The Viking Maiden Box Set

by Kelly N. Jane

  “The skills to control the powers inside of you is not complete. As you have seen twice now, you need to understand the will of the Norns and the destinies they have woven for each person. When you heal in battle, you do so because that person is not marked for Valhalla. If you refuse to understand that, you will not find the path to follow and could sway against your true purpose.”

  Ingrid tried to stay calm, and respectful, like she knew she should, but the thought of home and family was weighing heavy on her heart. “I appreciate all that, but isn’t there a way for me to learn faster? Or maybe to train on Midgard instead of here, away from everyone and everything I love.”

  “You have a great responsibility in front of you.” Eir smiled, and her face softened. “Have patience and you will be ready to face everything before you. Now, show me how to protect one’s mind from an unwanted essence.”

  Hours later, as Ingrid tried to put a book away on the shelf while holding an armload of various jars and containers, she knocked a neighboring book from its place. It fell to the counter below.

  Frustrated, she lowered the breakables from her arms so that one accident didn’t turn into several. A sketch caught her attention as she started to close the fallen tome. It was the drawing of a portal like Hnossa had created to bring her to Asgard all those months ago.

  With a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure Eir hadn’t walked in unannounced like she was apt to do, Ingrid let her hand roam over the page. Several methods were possible to create such a travel device, depending on the need for it. Immediately discounting the ones that were too complicated and beyond the simple seiðr magic she’d already practiced, Ingrid committed to memory one process to travel short distances.

  Finally, something useful. If I can figure this out, then I can learn one that opens travel between realms. Even if I have to go with Jarrick, I’ll be able to leave on my own. This should be what I’m learning!

  She closed the book and slid it onto the shelf a little farther back to remember which one it was for later. As Ingrid hurried to finish her cleaning, she picked up one jar she’d set aside earlier. Eir’s voice from the doorway startled Ingrid, and she dropped the jar, breaking it into countless pieces all over the floor.

  “That’s exactly what I hoped to avoid,” Ingrid mumbled with a moan.

  “I was about to say you’ve done well for today and see if you wanted to join me on a walk. I’ll wait in the other room until that’s cleaned. Then we can go.”

  The walk turned out to be a test over the use of many plants Ingrid had to identify. It frustrated her because she wasn’t sure that any of the lichens, ferns, or mushrooms she’d seen were available on Midgard. Still, she had to admit it was a welcomed change from inside the workroom.

  “I think I’m extra tired this evening and will go to sleep early, if you don’t mind,” Ingrid said.

  “Not at all. Sleep well.” There was a smirk on Eir’s face that made Ingrid’s stomach flop. There was no way she could have learned of Ingrid’s plan. Was there?

  Inside her room, Ingrid leaned against the closed door. She would wait until later to be sure that the other room was quiet before trying to open a travel window.

  “Why isn’t this working?” Ingrid created a thread in her mind that she knew was the key to opening the window, but she couldn’t get the portal to form. She’d been at it for hours and knew she needed sleep but couldn’t help trying once more.

  Recalling the words and drawing the runic symbols into the air with her fingers, a string once again formed in her mind, hovering as if waiting for her to tell it what to do.

  Ingrid scrunched her nose and concentrated on her memory from the book to see if she’d missed anything. Everything was correct. As she watched the thread, it seemed to push toward her and then retreat again to wait.

  Realization struck her to reach out and take hold of the thread in her mind. When she did, it felt as though her entire body lurched forward, and she had to lean backward to keep from falling. The far end of the string bunched up on itself, and a pinpoint of light appeared. Ingrid gasped and stared in amazement.

  “It’s like gathering fabric—slide it on a loose thread until the ends meet,” she whispered into the air.

  Then with a gentle, steady pull, she watched as the far end of the string bunched and moved closer, while the point of light grew larger. When the oval-shaped light was about the size of a platter, Ingrid could make out shapes on the other side. As it grew to the size of a shield, she could see the tables of the workroom.

