The Wolf Queen (Book 2 of The Devil and the Huntsman)

Chapter 42

Lagertha understood Brant's reasons for wanting to protect her against her greatest foes and all who stand against her. She was proud that he could show the earl and his people the strength needed to fight the demons. Lagertha picked him up from the floor and healed some wounds he had with her right hand. Her wolf magic eased the pain and her stress of nearly losing her best friend against the dark creature. She heads back to Greg's bedroom in the palace to gather her belongings and find a place for Brant to sleep.

"Keep resting, Brant. I'll get you out of here," Lagertha said. She cared for her boyfriend more than anyone else as she walked the many roads of the earth.

She carried him and warmed him up from the cold air that breezed through in the night.

"I'll let nothing like this happen to you again, I promise," she said. Lagertha had all kinds of sympathy for the son of King Harald, and she loved him more than any man.

The trail back to Earl Raphael's palace was only half a mile from where she stood. The Wolf Queen didn't want the guards to look at her without her armor on, yet they might come and see what happened. Lagertha carried Brant in her arms and walked to the back of the palace, where nobody would find her. She strolled to the back because she looked at all the buildings to see what other wreckage Mundis caused. Then, she lays the hunter down to rest behind the walls, as the night was still upon them.

Lagertha always knew how to climb walls like assassins and those who fought from the shadows. She knew how to climb buildings and do leaps of faith in certain times of danger. The Wolf Queen jumps onto the brick wall and begins climbing her way to Greg's bedroom window. She climbed without hesitation and did not expect anyone to pull her down during the night. Then, she gets onto the rampart and goes through the open window, and she notices Greg turning around to light a candle.

Hopefully, Greg does not call the guards and arrest Lagertha for trespassing and lightly causing a distraction. But he turned and saw the Wolf Queen as she stood there waiting for him to make a reaction.

"Wolf Queen, it's you. You look weary. Are you alright?" Greg asked.

"Yes, I'm alright. I've done the deed. Mundis is dead," she answered.

"Good. There was nobody else here who would've done this deed without losing an arm. You've done this place great service," he said.

"The pleasure's all mine, Greg. You need some rest. I take it you and everyone else have much to do in the morning."

"Oh, I can't sleep. You were raging so loudly and so much was happening out there that the entire village couldn't keep their minds away from everything. They could hear demons shrieking and you swinging your sword against them."

"It's one of many lies that I've been given ever since I came here. My blade could penetrate the creature's flesh. My sword hacked into their bodies and sent them all back to where they came from."

"I'm very sorry if I ever lied to you. I didn't know you carried such a blade. I wanted to believe the stories they told about you, but my father prevented me from knowing about tales told in taverns and alehouses."

"You never lied to me, Greg. I know you wanted to be protected against your father's enemies. His council already thinks I'm an unwelcome stranger."

"I wish you and I had much more to say instead of just vague speeches and useless phrases. It's enough to make a person wonder what has happened and what will happen to a person like you. Even I have to wonder if what you did here was worth it or if a far greater beast will come and torture us."

"I will make sure that doesn't happen to you. It's what I do and what I am fated to do as I continue my journey. You have me to thank for not letting Mundis's claws tear you to shreds. You're lucky I came when I did."

Then, Lagertha walks over to her belongings and puts her shirt back on, and she does not pay any attention to anything else. She was thankful that her armor and cloak were still right where she left them while she fought the dark creature. Lagertha could tell that Greg was someone who could be trusted with looking after people's stuff. She could tell that a person like the earl's son has every reason to look after people's belongings. She stands there and allows Greg to watch her put her armor on after putting on her shirt.

She felt neither weak nor frail after telling Greg everything he needed to know about her business. But she would hate herself for all eternity if she were forced to tell him the truth about her past. Lagertha felt her strength return to her when she stood before those who would be by her side. She then puts on her gauntlets and her boots as the night draws to an end. As she was in Greg's bedroom, she could feel the chilly wind making her long hair flow.

"Hey, Wolf Queen. I have something to say," Greg said.

"Of course. What do you have in mind?" Lagertha asked.

"How is Brant doing? He said he was doing something in my room, but he never came back. Is he alright?" He asked.

"Brant fought alongside me against Mundis. But the fight was too massive for even a man like him to handle. He'll be alright, though."

"It makes no sense. Who would make up such a lie to the earl? Your blade can cut through pretty much anything in one swoop."

"If I had known the beast could be killed with my sword, I wouldn't have ended up with so many bruises. Brant would be awake and ready for a new day, and I would get drunk in the alehouse before I left the city. But there is still one more thing I have to do in this region."

"Well... that's awful. I thought by the death of Mundis, every foe of my father would turn around and leave us all alone. What could be out there?"

"You have a very clear view of that castle out there, don't you? It is controlled by a demon king. All demon kings handle the deaths of your people and the destruction of your city. All demon kings deserve to die just like the countless creatures I've fought before."

"Well, I hope you make it out there. We all owe you a great debt. We won't ever forget you, Wolf Queen."

"Hey, you don't have to call me that. My name... is Lagertha."

Greg and Lagertha inspected each other for a long while as the icy wind still eased by. The Wolf Queen had all of her belongings to herself, and her cloak freely flowed along with her long hair. Lagertha appreciated what the young man did as she visited him in Clegane during such dark times. She walks out the window to jump down from the rampart and takes Brant back to the inn. She then takes one last look at the son of Earl Raphael, and she slowly bowed her head to him.

Instead of going to sleep, Greg stayed awake and watched the Wolf Queen jump down from the rampart. A normal person would have every bone in his body completely broken, but Lagertha was not normal. Her wolf magic allowed her to make leaps of faith and land without breaking a bone. Without hesitation, Lagertha leaps down and feels every inch of her power return to her soul. She then lands on the floor, and she felt none of her bones shatter as her magic protected her against all odds.

Lagertha felt good that Brant had not moved a single step away from her as the moon was trickling away. She knew the battle was won, yet her true purpose in Clegane was not over. Lagertha picks up the young hunter and starts walking back to the inn, and she could feel Brant's heart beating. A small sign he is still alive to explain everything that happened in the battle. The trail back to the inn was not as far as she thought it was, but it felt like an eternity to get there.

"I need you to rest, Brant. You did what I never thought seemed possible. But you need your rest... like I need mine," Lagertha said. She carried him to the back of the inn, to where they rented their room.

She had no time for suspicion to play its part in her time in Clegane, as she had a few more things to do.