The Iron Hammer

by J. M. Briggs

  “So why do Alex and Bran get the cards?” Nicki questioned, leaning around Alex and looking at the card with false disinterest. She relaxed as a long red braid fell against her arm and Nicki winked at her.

  “I feel Alex and Bran are the most responsible,” Morgana informed Nicki with a sly smile.

  “You just like them better since they’re former students,” Nicki pouted, making Aiden laugh. “Darn reincarnation and playing favorites.”

  Morgana chuckled and Alex relaxed a little, not as thrown by the reincarnation joke as she expecting. Then Morgana turned and looked up at her with a fond smile even as her green eyes hardened seriously. “Stay safe,” Morgana commanded her sternly. “Try to find the Hammer, but if you cannot then return here and we’ll work on another plan. No one’s life hangs in the balance this time.”

  “Okay,” Alex agreed, but the word sounded a bit hollow to her. Judging from the look on Morgana’s face she’d heard it too, but honestly if they didn’t find the Hammer then the dreams wouldn’t stop and that was just… not okay. “We’ll keep you up to date,” she settled for promising.

  “We’ll go and get in line for security,” Bran announced with a smile as he bent over and picked up her backpack. “It’ll take long enough as it is.”

  Offering Bran a small smile, Alex nodded and watched the others file over to the roped off area. Portland security wasn’t too bad, but he wasn’t wrong that it would take some time. She turned her attention back to Morgana and allowed a soft sigh to escape her.

  “What are you going to do?” Alex asked. “I mean are you really going to be okay in Ravenslake by yourself until Merlin comes back.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Morgana assured her with a fond smile. She reached up and brushed a strand of her blonde hair out of Alex’s face. “Contrary to what you may think Merlin and I haven’t spent three thousand years joined at the hip. And as for what I’m going to do, I’m going to sit down with Timothy and have a long talk with him over the current state of the Sídhe slave descendants. Once we break the power of the Iron Chain reaching out to them as potential allies could become a critical step. I know Scáthbás and she won’t just give up.”

  “I wish we knew more about her,” Alex said. “Arthur said that Elaine was just her vessel, but we still don’t know how. If she was trapped in England then how did she get to California?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m looking into some options to learn more about her history,” Morgana informed Alex calmly. “You’re not the only one with questions and how she’s managed all this may reveal how to stop her.”

  “Okay… well just be careful,” Alex ordered with a weak laugh. “And if you need us then call and we could try-”

  “Nicki is not ready to water travel,” Morgana cut in firmly, giving Alex a stern look. “But I will be fine and Merlin will be back soon. He’s failed to locate the Hammer and doesn’t know yet that you’ve had a lead.”

  “He isn’t going to be happy about that.”

  “It’s his own fault for not checking in,” Morgana reminded her, though her mouth was tight. “He’s planning something.”

  “Merlin?” Alex almost laughed. “You sure?”

  “Don’t let the absentminded professor image fool you Alex,” Morgana scolded. “There are times that even after three thousand years he surprises me with his choices.”

  “Are you worried…” Alex trailed off, not sure how to finish the question.

  “I’m not worried about his loyalty,” Morgana answered softly before sighing and shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it. Sometimes we just clash, but it’ll be alright.” She reached and up and gripped Alex’s shoulder, giving it a solid squeeze. “You focus on finding the Hammer. I know you’re worried, but the memories are with you for a reason. You are the champion of the Iron Realm and as you protect it so will it protect you.”

  She had no idea how to respond to that. It was the sort of heavy thing she’d expect from a fantasy book and yet there was a ring of truth to it that hummed in Alex’s bones. Offering Morgana a small nod and a half smile, Alex gestured over to the others.

  “I should go,” she said uselessly. “Please be careful.”

  “There are blood protections all over the northwest now,” Morgana reminded her. “I think I’ll be fine.”

  “They may not stop Arthur or his mother,” Alex said. “And there… are other ways to hurt people. Or the Sídhe might break through the gate.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out,” Morgana promised with a hint of impatience. “Go on and stop worrying about me. I’ve managed this long haven’t I?”

  “I suppose,” Alex agreed, really wishing that she had something clever and witty to say. “Okay then.”

  She nodded and took a step back, fighting back the uneasy feeling of leaving Morgana. Something in her really didn’t want to move away. Alex almost asked Morgana to come with them, but even the knowledge that her hometown and Ravenslake were protected wasn’t enough for her to do so. Too much could happen and Merlin was in the wind. Sighing slightly, Alex walked over to the line. Bran smiled at her and shifted just enough for her duck under the robe.

  “You okay?” Bran asked softly, leaning towards her.

  “Fine,” Alex replied only to get a raised eyebrow from him. “I’m a little uneasy,” she admitted softly. “Just worried.”

  “We’ll be with you every step of the way,” Bran promised. He reached down and squeezed her hand in reassurance. “If you need anything tell us.”

  “Right now I need my bag.”

  Bran grinned and handed the backpack over. Shifting forward, Alex pulled her bag onto her back while Bran gave her a knowing look. She gave herself a moment to gather her composure before looking back toward Morgana, but the mage was already gone.

