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

==Freya's Home==

===Uncomfortable Question===


Minutes later, she was sitting on the bench of the gunship, excitedly recalling the day’s activities to a patiently-listening Bjorn and the other Wolves from that morning.  “And the food!  I mean, there’s only so much you can do with mammoth, but it was still great!” she eagerly proclaimed.

Bjorn smiled slightly.  “I’m glad you had a good time at least, little pup.”

“I did!”  Freya’s grin shrank a bit.  “I was a little upset at the conditions of the town’s slaves, though.  To see such horrible conditions forced on them…”

The ancient Marine narrowed his eyes.  “How is it different from the way we employ skjalds?” he asked.

“Well, skjalds live like kings compared to the slaves I saw,” Freya pointed out.  “But…well.  I know I don’t have any real grounds to complain, either, but it’s just…new.”  She sighed.  “No slavery on Terra, after all.”  She glared up at Bjorn.  “You know, that question goes both ways.  What do you think the difference is?”

Bjorn crossed his arms over his armored chest.  “One is not allowed to be a skjald unless you were already a warrior or their child, lass.  And skjalds are well-compensated.”  He jerked his head back at the village.  “This is how our people live, lass, and have for ten thousand years or more.  Neither you nor I shall change it.”

Freya’s return glance was cool, but she understood.  “All right.”  She settled back in her seat.  “One guy nearly figured out who I was.  He was the local keeper of records.”

“Oh?  Did you tell him?”

“No.”  Freya snorted.  “He thought I was a Valkyrie.  I didn’t dissuade him, I just left.”

“Mmm.”  Bjorn thought it over before sighing in irritation.  “No harm done, I suppose.”

“I tried to keep from rocking the boat.”  Freya tugged her gloves off.  “Thanks again, Bjorn, the gloves were perfect.  And nobody even looked at my outfit funny.”

“Good, lass.”  Bjorn rubbed his eyes in a moment of distraction.  “Will you wish to come back?”

“Not to the village, no, but that little hillock over there is of some interest,” Freya said.  “Near where you picked me up.”

Bjorn glanced at her, curious.  “Why?”

“Just something that caught my eye.”  Freya shrugged innocently.  Bjorn took in the air, but found nothing wary in her scent.

“Very well, little pup, keep your secrets.”  Bjorn glanced down at his wrinkled hands.  The scars of ten thousand battles crisscrossed their backs.  He clenched one fist in a flash of irritation, but kept it well-hidden.  Freya wasn’t the target of his ire.  “We should be home soon.”



Alex was browsing his slate when the lights in the room suddenly went off.  He looked up to see Freya’s cloaked outline in the door for an instant before she closed the portal.  Alex grinned and set the slate down.  “Someone had fun,” he said quietly.

“Sure did,” Freya whispered from above him.  He was used to that by now, he didn’t jump.  Freya was somewhat disappointed.  Alex slid warm hands around her back and pulled her down to him, hugging her close.

“Good,” he said softly.  She buried her face in the thick shirt he was wearing and just enjoyed the moment, breathing in his scent and listening to his body.  She draped the cloak over them both and snuggled down on top of him with a contented sigh.

“How was it?” Alex asked.

She pulled her gloves off and dropped them on the bedside table.  “Good.  Educational.  I really liked it,” she said quietly.  She returned to stillness, one ear flush against him chest.  “Got weird near the end.”

“Yeah?  How?” Alex asked.

“Well…two or three different people mistook me for a Valkyrie or a nature spirit,” Freya chuckled.

Alex frowned.  “What’s a Valkyrie?”

Freya paused.  “Uh…it’s part of Fenryka mythology.  A divine female spirit that comes to comfort the fallen warriors and assists the Guides in taking the fallen to the Fang.”

Alex looked down at the mess of red hair and three thick braids on his chest in the dim light of his slate.  “And how did they get that impression?” he asked.

“That’s just what people believe around here,” Freya said.

She sat up on him and slid off to the side, pulling the cloak free.  Alex followed her with his eyes, curious.  “Did you do something that made them think that?”


Freya laughed again, a bit sleepily.  “Maybe the third time, but only so the stupid fuck didn’t get his skin frozen off in a blizzard.”

“What was he doing?” Alex asked.

“He and his girl were about to cross an open snowfield.  I could HEAR a blizzard coming, so I convinced them to stay put.”  Freya slumped off of him with a weary giggle.  “I wish I could take you there, Alex, there was so much going on!  I want to show it to you!”

Alex smiled and found Freya’s hand in the dark.  He gave it a good squeeze and lowered his voice, mock-serious.  “Any run-ins with the wildlife?”

Freya shook her head in disappointment.  “No.  Maybe I can go hunting with Bjorn later.”

Alex glanced over at her.  “Uh, politely refuse if he asks me to come along.”

“Pssh.  I wouldn’t let some mean old elk shred you,” she joked, squeezing him back.  She rested there a moment longer before pulling her boots and wrap off and tossing them in the hamper for cleaning.  “All right.  Big day tomorrow.  Gotta rest up.”  She stood and slid the rest of her clothes off for her shower.  “Hmm.  Where’s Remilia and Venus and Jake?”

Alex, already cleaned and shaved, just got under the sheets.  “Venus and Jake have been up on the observation deck.  Remilia’s watching holos.”

“Sorry you guys are getting bored,” Freya said apologetically.

“Well, we’re not, really,” Alex hedged.  “You won’t be gone every day, will you?”

Freya shook her head.  “No.  Tomorrow, we’re headed out to the islands, then dinner with the Twelfth in the Great Hall.”

Alex settled down on the bed.  “All right.  That should be fun, huh?”



As the sun rose, the teens assembled in the Great Hall for breakfast, long after most of the Wolves had already departed and their own workouts had concluded.  The cavernous room was almost completely vacant now, save a few skjalds scattered about the place cleaning up, a pair of Long Fangs discussing something over a map-slate in the farthest corner, and the travelers.  Freya took the opportunity to show off some of the more interesting trophies, of which the entire room was absolutely packed.

Twenty minutes later, clad in the lighter versions of their thermo gear, the boys were waiting in the lower hangars of the Fang for their departure.  Venus, of course immune to the cold, was just in jeans and a shortsleeve shirt, while the iceworlders adopted simple jumpsuits that could seal at the cuffs and neckline, in case of severe and unexpected downpours.

As they boarded the gunship de jure, Freya paused to accept a sizeable crate of supplies from a skjald that had met them there.  When Alex glanced over the box and raised a questioning brow, a secretive Freya replied: ‘in case the weather stays nice.’

===Gone Fishin'===



Soon enough, they were soaring over the waters that surrounded Asaheim, until the whole world was blue and grey skies and white-capped waves.  In under an hour, the gunship was circling a jagged little island, with pads of thick green foamy plants and massive flocks of birds wheeling overhead.

The gunship settled down on a thick spur of rock on the top of the stubby island and wheeled off, as the five teens made their way down to the shore.  Freya heaved a massive tarpaulin down to the rocks with the crate in Venus’ arms.  When they were just above the waterline, Freya spread the tarp out over the stones and weighed it down on the edges and corners to keep it from tugging free in the wind.

Venus set the crate down and cracked it open.  “So…do we get to know what this is, Freya?” she asked, pawing through the plastic bags inside.

Freya grinned happily and pulled forth a narrow metal pole.  “Fishing gear!  Dad used to take me fishing on this island every week like clockwork when I was here last.  We’d sit here and fish the schools that circle the island until sundown, then bake the fish over an open fire and chow down.”

“Cool,” Remilia said.  “Are there five rods?” she asked.

“Seven.  Thought a few of the guys from the crew might want to join us, but they got called away,” Freya said with a shrug.  “Oh well.”

Andrew tugged out a massive mil-spec plastic box from the crate.  “Hell of a tacklebox,” he grunted.

Freya giggled.  “Open it.”

Alex palmed the latch, but the box didn’t open.  He glanced down at the panel.  “Uh, I can’t.”

“Oh.”  Freya palmed it instead, and it beeped.  A moment later, with a hiss of pneumatics, the box swung open.

“Is…Freya, what the hell?” Remilia gaped.  Freya was extracting a Kardil-4 pattern autorifle.

“In case the fish fight back!” Freya said happily.

