A Whisper to the North

Chapter X ✠ The Reaching Gone

Una's horse began to blow out air loudly when they rested on an incline. No more than a few yards away was the gate to the paddock. She walked up to it and peered around. Where could he be? All Una saw were the tall drafts, gently grazing on the supple grasses of the hill. She opened the gate and led her horse in, and let it feed as well. Many of the drafts came running to Una in hopes that she had brought them a treat. Instead, this caused a large ruckus when one of them kneed her in the back by accident. She fell into the mud in front of her and grumbled at her stupidity. She only had muddy hands and knees, but it wasn't a professional appearance that any queen should have unless she was in battle. Even then, people would wonder why she was weak enough to be thrown into the mud.

"Well, well. What brings you here at this hour?" Una shot her head up and looked straight ahead.

Una could see the circle arena in the distance. On the closest side to her, she saw Frey peering through the bars and staring at her. He has a wide grin on his face as he watched Una struggled to get up, but she fell again in the half-foot deep mud.

"I must say I've missed the women who would come to my chambers at night looking for my company, but you? It's been some time since I have had the great honor of sarding a queen. Though I must say, you are on your knees a bit early, aren't you? I usually like to go first." Frey laughed.

Una clenched her jaw again as she tried to stand.

"I will smite off that tongue of yours and feed it to the swine if you say another remark like that!" Una seethed as she finally got her bearings and stood up.

"What an utter disappointment." He laughed.

Una couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with Frey. Did he usually act like this?

"I've come to retrieve you," Una said as she sloshed through the mud toward him.

"It's only been a night and a day, not much of a punishment if you ask me," Frey said, standing up.

He weakly swayed around but braced himself against the tall bars.

"I shouldn't have done this to you. I wasn't in my right mind." Una admitted as she walked around the perimeter of the paddock.

She came to the iron door and realized that it was unlocked. She did not need the keys.

"What is this, Frey! Why did you not leave!?" Una asked in earnest.

"Well, my love, where would I go? If I escaped, I would be slain if I was lucky enough to find my way off this mountain. And if I stayed, I would have a lovely dame like you to come and retrieve me. Look how it has played off." He laughed as he walked over to Una.

"Have you had too much mead?" Una asked, feeling irritated as she entered the ring.

"I would stay here forever then!" He laughed, walking up to Una.

"If it would silence your filth laced tongue," Una said, looking up at his neck.

The wound she inflicted yesterday had already festered and was swollen. Half of his neck was red, and he looked miserable standing there in horse manure and mud. His white tunic was stained brown and black, and his hair was in a disheveled side braid.

"Such strong words coming from such a young girl!" He laughed.

"I am no girl." Una hissed, grabbing his tunic sleeve.

"Come this way with me."

"How old are you anyway?" Frey snickered.

"Twenty-one," Una said reluctantly.

Suddenly Una felt Frey halt, like a horse who refuses to move forward with reins in hand. Una looked back, and she saw him staring at her with a confused look.

"I must say, you don't look a day over fifteen! How jovial that I am being rescued by the older queen herself!" He laughed.

"Do you have anything more constructive you could talk about? Now let's go before someone hears you speak such brazen words."

She felt him let up, and they continued to walk away in the thick mud.

"You know, I prefer women my own age or younger, being that I'm nineteen, but I'll have to make an exception for you, my lady!" He laughed.

Una knew he was doing this to make her uncomfortable. Perhaps he was bringing her to the point of no return when it came to anger. Did he want to die?

"Please, Frey," Una said, looking up at him as they walked through the outside through the paddock.

"You're a virgin, aren't you!? He laughed.

Una didn't say a word but looked away and kept tracing through the mud, avoiding the drafts advancing them.

"I can tell because you can't take compliments. Even if you say you have so much confidence, your body language says differently. Any normal woman would feel obligated to tease back on these matters." He sounded severe for a strange reason.

"These matters do not pertain to me, and if you would please..." Una said, grabbing her horse's reigns and leading him out of the final gate.

"I'll walk," Una said, latching the gate back.

Frey looked at her inquisitively.

"Why don't you want to ride with me behind you. Have my words troubled you? I assure you that I am no debauchee if that is what you are insinuating." He insisted as he put his muddy boot in the stirrup.

"The horse cannot carry us both down a steep incline like this. Going up would be easy for him. It is getting down that is difficult." Una said, pushing up Frey's other boot, helping him hoist up on the saddle.

"Such kindness, thank you." Frey smiled down at Una.

Una nodded as she pulled the synch tighter.

"What if I rode off right now?" He laughed.

"Don't push your luck with me. I want my horse to stay alive." Una side grinned as she wiped her muddy hands on her dress.

Frey looked down at Una, seeing her wiping her hands on her dress carelessly. She helped him up too. Frey thought she didn't behave like a queen. She was much kinder and more substantial than any queen he had ever met. Frey believed that he began to like Una at this point. There was a strongly rounded beauty that Frey saw in Una, which she did not. He has never seen this in a girl before.

Through these acts, Frey saw that Una thought of others first before herself, helping them and giving. She was not a taker, not like most queens. What little Una was given, she was content and happy with. Too many assumed she had everything she ever wanted, but in actuality, she lacked more of what she wanted than what she had. Many took advantage of Una's kindness and gave little in return, but this didn't bother Una. It only made her more potent as an individual. It was Una who always had the last laugh.

"Hold on to the saddle. We are taking a shortcut." Una grabbed the bit and bridle and guided Roosa and Frey down the path through a large wood.

Frey stared down at her. Her loose hair was out of the braid she had earlier. He watched it glisten like bronze in the moonlight. She was still in her ceremonial gear for the cremation procession. Frey wondered if she had ever been with a man before. Frey wondered that perhaps she was just too much for them. No man wanted to be with a woman stronger or wiser than they were.

Una was also very pretty, which made her even more frightening. This, however, made Frey even more intrigued. Frey thought for a short moment that maybe he could marry her. There was something about Una that he couldn't explain. She wasn't the type of girl he would ever go for, and yet he blushed at this thought. And besides, it would unite their feuding kingdoms and finally allow the tragic history between them to be buried.