Fenrik’s Fate (Abandoned on Niflheim)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

FENRIK

I opened my front door, ushering in Gorm, Lilja, Katla, and my mom. I’d worked hard to convince Gorm to meet with us—especially in the privacy of my home. I was pretty certain that Kelda and my mom had something to do with his final agreement.

“Tracy, this is Jarl Gorm, Lilja, the farming elder. Katla, the elder of the kitchens, and you’ve met my mom, the tribe’s healer,” I explained as I indicated each of them in turn. “Everyone, this is Tracy.”

Tracy’s blue eyes were wide as she hastily tried to finish her mouthful of pastry with an audible swallow.

“Why don’t we all sit?” I pointed to my living area, which had a sofa and chairs. Tracy sat on the couch beside me, tightly wrapping her tiny hand around mine.

Gorm studied Tracy curiously. “What are you?” he asked after a time.

I sighed. I had already explained Tracy’s entire abduction story and where she came from so that she wouldn’t have to go through this whole ordeal.

“I—I’m a human from Earth,” she stammered.

“And you were dropped here by some other creatures?—”

I cut him off angrily. “Gorm, I have already explained all of this to you. You know how she arrived here and feels safe with me. I don’t think she is ready to trust others just yet. Especially not after the treatment Nils and Gris gave her.” I gave him a look filled with scorn.

“So then, what are your intentions with her? Are you keeping her as a pet?”

“Of course he doesn’t want to keep her as a pet, you idiot,” my mom interjected. “Open your eyes.”

It was only my mother’s high station as healer that enabled her to get away with talking to Gorm with such disrespect. Though his treatment of me and Tracy still left plenty of room for improvement, the bare level of decency we were receiving had to be down to Ma.

Gorm seemed to register for the first time that Tracy’s body pressed against mine, our hands wrapped together. His brows raised.

“You mean to take her as a mate?” he asked. “But she’s so small. How do you know if you…” He coughed uncomfortably and trailed off.

I laughed to myself quietly. He wanted to ask how she and I fit but didn’t want to say it outright.

I stood, Tracy still clinging to my hand. I turned so my back was to Gorm and the others and raised my tunic. I heard a collective gasp.

“Elskas,” whispered Lilja.

“Fenrik! Why didn’t you tell me she was your Elska?!” Ma demanded immediately.

“I wasn’t keeping it from you. I just needed to get her settled before we figured out what to do next,” I said as an apology.

“How do we know it’s her and not another female?” Gorm asked, unconvinced.

To my surprise, Tracy stood quickly and pulled up the back of her own tunic, revealing her matching marks—which received another collective gasp. Tracy turned and faced Gorm, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a look that clearly said I told you so. Gorm’s jaw dropped. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter, but I loved when Tracy’s sass came out. I took a deep breath before continuing.

“So you see, whatever your ridiculous plans were for us, you can’t really separate Elska mates.”

It was almost as if I could see the cogs in Gorm’s brain working as Mom rushed up and hugged Tracy tightly.

“I’d always hoped Fenrik would settle down, but he’s such the solitary type, I’d given up.” Her eyes glistened as she continued to hug a very alarmed Tracy, who had her arms trapped to her sides due to the embrace.

“Ma, Ma, let her go. This is all new for her.” Mom released her, and I stepped in, putting myself between them.

“Excuse me,” Tracy finally spoke. “Can we stop talking about me as if I am not here? I want to be part of the decision about what happens to me. Especially as to whether or not Fenrik can keep me.” She gave Gorm a withering look.

He had the decency to look ashamed of himself.

“Of course, of course, dear. Do you want to stay with Fenrik? He has explained that you can reject the bond, right?” Mom placed her hand gently on Tracy’s arm.

Tracy nodded. “Yes, he told me I could reject him as a mate… but if permitted ”—she gave Gorm an icy stare—”I’d like to stay with him.”

“Trace, you don’t have to commit?—”

“I know I don’t have to,” she said. “I am choosing to.” Tracy grabbed my hand. She was resolute.

“Are you sure?”

“I told you I wasn’t ready to be part of a tight-knit community again, but this? Here? I can do this. I can live on the edge of the village with you.” She squeezed my hand.

“You don’t have the right—” Gorm started but was met with death glares by the three female elders.

“The right to what, exactly?” Katla asked coolly.

Gorm put his hands up in defeat. “Fine. Let him keep his human. But he is still stripped of his hunting rights. I don’t need him going off and one of us having to care for his…mate,” he spat the word out.

I stepped to him, ready to swing, but Mom blocked my path. “She will have a place here as his Elska,” she said with gritted teeth. “This should be for celebration as we have not had a new matebond form in quite some time.”

“And what will she do while she’s here to earn her keep?” Gorm asked petulantly

“I’d like to stay with Fenrik for now, so if he’s farming, then I am farming,” Tracy said more firmly than I expected. “I had to grow a small vegetable and herb garden back…home. I am sure I can be of use when it comes to farming.”

I wanted to grab Tracy off the ground and spin her around. I was so happy that not only did she want to stay, but she also wanted to be with me as I worked. However, I held myself back, as the elders were still in my living room.

“Fine.” Gorm gave a jerk of his head and walked out.

