by Kate O'Hearn
‘He wished you luck.’
‘Thanks, Orus,’ Archie said as he stroked the raven.
Orus huffed at Freya. ‘I never realized you were such a liar.’
Two hours later, Freya stood before the bathroom mirror. Her hair had been cut to just below her shoulders and neatly styled into flowing waves. It was now bright crimson.
‘Well?’ Archie asked nervously.
‘It’s perfect!’ Freya cried excitedly. ‘Not even my sister could get my hair to behave.’
‘You’ve just got to understand how hair works,’ he said proudly. ‘I’ve read lots of books on cutting and styling. I figured a Valkyrie’s hair can’t be that different to humans’.’
‘It’s magic!’ Freya said, hardly recognizing herself in the mirror. ‘I wish my sister could see this. I really look like Gruesome Greta!’
‘No you don’t,’ Archie said. ‘I told you, she’s gross. You’re not. You look like Gee.’
‘Well, whoever I look like, I like her,’ Freya said. ‘And . . .’ She paused before turning to him, stunned by the sudden revelation. Finally she dropped her eyes. ‘And I really like you too, Archie. Thank you.’
At her shoulder, Orus made gagging sounds. ‘Oh, please, I’m really going to be sick.’
Freya swatted him.
Archie blushed and looked away. ‘You’re OK too.’
‘Ready to go and meet Tamika?’ Archie asked. They had arranged to go to Alma’s for lunch.
Freya finished getting ready. ‘All done.’
As they walked down the quiet street towards the Johnsons’ house in full daylight, they could see that many of the empty and abandoned houses had also been badly vandalized.
‘They’re doing a good job of clearing the street,’ Archie observed.
Freya nodded. ‘But they won’t get Tyrone’s house. Not as long as I am here.’
‘Which won’t be long,’ Orus said from her shoulder. ‘I hope you can save them quickly.’
This time Freya told Archie what the raven had said. ‘I agree with him,’ Archie said. ‘I don’t want you getting into trouble with Odin. I did more research last night. It says he has a big temper and gives out harsh punishments.’
‘He does,’ Freya agreed. ‘But his temper’s not as big as Thor’s. He can rattle mountains when he’s angry!’
Archie’s eyes went wide. ‘You know Thor? I’ve read all about him too. Does he really carry a huge hammer?’
Freya nodded. ‘It’s called Mjölnir. He won’t let anyone touch it. Loki’s taken it away from him a couple of times, but Thor always gets it back.’
‘Wow,’ Archie cried. ‘I read about Loki too. It says he’s a troublemaker.’
Freya nodded. ‘He can be, but he helped me come here, so he’s not all bad.’
Archie sighed wistfully. ‘After everything I’ve read, I would really love to see Asgard. It sounds amazing.’
‘It is – but I’m sorry, you can never see it. Not unless you die valiantly in battle. Valhalla is only for dead warriors.’
‘Valhalla!’ Archie cried. ‘What’s it really like?’
Freya shrugged. ‘It’s just a huge banquet hall where the dead drink, dance and play all night and fight all day. It is my least favourite place in Asgard.’ She paused and looked at the almost deserted neighbourhood. It looked like a war had been fought and lost. ‘But it seems that here is very much the same. Perhaps it is the way of most humans.’
Archie shook his head. ‘Not all of us.’
Freya raised her eyebrows. ‘Oh no?’
‘Really,’ Archie insisted. ‘There are good people here too, I promise.’
Freya looked doubtful, but said no more as they approached the house.
Archie knocked and a pretty dark-skinned girl answered the door. She was shorter than Freya with her dark hair styled in long cornrows with multi-coloured beads at the ends. She wasn’t much younger-looking either. Freya could easily see traces of Tyrone in her face – and she had the same cleft in her chin as him. It was Tamika.
‘What do you want?’ Tamika demanded. Her eyes lingered on Freya and then moved to Orus.
Archie spoke first. ‘Hi, Tamika, we’re friends of your grandmother’s. She invited us for lunch.’
Tamika’s eyes were still on Orus. ‘I don’t like birds. He has to stay outside.’
The raven cawed in protest.