  Tingles bubbled through her veins, and her hands grew slick with moisture though she held the thread with her mind. She continued her slow, deliberate draw until the end of the string brushed against the open pathway.

  The large oval, less than a foot away from her, illuminated the darkened workroom in the other part of the cottage. Ingrid sucked in a deep breath. Unsure if she should mentally let go of the string, she took a hesitant step forward.

  After her second foot touched the workroom floor, the string pulled against Ingrid’s mind, twisting her around to watch as the window, now showing her own bedroom, closed in on itself, leaving her standing in the dark room.

  Should I have let go?

  Conducting the symbols and words again, she stared at the thread. This time, she grabbed it with more confidence and pulled faster, yet still steady. The bedroom appeared in front of her once again. She bit back a squeal of joy. But this time she dropped the string to see what would happen.

  The portal stayed open, shimmering in the dark. Dry-mouthed and breathless, she stepped through to her room and spun around to check the gateway. The window stayed open. The string was there, dangling off to the side, waiting for her to pull it when she was ready.

  She stepped back through and gave the string a tug; the portal shimmered and winked closed in the blink of an eye. Excitement bubbled inside of her, and with her hands over her mouth, she danced around the workroom in silence.

  Several more times she opened and closed the travel window, until she could draw the string, step through, and close it in one fluid motion. Exhausted, yet relieved, she flopped onto her bed and fell asleep in her clothes.

  “Which books will I be studying today?” Ingrid asked with a yawn the next morning.

  “None,” Eir said. When they were standing near the center of the room, the goddess turned and stood before Ingrid with a crooked grin on her face. “Try opening a doorway to outside the house this time.”

  “What?” Ingrid swallowed hard and shivered, suddenly cold.

  “Did you really think you could open a portal inside of my home without my notice? Show me what you learned.”

  The morning meal rolled over in Ingrid’s stomach, and she regretted eating the extra helping of Odin’s bread. Is this a test? Should I really open it?

  “Yes, you should, and I’d rather not wait all day.”

  Ingrid glanced up at Eir before dropping her gaze back to the ground. Several deep breaths later, she made the rune motions and pulled at the string when it appeared. When she peeked at the oval, however, it wasn’t the forest that she saw, it was her bedroom again.

  “I did say outside, did I not?” Eir asked.

  Heat flushed Ingrid’s face, but when she glanced at Eir, the goddess held a smirk on her lips and a glint in her eye. “I only practiced going to the bedroom.”

  “Well, then, let’s work on that.”

  For the rest of the day, they opened and closed portals all around the mountain, going farther away with each one. Exhausted from the effort, but excited with the possibilities of her new skills. Ingrid was eager to find out how far she could go, but it would have to wait. Eir said she had a different kind of training to start.

  “Every type of being that you encounter from each realm has a different spirit that must be ministered to in its own distinct way. That is the reason your beloved didn’t heal as you expected, but I will help you learn those differences, so you can be ready next
time.”

  Eir closed the gap between them with slow steps. “First, you also need to recognize how to determine between light and dark energies as they form so you can control them instead of the other way around. Jarrick was right about that.”

  Ingrid nodded, unable to speak and surprised by how Eir towered over her.

  “As you learned when you fought in the forest, the dark energy can be useful in battle and to protect yourself. But when you are healing, you must not allow that energy to surface. Control is the highest priority.”

  Eir narrowed her eyes at Ingrid. “You also need discernment to detect the difference between an ally and an enemy.” Ingrid stared and dared not move as the goddess leaned forward, inches from her face. “Which am I?”

  Frozen in place, Ingrid stared as the hair on the back of her neck tingled. Seconds ago, she’d have bet her life the goddess was an ally, but at that moment, waves of heat radiated off the beautiful woman and made Ingrid want to turn and run.

  “Whatever you do, do not run. Do you understand?”