The others exchanged worried looks.

“They never do, not in all the years I came here,” Freya soothed them.  “But better to have and not need than need and not have, eh?” she asked, slapping a magazine into place.

Alex stared.  “…And for those of us who do not wish to risk life and limb, what’s today’s activity?” he asked bluntly.

Freya’s grin drooped a bit.  “You don’t like fishing?”

“Never tried, but…fuck.  You’re not making it look safe,” Alex accused.

“Bah, this is a precaution!” she said, setting the rifle down.

“Against what?” Alex demanded.

“Krakenspawn, primarily.  Don’t worry, I can smell or see them coming two knots off,” Freya said.  “And the Thunderhawk is close.”

“How humans survive on this rock, I’ll never know,” Jake said, fingering his fishing rod.  “The hell does this work?”



Freya set about instructing the others in how to bait and cast the tools, and soon enough the turbulent waters outside the rocky shore had five little plastic bobs floating in them.  The wind died down to a whisper as the sun crawled higher.  Alex and Jake found the temperature still quite unbearable, and wisely elected to retain their thermo kit.

“All right, I admit,” Alex said as he cast his line out again.  “This is actually pretty fun.”

Jake shielded his eyes against the glare off the water.  Even through his sunglasses, the light was overwhelming.  “What are those arrow-shaped things in the distance?” he asked.

“Dactyls,” Freya explained.  “Giant reptiles that eat fish.”

Jake stared.  “Too cool.”

Freya nodded.  “Biggest one ever recorded was half again the size of a Stormbird.”

Remilia took a drag from her water bottle.  “You sure there are actual fish around here?” she asked, glancing over the water.

“Of course!” Freya said.  She tapped her temple behind her eye.  “I can see them through the water.  We should just be casting closer to shore.”

Jake did so, casting only a few feet away from the rocks, careful not to let the line fray on the sharp volcanic stone.  Sure enough, within minutes, the line was jerking.  “Uh, what do I do?” he asked, pulling on the rod.

Freya gestured at the handle on the side of the line.  “Turn that when the line loosens!” she said.

Jake rose to his feet and started reeling.  He nearly pitched back down to the ground as whatever he had hooked pulled back.  “Gah!  Little help?” he asked, planting his feet and cranking at the line.

Remilia stood too and gripped the rod, helping him balance as he reeled.  Something white broke the surface for an instant where Jake’s line had entered the water.  Jake gripped the handle tight and reeled in as the line went slack, as the others pulled up their own lures to watch.

After nearly five minutes of panting effort, Remilia and Jake hoisted their prize aloft.  Jake gripped the thrashing fish with both gloves and tried to weigh it down, but it twisted until it nearly broke free.  Remilia grabbed a knife from her kitbag and plunged it into the fish just behind the skull, ending its writhing.  Jake gingerly released it and slumped back.  “Thanks…Remilia…” he panted, sweat pouring off of his face.

The blond athlete nodded.  “No problem,” she said roughly, wrenching the knife free.

“And to the victors go the spoils,” Freya said, walking over with a peeling knife.  “You wanna do it, Remilia?” she asked, offering up the blade.

“Nah, you can do it,” Remilia said, rubbing her hands clean on a towel.

Jake slumped back against the rocks.  He stared at his gloved hands.  They were visibly shaking from the exertion.  “I’ve never gotten into a full-contact wrestling match with my food before,” Jake noted.  He peeled his hat off and shook the sweat from his hair.  “Whoof.  That was hard,” he panted.

Venus set his water bottle next to him on the stone.  He grinned up at her, still a bit shaky.  “Thanks, babe.”  He opened the cap and downed a few gulps as Freya set about busily dismembering the fish.

“Trick is not to cut too deep, but not so close to the skin that you wreck the knife on the armor scale,” Freya muttered, tongue clenched between her lips.  She was trying to peel the skin of the animal back with the little knife she had packed, with little success.  “Fuck.  Wish I had brought a chainsword,” she said.

Remilia slid her own knife into the fish’s gills and held it there as Freya finally made some headway on the skinning.  Alex watched the gruesome display from his own perch on the rocky shore.  “Remilia, where did you learn how to skin a fish?” he asked.

Remilia paused her eviscerating to reply.  “Last time I went home to Inwit, we went ice-fishing on the In-gui-teh glacial rivers,” she said, blowing a drop of sweat off her nose.  “I mean, it was eleven years ago, but you never forget,” she said, going back to it.

Venus crouched next to Jake and rooted through her bags for a firestarter.  Jake capped his water and set it down, cracking his knuckles under his gloves.  “Oof.”  He wiped some fish slime off of his jacket with a tissue from the bag.  “So, you ever had fish cooked like this?’ he asked.

“Nope, this will be new,” Venus said, lifting the little plastic device.  “Ah hah!”  She slid it in her pocket and stood back up.  “Hey Alex, help me grab some driftwood and we’ll start a fire, huh?” she asked.

Alex obligingly rose from his seat and started gathering some of the sun-and-ice-bleached drifts of wood around them.

They stacked them in a circle as Jake wobbled back up.  Freya and Remilia hacked the rest of the scales off of the fish and started boning it as Venus stuffed some leaves into the middle of the wood.  “Jake, can you grab the cooking bits from the crate?” Freya asked over her shoulder.

“Sure,” Jake said.  He walked over to the crate and lifted a wide metal pan from the crate, glancing over the sky as he did.  Aside from a few more dactyls in the far distance, the weather was as clear as could be, without a cloud in the sky.  He looked back to the contents of the crate and grabbed a few metal forks with long, slender handles as he did.  “This all of it?” he asked.

Freya glanced over.  “Yeah, bring it over to me,” she said.  She drew her knife back and sliced a thick slab of white meat off of the fish.  Its watery blood sluiced down into the cracks of the rock beneath them as she hauled it free.  “All right…put it down there,” she instructed.  Jake set the pan down and Freya dropped the piece of fish-meat onto the metal surface with an audible *splat.*

“All right,” she said with relish, glancing over at where Venus was applying a little fire to the wood.  The bone-dry wood erupted into a roaring blaze in under a minute, and Venus slid the lighter back into the bag.  “Remilia, grab the plates?” Freya asked.  She sank into a crouch near the blaze and let the warmth seep into her chilly fingers.

“Yep.”  Remilia dug around in the crate and extracted five metal kitbag plates, and a few handfuls of cutlery.  “Anyone running low on water?” she asked.


===The Spoils===


“No, thanks,” Jake answered, hefting his half-full bottle.  “How long does fish take to cook?”

“Not too long,” Freya replied, watching as the flames ate away at the wood.  “Just gonna let it heat up a bit more.”

Alex walked up to the edge of the rocks and peered out over the waves.  The water was calming greatly, compared to how it had been when they arrived.  The endless blue stretched out to the horizon, in every direction, unbroken by land or ships.

The fire popped and hissed as Freya put the pan over it on a metal frame.  “There you go.”  Freya kicked back and lay down a few feet from the little flame, a satisfied look on her face.  “Nothing like eating something whose ass you just kicked, huh?”

“It does grow on you,” Remilia said with a grin.  “Too cold to do it anywhere but the equator back home, but we did it.”
“Yeah?  Any good stories?” Freya asked.

Remilia crouched down by the fire and cupped her hands over each other in her lap.  “Not really.  I was just an eleven-year-old kid, the one time I remembering being on Inwit.  All we really did was hunt Ice Hounds from the back of a Stormraven with a Stalker bolter, and even then I didn’t shoot it.”

She rocked back on her heels and crossed her legs.  “Still…that was the best lunch.”

Freya chuckled.  “Every time I came home before, we’d go hunting or fishing.  The Legion’s too big to get its food from hunting alone, now, of course, because we’d pick the continent dry if we tried, but still.”  She wiped fish goo from her arms and rinsed with a towel.  “One of the best times I ever had was when I was about…this high off the ground,” she said, holding her hand a few feet high.  “I was out on the Koromi ice fields with Dad, and for some reason he was wearing his armor.  We were tracking an Elk, which might not sound so scary until you realize that Fenrisian Elk are about eleven feet tall and with antlers made of broken glass and diamond chips, basically,” she quipped.

