by Elena May
“By the time we reached Anglia, autumn had come, and the nights were growing longer. Fierce winds blew over the stony shores, and we sought shelter in the woods. Trees rose further away from the sea, golden and red, russet and bright orange. Colorful leaves covered the ground like a thick carpet, rustling as we walked over them. Winds blew down more leaves in a bright, vibrant rain. I watched a leaf fall on Callisto’s hair, blood-red against the black. It took me back to the time when I first met her—a forest spirit in enchanted mountains. But this time was long past and faded into legend. And now the time had come to carve new legends of our own.
“We spent a few weeks wandering the land, exploring stormy shores and golden woods. We passed through villages and entered churches, trying to decipher all the beautiful books we found. We fed only when we needed and moved on, until we heard rumors of barbarians raiding the coastal settlements.
“The Northmen had been spotted sailing south, and the King of Wessex had sent out soldiers to some of the villages they were expected to invade next. ‘We should go there and wait for the raids,’ Callisto said. ‘Once the Vikings land, we can join them in defeating the King’s men and show them we are on their side.’
“The following night, Callisto disappeared and returned in a few hours, carrying a pile of clothes. ‘I found the site of a recent raid,’ she said. ‘I hope you won’t mind wearing the clothes of dead men; we need them to fit in. Once we have established contact, we can purchase our own clothes.’
“She put on a blood-red tunic that looked captivating against her black hair. Once we had all dressed and put leather-mail armor on top of our tunics to complete the picture of human warriors, Callisto braided her hair and showed us how to braid our own.
“I looked at her, so fierce, so wild. She was the perfect picture of a merciless warrior who would destroy anything standing in her way. If my heart could beat, it would have leapt out of my chest and embraced her.
“Luckily for us, the Vikings arrived after nightfall. We watched from a hidden spot in the woods as these beautiful, graceful longships landed on the coast, and the people of the north swarmed on these green shores in a flurry of round shields, war paint, flying braids, raised axes and intoxicated cries. I was in love.
“But it was not mere villagers they faced. The King’s army was here. With cries of terror and disgust, they rose to face their invaders. ‘Barbarians,’ they called. ‘Heathens.’ I laughed and grabbed my sword’s handle.
“‘Remember,’ Callisto said, ‘we fight as humans.’
“It was easier said than done. We left our hideout and swept the shores, weapons raised, our cries joining the humans’. The smell of blood intoxicated me. I wished to grab the Wessex warriors and drink them to the last drop here and now. I thirsted for their taste and their defeat. But Callisto’s warm but determined brown eyes fixed on me and kept me in check.
“Warriors or not, the men of Wessex stood no chance. After the battle started to die down, Callisto pulled me and Lucien aside and led us back to the woods.
“‘This made me feel alive,’ I said, but suddenly my heart grew cold. After becoming a vampire, I had killed to eat, or sometimes to punish. But now I had killed scores of men I knew nothing about, men I had no plans to drink, and it had felt good. My eyes wandered far, to the place where the bloody battlefield stood behind the trees. Can you face a man and shoot him to death? I had asked Erniké the last time I had seen her. If you say this, you are either a monster or a fool. Had I become a monster?
“The coldness disappeared, and a resolute smile spread across my lips. This was who I was now. If it meant I was a monster, then so be it.
“‘We should do it more often,’ Lucien said. ‘Shall we return to the battlefield later on to check if anyone is still alive and edible?’
“‘Only if we can do it unseen,’ said Callisto.
“I wondered how they could think about food in this moment. I had experienced something life-changing and my thoughts were flying in all directions. ‘What do we do now?’ I asked. ‘How do we approach these people?’
“Lucien raised his gloved hand to silence me and pointed to the edge of the woods. ‘Looks like we don’t have to worry about that,’ he whispered.
