Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons 344 CCCXLIV. The Stunning Shieldmaidens

They got out of bed with ease, because from outside the room it was possible to hear the voices and turmoil of all the warriors who were preparing to leave.

As soon as they went out, many people crowded the corridors and walked frantically, on that very important day, that would forever change their lives.

Dag and Freydis passed by a group of soldiers intent on putting the finishing touches on the armor, fastening their boots and tightening the top, making sure they had no points uncovered. 

They went down the stairs and met Reidar and Gridd, standing by the dorm door.

"Here you are, we've been waiting for you!" Gridd said, smiling at Dag, who couldn't help but notice her incredible beauty.

She was wearing an all-white armor, with a leather jacket at the top, and fitted leather trousers, partially covered by a kind of skirt made of fox fur, as well as the one that adorned the sleeves of the jacket.

Her long blonde hair was tied in a very particular braid, which started from the top of her head and went all the way up to her shoulders.

Underneath her eyes, two black stripes were painted vertically on her cheekbones and makeup of the same color surrounded her eyes, highlighting their deep blue color. 

The two swords were tied behind her back in their appropriate leather linings, with runes carved on them.

"You're so beautiful, Gridd!" Freydis said, giving a sincere compliment to her sister-in-law.

"Thank you! What about you? You're not so bad yourself, Freydis! I can see why Dag couldn't get your body out of his head, you're gorgeous!" Gridd answered, looking down on Freydis.

Instead, she wore dark leather armor, almost black and with a small strip of gray fur on her right shoulder.

The hair was gathered in a high ponytail and a single thin braid hung on one side, asymmetrically, with a small feather wedged between the tufts of braided hair.

She had no face-painting on her, just a little dark make-up, which covered her eyelids from her eyebrows, emphasizing her brown, almost green eyes in the sunlight.

Reidar and Dag were enchanted to watch the two Shieldmaidens when they almost simultaneously broke the silence and invited them to continue to the stables.

"Where's Karl?" Dag asked, not seeing his friend healer.

"Before we left our room this morning, Master Egill came to pick him up, telling he had to show him something before we leave... it wasn't very clear, but Karl went with him. I think they're already at the stables, or maybe they'll wait for us directly at Gurn Harbour" Reidar said, continuing to walk next to Gridd, slightly embarrassed by her beauty.

Once they arrived at the stables, they rode ace, Aslan and Light, their faithful steeds, who this time would have to wait for the return of their masters for longer than usual in Gurn's stable.

Soon after, the Hammers of Thor and Sons Of Freya also rode on horseback, following their respective Masters.

"The Crows Of Odin are not here, maybe they've already left. I don't see Master Sander and Master Kjell" Gridd said, looking around, riding through the city streets, deserted at that time of the morning.

Dag nodded, confirming his sister's hypothesis and with Freydis sitting behind him on Aslan's back led his troop out of the city, towards Gurn.

As agreed, although Gurn was to the west and their destination to the east, it was much safer to start from a port equipped with all equipment and circumnavigate part of the coast, so that it was off the coast of the fishing villages in a few hours.

Once we got that way, it would be enough to sail in the northeast direction, always straight, to reach Krypstorm.

The voices of the soldiers behind Dag and his team grew louder as they recovered from their sleep and their enthusiasm skyrocketed. 

Different Clan troops were characterized by different colors, repeating themselves on their armor, regardless of their shape. 

While the Sons Of Freya stood out for their typical blue-white, the Hammers Of Thor wore predominantly leather-colored armor with yellow and orange motifs, recalling the main element from which the energy of their powers and skills derived.

They continued to ride until sunrise, when, after turning the umpteenth bend and sourmounting another hill, they saw from afar the port of Gurn, with the rest of the army in turmoil and the two ships docked at the pier, ready to hoist the sails.

*frush*

"Uhm?" 

Dag stopped the horse, immediately after hearing a suspicious sound coming from a nearby bush.

"What's going on? Why did we stop, Captain?" Reidar asked, who was busy talking to Gridd.

*frush*frush*

This time everyone managed to catch the sound of branches and leaves, unquestionably coming from their right.

"Let's go on, Dag... it's probably just an animal in the woods, maybe a wild boar or a deer" Gridd said, starting again to ride Light, her white fur stallion. 

"Wait a minute here" Dag said, turning to Freydis and passing her Aslan's bridles after getting off his horse.

She added nothing, remembering that until then, Dag's instincts had never disappointed her expectations and if a sound had intrigued him so much that he stopped and dismounted from horseback, it was worth delving into the matter.

He squinted, but only for a moment, trying to better identify those verses, being convinced that it was a living being, which was completely covered by thick vegetation. 

The Sun's faint rays just arose were not enough to illuminate the area, and Dag lowered slightly toward the bush, looking closely.

"Captain... please be careful!" Reidar said, in a frightened tone not knowing what to expect.

Dag slowly pulled out the Giantbane, ready to defend himself in case of need, but at that moment he was finally able to perceive something, similar to a breath.

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Chapter end