Of Gods & Valkyries: Book Three

Farewells

– T A Y A H – 

I left the men a letter each under their doors. It's not that I wasn't the sentimental type... It's that John had last been seen with no less than four maids and a skin of wine splitting at the seams. I was not even certain I wanted to know Kaden's involvement in all of it...

I tightened my grip on the reigns of Parsnip feeling the surge of familiarity that came with it.

I glanced at the immortal, who waited ahead in silver furs blowing in the wind and shimmering Valhalla-made armour that had long ago been earned. She chose a sturdy black warhorse from the stables. 

None dared stop her.

"Wait!"

The light clack of shoes not designed for the trails ahead ran down stone steps to the courtyard. I pulled my hood back and relaxed my grip on Parsnip's reigns. He snorted impatiently.

"You have nothing to fear, Lara, he will see his end in little over two span–"

"That's not it!" She interrupted, breathless and distressed. Her usually neatly swept hair was chaotic and she had thrown furs over her shoulders rather haphazardly. In her defence the sun was barely awake.

"I need to know you will meet us–once we safely get to Vayleron. You must give me your word." She pressed, coming up beside Parsnip and making his ears twitch in agitation. I claimed the reigns more and he calmed.

I sighed long through my nose and glanced ahead at Kára who was now calmly spinning a damandium dagger in front of a pair of paling guards.

"In time yes." I shrugged. "My men will keep you safe. They know Vayleron almost as well as I do." I offered her a smirk, which she could not mirror. Instead she folded her arms before her like a child on the edge of being told she would not get what she desired.

"The fates had different plans for us both, Lara. That is not a bad thing..." I paused when she met my eyes with a slight frown of confusion. So I gave her as much of an answer I could without so much telling her of the impossibilities I was now accustomed. "You have another roll of the dice in Vayleron. You once told me that this town... that you saw too much of the sameness in Ravensbrooke. Do you not think it's time you saw what's outside of it?"

Her eyes welled up before me and I set my free gloved hand on her shoulder tightly.

She couldn't seem to form the words so I formed them for her. I felt compelled to send her some form of strength–after all, it could all have been my fate if my beginning had not started in blood.

"Do not fear the unknown. Cast yourself into it free and ready."

She met my eyes then and the despair faded from her. A small smile cracked her through the salt  in her eyes.

"You were never meant for such a small cage." She said through a cracked laugh, "–perhaps not even this continent." As if such a notion were insane.

I was not even meant for this realm...

But I smiled and dropped her a final nod. Parsnip responded by whinnying and trotting his hooves on the stone. His patience was as sort as my immortal's.

"I wish you luck, we all need it." I murmured, turning Parsnip towards the main gates. "–oh, and tell the buffoons not to die until I get the chance to do it for them."

Lara's smile turned into that of mild concern and I flashed a grin before kicking Parsnip on and drawing my hood. He squealed excitedly and took to the winds themselves with little other encouragement.