Freya was tossed into the carriage. Her back hit the sharp edge of the small wooden box but she could care less about the pain. It could not match the one she was feeling inside.
Her whole mind was numb but when the crashing feeling of loss finally hit her in a thousand fold, she doubled down with hot stream of tears pouring down her face.
The guilt ate into her heart. If only she had listened when Maria said they should leave...if she hadn't insisted on going back...if only she hadn't —
Maria wouldn't have died. She wouldn't have had to die.
The picture of Maria bleeding body kept flashing in her head, making her clutch her white hair in her both hands. They left her out there on the floor, in the cold. She didn't even get a proper burial...she deserves a proper burial.
She raised her head up, examining the small box carriage that she was thrown into. She could tell it was moving due to the shaking and vibration of it. She stared at the locked door, wondering if she could try to break it down.
She tried stretching her folded legs forward to kick the door but only then did she realized they were tied. So was her hands.
She was so disoriented that she didn't even realized when they bound her to the white thick rope that but into her skin. Trying to loosen it made it more tighter or so it seemed.
She lowered her head again, the strands of her white hair falling over her face like a curtain. The trembling of the carriage rocked her body with every joltbut she refused to feel it. Her thoughts were empty, her tears already dry, leaving behind a white trail on her cheeks. It was as if her heart had been carved out, leaving only a hollow space where Maria presence use to fill.
The world outside felt distant. She didn't even know where they were taking her, and for that fleeting moment, she didn't care. Nothing could be worse than the moment she saw Maria's body fall. Nothing could hurt more than seeing the light dimming in her eyes.
______
The road became less bumpy. And soon she started hearing voices though she couldn't discern if they were human's or the beastmen's.
" What do you got there, Yvet?". A stern baritone voice belonging to the guard that stood in front of the Grand Hault gate said, eyeing the small carriage .
Yvet....the Bearman who had captured Freya grinned " It's a special one. This one's gonna cost more". He boasts.
" Really?". The guard raised an eyebrow before getesturing him to open the carriage
Yvet hopped down from the driver's seat and unlatched the back door with a clang. The sudden burst of daylight stabbed at Freya's eyes, forcing her to squint. A gust of cold air swept in, carrying with it the scent of earth. She blinked rapidly, trying to adjust, but her vision stayed hazy. The murmur of curious voices reached her ears, some hoarse, some clear.
"See for yourself," Yvet said with pride, dragging her forward by the rope tied around her wrists. Freya stumbled, her knees scraping the carriage floor before she collapsed at his feet.
The guard's expression shifted from suspicion to intrigue as he looked her over. "A white-haired one," he muttered, lowering his head to get a better look. "You weren't lying. This one will draw attention."
" She will. It was a hassle getting her though" Yvet chuckled , eyeing the white haired beauty on the floor. He'd like to keep her for himself but he knows the Alpha wouldn't like that.
' Hassle'
The word rang on Freya's head multiple times. Killing Maria was an ' Hassle'? Taking away someone's life was an ' Hassle'?
She lunged up with the strength she didn't know she had within her , hitting the Bearman face with her tied hand though she made sure she did it with all the force she can muster before her legs tugged her back and she face planted on the floor.
" Fucking bitch". She had him curse and the guard hollered, laughing.
" She's pretty and feisty too. Oh, she's definitely going to cost a fortune".
" That's if I don't kill her before she gets to the fucking stage". Yvet grabbed her hair, making pain burn through her scalp. He brought her face closer to his, trying to find that familiar fear humans always wore in their eyes but it wasn't there. Her eyes were cold and filled with spite that unsettled him.
" If you continue glaring into beasts eyes like that, you won't last a day out here". With that, he dragged her into the large gate of the Grand Hault, all by her hair.
The other carriage were already here and judging from the empty hallway, the auction had already started. He dragged her smugly to the register— a man on brown khaki trouser with white and black polka dot top. He had a pen hang in his mouth and a large record book on the desk he sat in front.
" Name and specie".
Yvet tugged at her, expecting an answer but she kept mute, staring ahead.
" Freya and human". He grits out eventually. He had picked her name from that wild woman who striked him with a sickle. That was why he hated dealing with humans.
The man at the desk scribbled something down on the record book. He didn't even glance at her as he said, "Row seven, cage thirteen." His tone sounded bored, detached,Ike he had done this way to many times. Judging from how filled the record book was and how he was on one of the last pages...he sure have done it countless times.
Yvet grunted in acknowledgment and pulled Freya along once more, the rope digging cruelly into her wrists.
When they reached the assigned row, Yvet shoved open a creaking cage door and threw her inside without hesitation. She hit the ground hard, her shoulder grazing the rusted bars, making her wince with pain.
The door clanged shut, locking her in. From her spot on the ground, Freya lifted her gaze and caught sight of a line of cages stretching into the dimly lit corridor—each one holding terrified young girls like herself.
The fear in the air was very palpable , but she felt detached, like she was watching a nightmare she couldn't wake from. And for the first time since she was captured, she wondered what her fate will be.