by Kate O'Hearn
Bifröst was the longest bridge in Asgard and was aptly named the Rainbow Bridge. It shimmered and glistened in the many colours of the rainbow. The brightest colours were the flaming reds and oranges. From a distance, their brilliance gave the bridge the illusion of being on fire.
Once they crossed to the other side, Freya’s mother commanded her mare to fly. Almost immediately, her mother started to howl with a sound unique to their kind. It preceded their arrival to the battlefields.
Freya joined in the howling as she, her mother and sisters soared high in the sky over a rocky, golden desert. A tall mountain range loomed in the distance and the sun was starting to descend behind it, casting long shadows on the ground. As Freya gazed down, she saw very little growing on the dry, dusty earth.
A shiver started down her back at the sight of smoke rising in the air. The howling of her sisters grew louder and more intense, letting her know they had arrived at the appointed place of reaping.
Down below, three military trucks in a long convoy had been blown off the road and knocked to the side. The vehicle at the end was burning brightly, while the two in front smouldered and threatened to explode. Men were pouring out of the trucks and running back to help the soldiers in the flipped trucks.
Near the damaged vehicles, others arrived from the sky. These were the Angels of Death who would take the dying soldiers not chosen by the Valkyries. They landed on the ground and folded their wings to wait for the choosing to finish.
The Reaping Mares all landed together several metres from the burning trucks. Freya climbed off Sylt and handed the reins to her oldest sister. As long as one of them touched the reins whilst wearing their helmet, the mares remained as invisible as the Valkyries.
‘Are you ready?’ Maya asked, coming up to her.
‘She is,’ Orus answered from Freya’s shoulder. ‘Aren’t you?’
Freya felt like there was a fist in her throat. She couldn’t swallow and could barely breathe. She nodded.
‘Ours is the last vehicle, the one on fire. There are two soldiers in there, waiting for us. Most of the others within it are destined to survive, so be extra careful not to touch them. But there are three others who will die and are to be taken by them.’ Maya indicated the Angels of Death.
As Freya looked at the closest angel, he bowed his head in respect to her. Freya returned the bow.
‘You’ll know who your warrior is when we enter,’ Maya finished.
‘I understand.’ Somehow Freya already knew who she was meant to reap. She could feel him calling to her. There was something about him – something good and very brave. He had lived a decent life and, though he lay dying, he felt no fear. She knew they were destined to meet. In all the other times she’d been to battlefields, she’d never felt this before. She couldn’t deny his call.
‘Remember,’ Maya said. ‘As long as you wear your armour, the flames can’t touch you, even if the truck explodes. We’ll just go in and reap the soldiers.’
Freya took a deep breath.
‘You’ll be fine,’ Orus said at her shoulder. ‘I’m right here with you.’
‘Thanks, Orus,’ Freya said as she followed her sister.
The sound of shouting and crying filled the air and the acrid smell of burning stung Freya’s nostrils. Several men in camouflage fatigues rushed past her, brushing against her wings. If they felt her there, they gave no indication. They ran into the back of the truck and started to pull out survivors.
‘Freya, come,’ Maya called. ‘Ignore them, we have work to do. The longer we delay, the more our warriors will suffer.’
Close behind her sister, Freya climbed into the back of the overturned truck. She crawled past the men struggling to get at survivors, being careful not to touch anyone as she headed towards the front of the vehicle.
The flames hadn’t reached the inside yet, but the smoke had. It was thick and choking. As the seconds ticked, the heat was increasing. The sight of the moaning soldiers around her made Freya all the more resentful towards humans. How could they do this to each other?
To her right she saw a female soldier with blood on her face and hair and her arm was obviously broken, but Freya could feel she was meant to live.
‘Over here,’ Maya called.
Up ahead, two men lay near each other. Maya was before one of them. He was covered in blood and appeared already dead. But as Maya knelt down beside him, he opened his eyes.
‘Do not fear me, brave warrior,’ Maya said gently. ‘I am here to bring you home.’
