⚔ The Warrior's Princess ⚔

Chapter 10 (Edited)

Ran walked into the big room of the house blinking the sleep from her

eyes. Valdr sat by the fire in a state of undress resting himself on one knee. The other bent as he rested his arm over it, his head turned at her entrance.

"Morning" he murmured, Ran took in the sight before her she had never seen Valdr so undressed when he was actually dressed. The glow from the fire the only light in the room making him look like something magical from a painting.

"Valdr?" She asked lightly not wanting to upset him with the wrong words so the only words she could find was his name spoken in soft question.

Needing to understand her mate and what was transpiring. She hated that she was still so uncertain.

The corner of his mouth kicked up as he spoke again, "You don't have to be afraid to ask Princess."

She slowly approached him and knelt beside him. The fire dancing across her beautiful features caught Valdr's attention, making her seem almost mystical in that moment to him.

"I am leaving for what my people call a vision quest. I might be gone for a few days Ran, I want you to go stay with your father."

Ran dropped her head and shook it, "No Valdr, I was trained to fight beside my warrior mate. This man may be scaring me, I admit, but I am tired of cowering."

He locked eyes with her, "Many believe during a vision quest the warrior is dead and welcomed back as a new man when he returns, this was not meant for you mate." Ran dropped her head. "I am going out by the canyon and I can take nothing with me, no weapons, food or clothing. It is a time of prayer to the maker; I have to seek the answer to this problem for us. I have to know how to protect you and our people because I will admit I don't have any idea. I am a warrior Ran, I was born and have spent my life protecting, and I can't do this blind."

She silently nodded, "Please do not make me go back to that house Valdr. Take me with you, teach me."

Valdr stared into the fire as if it held the answer, before he looked back at her and nodded. "Get a blanket and some water only, put on the doeskin dress you have, I will ask one of the men to follow and watch over us." Ran nodded and leaned up to kiss his cheek, scrambling to change clothes.

Valdr smiled and shook his head as he stood to go talk to Agmundr, he would take up the duties over the men and he would ask Gild to go with them. He knew the man would keep Ran safe while he was under.

A short time later Gild and Valdr came back for Ran, grabbing the blankets and tossing them over his shoulder, Valdr slid his hand into Ran's and they started their journey. "You must clear your mind. A warrior can sit anywhere from a couple days to several waiting. It is much easier when you are seeking an answer for a certain question. To go and be at peace with yourself and the earth, it has helped to find the answers to many questions. This is normally something people of the clan would do but considering you have been trained as a warrior and are my mate, I don't think the maker will mind." Ran saw his smile as she quietly walked beside him the sounds of their feet lightly falling to the ground. The fresh smell of spring surrounding them as they walked deeper away from their home.

When they reached the cliff that he had brought her too before he laid their blankets on the ground a distance apart, looking back he saw no sign of Gild but knew he was close by. Valdr nodded his head in approval the man might not have understood the quest but he respected it enough to keep back.