Breaking East~Go For It~

[Ingrid]

Svet had bribed the guards and gotten the keys. Jacopo had gotten the help. Meaning their friends, of course. Freja, Peder, Isobel. All the kids they had grown up with and trained with. Plus whomever else they deemed appropo to bring.

Svet was the only one who actually came into the prison. The rest were at their stations.

"Finally." Ingrid said. "You guys had me worried that you weren't gonna come."

"Ahh, come on, like we'd let ya die." Svet teased, unlocking the door.

"Well, I mean, come on. I'm dyin' in the mornin', ya know. Kinda cuttin' it close." She teased back.

"Had to push it back a night, sorry cousin."

"As long as I'm outta this place. The rendezvous place is the old Tree Village, three weeks east of here, right?" Ingrid said, fuzzy on most of the details sine she was in here and only getting snippets of the plan. East..That would work. The Tree Tribe used to have two branches, before war and disease destroyed the Eastern Branch hundreds of years ago. Now the old village was decaying and only still around because every once in awhile someone was sent out there to salvage something or hang out there for a hunting expedition at night. And honestly, everyone would expect her to go south, like most defectors. She'd always joked that if she ever needed out, that's where she was going.

"East." Svet confirmed, opening the door. She flashed her cousin a smile as she stepped outside.

"I am so ready to get out of this building." She said.

"Oh, ouch. Because I was totally just going to lock you in here again." Svet said. "Thanks for ruining my plan."

"Sorry Cuz. Blame Swan." She said. "I know I do. Oh, and take Kevin to my room when this is all over with. I've got a letter for him. And then let Swan go crazy in it. I know he'll enjoy what's left in there."

"I packed you a bag with some daggers, extra clothes, all that good stuff. Jacopo's got the rest of the supplies, but I figured you'd want something."

"Aww, you know me so well. And thank Auntie Olga for me. I know she was involved somehow."

"You might have some cake in your bag..."

"Knew it."

The two snuck out of the prison...That only really held two cells and was empty, so really they walked out, to meet up with the rest of the break-out gang.

[Jacopo]

Jacopo knew the plan. Get Ingrid as far away as possible today and then head East. Which, given that the logical place to go is South, because of the asylum they could receive if they managed to make it past mountains, meant that South is where most of the search parties would be going. They could also go West, but that's where those pesky Ice Giants were and North was..well...North. They'd freeze to death within a few weeks if they went North. So East it was, towards the old village. It was Ingrid's idea to go East, for some reason. Jacopo had wanted to just go South and risk it. But no. Ingrid wanted East.

After getting to the village, they would camp out there until Svet and the others came. Then the next plan of action would be discovered. Her father yet lived, though his weakness was shown in his inability to sway the Council in this manner. Yngvarr was now in control, due to his control of the Council. Jacopo, for one, did not want to live in a tribe where Yngvarr was in control.

Ingrid and Svet came up quickly and he threw a cloak over Ingrid, who drew the hood up around her face. Just for good measure. Plus, it was cold and she would need it. He had his bag with him and she was handed her bag by Svet. She hugged her cousin tightly and looked at Jacopo, who managed a smile.

"Ready?"

She nodded.

Jacopo turned to Svet.

"We should get there in a few weeks. Follow us when Spring comes." He said. "And be careful."

Ingrid spoke now. "Tell Auntie and Swan I love them. And remember, give nothing away. Make it seem like it was all me, you had no part in any of this. If you have to, tell them where we are if it saves your own life or the life of someone else."

Svet smiled.

"Got it, cousin. Now go. Quickly. May Tofi guide you and protect your path."

The two left quickly, through the trees, knowing that rest would not come till the sun rose twice more.

[Ingrid]

Ingrid had been silent for most of the journey. She just didn't have anything to say, as if there was anything she could say at a time like this. She wasn't petulant by any means, no she was pleasant to Jacopo as best she could be. It wasn't hard, given that they had been friends for a good long time. But since she wasn't speaking, neither was Jacopo. Which she knew must be hard for him, since once you got him going, the guy never shut up.

Of course, that's also why it made sense that he would be the first to break the silence.

"We should be at the village by midday tomorrow." He said, guessing from what he knew of the distance between their home and this place, what others' journeys were like, and what the weather was looking like.

She only nodded at first and then the reality of where they were was beginning to seep in.

"After....After we settle in for a few days, could we go somewhere? There's a place I've heard some stories about that I want to check out." Ingrid said, her voice hoarse from three weeks of disuse.

Jacopo smiled.

"Yeah sure, what is it?" He asked.

"Oh, just some place I've heard stories about." She said. More like rumors and even then fuzzy and unlikely. But...It was worth a shot. After all, this would be the perfect place for her.

[Jacopo]

They did arrive by midday, to the dilapidated village of the Tree People. It was worse than what they had expected, though they probably should have expected worse than what they got, considering how long it had been abandoned for. Optimism....

They settled in, though there wasn't much settling in to be doing. Only a few houses were currently usable, though when spring was fully in and more and more people came in, they could fix that, if possible. Ingrid had a plan, one that she had shared with Svet, Jacopo, Freja, Peder, Isobel, and others that could be trusted and wouldn't betray said trust. A plan that she had devised before being tossed under the chopping block, but while she was in view of the block. With her father still living, but reasonably expected to pass away soon, would have to wait. Because until Yngvarr was the head of the tribe, even if said position he would take over was disputed, she could not put the plan to action.