She stared up at the sky with a happy grin.  “Let’s see…we were losing the Elk over the snowdrifts.  I just couldn’t keep up.  So Dad says ‘you don’t get to complain about this later,’ picks me up, and sits me on his pauldron, then takes off so fast my hair was probably standing out straight behind me.”  Freya giggled.  “That was awesome.”

“And you did, of course, catch the Elk?” Venus said drily.

“Fucking thing probably felt like it got hit by a tank,” Freya replied with a smile.  “Man, I hope we can get out hunting while we’re here.”

“Sounds like fun, but a little too risky for me,” Alex said.  “Unless you can guarantee that we’d be safe.”

“Nope, sorry,” Freya said regretfully.

Alex shrugged.  “Oh well.”  He glanced down at where the chunk of fish was roasting on the pan.  “Is it ready?”

“Nope, gotta flip it,” Freya said.  Remilia reached for the fork.

“Here, let me just…fuck,” she said.  The fork’s tines tore through the fish’s baking flesh.  Remilia tried again with similar results.  “This may be a problem,” she said, staring at the cooking fish.

Venus coughed.  “May I?” she asked.

“If you wanna have a crack at it,” Remilia said, extending the fork to her.

Venus ignored it, and instead simply reached through the flame to grab the pan and jerk it laterally, neatly flipping the fish over.  She pulled her hand back – unscathed – and smiled coyly.  “Salamander.”

“Right,” Remilia said, shaking her head.  “Of course.”

Freya chuckled at Venus’ smug grin.  “Nice.”  She sat up and tossed a small piece of wood onto the guttering flames.  “Your hand okay?”

Venus scoffed and turned her hand around so the others could see it.  It was completely unmarked.  “Just fine, thanks, that was way below the level where I’d actually feel it.”  Jake raised an eyebrow at that remark, and idly wondered exactly how hot the iron had been when she had scorched herself back home.

Alex refilled his water bottle from the little charcoal-filtered pitcher in the crate.  “All right…who wants what?” he asked, pulling out a small bag of assorted cookies.

“I’ll just have fish, I think, the one I caught was huge,” Jake said, eyeing the massive chunk of the animal that Freya hadn’t even thrown on the pan yet.

“True ‘nuff.”  Alex tossed a cookie to Remilia and to Venus, and selected one for himself.  “Think it’s done?”

“Just about,” Freya said, poking it with the fork.  “Remilia and Jake, you guys did the work, you get first portions,” she said, grabbing two plates with her free hand.

“Cool.”  Jake took a plate as Venus grabbed the scalding pan and Freya pulled a chunk off.  He caught it on his plate and set it down to cool a bit, as Remilia did the same.  “Thanks, Freya.”

“Is this the first time you’ve had fish?” Freya asked.

Jake laughed aloud.  “Hah!  Can’t blame you for asking, but no, in fact, it isn’t.  I had a fish when I was over at Vulkan’s for a dinner once.  Blew my mind,” he said.  He waved cold air over the fish and sliced off a piece.  He stared at the chunk of food on his fork and made a brave air.  “All right.  Moment of truth.”

He bit into the white flesh and chewed, making a great show of consideration.  The others exchanged patient glances.  “Hmm.  I have…no idea what this tastes like,” he said at great length.  He bit it again.  “Fucking delicious, though,” he added.

“Excellent.”  Remilia dropped the rest of the edible fish into the pan and started cooking it.  She turned back to her own food and bit off a steaming morsel.  “Mmph.  Awesome.”

“Good,” Freya said primly, as if the compliment was laid upon her entire planet rather than one hapless fish.


As the rest of the fish cooked and the other three dug in, Jake finished his own food and pulled some water.  “If you all don’t mind, I think I’m gonna climb the rocks a bit,” he said.  He jerked a thumb over his shoulders at the piles of craggy pumice in the middle of the wave-scoured island.

“Sure,” Freya said, waving him away.  “Nothing vertical without a rope, now,” she cautioned.

“Yep.”  Jake brushed his hands on the side of his pants where the oils would eventually flake away from the treated fiber.  “Anyone else want in?”

“Sure,” Remilia said.  She finished her own fish and followed Jake as he slowly wended his way up the rocks.  The island was small, only about four hundred feet high at the peak, so they would be able to see the LZ from their route.

Jake cinched his gloves and grabbed a rough piece of wood, using it like a walking stick.  “Not quite a basalt pillar, but it’ll do, right?” he asked Remilia as they climbed.

Remilia snorted.  “Sure.”  She pointed out at the peak of the hill.  “Up for a race?” she asked, her voice laden with innocence.

Jake turned to look at her.

She grinned.  “No, huh?”  She clapped him on the shoulder and started up ahead of him on the rocks.  “Here, you got a camera or a vox or anything on you?” she asked.

Jake patted one pocket.  “I do.”

“Cool.”  Remilia tested a chunk of grey pumice with her hand, then wrenched, pulling it free, and tossed it aside.  She gripped the hole in the stone it had left instead, and nodded, finding it sufficient.

Down below, Freya finished off the last of the fish.  “All right.  Do you guys want to head out now, or fish a bit more?” she asked.

Venus grabbed the pan out of the dying flame and set it aside to cool.  “Let’s stay a bit longer,” she said.  She glanced up at the open sky and scanned the endless horizon.  “I want to appreciate this view.”

“Works for me,” Freya said.  She grabbed her rod and walked back down to the edge of the water.

Venus leaned back against the rocks behind her and settled down, watching the waves.  “I wish we had views we could see like this back home.”

“Nocturne had oceans,” Alex pointed out.

Venus shook her head.  Her black ponytail shook on her shoulder.  “No, Terra.  They boiled off the oceans before Uncle Rogal built the last wing of the Palace.”

“Ah, yeah.”  Alex sat back down beside her.  “You nervous about tonight?” he asked.

Venus looked away for a second.  “A little.”

“I mean, I’m sure we’ll be safe, but it’s just gonna be…so awkward,” Alex said.  He sighed to himself.  “I don’t know how to tell Freya.”

Venus winced.  “I guarantee she can still hear us at this range.”

Alex slapped his forehead.  “Fuck.”

Sure enough, Freya’s shoulders rose a fraction before settling back down.  She cast her bait into the water once more and crossed her legs for a long sit.

Venus pulled out her vox and snapped a picture of the skyline.  “You know, I avoided the opportunity for us to dine on Prometheus with more than a few Brothers at a time because for the Salamanders, mealtimes involve a recitation of lore from the Creed.  I didn’t want to make people awkward.  I know for a fact that that isn’t the case with the Wolves.  I suspect that there’s not much to be worried about.”

“Right.”  Alex rose to his feet and patted himself off.  “All right.”  He walked down to where Freya was sitting and squatted down behind her.

“Hey.”  Freya flicked her rod again, sending the little red plastic bob into the water.

“Hey.”  Alex fidgeted for a moment.  “Look, I’m sorry, I should have come to you first.  Is there anything I should know about tonight?” he awkwardly asked.

Freya shrugged.  “A few things.  I would have told you before the dinner anyway.”  She reeled up a bit of slack line.  “First of all, you guys will get called into the Hall after I do.  I wouldn’t want you to sit through the prayer.”

“Okay.”  Alex crossed his legs too, and uncapped his water bottle.  “What else?”

“Not much.  I expect that a few of the Brothers at the High Table will be constantly asking questions, about Terra mostly.  The Rout doesn’t go to Terra too often.”  She looked over at him and grinned faintly.  “Remember what I said when you asked me what it would be like to come here, back when Remilia was living with me?”

Alex thought for a moment.  “Uh…you said someone might ask me if I wanted to be inducted into the Wolves,” he remembered.

“Heh.  Yeah, I suspect so.  Maybe a few drinking contest challenges too, and someone’s gonna poke wise at us sharing bed before getting married, you can bet on that,” she chuckled.  “But it’ll all be older brother stuff.  You’ll be all right.”

Alex nodded.  “Okay.  Thanks.”  He picked up his own fishing rod and replaced the bait.  “Mind if join you?”

“Just move a few feet away so we don’t cross our lines,” Freya said.  Alex scooted a small distance to one side and cast his own line, leaving the two of them in silence.

