She’d made it home. She’d touched the softness of Helle’s coat and heard Gerrie’s laugh. She swore Laeknir’s gentle hands tended her wounds just this morning.
But all she knew was the terror of being trapped, dreading the pain, the helplessness as her greatest source of terror approached. Before Fear put his hands on her, she pulled at her chains and yet the oddest sensation of wind whipped through her hair.
There was no wind in the cave.
Fear transformed intohim,his mouth curled up in a smile as his black eyes glittered with satisfaction at her reaction.His eyes?
Solveig froze as she recalled the shape of his face, but instead of a smile, it was contorted with pain. She’d never seen his face. How could she picture it so clearly? She had, though. The sound of his muffled screams sent a shiver down her spine as the memories came flooding back.
They slammed into her so hard that she jerked Helle to a halt, losing her balance completely. She fell, hard, to the ground and immediately curled into a ball, her body shaking.
Real. This is real. The cave is gone. He is gone. I got out. I got out. I got out. I got out.
Over and over again she thought those words in a desperate attempt to believe them.
Hugging her knees to her chest, she struggled to take deeper breaths. Her magic charged under her skin, reaching out to sense a danger that was not there. The pain of it trapped scorched her from within.
She couldn’t feel the cold ground seeping through her clothes, couldn’t take a deep breath without the scent of dank air invading her senses. Her head spun with dizzying panic as she shook with tremors of pain and fear. And the memories. Too many memories.
But when a familiar warm body enveloped hers, protecting her from the onslaught to her senses, she had something else to focus on. Her breathing deepened as Helle settled around her.
The horse she’d hardly ever spent a day away from, her closest friend. She had missed the stubborn beast dearly, so much so that it’d been hard too hard to think of her, knowing she’d likely never see her again.
Helle’s steady breath calmed Solveig’s trembling body. When Gerrie finally caught up to them, Solveig still lay on the ground, eyes squeezed shut as the violent shivers receded.
Gerrie seated herself beside them, close enough for Solveig to reach if she wanted. She was so good at silence and for that, Solveig was grateful.
She didn’t know how long they sat there. Well, Gerrie sat—Solveig still curled on her side. But with Helle protecting her back and Gerrie at her front, her breathing evened out.Safe.Inhale.Safe.Exhale.Safe. Gerrie was breathing loud, dramatic inhales and exhales which Solveig had unconsciously followed.
Her eyes filled with tears and she forced herself to sit up, wobbling as she did so. Gerrie reached out to steady her, the movement so fast that Solveig flinched. Gerrie dropped her hand.
When Solveig was settled, her knees still tucked into her chest and her back leaning against Helle, she focused on Gerrie, her shieldmaiden, her friend. Thankfully there was no pity in her eyes, only concern.Solveig opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t bring herself to make a sound.
Gerrie nodded. “It’s okay. You’re not ready yet.”
Solveig swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly reached her hand forward, grasping Gerrie’s. That damn breeze blew by again and she stiffened, memories flashing before her eyes. But the feel of Helle’s warmth and the soft pressure of Gerrie’s hand kept her in the present.
“The breeze?” she asked. Solveig shook her head and Gerrie frowned, taking a few more moments to think. “The scent?” Solveig nodded. “That makes sense. We could fashion some sort of nose plug if you’d like. We could make it so spikes adorned the outside. It could be fearsome.” Solveig smirked. “Pretty soon all the soldiers will be wearing some sort of nose weapon.”
Solveig’s smile vanished as another gust of wind blew the cave smell across them. She held her breath and closed her eyes, but Gerrie gripped her harder and said quietly, “One. Two. Three.” Solveig released her breath and inhaled through the wave of nausea that accompanied that horrid smell. Her heart rate slowed and her eyes opened again.
“You got out,” Gerrie affirmed like she could read Solveig’s mind.
I got out. I got out. I got out. I got out.Then in a small, raspy whisper, she repeated, “I got out.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I got out.” A little louder, but still just as hoarse. Her throat hurt from disuse.
“And you’ll stay out,” Gerrie said firmly. Solveig broke, tears streaming down her face as she began sobbing.
“I. Got. Out,” she cried between heaving sobs that wracked her body. She couldn’t stop the shaking as those words carved themselves into her soul.
“I GOT OUT!” she screamed, the words bursting out of her scorched throat.
Gerrie beamed at her. The trees swallowed her throaty scream, leaving no trace of the sound that still rang in Solveig’s ears.
She could speak without fear of breaking. Her words no longer needed to stay locked up for her people’s safety.