Katla and Lilja stayed only long enough to welcome Tracy a bit more warmly and then followed Gorm out, leaving me with just Mom and Tracy. Mom’s eyes still shined brightly as she held back tears.

“I know you two won’t want a big party celebrating your bond,” Mom said, hesitating, “but what about a small dinner with some of your closest friends? So that Tracy can get to know a few friendly faces?” She looked at both of us hopefully.

Tracy squeezed my hand before responding, “That sounds lovely, thank you.”

I could tell Mom wanted to hug Tracy again, but she settled on hugging me, giving Tracy a small wave, and letting herself out. Finally, Tracy and I were alone.

We headed to the couch, and I pulled Tracy into my lap. I nuzzled my nose into her long, wavy locks, breathing in her scent.

“Are you sure about all this?” I pulled back to look her in the eye. “You didn’t have to say yes just because they were all here. I don’t want you to stay unless it is what you really want. I’d take you to another tribe to see if you liked it there… I’m sorry I don’t have a way to take you home.”

Tracy smiled and stroked her fingers up my arm before cupping my face with her tiny hands. “You are exactly what I want. And if I have to learn how to grow alien vegetables to be with you, I will do it—but no big welcome party.”

“Right, there will be no welcome party. Just dinner with my mom and a few close friends,” I assured her. “You can meet the rest of the tribe at your own pace.”

“Do you want to get back to our breakfast?” I gestured to the half-eaten pastries still on the table.

As if suddenly remembering she was still hungry, Tracy hopped off my lap and returned to her breakfast.

“So small dinner with your mom tonight. What’s in store for the day?” she asked through a mouthful of food.

“Maybe we could introduce you to the other farmers?”

“How many of them are there?”

“Three.”

“Oh.” She looked relieved. “I can handle three.”

TRACY

Fenrik and I walked hand in hand around the edge of the tribe to the farm area. He assured me we were unlikely to meet anyone as it was the middle of the day. It wasn’t that I was afraid of meeting his tribe. I just needed to do it in small chunks. And I would need to be constantly reassured that I could live the life I wanted here—not a life prescribed for me. Meeting the other farmers I would work with seemed like a good starting place. I didn’t mind the idea of farming. It sounded better than keeping house for Gabe and cooking all his meals, and I loved being outside.

It wasn’t long before we reached the farmlands. They weren’t particularly large, but everything was growing in neat rows—some vegetables that looked sort of familiar and some that were utterly alien to me. As we approached, an orc female was tending to a plant that was growing what looked like a cross between a tomato and a bell pepper. She waved us over. I followed Fenrik’s lead, and we joined her among the plants.

“So, are you ready for farm life?” She arched a brow at Fenrik.

Fenrick cleared his throat. “Well, some things have changed since I left the tribe. Let’s just say I would rather not go off on long hunting trips anymore.” He inclined his head toward me.

She gave me a wide smile. “Thyra has told me all about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tracy. My name is Greta.”

“Hello, nice to meet you too,” I said, trying not to sound too timid.

“Well, let me show you around, and we can figure out where you are best suited.”

We wandered through the rows and rows of plants, with Greta telling me the names and seasons of each one until I felt like my head was swimming with information. She was explaining how to keep mold off of a radish-type plant when a young orc came running up to her.

“Ma, one of the chooklings has gone missing again,” she wailed.

“Oh honey, they always come back, don’t worry. They know who feeds them.” She stroked the young girl’s hair.

It was hard to tell the age of an entirely different species, but if I had to guess, she was about to enter her teen years. She was clearly distraught about the missing chookling , whatever that was. Something about her face screwed up, fighting off tears, pulled me to her.

“I can help look for the chookling,” I volunteered, secretly hoping a chookling was a small animal and not a large one.

The young orc looked at me, relief etched on her face. “You’ll help?”

“Sure, if your mom is okay with it.”

Greta nodded. The young orc grabbed my hand and we were off, weaving through the rows of plants to a small hut. Okay, good. All signs pointing toward a small animal.

“Biddy is missing. We have fourteen chooklings that I am in charge of, and Biddy is always the one that wanders off. I think she likes hunting for worms.”

“Mmm, before we go hunting for Biddy, can you tell me what a chookling looks like—and maybe your name?”

“Oh.” She blushed. “I’m Elin.”

“Hi Elin, I’m Tracy.”

Elin smiled at me and ducked into the little hut before returning with a chookling in her arms. I laughed out loud. A chookling was a chicken—well, mainly a chicken. Instead of feathers it had fur that looked incredibly soft, like a rabbit’s. Its wings were tucked tight to its body, making me think chooklings probably didn’t fly. But its face was almost exactly the same as an Earth chicken—slightly different eyes. Of course, I could help find a chicken.

Elin looked embarrassed. “What’s so funny?”

“I just—” I tried to stop myself from laughing. “I was expecting some alien creature, and it’s almost exactly like an animal we have back home, called a chicken. I know all about them.”

“Oooh, do you want to help me with the chooklings? Sometimes I can get behind on gathering the eggs and everyone in the tribe depends on them.”

“Sure, if your mom is okay with it, I can help you with the chooklings.”

Elin beamed at me and dragged me back to her mom and Fenrik. Apparently, I was now to be a chookling farmer. I couldn’t think of anything better.