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

===Hail the Fang!===


As the ship emerged on the outermost edge of the Fenris system, Freya was already fidgeting.  She paced her cabin, grinning broadly, as Alex watched from the chair, amused.  “I know I’ll have a ton of shit to do, ceremonies to undertake, who knows what else…but fuck!  I just want to throw myself in a snowbank!” she said.

Alex laughed.  Her good mood was infectious.  “I admit, I want to see what it looks like.”

“It’s beautiful!  Forests the size of continents, animals so big you can ride them around!  And the FOOD!” she squealed.  “Sauroch was great and all, but until you rip a chunk off a mammoth bull and roast it over a fire, you haven’t had real steak.”

“I’ll pass, thanks,” Alex said.  “I’m glad you’re so fired up.”

“Argh, seventeen hours before we land!” she moaned.  “I’m going to be half-dead by then!”

“No, you’re not,” Alex chided.  “Go burn off some vibes in the gym, or write a letter to whoever’s in charge over there to let them know we’re coming.”

“Oh, yeah, good call, I don’t even know which Lord is running the show right now, with all these deployments,” Freya said, snatching up a slate.  She quickly turned it on and brought up her messages.  “Nothing?!  Argh, do they not know we’re here?” she huffed.

“I’m sure they knew.  You should write the presiding Wolf Lord and let him know the situation,” Alex pressured.

She grumbled at the perceived waste of time, but obeyed.  She dropped into a seat and started talking the moment the slate was ready.

“Hail the Fang.  I am Blood Princess Freya Russ, aboard the Salamander Legionary Fleet Vessel Iron Tide out of Nocturne.  I would address the Wolf Lord who reigns,” she said, the rough Juvjk flowing naturally from her lips.  Alex listened carefully.  He had never heard her speak it for more than a word at a time.  “I await your word…and I am eager to be back amongst my Wolf Brothers.”  She tapped the transcriptor and sent it off, making sure to have had the right language selected first.

As soon as the message was sent, she sprang back to her feet and resumed her pacing.  Alex shook his head.  “Baby, that was supposed to calm you down.”

“But now I’m waiting for a message too!” she said, wringing her hands.

Alex sighed.  “Hey, Freya…what did you say in Fenrisian before?”

“Oh, I said hail, it’s Freya, who’s running the show, it’s good to be back…simple stuff, nothing vital,” she said.  “And the language’s proper name is Juvjk.”

“Where do you speak it?  I never hear more than one word or so from you,” Alex said.

“Oh, that’s what Mom and I speak at home,” Freya said.  “Dad speaks it, of course, but he spends so much more time around people who aren’t Fenrisian, he just speaks Gothic most of the time.”  She smiled, surprisingly shyly.  “Did you like it?”

“Well…yeah, I just couldn’t tell what you were saying,” he said.  She nodded happily.

“I could teach you a few words, but it’s a complex language.  You’d have to study for a while to be fluent.”  She bounded over to him and perched on the armrest of his seat.  “You’re going to love this!  I’ve been waiting to be back for seven years!” she declared.

“How many times have you been here?” Alex asked.

“Four, counting this one.  When I was born, when I saw seven, and when I was ten,” Freya supplied.  She drew up her shoulders with an eager squeal.  “I can’t wait!”

Alex grinned.  She was ecstatic.  Her enthusiasm was lifting his own ennui a bit, too.  “Freya, baby, if you’re that impatient, go round up the others and tell them what you told me.  Tell them about the Fang or something.”

“I should, shouldn’t I?” she asked.  She clapped her hands together.  “Right.  Yes.  This.”  She sprang up from his armrest once more.  “Oh, and um…Alex,” she said, suddenly a bit bashful.  “How do I put this…”

“What?” Alex asked, leaning forward.

“The, um…the Wolf Brothers will…I suspect they’ll like you, but if you don’t want to get barracked a bit…we may have to restrain ourselves,” she admitted.

“I figured,” Alex chuckled.  “Ah, well.”

“Not mad?”

“Nope, I was wondering how to overcome several thousand Space Wolf noses on the way here and gave up,” Alex resignedly said.

She pecked him on the lips.  “You’re my hero.”  She straightened up and nearly skipped over to the door.  “Be right back.”

Minutes later, the other teens were sitting in the room, watching Freya pace and gesticulate.  “First things first, don’t call them Space Wolves.  Call them The Rout, or Sons of Fenris if you want to sound pretentious, or the Vlka Fenryka if you know the language,” she said.  She paused for a deep breath.  “I still haven’t heard back so I have no bleeding idea who’s in charge, but the correct form of address is ‘Wolf Lord’ whatever, not Brother-Captain like it was on Nocturne and Terra.  I suspect that you’ll all be invited to dine at the Grand Table when the time comes, and you’re more than welcome to do so, but it would even scare me a bit if I hadn’t done it a million times before, so if you want to eat somewhere more private you can.  In fact, I think maybe you should.  The older guys will appreciate you being there, but the younger Brothers might think you’re intruding on what’s supposed to be the most comradely and personal part of the daily routine aside from the actual prayers at the start of the day, and…” she paused again for a breath.

