The Verdant Prince

Chapter 19: Refugees

I did not sleep the rest of the hour we had left to sleep. Instead, I stood and began stretching. Nothing better than a good old stretch to get myself warmed up through this. I packed my bag back up, brushing my hand against the cold metal and pendant from the necklace that Uthgard had given me. I sighed and pushed it back down into the bottom of the knapsack.

I stripped Bjorn of his saddle quickly, brushing away dandruff from his hide- anything to do to keep me awake and away from my dark nightmares.

It wasn't long before the watch awoke Orgnar, and Orgnar woke the rest of us. He would come around, kicking gently at our feet, sending the warriors straight up in their bedrolls. Slowly, the makeshift camp rose to life, packing their things tightly to their steeds, and nibbling on whatever they had left available for food. Each warrior wore a weary face as they carried on their tasks.

Thor joined Orgnar at his side, mounting his horse and speaking quietly to each other. Loki slid in next to them on Oldavi, a mildly disturbed expression on his face.

He would not look at me.

"Morning," Asmund muttered quietly, yawing and drawing Az closer to me and Bjorn

"Morning," I mumbled back. Asmund paused, and I busied myself with Bjorn so Asmund would not catch onto my troubled mind. He was clever though, quick to catch things out of place or unusual in others.

"What bothers you?" Asmund asked lowly, copying my busied movements of brushing our horses.

"What doesn't bother me, Asmund?" I replied both to him and myself.

"Did Loki-" Asmund began.

"No," I whispered. Asmund stopped and turned to me. He glanced to the side, to Loki who was probability sitting on his high horse, literally, his chin raised and a cocky glare in his eyes. Asmund wasn't even sure if he believed Loki had not done anything.

"What did you do?" Asmund pressed.

"There is something inside of me," I said lowly, worry ebbing at my words. "Something dark." My mind flashed to each nightmare I had, and suddenly in my thoughts came myself. The me who wanted more, the me I saw in my nightmares. She smiled at me, her head lowering and suddenly she was gone.

"We should tell Orgnar, then Loki. Loki... Loki is a powerful sorcerer," Asmund said as if it hurt him to say it. "Maybe he knows what to do."

"No. I do not wish to tell them anything. I should not have told you anything," I mumbled. Asmund rested his palm on my shoulder and turned me to the side.

"Don't tell me that. I am glad you told me. You never know what darkness could be inside you. Jotuns are known for their mind manipulation in these parts. Dark magic. Perhaps in captivity, they did something. Or perhaps a curse laid upon you-" Asmund said quickly, his mind racing to find all of the possibilities.

"It's me," I said. "It's what, deep inside, I truly want to do. To do to them."

Asmund's brows furrowed, and his amber orange eyes seemed to cloud, a new concern in them.

"Mount, and ride carefully," Orgnar instructed loudly. I turned away from Asmund and mounted Bjorn. I kicked his sides, turning sharply away from Asmund. And my own realization.

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Asmund rode close to me most of the way, our ankles almost touching. I wanted to slap him, to tell him to leave me be, that I would not suddenly fall like a broken little girl. Loki, on the other hand, did quite the opposite. Loki kept his distance, always to the left of Orgnar, forming a small triangle with the trio of leaders. I felt bad, horrible even, but at the same time angry.