But until then, this place would serve their little group well as a base. It was far removed, that was sure, but there were people who could disappear for months on end and not raise an eyebrow about it, just due to familial circumstances and their positions in life. And as for the others who would come and not be able to go back and forth? Well, most of these people were well known to be on her side and it would cause no stir in the village if they left without warning once Yngvarr was in power. After all, he had never held a tolerance for dissent of any kind. That's why their father had always had him hold a position in tribal leadership. Well, when he was allowed to be in the village, that was.

Soon after settling in, Ingrid and Jacopo set off for a half day's journey north. If the rumors were true, and she hoped they were, then she should be meeting with someone that she had honestly thought she'd never see again.

[Ingrid]

"Stay here." She said, when they approached a small cabin nestled between the trees. There was smoke rising from the chimney and there appeared to be movement from the windows. Someone was home. And if the rumors told by hunters who ventured out this far in the hard years were true, then Ingrid would be having a very long talk with the one person she wasn't sure she had ever wanted to see again. Her mother. Siv.

She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She had a cover story planned out. She was a traveler, just passing through. Plausible enough, around this time of year there were hunters running amok through these woods, or so she had been told. She'd have to use it no matter what. It'd been almost ten years since she had seen her mother. No way that she'd recognize her. And if it wasn't her, then the cover story would work out just as well.

The door opened. A middle aged woman with thick brown hair that was streaked gracefully with gray opened the door. Everything about her was grace though, from the gray streaks in her hair to the frown and laugh lines etched shallowly into her face. It was obvious that she was once a great beauty and she still had not yet passed the time of admiration. Her face twisted up into a smile when she laid her eyes upon Ingrid, who didn't yet know what to say or do. The smile unnerved Ingrid though. It appeared calm and welcoming, but something about it seemed menacing.

"Well." The woman answered. "I was wondering how long it would take you before you showed up. Have to say, you beat my expectations. I was thinking you'd show up a year or two from now with two or three babes on your hip and another in your belly."

Ingrid just stared at her.

"Ahh, you're wondering how I know it's you. It's kind of obvious, for one. You look just like me and I do look in the mirror quite often enough to recognize the resemblance. But let's move past that. No women ever come this way and only one would ever have cause to, which would be you. And even more than that, you're wearing the garb of the tree tribe. Tree People may end up out this way hunting but they'd never stop here, not ever. Well, except for you. But then there's the even deader give away, which is that your father gave me that necklace you're wearing and it's one of a kind." Siv said. "Now come in, sit down, and for Tofi's sake, shut your gaping mouth. You'll end up eating flies."

Ingrid did so, still in a stunned silence.

"Ahh, let me look at you. Ten years. Spitting image of me, you are. Then again, we all knew that would happen. Let's just hope you're a little more like your father, personality wise. Probably wouldn't do well to take after me. Just look where I ended up. Of course...You are all the way out here. Oh, you're just like me, aren't you." Siv said, winking at the end. "Granted, that was always my worst fear......Now, why are you here?"

"Why did you leave?" Ingrid asked, her voice cracking.

Siv's previously gleeful face fell into a more neutral position.

"I met your father and that's what happened. Met him, fell in love with him, and in the end, he backstabbed me and ratted me out to Erick, the man who raised you." She answered. "Oh I hated your father by the end of it. Hated everything to do with him. I tried to erase any reminders of his existence from my life. If memory serves, I do believe you were included in that. Oh, trust me Ingrid, I do regret that your father stopped me. It's what caused my banishment after all, your failure to die."

Ingrid stood up at this point.

"Well congratulations. I'm still alive and you're the mother to a traitor. I'm sure you're real upset that I apparently can't even die properly for you." Ingrid replied. "You'll have to get in line though if you want a second shot. You're right behind the Council and Yngvarr."

At the mention of Ingrid's brother's name, her mother's (If she could call her that) eyes light up.

"Oh." Siv breathed. "Yngvarr's behind all this? Well, that's news indeed."

Siv stood up and began to pace, with Ingrid just watching her. Siv was muttering to herself, something about handing over something and him giving her a shot.

Siv stopped pacing in front of the small kitchen area and turned around, gripping a knife that she had grabbed from the counter. She lunged at Ingrid, who had enough warning to dodge it, except for a gash on her upper arm that was either a lot worse than she thought it was or not that bad at all. It was an either or, for all the pain she could feel.

The chase began then, with Siv trying to stap her and Ingrid managing to dodge, most of hte time. More cuts landed, but she was alive. The commotion was loud and furniture was knocked over and there was shouts echoing everywhere.

Jacopo slammed into the cabin and sneaking up behind Siv, managed to restrain her before she turned on him.

Siv closed her eyes and her breathing became deep and calm. Neither of the younger two knew what she was doing and they couldn't look away, for they seemed to be entranced by her. The winds rustled and the trees began shaking and the leaves flew from the trees nearby into the cabin, flying at Jacopo. The leaves had appeared to turn into tiny blades that descended upon him and when they lifted, he may have been alive, but it was not a pretty sight. Siv was distracted though and Ingrid took it as a chance.

Siv's back was turned and Ingrid snuck up behind her and grabbed her head, quickly snapping her neck.

And then Ingrid passed out because killing your own mother, psychopathic as she had appeared to be, was not an easy emotional feat, especially combined with the earlier events.