by Jack Wright
“What do you want with a shield anyway, you never use one.” Vard asked, reluctantly forking over his best shield. It was hard to say no to the chief’s daughter.
“I’d rather play it safe. Dad says the ‘outside world’ is a dangerous place, after all.”
“Wait, you’re going out there?” Vard chuckled with excitement. “It’s about time, you’ve been ready for it since you were fifteen!”
Erisian smiled, it was nice to finally get some support rather than her father’s usual pessimism. Vard had always given high praise to her swordsmanship and had always been supportive of her ambitions. Naturally, he was happy for her.
“I’m glad someone thinks so.” Erisian sighed.
“You’ll do great ‘Risian, go make some stories.” Vard said gleefully.
“That’s the plan!” Erisian confidently declared. “Next time you see me, they’ll be singing songs of my exploits!”
That had always been her dream, to be a hero like in the legends. To fight evil, save the world, become a legend! Now, she had the opportunity make that dream a reality and she wasn’t going to waste it.
“I’d be disappointed otherwise!” Vard roared as Erisian made off towards the edge of the yard.
She waved Vard goodbye and dashed away, back into her frenzy of hyperactivity. As she hopped out of the training area she paused and took a look back, at the rack of bows by the wall. No, it would be stupid of her to take a bow, right? She wasn’t even a good shot.
“Oh, just take the damn bow, ‘Risian.” Yelled Vard from across the training yard.
At that, Erisian slung her shield over her back and hopped back into the yard, grabbing a bow from the rack along with a quiver of arrows.
“Armed and dangerous. I wouldn’t want to mess with someone with two weapons, that’s for sure.” Vard chuckled. He was one of those people who always laughed more at his own jokes than anyone else did.
“That’s a lie.” Erisian sneered, knowing full well that Vard wouldn’t be deterred in the slightest.
“Yeah…”
Erisian stepped up onto the wooden fortifications that wrapped around the edge of the village. Chiefdoms, despite not being made of stone like the cities of the Kingdoms, were always heavily fortified and heavily defended. Otherwise they were dangerously vulnerable from the various threats that faced them, whether it be other Chiefdoms, raiding bandits or even Verdenheld - but that had only ever happened once before.
Erisian looked out again upon Norskar, this time with more optimism than ever. Nothing was out of her reach. She was ready - she would have the greatest adventure the world had ever seen!
“You’re sure this is what you want?” Brunwulf stepped up onto the wall with her, patting her on the back. Of course, for a man of his stature Erisian felt lucky to still have a full spine to her name after the blow.
“I’ve never been more ready for anything!” She declared confidently.
Honestly, she was nervous. Very nervous. But she wasn’t telling, if only to give herself courage.
“Well, that’s not saying much. Remember your first hunt? You were quaking in you little fur boots! Not to mention that you fainted the moment your arrow hit the target.” Brunwulf bellowed, roaring with laughter.
“I was nine, cut me some slack!” She giggled, digging her elbow playfully into her father’s arm.
The two chuckled together for a time. Erisian’s heart sank as she looked at her father, knowing she would miss him the moment she left the gate. Most chiefs shunned their daughters and focused all their energy on their sons, while the daughters are left to slave away in the longhouse being taught how to cook and clean. Erisian was an only child, so her father had been forced to raise her as if she were a boy. She would always be grateful for the chance she was given, even despite the circumstances in which she received it.
Erisian flung her arm as far around her father’s hulking waist as possible and squeezed him tight. “I love you, Dad.” She whispered softly, her eyes squeezed shut and a smile stretched across her face.
Brunwulf looked down at his daughter, swelling with pride. The other chiefs laughed at him for his supposed misfortune of having but a single daughter - if the other chiefs could only see what she had become. A beautiful young woman, flowing hazel hair, eyes a glittering blue, her freckled skin pale and pure. She was strong and brave but also kind and caring. Not to mention what an incredible warrior she had grown to be - he would gladly wager that she could take on any son of any chief. Unmatched in her class with the blade, graceful and agile and not as bad a shot with a bow as she may have thought.
“My daughter.” He sighed affectionately, taking her head in his meaty hands. “My gift from the stars. I could never be more proud of what you’ve become.”
She smiled up at him, her beautiful blue eyes welling and her lips pursed as she tried to hold herself back from crying, for she was unsure if she would ever stop.
“If Myra could see you now…” Brunwulf smiled warmly.
Erisian buried her face in Brunwulf’s chest one last time, a couple of tears trickling down his chestplate.
Brunwulf pushed her gently away and stepped back, looking his daughter up and down one last time. “One year Erisian. Make it one worthy of legend.”
Erisian wiped away her tears with the fur padding of her bracer and took one more look at the horizon. The view wasn’t incredible but it was one she wouldn’t see for a long time.
“I will. I was born for this.”
As Erisian hurriedly descended the stairs from the wall, Brunwulf called from behind her. “Remember - don’t, under any circumstances, go beyond Norskar!”
“Why not?” Erisian called back, never able to understand the problem with Verdenheld.
“You’re not ready for what lies beyond the mountains.” Brunwulf warned.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence…” Erisian muttered under her breath. Vague answers like that really didn’t help. “Don’t worry, I’ll stick to Norskar.”
