521 DXXI. Where Are We?

"Bloodfang... their boss... that man with red eyes... he tortured you to force you to talk, didn't he? How did he know about me?" Dag asked again, trying to be as invasive as possible.

"He forced me to confess where I came from and who my fellow travelers were, threatening to cut off both of my arms if he found out I was lying... these scratches are nothing compared to what he wanted to do to me... when I said the word 'Okstorm' he asked me if I knew a certain Dag and I was forced to tell the truth... I'm sorry, I was too scared..." Claire wept, trying to apologize to him from the first moment she saw him in the Claws Of Fenrir palace.

"You don't have to apologize... whoever would act that way in your shoes. And then, as you can see, everything went fine anyway and now those bastards will be forced to cooperate with us, whether they want it or not. But how did he yet know my name? They have never had peaceful relations with either the Giants of Ymir or the Hunters of Ullr... and these two Clans are the only ones who know my true identity" Dag replied, reflecting.

"Remember that we fought against the Claws Of Fenrir and you killed dozens of their warriors, not to mention that huge black wolf you killed with a single blow... Layrus" Freydis intervened, helping Dag remember the details.

"It's true... the surviving warriors who managed to escape must have returned to the Randt Mastiff and will certainly have reported what happened to Thyrius, describing to him the man who had decimated his forces. Evidently, they heard some of you saying my name, which is not so hard to remember" he commented, endorsing Freydis' thesis.

"From the moment he knew I could give him news about your movements and your future plans, he continued in this way to extort other information from me, subjecting me to horrible tortures, I don't know how I've been alive so far! Probably the only thing that gave me the strength to keep on leaving was the hope of seeing you again, Dag" Claire added, who spoke so corny despite knowing Freydis was right there, in front of them.

Just after those words, the red-haired Shieldmaiden grimaced and turned the other way, moving away from the room and heading upstairs, to leave Dag and Claire some privacy, not enduring those cheesy words.

Dag, who noticed that Claire's attitude had unnerved his girlfriend, thought of asking her to go back, but just then, Claire's hand stroked his face, with perfect timing to dissuade him.

"Keep resting, Claire. Freydis and I have things to do this morning, so you're going to stay here alone... or better, Thalos will be by your side" he said, stroking the wolf's head, who lowered towards the girl and began to lick her other hand, moaning in search of cuddles.

"Things to do? What do you have to do? By the way... where are we? What is this house?" she asked, trying to look around despite her neck not allowing her to do excessive head movements and her limited vision.

"We are in Tungvek, the capital of the Giants Of Ymir." 

"What? The Giants Of Ymir?! Are we their prisoners now?! Fuck, they found you!" she exclaimed again, who was oblivious to everything that had happened, including the arrival of King Einar and Dag and Freydis' betrayal. 

"Fear not, now they are our allies. Again, rest now and think about being quiet... when Freydis and I will come back to you, we will tell you a little at a time all the recent events" he concluded, getting up from the ground, while the girl tried to squeeze his hand again, without wanting to let him go.

Freydis, meanwhile, had fully clothed herself and had grabbed her spear, tying it behind her back, ready to leave the house.

Dag did the same, grabbing the belt with his weapons and approaching Thalos, to make the usual recommendations.

"But... but I..." 

"Remember, Thalos, don't let her out that door. It could be very dangerous, she has to stay absolutely to rest here and heal her wounds!" Dag interrupted, as Claire tried to figure out how they might have become loyal allies of the Clan they intended to defeat.

When the wolf licked his master's hand, assuring him that he understood the commands, Dag headed to the door with Freydis.

"We will be back in the afternoon, until then, we will be engaged in the arena. If someone knocks on the door don't open and keep this window always closed. We will lock the door for safety and when we'll come back we will bring you some food so that you can regain strength faster. If you need water, it's right there, on the table. See you later, Claire! Be careful!" he exclaimed, walking out the door and closing it before the girl could answer, still stunned by that news.

After the key was turned three times inside the lock, Dag breathed a sigh of relief and his gaze fell on Freydis, who, although she did not want to point it out, was satisfied with his detached behavior towards that girl who had so far brought only trouble.

Together, the two lovers headed to the neighborhood behind Colossus Palace, intent on meeting the Giants Of Ymir in the arena.