by J. M. Briggs
“Luegáed.” Blood trickled from her mouth and tears spilled down her face. “I needed you here.” The world was growing hazy. Fear punched Alex in the chest. What would happen if she was connected to Arto like this when he died? “Gwenyvar…”
Suddenly the pain eased and magic rolled over her, tugging her sharply from Arto. It was like falling, she had just enough time to realize before her lungs constricted and she sucked in a greedy breath. Her eyes snapped open and Alex found herself looking at an unfamiliar wall. Alex stared at a small spot where the paint was wearing thin as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. There was some faint light from a window somewhere, but she was at a loss for where she was. She was thirsty still, but it wasn’t the consuming thirst of losing blood. Her hand went to her stomach and then her side, tracing over the warm uncut flesh beneath her shirt.
“Alex?” Jenny’s voice suddenly called to her. “Are you okay?”
A light was turned on, illuminating the wall and making the bad patch of paint less obvious. Alex remained still even as a tentative hand was placed on her shoulder. She forced her body to relax before turning towards the voice. Jenny was leaning over her with a worried frown and for a terrible moment, her features were replaced by those of another woman, the one she had been a very long time ago.
“Where are we?” Alex started to sit up, realizing that she was on a couch.
“Bran’s house,” Jenny said gently. “In the basement. You fell asleep on the couch and his mother wouldn’t hear of us waking you. Lance brought you downstairs.”
“Oh,” Alex muttered, swinging her feet off the sofa and knocking them against her shoes. “What time is it?”
“Late afternoon,” Nicki answered. “We were talking about if we should just stay the night here.”
“You should have woken me,’ Alex grumbled. “Let’s get going.” She began to stand up only to have Nicki catch her shoulder.
“Hold on,” Nicki ordered. She gave Alex a suspicious look. “Alex… we came downstairs because we heard you talking.”
“Really?” Alex asked uneasily as she flashed back to the nightmare. “Anything interesting?”
“Yes actually,” Nicki replied with a hint of irritation. “You were speaking what sounded like that language Morgana and Merlin speak sometimes. You know the one that is probably ancient proto-Gaelic.”
“Oh.” Alex scrambled for something to say or do to make them stop looking at her like that. Nicki’s frown deepened and the redhead nodded a bit to herself. “What are you doing?” Alex asked as Nicki pulled out her phone with an intense expression.
“Calling Morgana,” Nicki answered and before Alex could protest.
Forcing herself off the couch, she made a grab for the phone, but her body seemed too light and she began to tumble. Jenny caught her with a soft gasp of alarm and dragged her backward from Nicki who was looking at her with wide eyes. They fell back onto the couch and Alex struggled for only a moment, discovering that despite Jenny being several inches shorter than her, she was very strong.
“Alex!” Jenny scolded. “That isn’t normal and you know it!”
“There’s enough to worry about,” Alex grumbled, trying to twist away from Jenny.
“Sit on her,” Nicki commanded, looking torn between irritation and amusement. “Hi, Morgana. It’s Nicki.” There was a pause and Alex made one last attempt to reach the phone before her churning emotions gave up fueling her. She half collapsed back against Jenny who shifted around her and did as Nicki suggested, sitting down on her lap sideways to keep her pinned.
“That wasn’t necessary.” Alex groaned, falling back against the couch cushions.
“No, that’s okay,” Nicki said in reply to something Morgana had told her. “The reason I’m calling is because Alex started speaking what sounded like that language you and Merlin use sometimes. She was asleep.”
Alex remained still and silent, straining her ears in an attempt to hear Morgana’s reply. Her heart was pounding and the noise of her own blood pumping was too loud in her ears. A moment later Nicki shifted the phone away from her ear and tapped the screen.
“Alex?” Morgana’s voice called out on the speaker, sounding half frantic. “Are you alright?”
“Other than the fact that Jenny is sitting on me I’m fine.”
“I’m just going to ignore your attempt to distract me-”
“No, she really is sitting on me,” Alex insisted earning her a dark look from Jenny.
“Alex, what were you dreaming about?”
“Does it matter? I was just reliving a memory I suppose and was talking in my sleep. That’s probably a normal reincarnation thing.”
“That hasn’t happened with the other Iron Soul lives.” There was something in Morgana’s voice that Alex couldn’t read. She hated not being able to see Morgana. “What was it, Alex?”
Alex hesitated. Arto, the first Iron Soul, had been the beloved little brother of Morgana. She’d loved him so much that it had cut through the years of programming she’d undergone as a captive of the Sídhe. Telling her that she’d been reliving what was probably the day Medraut killed Arto was a bit much.
“The making of the last Iron Gate I think,” she finally settled upon. “I saw Arthur, I mean Medraut.”
“Both names are accurate I suppose,” Morgana answered softly. “Alex are you alright? Truly? Those events can’t have been easy to see. Especially not in light of what Arthur-”
“It was just a nightmare!” Alex was too aware of how pale Jenny had suddenly gotten. “It may not have been a true memory, Morgana,” she said. “It may have been just a nightmare bringing together everything that’s happened.”
