Grey Souls

That Which Is Found

Chapter Fourteen

"There is no relationship like that between a father and a daughter. Not every father's daughter shared his name nor did every daughter share the blood of her father in her veins."

As the men off the longboat made shore the activity was instantaneous as rugged warriors hurried about to do as they had been previously instructed by their leader moments prior, amongst all the hustle and bustle a man stood out above the rest as he made his way ashore.

His long curly brown hair that now reached his shoulder blades in thick spirals was pulled back tightly in a secure bun at the back of his neck by a leather binding strap, his strong lean body was encased in a warrior's gear but what made him stand out above the rest was the thick cloak of sturdy and expensive looking furs that he wore over his battle gear and the presence in which he commanded himself with as he walked amongst his soldiers.

He did not hold himself above his people more along the way of aligning himself in the position of power so one would not doubt who was the one in charge. His expressive eyes set in his handsome face scanned the area as he searched for any sign of the very reason he was on such a bout of land that was so unknown to him and his people, the man stepped forward hearing a crunch causing him to crouch down and see what it was that caused such a noise.

The man picked up a small slender piece of wood that was definitely craved expertly with careful and dedicated strokes of a sharp and well cared for blade, the brunette haired man smiled brightly as he held the wood up closer to inspect it.

"Earl Kalf, all the warriors are ready and awaiting your orders my Lord." One of his warriors informed him causing the man to stand the slightly crazed grin never once leaving his face as he turned to the younger man.

Kalf held the piece of wood up with a raise of his brow "She's here."

"Are you sure my Lord?"

"Absofuckinglutely."

The slightly younger man nodded his head respectfully with a chuckle before jogging off to inform the others. Kalf took a deep breath as he gazed intently into the woods that laid before him "I'm here my Diamond. I'm here."
--------------------------------
Kalf and his man had been searching the land for the past week, the others saw no sign of the lost Princess but their Earl disagreed. Earl Kalf saw many different things that pointed to his adoptive daughter being on the land from the small pieces of wood baring her blade marks he would know any where to the soft indentations in the damp ground that were marked by her barefoot tracks. The Earl would have sworn he saw his beloved adopted daughter but had narrowed it down to his hope messing with his mind but yet he did not give up said hope, he did not falter for he knew inside of his very bones the young woman he thought of as his own was on this very extraordinary land some where he didn't know where but some where he would find by any means necessary.

"What's that?" One of the men softly called out causing the others to stop and listen as they heard a loud thundering and even slightly defining them sound echo out steadily across the land. Kalf pushed forward breaking though a brush of trees and stopped short at what he saw, a large heard of some kind of animals the likes of which they had never seen before. They were massive in size, black in color, and had great horns that looked startling by themselves but it wasn't just the massive group of even larger animals that startled the warriors of the Earl of Hedeby or the Earl himself.

It was the sight of a young woman standing amongst the great beasts that really shocked the group of Northmen. The young woman was unlike anything the group had every seen before and she appeared even more feral then the land and different animals around her, Kalf felt his breath leave him in a rush as the hair on her head stood out to him calling him forward on unsteady steps as if she were a beacon.