(Warning: Apparently this chapter has a lot of dallying. So heads up boring chapter. its is meant to be slow. So sorry. Enjoy!)
Astrid
After a short while every one helped clean up. The boy, watching every one move around, lost sight of Astrid. Not knowing how to help he stepped out of the Green tent to watch every one file out. Awkwardly rocking from toe to heal he waited to see the girl with the wolf again.
Astrid had disappeared to the back of the tent, helping Ava clean up the left over food and ensuring that the boys bag was not been forgotten. After breakfast was all cleaned up Astrid strode over to the boy. Once she appeared in front of him she removed her hood, letting her long red hair flow out. Looking at him she held out a large bag "I will trade you this for the letter."
Noticing that the girl was shorter than him he wondered at her age and how she could be the leader of all these people. Pulling out the letter his eyes glance over the bag. Then he rememberd what the girl had said about a food bag, for him and his family. Realizing he had been silent and not moving for a while he handed the letter over to her. It was hers any way.
Receiving the letter, Astrid scanned it and then stuffed it in a pocket. She sighed loudly and turned to walk towards her tent. The boy opening the bag excitedly searched its contents. Pulling out a jar he asks "What is this?" She glances at it and continues her walk towards her tent. " That is honey butter. It goes on the rolls you have in your bag. There should be enough to apply generous amounts on each roll. But, if your mom has a baby the baby should not eat the honey."
He stuffed the jar back in and followed her. They eventually stopped in front of her tent and he pulls out another jar. "And this?"
She glances at it and then walks into her tent " if you add water to it and heat it over a fire it becomes soup. A very nice addition to the rolls."
Her voice got a little muffled once she was in the tent and the boy did not want to be rude entering her tent uninvited so he just sat on the grass looking through his food bag. It had many jars like the soup jar along with small bags of grain that looked like rice. There were also Eggs that he worried would break and leak all over the insides so he pulled them out and set them nicely in the grass.
Inside the tent Astrid found her paper, pen and ink. She wrote a response to the king letting him know that she would arrive in two days. Then she signed it and placed her seal on it. Then she pulled out another piece of paper wrote on that one and Placed her special seal on it.
Astrid left her tent and noticed the eggs lying in the grass. kneeling down she picked up the eggs and placed them back in to the boys bag. " They are hard boiled. They will break, but wont spill. The boys in your family should eat two of these a day. The girls can get away with one a day." She grabbed one and cracked it pulling the shell off to show the inside. "A little salt goes a long way."
"Mom wont let us get chickens. She say it is too expensive to feed them." he picked up the bag and noticed that Astrid had a two letters. She handed both to the boy.
"Before you put them away look at them. The first has a purple seal, my seal, that one goes to the king. The second one has a gold seal. This one you must personally take to the black smith. Are you the oldest boy in your family?" He shook his head.
"I have an older brother that is the bastards serving boy, but all he does is read."
She didn't understand who the bastard was, or why he read so much, but decided to ignore the comment. "Listen to me carefully, you hand the Red King this letter and then you run straight home. Understand? Never return to the castle." She handed him a bronze alma. There were three types of Almas Bronze, silver and Gold "This is for you, for bringing the letter to me. You did your job well."
Staring at the alma, he realized it was the most money he had ever seen. "the king will pay me, you do not have to."
Ignoring that comment as well she spoke "I will come check on your family in a couple of days. Ok? Listen to the black smith."
The boy hopped up on his horse and rode away, feeling full of hope.
Astrid didn't have time to send the boy off, she had many things to do. The first was to make sure training was going well. She popped into a plain brown tent and noticed two people sparring and one person practicing archery. Gliding over to the archery course she gave the girl practicing a few pointers and then turned to see the two sparring were her friends Holland and Penelope.
"Two against one?" Penelope suggested. Noticing Astrid's staring eyes.
"I don't know if I can take you both now... you have grown so much. But we can give it a try. " They needed to be updated on the letter, so why not mess around for a second. Then she could inform them after.
"Don't be humble its not a good look for you." She chided.
Every one brought out a weapon, Astrid brought out a knife and a short sword. She excelled at archery even atclose range but for this she decided blades would be best. Penelope and Holland stuck to what they knew; knives and a sword. The battle began as soon as they all took their stance. Holland and Penelope on one team, and Astrid on the other.
No one could land a hit or pin the other. This lasted a long time.
"You are holding back " Astrid called out when they separated for the first time.
"The same could be said to you." Holland laughed and the level of their battle increased.
The killing intent could be felt radiating off of both Holland and Penelope. This triggered a response in Odette who ran across the whole camp, charging in to the brown tent, fangs bared. She instantly stopped when she realized who was fighting. This intrusion caused the necessary distraction for Astrid to take the upper hand and knock down both Penelope and Holland.
