Freyja's Fire - Chapter 1 - A'mara Books

1

(4728 Kingdom of Velantia)
(about 1211 Before the Common Era)
(Fenjaday)

The Abundantia

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Sweat poured off Kolt Rain’s brow as he struggled to keep the ship on a true course. His muscles quivered and his vision blurred. He shook his head again to try to clear it.

He looked momentarily at his adoptive brother, Garrick Heath, lying half-naked and semi-conscious on the deck.

Only a week ago they were on Irola, taking on some goods destined for Kri’enden.

Within hours, some of the crew were showing symptoms of a mysterious illness. Weakened, they were at the mercy of a sudden severe storm which blew them off course.

In the hour that followed, most of the goods had been thrown overboard in order to avoid losing the ship. But the storm kept lashing them and blowing them further south. By the time they had regained control of the ship, it was morning. Some sailors were dead, more were sick and the ship was somewhere in the middle of an ocean with no known land anywhere on the charts.

Except…

“I’ve heard this myth before. Mostly from drunk sailors,” Garrick had said when Kolt had mentioned the legendary land of Velantia.

“I cannot handle this ship alone. With everyone dead or dying, the existence of Velantia is our last chance,” Kolt had replied calmly.

A breeze blew through his long black hair and cooled his muscular, naked olive-brown body. He preferred his clothing-free state whenever possible. Even the chambermaids had grown accustomed to his preference, though the last of those was now feeding the fish along with her unborn baby. It made him think of Raven, before she died – like everyone else he had ever loved. Garrick was the only one left of that life – and he now lay dying too.

Kolt was growing fainter now. He tried fervently to keep his senses, even as the seagulls started greeting the ship. He cried to them, asking them to guide him to land, his voice joining their chorus.

He wondered whether the gray form on the horizon was a cloud, land, or just a mirage of his weakened state.

“Let me reach land!” he cried out as his legs gave way and his head hit the deck.

The breeze blew the ship along as he was enveloped in darkness.

♥

Erion Sands

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Gemina Inari stretched out lazily on the towel Stella had given her for her birthday. It was a nicer way to lay on the sand, she had to admit. A large shade (Rachel had called it an umbrella, though Katja insisted it was a parasol) kept the hot sun out of her eyes as she gazed out towards the sea.

Some sand flew into her face.

“Mind, Aurelia!” Gemina complained at her cousin as she used a clean towel to wipe the sand from her eyes and nose.

“How can it be a real holiday at the beach if you don’t get sand in your face at least once?”

“It will be a more relaxing one.”

A couple of youthful shrieks were heard as a small group of very young children ran towards them, kicking a ball before them.

“Sirius!” the other three-year-old complained as the tallest of the group kicked the ball ahead of the other.

Aurelia quickly caught one of the younger ones as he tripped over the umbrella pole, making it fall on Gemina.

“’Scuse!” the toddler cried. “Aun’ Relia, Aun’ Meena!”

“Aron, you have to be careful!” Aurelia scolded the child.

“Sorry,” Katja said as she hurried to keep up with the child, lumbering over a swollen belly. “Aron!” She continued running after the child.

“Do you think we’re going to look like that in a few years?” Gemina asked, setting up the parasol again.

“I rather hope not!” Aurelia replied. “I’ll do a better job of keeping track of mine – and not run around the beach looking like a fool, rather than a princess! Aron hasn’t the slightest idea of his position!”

“He is a year and a half old, Aurelia,” Gemina reminded. “He isn’t ready to know of his royalty – or anything about it.”

“He has to know of his responsibility to others – that includes not kicking sand in people’s faces!”

“Not like what you just did to me, right?”

Aurelia sighed. “I just meant that Katja needs to be more mindful of Aron’s position! Adrick’s heir. He has to behave better than the average toddler!”

“I’m glad I’m just your cousin then,” Gemina replied, thinking about her brother Breyind. He was much more easy-going than Adrick, though Adrick didn’t have Aurelia’s temperament. “I can have children who are as ill-behaved as Aron and enjoy it!”

“You have a man in mind?” Aurelia asked.

“No,” Gemina sulked. “I swear I’ve met every man in the realm. No one wants me – they want to be cousin to the future king.”

Aurelia nodded. “Like when I dressed up like a woman of the night… just to see what it would be like. To be a sailor’s girl. Unfortunately, I was recognized immediately. Oh, to sail to a distant land and not be royal for a week!”

“Your dad would have called for heads,” Gemina reminded her. “Imagine had you come home pregnant by some drunken sailor!”

“My father has admitted to having at least one illegitimate child by one of those women. Why not me?”

Gemina sighed. She understood Aurelia’s argument better than her cousin knew, but her mother and Aunt Ellan had always insisted that they could behave better than the King had in his youth. Part of being royal was the duty to be better, to be examples for the common folk.

“There’s a ship!” Aurelia cried excitedly. “I wonder if it’s coming into Erion.”

“You know you shouldn’t tease those poor sailors so!” Gemina scolded. “How is that being well-behaved?”

“I don’t ask for them to let me win. I think they say that to save face. I’m the best gambler whenever I turn up. Wolff loves me!”

“You’re lucky our mothers don’t know!”

“You wouldn’t tell them, would you, Gemina?”

“No, but I think it should count towards their taxes!”

“But I would have to tell Dad!” Aurelia moaned.

“No. Only Katja would have to know. She has balanced the books ever since she brought in our new tax codes to make sure everyone pays fairly.

“Would she really keep my secret?”

“You’d have to ask Rachel,” Gemina said, looking back out at the horizon. “The ship is gone.”

“Not coming to Erion,” Aurelia figured glumly.

“Then where? There are no other ports down the eastern side of Velantia.”

Little feet trod across Gemina’s towel. “Hey! Emma! You should know better!”

“As I said… My children will behave much better!” Aurelia determined.