Alfödr had traveled far to reach Coamanel. He was with a party arriving later than Freyr's and Eylinn's party. Upon arrival he heard the news that the plans had changed, the wedding set aside for later and the maiden heading for a quest in Wallachia. Of course Freyr was gonna follow suit.
- "That damned boy" he was growling to himself as he charged trough the Coamanel hallways. He slammed up the door to Eylinn's chambers. "I will see you at the horses, NOW!"
- "B-But I have to..." Freyr tried to speak but was interrupted by Alfödr "NO you have a duty to your men on the front lines. Why should they fight if you don't fight with them?"
Alfödr's presence was enormous and threatening. Freyr tried to stand his ground but Alfödr gave him a look as if he was gonna cut him down and just continued "NOW!"
- "M-Milord! Don't be angry with him. It's my fault." Eylinn tried to defend Freyr but Alfödr silenced her with an angry glare as Freyr left the room. He closed the door after Freyr with the words "I will join you after I've talked with your Fiancee"
As he turned around, Alfödr was back to his old normal self, perfectly calm and controlled.
- "I am sorry Therain, but it is the only way for me to get him to leave your side." He sat himself down next to her but he could notice she was not happy with him.
- "I really don't need that kind of tension right now. I've made no attempt to hide my dependency on him lately. It's not fair to treat him thus for my needs sake."
- "I know, I am sorry, I really am and it hurts me to take him away from you and he will hate me for it if anything happens to you." His voice was more calming, as if a father was talking to his child.
- "It's fine... The concern would be mutual" she said as she looked down on his weapons that he wore inside a foreign castle filled with people. He didn't pay attention and just continued.
- "But he is naive and selfish, he would sacrifice his life for you, but to what end? Leave you mourning for hundreds of years? You elves live so much longer, the pain he would cause... I can't let my daughter-in-law bear that pain!" He embraced her, as a father protecting his young. She leaned her head deep into his shoulder.
- "I..." she flinched, followed by a cough.
- "I know too well the feeling of loosing everything dear to me, I will not let that happen to you." he stroked her hair "If anything does happen to you, I will not rest until you are back to Freyr, you hear me? If I so have to force the Dark One himself, I will."
- "Why are you being so nice to me? I don't deserve this..." she grabbed at his fur pelt "Why? One wonderful day you will be my daughter, do I need a reason?"
- "What if you... Or him... I'm..." she pulled harder on his coat for each word then sighed "This whole situation is just so morbid. Blocked in the West, Darkness creeping into the realm with its putrid roots... And all I can do is think of myself, and what I feel. I am not even going to try imagining what you think of me."
- "I think that you care, that is why you think like that. There is nothing bad about that. Luckily you have an old fart like me to make sure my son doesn't do anything stupid."
He stood up, ready to leave.
- "Don't worry, even if he's not there, he will always protect you." From behind his back a young Nord girl had appeared like the sparrow that Freyr showed her. The girl reminisced a lot of Freyr and Alfödr, she was leaning on his shoulder. Smiling. Eylinn couldn't help but smile her self, a warm comforting feeling filled the room.
- "Is she happy? Does she even know she's here? From the other side, I mean."
- "Yes, I believe so. I am not that skilled yet, so far I can only feel the surface of her emotions. But I do believe she knows." He didn't look back at the girl. A small part of him thought that looking at her again would just make that night come real again... He continued "And Freyr will never let you walk alone, I can promise you that."
- "I guess now he has to."
But Alfödr had the same boyish smile now that Eylinn usually saw on Freyr, the smile that said everything was gonna be alright. She looked down on the floor.
- "My power does not only stretch to others souls..."
She opened her mouth to respond but he was gone. Leaving only his warm comforting presence.
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Later outside Coamanel
- "FATHER! YOU BAS...." he was interrupted by his father "I DARE YOU TO FINISH THAT SENTENCE BOY!"
Freyr was breathing heavily, almost ready to draw his sword at his father.
- "You have an obligation to your army, your future wife can take care of herself."
- "If so anything happens to her I swear I will.." He was interrupted again. "You swear what? Take out your revenge on me? It is not I who you shall be angry with. It is the piece of shit that gave her that bite."
Freyr stared with a questioning expression.
- "H-How did you know?" Freyr was afraid of what his father might do now that he knows. "I could smell it on her, you should have too. She is now tainted to the very core of her soul."
- "But then you know I must help her!" His father gave him an angry glare "So my only heir can get bitten too? I don't think so. I will not give her my son until she is cured."
Freyr hated him for what he said. He thought of his father as the most horrible person ever for that. What he didn't know was that every word he said pained Alfödr more than he could imagine, but he did because he had to.