Utter Devotion

A Long Road Ahead

"Hello Flip, hello Finely," Ciannait stepped into Flips stall, he instanting whined in greeting and nudged her shoulder before trying to nibble at a few strands of her hair.

She needed to get him saddled but she paused and buried her face into the warmth of his neck, feeling tears prick at the corners or her eyes.

Flip stilled and leaned in, nuzzling at her shoulder, snorting into her hair.

"Alright, come on boy, or else we'll be in more trouble than either of us wants to deal with."

She quickly saddled Flip, and pulled herself into the saddle, her armor creaking and making her movements stiff.

"Be a good boy Finley. We'll be back as soon as we can."

With a gentle nudge of her heel Flip took off out of the stables and pranced into the courtyard, scared with others he might be but when she was on his back, there was no finer horse and he loved showing her off.

For a brief moment she enjoyed the feeling of Flip racing underneath her, the freedom of the wind blowing her hair back from her face, what she wouldn't give to just leave now, to race past Njord and his court and to never return.

But she reigned him in, sadness flooding her.

Loki watched Ciannait ride past, as he sat on Ambrosio.

She was glorious, horse and rider of one mind, for half a moment he though she was actually going to just take off and ride off into the forests of Vanahiem, a wild goddess beholden only to the wills of nature.

Till the brief moment of light in her eyes died and she pulled back on the reigns, slowly Flip to a stop.

Reigning Flip in her eyes flicked over to her sisters both on horses, Ratana was next to Thor, he could hear her quiet voice talking either to Thor or Sagira he wasn't sure.

She glanced up just long enough to meet his questioning glance, her gaze gave him no answer, then she turned Flip as if someone had called her name.

"There you are, daughter you will ride at the head of the line with me."

Njord smirked at Loki over Ciannait's shoulder as she slowly walked Flip over to him.

"Of course Father."

Her voice was emotionless, Sagira's head whipped back and forth between Njord and Ciannait, as her horse nervously shifted under her.

Within moments they were moving, Ciannait on one side of Njord, Freya on the other, soliders ahead of them and mixing thru out the entire court, Loki kept his eye on her thru out the day, he might as well have been staring at a statue for she never moved.

After riding for most of the day with few people on the road, they reached their first stop, a manor house of a local lord who was all to eager to host the king and his court.

No sooner had Loki dismounted, the horses were being led towards the stables and they were all being beckoned inside with Njord leading the way with Freya at his side.

But Ciannait had vanished.

He turned to begin searching for her when a soft hand slowed him, Frigga gripped his arm and shook her head, "We need to go inside, you can find her later son."

Shaking his head, somehow unsurprised that Frigga knew he was looking for Ciannait, he accompanied her inside, followed by Thor and Ratana, with Sagira meandering along behind.

After enduring a terribly dry Bilgsnipe steak, grandiose speeches about Njords greatness, and ear splitting music, he slipped out if the hall and made his way back to the stables.

When she hadn't appeared at dinner, Loki had decided to come back down to the stables to see if perhaps she had gone ahead to scout the next days journey, but when he saw Flip, he frowned to himself, it was unlikely she would have left Flip behind.

Then he saw pieces of her armor thrown haphazardly on the ground.

"There you are my vixen, why have you been hiding from me?"

She could hear his voice somewhere above her head as she sat on the ground in Flips stall, given the way Flip was still eating but had lowered his ears, Loki was across the hallway, not near enough to upset Flip.

"Not now Loki."

Her voice sounded so morose and lifeless again, his heart jumped at the sound, he took a step forward only for Flip to stop and fix him with a stare and immediately flatten his ears.

"Sagira and Ratana are very concerned about you."

Tears began to spill down her face.

She was hurting her sister making how she felt ten times worse.

Pulling her knees up to her chest she buried her head in her arms.

"I know they are. But they can't help me, no one can."

Her voice came out as even more muffled, Loki was growing increasingly concerned that she might have hurt herself, but Flip wasn't agitated or upset and he knew as attached to her as Flip was if she was harmed he would be making it known.

Movement caught his eye, turning his head he saw Sagira and Ratana standing shoulder to shoulder at the entrance to the stable watching him, Sagira holding a plate of food and Ratana holding a large wicker basket that looked like it contained salves, bandages, and a bottle of wine from the table.

Ratana watched him mistrustful eyes but Sagira nodded as if encouraging him.

"Come on sweetling, talk to me. What happened?"

Trying his most persuasive tone, he hoped she might come out or at least tell him what had happened.

"Leave Loki."

Ciannait could feel Ratana and Sagira had found her and with Loki here too, all three of them pulling on her to come out, not to mention the near hundred soldiers Njord had had her bond to her this morning, her head began to pound.

"I said LEAVE!"

For the first time that day there was some heat behind her voice, and that gave him hope.

"Alright, but I want you to know you can come talk to me. I want to help you. It's a long road ahead of us and you cannot avoid me forever."

As he passed Sagira and Ratana, Ratana eyed him , Sagira grabbed his arm and gave it a brief squeeze and mouthed I'm sorry at him.

Instead of headed to his chambers, he headed towards his mother's, he had been long over due to visit her, he had been avoiding wanting to question her about Ciannait and her past, but now after the strange display he'd witnessed today, he was overdue for a chat with his mother.

As she felt Loki turn his attentions else where she heard the stall door open cautiously, Flip was ,sometimes he did not mind Sagira and Ratana, other times he charged them.

Unbothered he continue chewing his grain, his muzzle deep in his feed bucket.

Ratana knelt down and unwrapped the bandages on her hands, tsking at her and Sagira sat the plate on the ground and sat next to her in silence.