~~~~ 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.