As she had done thousands of times before, Maya leaned forward and stroked the cheek of the soldier with her bare hand. ‘Come with me now. Leave this world of suffering behind you.’
The soldier actually thanked Maya as she touched him. His eyes closed and he died. Freya could see his spirit rise from his broken body, looking just the same as he had in life. He grinned and took Maya’s outstretched hand. Together they moved towards the opening of the truck.
‘Have you come for me? Am I going to die?’
Freya looked down at the face of the soldier who had spoken. He was the one she was to reap. His dark skin was covered in beads of sweat. A crimson stain was spreading on his shirt.
‘Yes,’ Freya said. ‘I am here to end your suffering.’
‘You can’t,’ the soldier’s voice rose, desperate. ‘I can’t die.’
Freya had heard warriors beg many times before. They would try anything to stop their death. They would plead, try to bargain or even fight. But in the end the Valkyries always succeeded.
‘Please don’t be afraid, warrior,’ Freya said gently.
‘I’m not frightened for myself,’ the soldier said. ‘But my family . . .’ He gasped as he tried to catch his breath. ‘Who will look after them? My wife . . . my girls?’
For the first time, Freya noticed the soldier was clutching something in his hand. It was his mobile phone. She had seen other soldiers with them before, but had never seen one up close. With fading strength, he lifted it to show to Freya.
‘Here,’ he managed to pant. ‘I can’t leave them.’
Freya crept closer and gazed at a photograph displayed on the mobile phone. It was the image of a dark-skinned girl, not much younger than her, holding a baby. Her face was beaming with joy.
‘That’s my Tamika and her new baby sister, Uniik,’ the soldier said proudly, with a sudden surge of strength. ‘I’ve never even held her. I was supposed to go on leave next week . . .’ The soldier started to cough and shiver but managed to recover himself as he focused on Freya.
‘Please, I must live to see my baby. I need to know they will be all right.’
He coughed again and struggled to breathe, as though his chest was filled with water. ‘I’m begging you,’ he gasped. ‘My wife says they are in trouble. I must go back . . .’
Freya was almost too shocked to speak. This soldier was fighting to live. Not for himself, but for his family. He was nothing like the warriors at Valhalla. As he lay dying, his only thoughts were for his family.
‘I am so sorry,’ Freya said softly. ‘There is nothing I can do. I must bring you back with me. It is your destiny. Your time on Earth has ended.’
‘What’s your name?’ the soldier rasped. ‘I’m Tyrone Johnson.’
‘I—’
‘Freya, no!’ Orus warned. ‘You know you can’t give him your name while he lives. You must wait until he is dead!’
‘Tyrone,’ Freya said softly. ‘It is time for you to go. I am sure your family will be fine.’
‘How can you be sure?’ He fought to get each word out. ‘Does being the Angel of Death give you insight into the living?’
‘I’m not an Angel of Death,’ Freya said. ‘I’m a Valkyrie, chooser of the slain. I am here to take you to Valhalla. You have earned your place among the valiant dead.’
His eyes were fading with each passing moment. ‘It’s not valiant to die in a landmine explosion,’ he coughed.
‘But your heart
is valiant, I can see that. You must be rewarded.’
‘I don’t need rewards,’ he struggled. ‘I need to protect my family. Please—’ He began coughing again and fought to catch his breath. Death was very near.
From the back of the truck came Maya’s urgent voice. ‘Freya, hurry! You must take him. Mother is waiting. Just touch him with your bare skin and bring him home.’
Freya looked back at the soldier. ‘I am sorry. I cannot leave you here. It is your time. Odin commands me to bring you.’
Tyrone coughed harder and blood pooled at the corners of his mouth.
‘You are suffering,’ she continued. ‘Let me end it for you.’
As Freya reached to touch the soldier’s cheek, his gloved hands caught hold of hers. He placed his phone in her hand and closed her fingers around it. ‘Take this . . . They are in danger . . . I can’t die until they are safe . . .’
He started to choke, but then stopped abruptly and his eyes closed. Whether she reaped him or not would not change the final outcome.
‘Do it now,’ Orus said softly. ‘You must take him.’