“She had a panic attack earlier when Merlin called to tell her the Iron Hammer was missing,” Nicki said. She met Alex’s angry gaze calmly. “Had trouble breathing and almost fell over.”
Alex wanted to argue, but the fight drained out of her as Jenny turned her sad brown eyes towards her. Alex let her eyes fall closed and tried to push the uncomfortable thoughts away. There was a hum under her skin that was disquieting and her mouth tightened like she was going to be sick.
“Don’t hurry back to Ravenslake,” Morgana told them. “Take a few days, return to Portland and enjoy some of the sights. You are on spring break.”
“But-”
“Alex, there is nothing to be done here,” Morgana said calmly. “Timothy is doing very well and whatever wish you bound into the blood spell seems to still be keeping it from harming him.”
“Are you enjoying having a Brownie?” Nicki asked with false cheer.
“Not really,” Morgana answered with a soft chuckle. “I’m a bit uncomfortable around him, to be honest, but I am convinced of his well-meaning nature. I’d have no objections to him living with you girls as I believe that is his wish. He seems very much under the impression that he owes Alex his life.”
“Except it was my magical chain that bound him to the Queen in the first place.”
“It was not your Chain, Alex,” Morgana insisted sharply and Alex could feel Nicki’s eyes boring into her. She kept her eyes closed and stayed still. “I’m very serious, Alex,” Morgana said. “Try to relax, spend some time with your friends. For a moment try to be a college student on spring break. These dreams are likely being brought on by stress and you using magic subconsciously. Try not to worry and relax a little.”
“Yeah,” Alex heard herself reply in a voice full of surrender. “Okay, maybe that’s a good idea.”
Jenny made a small sound of relief and Alex sighed softly, trying to ignore the continued conversation between Nicki and Morgana. The sound of her previous sister’s voice washed over her even as the meaning of what she was saying was lost. It was oddly comforting. Her eyelids grew heavy again but she fought off the urge to sleep. She wasn’t ready to find out when, where, and who she’d end up this time.
6
An Odd Gathering
116 C.E. Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
At
some point, this small glade had become their place of council. Thor wasn’t sure how or when that been decided, but none of the parties seemed to wish opening their homes to the others. Over his head, a wind rustled the leaves of the trees and disturbed the spot of shade he had retreated into. The summer sun was hot on his back and he moved further into the trees.
“Sit down, Thor,” Merlin called to him with a chuckle. “They will be here soon.”
Thor turned around to look towards Merlin who was resting amongst the roots of a tree that had valiantly grown around a large rock. Morgana was perched on the top of the rock with her own eyes scanning the forest carefully. Thor glanced towards their fourth member, Brokkr who was paying the rest of them no mind. They were an odd company to be sure. Merlin and Morgana were mages who were far older than they looked. While Merlin’s curly hair was gray and he had soft wrinkles about his eyes, he was much older than he seemed and Morgana with her long dark hair and minimal frown lines looked younger than his own father. Both of them wore long cloaks with small amulets hanging around their necks.
Brokkr was a strange creature from another world who was suddenly their guest and ally though Thor was still a bit unsure what to make of him. The Dvergr was a little under five feet tall with earthy skin that carried a faint green hue. His eyes were dark and sunken in compared to a human’s and wrinkles were spread across his face yet Thor had the distant impression that he was not elderly. Wild black hair that faded to brown at the tips framed his face and a long beard was secured into his belt. He was seated off to the side with a newly forged axe in hand and was carefully sharpening the long curved cutting edge. Thor admired the work for a moment. It was plain, but the workmanship was excellent.
Holding back a sigh of boredom, Thor shifted to the right and leaned against a tree standing firmly in the shade. He closed his eyes for a moment and told himself to enjoy the silence. Thor focused on the rustling of the leaves and compared it to the sound of the ocean, but found his fingers tapping against the bark of the tree behind him. He was saved from his boredom or a lecture from Morgana a moment later by the snapping of a stick to their right.
He turned quickly to find several figures moving in on their position. His hand was dropping to his Hammer before he caught up with what he was seeing. These figures were familiar and Thor relaxed, lazily dropping his arm on his Hammer. A large figure in gray moved out into the glen, joining them in the cool shade of the trees. Pulling back his hood, he revealed an older face that still shone with energy and long gray hair that was tied back neatly in a braid. His left eyelid drooped a little into the empty socket that Thor longed to ask about, wondering if the story of the Well of Wisdom was true. In the branches above two ravens landed and cawed loudly in greeting. Two more figures emerged: one tall and strongly built and the other shorter and slighter. Thor instantly turned his attention to the smaller figure.
Thor smiled when Sif took her place beside Odin. Her long golden hair was flowing over her shoulders with small braids framing her face. As always there was a soft glow around her that Thor knew must be connected to her magical nature, but seemed so much… more than the aura that surrounded her father Odin or her brother Baldr. She was beautiful as always and he felt a soft flush overtaking his cheeks as she met his eyes with her startling green ones. They glistened and he fought down a foolish grin, grateful that his brother did not attend these meetings.
