighting others.

"Here." His arms swept around Serafina and Violet, pulling them beneath his cloak like they were a pair of baby owls. They would find themselves pressed against him, and then slowly he began to tread across the courtyard.

Solgrin had never much felt the cold, nor heat for that matter.

He had always thought it in relation to the curse upon his flesh, but even before then he had been able to whether storms much better than anyone else. Whether they had been in the sands or the snows.

Eventually they found their way through the cascading snows, his hand reaching out to push open the smaller door that lead into the keep.

 

[Serafina]

"T-t-this i-i-is n-not w-wh-what I wanted t-to d-do with a han-n-ngover," Violet's teeth chattered horrendously even after they stepped inside the Keep. She stamped her boots out on the large dusty mat to stop her traipsing the snow in further before heading on in to seek out a fire, pack slung over her shoulder. Sera had slipped and stumbled often on their way over on account of her brace and so had ended up gripping onto Sol for support. Inside she released him slowly though pain was clearly etched into her face. One step on her own caused a soft hiss to escape her lips and she leaned heavily against the wall. It didn't help that the brace meant her toes were exposed to the elements.

"I cannot wait to wear boots again on both feet," she sighed and pushed the hood back from her face. Before they had left she had braided her hair up into a bun that hung at the nape of her neck. The wind and rubbing of her hood against her locks had unravelled strands of it and they framed her face in loose ringlets. "I will never take them off."

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin lingered by the entrance. A few of the bandits were already inside of course, some milling about, others getting fires going in the two hearths that were situated in the Great Room.

"Easy way to get trench foot." The Bandit Chief commented wryly, glancing down at her foot for a moment to see if the skin had turned blue. It luckily had not, but the cold had set in slightly. Something he could tell by simple sight.

He shifted his shoulders.

"Come on." Solgrin said as he leaned down and pulled Serafina up into his arms. "I'll show you your room, then take a look at your foot."

 

[Serafina]

"Thank you," she sighed and leaned her head against his chest as he pulled her into his arms. He was oddly warm despite having just come in from the beginnings of a snow storm and she greedily made the most of being close to it. Violet gave them a brief look but one of the other bandits said something which took her attention once more. Laughter chased them up the wide stairs as they made their way onto the second level.

It might have been small to Solgrin who was used to the busy cities and real palace but to Sera it was huge. Door after door after door lined the wall with bedrooms beyond each of them. It could have easily housed a small unit of men. The Bandits must simple rattle around in here, she thought in wonder.

"What was this place?" she asked curiously when they went up another level.

 

[Solgrin]

"I don't know." Solgrin said truthfully, looking down at her briefly as they reached the landing of the steps. He took a turn, wandering down the hall to where there were only three doors at the end which seemed grander than the others.

"If I had to guess." He began. "A Templar Outpost of some sort."

Though it was just a guess. "Before the fall of their Order they had places like these all over the continent."

It was said their fortresses brought nations to shame, though Solgrin had only ever seen Chapters that were shades of that greatness.

"Could just as easily be some Kings hunting lodge though." He said with a shrug as he pulled open the door to one of the bed chamber suites.

 

[Serafina]

For a girl who liked to dance and sing, giggle over boys with her friends and spend a day shopping for gowns, it was often a surprise when people discovered her secret love of history. On her days off she had often been found curled up with a thick tome on some distant land about an obscure battle or the founding of a great nation. So Sol's theories interested her far more than he perhaps knew. The Templars and their Fall was a story she had devoured more than once. The hubris of man would always be its ultimate downfall.

"I prefer the Templar id--" Sera let out a sudden gasp at the sight of the room. It was far grander than even Violet's rooms back home. The huge four poster bed didn't even dominate the suite though it reached right to the ceiling. Large thick drapes hung down and the bed itself looked as though you could sink right in to it and sleep forever. Opposite the bed was a huge fireplace which she thought she could have stepped into and had room above her head. In front of is was an armchair and a four clawed bathtub. But what really caught her attention was the large floor to ceiling windows giving panorama views of the mountains.

Or... at least it would when it stopped snowing.

"It's like we're in a snowglobe," Sera whispered, wide eyed, as she watched the snow fall past the glass for a moment then snapped her attention back to Sol. "This is my room!?"

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin slowly put Serafina down onto the bed.

When they had first found this place most of the furniture had been in utter ruin. Some of the men though had taken up the hobby of restoration, and over the years they had gotten surprisingly good at it. They were bandits, sure, but everyone needed a hobby.

"It is." He told her with a nod.

Most of the men did not like to venture up this way. He had never really understood why, though Maria had once explained that the grandeur of it made them feel...uncomfortable. "Violet will be in the one next door."

It was a good idea to keep the girls close.

His hands traced over her for just a brief second before he knelt down and softly grasped her foot. "Hold still a minute."

Solgrin was no medic, but he knew most injuries well enough, and hypothermia was one of the greatest fears a soldier had.

 

[Serafina]

Sera was impatient to explore but she held still at his command. A small shiver ran down her back as his hands traced their way down her body as though he half expected her to try and wriggle away and he would have to pin her. She bit her lip as he pushed up her skirt to get a better look at her exposed foot. It hadn't been so bad when she was riding for it was pressed against the thick fur of the warg and her skirt covered it fully. As it was line with fur it was as good as being in a large sock. It had been walking in the deep snow that had really done it.

"I've never had my own room," she said more to distract herself than anything else. Her foot stung and throbbed as heat was making its way back through her toes and her fingers curled into the sheets to stop herself snatching her leg away from him. "Until you're married, back in Yarrin, you sleep with another lady," Sera's voice betrayed her pain with the slight tremor that ran through her words.

 

[Solgrin]

The foot looked okay. No hypothermia had set in and Solgrin was willing to bet after a few hours it would return to normal.

"Well you'll have this one." He commented as he looked at the injury. His assessment of another week or two was accurate, but that time would pass quickly within the Keep. Perhaps the magic would help, but he could not have said for sure.

Slowly he let go of her foot.

"Anything in here is yours." He told her. "We'll be here for a few weeks at least."

Perhaps the whole winter. Those mountain passes were almost impossible to cross when the snow truly hit them. "So get comfortable."

 

[Serafina]

Sera's eyes drifted around the room. She didn't think she would want to leave it, even to go on the hunting trip. No... that was a lie she would leave for the hunting trip. Her eyes slowly moved back to him once he had let go of her foot and she wriggled her toes for good measure as if to test for herself if the toes would stay attached.

"Am I fit, Doc?" her lips kicked up at the corners into a mischievous smile before sliding off the bed to explore her new cage. First she took her thick white cloak off and hung it by the fire where the old coat stand stood before limping to the large windows. Carefully she pressed her face against the cold glass and cupped her face to better try and see through without reflections but it was the snow outside that was the real cause of her obscured view. "These storms always last for days back home," being close to the mountains meant the weather was no new thing for her though she felt a mile away from home. "Am I allowed to go anywhere in the Keep?" she straightened up and turned to look back at him.