"A Flame that Fades"

Chapter 20: For Her, I'd Walk Through Hell

Azgar's POV

"Freya!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I spotted her, lying motionless in the snow. Blood pooled beneath her, a stark contrast against the white, and her stillness pierced through me like a blade.

I couldn't think straight—rage, fear, and despair twisted into a storm inside me. All I cared about was getting to her, even if it meant running headlong into danger. Nothing else mattered. Not the men standing around her, not the blade in their hands, not even the risk to my own life.

It was her. It was always her. And I wasn't about to let her slip away.

Then, from the corner of my eye, a hand appeared next to me, grabbing the reins from my hand and causing Fang to halt. I turned my head, already knowing who it was. Agnar. Of course, he had followed me.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" he yelled, his voice cutting through the blizzard. His breath was a fog in the cold air. "Do you even realize how weak you are? You can't even stand on your own, and now you think you can take on five guys by yourself?"

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I'm not just leaving her there!" I snapped back, my voice harsh, but I knew he was right. I was barely holding it together. But I couldn't let that stop me. Not when she was lying there, helpless.

Agnar's face twisted with a mix of concern and disbelief. "You're not doing this alone, Azgar. Not while you're like this. I'm not letting you walk into that death trap."

He was right. I wasn't in any condition to fight, but I couldn't let that stop me from trying. Every part of me screamed to rush to her side, but I knew Agnar was trying to keep me from doing something stupid.

"What the hell do you suggest then?" I spat, my chest tight with a mix of guilt and fear. "Just stand here and watch as they drag her away?"

Agnar's grip on the reins tightened, his eyes hard but filled with that protective fire I'd come to expect from him. He didn't flinch, didn't look worried—he just stared at me, unshaken.

"Don't worry, asshat. Unlike you, I have a plan," he said, his voice dripping with that familiar nonchalance. But this time, there was something else behind it. Something sharp. Something that said, I'm better than you, so shut the fuck up.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. He wasn't wrong. I knew that. Agnar always had a way of handling situations like this. He had a level of control that I lacked right now, and I hated it. Hated how it made me feel like I was just scrambling to keep up, like the weight of it all was too much for me to handle on my own.

I opened my mouth to argue, but Agnar's sharp whistle stopped me dead in my tracks. The sound echoed across the snow, and I turned to him, frustration burning inside me.

"Why the fuck are you whistling!?" I yelled, my anger bubbling over, but Agnar ignored me as usual. His eyes were locked on the storm ahead, completely unfazed by my outburst.

Before I could say anything else, I felt the ground tremble beneath us. Out of nowhere, orc soldiers appeared—at least two dozen of them, emerging from the swirling snow like shadows. Their massive forms were a blur in the whiteout, each one as intimidating as the next.

Agnar had called them, and I realized just how smart he'd been. They had planned this. The orcs had set up a perimeter, waiting for the storm to provide cover. It was a brilliant move—one that spoke to their experience, their coordination.

"Goddamn, you're a genius," I muttered under my breath. I was angry at him, but damn, I couldn't deny it. The bastard had planned this ambush down to the last detail.