‘Orus goes where I go!’ Freya’s temper started to flare. Tamika was nothing like she’d expected and not the same smiling girl from the photographs on the phone. ‘If he is not welcome, I will not stay.’
‘Fine, go then. I didn’t invite you.’
Freya turned to leave. But before she reached the porch steps, Archie caught hold of her coat sleeve. ‘Gee, calm down. Remember why you’re here. I’m sure Tamika didn’t mean it.’
‘Yes I did!’ Tamika shot. ‘Birds are filthy and blackbirds are evil. They don’t belong indoors.’
Freya shot around in a fury. ‘Orus is not filthy! And he’s a raven, not a blackbird. They’re not evil. I will never enter a place where he is not welcome.’
‘Of course he’s welcome!’ Alma called as she arrived on the porch. ‘You are all welcome here.’ Her eyes went wide when she saw the changes in Freya. ‘Why, my sweet Angel, what on earth have you done to yourself?’
Freya looked down her front, still furious at Tamika’s comments. ‘I have made a few changes before I go to school.’
‘But last night you said you wanted to blend in. This is not blending in! And your beautiful long hair, what have you done to it?’
‘Archie cut it for me,’ Freya said. ‘I like it.’
‘You remind me of that stupid comic, Gruesome Greta,’ Tamika remarked unkindly.
Freya took a step forward. ‘What are you saying?’
‘Freya, don’t,’ Orus cawed. ‘She is just a grieving child. Think of her dead parents and leave her be.’
‘Tamika!’ Alma cried. ‘Your mama raised you better than that! You apologize to our guests right now.’
‘I will not!’ Tamika shouted. ‘And I don’t need babysitters to take me to school!’ She turned and ran from the door. Stomping up the stairs, they heard her slam her bedroom door at the top.
Freya had felt Tamika’s grief at the loss of both her parents mixed with deep-seated anger and fear.
‘Angel, I am so sorry,’ Alma said as she invited them in. ‘Please, please forgive her. I didn’t tell her what you are. Only that you are going to take her to school.’
Freya and Archie entered the house and were greeted by the welcoming aroma of home-made soup and baking bread wafting through the air.
‘She is angry at the loss of her parents,’ Freya said. ‘And she is fearful. She knows something is very wrong with you, but is too frightened to ask you about it.’
Alma’s hands shot up to her mouth. ‘Oh, my poor baby. I’ve tried to keep my illness hidden from her.’
‘Yet, she knows,’ Freya said. ‘I believe she also knows this house is in grave danger from the developers.’
‘That I couldn’t keep from her,’ Alma said. ‘They call all the time, making their threats against us.’
‘Can I go up and talk to her?’ Archie asked.
‘Perhaps I should go,’ Freya volunteered.
‘No!’ Archie cried.
Freya frowned. ‘Why not? You know I would never harm her.’
‘It’s not that,’ Archie said quickly. ‘Gee, you are still getting used to things here on Earth and talking to people. Let’s say she says something that you misunderstand, or she sees your wings. I don’t think she could handle that yet. Please let me go.’
Freya huffed indignantly. ‘I wouldn’t tell her what I am.’
Alma stepped forward. ‘Let Archie go.’
Freya turned to the old woman. ‘Don’t you trust me? Do you really think I’d hurt Tyrone’s daughter?’
Fear rose on the old woman’s face. ‘Forgive me, Angel, I meant no disresp
ect.’
Archie elbowed her in the side. ‘Gee, calm down and be nice.’
Freya inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. This wasn’t going as she had planned. ‘I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect Tamika to be so angry. Her father told me about her and I was looking forward to meeting her.’
‘She’s in pain,’ Alma explained. ‘Give her time to get to know you. She’s a sweet child with a kind heart. But her heart’s been badly broken.’
Freya nodded and looked to Archie. ‘Go talk to her.’
When he was gone the old woman pulled on kitchen gloves. ‘While we’ve got a moment, I can get you measured for your new clothes.’
After Alma had carefully measured Freya’s wings, and while Archie was with Tamika, Freya watched Alma feed Uniik. She was enchanted by the baby and wanted desperately to hold her, but knew she couldn’t.
