Axel went to her side and knelt next to her. The gorgon immediately cringed away from him but Cade was just glad she didn't turn him to stone on the spot.
"He is going to help, I promise." Cade made a point of looking at Axel for a long minute. If the bandit did anything to harm the gorgon he was going to regret it. She wasn't a threat to anyone and Cade would be damned if she died on his watch.
Axel started to tend to her wounds. Occasionally she hissed in pain or grasped the grass tightly between her fingers. Her knuckles turned white with the effort it was taking for her not to cry out. Cade supposed she wasn't willing to show too much pain in front of the bandit king.
They waited in a tense silence and Cade could hear Rowan breathing next to him. It was so loud he was tempted to ask him to stop. He didn't know why he cared so much about the gorgon, maybe because she was like him, forgotten and hated by most. When he and Elora were little anyone who saw them on the street would spit or avoid them. They were all convinced that they were after money or something so they kept their distance like the both of them were diseased. Maybe some of them actually thought that.
Cade felt someone come up behind him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. His shoulders tensed enough to hurt until she spoke.
"She will be fine. Don't worry," Freya uttered. Her scent of roses and earth was comforting to him and his heart rate slowed to a less anxious beat.
"Do you want her to be okay?" He wasn't sure why he asked. He supposed he cared if she was on his side. He was well aware that the others thought he was mad for saving the gorgon but Freya had helped him to carry her to safety in the end. Out of everyone she was most likely to agree that monster or not, no one deserved to be left to die.
"I think I do. I don't want to lie to you. She is scary." Freya swallowed loudly and shuffled from one foot to the other. Cade looked sideways at her and his breath was taken away by her beauty. She had delicate features and small bow like lips that he kept staring at. He dragged his eyes up to hers and saw worry in them. She was chewing on her lip and watching the gorgon without blinking.
Suddenly the gorgon let out a screech of pain. Cade whirled around and took a quick step towards where Axel was knelt in front of her. Surely he wouldn't kill her right in front of them all? Freya followed him and drew her sword an inch. Axel threw up his hands at the sound of the blade screeching out.
"I tightened the bandage," he said.
Elora was standing behind him and moved to look over his shoulder. She nodded at Cade and he let out his breath.
"He is telling the truth," he said.
Axel rolled his eyes. "Of course I am. I am hardly going to kill the monster in front of the princess with the sword."
Freya flushed and sheathed her sword mumbling an apology. Cade didn't think she needed to apologize at all. This guy is a criminal and Cade didn't trust him as far as he could throw him.
Axel rolled his shoulders and stood. He was close enough to Elora to make Cade tense.
"Those bandages won't keep it alive," he said.
"They keep me around long enough to kill you, you rat!" The gorgon started to stand but cringed when she moved. Cade was a little concerned that she was going to open her eyes so he spoke up.
"Its okay. We will fix it. Just don't open your eyes."
She hissed between her teeth in Axel's direction.
"How do we do that?" Rowan gulped from behind Cade. He was never less than three steps away from the gorgon.
"The fey could help," Axel met Freya's eyes and raised an eye brow in challenge, "If you are willing to go to the Aelfdall meadows to find them."
Freya looked at the ground and Cade felt like the bottom had fallen out of his stomach when he saw the hesitation on her face.
"We can't let her die," he said softly, trying to meet her eyes.
"The princess has an important quest in the other direction," Rowan announced. His voice was still shaky but Cade had no doubt that he was determined to get his way. Cade knew that they were after the dragon and that Freya needed to get there before her sister if she wanted to keep her kingdom. Yet if they didn't go back then the gorgon would die. She had saved them at the bandit camp even if she hadn't meant to. They owed her this much.
"I will bring her alone if you don't have the time." Axel smirked and Elora sneered at the back of his head.
"We want her to survive."
"Oh I see than I am not the best person to send."
Cade watched Freya. She was wringing her fingers together and wouldn't look up. Her shoulders were hiked high and Cade was almost tempted to let it go so she wouldn't look so tense anymore. No, he needed to do this. She would be able to protect them on the way there.
"I have to reach the..." Freya looked up and was met with Cade gazing at her. He willed her to understand that the gorgon was not just a monster. She is a person who needs their help. He understood her desperation to reach the dragon, he too wanted to get there first, but the meadows were not that far away. They could do both.
"Yes we need to reach the dragon," Rowan announced.
"A dragon? Very exciting," Axel remarked in a flippant tone.
"We can do both," Cade pleaded, "If we don't then she will..."
"Forget it pretty boy," the gorgon uttered, "people never want to help the monsters."
Freya rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Fine. We can do both."
Cade smiled and hugged her. She was small and warm in his arms. His body flushed with heat and he stepped back before his imagination ran away with him. "Thank you."
Freya blinked and blushed along her nose and cheeks. "Sure."
"This is a mistake," Rowan moaned. His robin chirped in agreement and hopped up and down on his shoulder.
Cade rubbed his hands together. "Not your decision. Now lets go. We are wasting time." He smiled at Freya again and when she smiled back his heart stopped for a minute. He swallowed hard and reminded himself that he was here for the dragon.
***
The walk to the meadows was not long and the closer they got to Aelfdall the easier the conditions got. It was warm but there was a nice breeze. The ground was mostly flat with only the occasional hill. Despite the ease of the journey Freya was very aware that they were going the wrong way. It felt like she was turning her back on her kingdom and father with each step she took. He feet felt heavy but she couldnt make herself turn around either. Cade had looked so hopeful and she wouldn't be the one who destroyed his image of her by letting someone die on her watch. Besides, he was right, they were sure to have the time to do both. She hoped.