"You could've told me that you were practicing." Odette thought sourly as she left the tent to lounge outside.
Astrid, trying to focus on taking advantage of the perfect distraction, pinned Holland and tapped him out and then launched herself at Penelope who succeeded in getting up. She placed her blades in the line of the Astrid's path for her to get stabbed. Astrid, not caring about the blades, and not being able to change direction in mid air, tackled Penelope. The knives laced themselves into Astrid's stomach and lower right rib. While being tackled, Penelope allowed herself to be pinned to the floor; both knife and short sword across her throat.
"Looks like a tie to me!" Holland shouted.
"I must agree. Good job Penelope. Quick thinking on the stomach attack. If I were anyone else, you would've gotten me."
Penelope smiled and got up. Leaving her knives for Astrid to take out. Penelope turned away. She always hated to watch this part. Astrid had no regard for her own life. This always bothered Penelope, but allowed every one to practice killing with out actually killing. Hearing a knife slide out, Penelope covered her ears for the second blade. Holland Helped Astrid clean them up and place them back in Penelope's sheaths. Once both knives were out, cleaned and placed back with their owner, Holland tapped Penelpope who opened her eyes and looked at him. Receiving a thumbs up she instinctually checked to make sure they were both in their place. Then she spun around to Astrid. "Shall we try again?"
"I have to go make sure that the preparations for lunch and tonight's feast are all set. I stopped by to update you guys. " She pulled out the letter and handed it to Holland who read the letter out loud.
"My Dear Astrid,
I have not seen you in many years. I wish to renew our alliance in the hopes that I can count on your aid should the need ever arise. I look forward to your arrival. King O'leane. "
Once Holland finished he chuckled "He always had a way with words."
Astrid already in a fowl mood from the letter jokingly snapped "Hey, short and see through. That's how I like it!" In her mind she agreed.
"When do you think we should expect war?" Penelope was watching Astrids wounds mend themselves and was glaring at the stains of blood.
"I will try to bargain for 2 years to get 'ready'..."
"He knows we are always ready for a fight." Holland cut her off.
"I will tell him I have some new recruits that are not quiet ready and maybe pick up one or two on the way out of the city." She hesitated around this plan and Holland voiced why.
"No one could be ready in 2 years from just being recruited. Just stick with the original, at least it is mostly true." Handing back the letter, Holland followed Astrid towards Kalla's tent with Penelope and Odette trailing behind.
Once at Kalla's multicolored tent Astrid announced her self; "Kalla, I need a patch up."
Terrified that Astrid had messed up her masterpiece of a dress, Kalla's hand flung out of the tent and snatched Astrid's hand, pulling her through the gap. Holland and Penelope followed while Odette laid down in the warm sun outside of the tent.
With a sigh of relief that it was just Astrids shirt she stitched it up while it was still on her. Jumping back into their conversation, Holland asked: "You think 2 years is all you can get? And when do you plan to leave?"
Astrid, wanting Kalla to be a part of the conversation, handed her the letter at a break when she was getting more thread for the next tear.
"I think two years is generous. I think after the Great hunt." Astrid answered Holland.
Kalla breathed a sigh of relief knowing normally Astrid would take any excuse to avoid the party tonight. Taking back the letter once Kalla was finished with it, Astrid looked at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. Kalla, already up-to-date on the conversation, scoffed, "My Dear Astrid. Who does he think he is...?"
After the Patch up Astrid asked Kalla if every one had their party attire. Her response was "The last two are Bear and Ava. I assume you are going there to check on lunch?" Folding Ava's dress, Bears pants and vest neatly into Astrid's bag, she thanked her and Astrid was off.
Arriving at the green tent a table had been placed on the outside. A large Water barrel accompanied the table, along with a stack of cups. Entering the tent, then heading to the back where the kitchen was actually located, Astrid announced herself. "Ava, Bear? I have your clothes from Kalla. How is lunch coming along?"
"We are back here Astrid." Ava's response allowed Astrid to enter at ease. Being a married couple it was always a little nerve racking to enter their part of the tent.
As she stepped through the curtain, she saw 3 different plates of 3 different kinds of sandwiches. Bear was working on the 4th. Ava walked over to her holding out her hands for the clothes. Astrid gently pulled out the clothes and handed them to her.
Reading Astrid's mind Ava talked about the dinner plans "we were planning to set out a few varieties of snacks that people can pick at. All accompanied by some nice smooth drinks. "
Nodding, she eyed the pulled pork sandwiches that bear was working on. Helping to take out all the plates of sandwiches to the table every one came and ate lunch sitting around in the grass enjoying the warmth of the sun. It was pretty late for lunch but that was planned to make the party seem even closer.
After lunch Astrid checked on the pile of wood and the chairs set out for the band. Bear and Ava moved the table closer to the fire pit then went to work on the snacks.