Queen of Fire & Blood

Chapter Two

Standing in front of the mirror, or what could be called a mirror a good three hundred years ago, Bria smoothed the dress with her hands. It now ended just above her knees, which were covered in thick legging-like material. She had cut the under-dress down too, so it was just barely visible under the tunic. A sliver of white peeking out from the deep green.

Embyln handed her two circular pins, that would hold the straps of the dress-now-tunic closed. "I must say — that was impressive. I've never seen anyone sew that quickly."

Taking the pins in hand, Bria smiled. It wasn't the best job she had ever done, hand sewing or not, but it would do. She doubted any of these people would care if her hem was a little wobbly. As she studied the pins a bit closer, she realized they were gold and had carved ruins on their faces. "What do these runes mean?"

Embyln turned from her bent position, where she was picking up stray pieces of fabric that Bria had discarded. "Oh, they're for protection, health, things like that. Most are similar in style, although the Guards have pins with the head of the king carved into them." She made a gesture at Bria's head, "Now, let's do something about that hair."

With the second pin secure, and her tunic unlikely to suddenly give anyone a show, Bria turned. "What's wrong with my hair?"

It was a silly question, really. She had braided it that morning before her hike. But falling through a magic portal, landing in the midst of a war, and taking a bath in a barrel — her hair was a mess.

Emblyn patted the bed beside her, a friendly smile on her face and some sort of wooden comb in her lap. Taking a deep breath, Bria sat down beside her, turning her back to her new friend.

Was Emblyn a friend? She didn't really know what to call her yet. But the Watcher hadn't been anything but sweet, friendly, and understanding since Bria fell into this world. She figured she should at least give Emblyn some credit. And she knew that wherever she was and however she got here, she would need a friend.

"So, there's a king here?"

The braid in her hair was undone with gentle hands, the comb then brushed through it with just as much care. "Mm, his name is Alarik. He's a good man and a good king, don't worry about him. You met him, actually. On the battlefield."

Visions of blood and bodies filled her mind for a moment before crystal blue eyes overshadowed it all. So that had been the king, huh? She had sure made a great first impression.

Emblyn continued untangling and combing through her hair. There was something about having her hair brushed and played with that had always been able to calm Bria's mind. It wasn't long before the only sounds in the room was the wind outside and their breathing. Perhaps it was the calmness of the room, or the feeling of gentle hands putting smaller braids in her hair. For whatever reason, Bria was no longer worried about speaking her mind.

"Where am I?"

The Watcher didn't respond right away. When she did, her voice was guarded. "We call this place Volheimer — the Land in the Middle. The city you were brought to is Daganold."

"And where, exactly, is Volheimer?"

"We—We don't know. This land is all there is. All there ever has been. None of our ancestors have ever found another land, not over the mountains or outside of the Fjord."

Turning, pulling her own hair out of Emblyn's hand, Bria's brows pulled tight. "What? What are you saying?"

Pursing her lips, Emblyn's hazel eyes looked away as she spoke. "Long ago, the people of Daganold and our enemies of Feirgrund were at constant war. The gods, being tired of their fighting, sent them away. To Volheimer. We've been here ever since."

Bria felt her chest constricting of air. It was like she was falling through that damn portal again. Everything around her came rushing towards her. "You—you mean there's no way for me to get home?" She sounded like a child to her own ears.

Hazel eyes looked at her with such empathy and sadness that it took all of Bria's strength to hold in the tears. "No, Bria. There isn't."

Even though it was exactly what Bria had been thinking, it still wasn't easy to hear it. Her chest clenched impossibly tighter and her stomach felt like it might revolt. Her poor mother. Her father — he'd probably be frantic by now. A search party would be sent to the Fjord for her. There was no way she could get word to them. That knowledge was far harder than being stuck in a strange world by herself.

As if sensing her guilt and panic, Emblyn laid her hands on top Bria's and squeezed. "You are not alone here, Bria. I promise you that. Whatever comes and whatever goes, I will be here. I swear on Odin."

Taking a deep breath, Bria squeezed Emblyn's hands back. Unable to find her voice, however, Bria simply nodded before turning her back to the woman, again. Having her there, even a total stranger, gave Bria a little comfort. Emblyn had already proved herself to be a nice person. Bria didn't think it would be hard for them to become fast friends.

Her shoulder got another strong squeeze before Embyln went back to her hair. Although Bria had many more questions to ask, she didn't feel like asking them anymore. Not when thoughts of her parents were flooding her mind. The silence of the room was a comfort, the warmth of the fire helping to loosen the tension in her muscles. By the time Emblyn declared her work done, Bria felt calmer again.

"There, what do you think?"

Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, except for a number of thick braids here and there. The top half of her hair was braided back, away from her face, and clipped at the base of her skull. Tiny pieces of gold acted as rubber bands to hold the hair in place and the braids together. The sun gleamed off of the precious metal when she moved. Bria didn't think her hair had ever looked so good. "Emblyn, it's beautiful. Thank you."

The two women shared a smile before a knock sounded on the door. A young woman peeked her head through the door, bowing slightly before entering fully. "Excuse the intrusion, but a meal has been prepared for you. It is downstairs."