After the War: The White Wolf of Doranelle (Fenrys Moonbeam)

Chapter 18: Sneezes and Flowers

Fenrys

Fenrys gave her the incredibly simplified version of his life story.

Aelin had once told him that he always gives an extremely diluted version of anything that comes to his life. And that if he tells anyone anything, they should expect it to be at least three times worse than he actually says.

And Fenrys couldn't agree more. He conveniently forgot the part where he fucked a demon for over a century. Along with the century's worth of punishments he's received. He did tell her that he was forced to watch Aelin be tortured for two months, along with how he became free of Maeve, but that was the extent of it. And when it came to how Connall died.....he said that was his fault, and she didn't ask more.

But now as they wandered through the woods, every little thing caught Nia's eye. If he was traveling with anyone else he would've pested them about going quicker, but he knew what it meant to her to have this. As such, there was a lot of dragging her finger down the trees, gawking at any deer or animals that they saw, or basking in the sun.

Fenrys still couldn't get over how beautiful she was. The summer sun illuminated her brown skin, and her wavy, black hair blowing in the breeze.

He let Gingersnap go free last night, and since then had picked a direction and walked. And that the Wyrd for the Little Folk and providing him some clothes and shoes. Walking barefoot over this terrain would not have been fun. But he hadn't forgotten how they got Aelin and the rest of them out of the region four years ago, without anyone finding them.

Then again, that required being on a boat for days on end, traveling in an underground river, in a cave....with hardly any light.

But the mystery of where they were was solved, when mid-day they reached a ledge of cliff.

Miles away below it overlooked a city that Fenrys knew too. A quick glance at Nia and she looked to be in awe. The pale stoned city was built on the island in the middle of the raging river. The waterfall toppled over the side of the river, the royal palace overlooking it. The City of Rivers.

Nia

"Do you know what city that is?" Nia asked, as Fenrys and her stood on the ledge of a cliff.

"Doranelle," Fenrys said quietly but with certainty.

Several miles away and below was a serene city, Doranelle apparently, in the heart of a river. Only two stone bridges, on the northern and southern sides of it, seemed to allow entries. Near the lip of the waterfall was what Nia assumed was the royal palace. Not that she had ever been to Doranelle before, but since she lived in Maeve's territory, she of course heard the stories of this city.

But Fenrys was staring. Just staring. At the city. At the palace. He clearly had a history with this place.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Fenrys asked carefully. "Any home that you wish to return to?" 

Nia stared at the city below. "Nowhere in particular."

As far as she knew, her father was still alive. But she had no intention of going to him. Not after what he'd done. And Nia never knew her mother, as she died in childbirth with Nia. And with Kora dead....."I have nowhere to go, yes."

Not that she could have ever escaped the Pit on her own, she was still processing the fact that she was out. But she didn't know how to survive on her own, couldn't even read. But Fenrys.....

"Come to Orynth with me then," he said, turning to face her. "Selene abolished the rule that demi-Fae have to prove themselves to live in the city. But even then...." He glanced at the city. "Immortals take a long time to change, and demi-Fae aren't treated well in Doranelle. They usually end up in..." Yeah Nia knew where they usually end up, in pleasure houses.