The Adventures of Princess Alvida

10. Quenching

A brutal knocking on the door awakened it's residents.

"Galder! Princess!" Hugin's screams was heard in the night.

Alvida and Galder got outside and looked curios at him.

"I have major news... " He had to catch his breath before he was able to tell.

"Well spit it out, "Galder said impatiently.

"Balmung. Is. Burning."

"What?" Alvida held her hands up to her face.

"What are you talking about? Were did you hear this?" Galder said annoyed.

"At the Hyrrokkin tavern. They were all talking about it. Someone has taken advantage of the fact that every single Balmung soldier is out looking for her," Hugin pointed at Alvida.

Alvida felt like she couldn't breathe. Her legs had lost all strength. She had to sit down on the ground.

"That's enough Hugin, we don't know for sure what's  happened, lets verify the information before declaring it to the entire world shall we?"

Hugin looked confused. "This is true. Some had even heard all the town's houses was on fire and that they were closing in on the castle."

"Shut up Hugin," Galder yelled.

The entire world was crumbling under Alvida's feet. She had to do something. She couldn't just sit there.

Alvida jumped up, and bolted.

But didn't get far before she was restrained by Galder's strong arms.

"Where do you think you are going? There's nothing you can do. You're a thousand miles away."

Alvida punched and kicked him trying to get loose.

"I know this must feel - "

"You know nothing," Alvida screamed. Tears were running down her face. "This is all your fault."

"There's a lot of things you can blame me for, but I've never torched any houses."

"If you hadn't taken me, the army would be home. Protecting my people. Protecting my family."

Galder struggled to get Alvida in the carriage. This time he didn't sit with her. He locked the door and covered it with the curtains. The the horse started moving.

Avida was in complete shock. And it was so frustrating not knowing what was going on. All her friends and family might  be burning to death right at that moment. And here she was, locked up, unable to do a thing.

Alvida punched the wall in anger. It hurt. She rubbed her hand. And noticed the box of booze under the seat in front of her. She pulled it out gently.

It had been filled up. The empty flasks had been replaced with new ones. Alvida held up a brown unopened bottle. It said rum on the home made etiquette. 

Alvida pushed on the cork with her thumb, and it popped. The sharp spirits smell filled her nose.

Alvida had a slurp. The same burning sensation down her throat. She grimaced and took another sip. And another, and another, and another.

After  a while on the road Galder asked Hugin to stop. He went to the back and unlocked the carrige's door.

"I'm sorry for being a little harsh," he  said while getting in.

Alvida was sleeping with her head bent over to the side, leaning against the railed window. Galder sighed and wiggled her. He recognized the smell right away and didn't need to see the empty bottle on the floor to know what was going on.

The horse started trotting again. Galder shook Alvida awake. She turned her head slowly and looked at him with drowsy eyes. She hardly seemed to recognize him.

"Are you ok?" Galder asked.

"I feel sick," Alvida mumbled. The world was spinning and she could feel her stomach content on it's way up.

She got up stumbled over Galder and managed to swing open the door. 

Galder tried  to stop her too late, he thought she only wanted some fresh air. "What the hell - "

Fresh air wasn't Alvida's plan. She jumped out of the the speeding vehicle.

"Hugin stop!" Galder shouted.

Alvida rolled along the ground ending up on her back. Galder hurried to her. 

"You're crazy," he said bending over her. "Hey! are you alive?"

Alvida opened her eyes, and bursted into a hysterical laughter.

"You really have lost it."

The insane laughter turned into crying. 

Galder put his arms under her shoulders and legs and picked her up. Alvida clung to his neck, while he carried her back.