“I followed his finger with my eyes and smiled. A figure was approaching in quick, determined strides, and I saw moonlight spill over a polished axe.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Shieldmaidens
“The newcomer was short and stout, and soon I could see that she was a woman. Her fiery-red hair was styled in numerous thin braids, falling behind her back. Freckles covered her hands and her round cream-pale face. Her nose was small and snub, and thick black paint surrounded her narrowed blue eyes.
“She wore a thickened leather mail shirt over a green woolen tunic and held a round shield in her left hand and a crescent-shaped axe in her right. So beautiful to behold—fierce and determined. She was everything I had hoped to find in these northern lands. The sight made my heart soar.
“When she was about ten paces from us, she stopped and said something in her strange tongue. The sound of her speech was new to me—firm and demanding, and yet melodious. My lessons proved useless, and I could not understand a single word.
“Callisto stepped forward and replied in the same strange language. She then turned to us. ‘Our visitor’s name is Sigrid,’ she said. ‘Her commander asks that we join him for the evening feast.’
“Lucien laughed. ‘Is that a request or an order? Tempting. I’d be happy to start my evening feast with our guest here.’
“I punched him in the chest. ‘Behave. I want to meet these people. And don’t you dare harm someone as glorious as her.’
“He grinned at me, taking no care to hide his fangs. ‘I need to eat something, so I suggest you find me some non-glorious Vikings to feed on soon.’
“‘If everything goes according to plan, we’ll have plenty of Christians to feed on,’ I said. “Callisto, can you tell her we are happy to accept?’
“She did, and we followed Sigrid as she led us through the woods. Light glimmered through the dark branches, and soon we came to a large clearing, surrounded by bright fires. Some Vikings—still wearing war paint and armor—were busy rotating spits with meat over hot charcoals, while the others stood in a circle, talking in loud voices. When they saw us, they cleared a path for us, revealing what was in the middle of the crowd.
“There stood the two tallest men I had seen in my life. They towered over a head above me and looked so much alike that I believed them to be twins. Both had their heads shaven on the sides, with a single long blond braid in the middle, running behind their back and down to their knees. Each was dressed in a light blue tunic, with a sword hanging from a leather belt. Symbols and runes were tattooed all over the shaven parts of their heads and their thick muscular arms.
“My heart could no longer beat, but it swelled so much I thought it would burst. They were marvelous. There was no doubt in my mind that these people would withstand the winds of change, and that they would never let their culture and beliefs burn to dust.
“Callisto approached them and talked to them. Tears of wonder pricked at my eyes as I watched her. She fit in so perfectly. It was strange and unexpected—with her black hair, dark eyes and olive skin she should have stood apart, and yet, she did not.
“She was just like them—fierce, proud, unbeatable. She moved liked them, talked like them. She was so splendid in the bright red tunic and leather mail, her hair braided in the Viking style. Like a powerful goddess whom the priests could never hope to touch. I desired her so much in this moment. I desired them all—I wanted to feel this culture, to taste it, to breathe it in. I wanted to live as one of these people and learn all there was to learn about them.
“By the looks of Lucien, all he wanted was a filling dinner.
“After a few minutes, Callisto turned to us. ‘Their leader’s name is Björn,’ she said. ‘The one on his right is his brother,
Halfdan. They wanted to know our business. I told them that we fight a common enemy and offered to join their raids.’ Her red lips curled into a smile, and she winked at us. ‘I praised their choice to raid at night, when the enemy’s guard is down and the attack can be even more terrifying, and suggested they do the same in the future.’
“My throat grew dry. ‘And he accepts?’
“Her dark eyes twinkled. ‘He said our fighting skills have impressed him, and he will be glad to have us on his side. We can, of course, keep our share of the loot. There is just one thing that he asks in return.’
“‘Ah, he makes demands now?’ Lucien said. ‘We are the ones who should demand something in exchange for not eating them all, as we should. He does look delicious.’
“My gaze lingered on the two brothers. For a moment, I fought my temptation to turn them and make them our companions forever. But that was wrong. The human world needed people like them, and I would not selfishly take them away. ‘What is his request?’ I asked.