Far above, Remilia reached the top of the volcanic hillock in the middle of the tiny island.  “Hell of a view.”  Jake walked up behind her, panting a bit.  “Here’s a pic to send to your folks, huh?” she asked.

Jake nodded, out of breath.  “Yeah, hang on…”  He pawed the camera-vox out of his pocket and pressed a few runes.  He snapped a few holos of the horizons, and tilted his vox back to capture the circling dactyls as well.  “Those things are so cool.”

“I know.  Did you see any on Nocturne?  They have creatures called dactyls there, too,” Remilia pointed out.

“Really?  Are they related?” Jake asked, handing her the vox.

“No idea.  Doubt it.”  Remilia snapped a picture of their impromptu campsite down below.  “Here, smile!” she said, snapping a holo of Jake too.
Jake blinked away the aftereffects of the flash.  “You caught my bad side!” he joked, snatching away the vox.  “Here, I’ll take one of you to send home,” he said.  Remilia crossed her arms over her chest and grinned at the camera as Jake snapped a holo.

“Cool, thanks.”  Remilia spun on her heel, trying to get her bearings.  “Which way is the Fang from here?” she asked.

“Should be due north,” Jake said.  “Hell if I know where that is.”

===Shit Gets Real===


Below, Alex idly cast his line again.  A sudden tug on the end brought his attention down to the water.  “Hey, I got something!” he said.

Freya leaned over.  “Yeah, you do!”  She set her own rod down.  “Reel it in!”

Alex stood, bracing himself against the rough rocks.  “It’s huge, whatever it is,” he grunted, pulling the line back in.  He nearly toppled over as the animal on the other end pulled back.

Freya moved over behind him and wrapped her arms around his midsection, anchoring him.  Alex reeled up the line, inch by torturous inch.  Venus stood and walked over to watch the spectacle.  After a few more minutes of reeling, a distant white blob broke the water and splashed back down.

“Looks like you nabbed a bladefish,” Freya grunted.  “Good eats.”

“Think we’ll let it go, though?” Alex asked through clenched teeth.

“Probably.”  Freya reached around him to grab the handle of the rod over his own hands.  “All right, reel it up!”

Alex hauled on the handle, pulling the distant fish up another meter.  “Get over here, you scaly little fuck,” he growled.

“The hell are those?” Venus suddenly asked, pointing out over the water.

The tone of her voice grabbed Freya’s attention.  She tore her gaze from the battle of Alex versus bladefish to follow Venus’ pointing finger.  A distant blob of grey was moving around in the water, nearly a kilometer away.

Freya’s eyes went wide.  She grabbed Alex’s rod out of his hands and stepped aside, and he nearly stumbled from the sudden loss of balance.  “Freya, what the hell?” Alex asked, panting.

“Quiet!” Freya snarled.  She stared into the distant grey blob and listened carefully, drawing deep breaths of the fading wind.  “FUCK!  Call the gunship, Venus!” she snapped.  She reached up to the fishing line on the rod and snapped it with one bite.

“Freya, what’s happening?” Alex demanded.  Venus scooped up the recall beacon from the crate and tapped the button.

“Krakenspawn are coming!” Freya said, tossing the rod into the crate and running over to their campsite.  “We are packing up and LEAVING!”

Alex paled.  “How long do we have?” he asked.

“Maybe ten minutes,” Freya said.  She dropped the rods into the crate and rolled up the tarp, chucking it in.  “Come on, come on!  Venus, go get the others!” she over her shoulder.  “Alex, break camp!”

“No arguments here,” Alex muttered.  He ran over to the metal pan and rubbed the fish goo out of it with a cloth.

Above, Venus hurdled a few low rocks until she was within sight of the other two, still up snapping pictures on the hilltop.  She inflated her lungs and screamed.  “GET DOWN HERE!”  Her superhuman voice carried up to the other two, startling them both.  Remilia stared down at where her cousin was urgently waving.

“Uh…” Jake said.  “Sounds like an order.”

Remilia looked over to where Freya and Alex were frantically packing.  “…Time for a dust-off,” she muttered.  “Jake, how much do you trust me right now?” she asked, turning to face her friend.

Jake stared at her.  “Uh…a lot?”

Remilia slid her arms under Jake’s shoulders and pulled backwards until the taller man fell back against them with a startled gasp.  She shifted one arm below his knees and threw herself off the hilltop, landing on the ground beside Venus nearly thirty feet below.

“Sorry,” she said tightly, letting Jake back to his feet.

“No, no, it was quite…heroic,” Jake said weakly, easing back up.

“Krakenspawn, inbound fast,” Venus said, concern for their wellbeing overriding her amusement at the look on her lover’s face.  “Gunship’s inbound, get down to the camp and help us break it down,” she said, already jogging off.

Jake and Remilia followed her, stopping to help Alex pack up the camp.  Venus rolled her sleeves up and brushed the lingering embers aside, extinguishing the flames.  Alex and Jake manhandled the few other pieces of equipment they had brought with them into the crate as Remilia and Freya opened the mil-spec case up and extracted the autorifle inside.  “Hoped I wouldn’t need this,” Freya muttered, slapping a magazine home and chambering a round.

Remilia brushed her cousin aside and withdrew two small stub pistols, tossing one to Venus.  “ETA on the gunship?” she asked.

Freya grabbed the recaller from the ground next to the case.  “Eight minutes.”

“And the fish?” Remilia asked, staring at the growing grey blob.

“Kraken.  And eight minutes,” Freya said.

“Fantastic.”  Remilia straightened up and slid a magazine home, tucking a few more in pockets.

Venus clamped the crate shut and hefted it with Freya, carrying it up to the flat rock they had been using as a landing zone.  Remilia dropped the gun case on top of the crate and stood behind it, eyeing the water.  “What were you saying about the trip to the village not having any interesting wildlife encounters?” she asked drily.

Freya managed a tight laugh.  “Funny.”  She sighted down the rifle and leaped up on top of the four foot cubic crate.  “All right.  Krakenspawn are all mouths and tentacles, but they can cross short stretches of land if they’re trying to.  Just aim for center of mass and remember to triple-tap.”  She sighed.  “I should have asked the gunship to stay, damn it.”

The group went quieter as the grey mass of waves and foam grew closer.  “Can you tell how many there are?” Jake asked, nervously wringing his hands over his waist.

“Forty?  Fifty?” Freya said, staring into the water.  “Too many.”

Alex grimaced, anger at his predicament spilling into his voice.  “Got any more guns?”

“I wish, baby,” Freya said softly.  Her fingers tightened on the gun as her predatory instinct flared up.  Venus arranged a few magazines of ammunition for her pistol on the crate-top beside her and balanced the weapon on her palm, feeling it out.

“Wish I’d brought the hardware that came with the formal uniform,” she said under her breath.

Remilia chuckled through her tension.  “But we already had cooked fish today,” she reminded her.

“Mmm, pan-seared sea monster,” Venus said.

A distant ripple presaged the front of the swarm of monsters.  A few creatures roamed out in front, their passing churning the blue water white.
Jake shivered.  The prospect of hive living was suddenly much less unappealing.

Alex crouched beside him, slowly flexing and relaxing his hands.  “How big are these things, Freya?” he asked, his throat tightening.

“Depends on age.  Five to twenty meters before they molt…” she said, flicking the scope open and sighting it.  “Maybe a hundred meters when they’re older.”

Jake’s heartrate spiked.  “…And you can kill them with a rifle?” he asked, trying not to sound distracting.

Freya bared her teeth.  “I can.  You just need to know where to shoot.”

“And where’s that?” Venus asked.

“Seven or so centimeters above and between the forwardmost eyes,” Freya said.  “Soft spot in the cartilage.”  She breathed in deep, scenting the monsters.  “I’d say…forty five or so.”  She gripped the rifle until her knuckles turned white.  “Guys…I’m sorry.  I swear this has never happened while I was here before,” she said, somewhat bitterly.  “Just my fucking luck.”

None of the others felt the need to say anything.  Remilia sat down with her side to the crate, looking into the water.  The small fish they had been seeing, and the larger bladefish that had been eating them, were gone.  They had fled the coming kraken, and Remilia couldn’t blame them.

Jake scanned the shy with hopeful eyes, wondering where the gunship was.  “What I wouldn’t give for a teleporter.”

