“She was crawling towards the river, about twenty legs from the Idavoll forest border. When I reached her, she was losing consciousness.”
Laeknir continued his assessment. “I don’t see any life-threatening injuries. Her bones feel intact and the bruising and cuts are all superficial. Let’s get her to the infirmary so I can do a more thorough exam.”
Gerrie and Latham released twin sighs of relief as Laeknir’s assistants gently lifted Solveig onto a stretcher.
They followed Laeknir to the healer’s tent and refused to leave Solveig’s side. Laeknir didn’t put up his usual fuss, knowing better thanto argue with them. Instead he had them help disrobe and wash her body. It was evident she was severely malnourished. Her bones jutted out, her skin wan and taut. Though she was still unconscious, her pulse raced.
When she was cleaned and dressed in fresh clothing, Laeknir brought smelling salts to her nose.
She jolted upright and began thrashing—delirious and glassy-eyed—clearly not recognizing the faces around her. Her mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound came out as she wildly threw kicks and punches when they tried to subdue her.
“Solveig! Solveig, it’s me, Latham!” he said firmly, easily blocking her feeble attempts to strike him. When he managed to grip her wrists, panic flared in her eyes.
“You’re safe. No one will hurt you. You’re safe.” She blinked and went preternaturally still. Her eyes were blank and unfocused.
“Solveig, you’re home. You’re going to be okay,” he said gently. She fidgeted against his hands until he let her go. Her arms fell limply to her lap. There was no sign of recognition on her face when she scanned the room. Gerrie approached her slowly.
“Solveig, it’s Gerrie.” Empty eyes stared back at her. “You’re home now. No one is going to hurt you.”
Solveig blinked and furrowed her brows. A little of the tension in Latham’s shoulders released. Laeknir came up behind him and held out a cup for her.
“Drink this. Your body is in shock.” Solveig narrowed her eyes at the cup and did not reach for it. Latham took it out of Laeknir’s hands and offered it to her again.
“You need to drink, Sol. You’ll feel better once we get some sustenance in you.” He held it out to her and when she still didn’t move, he slowly reached out to take her hand. She flinched at his advance, making him pause, but when she didn’t retreat, he continued.
Solveig allowed him to take her hand in his and guide it to the cup. Her fingers curled around the tall, narrow clay and she peered inside. Green liquid sloshed inside as she pulled it towards her. Recognition flashed in her eyes bringing a smile to Latham’s face.
The substance was disgusting, but all Vanir understood it was worth choking down. Halfway through battles, soldiers would grimace as they chugged their waterskins full of the putrid smelling drink. It was revolting but full of nutrients that replenished the body’s depleted energy stores. Even without magic to enhance it, it worked wonders.
Solveig brought it to her lips, nose wrinkling in disgust. She hesitated to drink.
“Remember when we were witchlings and we dared each other to drink as much as we could? I think it was one of the last times I beat you in something. You were vomiting for days,” Latham said softly. Solveig’s eyes met his and a small smile tugged her lips. She brought the cup to her mouth again and this time did not hesitate to take it in all at once. Latham chuckled.
“Still can’t stand to have me beat you?” He knew he’d said the wrong thing when her eyes went cold, along with his insides. She had beat him the morning she was captured, and he had not honoured the terms of their agreement.
Latham dropped to his knees in front of her, removing the cup from her hands and grasping them tightly in his. He shuddered at how weak and cold they were.
“Solveig,” he said, sobbing. “I’m so, so sorry. I never should’ve followed you, and I never should’ve let them take you instead of me.” Tears rolled down his face. Gerrie and Laeknir busied themselves around the tent, trying to give them some privacy. Solveig wasn’t looking at him anymore, but she didn’t push him away.
“Please forgive me. I’ll do anything. Please,” he begged, gripping her limp hands. She faced him, and for a moment he thought a light flashed through her eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. Her hands trembled as she pulled them from his grasp. His heart broke at the dismissal.
“Solveig—” he started, but Gerrie cut in.
“That’s enough, Latham. Give her some space.” He didn’t think Gerrie had ever spoken to him so kindly—it only made him feel worse. He stood and stepped away from Solveig, his apology going unaccepted did not sit well with him. She had to know. She had to know he never meant for any of this to happen.
Laeknir began dressing her wounds, rubbing antiseptic ointment on her skin and wrapping gauze around the injuries.
Latham couldn’t watch anymore. “I’ll be back in a little while. Inform me if she starts speaking before I return.”
Gerrie nodded and as he turned to leave, she reached out and gripped his arm. When he met her gaze, she stared at him with a hard look. His back straightened. Defensive, he gave her a curt nod before yanking his arm from her grip and exiting the infirmary.
He bristled as he walked back to his quarters. How dare she reprimand him like that. As if he didn’t already feel like the lowliest piece of scum in all of Yggdrasil. He thought over every decision he’d made since Solveig was taken.
Those first few weeks when he barely ate or slept, driven by his guilt and terror to find her. She’d disappeared without a trace, but he’d flipped over every rock, dug out every hiding place, waded across the river and back. His knees had been raw from praying to the silent gods day and night, the scar on his palm jagged and infected from offering his blood so many times.
Yet he could not find her.
He walked slowly to his tent, dreading his sentence. The shock and relief of seeing her on the riverbank was fading and instead, dread curled around his spine to replace it. He would have to face every single decision he’d made over the last three months and pay for each of them.