They came closer, Odin nodding in greeting to all four of them. His good eye lingered on Brokkr for a moment, but the Dvergr ignored the attention. Soon enough the Old Ones that Thor had grown up revering as gods were beside them. Sif was the only one who he hadn’t known and who didn’t inspire an instinct to bow. Thor tried not to shift uneasily next to Baldr, but the tall being made him feel a bit small. He was tall with the same bright golden hair as his sister which made his own bleached hair look dingy. Though to be fair his red hair was beginning to show. Sif offered him a kind smile as her cheeks colored just enough to fill him with excitement. Baldr then caught his eye and rather than looking irritated the Old One simply looked amused. Thor was at a loss for how to take that.
“How are you?” Merlin offered in greeting.
“We are well. As is the rest of our family,” Odin replied. Thor looked curiously at them, wondering how many of them there were. He’d heard stories, but he couldn’t help but want more details. “Sadly we have little news to offer. The Dark Elves have been keeping to their underground tunnels since our last encounter.”
“Indeed,” a soft chiming voice declared, making them all turn.
Another figure, this one in a dark blue cloak moved through the trees with silent steps. He quickly identified the figure despite her hood shadowing her face and relaxed.
“Greetings to you, Frea,” Sif called pleasantly.
“Greeting to you, Sif,” Frea returned politely as she joined them, lifting her head a bit.
Thor almost chuckled as he watched Frea linger in the shade of the trees next to Sif. A person might look at Sif and mistake her for a mortal though she was a bit too beautiful. Frea was another matter entirely. She was tall, slight, and fair, but while Sif made him think of gold, Frea made him think of silver. Frea’s skin was pale and translucent, catching the small amount of light reaching her face in odd ways. Large violet eyes met his and she offered him a deep nod which caused some of her pale hair to spill out from beneath her hood. She quickly pushed it back under the hood and pulled it further over her face to keep the sun from her eyes. It also hid the small nubs of horns that she had from sight.
“Those things have longer horns,” Brokkr said as he studied Frea without any concern for her discomfort, even as her hand shifted towards the sword hanging at her side. “You’re a bit different. Thor said you were related to them.”
“Indeed, over the last few generations, our horns have gotten shorter and shorter. I suspect that they will vanish within a few more,” Frea replied. “It separates us from the beings still residing in Sídhean.”
“I had not properly noticed that.” Merlin looked at Frea with renewed interest and less hostility than he had in the past.
“I assure you, good Dvergr, that my people are not associated with the Dark Elves who captured you,” Frea said quickly, straightening up and fighting to regain her composure. “We are just as determined to see them driven back.”
“I don’t think driving them back is an option, missy,” Brokkr informed her with a laugh, seeming far more assumed by her statement than relieved. “They seem interested in taking their home realm.” He paused and shook his head. “But in the meantime, they mean bad things for this world and my kin.”
“Has anything new been discovered as to how you came to be here?” Sif asked. She shifted a little away from her father and brother, moving closer to Thor who smiled. “Any more portals?”
“Nothing as of yet,” Morgana answered for Brokkr. “We haven’t been able to find where he and his fellows fell through or confirm how it opened.”
“We still believe that it is tied to the Sídhe breaking through the Iron Gates,” Merlin added. “While not in this area, their magic extends across the world and grants it protection. Whatever the Sídhe did to… circumvent that protection backfired on them and seems to have torn connections between worlds that otherwise do not connect.”
“Have you ever seen anything like that before?” Odin asked, running a hand over his beard thoughtfully.
Morgana and Merlin exchanged a glance that Thor could not properly read. Then Merlin shook his head. “There were rumors, but we have never been able to confirm such a thing. However, I believe that these holes seal up quickly as we have not located them, possibly from the magic of our world trying to protect the Iron Realm from even more outsiders.”
“Well, from what I’ve seen it seems that your inner worlds have more magic.” Brokkr shrugged as he kept inspecting the metal of the axe he’d been working on. “More life too. There are so many creatures everywhere in your wo
rld.” He beamed at Thor, revealing his sharp teeth. “Good for eating.”
“Many of them are yes,” he tentatively agreed.
A look of discomfort bordering on disgust crossed Sif’s face but vanished quickly. Frea tilted her head in a gesture that was half nod and half consideration. Thor kept silent, unable to say much on the subject as his people kept domesticated animals and hunted in the surrounding area.
“I’d suggest you keep your distance from Huginn and Muninn,” Odin told Brokkr with a chuckle. “They are clever things and I don’t think you’d find it worth the trouble.”
Brokkr looked up towards the birds in consideration. He must have seen something in Odin’s words because he nodded and turned his attention back to them. There was a strange surprised silence over the group for a long moment which was broken by a weak chuckle from Sif. Thor caught her eye and barely contained his own laugh. An odd group indeed.