Chapter 43: You were at the gate?

Sophia swallowed nervously, the lump in her throat tightening as Brynhild’s gaze narrowed and her question hung heavy in the quietness of the room.

The hearth’s crackling fire seemed to dim under the sudden shift in mood, the cozy vastness of the home feeling less inviting.

Sophia shifted on the cushioned stool, her hands twisting in her lap. "Was it bad that I was there?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with uncertainty.

Brynhild’s posture remained stiff, her blind gaze fixed on Sophia with an intensity that belied her lack of sight. "Why were you there?" she pressed, her tone measured but carrying the weight of her authority as captain.

Sophia took a shaky breath, opting for honesty. "I was curious. I wanted to see what was going on. I noticed the hunters, warriors, even the guards picking up weapons. No one seemed outright scared, but I could feel it. There was this tension in the way people moved. While they didn’t shake outright or physically, I could feel it beneath the surface. There was this shift. They were so happy one minute, laughing and cheering Orion and Ronan, and the next minute, their guards went up. I needed to know what could make people like that change so fast."

"You heard the horn." Brynhild pointed out.

"I know but that’s what made me more curious." Sophia admitted.

Brynhild leaned back slightly, the warm cloth over her lap rustling as she processed the explanation. Her expression softened, but only just. "It’s obvious isn’t it? People arm themselves to protect what’s theirs. Their home, pack, life. Curiosity may have very well killed you, you know right?"

Sophia’s shoulders slumped, a flush creeping up her neck. "I’m sorry. Orion already scolded me for it, and I don’t want to be scolded or treated like a child again." The memory of his sharp reprimand stung, his voice echoing in her mind.

Brynhild fell silent, her senses were attuned to Sophia’s every movement, the slight tremor in her voice, the way her fingers fidgeted. She lacked Orion’s gift for detecting lies, but her own observational skills, honed by years of command, served her well.

She studied Sophia, searching for cracks in the story. Was this outsider truly just curious, or was she gathering information for those she’d once worked for? Perhaps she still even worked for them? Brynhild wasn’t sure. She had fought for Sophia’s place in the pack, vouching for her when others doubted, yet trust remained a fragile thread.

The doubt gnawed at her, but she masked it with a soft sigh, letting the tension ease from her face.

Sophia caught the sigh and offered a tentative smile, misreading it as acceptance. "Thanks for not scolding me. It means a lot." She paused, then ventured, "Is there a way to get hot water for bathing? The cold water’s been rough, especially with the weather getting worse."

Brynhild’s eyebrows shot up, aghast. "Cold water? Since when?" Her head swiveled as if to ensure Lysander wasn’t lurking, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Don’t let my husband hear that, or he’ll go into a fit about how hypothermia can kill people faster than a Skylur’s claw. He’d have you bundled in furs and lecturing you and believe me, I love the man but his lectures are a bore especially when I’m not interested in it."

Sophia chuckled, the sound lightening the room’s mood. "I can imagine that."

Brynhild smiled. "You have a kitchen though, don’t you?" She asked Sophia.

"Yes."

"Then all you need is how to get the fire going. You just need the kettle..." she paused when she saw Sophia’s expression. "Wait...is there anything in your kitchen?"

Sophia shook her head, a sheepish grin tugging at her lips. "Not really."

"So Orion only told Serena to prepare the room, not the basics like a kettle or stove?" Brynhild asked.

"I have a bath though." Sophia pointed out.

"But that’s not enough. Due to the cold weather every home has a kitchen with the basic necessities. Those who can cook use their private kitchens a lot while the rest of us make use of the dining hall...but you get the point." Brynhild told her.

Sophia nodded. She had been getting food from the kitchen during her stay here.

Brynhild stared at her, incredulity etching her features. A soft, muttered sound escaped her lips, something like "Not surprised," tinged with exasperation. She rubbed her temples, then sighed again. "I’ll get word to someone. They’ll bring the necessities, kettle, stove, whatever else. We can’t have you freezing to death."

What she didn’t voice was the unspoken cost: these items required coin, a burden Sophia, as an outsider, might not yet grasp. But there was no need for Sophia to worry. Brynhild planned to charge everything to Orion’s account because he had been the one to neglect ensuring that Sophia’s stay will be okay and comfortable.

"Um...during the tour you never showed me a place to get clothes...I don’t know if there’s such." Sophia told her nervously.

"Is there an issue?" Sophia asked her.

"Except the fact that I don’t have undies or clothes to wear that aren’t my size, nope. There is no issue at all." Sophia told her.

Brynhild couldn’t help it, she laughed loudly.

"I don’t see how my predicament could warrant that much laughter." Sophia grumbled, making Brynhild laugh again.

"I’m sorry." Brynhild said between laughs. "I’m really sorry, I couldn’t hold it in and now you’ve made me piss my pants due to how hard I laughed."

Sophia’s brows furrowed as she tried to see if anything would pour from the chair Brynhild was seated on but there was nothing.

"I don’t see anything." Sophia told her.

"It’s little, of course you wouldn’t see it. At this stage of my pregnancy, it happens a lot. Laugh too much and it just comes out." Brynhild said as she stood up from the chair albeit with Sophia’s support.

"What’s wrong?" Sophia asked her worriedly.

"I just need to change. That’s all."

"Oh."

Brynhild offered her a smile as she made her way behind a door. Sophia stayed counting the runes she could make out and was already at the third when Brynhild walked back in.

Sophia noticed how she tried to feel from the chair which made her frown in confusion. Brynhild finally sat on it and released a smile.

"All set. I’m so used to things being in one place but we moved this chair here yesterday." Brynhild told her. "Is there something more you want to say?"

"How did you know?" Sophia asked her.

"You give off a nervous energy. Your breathing isn’t very relaxed." Brynhild pointed out.

Sophia didn’t mind the fact that the reply was weird. She turned to Brynhild, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "There’s something I want."