Erisian barrelled down the stairs and along the path at the foot of the wall. The gate guards saw her coming and moved to open the gates. The walls of Hellisdal were huge and the gate was no exception - she estimated it to stand at about thrice her height. She never understood why they built the gates so big, apparently they were that way in all chiefdoms and kingdoms alike. It simply didn’t make sense, what went through those gates that needed a hole that size?
She was snapped out of her door related trance as a sudden breeze rolled over her. The gate ground to a halt, presenting the desolate tundra ahead.
This certainly wasn’t the first time she’d been through the gates, but it didn’t happen often and still felt somewhat intimidating. She stepped slowly out into the open and the gate began to grind shut behind her. This was it - the point of no return. Once you embarked on the journey you were forbidden to return until a year had passed, lest you face lifelong shame. She always thought that was a bit much, overdramatic at the very least, but who was she to argue with tradition?
Erisian looked back at the wall, where she could see her father watching from atop it. The thought suddenly hit her - it was all well and good her embarking on this journey, but what does it mean for her father? How would he explain to the people, let alone to the other chiefs, that he defied tradition and sent a woman on the journey? Could this have been a mistake? After all, as future chief she wouldn’t want to be responsible for bringing shame upon her village!
That wave of uncertainty was swiftly quashed as the gate slammed shut. As she surveyed the wall she began to realise that it was in fact too late for such thoughts. Not only were the guards watching, but villagers had begun to come out to the wall to investigate the gates opening. The gate had closed, the deed was already done. Tradition was already broken and now there truly was no looking back.
Erisian span on the spot and took in a deep breath. What she was about to do could equally be the biggest mistake or the greatest decision she would ev
er make. But there was no room for doubt.
“Come on, come on.” She urged herself quietly. “You can do this. Hero time!”
She set off down the worn and beaten path, towards the nearest road and then… West? She realised she had absolutely no idea where anything in Norskar actually was, such was the secluded nature of the chiefdoms.
Erisian looked around, seeing absolutely nothing but tundra and mountains for miles. West it was.
Chapter Two - A Warm Welcome
The sun drifted far across the sky as Erisian trudged endlessly through the desolate tundra. The south of Norskar was nigh featureless, composed only of dull brown grass and duller grey rock. It might have even been depressing if she’d ever seen anything different. She had never even been able to imagine what a land of lush green grass and trees would look like. In fact, she could barely believe grass could ever be green.
Erisian let out a sigh of disappointment and sat herself down on a tree stump. Her father would often tell her that these lands used to be covered in beautiful, snow-capped trees, until the founding of the cities. Since then, the city dwellers had scoured the land for its resources to build their needlessly large buildings. She always felt like he was making it all up. How would he know? He was certainly not the picture of youth, but the Nordic cities had been around for over one hundred years.
Erisian shook herself back into reality - so what? The past didn’t matter, nor did the chiefdoms’ stupid grudge against the Kingdoms. That wasn’t the life she was living anymore, at least not for a year. She was an adventurer, she didn’t have to care about all of that crap!
“Come on.” She muttered to herself. “You’re not on a journey of discovery. You’re on an adventure - enjoy it!”
She searched the tundra cautiously to make sure she wasn’t embarrassing herself.
“Great, I’m already talking to myself.” She sighed, peeling herself back off the stump.
Surely she’d find civilisation soon, she vaguely remembered her father saying at some point that there was a city to the west - ‘Askel… something to the north, Jorvun’s Stand to the west’. She hoped she remembered that right, although the fact that she couldn’t remember one of the city names didn’t inspire confidence. Her father often complained about the city, which probably explained why she didn’t listen. She never cared for his unfounded rambling.
She turned a bend in the battered dirt path around a large rocky outcropping, freezing as she stepped around the corner. Ahead of her was the most ridiculously colossal wall she had ever seen, not that she had seen many large walls.
The featureless grey wall stood at more than twice the height of Hellisdal’s walls, both dull and magnificent equally. The structure was strewn with massive rectangular towers, flying huge black flags from their peaks. It stretched endlessly into the distance, its other end obscured by the landscape ahead.
She stood with her jaw ajar, in awe of the immensity of the structure. This had to be a city, it was just like how the scouts had described them - dull, grey, blocky and absolutely enormous. She broke eagerly into a sprint, bolting down the footpath in a frenzy of excitement and curiosity.
This was ridiculous, yet at the same time it was utterly fascinating! She had constantly questioned the size of her village’s walls, but this? This was absurd!
As she ran, she surveyed the wall, making out figures manning the fortifications. Guards, she assumed. Some of them seemed to be watching her, although she couldn’t make out what they were doing or whether they were saying anything. She just hoped they didn’t shoot her.
Erisian ran for what felt like miles and had eventually slowed down to a walking pace once again. How long was this damned wall? It was well past mid-afternoon now - she’d been gone for about four hours now. Four hours straight of walking, only to reach some endless wall!
“Stars’ sake.” She panted, hardly any breath left in her.