  Ingrid nodded, but her chest tightened and a bead of sweat trickled down her spine. No, I don’t understand. Everything has gone from peaceful to terrifying in the space of a heartbeat. “Why is the air pressing against my skin as if I’m in danger?” Ingrid asked.

  “Because you are a smart girl and part of your powers of Sight are to recognize the signatures of good and evil in every being. Right now, your senses are aware of danger, but you are blocking yourself from seeing why. Glamours can hide a variety of things, including a dangerous beast capable of devouring you. What have you learned to counter or dispel a glamour?”

  “To trace the runes of knowledge and discovery into the air in the direction that seems different from what it appears.”

  “Do you sense an area in this room where something may be delusory?”

  Ingrid stared at Eir, weighing whether she should be honest and possibly offend a goddess of Asgard or point somewhere else.

  “Honesty will keep you alive.”

  Ingrid released a heavy breath, then raised her hand in the air and shaped the rune marks in front of Eir.

  A radiant smile flashed before the goddess disappeared and standing in her place was a gigantic wolf with glowing eyes, licking its lips with a low rumble coming from its chest.

  A whimper escaped from Ingrid, and she summoned every bit of effort to keep her feet planted to the floor. Her eyes roamed over the thick gray coat tinged black on the tips, the yellowed teeth, and the challenging gleam in its copper eyes that were level with her own.

  Though something wasn’t right, there was a hint of anticipation as well that made Ingrid pause. Honesty, that’s what Eir had said. While keeping her hands near her sides, she traced the runes again slowly. The air rippled, and the wolf shifted back to Eir.

  “Fantastic. That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

  Weak in the knees, Ingrid sagged. “I’m not sure what to think at the moment. I need a chance to calm my heart.”

  Eir laughed, full and joyful. “Don’t worry. You’ll come to find this part fun—I promise. Now, shall we try something challenging?”

  Later, peace settled over Ingrid as she was granted a small rest. A camaraderie had grown between the goddess and herself. In some small way, she was no longer separate from Eir’s world.

  Tall, slender, and dressed in a blue gown the color of a summer sky, Eir’s beauty seemed to glow brighter than ever. Dark blue eyes rimmed with long, curling lashes sparkled as she smiled at Ingrid.

  Without realizing she was doing it, Ingrid reached up to smooth down her hair, then snapped her hand down behind her back and tried to sit a little taller.

  “You learned more today than I would have expected from months of study,” Eir said, disrupting the quiet. “It does not surprise me, though, since you have inherited some of Freya’s seiðr magic.”

  “That is not possible is it?” Ingrid held her hands over her middle. “Won’t Freya be angry and think I’ve taken something from her?”

  “Ingrid, calm yourself. Freya knew what she was doing when she bound her own blood to the spell. For you to have some of her magic is unexpected, but not surprising.”

  “Not surprising? It is to me. What does it mean?” Skeptical that the goddess of fertility, love, and death would accept such a thing easily. Years of offerings to placate the temperamental ruler told Ingrid that she wouldn’t, despite Eir’s casual attitude.

  “We will have to see how it develops. One thing is for sure, Jarrick must not find out about this. He only knows of your involvement in keeping Midgard protected. If he believes he can access even a small portion of Freya’s magic, you will be in greater danger.”

  Ingrid tried to squelch the memory of dark shadowy tendrils caressing her skin as Jarrick’s voice promised her freedom and power.

  “What if he already suspects? He came to me in a vision before you arrived and wanted me to go to him. He said something about being more powerful than Freya and making me a queen.”

  “I’m sure he doesn’t suspect Freya’s abilities run through you, or he would not have cared about the agreement his underling made with you. You would be in Alfheim already.” Eir spoke almost as if to herself and then formed a mischievous curl on her lips. “That’s the reason I let you travel to find the völva—to see what would happen and how much power you might already have.”

  “I wondered why you didn’t just come like you did in Jorvik.”

