Editing Story:ROAD TRIP! (Warhammer High)/Part Five (section)

===Time to Go===


The last few days passed quicker, since at last the group had found a guide willing to show them around the Fang who actually wanted them to be there.  Under Russ’ direct supervision, they toured one of the small camps the Wolves used to train for infiltration missions, wherein the trainees had to move from one side of the island to the other without being detected by an Iron Priest overseeing them with several servo-skulls high in the sky.  Later, the group went on a far less interrupted trip to fish on another island.

As their time on Fenris drew to a close, Russ received notice of the liberation of Seadelant.  As he returned to the others, his visage was darkened.  “Freya, I thought you might want to know.  Julius Pius has been rescued from Seadelant,” he reported.

The five teens paused their game to listen.  “Great!  We were getting worried,” Freya said.

“Well, there were complications.  He should be all right, but the fighting got…dirty.”  Russ shook his head.  “You’ll hear it from him, I’m sure.”

After returning from an ornithopter tour of a mammoth herd on the icy fields of Asaheim, the group started packing to go, with reservations for some.  Alex was taking his time, meticulously examining each piece of clothing and each souvenir.  Freya sensed his nerves, and quickly derived the cause.  “Alex, are you worried about something specific?” she asked, with a forcedly casual air.  “I mean, you’re on eggshells here.”

Alex set down the pair of socks he had had folded three times.  “Yeah.”  He sat down and ran his hands through his hair.  “I’m just nervous, though…it’s probably nothing.”

“I want to hear it now anyway,” Freya said.

He smiled up at her, though his expression was tinged with an air of regret.  “It’s what we’re going off to.  You know.  Living together.”

“Does it scare you?” Freya asked.

“No, more the responsibility.  I mean…shit, that sounded dumb,” he muttered.  “All right.  I don’t know if it was just something I didn’t notice, or what…but it’s starting to hit me what a commitment that really is,” he said.  “Living with someone for four years, you know.”

Freya nodded.  “Yes, it is.”

“It doesn’t intimidate you at all?” he asked.

“Yeah…it does, a little, but I’m looking forward to it too, you know?”  She padded over to him and stood in front of him, looking down at him on the bed.  “It’ll be new.  Something to try.”

“Yeah.”  Alex rested his hands at his sides and leaned back to look at her.

She smiled slightly, planting her hands on her hips and looking down at him.  “Alex, baby…don’t let the future scare you.  Yeah, it’s looking like it will be rough for you.  I won’t say it isn’t.  But you have a lot going for you, too.”

Alex managed a little smile of his own.  “Yeah.  You’re right.  I guess I just don’t know what to expect.”

“We’re living together now,” she pointed out.

He shrugged.  “That’s true.”  He rose to his feet and pecked her a kiss.  “All right.  Let’s get back to it,” he said, resuming his packing.

As the group assembled to leave the following day, a few of the Wolves turned out to wish their little sister well.  The other four busied themselves with moving the luggage as Freya all but disappeared in the circle of her kin, ruffling hair and offering up trinkets of farewell.

“I gotta admit,” Remilia said, watching the display, “I do envy her that.”

Freya was fielding a Blood Claw’s playful advance, and settled for a kneeling farewell hug.  With that, she turned to her father, who paused her as she passed.  “Well…I guess I’ll see you when you get home, Dad,” she said.

He knelt as the others Wolves gave them a respectful pace or two away.  “Freya…I won’t be there to see you go off to school, so I want you to know now,” he said softly.  She leaned forward and rested her chin on his shoulder as he slid his arms around her shoulders.  “I love you, little one.  I want you to go and have fun at Cyprine.  All right?”

“I will, Dad, don’t you worry,” she said.  She leaned back and adopted an innocent air.  “Believe me, give me a month and the whole school will be under my thumb,” she said airily.

He raised an eyebrow and sighed the sigh of the long-suffering.  “Sure.”

She leaned forward again and hugged him back.  “Love you too, Dad.  I’ll see you when you get back to Earth.”

Alex hefted the last of his suitcases.  Freya walked up behind him and grabbed one of her own.  “Uh, Alex…I think you might want to talk to Dad before we go,” she said.

He nodded.  “Yeah…yeah, you’re right.”  He set the case down and walked back to where Russ was still standing.

Alex came to a halt at the Wolf King’s side.  “Sire, do you have a moment before I go?” he asked.

Russ looked at the other Wolves.  They silently filed away to the lifts, offering them a moment of privacy.  He glanced down to where Alex was waiting.  “What is it?” he asked.

Alex squared his shoulders.  “Look…I want to thank you, sire.”

Russ cocked his head.  “For what?”

“Well, letting us stay here, for one thing, but also for trusting Freya to make her own decision regarding whether or not to stay with me at Cyprine.”  Alex looked back at where she was lifting the last of their luggage onto the servitor-driven baggage cart.  “I don’t know where I’d be without her.”  He looked back up at Russ, nerves peeking through.  “I’m…really bad at this.  So, let me just say this.  I promise what no matter how this ends, with us and with my family being assholes and all of it, I’ll never give her a reason to leave.  I was happy to be there for her when Morticia was hurt, and she was happy to be there for me when I was disinherited.”

Russ nodded once.  “Good.  I’ll hold you to that.”  He gestured over to the lifter.  “Now…you’re going to be late.  You go and get my girl off to school safe and sound.”

“I’ll do that.”  Alex bowed.  “Thank you for hosting us, Lord Primarch Russ.  It’s been an honor.”

“Certainly.”  Russ watched him rise and rejoin his daughter.  He saw the lad squeeze her hand as he climbed the ramp, and then they vanished out of sight as it rose to seal the hold.