Still clutching his phone, Freya did as she was born to do. She reached out her hand and gently stroked his warm cheek. ‘Come with me, Tyrone. Let me free you from your suffering . . .’
CHAPTER THREE
Tyrone Johnson was the first soldier to be reaped by Freya the Valkyrie. With his body left behind in the burning truck, he took Freya’s hand and followed her to Sylt. He paused briefly to gaze back at the friends he was leaving behind. But then he did as Freya instructed and climbed up on to the Reaping Mare to start the journey to Valhalla.
When they reached Asgard, Freya spent several days with him, showing him all the things he could be part of. From the daily battles at Valhalla to the feasting, drinking, singing and dancing with the Valkyries late into the night.
But as the time passed, the soldier wanted none of it. He begged her to take him back to his family, insisting they needed him. He showed her how to use his phone to look at photographs. He told her of his life in Chicago and the pride he felt in serving his country to protect his family.
Tyrone could find no peace in Asgard. Fighting all day and drinking all night was not what he wanted. He never gloried in battle and didn’t want to kill. To stay would be torture, not paradise.
Knowing he was unhappy, Freya finally escorted him to the Gates of Ascension. Through these, soldiers could leave Asgard to go to the afterlife where those who hadn’t died valiantly in battle were taken by the Angels of Death.
Standing before the gates, he turned towards her one last time. ‘Forgive me for not staying,’ he said softly. ‘But this place isn’t for me. I must find a way back to my family. I need to know what’s happening.’
‘When you pass through those gates, you will not be allowed back to the World of Man. Your time there is done.’
‘But my family is in danger!’
Freya dropped her head. ‘I’m sorry, but you cannot help them now.’
‘If I can’t go back, will you?’ he asked desperately. ‘Go to Chicago. Find my family. Protect them, somehow. Do whatever you must, but get them away from the danger.’
‘I can’t,’ Freya insisted. ‘My duties are here.’
‘Please, just think about it,’ Tyrone pressed. ‘How can I ever find peace if I don’t know what is happening with them? All I know is that there is trouble.’
Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Freya didn’t have the heart to say no. ‘I will try. I promise I’ll do all I can to protect your family.’ Freya regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Had she really just made a promise she knew she couldn’t possibly keep?
‘What?’ Orus cried hysterically. ‘Tell me you didn’t just say that!’
Tears of relief filled Tyrone’s eyes. ‘How can I ever thank you?’
‘There is no need,’ Freya said guiltily. ‘Just find your peace.’
Freya had never been through the Gates of Ascension. As a Valkyrie, she was not allowed. But watching Tyrone Johnson’s radiant face as he passed through the gates and saw what lay on the other side, suddenly she envied him.
She also realized she would miss him. He was the first human she’d ever spent time with and she’d discovered he was nothing like she’d imagined. He was gentle and caring. Freya never knew her father, but the more time she spent with Tyrone Johnson, the more she wished he could have been hers.
‘I told you so,’ Maya said softly, coming up to her at the gates right after Tyrone ascended. ‘The soldiers of today are nothing like the warriors of old. Most of them don’t want to stay. We aren’t needed like we used to be. There are actually too many Valkyries now, even though wars on Earth continue.’
Freya sighed. ‘I feel so bad for his family. They’ll never know how much he loved them.’ She pulled the phone from her pocket. ‘Here, look at his children.’
‘Freya, no!’ Maya cried in alarm. ‘You can’t have that here!’
‘It’s all right. Tyrone gave it to me.’
Fear was in Maya’s eyes. ‘Get rid of it right now. Throw it off Bifröst. You know it’s forbidden. If Odin finds that you’ve brought something back from a reap, he’ll have your wings!’
But Tyrone gave this to me. I didn’t steal it.’
‘It doesn’t matter how you acquired it. We can’t have anything from Earth here.’
‘Why?’ Freya asked.
Maya shook her head. ‘I don’t know. All I do know is that as long as it’s here, you are in grave danger. Please, let’s fly to Bifröst right now and throw it off together.’