  “I needed to gauge how much you’d grown on your own and who else might have been aware of who you were.”

  “Who was the woman we met with the glamoured cottage? Was she an ordinary völva? Those men tortured her, and I never found out who she was, but her workroom held such power. And it was as messy as yours when I first arrived.” Ingrid snorted, conscious she did not sound at all as ladylike as her mentor.

  “Ordinary? That’s a little offensive.” Eir looked insulted and tried to hide a grin. “I must say though, all of you treated her with the utmost respect. Especially Jorg as he tossed her about over his shoulder. He is fit, isn’t he? I can see why he holds such attraction for you.” The goddess waggled her eyebrows, shocking Ingrid and making her face warm.

  “How do you always know about everything that has happened?”

  “I am connected to all living beings, Ingrid. Also, I could follow you through your bead,” Eir said.

  Ingrid huffed and shook her head. “Like Jarrick and his sticky tar in my brain.”

  “It is a testament to your strength you managed so well and didn’t give in to his pressure. I gave the bead to you as a child because I needed to keep track of when you were ready to study with me. It was a way to check in on you from time to time as you grew, nothing more. That’s why I had to go to you in person twice more,” Eir added with a smirk.

  “Twice? I had only met you the one time in Jorvik before. Hadn’t I?”

  As she’d witnessed many times throughout the day, Ingrid watched as Eir’s features transformed. Taking her place in the chair was a woman with long dark hair in a burgundy gown with smudges of dirt all over it. Ingrid gasped, wide-eyed and slack jawed, unable to get a full breath. “You! But we buried you,” she said when she could finally process the sight.

  “Yes, that was unpleasant, but touching,” Eir cooed.

  Ingrid put her head in her hands and folded herself onto her lap. “I’m too tired to deal with any more of this right now. I’m afraid I’ll learn I can sprout wings or something. It was cruel to make me think a poor woman had died because of me.”

  “I didn’t realize how sensitive you’d be about that, and I felt bad. But now there is no need for any guilt.”

  Ingrid groaned and stared at Eir, who gave her an ingenuous smile, looking like herself again. “What more do I need to learn to bind the spell? How will you determine when I’m ready?”

  “There will be a need for you to release all your current human desires and attachments in order to do
what must be done for all the realms. You will then meet with the Norn, Skuld, at the Well of Urd, and she will show you the final step needed in order to connect with the life-force in the water.”

  “We should go there now. Let me finish this so everyone will be safe.”

  “Right now, you are still unable to detach yourself for the good of all, and that makes you vulnerable. It’s why you are susceptible to Jarrick’s influence and need to stay here until you can overcome these sentiments.”

  “How do I do that? I don’t think I can let go of my worries for those I care for most.”

  “That’s when you will be truly ready, not before.”

  Ingrid stared into space. How could she set aside her feelings for everyone she loved? The only reason she accepted her fate was because she worried for the safety of her family and friends. Nothing was more important than those she cared about. That was too great a sacrifice, and she’d have to find a way to compromise.

  “Maybe if I can go back and see that everyone is safe, then I will be able to move forward,” Ingrid said.

  “It’s best that you continue to strengthen your skills here, away from where Jarrick can reach you. It’s the optimal place to clear your mind of your concerns.”

  “Skills like the ability to make portals? Will I be able to travel between realms on my own soon?”

  Eir gave a huff that somehow still sounded ladylike and graceful. “That skill differs greatly from just moving short distances within the same realm, and it is dangerous. One small misstep, and you slip between the worlds, where it is impossible to return.” She narrowed her eyes as she spoke and made Ingrid swallow hard and want to shrink into the nearest wall.

  “I understand.” No, I don’t, but that’s okay.

  “We need to work on your ability to block your thoughts better. Come.” Eir held out her hand to Ingrid.

  Seconds later, Ingrid stood alone inside the doorway of Bremen’s council room.