“‘Björn says there is one quest that matters to him more than anything,’ Callisto said. ‘He wishes to invade Northumbria and capture King Ælla, who murdered his father. If we help him with this, he promises his friendship and gratitude.’
“‘Tell him that we accept,’ I said.
“Callisto laughed. She walked to me and kissed me, but pulled back all too soon. ‘My sweetest,’ she said. ‘I still tolerate such statements from you because of your dashing looks, but if you wish to remain my companion, you need to learn. I already told him that we accept. You are not the leader here. I am. And I am the one to decide what happens to our company.’
“All I could do was silently nod as my throat grew too tight to speak. Fire consumed my pride and burned it to dust. Out of the ashes sprung a love so great that it threatened to suffocate me. At that moment, I believed I would never mind having her as my leader. I would have followed her to the edge of the world and beyond.
“This was the day when I pledged my sword to Björn Ironside. We spent many nights in the Vikings’ camp, learning their ways and their tongue. My memory was flawless now, and I quickly picked up the language well enough to speak and understand. I even learned to write in their runes. Many nights, Björn taught us the languages of the Angles and the Saxons we were about to invade.
“Winter came, with splendid long nights. Spring followed, cool and harsh. Then summer, though I had never seen a summer such as this—cold and cloudy, with almost daily rain. Perfect vampire weather. It allowed me to sometimes venture out during the long days and join raids and feasts.
“I became one of them. I shaved my head on the sides just like them and tattooed my scalp.”
Sissi gasped. “You have tattoos on your head?”
Vlad smiled and lifted his hair on the side, knocking off a handful of snowflakes that had covered his head. “Come and take a look.”
Sissi shifted closer, and Myra leaned forward, squinting through the flames. His hair was thick, and it was hard to see the scalp, but she managed to spot a dark line. “What does it look like?”
“If I ever decide to shave my head again, you might see it,” he said. “Until then, I’ll let it remain a mystery. As I was saying, I became one of the Vikings and joined some of their smaller raids. I collected my treasures in a hoard and buried them in secret places just as my human friends did. We were supposed to use these riches once we died and reached Walhalla. But there was no Walhalla for me—I lived in my own otherworld, dying and rising again until the end of time.
“One evening, while preparing for a raid, I spotted a young woman among the warriors. She was short and very thin, her pale blond hair styled simply in two long braids. A dark patch covered her left eye and I could see the rough edges of a deep scar running across her face.
“It was unthinkable that she would join the fight. I had seen plenty of shieldmaidens among the Vikings, but they had all been stout and strong. How could one so frail face grown men?
“I approached Björn. ‘Who is that?’ I asked, pointing at her. ‘And why do you allow her to fight?’
“‘Her name is Hilde,’ he said. ‘And I don’t allow or force anyone to fight. All my warriors are invited to join the raids. They can do as they please.’
“‘She doesn’t look strong enough,’ I said. ‘She won’t survive.’
“‘Hilde has survived plenty of battles,’ Björn said. ‘Strength isn’t everything.’
“Still, I was not convinced and vowed to watch over her during the raid. And when I saw a large warrior charge at her, I was ready to intervene. But then, I witnessed something magical.
“The man slung his sword downwards, meaning to strike her head. Hilde raised her round shield and forcefully parried the blow, twisting her assailant’s blade in a downward angle, leaving his neck exposed and vulnerable. Graceful as a swan, she struck with her sword, cutting his carotid artery and nearly severing his head.
“I watched, stunned. She did not need my protection. She never asked for it, and would not welcome it. And then, for the first time, I realized why the Vikings called these warrior women shieldmaidens. The shield was not just for defense. It was a weapon. Using both a shield and a blade, these women could kill a warrior twice their size.
“Such a beautiful move. I have to teach it to Erniké, I thought for a distracted moment, but then I remembered. And once I did, I wished to collapse on the ground and drown in my tears.
