Tattered

Chapter 17

For once, the skies above Heorot weren't gray and foreboding. A rare glimpse of sun peeked through the clouds, lighting up the usually dark training yard. It felt so nice, I didn't even mind the near burning heat of my metal armor on my back.

It had started to become a habit, of sorts, coming to the yard each day to train with Siegfried. Gods knew the both of us could benefit from practicing against an opponent that actually posed a threat, and surprisingly the company wasn't bad either.

Sparring was a casual affair, the hiss of our blades becoming the background for conversation. Siegfried, I'd noticed, was a typically reserved person, but put a sword in his hand and the words came pouring out. A strange quirk, but I decided not to question it.

"Are you truly from Skerith?" I asked between strikes as we broke apart for a brief moment to catch our breaths. Almost immediately, I rushed forward to begin the melee once more, pressing him backwards with a series of jabs and slashes.

"Is that the rumor going around these days?" He replied. Blades clanged, charging the air with their metallic voices. "Well, for once it's right. I was born in Skerith, yes. But it's been years since I left."

"And?" I prompted, deflecting a particularly hard hit with my shield. "What's it like?" What was it like, that place where father had wanted to banish me? A small part of me hoped for a pleasant description, some sort of proof that father didn't hate me quite as much as I thought.

"Cold," He said between strikes. "Cold and desolate and dangerous." He feinted high then shifted to cut at my feet, only barely allowing me the time to block his blade. I frowned at the description, waiting expectantly for him to continue.

"My Lady," A voice spoke up from the back of the yard. With a grunt, I gave Siegfried one last hit with the flat of my blade, sending him back a few steps. I sheathed Spoon at my side, wiped the sweat from my brow, and turned my attention to the visitor. It was Helga. Her dress was a simple servant's tunic rather than the healer's garb I was used to seeing her wear. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line, her posture rigid, as if she was bearing important news.

"Please, Bryn is fine," I told her, as I began to remove my sweaty armor and gulp down a drink. I never felt comfortable when people referred to me as 'lady', let alone a young girl who had practically saved my leg from amputation. "What news, Helga?"

She didn't relax her stiff position.

"Lady Freydis has summoned you," She said.

I spit out my drink, and Helga jerked away in surprise. I had not seen or even thought much about Hrothgar's queen since my arrival at Heorot. She was always there during meals, of course, her back straight and lips tucked into a serene smile as she watched the men of the castle eat from afar. Truthfully, the queen intimidated me. She was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman I'd ever met, and I did not know how to handle it. Just being near her made me feel like I was tainting the very air. But one did not simply refuse the summoning of a queen.

I glanced back at Siegfried. His expression remained stony, as per usual, but he seemed to be frowning slightly. Perhaps the queen simply wanted to give a visiting royal a proper welcome into her home. I had an uneasy feeling but shoved it aside. I gave Siegfried a helpless shrug before turning back to Helga.

"Alright," I said. "Lead the way."

She turned on her heel and stalked back into the castle halls. She walked briskly up a winding stair as I hurried to follow. She moved fast for a young girl.

"What does the queen want with me?" I asked as we turned a corner into a new wing of the castle. Helga merely glanced over her shoulder at me with an exasperated expression and picked up her pace.