‘She is so full of life,’ observed Freya.
The old woman’s eyes were sparkling with pride. ‘Just like her papa. I wish he could have seen how beautiful she is.’
‘He wanted that too. As he lay dying, his thoughts were only of his girls, as he called them.’
Alma’s eyes fogged as she sniffed. ‘I just hope I live long enough to see the girls protected. I know I couldn’t rest peacefully if anything happened to them.’
‘Nothing’s going to happen, Grandma.’ Tamika entered the kitchen, followed by Archie. ‘They’re not going to take our home away from us.’
She lifted her sister from her grandmother’s arms and started to burp the baby. Tamika’s face brightened as Uniik giggled in her arms.
Alma’s eyes lingered on Freya before replying to Tamika. ‘Of course, child, but you know your old grandma won’t live forever.’
‘Sure you will,’ Tamika said. She looked at Freya while gently bouncing the baby in her arms. ‘I didn’t mean to call you Gruesome Greta. Take off your coat – you can stay.’
Freya rose and stepped closer. With her gloved hand, she stroked the baby’s head. ‘I prefer to keep it on, and I didn’t mind what you called me. I like Gruesome Greta. After all, that’s my name.’
Tamika frowned at Archie. ‘You said her name was Gee.’
Archie shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. ‘That’s what I call her. But her name is Greta.’ He focused on Freya. ‘I told Tamika about your problem. So she’s agreed that we can all walk to school together.’
‘My problem?’
Freya could feel a lot of emotion coming from Archie. He was very anxious. He’d obviously told Tamika something about her and was frightened she would say the wrong thing.
‘Yes, Gee,’ he said cautiously. ‘You know, about what happened to your family in Denmark and how you are staying at my house in hiding so the bad men don’t find you?
‘I also told her no one knows you are here and how we’re going to try to sneak you into my school under a different name.’
‘Oh, that problem,’ Freya agreed. Her eyes caught hold of Alma’s and the old woman was nodding. ‘Yes, well, Tamika, I hope you can help me.’
‘Sure,’ Tamika agreed. ‘And I know how you can get into our school without any records.’
Tamika told them about a homeless boy in her class who lived with his family in a shelter. They couldn’t locate his old school records, but the school had to take him anyway.
‘I’ll take you to school and register you on Monday,’ Alma said, forming a plan. ‘I’ll tell them you’re my brother’s niece and that you’ve come over here to spend some time with me and your cousin Tamika.’
‘Will they believe you?’ Freya asked. ‘I have pale skin – we don’t look like we come from the same family.’
Alma nodded. ‘They’ll believe what I tell them. Don’t you fret about that.’ She paused. ‘But we are going to need some kind of birth certificate for you.’
‘I can do that!’ Archie announced. ‘I can easily do that on the computer. I can also make up a doctor’s note that says you’ve got some rare spinal disease and are wearing a big back brace that you’re embarrassed about. So you wear strange clothing to hide it. It would also excuse you from Phys-Ed.’ His eyes grew even bigger as he started to extend his idea. ‘I know!’ he added. ‘We can say that you’ve got a weird skin problem so you can’t touch anyone or let them touch you. That way, you can wear your coat and gloves all day. And, because we’re pretending you’re from Denmark, if we write the notes in something that looks like Danish it’ll be even easier to fool everyone!’
Archie’s enthusiasm was catching as they thought more about how to hide Freya’s true identity. By the end of lunch, they had created a whole story for her to tell the school.
While they used Tamika’s computer to create the false documents, Alma disappeared into her sewing room to work on the cover for Freya’s wings.
When they left the Johnson house in the early evening, Freya felt prepared for her first day at school.
CHAPTER NINE
Freya was restless. It was long past midnight and she still did not feel the need for sleep. Archie had already gone to bed and there was nothing left to do.
‘What are you doing?’ Orus asked as he watched her pull on her armour and gauntlets. Then she attached the sword to her side and walked to the back door.
‘I can’t stay here watching television all night,’ she said. ‘Let’s go for a short flight. I need to stretch my wings.’
‘But it’s raining. We’ll get soaked.’
Freya sighed. ‘A little rain never hurt anyone.’