Venus met his eyes through her glasses.  “Don’t give up, Jake,” she said softly.  “We can hold them until the gunship gets here.”

His face was a mask of nerves and fear.  “Not how I pictured this going,” he said tightly.  “Tell me you can shoot that thing.”

Venus slowly raised one eyebrow.  “I can,” she said flatly.

“Of course,” Jake said.  “Sorry.  I’m just scared,” he admitted.

Venus squeezed his shoulder.  “So am I.”

“You don’t look it,” Jake said.

She stared out over the water.  “I’m just good at hiding it.”

Remilia suddenly jerked her head up and stared at the horizon.

The rumble of engines in the air alerted them to their approaching salvation.  The gunship appeared, flying over the wavetops from the opposite direction as the krakenspawn.  Freya lifted the recall beacon and pressed the button on the end, and the small flare in the other side started spewing red smoke to mark their location.  She tossed the beacon behind them and sighted down her rifle again, hoping that the pilot would realize the gravity of the situation.

It seemed he did.  The engine sound suddenly grew much louder as the pilot realized what was happening and opened the throttle wide.  He shot forward, racing towards them.


===Escape===


The first krakenspawn broke the water, nearly a hundred meters away from the island and growing closer, though still nowhere near enough to climb the rocks.  The creature looked like something out of nightmare, with thick purple lines of flesh between plates of chitinous armor and tentacles that ended in wicked barbs.

Both boys swallowed.  Freya clenched her teeth.

The gunship didn’t even slow down as it approached.  Instead it shot overhead, slowing to unsling its assault cannon.  The cyclic weapon opened up, firing a sheet of mass-reactive shells into the swarm of animals.  The cohesive swarm disintegrated as the anti-tank weapon ripped holes in the first cluster of krakenspawn.

Venus allowed herself a sigh of relief, but mere moments later one of the spawn erupted from the water and landed on the shore, having somehow eluded the gunship’s cannon.  The monstrosity flailed about a little before sighting the cluster of teenaged vacationers.  Freya let it get that far before blowing three neat little holes in its forehead.

The report of the gun made the unaugmented party members flinch.  The creature slumped over and died, sloughing back into the water with a splash.

Remilia snatched up the recaller, ignoring the smoke, and pressed the button again.  The gunship slowly flew backwards, still firing.  It slowly settled down on the edge of the clearing and the ramp swung down.  Two uniformed skjalds leaped for the, sweeping the LZ for clearance.  Before anyone could say a word, Freya stomped up the ramp.  Venus and Remilia grabbed the crate and lugged it aboard as Alex and Jake scrambled up behind them.  Freya ripped the cabin hatch open and stormed into the cabin, watching the krakenspawn flail and try to climb the island.

As the two skjalds climbed aboard, the ramp lifted and the gunship took off, heading back to the Fang.  The pilot turned to look at Freya.  “Are you all right, Princess?”

“When I recall your gunship and you see that we’re on the verge of being attacked, I never want to see you pausing for target practice before extracting us like I’ve ordered you to, is that clear?” Freya snarled.

The skjald recoiled.  “Princess?”

“One of the spawn made the shore while you were off merrily blowing holes in its kin,” Freya said darkly.  “I had to kill it myself.  What would have happened if I hadn’t had a rifle with me, pray tell?”

“My apologies, Princess, but we were outnumbered fifty to one,” the pilot said, trying to keep the defensiveness out of his tone.

“Sure.”  Freya closed the hatch and dropped the rifle into the case.  Venus and Remilia passed her their pistols and she dropped them into the case as well.  It closed and sealed with a *click.*  The two uniformed skjalds set their weapons down on the benches beside the hatch as Jake sank into his seat, head in his hands.

“Ugh.”

Venus sat beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder.  “It’ll be all right,” she murmured.

“Yeah, we’re all okay,” Jake said into his hands.  “Just…fuck.”

“Never had someone fire a gun that close, huh?” Venus asked.

“Is it always that…loud?” Jake asked.

“Yeah.”  Venus squeezed his shoulder, looking for some sign that he was recovering.  “Do your ears hurt?”

“Not now…just…” Jake trailed off.

Alex sat down on his other side with a heavy sigh.  Venus leaned on Jake’s shoulder and slid an arm under his own arm, gently lacing her fingers with his.  “You’ll be fine.”  Alex closed his eyes and ground his hands into his eyes, feeling the adrenaline bleeding away and leaving his arms shaking.
Remilia sat down beside the skjalds and stared at the others, going through the motions of making their stresses go away.  She clenched her hands and willed her own shakes away.  Without any real mystery as to why, she found herself wondering where Kines was, and how he was doing.  Remilia closed her eyes and tried to picture the look on his face when she told him what she had been up to, and smiled at the image.

Freya plopped down next to Alex.  “Well, guys, I’m really sorry about this,” she sighed.  “I knew there was a tiny possibility of this happening, but this was just…” she trailed off.

Remilia shook her head, eyes still closed.  “Nobody’s mad, Freya.  It happens.  I guess?”

“Yeah.  Welcome to Fenris,” Freya said, somewhat sullen.

“Fenrisian fishermen must be the manliest sons of bitches around,” Jake suddenly said.

The skjalds and Freya chuckled.  “It’s true,” Freya confessed.  Alex managed a grin.

“Estimated Time of Arrival is twenty-seven minutes, your Highness,” the gunner called from the cabin over the PA.

Freya stood, cricking her shoulder where the report of the autorifle had impacted it.  With her strength, the recoil hadn’t injured her, but the weapon was made for Blood Claws, who were usually half a meter taller than her.  “Guys, I feel like I have something to make up for here,” she admitted.

“Quit it.”  Remilia looked up at her and frowned.  “It’s Fenris.  Fish happens.”

“Stick that on a travel brochure,” Venus said.

Freya sat back down, smiling sheepishly.  “I’m glad you guys are so cool about this.”

“I don’t know, Freya,” Jake said quietly, clenching his hands over each other.  “That thing’s gonna be in my nightmares for a while.”  He looked up at her.  “Can we not go fishing again for a while?”

Freya wilted a bit.  “Of course.”



===Stranger at Home===

Bjorn the Eldest, presiding Wolf Lord, slowly paced his room in the Fang, reading a message on his dataslate.  “A week and a half before the ship arrives, and then…hmm,” he said to himself.  A loud knock on the door announced a guest.  He switched off the slate and halted his pacing.  “Come.”

Freya walked in, closing the door behind her.  Bjorn spread his arms.  “Little pup.  How did your fishing expedition go?”

“Horrible.  We were attacked by krakenspawn,” Freya said.  She was very careful not to sound like she was accusing Bjorn.  “The bastards actually made it ashore before the gunship got us out of there.”

“Oh?  So much for that trip then,” Bjorn said.  “Are you all uninjured?”

“Yeah, though Jake and Alex are a little shook up.”  She sighed.  “I don’t blame them, they’re not fighters.  The gunship’s pilot and gunner paused their pickup to fire on the krakenspawn, though, that pissed me the hell off.”

“What did they do?” Bjorn asked, his brow creasing.

Freya snorted impatiently.  “We signaled for a pickup.  They flew over our heads and fired on the krakenspawn, and Remilia had to hit the recaller again before they came to actually pick us up.  The spawn had actually managed to get ashore by the time they stopped jacking off and let the ramp down.”

“Disappointing,” Bjorn rumbled.  “I’ll have a word with them.”

“Thanks.”  Freya sank into a massive chair and ran her hands over her face.  “I will never complain about not seeing enough wildlife when I go to town, I promise,” she muttered.

Bjorn nodded once.  “Perhaps later you could return?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Freya said.  The Juvjk dialect lent her words a melancholy tone.  “I feel like shit.”

Bjorn sat down as well.  “Why?”

“I jeopardized their lives, Eldest.  I shouldn’t have done that,” Freya confessed.  “It’s easy for me to forget sometimes that the boys especially can’t really keep up with me sometimes.  I didn’t even bring guns for them.”

“I don’t follow,” Bjorn said.  “Did they slow you down somehow?”

“No!”  Freya stared at the floor.  “Look, I just feel awful for putting them in harm’s way.”

