“Why did you do that?” Freya said. “You could have done as I asked. It would have been so much nicer of you.”
“And when I asked you not to do something, you did it anyway.” Wolf brushed off his gloved hands as if he wanted to clean himself of the human. “I guess we´re even now.”
Even? One could not play with mortal life like that.
“You should know that I don´t forgive easily,” Freya whispered but he merely lifted one dark eyebrow.
“Don´t push it,” Cass snarled.
“Get rid of him,” Dasha said, making sure that Wolf didn´t hear her. She had finally managed to break free from her prison and her face was twisted from repressed anger.
“Neither do I, but I will let this pass if you agree to leave with me to my home,” Wolf said. “Come.” He jerked his head as if he suspected her to nod in deep agreement and crawl to him as fast as she could.
“Like the last time, my answer is no.”
Wolf rose to his full height and Freya swallowed. She didn´t really know what she was doing here.
“You should know better than to provoke me,” he said. “I have already been too soft with you. Now, come willingly or I will force you.”
“Force me?” Freya said. “We only listen to Titania of the Seven Streams and only if we must. I don´t have to do anything that you say.”
The other god´s gasped in unison, staring at her with wide eyes and it made Freya unsure. Should she take back her words? Maybe she really had gone too far? But before she had a chance to correct her mistake, Wolf bent down once again placing his hand in the river. In a split second it started turning into ice, the cold moving like a sharp knife until Freya could feel her feet and hands go numb.
“Brilliant,” Cass said as her veins started to turn blue. “You handled that splendidly Now, you really do have to go with him.”
“This isn´t how it has to be,” Freya pleaded. She wanted to wring her hands but they were stuck below the ice.
“Agreed,” Wolf answered. “Now, will you do as I say?”
Freya looked at the others who nodded angrily as if to say, that she didn´t have a choice. She looked at Wolf and how he in all his cold beauty was dangerous deep down. She had met a man like that ones.
Swarog…
And that´s when it dawned on her. Why hadn´t she thought of this before? With a sly nod inwardly she figured that there was something she could use Wolf for. Yes, there was something she could get out of this and Wolf wouldn´t even know what hit him.
“Are you good in battle?” Freya asked and Wolf looked taken by her question but then quickly recovered.
“If by good you mean foremost, then yes.” He continued, almost as if he wanted her to be impressed. “I´ve killed Ogres´s, Zmay´s, Bauk´s and many more.”
Killing a Zmay was quite the accomplishment but Swarog was just as dangerous if not more but Freya had never met an immortal who she believed could take him on. Not until now…
“Didn´t the Zmay burn you when it was blowing fire?” Freya asked and he gave her a condescending look.
“I am the Frost Bringer, I don´t burn easily.”
Perfect!
“All right,” she said in a sudden graceful voice, her mood improving rapidly. “I will go with you.”
Wolf looked surprised, when she got out of the water. “And you´re going like that?” he asked, nodding at her wet dress. “Wearing nothing.”
“What do you mean?” Freya said in confusion. “I´m fully clothed.” Wolf looked like he wanted to say something, something like that he could tell she wasn´t wearing any underwear, but then he seemed to think the better of it and held out his big hand. When she placed her hand in his palm, he clasped it and Freya felt a flush of the strangest feeling.
But then he jerked her hand for her to hurry and she changed her mind. Worryingly she looked back at the other god´s who didn´t look quite as worried.
“Are we going to walk all the way to Ice Falls?” she asked and thought she saw a smile on his lips but it disappeared so quickly, she wasn´t sure.
“One cannot walk to Ice Falls. And if you tried, you would only freeze on your way.” He threw an annoyed glance at her. “You´re not even wearing shoes.”
Freya shrugged. “I am made for my natural habitat just like you are made for yours. Maybe it’s a sign that we shouldn´t mix.”
“It isn´t,” came Wolf´s harsh answer and she looked at him curiously.
“If we won´t be walking then how do we get there?” She drew a sharp breath. “Do you fly?”
“Do I look like a Vila to you,” he snarled and Freya stifled a laugh, since Wolf was as far away from a fay like creature as immortally possible…, except for the hair. “I will transport us, when I´m sure nobody is following us.”
Following them? Freya looked around. The valley was peaceful today, a gentle wind slow walking down the green mountains. There was no one else there; except for the other god´s that were getting smaller and smaller, the further they marched.
“The risk is probably kinda low, don´t you think?” Freya muttered. “It´s practically dead here today.”
Wolf looked impatient with her.
“Have you no knowledge of Wryfell, god? There´s a reason he´s called the Seer of the Three Realms. His eyes are everywhere. He could be watching now…”
Freya looked around, still feeling nothing.
“I know what Wryfell does,” she said in annoyance and then sighed. “You really are vigilant, aren´t you?” And condescending, she added to herself.
“Have to be. If I get defeated, the First Realm will be easily overthrown.”
“He would still need to get past Titania of the Seven Streams first,” Freya muttered.
“Titania is mighty,” Wolf nodded in agreement. “But she rules the waters and there are other
