Maeve's Daughter ~ Throne of Glass

Chapter 18- White Fangs

Fenrys was like a caged animal, snarling and pacing, snapping at anyone that came too close. It'd only been a day since she'd left and he was already going out of his mind, picturing all the things Maeve might have done to her as punishment for her betrayal. He felt sick just at the thought.

Gavriel had tried to distract him into helping the others look through ancient books of Wyrdmarks- that Chaol had brought from Antica, for any sign of another way to seal the Wyrdgate. He wasn't much help though and the yellowing pages of strange runes began to blur into one.

He was no help to anyone. The others planned and prepared for the journey, bartering some land to the wild men of the Fangs in trade for escorting them through. Chaol's father had raged when Aelin proposed it and only become more furious when Fenrys mentioned who had suggested it.
When he'd told Aelin what happened, and what Freya had said, her face had only tightened, anger simmering in her eyes before she clapped a hand
onto his shoulder wordlessly, feeling his frustration.

They set off a day later. Half the ruks and Darghan riders marching under Kashin's banner to the eastern side of the mountains to draw the forces from the Ferian Gap into an open battle in the valley, and the rest of the mighty khagan army sneaking behind, right through their back door. Five days trek.

Aelin led the army, flickering her power like a beacon, lighting the way North. To Terrasen. Home.

~

Maeve had given Freya her orders, but she'd waited as long as possible to return, it had been torture trailing behind them for miles and miles but her white feathers had blended in perfectly into the snowy peaks all around them. After a few days though, when she was hovering in the sky, on top of the winds far far above, Maeve began yanking on the distant bond for an update.

The golden army had just reached the Ferian Gap, where the Ironteeth witches had been training their wyverns for months. Now not a human or beast remained, no sound echoing around the rocky surroundings.

She curled her wings around her and dropped into a steep decline, plummeting down at immense speed, a few Darghan soldiers spotted her and shouted at the ball of white, torpedoing from the heavens to the earth, nearing so close to crashing into them, but banking at the last second causing a few to swear softly- she smirked, internally because the expression always looked so odd on an owl.

She circled the moving party at the front, spotting joyous faces tipping up at her. Descending, she landed on Aelin's shoulder, who laughed in surprise and just said, "Good to have you back, friend ." Freya hooted back softly, they would talk properly later, and nipped her ear with her beak affectionately before taking off again flying ahead to where she'd assumed they would make camp. Night was quickly falling and there was an enormous clearing lying just beyond the bend.

~

Fenrys could not express the relief he'd felt when that familiar, beautiful sight of white wings had soared down to meet them, but any happiness he'd felt had soon melted into boiling frustration. She'd only shifted once, her beautiful face emotionless as she explained to Aelin how Maeve hadn't suspected her, then oddly, asked her if she believed her. The women had had a silent conversation, something like she had with Rowan, which he would never understand.
Aelin had been pale but seemed to understand whatever Fenrys did not.

Then, she'd shifted back and travelled with them in the air, trailing Nesryn and Borte as they scouted the pass ahead. Not once looking at him, acknowledging his existence even.

They soon returned with grim news, they'd found Vernon Lochan.

~

Freya didn't care if she was last in line to kill Elide's snivelling uncle, she wanted to peel his skin off.
He sat their, hair balding and the colour of piss, beady eyes and a personality she'd killed people for before. The way he looked at the young Lady of Perranth made her want to peck his eyes out, or scratch them away with her talons.

Stupidly, he didn't seem afraid of Aelin, who masked her disgust easily as well as her- though there was nothing human in her face, but she could smell it simmering off everyone present in waves as he taunted Elide, the rage that only increased as he confirmed Perranth's fall to Morath.

Elide dealt with him coolly, and Freya felt something like pride flicker through her as her words left his face the colour of spoiled milk, confirming she would leave him defenceless, to the wrath of every furious Fae there, because of what he'd done to her.

They left him then, bound in irons, leaving to hear what Elide had decided for his fate. Freya stayed though, prowling and circling around him. Vernon may have been human, but he'd spent enough time around Erawan to know the feeling of other she emitted and to know the face of Maeve, as both surrounded him in the form of a younger fiercer Fae warrior that watched him like a predator stalking its prey.

"Who are you?" he demanded shrilly, not managing to mask the tell-tale scent of fear that dirtied her nose.

She grinned flashing her sharp teeth at him, and he blanched.

"You know," she drawled, knowing full well every Fae would be able to hear her from the adjacent cavern.
"I'm not allowed to touch you until Lady Elide decides your fate, but.." she paused smirking maliciously, "I'm not like most Lochan, I don't need to touch you to make you scream....do you want to feel?"

He shuddered and gulped, "Please, I haven't done anything to you, I-I know your mother-"

"Oh Vernon, wrong thing to say." as she tutted and chuckled darkly.

The others soon returned very quickly as Vernon's pig like shrieks and screams scraped the very walls, expecting a bloodbath, but all they found was him writhing in his chains and an inhuman expression on Freya's face, her golden eyes glowing as her dark power latched into his mind.

Nobody spoke for a moment, as if they'd forgotten who, exactly, the kind faced woman was, what she could do, and who she'd been. Elide stared at her uncle, transfixed with the pain on his face before snapping herself out of it and glancing at Aelin who nodded, "Freya."

Her tone was unmistakable, a ruler's voice commanding her warrior, and Freya snapped her head away from the despicable mess of a man on the floor, not releasing him, but meeting the gaze of the young queen.

Gods, her eyes were glowing, so brightly with rage and power and Aelin suddenly realised she'd seen them before.

In the eyes of the Valg King, Erawan.

She shouted now, "FREYA."

The shrieking stopped at once, and only whimpering remained. The female scoffed at him, "That was nothing. Talk to her again like that, mortal, and you'll really regret it."

Then she turned and left, pausing to whisper something in Elide's ear that not even the cadre could hear, but it caused colour to return to Elide's face once more, and she looked less pained, nodding her head gratefully at Freya as the female stalked out of the chamber.

***
I should probably make a proper cover now some people are actually reading this, it's kind of gross rn oops

Also sorry literally nothing happened in this one it was quite bad wtf :( I'm writing the next one now it'll have more of Fenrys and Freya in it x