Bjorn slowly stood again, looking down at the redheaded girl with an air of remorse.  “Are you telling me that you regret taking them on this trip to go fish…or to Fenris?  I can not tell, from the sense of you,” he said quietly.

Freya closed her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose.  “Yeah.  I guess it did sound that way, didn’t it.”  She huffed.  “I don’t regret bringing them here.  I truly don’t.  But the trip today was supposed to be a chance for them to experience the parts of Fenrisian life that I enjoyed so much with Dad last time I was here.  Instead we nearly get eaten.”

“Little pup, I don’t know how to tell you this, but most of the struggles of life on Fenris involve nearly dying in some way,” Bjorn said, sternness hardening his words.

“I was afraid you’d say that.”  Freya stood.  “So what do you recommend?  We leave early?  I just confine them to the Fang?”

“‘Confine’ sounds like a punishment.”  Bjorn opened one hand and extended it to her.  “Let them dine with the Brothers tonight.  If we can not make them feel at home, then speak to me again.  Until then, however…I think it too early to make a decision.”

“You’re right, Bjorn.”  Freya stood.  “All right.  Thanks.  I needed someone to talk to.”  She yawned as the day’s exertions took their toll.  “Would you mind terribly if I showed them the skjalds’ quarters?  The rec rooms, and such?”

“I care not.  Ask before you go.”  Bjorn cocked his head.  “You know that the skjalds find precious little free time here.”

“I do, but I feel that it’s as much a part of the lives of the residents of the Fang as anything,” Freya explained.

“Then of course you may, little pup.”  Bjorn nodded once.  “Now…if you would, I was reading an important message from Terra.”

“Sure.”  Freya turned to go.  “Nothing bad, I hope?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Quite the opposite; reinforcements from Terra are on the way to here and some of our field deployments,” Bjorn said.  “I will speak to you tonight.”


Above, Venus sat down next to Jake on the bed in their suite.  Jake was feeling a little better, but the afternoon’s activities were clearly staying with him.  “Do you want to take a nap before dinner?” she asked.

Jake shook his head.  “No thanks.”  He straightened up, staring into space.  “You know, even living in the hives I never saw someone firing a gun up close?”

“It’s scary the first few times,” Venus said.

“I wasn’t home when it happened to my neighbor.  Did I ever tell you about that?” Jake asked.

“You started to, on Nocturne.”

Jake nodded.  “Right.  I was at work when someone walked up to my neighbor when he was opening his door to go to work, and just unloaded a shotgun into him at point blank.”

Venus shuddered.  “Horrible.”

“Yeah.  The killer just stepped over him, took my neighbor’s stereo, walked back out and drove off.”  Jake sighed.  “He got caught half a klick away, trying to fence it.  An Enforcer Widget caught the sound of the shot.”

Venus blinked.  “A what?”

“A Widget.  Disguised camera and audio pickup built into the traffic lights.  I mentioned them at the dinner in Skarokk,” Jake reminded her.

“Oh, yeah.”  Venus looked over at him.  Jake was still staring at the wall.  Venus sighed.  “This has been a wild trip, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Regret it?”

“Hell no.”

“Good.”  Venus lay down on the bed and held out an inviting hand to him, brushing his arm.  He looked back at her and cracked a tiny grin.  Shucking his jacket, he slid down and rested his head on her proffered arm.

“Thanks, baby,” he said quietly, closing his eyes.  “…Maybe I will take a nap.”

Venus scooted closer to him and entwined her legs with his.  Through his thick thermo clothes, she was nothing more than a comforting warmth.  “Okay,” she said softly.  “Sleep tight.”

Remilia leaned on the frame of Alex and Freya’s door as Freya returned from her status report to Bjorn.  “How was it?” she asked as he cousin rounded the corner.

“I’m starting to regret taking you guys outdoors at all,” Freya grumbled.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Remilia said crossly.

Freya puffed an out an aggravated breath.  “Fine.  I can’t obsess over it.”  She looked at Venus’ and Jake’s closed door.  “Is Jake okay?” she asked.

“He’ll be fine, he was just a little shaken up.”  Remilia nodded solemnly.  “He’s gonna nap, I think.”

“All right.”  Alex emerged from the room, tousled a bit from removing his thermo kit and slipping on a more normal pair of pants and a tee.  “How about you, baby?” Freya inquired.

“I’m just fine,” Alex said with a shrug.  “What did Lord Bjorn say?”

Freya glanced down at the floor for a moment.  “Not much.  He said we should dine with him tonight before I decide what to do next.”

“Smart.”  Remilia rose from her slouch.  “All right.  We’ve got four hours.  What do you guys want to do?” she asked.

“I think I just wanna read in bed for a while, actually,” Alex said, stifling a yawn.

“Me too,” Freya said, walking past him into the room.

Remilia paused.  “Uh, guys, do you mind if I read with you?  I just don’t really want to be by myself right now, you know?”

Freya’s senses detected a slight urgency to her request.  “’Course not,” she said.

Her cousin nodded.  “Great, thanks,” she said, disappearing into her room.

===ETD (Estimated Time of Dinner)===


A few hours later, Jake awoke as a bead of sweat worked its way past his eye.  He lifted his head to see Venus fast asleep across from him.  He gingerly rose from where he had lain down on her arm and dried his forehead.  He always woke up hot when he fell asleep that close to her.
He pulled his thermo kit free and started dressing for the evening, glancing over the clock as he did.  Early.  Plenty of time.  Good.  He grabbed his slate as he finished and opened his messages.

Venus stirred on the bed as he did.  “Mmmph.  Hey,” she mumbled, propping herself up.

“I wake you up?” Jake asked idly, paging through to his inbox.

“No.  Anything new?”

Jake laughed aloud as a message from his parents came through.  “Check this out.  It’s a photo from home!  My cousin Alice got engaged!” he said, passing Venus the slate.

“Really?  Cool!” Venus said, taking the slate.  Sure enough, a picture of a radiant young woman standing hand in hand with a dark-haired man a few years her senior appeared on the screen.  “Have I ever met them?”

“No, but you will when we have the going-away party when we get home,” Jake said.  “That’s Alice and her fiancé Hajime.”

“Cute couple,” Venus said, passing it back.

“Yeah.  Alice is my mother’s closest, by a lot.  She has an even younger brother who’s a few years older than me,” Jake explained.

“I know basically nothing about your family on your mother’s side,” Venus noted.

“You’ll meet them when you go home with me after the road trip.  That weepy guy there is my grandfather Eric, he’s a Fists Battle Group vet,” Jake said, opening a new picture.

“Huh.”  Venus looked it over.  “Where’s your mother’s mother?” she asked.

“Losing a battle to a viral infection in the hospital, last I heard,” Jake said glumly.

Venus winced.  “Sorry.”

“Eh.”  Jake turned off the slate.  “All right.  Well.  I feel a lot better,” he said, standing up.  “Wanna go hang with the others before dinner?”

“Sure,” Venus said.

Jake turned to put nicer shoes on.  “So…you know, I don’t think I know Misja’s family at all either.”

“Well, Mom’s the youngest of like…eight siblings, half of whom aren’t even living on Terra,” Venus explained as she slid her bra off for something less sporty.  “You’ll meet them all eventually, they make a point of coming home every so often.”

Jake grinned to himself.  “We’ve gotta be lucky that way.”

“Huh?”

“How many of your cousins have such close kin on their mothers’ sides?” Jake asked.  “And me too?”

“It’s a thing to treasure,” Venus agreed.  “I’ve never even met Lady Guilliman, or Lady Angron, for that matter.  I’m not sure even Furia ever met her mother.”

“Really?” Jake asked.  “I remember you telling me Lord Guilliman married first.”

“Oh, he did, but he married a woman from Macragge, not Terra, and she’s Lady Regent of Ultramar, so she’s hella busy.”  Venus finished changing and grabbed her slate.  Jake did the same and opened the door.  “All right.  Let’s go track down the others.”

As the hour approached, Freya glanced over the clock by her side and switched her slate off.  “All right, guys, any questions before I head down there?” she asked.

The others looked up at her from their places in her room.  “Yeah, what do we have to say?” Alex asked.

“Not a word, unless you want to.  If you’re asked, just smile and shake your head.”  Freya dropped her slate and pulled her cloak off the chair back.  “Won’t need the dress, just the cloak will do…”

“Any rules of etiquette we need to know?” Jake asked.

