Gyda Lionrock thinks her visit to Asclan Peak is for one reason and one reason alone-to procreate and finally welcome that child of her own. She could have never guessed she would also leave something behind inside the mountains, but it was her hear...
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Dusk had fallen rapidly, and it was quite dark when I spotted Fiona waiting by the fence. She hadn't seen me yet. I knew she was standing there, waiting for my return, probably worried sick and freezing cold because she had been standing there for hours already.
I felt a pang of guilt in my chest.
"Gyda!" she cried out when she finally saw me. "Thank you, Mother Moon!"
"Sorry I'm late," I answered when Fiona opened the fence for me. I stepped inside.
She closed the fence, then grabbed me in her arms. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm okay. I'm really okay," I reassured her.
Fiona took a step back and looked me in the eyes. Hers were all puffy. "Thank goodness, I was so—" She gasped, holding her hand in front of her mouth. "Y-your- your hair!"
"Yeah..." I'd tried to wear it up so it wouldn't be such a shock, but I guess that didn't work out.
Her eyes started spilling tears. "What- what happened?" she asked. "What did they do to you?"
They?
"Let me get inside first?" I asked. "Please?"
"Of course! Are you cold? Here, I took this with me for when you'd come back." She draped a blanket over my shoulders and my thoughts immediately went back to Asclan Peaks. To Orvar. He'd wrapped me up in a blanket too. He'd been worried about me too.
"Thank you, sister. Yes, I'm a little cold."
"Mother put the fire on for you. She's worried sick as well. We all were! Thank goodness you're here now," Fiona said, wrapping her arm around me to guide me inside like I was some crippled woman.
The truth was that my body felt great. My mind, however, was exhausted.
"The kids are asleep, so the chaos is gone," Fiona said when we reached the door. "You can rest."
"I'm happy about that," I answered in all honesty. I loved my nieces, but they could be so hectic.
We stepped inside where Fiona announced I was home.
As soon as Mother saw me, she jumped out of her chair and rushed over to me. She hugged me and it took her almost a solid minute before she let go.
"Gyda. My Gyda—" Her eyes went wider than they already were. The change in my appearance had caught her eyes too. "W-what happened to your hair?" she asked, calmer than I expected. "Did one of them do this to you? Did they hurt you?" Her bottom lip trembled.
I shook my head. "None of the orcs did this. They haven't hurt me at all."
"Then what happened? Who did this?"
I didn't want to cause drama in town, which might happen if my family learned Olivia had betrayed me. Then again, even if I didn't say anything myself, there was always a chance one of the other women wouldn't stick to the code of 'not telling what happened in Asclan peaks'.