“Freya, Freya, it’s okay, chill out,” Remilia urged.

“Right, sorry.”  She blew out an anxious breath.  “Sorry, I’m just so amped up!” she groaned.  “This is something I’ve wanted for seven years!  I can’t WAIT to show you guys everything!”

“Well, you’ll have twenty seven days, so take your time,” Jake pointed out.

“Didn’t you say you were worried that we’d have nothing to do?” Venus asked.

“Well…true, after the first week or so…” she deflated.  “Shit.  I think we should probably have all of our stuff transferred down to our rooms, just in case.”

“We were going to do that anyway, Freya, the Tide is leaving to go stomp Orks, remember?” Venus pointed out.

“Right.”  She rubbed her forehead.  “Hah.  I should ask if Fenris’ star has a supercharging effect like Nocturne’s does,” she muttered.

Venus chuckled.  “Maybe, but I kinda doubt it.”

“Oh yeah…how are you feeling?” Freya asked, glad for the distraction.

“Oh, I’m fine, it wore off days ago, I barely even noticed,” Venus shrugged.  “I just woke up normal.  How about you?  All brushed up on your Juvjk?” she asked with a smirk.  She knew Freya was fluent.

“Hah!  ‘I’m just fine, Princess Venus, how’s your Nocturnean?’” Freya asked in Juvjk.

“Great, thanks,” Venus said in Gothic.

Freya started.  “You understood what I said?” she asked in astonishment.

“Nope, it was just a guess,” Venus confessed, as Remilia rolled her eyes.  “Hard to imagine both languages started on Earth.  They’re so different.”

“Yeah.  I’m sure all of the Rout you speak to on Fenris will be fluent in Juvjk and Gothic, though, so no worries,” Freya said.  “One thing, though, I should warn you about the meals.  Everything has a side of alcohol with it, as much for ritual as anything else; it takes a lot to get a Wolf drunk.  So don’t drink anything that isn’t water.”

“And test the water to make sure it’s not vodka?” Alex drily asked.

“Bah, real connoisseurs like alcohol with flavor to it,” Freya scoffed.  “Now, one last thing before we arrive, don’t talk about the other Legions unless you’re asked.  The Rout doesn’t take to some of them as well as others, and I don’t want you guys getting dragged into Legion politics.  If you’re not sure, let me field it, all right?” she asked.

“Who do the Wolves…Rout not like?” Jake asked, confused.  “I never see you arguing with any other Royal Daughter.”

“That’s sweet, Jake, but we’re not our fathers.  Magnus and Dad can’t stand each other, and Lion and Perturabo both get under his skin like crazy, the old dingus,” Freya muttered.  “So…just stay respectful of the other Legions and don’t talk shop, and I’m sure you guys will feel right at home.”

“Freya, you sound almost worried,” Venus said quietly.

She shrugged.  “Well…the Rout dislikes their barbaric reputation amongst the other Legions, but I’d be lying if I said they were as…welcoming as the Salamanders were.  The people here are proud and competitive, and I think it’d be wrong of the Wolves not to try to welcome you, but they won’t be too receptive of you guys making a vacation out of this.  Venus and Remilia, you two might be called upon to do some small ceremonies as long as you’re here.  Nothing huge, but other Primarchs don’t come to Fenris much; depending on which Lord is running the show, they may want to do a thing.”

“Well, that’s fine with me as long as we get to see the side of Fenris that you look forward to so much; goodness knows I made you guys sit through some crap back home,” Venus said.

“I’m not really the ceremonial type,” Remilia admitted.  “What are you talking about, exactly?”

“Well…I’ll be called upon to address the Wolf Lords in residence, of course, but you won’t be there for that.  You’ll be there more or less as a representative of the Emperor if you’re called upon at all,” Freya said.

“What?  Freya, I didn’t know we were going to be told to be representing someone!” Remilia exclaimed.

“No, no, not like a Senator or anything, you’ll just sit and be talked to, you won’t have to say much at all,” Freya soothed.  “I mean, on the other times I’ve been here they skipped the ceremony entirely a few times.  Seriously, I’ll make it very clear you’re here for yourselves, not a Legion or Grandpa.”

Her cousin glared, clearly unconvinced.  Venus looked from one to the other, her eyes muted and thoughtful.  “This doesn’t feel fair,” Remilia grumbled.  “You promise we won’t have to do anything political?”

“I swear.  If it’s really a problem, I can insist you be left out, though I don’t know how well they’ll take it.”

Remilia shook her head.  “Fine.  Whatever.  I didn’t bring anything more formal than what I wore to the dinner, though,” she said.

“That’s more than enough, trust me.  Venus won’t even have to wear that drake outfit,” Freya said.

Venus snapped her fingers.  “Damn.”




[[Category:Warhammer High]]