Chapter 1
Freydis
"Warriors are never afraid of death," I whispered to Siggy, my maid, as I sharpened my arrow with a stone. We were near a river, out hunting.
She opened her mouth to speak when something caught my attention. I brought my hand to my lips to stop her from talking.
Slowly turning to the deer that stood with its side facing us, I raised my bow and arrow toward it.
I took a deep breath, the arrow leaving my bow. A hiss sounded as the arrow pierced through the air.
I felt a rush of pride in my chest, seeing how well I had shot the arrow. As soon as I released it, I knew it would hit the deer. I had never missed my target.
But in the same heartbeat I shot the arrow, the deer turned around. Its ears twitched as our eyes met, and it quickly leaped forward.
I frowned as my arrow slammed into the trunk of a tree.
I stood up from the ground, and Siggy followed me as I walked toward the tree. I looked around when I reached it and tried to pull out the arrow that was stuck inside.
"I missed," I said to Siggy, pulling it out.
"Yes," Siggy replied.
I frowned.
"But it was not your fault," she added. "Something must have startled it."
Just before I could open my mouth to speak, I heard a sound—almost like a scream.
"My lady," Siggy said. I stared after the racing deer.
More screams were heard, and I turned to Siggy.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Best we take a look," I muttered.
"My lady, it's not safe there," she said.
I turned to her. "If you are afraid, then stay here until I return."
"But the Hounds..." she trailed off, facing the direction of the scream.
"I am not afraid of Hounds," I said. "Stay here till I return."
Turning my gaze away from her, I headed in the direction where the scream had come from.
The Hounds were creatures that had recently settled in my village and started killing my people. They were human like us, but during their hunts, they shifted into four-legged creatures covered in fur.
Dry leaves crunched under my sandal as the trees thinned and I stepped forward to a ridge. The land dropped low into a cliff in the west.
I looked down the cliff at the sea covering everything. I stood there, waiting for the scream, but I heard no more sounds. For a while, I thought the sound had come from a wild animal in the woods.
But just as I was about to return to Siggy, I heard another scream, and I took off, following it.
I gasped in shock to see a man lying on the ground. His woolen breeches were torn—and so was his body. Blood was everywhere. His head was torn from his body.
I walked closer and knelt down to inspect the body. Did the scream come from him?
I picked up the axe lying at his side. It was covered in blood, almost as if he had tried to defend himself before he died.
This didn't look like a human attack. I knew immediately that this was the work of a Hound.
Only those beasts were capable of such brutality.
I heard the sound of crows, quite distant from the man. The scent of fresh blood had drawn them near.
I slowly shook my head and rose from the ground. It had become common to hear reports of dead men in the village, Fellur, every single day.
These Hounds were cruel. Sometimes they would leave their prey alive after a bite, with their venom traveling throughout the body. Within a few days, the person would turn into a Hound.
Was this a curse from the gods? What had men done to deserve such punishment?
We served the old gods faithfully.
Just as my thoughts ran deep, I heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer.
"Freya."
At the mention of that name, something stirred in my heart. No one in Fellur called me that. My mama and papa always referred to me as Freydis—but only one man used that name.
I slowly turned, a smile spreading across my face as I saw Ragnar, my father's brother, standing there with his men.
I had completely forgotten about the body on the ground and was now focused only on Ragnar.
He was about six feet tall, with long, dark, silky hair. He wore a rich black fur cloak.
It had been five years since I last saw him. I was just sixteen back then.
"Freya," he called again, and I rushed toward him.
He lifted me from the ground, a broad smile on his face as he hugged me.
Once he set me down, he ruffled my hair with his hand, scattering it, and I smiled.
"Who would have thought you'd visit us today?" I asked. "It's been so long."
"What are you doing in the woods alone?" he asked.
"I am not alone," I said. "We came for hunting."
"Come," I said, taking his hand. "Papa will be happy to see you."