Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 64: I Will Go To War For You

A couple of weeks passed and Erinne started growing antsy with each passing day, expecting another letter. Her response, while she explained her circumstances, was no. Given that he'd sent her a letter saying "this is an order" she grew more nervous every day that he would become angry with her. Like it or not, she was still his subject as decreed by his and Lohke's law. He couldn't punish her for being pregnant, but she supposed he could for refusing an order.

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. Wren had to see reason. He had in the past. He knew her first child had almost killed her. Hopefully with her written words, he would accept them as opposed to a messenger telling him she said she couldn't go. She'd been as polite as she could in the letter. Firm, but polite. She hadn't seen him in years, but when she'd sent her letter telling him that she could no longer be his and Lohke's enforcers, delivering orcs and humans across the border, he'd accepted. She had to believe he would accept now.

At least she had hoped to believe that until she heard Cold Hammer roaring outside and the dire wolves snarling. Erinne shot to her feet, panic in her gut, "Andol, stay inside!" She hissed as she bolted for the door, grabbing her sword on the way.

She didn't know what she was going to find, but as she made it outside, she found her mate, hammer in hand, with a startling amount of humans in her small meadow. He was braced for battle, gripping his hammer strongly while Lohke stood in front of the humans, all with the king's insignia stamped across the chests of their tunics.

"What is going on?" She demanded in the human tongue.

Cold Hammer snarled his response, "Lohke says they mean to take you to King Wren."

Erinne snorted and set her sword down, letting it lean against the wall of her home and moved forward, barefoot, into the grass while Lohke gave Cold Hammer a placating look, "I didn't mean they were going to kidnap her, Cold Hammer, put your weapon down." He staunchly lifted it higher, growling low in his throat.

"Put it down," Erinne told him softly as she reached him but he refused with a short shake of his head. His fist tightened around it, his knuckles going white. Fury raged in his eyes and she set one hand on his arm to calm him and the other across her belly, hoping the guards took note of her pregnancy immediately. In the weeks it'd taken to send the first messenger away, him to come back, and for these men to arrive, she'd grown even larger. There was no mistaking she was heavy with child.

The humans were silent behind Lohke, still mounted on horseback and she had to wonder how, not one, but ten humans, had managed to sneak through orc territory without getting caught. Lohke stepped closer, clacking his teeth together in mild frustration as he looked at her and Cold Hammer and said, "Would one of you care to tell me why a horde of human kingsmen are in my territory when there is a strict order for neither to cross the no man's land between borders?" He sounded impatient. "You said you made it clear you were unfit for travel."

"I did." She rubbed her hand on her stomach. "My intent was quite straight forward in my letter. I expected another letter, not a group of kingsmen."

"Apologies, milady," the man she assumed was the head of this squad spoke up and Cold Hammer snarled loudly and lifted his hammer high.

"You don't speak unless spoken to!"

"Cold Hammer," she cast him a glare.

"Well," Lohke began, "he did send a letter. But not to you." He motioned to the kingsmen, "But he did send them to escort you back."

She snorted and knew her mate was seconds from snarling again before she said, "He sent a letter to who? You?"

"This is a declaration of war." Cold Hammer hissed. "He sends men here to steal my mate?! Lohke—"