Freya paused to look at him funny.  “Have you ever seen Dad eat?”

“Point taken,” Jake said.

Freya shrugged the cloak on.  “Just remember that the rules of the Hall are absolutely sacrosanct to us.  There are members of the Rout that would rather go punch an Ice Fiend than deliberately insult an invited guest.  You guys will be fine.”

Remilia set her slate aside.  “Should we come down with you?”

“No, just wait ten minutes and follow me.”  Freya pulled the gloves and hood on and left the rest of the outfit behind.  “All right, off I go.”  She leaned over to give Alex a kiss before heading out the door.

Turning to go down the hallway, she noticed Mustafa and Bletcher in their day uniforms, directing a trio of servitors to lift their boxes.  She spoke up as she approached.  “Heading out, Generals?” she asked.

“We are, your Highness,” Bletcher answered.  “The wars of the Emperor call.”

“Very well.  Good hunting, gentlemen,” she said as she walked past.

“Thanks for having us, your Highness,” Mustafa said after her.

Arriving at the lifts, Freya descended into the depths of the fortress, letting a tremor of excitement work its way through her belly.  The afternoon’s terrors would be made up for, she was sure.

As she arrived outside the massive wooden doors, she paused and settled her nerves.  The scents and sounds from the Hall were overwhelming, and she felt her blood pump a bit faster as the senses of belonging and desire alike filled her.  “Here we go…” she said softly.

An exiting skjald spotted her and held the door for her as she approached.  “Princess, the Brothers await you at the head table,” he said respectfully as she passed.

She nodded her thanks and entered.  As the door swung shut behind her, she hesitated, taking it in.

Not a thing had changed since that morning, of course, save the room’s occupants.  Where before there had been almost no men in the colossal room, now it was a sea of light blue armor and robes.  The hundreds upon hundreds of massive tables were ringed with tens of thousands of Wolf Brothers, and she knew from experience that the room wasn’t even large enough to seat a tenth of the Legion.

A few heads turned as her scent mingled with those of the room’s other occupants.  She had emerged halfway down one of the massive room’s sides, with the Head Table at the left extreme and a raised – currently open – podium large enough for ten to stand upon it at the other.  The nearest table of brothers rose and called their greetings as they recognized her.  She waved happily as she walked down to the Head Table, where Bjorn was already awaiting her, along with Konnar and a few others.  Every table she passed bade her pause and tell her tales, and she refused with her eyes leaking tears of joy at every step.  The sense of belonging that had been building in her since she had arrived in-system was pushing aside all else, until it broke free as she passed a table full of her father’s warriors.

She hesitated as she passed, allowing them to approach, some with nothing more than sly or happy grins, others asking questions, others yet allowing their appearances and senses do the talking.  As she sniffled back more tears as they did, shaking many proffered hands.  “Thanks, guys,” she said softly.

Freya left them behind and reached the Head Table, taking a seat at the left hand of the empty throne where her father would have sat.  The seat at the right was also vacant, since it would have been filled by her mother.  Bjorn, sitting to her own left, rested a hand on her back in silent support, a tiny smile breaking his scarred visage.  “Feel good to be home, lass?” he asked under his breath.

Freya bit back a happy sob.  “You have no idea,” she said through her joy.

The room gradually fell silent as Konnar rose.  “Brothers!” he called.  “Hear me.”

The Wolf Brothers halted their joking and talking as Konnar spoke.  “Heed now.  Even as our pack roams the stars and brings the greenskin low, we are made stronger once more, as our Sister returns.  Make her feel welcome!” he proclaimed.

An ululating and throaty cry of welcome tore from every corner as the assembled Space Marines welcomed their little sister home once more.  Freya looked down to hide her tears, thought better of it, and rose to her feet, allowing the full sound to reach her.  She beamed from ear to ear at the tables of her pack calling their greeting to her.

As she sat back down, Konnar waved for silence.  “As I am sure you all know, we are called upon once more by the All Father on Terra to bring his enemies to their knees.  And so we shall!  Even know, nine of our thirteen Great Companies ply the stars and root the enemy out from their holds.  When they return, with new tales to tell and scars to show, as the Imperium grows ever more secure, let us now hold them in our memories, for not all shall return to us.”  Konnar allowed a glint of cerulean light to play though his eyes as he closed them, bowing his head in silent memory of those who had left, and those who would not return.

The room fell silent as the men did as they were bade.  Freya dipped her head over the bare table as she joined her brothers in prayer.


===Dining With Wolves===


After a moment, Konnar spoke again.  “Dignitaries from Terra, Nocturne, Inwit, a Rogue Trader Fleet, the Imperial Army, and more besides have visited us over the last few days, as guests or allies or both.  Some have gone, some will join us for a supper tonight, and either way remember them well.  Show them our hospitality, as we are all kin beneath the Emperor’s just hand.  And brothers, as new dispatch orders from Terra arrive, and reinforcements come from Terra or our own camps, remember always our mission and name.”  His Juvjk words grew harsh.  “For the Emperor and Mankind, we are the Wolves of Fenris.”

“Vlka Fenryka!” the crowd proclaimed, to muted applause.

Bjorn leaned over to where Freya was listening enrapt.  “Little Pup, go get your friends, this is the perfect time for them to join us.”

“Yes, Eldest,” Freya whispered, wiping her tears away.

She rose and discreetly made her way back to the door, cracking it open.  Alex and the others were standing there, all looking a bit unnerved by the animal roars and foreign words they had heard chanted from the other side.

“Come on in,” Freya whispered.  “The prayer’s done,” she said.

“All right,” Remilia answered for them, leading the others into the room.  A few heads turned and nodded polite respect to them as they passed, heading up to the table at the head of the room.  Konnar had retaken his seat, awaiting the rows and rows of skjalds and servitors that were now bearing food up to the head of the table.  As per the tradition of the Fang, the Wolf Lords were granted their food last, but had the largest portions.  With so much of the Fang empty, it wouldn’t take long for their own food to arrive.

The teens took their seats at the end of the table, which had been left open for them, as Freya sat back down next to Bjorn.  Redwind, who had elected to remain until his ship departed the next morning, nodded politely at them as they sat.  “Hello again, friends,” he said in Gothic.

“Hello, your Lordship,” Alex replied.  “Good to see you.”

“How was your trip this afternoon?” Redwind asked.

“Well, we were attacked by krakenspawn,” Alex said.

Redwind raised one eyebrow.  “Oh?  That’s always good exercise,” he said.

Alex stared at him.  “For a Space Marine, maybe!” he said.

Redwind conceded the point.  “Fair enough.”

Alex shook his head and fell silent.  Down the table, Freya winced, but kept her lips sealed.

Bjorn leaned back from the table as the servitors deposited the food before them.  “Freya, have you given thought to staying on Fenris after your future education has ended?” he asked.

Freya nodded.  “I think it would be worthwhile, Eldest Bjorn.  I really do think so.  But I confess…I don’t know what I would do here.  I could never keep up with you or any of the other Wolf Brothers in battle.  And if I can’t fight with you, what would I do?” she asked.  She lifted her leg of grox and tore off a chunk with her teeth.

“A reasonable question, Freya, but you will always be this system’s Blood Princess,” Bjorn said.  “Perhaps you could administrate or even train at one of our Aspirant camps.”

Freya nodded.  “Possible.”  She paused to swig at her drink, noting the others’ eating with a hidden grin.

Remilia at least seemed comfortable eating with her hands, and Venus seemed to be ignoring the sounds and sights of the rest of the room, but Alex and Jake were both looking a bit stunned at the size of the portions they had received, and were much more hesitant.  A Long Fang at Remilia’s side was also barraging her with questions.

“I would, if I were asked, but I honestly don’t think that politics are my future,” Remilia said.  She glanced over her plate to answer the Long Fang’s question about her own post-college plans.  “And besides, I think I’d play more to a business future.  You know?  Rulership isn’t really my thing.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Lady Remilia,” the Wolf said.  “I’m sure the Dorn family is as strong in guiding political tides as they are behind the stock of an Assault Cannon.”

“You’re too kind,” Remilia said.  She searched for an easier topic.  “Do you know what the Astropathic turnaround is for this planet from Terra?” she asked.

