The Dragon Traitor/Frida's backstory (Complete)

Healing wounds

TW: blood, talk of abuse, homophobia and misogyny.

Hope you enjoy and sorry for the last chapter.

Frida came home, just as the various roosters began crowing. She carefully opened the door to her house, it making an unbearable creaking sound, and stepped in.

"Frida!"

Before she could fully turn around, her mother had engulfed her in a hug.

"Where have you been?! The men came home hours ago and you weren't with them!" Her mother shouted as she checked Frida for any sort of wounds.

"Mom, I'm fine," Frida said in a hoarse voice.

"What happened to your throat?" Frida could feel her careful fingers on her throat, where she could imagine that she was red.

"She spoke out of turn," came a low voice from inside the hut. "One of the men decided to put her in her place."

"By doing what?" Sigrid asked. She looked at Frida as she wrapped her hand around her neck to show what was done to her. "He choked her!?" Sigrid shouted, rage filling her words.

"As I said, she spoke out of turn. She should be happy that that is the only thing that was done to her. That man looked set on killing her," Grimmel said, still in his obnoxiously calm tone.

"And what did you do?!" Sigrid shouted frantically.

"She received the suitable punishment for what she did! And chose your next words carefully woman, or you will also receive similar treatment," Grimmel said, anger in his tone. That seemed to be the only two emotions he could feel. Numb, and anger.

Sigrid closed her mouth and looked back at Frida.

"Your finger is bleeding," she said in a soft voice. Frida looked down and saw a drop of blood run down her little finger. "Let me take you upstairs."

Frida followed her mother up the stairs and into her room. Frida's room was simple, a bed by the wall, a window, and a blanket on the floor.

Frida sat down on her bed and waited as her mother walked out of her room and came back moments later with a basket.

She sat beside her on the bed and got out a glass bottle and a cotton ball. She wet the cotton ball in the strong-smelling liquid and turned to Frida.

"Give me your finger," Sigrid said and held out her hand. Frida put her hand in her mother's and she began to carefully dab her finger. It stung a little but after a while, Frida got used to it. "What happened?"

"Soren bit me," Frida said casually. She could see her mother's eyes widen and she understood she wanted to shout but was scared of Grimmel.

"I swear, every man in this village is insane. You are lucky he isn't anyone that known or important and that your father wants you married to a man of high status," her mother said. She began to bandage her finger and when she was satisfied set her hand down.

"Can you give me something for my throat?" Frida asked, her voice still hoarse.

"Sure honey," her mother said and got out a cloth and another bottle. She moistened the cloth and then began to carefully dab her throat.

"Is that better?" Her mother asked when she finished.

"Yes," Frida said. She looked down at her hands, not sure what to say next.

"Freya came over earlier in the morning. She said she heard the roar and then figured out you were on the hunt and wanted to know if you were ok. I told her you weren't here yet and that I would tell her when you came back," Sigrid said.