Rowan hadn't said a word to her since they had decided to go back. She knew that he was made because his jaw was clenched but whenever she met his eyes he simply smiled politely at her and said nothing. She wanted to talk to him and explain why she hadn't be able to let the gorgon die but she wanted to do it in private. The last thing they needed was Axel's commentary on the whole thing.
She looked back over her shoulder at the bandit king. He was walking beside Elora with his hands in his pockets and his honey badger trotting at his feet. His steps didn't make a sound as he moved and he was always scanning the surrounding trees. Freya had no doubt that he was more skilled at surviving out here than all of them combined but she still wasn't okay with him being here. He gave the impression that he was waiting for the right moment to strike. That might because he had tried to kidnap and sell her. Its hard to get over something like that.
Cade was a few steps behind them, supporting the gorgon as she staggered along. She had her eyes screwed shut and held onto the shoulder of his shirt tight enough to bunch it up. She was in pain, that much was clear but how she dragged herself along and clenched her teeth. Cade wasn't looking at the gorgon but kept his gaze fixed ahead. He caught sight of Freya and she felt her face heat at being caught staring.
She focused ahead again in time to see the meadows coming into view. They were vast lime green grass covered valleys with a massive lake near the center, rumored to be home to mermaids. The sunlight was reflected off the blades of grass that swayed from side to side in the gentle wind. There was a scent of grass and wildflowers everywhere, strong enough to make Freya sneeze. Wild horses grazed on the hills. When they saw the people coming they whinnied and dashed into the distance. It was a relaxing place that made you want to sit on the grass and take a nap. It wasn't hard to find the fey. There was an enormous willow tree on top of a hill. The branches of the tree dropped towards the ground and were covered in blossoms of surreal colors and shapes. One of them was orange and in the shape of a diamond. It caught the light and threw it around, refracting it into rainbows. There were a few of these orange flowers among white ones that were shaped like clouds and purple ones that looked like cats eyes.
There were figures around the tree, dancing to music Freya couldn't hear and laughing like children. They were humanoid but their faces were glittery when the light caught them and their eyes were large and oval. They had long fingers and lithe forms. They wore clothes that were tattered but somehow still managed to look beautiful. Their ears were pointed.
"Looks like fun," Axel remarked.
Freya walked up to them and one of the women among them stopped dancing and faced them. She was young looking apart from the wrinkles around her eyes. She had lilac lips and blue eyes. There was a silver quality to her pale skin that made her shine in the light. Her dress was knee length and torn along the bottom. It was so green that it could have been made of the grass around them.
"Princess? This is a surprise. Can we help you? Would you like a favor from us?" Her voice was like a whisper of wind through trees.
Freya shivered at the strange quality of it. "I..."
She didn't get very far before Axel interrupted. "Careful what you say Princess. You haven't stated the terms of this favor yet."
The fey tilted her head and ran her tongue along her teeth. She roamed over his body with her eyes. "Smart man, don't you trust me?"
"I have dealt with enough fey before to know never to say anything without knowing what it means to the fey." He smirked at her and folded his arms. Ares the honey badger snarled at her.
She giggled at the little creature and clapped her hands. "How cute!"
Her childlike glee made Freya's skin crawl. She noticed that the rest of the fey were watching them as they kept dancing.
"What does he grant you..." she squinted at Axel for a moment before grinning. "Axel."
Elora looked between the two of them with wide eyes. "Do you know each other?"
Axel shook his head. "I have been here before but I don't know this fey."
She threw her head back and giggled again, spinning on one foot and spreading her arms out. "But I know about you. A little boy traded away to repay his daddy's debt. Given to the forest." She opened her mouth to go on but Axel spoke over her.
"Ares makes me immune to poison." His smirk implied that he wasn't fazed by how well the fey knew him. Freya couldn't imagine what would worry him if not this.
She turned her luminous eyes to Elora. "And you? Is that your kitty? What is your name?"
Elora didn't even open her mouth before Axel spoke again. "You don't get anyone's names so stop trying. They all know that a name is power and you can do all sorts with theirs."
Well we do now, Freya thought.
The fey shook her head and sighed. "I just wanted to make new friends. Besides, I know the princess already. Everyone does. But don't worry I won't touch her. I don't want to anger the king." Freya thought she saw genuine fear in the fey's eyes but she shrugged it off. Her father would never do anything to these creatures. He has never even seen one, right?
"Let's set out the terms of the arrangement and get it over with," Axel said, yawning in a melodramatic way.
Freya waited for someone to speak and start the arrangement when she realized that they were all looking at her. Was she supposed to know how to talk to these things? She looked at the fey and back at her friends. Axel was watching the fey closely and Elora was keeping an eye on him. Cade's face was red from the effort required to hold the gorgon up. The gorgon was pale and sweating.
Dread swelled up in Freya's throat and she fought hard to swallow it back.
"We want you to heal this gorgon." Freya pointed towards Cade and the gorgon.
The fey started as if she had seen the monster for the first time only now. "Oh dear that is awful. I can fix it though." She tossed her hair off her shoulder.
Freya was tense. Given how much Axel seemed to mistrust the fey she could only assume how wicked they were beneath their beautiful exterior. He was scary enough. Yet if she didn't make some kind of deal then the whole journey here and the lost time would be for nothing.
"What do you want?" Freya did her best to imitate her fathers tone that he used when dealing with the royal court.
The fey grinned widely, showing pointed teeth. "Just a favor in future. One of you must agree to be called on at a later date for a task of my choosing."
Axel laughed and shook his head. Freya tried not to fidget as she thought. If she said no then the gorgon would die. But if she said yes then who knows that they could ask her to do. All going well she was going to become Queen. It could be dangerous to let herself fall into a trap like this.
"Those are my terms." The fey must have noticed her hesitation. "Take the deal or the gorgon dies."
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