The Devil and The Snake

8. Two Strangers Shivering

Once you got out of Caroline's chamber you looked around, no one seemed to be looking for you. That was a good sign, yet you couldn't go back. Ivar would probably protect you from anyone's opinion but even then, it wouldn't save you from knowing all the misery you caused, all the anger. But most of all it wouldn't protect you from yourself. You'd felt something in yourself that you had never felt before that rage.

You went to walk in the forest, away from the town, from their people. It was cold outside and as the sun faded so did the heat. You clutched your coat around your shoulder, but it couldn't keep your bone from frosting. Before nighttime you decided, against your fear, to go back but you were lost. You took the notion calmly at first, but it wasn't long before you panicked.

The trees all looked the same. And the frost from the beginning of winter wasn't helping. You knew that if you stayed it the forest you would die. The cold would take you.

But you were lost. Lost and stupid. You almost laughed realizing how stupid this death would be for who. How incredibly dumbfounded your family would be, learning of it.

Your whole body was trembling, and you sat down, looking at the horizon, at the last gift from the sun that was slowly hiding itself. Then you thought about the kiss you just received from your sun.

But when you closed your eyes it was Ivar who showed himself and it's his smile that you saw. Not Caroline's. And as the sun truly faded the guilt from knowing that you were the one who hurt her was too much and you started to cry. The tears froze on your cheeks.

You tried to get up but couldn't, your feet were stuck, your toes too frozen to move. So, you chose to lay down, accepting your fate. You hid your face in your hood and let the shivers slowly rock your body to sleep. At once, it was a mix of sleep and a lost of consciousness that took you.

You dreamed of being a wolf, running after Caroline.

Of fire and blood, of your mother.

You dreamed of being transported out of the forest in the arm of a strange man. But maybe that part wasn't a dream.

--

You woke up by a terrible pain in your feet and finger at first but then that pain took your whole body. The blood moving again in your body was excruciating.

There was only one man in the strange tent. You were too weak to talk, you twitched from hurt and he approached.

"Don't worry, you'll feel better soon."

He gave you water and then some warm stew. You waited, not wanting to push your body further than it had been pushed. So, you looked and felt. You realized you were almost naked, he had put your coat and your dress near the fire so they could warm up, leaving you only in your underdress. If at first you felt uncomfortable at the notion of another man touching you, the notion that he saved your life erased it.

"Do you know who I am?" you asked, making him turn around to face you. It was a genuine question. and you knew that, as the queen, your faith could change if he knew or not.

"No. A lost girl in the wood I figured. Do you?"

You bit your lips, if he didn't know, that meant he had no ulterior motives and that was good. But at the same time, he could do whatever he wanted, and he wouldn't know that his actions could have consequences, mortal ones.

"Yes, I live in Kattegat"

"Not that far from here, I'll help you get there tomorrow morning."

Oh. So, you were lost not far from Kattegat. You were that stupid.