“What if I had allowed Erniké to join me in the fight? Would she have survived? My grip around my sword handle tightened, and I easily decapitated two men in a single move. Startled, I looked around to make sure no one had seen my slip. I had to get myself under control before anyone noticed I was stronger than any man should be.
“But my mind was still reeling. I had not seen Erniké’s body. Had her death been quick and painless, or had she suffered? Had she fought until the end, taking seriously my request to protect our family? What had I been thinking, placing such a burden upon her?
“The rest of the raid was a red haze to me. All I know is that at the end I clutched my share of the treasure in my hand, so hard that the gold cut through my palm. I stole a glance at Hilde. Would I offend her if I shared what I had with her?
“I approached her slowly and cautiously. She looked up, staring at me with her single ice-blue eye. ‘Forgive me if I seem forward, my lady,’ I said, ‘but you remind me of my daughter.’
“She laughed. ‘This is not what I expected to hear from you, Vladimir. Nor is it what I hoped to hear.’
“‘You know who I am?’
“She turned away from me and bent down to clean her sword from the blood. ‘Everyone knows who you are. The mysterious stranger who disappears every morning and returns at nightfall.’
“I silently cursed myself. Lucien, Callisto, and I had tried to be careful, but these people were more observant than we had given them credit for. ‘You have been watching me?’
“‘I have watched you fight. And I have seen enough to know that you are no ordinary man.’
“So much for secrecy. To be frank, I had grown tired of hiding. I felt an overwhelming urge to tell her what I was and to be myself, but that would have been against Callisto’s rules.
“‘What do you think I am?’
“She sheathed her now-clean sword and looked back at me. ‘I’ve been trying to figure it out. One of the jötnar, perhaps?’
“It was my turn to laugh. Björn had told me all about the gods, creatures and deities these people believed in. ‘The jötnar? You think I look like a hideous giant?’
“‘Not all jötnar are giants,’ she said. ‘And perhaps you changed shape when you left Jötunheimr and traveled here to Midgard. Or perhaps…’ Her eye narrowed. ‘Perhaps you are an elf. Come and join me by the fire. Let us share a few horns of mead and discuss what you are.’
“‘Elves are beautiful but dangerous,’ I said. ‘Are you not afraid?’
“She shrugged. ‘If I am
meant to die, I will die. If you mean to harm me, you will, whether I invite you or not. I never waste my time being afraid. Life is what is it is, and I embrace it.’
“I smiled. ‘Wisely said. And I would have loved to join you, but sadly, I need to go.’
“‘Ah yes. Dawn is breaking soon. I shall see you at next nightfall, then.’
“Before saying goodbye, I asked her for a favor. I asked if she would show me her scarred eye. ‘It makes most men afraid,’ she said.
“‘You said it yourself,’ I replied. ‘I am no ordinary man.’
“She smiled and lifted her patch. Her eye was completely shut, swollen and covered in thick scar tissue. It was terrifying and hideous, and at the same time so beautiful. She had received this scar in battle, while fighting for what she believed in.”
Myra snorted. “Vlad, stop idealizing those people. They’re not a bunch of starry-eyed romantics who fought to protect their beliefs. They were invaders who raided peaceful settlements and terrorized innocents. You complain that Christian missionaries tried to convert them? The Christians wouldn’t have heard about them for many more years if they had stayed home and not bothered anyone.”
“You would have raided too if you lived in those northern lands with barren soil,” he said. “And the Christians would have found them eventually, and would have converted them like they did everyone. But at that moment I knew that people like Björn, like Halfdan, like Hilde, would never give in. Hilde intrigued me, but it was time for me to go. I walked through the woods, making my way to the shelter Callisto, Lucien, and I had made for ourselves. But on my way I came across an unlikely sight.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Scholar
“There, in the middle of the woods, was a large, crude tent. Large hemp cloths formed the walls and the ceiling, encircling a few trees. I took out my sword and walked to the tent. I listened for a moment and heard no sound, so I lifted the flap and stepped inside.