~ Power ~

Chapter 2 - The Cottage

They walked for at least an hour after the sun's rays faded from the horizon and the moon had begun to take precedence over the night sky. Freya's feet were starting to hurt now, her shoes were old and worn and the soles had very little padding left. Her stomach was rumbling as well, she pictured a baby tiger inside of her stomach clawing away at her insides, demanding food. But whatever discomfort she felt in her feet and stomach, she didn't want to bring it to Lena's attention, in case she got angry at her like she did the stone merchant. She watched Lena for a while, her long yet elegant stride, her flawless posture, and the way her long black hair trailed behind her, like a ribbon following a twirler. She had an almost animalistic quality about her, like a black panther, cool and composed, but ready to strike at a moment's notice. At the very least, Freya felt safe in her company.

She knew that questions often irritated adults, and the question she wanted to ask Lena would probably irritate her, but her burning curiosity was far stronger than any defence her willpower could muster. So she asked the obvious question.

'Where are we going?' Freya tried as hard as she could not to let any of her suffering creep into her voice; she wanted Lena to think that she was tough like her.

Lena looked down at her and smiled. The moon made her eyes twinkle.

'You're tired aren't you child?'

Freya nodded.

'And hungry too. I haven't eaten since breakfast.'

'Well it's not far now.' Lena stroked her hair gently and Freya forgot the hunger in her belly and the blisters on her feet. It reminded her of how her mother used to stroke her hair before putting her to bed each night. She closed her eyes and kept walking.

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When she opened her eyes she was no longer walking but lying down in a nice comfy bed. She started a little and wondered how she had ended up there. She sat up in the bed and looked around the room. It was small, but well furnished. A large dresser, a cupboard, and a bedside table, all made from a glorious Red Oak. On the bedside table was a lamp and the pouch that Lena had removed from her belt the previous night. She reached for it out of curiosity but before she could touch it, Lena entered the room. She quickly withdrew her hand and brushed her hair back to disguise the motion.

'So you're finally awake,' she said. 'It seems that your desire for sleep outweighed your desire for food and knowledge.' Lena punctuated the end of her speech with a short and concise laugh. Freya did the only thing she could think to do and smiled.

'Would you like some breakfast?'

Freya nodded eagerly.

'Yes please!'

'That's a good girl. Well come out into the kitchen and I'll fix you something to eat. What do you feel like? Will fruit and nuts be satisfactory?'

Freya nodded again and then followed Lena out into the kitchen. The rest of the house was similarly furnished. There were several large bookcases in the living room, filled with hundreds and hundreds of books, some of them half the size of Freya. She wondered what was in all of the books and whether Lena had read them all. There was also a small fire place and a pile of chopped wood, lying in wait of winter.

'This is a lovely cottage,' Freya said with feeling as she took a seat at the dining table.

'Thank you dear.' Lena smiled and finished preparing Freya's breakfast. She brought it over to the table and sat down with her. Her gaze, while friendly, was hard to meet, so Freya instead looked at her bowl and asked Lena a question before she could ask her one.

'How come you live all the way out here in the woods?'

'Because I like the solitude,' she smiled, but when she realised that Freya was not satisfied with her answer, she continued. 'And because this was my father's house and his father's before him. He built it with his bare hands.'

Freya nodded and continued eating her breakfast. The fruit was delicious, perhaps even more so because she hadn't eaten in over 24 hours. She glanced back at the room briefly, she thought of the pouch full of stones. She wondered how many different stones Lena had and what each one did. But that could wait, because she had a more pressing question, and she got the feeling that Lena wasn't exactly fond of 20 questions.

'What if that man from the stall comes after us?'

'What man?' Lena asked.

'The stone merchant.'

'Oh him? He won't.'

'How do you know? What if he wants the rest of his money? Forty-five is a lot you know.'

'I am aware of how much forty-five is. But he will not come after us. He is far too weak. All men are weak. That is something you must learn and learn quickly. That and you cannot trust them.'

Freya looked confused. What about her father, she thought. He wasn't weak. He used to chop the firewood and lift her above his head for many minutes at a time.

'I don't understand. Why are they weak?'

Lena was beginning to get frustrated. The look on her face said, I will answer this question, but no more.

'Men are weak because they have not evolved like us, they have not adapted. We alone possess the power of these stones,' Lena held out her necklace with the blue gemstone at its heart. Freya wondered now more than ever what that stone was and what power it held. But she dared not ask.

'Thank you for breakfast Lena. It was really good.'

'You're welcome sweet child.'

Lena stood up and took the plate into the kitchen. Just then Freya heard a sound, a loud clank coming from beneath the cottage. She looked up at Lena, concerned. Lena held a finger up to her mouth and walked softly over to the window and peered out. After a moment of looking outside she walked over to the back door and opened it.

'I will be right back. Feel free to have a look around in the cupboard if you are still peckish.'

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Don't forget to vote! 

Here are the options for this week:

1. After hearing the commotion downstairs, Freya follows Lena downstairs and uncovers a shocking secret.

2. The noises coming from downstairs are a distraction. The stone merchant along with a group of men kidnap Freya.

3. Freya stays put because she fears Lena's reaction. But she grows suspicious and wary of her host.

4. Freya is highly suspicious of her host and takes this opportunity to snatch Lena's pouch of stones and run into the forest.

5. A dragon swoops down and tears of the roof. (Just kidding :P)