“It varies hugely on the tides of the Warp.  A day?  A year?  It’s nearly random,” the Fang said.  “The average time is a few days.  The tides are cooperative right now, though.  Two days, I would say,” he added.

Remilia nodded.  “Good.  I’m awaiting a message from home.”

Alex, meanwhile, was fielding a few questions of his own.  The Wolf at his side, a member of Redwind’s inner circle perhaps, was politely interrogating him about his relationship with Freya.  “An athletic meet at your school?” the Wolf asked.

“Yes,” Alex said, cutting into his dinner.  “I’d sort of known her before, but that was when I asked her out.”

“What does that mean?” the Wolf asked.

Alex blinked.  “What?  Asking her out?”  The Wolf nodded.  “Er…it’s going with them somewhere in a romantic context, I guess,” Alex fumbled.  Did they not have courtship on Fenris?

Freya sensed the rising awkwardness from that end of the table and cringed internally, but there was precious little she could do at that point.  Perhaps fortuitously, Lord Redwind spoke up at that point.  “Lord Carlin, do tell.  How exactly do schools work on Terra?  I understand you and our little sister met there,” he said.

The rugby player nodded.  “Well, it used to be more varied, but it’s pretty standardized now.  There’s twelve or thirteen standard grades of mandatory schooling, then you can go and get a degree if you can afford it – many can’t.”

“I see.”  Redwind polished off his food.  “And that’s where Sister Freya is going to be for the next few years?” he asked.

“Yes, she and I are going to attend a Terran college together for a while,” Alex supplied.

Redwind hesitated for an instant, his eyes darting over to where Freya was happily munching away on her own food and speaking to Bjorn.  Alex noticed, but suddenly, he didn’t feel like explaining his relationship to yet another person, especially since its endpoint was still nebulous.  He turned his own eyes back to his food and resumed eating.

As the meal ended, the five travelers stayed in their seats after a subtle gesture from Freya.  The tables below were getting rowdier as the Wolves took to the evening’s drink, and a few tuneless songs began from some of the long wooden benches.  To the surprise of the non-Fenrisians, the assembly broke up gradually, rather than all at once.  Some of the Wolf Brothers took off as soon as they were done, leaving their dishes behind and nearly racing for the doors, while others lingered, telling stories, drinking, or doing something else.  As Bjorn rose, however, many of the Brothers below paused and climbed to their feet in respect.  When Bjorn walked out, returning to his own quarters, the room resumed its air, and the tone of conversation grew much louder.

Venus shot a glance Freya’s way, and Freya nodded, rising as well.  When she stood, the reaction was greatly different, with many of the Brothers actually pausing to call out something or other in Juvjk as she passed.  She acknowledged the hails with cheerful waves and toothy smiles as the others filtered out behind her.

Once safely in the halls, Freya let out a breath.  “Man, I missed that,” she said.

Remilia spoke up.  “I can see why.  It must be great to be back, huh?”

“You bet,” Freya said.  She spun on her booted heel to beam ecstatically at the others, and somehow didn’t notice their varying levels of disquiet.  “So, what did you guys think?” she asked.

“I think your brothers can probably still hear us,” Venus said under her breath.  Freya nodded and lead them down the halls to the lifts.

“To answer your question, that was pretty intimidating,” Jake said.

Freya nodded.  “I understand.”  She looked back at them, to see Jake avoiding her gaze.  “Are you all right, though?” she asked, surprised.

Jake nodded.  “Yeah, that was just really overwhelming, you know?  So loud…and a room with several thousand Astartes in it, too.”

Venus tilted her head.  “Pretty much all anyone asked was what Terra was like.  How about you guys?”

“Everyone just asked me about my relationship with Freya,” Alex said.  “I mean, I understand why, but…” he trailed off.

Freya turned away, disappointed.  “Okay.  Well, we won’t do it again,” she said.

Remilia and Venus both winced at the suddenly morose tone of her voice.  “Look, Freya, don’t take it personally,” Jake hastened to say.  “I’m a bit shaken by the kraken.  And it’s just a little off-putting being around that many Space Marines at once.  Shit, I never even saw one until four years ago.”

“Yeah, I know.”  Freya sighed.  “I think I’ve just been sort of…operating under the assumption that there was a way I could make you guys comfortable here, that’s all.”

“I’m sure we can, I just don’t think communal meals are going to happen,” Jake said.  He grimaced.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.  I just wasn’t ready for that.”

Freya shifted her shoulders, thinking.  “All right.”  The lift carried them up to the level where they were staying.  As they moved down the hall, Freya lagged behind the others.  She paused as they reached their rooms.  “Look, guys, I’m not gonna figure this out on my own.  What can I do to make this more interesting for you all?” she asked, point-blank.

The others exchanged looks.  Remilia spoke up.  “Frankly, Freya, the best time I’ve had yet here was when were out climbing.  Is there any other place we could go like that?”

“A few, maybe.  We could try out on the mountains a bit, but…” Freya sighed again.  “That’s pretty dangerous.  The Ice Fiends live out there.”

“That sounds like a great name for a rugby team,” Jake commented.

Alex blinked.  “It…it DOES.”

“So you guys aren’t mad?” Freya asked.

Venus waved her off.  “’Course not.”  Remilia shook her head as Jake opened his door.

“Yeah, it was just a little much to see the Wolves like that,” he said.

Freya nodded, eyes downturned.  “Okay.”

Venus thought for a moment before following Jake into their room.  “Hey, Freya, is there a separate kitchen for this level?” she asked.

“A kitchen?  Uh, no, the skjalds cook for the entire fortress from the levels between here and the hammerhold,” Freya said.

“Hammerhold?” Venus asked.

Freya explained.  “It’s like an armory.  The Iron Priests are quartered there.”

Venus grinned.  “Cool.  Can I check it out tomorrow?” she asked.

Freya thought for a moment.  “Sure, that would probably be okay,” she decided.

“All right, I’ll do that,” Venus said.  Remilia walked into her own room as Venus ducked into hers to change.


===Planning and Coordination===

Freya sat down on her bed and stared at her feet as Alex went about changing his own clothes.  As he undressed, she shucked the thermo shirt she had worn, her knuckles white on the plastic and metal weave, with her eyes locked downward.  Alex noticed.  She was either sad or angry, and he couldn’t tell which yet.  “Are you in for poker tonight?” he asked, knowing full well that she could tell his casualness was forced.

Apparently, she was in no mood for games.  “This isn’t working, is it?” she asked sullenly.

“Stop.”

“I mean it!  You guys nearly get eaten at lunch and you’re scared of the people you’re having dinner with!” Freya said angrily.  She glanced back at him as she rose from the bed to pull a different shirt on.  “I mean, the Fang is huge, there’s tons of places to show you in here, but outside?” she grumped.  “Nothing.  Nothing safe.”

“The rock-climbing was safe,” Alex pointed out.

“I guess.”  She sighed again, sliding a thick cotton shirt on.  “All right.  Venus is going to check out the hammerhold tomorrow…I told you about that, right?  What do you want to do?”

“Well, I was wondering if we could go see that cave you mentioned before,” Alex said.  “Outside that village place.”

“Oh.”  Freya thought for a moment.  “That actually sounds pretty cool…but if there were people there we’d have to bail.”

“Why?  Nobody here knows who you are,” Alex said.  He looked sharply over to her.  “Unless you identified yourself to someone there?”

Red strands waved as Freya awkwardly rolled her shoulders.  “Kind of?  I mean, they don’t know I’m King Russ’ daughter, but I may have let on to a few people that I’m not human.”

Alex looked away.  “That’s bad.”

“I doubt they’d be there, though,” Freya assured him.  “We can check it out if you want.”

“Okay.  Remilia and Jake can come too, right?” he asked.

“We all can,” Freya said.  “If there’s someone inside we can just keep flying and go explore the mountains a bit.”

Alex nodded.  “Great.”  He paused as Freya moved to the door to rejoin the others.  He slid an arm around her waist and held her still for a moment.  “Feel better?” he asked.

“Yeah, I do.”  Freya looked back at him over her shoulder, the germ of an idea forming.  “All right.  Let’s go.”



[[Category:Warhammer High]]