I Want My Soul Back (GxG)

35. She needs to calm down

Loki and I got our way; we are going back to Brynhild as planned. It's the safest place I can think of at this moment. The friends we got over there can help us. I need Atla and Loki to be safe. 

We all walk through the forest on the way north. The rain and the cold make it difficult to move fast. My youngest step-siblings Iona and Bjorn, are struggling the most. Atla is hanging close to my chest with the help of a shirt wrapped around my back.

"She needs to calm down." My mother says as she stepped in close to me. I look at Loki, who is in the front, almost sprinting ahead of us. It's Loki nothing can stop her, not even an arrow wound. 

"She will be fine, and why do you care anyway." I roll my eyes. 

"You don't even like her, you didn't even give her a chance to prove herself, and she did nothing except that," I tell her and my mother sighs. 

"I know, but you can't blame me, either, can you? Her clan ripped apart our family." She says.

"Magnus and I were still there," I mutter, annoyed.

"If I knew that, I would have looked for both of you." She says, looking at me sadly. 

"You have become so strong over the years." My mother says, and I watch her intensely.

"I didn't have a choice," I look at Loki.

"She didn't either." I finish and rush over to Loki.

"You need to calm down," I tell her, but she shakes her head and keeps going.

"There are people after us; the faster we go, the further distance it is between them and us," Loki explains to me. 

"I understand your words and logic, but you are in pain," I say calmly as I lay my hand on top of her wrist to make her stop going.

"Let someone else take charge for once," I tell her, and she rolls her eyes. 

"What like Ivar?" She raises her eyebrows as if I am a fool. 

"No, he doesn't know the way obviously, but I can do it." I smile, and her gaze goes down to Atla. 

"My mother can take her, don't worry," I tell her, but she looks around, taking a big breath, seeming not sure. 

"Fine." She mumbles, not happy, but still agrees.

"Good." I smile and take Atla into my arms and hand her over to my mother instead. She smiles at the little girl in her arms. 

We have been traveling for most of the day now. Iona is so exhausted she is now hanging on her father's back. We are all tired, cold, and exhausted, but a lot closer then we were. We haven't found anywhere to stay.  

"I am tierd dad." I hear Bjorn say.

"We all are, "Einar says with sympathy. If it was not for the rain, we could just have camped anywhere, but we can't. 

"Do you have any ideas?" I ask Loki.

"I don't know, and it's getting darker and harder to see,"

"Guys!" We hear Ivar shout; we all look around, not seeing him anywhere.

"Where are you?" Einar yells back, but then Ivar comes out of some bushes.

"Follow me." He says, and we all do so until we reach a small shed. It's basically almost fallen apart. One of the windows is cracked, the door is loose on its hinges, and trees and grass have all grown over it.

"It's better than nothing." My mother says and steps in behind Ivar. We all go inside; it's small and a bit wet from the raindrops that fall in between the roof's cracks. Loki finds an old bucket and put it under the worst drops of water. 

"There is a blanket here," Froya says, and Einar smiles to his oldest daughter as he takes it and tries and dry up the floor as well as he can. Loki and I sit down on the floor with our backs against the wall. Einar and his son are looking through every locker and drawer to see if they can find anything useful. 

"Here," My mother gives us a big blanket to cover ourselves up, which is nice because we are both shivering of coldness. 

"How is your shoulder?" Erika asks Loki. 

"It's okay." She says my mother nods and steps over to her children to make sure they also get something warm to put around themselves. Her kids are shaking with cold as well, but in a few days, it won't be a problem, the further north we get, the warmer it will be. 

I remember the map I was shown when I was in Brynhild. There are still so many places that we haven't seen yet. If you go a lot of further north, you will find the Frozen Wilds. It's a cold place where the snow never melts.  

"Are you okay?" Loki asks, and I nod with a smile as I rest my head on her shoulder. 

"Are you?" I question in return. 

"Yes, my shoulder is a bit sore, but I am okay." She says, and I roll my eyes as I kiss her cheek. Atla is lying on Froya's lap; she seems not to mind having the little girl in her arms. I think Atla likes it as well. 

"I am so exhausted." I yawn and close my eyes.