‘How do you know? This is Midgard rain, not Asgard. Maybe it has something in it that will damage our feathers.’
Freya burst out laughing. ‘Nice try, Orus. Now, come on, you need exercise too.’
Orus ruffled his feathers in disappointment. ‘What about your helmet?’
‘Not tonight. I want to see the city with my own eyes and not have it changed by the helmet’s powers.’
Rain was coming down in heavy sheets, which limited visibility to a few short metres as Freya entered the back yard.
Opening her wings, she ran and leaped into the air. With one powerful wing beat, she climbed higher in the sky. After several more beats, she was gliding over the rooftops of Lincolnwood.
‘Where do you want to go?’ Orus called.
Freya’s eyes caught sight of Chicago’s glowing skyline in the distance. ‘That way,’ she pointed. ‘Let’s go see the city.’
Knowing they had until sunrise, Freya played in the sky with Orus. She flew circles around the raven and won every race against him. By the time they reached the large city, the rain was forgotten as the two laughed from the sheer delight of flying again.
Without her helmet’s protection, Freya remained higher in the sky. But her curiosity tugged at her and she couldn’t resist the temptation to land on the flat roof of a building. It offered an amazing view of the city.
‘Look at all the lights! It’s so beautiful here at night, isn’t it?’ She walked around, wide eyed, taking in the sights and staring down at the world below. The rain made the streets glow in the cars’ headlights.
‘It is,’ Orus agreed as he settled on her shoulder. ‘But I’d be feeling better if you’d brought your coat. There are tall buildings with windows all around us and we don’t want anyone to see you.’
‘I didn’t want my coat to get wet,’ Freya said. She stepped up to the edge of the flat roof and peered down at the late-night traffic. Because of the late hour and foul weather, there wasn’t a lot happening on the street.
The sound of gunshots in the distance suddenly shattered the city’s silence. Freya ran to the other side of the roof and peered down. ‘It came from that direction!’
‘Oh no,’ Orus warned. ‘I know what you’re thinking. Don’t get involved!’
‘But someone may be hurt! You know what their weapons can do.’
‘Freya, no!’ Orus cawed as she leaped off the roof.
Freya flew in the direction of the gunshot. ‘Come
on,’ she called. ‘Let’s just see what it is.’
As she flew towards the sound of the shots, they moved away from the city centre and into an area of run-down buildings. Freya opened her senses. She could feel fear from people on the neighbouring streets who were fleeing from the sounds of gunfire.
Some stood at their apartment windows peering down curiously. With the heavy rain and her dark wings, hair and clothing, Freya knew they wouldn’t see her gliding silently between the buildings.
Up ahead she felt heavy waves of terror rising to meet her from two very frightened people. As she flew closer, Freya crested a building and gazed down to the street below.
She saw a man and woman cowering in the doorway of a burned-out building, cornered by three men holding guns.
Freya landed on the closest roof and drew her sword.
‘Freya, you can’t!’ Orus warned. ‘This is their world, not ours. Don’t get involved.’
‘But they are going to kill them. Look . . .’ She pointed with her sword tip as two Angels of Death landed silently and unseen on the street behind them. Their heads and wings were held low and a great sadness was on their faces at the tragedy about to play out.
‘This is their territory, not ours. Leave them be. It’s their fate; you can’t change it.’
Freya shot Orus a look. ‘This is wrong and you know it. We can’t let them kill those innocent people.’ She leaped off the roof and landed on the street several metres from the attack.
Coming up behind the Angels of Death, she caught one by the arm. ‘I’m sorry, you have wasted a trip. There will be no death here tonight.’
The angel’s eyes grew wide. ‘Valkyrie?’ he said. ‘There is no war here and this isn’t a battleground. You have no jurisdiction or claim. What will happen here must happen. You are forbidden to intervene.’
Freya held up her sword. ‘Yes, well, I was never one for following the rules. Go back now. These people will live.’
Freya charged past the shocked angels towards the group of attackers. ‘Stop now or face my wrath!’
‘What the . . .’ one of the attackers called as he turned and saw Freya storming forward. He wiped rain from his eyes in disbelief.