  “Come on line,” Aiden grumbled behind her making Alex turn to look at him. He was rocking on his toes and peering towards the front of the line. “We’ve got a plane to catch. Adventure awaits!”

  “You are way too excited about this,” Nicki laughed, tossing her long red hair.

  “Hey I’m the one who missed the Quest for the Iron Chalice,” Aiden groaned. “Forgive me if I’m excited about the Quest for Thor’s Hammer.”

  “Doesn’t have the same ring to it,” Lance teased with a widening smile.

  “Sadly I must agree with you,” Aiden grumbled dramatically. “But come on, let’s get through security and get something to eat.”

  “Another international flight,” Nicki groaned. “I’m starting to hate flying, why couldn’t we just use water transport.”

  “Oh do you want to be the one who makes sure that we end up in Paris,” Bran countered with a raised eyebrow as they strode towards the security lines. “I don’t know about you, but I remember Merlin mentioning something about mages who disappeared into the water tunnels and probably drowned.”

  “Touché,” Nicki agreed with a tilt of her head before she paused. “I wonder if we’ll ever find Cathanáil.”

  “Oh yeah,” Aiden groaned. “I knocked it into Arthur’s water tunnel didn’t I?”

  “You did,” Alex agreed, reaching over to squeeze his arm. “But trust me, lost to the water of the world is better than in the hands of Arthur.”

  “Still maybe that should be the next quest,” Aiden suggested with a growing smile.

  “Easy boy,” Alex said. “Let’s get through this fetch quest first.” She allowed herself to smile and added, “Though I have wondered if being the current Iron Soul would let me find it. Cathanáil was pretty awesome.”

  “Great that’s next on the do list then,” Bran intoned, gesturing for them to move forward into the line. “But first things first.”

  The line moved forward and another sound of excitement escaped Nicki. Lance laughed and put his arm around Jenny with a soft smile on his face as she looked up at him. A rush of joy hit Alex at seeing Lance and Jenny smiling at each other. She breathed out slowly, a bit more easily this time. At least there wa
s them. A bunch of lifetimes, but they had finally gotten together peacefully. That little hum at the back of her mind quieted a little at that thought and Alex tried not to dwell on the question of what that hum was.

  15

  Lady from the Waters

  116 C.E. Sør-Trøndelag, Norway

  Dusk was settling in and they still had yet to reach a decision. Overhead the first faint star was appearing and all their allies were still in his village, arguing with the locals about the fate of the Dvergr. Thor glared at his father and brother, not liking the way they and the other villagers were huddling together to talk. This had been going on for hours now and his head was pounding like someone had taken a hammer to it.

  Narrowing his eyes on the others, he inwardly growled at all of them. Why were they making this a problem? After all, Brokkr had been a boon in the forge, finishing projects that Thor didn’t have time for anymore because of his magic training.

  “Don’t be angry with them,” Sif’s soft voice said beside him as she sat down on the stone with him. “This is strange and unsettling to them. Asking them to house a whole group of unknown creatures is a lot to ask.”

  Sighing softly, Thor closed his eyes and rubbed at them, willing the returning headache away. “Am I that easy to read?”

  “Your glare helped. I’m a bit worried too, but you need to remember that the people of this village have only seen the bad side of strangers from other worlds. Most settlements in this area don’t have protective walls.”

  Thor conceded her point. The arrival of Morgana and Merlin had brought a lot of change to his small village. Before there had been a smooth if dull rhythm to life. Provided illness didn’t take hold of you then life was fairly planned out. It had been something he’d hated and one of the reasons he’d been pleased when he’d first discovered his own power. Even if he hadn’t dared to reveal it to anyone.

  “You’re right. I should try to remember how this has affected all of them.”

  “Oh don’t frown so, Thor.” Sif reached over and brushed a warm fingertip over the furrows between his eyes. “It isn’t all bad. I have no doubt what they experience will become part of great stories and songs! Surely that is worth something.”

  “But I wonder how much they will get wrong.”

  “A great deal I am sure. There are tales of a being called Loki-”

  “I’ve been wondering,” Thor confessed, “But I didn’t want to intrude.”

  “Don’t worry, there is no such being. Not to my or my father’s knowledge. We wonder sometimes if he was a creation of human imagination or if another powerful being passed through here long ago.” She nodded towards Baldr. “And I recently heard of a being called Hod. Supposedly he is Baldr’s twin, though they have different mothers.”

  “Uh…” Thor puzzled it over before giving up. “How does that work?”

  “I have no idea,” Sif confessed with a laugh. Placing her hand on his arm, she smiled warmly at him.

  A chuckle escaped him and he exhaled slowly. Sif had achieved her purpose of distracting him and he was grateful to see that his father was nodding in agreement to Odin. Straightening up, Thor stood from the rock and extended a hand to Sif. She took it and they quickly moved to join the others.

  His brother glanced at the others for a moment before he shifted and moved over to them. He was moving slowly, eying Sif uncertainty. “Arvid,” Thor greeted with a nod. “This is Sif. Odin’s daughter.”

