Daughter of War

Chapter 15 - Stranglers

Thora stays awake all night, her nerves still buzzing at the events that happened, the chiefs daunting warning still echoes in her mind.

'Silver wyverns'

"Highness?" Thora's handmaid walks into the armoury holding a cloak over her arm, "I thought you'd need this."

Thora takes the cloak, and when she looks into her maid's eyes something sparks in Thora's chest, something that whispers for caution. However, Thora just pushes the feeling aside chalking the chiefs raving up to madness.

A sound calls out and echoes through the courtyard, Thora stands to her feet and then walks outside with her sword gripped tightly in her hand, she looks to the guard in the lookout over the main gate, and his eyes are looking out to the northern gate.

"What was that?" Thora calls up to the guard, the man looks down to Thora and shakes his head.

"THORA!" the voice calls again, but there is more than one calling her name.

She hears the sound of horses from the south, her heart races as she holds her sword tightly, horses race around the side of the castle, two in particular, her father and her husband's.

Thora's sword slips through her fingers and her knees feel weak.

When Alden see's Thora, his heart melts, he leaps from his still moving horse, he hits the ground running.

"Alden!" Thora gapes, she runs to him and leaps into his arm, her arms wrap around his shoulders, "Alden!"

She kisses his lips and holds onto him tight.

"Thora, they were coming for you," Alden gapes, his voice muffled as his face is buried into her neck.

"I know," she says, kissing his cheek, "I know."

"How?" he asks confused, Thora looks to the wall, that hides the burnt bodies.

"They came over the walls, killed the stable boy and tried to kill me," Thora says, "I had the guards burn their bodies."

"Thora," Lord Thesos says, dismounting his horse and striding towards his daughter, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Thora smiles walking over to her father and putting her arms around him, Thesos smiles and kisses his daughter's head.

"I thought you would be on the battlefield," he jokes, Thora smiles tightly and then looks back to Alden as she steps away from her father.

"Thora," Alden says, placing his hand on the small of her back, "What did they tell you?"

"Nothing," Thora says with a tight smile, "Nothing comprehensive, he rambled some prophecy that didn't make sense, then he tried to kill me."

"I'm sorry that I left you," he says kissing Thora's cheek.

"I hope for your sake that you are lying," Thesos says, his voice hard and sharp, "If you even think of dragging my daughter into a battle, you and I will have words."

"Father," Thora hisses.

"No offence, Lord Illian," Alden growls, cutting Thora off, "But I believe that my wife can handle herself."

"She is my daughter," Thesos snaps, the tension builds in the air.

"And she is my wife," Alden sneers, "I know that she can protect herself, and I am also here to protect her."

"You are only a boy," Thesos laughs.

"I am your prince!" Alden snaps, his hand comes to rest on his sword, "You saw me in battle, you know what I can do, do you still think I am 'only' a boy?"