There was no way she was going any further along this wall until she knew how much further she had to walk. She glanced over to the hill ahead of her, on the opposite side of the footpath from the wall. From the top, she could surely see the rest of the wall. She hoped.
Luckily, the hill wasn’t too steep. Erisian clambered swiftly up the hill and on the way, began to notice something. This hill had a lot more grass than she was used to. She looked around, scanning the land she’d recently crossed. There was a lot of grass, albeit still brown. She hadn’t heard of anywhere in Norskar that had so much. She must have gone a bit further south than she intended.
Erisian scrambled onto the top of the hill and surveyed the landscape ahead. Around her was the usual brown grass and tundra, but beyond that, to the west she saw a sight she could never have imagined.
Off in the distance, was the ocean - not covered in sheets of ice like in the north, but clear and glistening, blue as the summer sky. It was mesmerising, even from such a distance. This… this made it truly real for her, seeing what she’d never believed she’d see. Erisian simply stood and stared, unable to remove her gaze, entranced by the glow of the water in the sunlight.
She followed the ocean with her eyes, down the coast until it met the end of the wall, miles into the distance. She moved her gaze along the wall until her eyes met a gap in the wall, a gate! It was close, only a few minutes’ run away!
Erisian leapt from the top of the hill, reinvigorated by the very sight of the gate. She pranced energetically to the other side of the hill, straight up to a steep, crumbling edge.
“Sh- stars!” She gasped as she skidded to a halt at the edge, spraying a shower of dirt and stone over the grassy verge.
There was no way she could walk down that side without tripping, yet it did give her an idea…
She slung her shield from her back and planted it firmly on the ground. She’d heard of this one in the legend of Legaran, an archer who slid into battle on the back of a shield, taking down enemies with his bow as he went. She’d always wanted to try it, how hard could it be? She stepped onto the back of her shield, teetering it over the edge of the hilltop.
She took in a deep breath and peered over the edge. “How hard could it be?” She mumbled anxiously.
The shield teetered over the edge as she applied pressure with her foot. She gradually began to slide and as the hill got steeper, she began to pick up speed. The shield made an abrasive hiss as it skidded across the dry grass.
She flung out her arms and laughed excitedly as she shot down the hillside. It was absolutely exhilarating, she could feel the wind rushing through her hair! This is what freedom felt like! This-
The shield struck against a rock close to the foot of the hill with a blunt thud. As the shield flipped violently, Erisian was flung off into the grass. She fell flat in the dirt and tumbled unstoppably to the bottom like a runaway cart. She settled in a crumpled heap, breathless and cloaked with grass and dirt. She stared blankly into the sky and let slip a shallow wheeze.
“That… was better in my head.” She muttered hoarsely.
Erisian peeled herself off the ground, shaking off the various bits of nature she’d picked up. She dragged her shield out of the dirt and headed off down the road, still stiff from her fall. She was glad nobody was around to see that.
Erisian approached the road leading up to the comically large gate. She was nervous, perhaps even intimidated. Cities were an absolute unknown quantity to her. If what everyone back home said was true, this could by all means spell her death, but what was an adventure without risk? Besides, it couldn’t all be as bad as the village folk said, surely not everyone here was evil. Surely they wouldn’t rain fire upon her or ‘string her up’, whatever that meant.
The gate was a heavily reinforced wooden door, further fortified by a secondary metal gate. It was assailed on either side by a pair of colossal towers, taller and thicker than the others along the wall. From the face of either tower flew a massive black banner, bearing the image of a yellow phoenix bursting from a roaring white flame, spreadin
g its wings as if to encompass the world before it. Erisian knew this infamous banner by the descriptions of the scouts - it was the banner of the Kingdom of Verdenheld.
As she approached the gate, a pair of men came into view, standing at the foot of the gate having a conversation. They were clearly guards, armoured and equipped with weapons. She’d never seen armour like this, it wasn’t thick with fur or heavy with metal. It was all chainmail or cloth, except the iron helmets and the chestplate. Their crude iron chestplates displayed some kind of sigil in the centre, resembling a flaming horse. Erisian didn’t know why the horse was on fire, but she thought it best not to ask.
“Alright, alright, I’ve got one.” One of the guards sniggered. “What did the…”
The guard trailed of as Erisian approached. The second guard turned to him and smirked, the first returning a grin of amusement and stepping out to meet her.
“You lost, little lady?” He called mockingly.
Little lady? Erisian thought it best to play it cool, after all she didn’t want to make enemies before she even entered. “No, I’m just, er… looking around. Is this a city?”
The guard grinned and turned away in a poor attempt to hide his laughter. The other guard looked at him with both confusion and amusement. “Fuckin’ idiot, you ever seen a city before?”
Erisian chose to ignore the guard’s rudeness. For now. “No. I don’t live in the city.”
“Well, this ain’t one.” The guard spat.
Erisian was confused. What was this if not a city? “Oh… then what is it.”
“This is the Norskar Gate. They not teach you assholes that?” The guard sneered.
“No, I-”
“Oh come on, how’s she meant to know that?” Chimed the other guard, moving to join in. “Nord girls only know two things - cookin’ and fuckin’.” The guard jeered, pumping his arms back and making a suggestive thrust into the air.