Irreplacable

Chapter 8

After washing her face frivolously with lukewarm water for a couple of minutes, the pain dulled down slightly. Clenching her jaw helped a bit. Outside, there was still a storm raging, so thick, warm clothes were needed. "Freya, consider Lillian as a friend, she will help you regain your bearings while I'm away shortly. She will bathe you and get you fitted for proper clothes for the season. How does that sound?" Evelyn starts barking these orders quickly to her servant, only glancing to both of them for a short moment before jumping to the back of her clothes room, delving for fur lined clothing and thick boots.

"I want to stay with you..." Freya voices softly, approaching the closet. Lillian grunts in annoyance in the background. "Don't leave me-" she starts, tearing up. With a short gasp, Evelyn reaches for the girl and holds her tightly, unsure of what else to do but cradle her as though she were a child. She didn't know how to care for children, she could barely care for herself properly..

"Well, little dove. You'll have to be cleaned up first, and I just have a short errand to run. I just have to talk to one of my companions, it'll be quick. Besides, you can trust Lillian! She's a bit thick in her accent and she seems kinda grouchy at times, but she really cares for me, and all of us here. Are you sure you don't want to give her a chance?" Freya nods into Evelyn's chest, grabbing tighter. "Alright, you can come along. I'll see if I have any clothes that will somewhat fit you for the moment." The young girl let's go, and tries to smile, but fails miserably. How sweet, she was kind of cute. A smile back, and she dresses the kid, cloaking her as well and pinching her cheek softly. "Lillian, I'm going to meet Kitsuné, we should be back soon enough, don't wait up for us if you have other things to do."

"Yes, my lady. Have a nice walk, and give the shifter my best. I will see you two back here in a bit." She bows. Something seems different about her. Maybe something happened..
-
The blizzard outside seemed to be starting to dull down finally. How long had it been snowing for? "Hey! Oh- you brought her with you.. ah," Kitsuné thinks for a moment before continuing, addressing the young girl. "...Freya, right? How do you like the fort so far?"

"I've only been inside for a couple of hours.." she says. "But I like it. Everyone is so nice to me here," Freya looses a breath, struggling to finish her sentence, instead choosing to end it there rather than telling him anything at the moment.

He nods with a polite smile then turns towards Evelyn, and grabs her arms quickly, looking into her eyes with concern written all over his face. "We have been looking into what happened- the fire, the one that killed your family.."

"Why does it matter now?" She asks in a bored tone, with a dead look in her eyes. She didn't really mean that. In actuality, she was dying to know more about it, because Errison never said a word to her.. either out of trying to protect her or just flat out knowing nothing. It still killed her inside. Finally, she meets her companions gaze, and his expression stung her heart, causing it to ache and long.

Kitsuné huffs, and shakes his head at her. "There were only two bodies found, both adult sized. You were still alive and.. your brothers body was nowhere to be found. Have you ever gone back there to see for yourself?" No, she hasn't. He knew that. It was rhetorical. "Keenan thinks your brother is still alive too."

A small growl escapes from her gritted jaw, and she breaks eye contact in anger. There was no way, his screams still haunt her dreams, the smell of burning bodies and the way his flesh, against her hands- "How did he come to this conclusion? Why isn't he telling me himself?" With a struggled breath, she forces her body to lax, or else she might strike something. "And under who's orders are you investigating the deaths of my family?"

The gods press against the windows of the castle with relentless power, not to break in, but to remind those who dwell inside of them. To remind them that they would be as good as dead out there alone. The wind still whispered to Evelyn, but it was quieter, and more calm. Less prone to taking her off guard. Kitsuné had her mind now, and it couldn't get back in, even with all the gods help. All three of them stare out the slightly fogged window with different emotions. Freyas mind had the sudden urge to remember her encounter with that man in the barrow, how beautiful he was; Evelyn was quite beautiful as well, with some of the same features in her angry face.. Kitsune said something softly that she hadn't quite caught and they sat in silence for a short time before another approached, followed by another man, both had different auras of class about them. "Evelyn." Keenan addresses with a blank stare. His was of great battle prowess. The other nodded gracefully with the smile towards Freya like that of a sly fox, and the stance of a true predator. He was a leader, or commander, someone who commanded things. Any of these people here would be fools if they weren't deathly afraid of him. A black dog looms about, around all of them, seemingly everywhere at once

"Hello, young lady." Errison holds out his hand to Freya, who has no idea why he's doing that, she tilts her head at him. "I'm supposed to kiss your hand," he coos. Her face turns bright red in embarrassment, how was she supposed to know that?! After he takes her calloused and scarred hand, he undoubtedly notices she was a past slave, but chooses to bring his attention elsewhere, to Evelyn. Who stood in the shadow of these terrifying men fearlessly. Maybe Freya was wrong. Maybe Evelyn was the one to be feared above them all.

Her face was grim, and showed little emotion towards the situation, other than a small fragment of a growing ferocity. She listened to each of them speak one by one, analyzing what they tell her, not once paying attention to Freya, who quietly stood idle, only becoming more confused as to who Evelyn is. The heavily armored man, and the tallest among them made her realize something.. she is very cunningly beautiful, with a quick tongue, and she had a brother. Who was just possibly identified as missing, but alive. Or missing and dead. Either way, he was missing. This information upset Evelyn more than anything she'd ever heard or experienced.