  “A pleasure to meet you, Arvid,” Sif said with a smile while his brother stared in surprise.

  “The pleasure is mine, Sif.” Arvid eyes were wide as he looked between her and Thor. “Uh… well, Father has convinced most of the villagers to trust you though they are still nervous about having them here.”

  Frea moved over to join them and Arvid shifted back from her. She ignored him and focused her eyes on Thor. “We will start preparing an area for them in our village,” Frea promised. “Once it is ready they can come to us. We would welcome their abilities with metal.”

  Thor nodded in agreement and saw Arvid relax in relief though his brother still looked a touch overwhelmed. “Thank you, Frea,” Thor said. “That will help tensions here.” It occurred to him that he didn’t know much about Frea’s home. As a Sídhe descendent she was a bit sensitive to bright light so they probably didn’t live on the surface. “At least we have a temporary solution and they want to help. Though I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do about the Dark Elves now.”

  “I do not believe that Sídhean will welcome the connection to them,” Frea said. “The problem is that we just do not know how the magic of the Iron Gates is going to react to their attempts.”

  Frea was about to say more but stopped with an alert shine to her eyes. Tensing up, Thor felt the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Fires were burning throughout the village and the guards posted near the torches at the walls were in place. Nothing was wrong. Yet he could feel something just at the edge of his senses. Frea caught his eye and nodded her silent agreement. Arvid was looking between them. His confusion was obvious, but he was waiting for them to tell him more. Thor strained his ears, trying to hear what had first gotten Frea’s attention. Then a few tense moments later he heard something up the hill: a blend of footfalls, shifting rocks, and breaking branches.

  “The Dark Elves are coming,” Frea announced, giving Arvid an expectant look.

  His brother nodded numbly to her, but Frea was already turning away. She drew her bronze sword in one smooth movement and stalked over to the Sídhe under her command. Merlin and Morgana looked over sharply when she shouted a command and a warning that the Dark Elves were coming. There was a pause that lasted only a heartbeat as the villagers digested her words. Those without weapons rushed for them while the armed readied themselves.

  “We’ll kill them all!” one of the Dvergr shouted, raising a small axe over his head.

  His fellow Dvergrs cheered and Brokkr gestured for them to follow him. Thor’s eyes widened as the group of nine small creatures plowed into his forge only to reappear moments later with each of them now armed. Glancing towards Frea and Sif, Thor was a bit worried at the small smiles on their faces.

  Pulling his sword, Thor joined the others at the gate as the guards looked on in confusion. Merlin didn’t wait and waved his hand, sending forth a rush of green sparks out that opened the gate. Morgana raised her hand and silvery magic formed a shining orb. She threw it out into the darkness, extending the light and illuminating the Dark Elves.

  They rushed outside the gates as the Dark Elves began to crash down upon them. Behind them, the gates were quickly shut as the first of the Dark Elves slashed at Thor with a bronze sword. He avoided the blade just in time. Frea thrust her sword forward into the Dark Elf in one smooth motion. Her hood fell back, exposing her long pale hair as she spun and slashed at another Dark Elf. Thor looked up into the hills and tried to see how many Dark Elves there were. Adjusting his grip on his sword, Thor fumbled for Mjǫllnir with his left hand.

  Another Dark Elf swung an axe clumsily towards him, but Thor brought his sword up to catch the axe head with his right hand. While it snarled at him, Thor swung Mjǫllnir, colliding the metal against the chest of the creature. Magic flared off the metal at the contact. Tiny bolts of lightning arched off the surface of the hammer and across the Dark Elf’s body. It was knocked back in a combination of force and power that made Thor grin.

  But more were coming. Sif’s golden magic was falling like rain on a trio of Dark Elves, Morgana’s silver whip was lashing one attacking her with a sword, and Merlin’s green magic was causing the earth to swell up around the legs of a few more. Odin was cutting the head off of a Dark Elf with his guards fighting one each. Frea had silver blood seeping from a cut on her arm even as she dueled one of the enemies.

  Another lunged at him and Thor brought Mjǫllnir down sharply on its shoulder, sending it crashing to the ground. He thrust the sword into its prone neck and watched as it dissolved.
The Dvergrs were attacking in small groups, knocking the Dark Elves over and stabbing them with swords, daggers, and axes. Everyone was getting swarmed. Worry churned in his stomach as his magic tingled over his fingertips in response to his desire to do something.

  Then the world slowed down. An idea came to him. Dangerous, he had no idea how it would really work, but he liked it. Holding Mjǫllnir towards the sky, Thor grinned as the tightly restrained magic burst free. It rushed from the metal, arching into the air as small bolts of lightning. Overhead the sky began to rumble and clouds began to churn over the stars and the moon. His heart raced as a euphoric sense of power washed over him. Lightning began to illuminate the sky and he didn’t care how it was possible as he reveled in the fact that it was. His magic glowed, lighting up the triskelion symbol as he brought it crashing down on a Dark Elf.