Embedded Emerald in Gold fire

Let the journey begin - 5

Kara changed her packing, transforming and manufacturing what she might need for such a journey. They would not walk all that way, but she did not own a horse and even though a part of her would love to take Velmius' horse for his cruelty, she knew he needed it. She was angry and mad, but not cruel. "Be better than them" she whispered, something she had told herself hundreds of times already in the past.

A fox came by her house in the night, she knew her and had been coming to her for many nights now. The fox had lost her children to human hunters and had found condolence in spending time with Kara. "Would you like to go on a journey with me?" she asked her as she soothed her long fur. "But it will be dangerous and might take a while" she added, eying the fox carefully.

....

She locked her cabin carefully, leaving some of her belongings behind to pick up when... if she returned. Soft bags were secured over a large horse in front of her cabin. The horse had long red fur, fluffy ears and awfully smart eyes. Kara did not use a saddle or a halter to ride it, she did not want to bring more discomfort than necessary to her. She had named her Freyja and jumped onto her back smoothly wearing leather pants under a cloak.

Kara did not look back to the cabin as she rode into the village, she would not turn around, she never did.

Mardaniel was preparing his black horse outside of his fathers' house when he heard another horse approach. Velmius had told him a woman would be accompanying him on his journey and no arguing had helped to change his mind. "She's special, you will find great use of her" he had said, a mysterious glint in his eyes. Mardaniel knew better than to push his father so he had let it go. Now he was curious who this special woman might be.

Kara was first to spot him before his eyes could make her out clearly. He had dark hair, almost black like his horse and even though he kept it long, he did not hide his pointy ears. He wore a loose linen shirt revealing a hairy yet well trained body. Even his hands were covered in as much hair as Kara had seen on Welodas, not humans. His legs were tightly wrapped in pants made of leather like hers, though hers hung looser. His dark brown eyes met hers as her horse began to walk as they entered the village.

Mardaniel looked at the woman with astonishment, her hair was brown like the mud at a river and knotted at the back of her head. Even though her horse had approached him quickly the hair did not loosen. She was smoothly following the movement of her horse, one hand at her side, the other in the foxy red mane of her horse. Her long cloak was only held close with a metal pin at her chest and her whole clothing was brown or grey. She did not look special besides sitting on that horse with nothing to hold onto or control it.

As she came to a stop she padded the side of her horse and swung her leg over the bowed head, sliding down. Her dull green eyes looked at him once before she looked away and focused on the approaching Velmius.

"There are potions and pastes in the cabin for the people in this village, I had them prepared already and there is no use in throwing them out now. Go get them and share them when time comes" she whispered as she stepped closer to him. "Kara I'm..." "...do not talk to me" she hissed, her eyes and face as cold as the snow itself "you got your will, but you will not get your peace of mind. You are nothing like those people who outcast others. You are worse. You won my trust, you worked for it and owned it and then used it to stab me in the back" her voice was void of all emotions, but he could see tears brimming in her eyes which were dull once more.

"I will bring your son back as you ordered if it is in my power, but I will not return to be anyone's slave and obey orders" she turned around and slid onto her horse again.