Freya hid the phone in her pocket and shook her head. ‘No, Tyrone gave it to me. It’s all I have left from him. I’m keeping it.’
‘Orus, talk to her,’ Maya said to the raven. ‘Tell her what will happen if she’s caught with it.’
‘I’ve tried,’ Orus said. ‘But she won’t listen to me.’
‘It was a gift,’ Freya insisted. ‘I am not throwing it away.’
Maya threw up her arms in frustration and her wings fluttered in annoyance. ‘You are going to be the death of me!’ As she stormed off, she turned back to Freya. ‘Just keep it hidden.’
Freya watched her sister go. Once again, she was overcome with emptiness. While Tyrone was with her, the feeling had stopped. Now it was back – even stronger.
‘What’s wrong with me, Orus? Why am I so unhappy? Why can’t I be satisfied like everyone else is here?’
The raven pressed closer to Freya’s neck. ‘You are lonely. You’ve never had friends your own age. You are the youngest in all Asgard. Even Maya is much older than you.’
‘Then I am doomed,’ Freya said. ‘There will be no more Valkyries after me. I am cursed to be alone forever.’
‘That’s not true. You have me.’
Freya smiled sadly at the raven. ‘You know what I mean. There will never be anyone here my age.’
‘You could give a soldier your name before he dies. Then when you reap him he will have to stay with you forever.’
Freya shook her head. She knew the rules. If she had told Tyrone Johnson her name before he died, he would have belonged to her and would not have been allowed to ascend. He would have become her prisoner. Just like her father was to her mother and all the fathers to all the Valkyrie. This wasn’t the way she wanted to find friendship.
‘I’ll never give my name away. It’s not fair. Especially if soldiers wish to ascend. It would be too cruel. I will only give my name away to someone who really wants to stay with me. But that will never happen . . .’
She pulled the phone from her pocket and stared wistfully at the photograph of Tyrone’s daughters. ‘Do you think Tamika is like her father? Would we be friends if we met?’
‘What are you saying?’ Orus said cautiously. ‘Your voice sounds strange. You’re not really considering going to help Tyrone’s family, are you?’
‘She is saying exactly that. She wants to go to Chicago to meet her
soldier’s daughter.’
Freya jumped at the voice behind her. She turned and saw a beaming face. It was Loki – Odin’s trickster blood-brother. ‘I don’t blame you. The World of Man can be a very exciting place. There is always a lot to see and do and there are millions of girls your own age. Boys too. Having human friends could be just the thing to ease your restlessness.’
Orus fluttered his black wings. ‘Go away, Loki. This is a private conversation.’
‘Is it?’ Loki said, concentrating on Freya. ‘I’m sorry if I’m intruding, but I just wanted to let you know some of the wonders I have seen on Earth.’
The raven cawed a warning. ‘Move away from him, Freya. He’s just telling you this to cause mischief. He wants to see you get into trouble with Odin.’
Loki placed his hand on his chest and his face was all innocence. ‘You wound me! All I want is to help Freya end her loneliness.’ He focused on Freya. ‘I saw how troubled you looked at the First Day Ceremony and how you grieve over your soldier’s ascension. I know you can find happiness on Earth.’
Orus cawed again. ‘You know Earth is forbidden to the Valkyries except on reaping missions.’ The raven nipped Freya’s ear. ‘Don’t listen to him. He’s trying to get you in trouble. Loki is jealous that your mother is in Odin’s favour. He will do anything to discredit her. Her youngest daughter disobeying the rules would do just that!’
‘Such lies.’ Loki’s dark eyes sparkled. ‘I want only the best for young Freya and a trip to Earth could be just what she needs.’
Freya looked from Orus back to Loki. ‘What is Earth like? I mean, the parts of Earth that aren’t battlefields. Is it beautiful like Asgard?’
‘More!’ Loki said excitedly. ‘I have seen things there you wouldn’t believe. Animals beyond description and so many different people. It is a wonderland.’
‘Loki isn’t your friend,’ Orus warned. ‘He won’t help you. He’ll just lead you into trouble.’