shrugged her shoulders. “Not even four weeks. I am not made to stay in a city—I can’t stand them. I grew up in the wilderness close to the Trollheim.”
“Trollheim?” Liv frowned.
“You call it the Jotun Mountains. We call it the Trollheim.”
“So you are a Jotun?” Liv did not know if any Loreans had ever migrated to the other part of the Jotun Mountains, as there were no active description of Jotuns and their land in Lore.
“That is what your people call us, yes.” Amala nodded. “I was a chieftain’s daughter before I was banished. Now I’m just a lindworm hunter and I’ve got many people depending on me in the Black Mountains. I need to get back—it’s summer and high season for the worms. I can’t leave those people, those villages, to their own fate.”
“I know.” Liv did know. It did not, however, mean that she liked it. “I know you have to leave and that I have to stay here. But when I am done with my studying, in about four months time, I want us to meet up, because I do not want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me.” Amala leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Liv’s lips. “We will meet up when you’ve finished your studies. Then we can work on being a team.”
Liv nodded, sniffling just a little bit. “You are willing to wait for me?”
“As long as I can go off to do what I do best, yes, I am willing. You go study to become a healer, so that you can help people your way, and I’ll do it mine.” Amala smiled slightly. “For four months, I’ll go back to being by myself, which will be hard because I have grown accustomed to having you around. But I’ll manage, because you’ll be back eventually.”
Liv spontaneously reached out and wrapped her arms around Amala, hugging her tightly. “I have come to care a great deal for you. I wish I could leave right away, I have become accustomed to travelling the woods, but I also need to do this if I shall be of any help to anyone.”
“I understand that.” Amala hesitantly put her own hands on Liv’s back, and Liv knew by that action that Amala was not used to this kind of affection. “I’m fine with it.”
“So when will you leave?” Liv asked, voice light.
“In the next few days,” Amala replied.
Liv felt a lump form in her throat, and she quickly swallowed it. She smiled, not wanting Amala to see how upset she was by Amala leaving and being left here by herself. She did not even have Bas anymore. Of her many siblings, Jorek was the one she was closest to and he... well, he was not available most of the time.
“Then we will make the most of the few days we have left,” she smiled, hoping it looked more positive than she felt. She knew she would be with Amala soon, but spending four months in the capital now, all alone, after all she had experienced... she did not look forward to that.
Amala smiled back, her eyes glinting. “Yes, we will.”
Epilogue
Four and a half months later
Liv urged her horse forward, into the little village where she and Amala had stayed after their first encounter with a troll.
There were only a handful of little houses, more like huts. The inn stood out right in the middle of them.
She has to be here, Liv thought, holding on tightly to the reins. They had agreed to meet in this little village, as this was the one experiencing the most lindworm attacks. Liv was half a month late, but Amala had to be there waiting for her.
Being back in the capital, being close to her parents and the court and studying at the university... it had her convinced that she would not miss that life. She would miss some of the luxuries, like her soft bed and always being able to take a hot bath when she wanted, but all in all ,she would not miss it much.
Eloy, the husband, was outside when she halted her horse in front of the inn. He peered up at her, hand going up to shield his eyes from the sun.
“Miss Liv!” He bustled over to take her
“Trollheim?” Liv frowned.
“You call it the Jotun Mountains. We call it the Trollheim.”
“So you are a Jotun?” Liv did not know if any Loreans had ever migrated to the other part of the Jotun Mountains, as there were no active description of Jotuns and their land in Lore.
“That is what your people call us, yes.” Amala nodded. “I was a chieftain’s daughter before I was banished. Now I’m just a lindworm hunter and I’ve got many people depending on me in the Black Mountains. I need to get back—it’s summer and high season for the worms. I can’t leave those people, those villages, to their own fate.”
“I know.” Liv did know. It did not, however, mean that she liked it. “I know you have to leave and that I have to stay here. But when I am done with my studying, in about four months time, I want us to meet up, because I do not want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me.” Amala leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Liv’s lips. “We will meet up when you’ve finished your studies. Then we can work on being a team.”
Liv nodded, sniffling just a little bit. “You are willing to wait for me?”
“As long as I can go off to do what I do best, yes, I am willing. You go study to become a healer, so that you can help people your way, and I’ll do it mine.” Amala smiled slightly. “For four months, I’ll go back to being by myself, which will be hard because I have grown accustomed to having you around. But I’ll manage, because you’ll be back eventually.”
Liv spontaneously reached out and wrapped her arms around Amala, hugging her tightly. “I have come to care a great deal for you. I wish I could leave right away, I have become accustomed to travelling the woods, but I also need to do this if I shall be of any help to anyone.”
“I understand that.” Amala hesitantly put her own hands on Liv’s back, and Liv knew by that action that Amala was not used to this kind of affection. “I’m fine with it.”
“So when will you leave?” Liv asked, voice light.
“In the next few days,” Amala replied.
Liv felt a lump form in her throat, and she quickly swallowed it. She smiled, not wanting Amala to see how upset she was by Amala leaving and being left here by herself. She did not even have Bas anymore. Of her many siblings, Jorek was the one she was closest to and he... well, he was not available most of the time.
“Then we will make the most of the few days we have left,” she smiled, hoping it looked more positive than she felt. She knew she would be with Amala soon, but spending four months in the capital now, all alone, after all she had experienced... she did not look forward to that.
Amala smiled back, her eyes glinting. “Yes, we will.”
Epilogue
Four and a half months later
Liv urged her horse forward, into the little village where she and Amala had stayed after their first encounter with a troll.
There were only a handful of little houses, more like huts. The inn stood out right in the middle of them.
She has to be here, Liv thought, holding on tightly to the reins. They had agreed to meet in this little village, as this was the one experiencing the most lindworm attacks. Liv was half a month late, but Amala had to be there waiting for her.
Being back in the capital, being close to her parents and the court and studying at the university... it had her convinced that she would not miss that life. She would miss some of the luxuries, like her soft bed and always being able to take a hot bath when she wanted, but all in all ,she would not miss it much.
Eloy, the husband, was outside when she halted her horse in front of the inn. He peered up at her, hand going up to shield his eyes from the sun.
“Miss Liv!” He bustled over to take her
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