“It's very impressive,” I said, looking back up at him. “What do you expect to gain from this generosity?”
“Nothing,” replied Thrym. “I merely intended this gift to show you that we meant you no harm in this meeting.”
“If you had intended to fight us,” I said, “you could have done so without giving me any of this. Alright, you have my attention.”
“I realize that this might be a great deal to ask,” he began, “but is there a better place where we can speak and remove our wrappings? I would much prefer dealing with each other where I can see your face.”
“I don't think that I trust you enough to invite you into our home, just yet,” I said, cautiously.
“Nor would I expect you to,” said Thrym. “Perhaps we can seek shelter inside one of these buildings.”
“Perhaps one of the cabins inside our perimeter,” said Bergelmir. “They should afford plenty of protection from the wind and we can build a fire in the fireplace to warm ourselves by.”
“That would be agreeable to us,” added Thrym.
“Alright,” I agreed, “Let's get back inside the gate and find a cabin big enough for us all.”
“Do you think that's a good idea?” asked Spec-4 softly, keeping her voice low enough that only I could hear her.
“They've already been inside the perimeter,” I said just as softly, shaking my head. “If they had intended to attack us, they would have done it then.”
“Ok,” she replied. “I just don't trust them.”
“Of course not,” I said. “Stay alert, stay alive.”
“Fine,” she whispered, “but we'd better watch our backs.”
Turning back to Thrym, I nodded once at him.
“We have a place just inside our perimeter that should suffice,” I said. “Let's move this talk inside and get a fire going.”
“Lead the way,” replied the massive warrior.
Reluctantly, I turned my back to him and headed back off of the bridge. I glanced back to see that all of the Hrimthurssar were getting off of their Vargr and heading across the bridge on foot. Thrym whispered something in the ear of his mount and ruffled the fur on the sides of the beast's head. The massive animal turned away and trotted to the end of the bridge.
When it reached the others, it let out a short howl that ended in a yipping snarl. Then it took off at a run, heading back into the woods. The other Vargr all followed right behind it and in seconds they were all gone from sight. Only the yipping barks and the sounds of their heavy paws thundering through the snow could be heard as they headed off into the deep woods. Soon, even that sound faded, leaving us all surrounded by the wailing of the wind and the beginning flakes of the coming snow.
We walked in silence, each group watching the other as we made our way back to the walls of our compound. Once we had made it back inside the gate and secured it, we headed for one of the larger cabins that stood near the western end of the park. It was a big cabin capable of housing a large family on vacation, so I knew it would hold us all, although it might be a bit crowded with nearly twenty of us.
As soon as we got inside, we set about making the place as comfortable as we could. Snake and Bergelmir began covering the windows with blankets and sheets from the beds. Butcher and Marko went out to gather wood while the Hrimthurssar brought extra furniture into the main room so that we would all have a place to sit.
Soon, we had a big circle of seats, all facing the fireplace. When Butcher and Marko returned with the wood, they began building a fire in the fireplace. Within minutes, a crackling fire was sending heat throughout the room and warming all of us. Although it was still cold in the room, it was beginning to be bearable.
The howling of the wind outside was bringing in the snow with renewed intensity but the coverings on the windows kept out the worst of the drafts. Everyone continued to glance back and forth, clearly uneasy and not sure where to begin. I knew that we needed to break through the barriers if we were going to have any kind of dialogue. I decided to take the first step.
Reaching up, I removed my face wrappings and lowered my hood. Even my own people seemed surprised by this and watched as I dropped my shemagh onto the table before me. I could see that the Hrimthurssar seemed more shocked by my appearance than I had expected. Thrym began speaking in hushed tones with the one that I had assumed was a female. By the sound of her voice, I was right.
Soon, Thrym stood and removed his own face wrappings and hood. Then he tossed them beside mine and removed his cloak. His long white hair was worn loose and hung to the middle of his back. He had a long white beard that fell to the middle of his chest that was adorned with braids and silver beads. The white of his hair did not strike me as being from age. It seemed as natural on him as the blue of his skin.
One by one, the other Hrimthurssar removed their wrappings and cloaks. Soon, my own people did the same and we could all gaze upon the features of the assembled warriors. When the woman stepped into the firelight, I froze. I knew her face. The proud cheek bones, the piercings that were connected by a chain from her nose to her ear; they were etched into my memory with stark clarity.
“Vigdis,” I almost whispered.
She turned towards me and bowed slowly, never taking her eyes off of me. She smiled a predatory smile and I could only wonder if she would try to kill me on the spot. After all, the last time I had seen her was when I shot down the helicopter that she was piloting. It had crashed to the ground in a blazing fireball. I guess it would only be fair if she did try to kill me, because I tried to kill her last time.
“Hello, Grant,” she said, smiling fiercely. “It is good to see you again.”
“How did you survive?” I asked, bluntly.
“I saw what the archer was about to do and dove out of the chopper,” she explained. “I wasn't that high off of the ground and knew I could withstand the fall. It hurt, but it was not insurmountable. I only barely avoided being crushed by the falling chopper.”
“How did you survive the base exploding?” I said, incredulously.
“I had no idea that you were planning to do that,” she admitted. “However, I knew that I needed to be clear of the area before those simian abominations arrived.”
“That's right,” I added. “You can't control the gorillas.”
“No, we cannot,” she answered. “They are something new to us. I thought it best to exit the area as quickly as possible. I managed to find a working Humvee and drove away. When the base exploded, I watched it from the top of the hill beyond the eastern gate.”
Before I could say anything else, another member of the Hrimthurssar came out of the shadows and stood beside Vigdis. I was shocked to see that she looked exactly like her. The same cheekbones, the same eyes, but the piercings were on the opposite side. They even wore their hair the same way, in one thick braid that ended with a blade.
It was clear that they had timed her appearance to get a reaction from me. I glanced open-mouthed from one to the other, not sure what to say. Had I not known which side Vigdis' piercing was on, I would have thought I was just seeing double.
“Allow me to introduce my twin sister,” said Vigdis, smiling seductively. “This is Valdis.”
“I will introduce the rest of my people,” added Thrym. “I see you already know Vigdis and her sister.”
He began pointing at the other warriors, saying each name in turn.
“This is Aurvandil, Bolthur, Skrymir, Thiazzi, Hrungnir, Gymir, Gunlod, Eggther, and Fjolsvin.”
I noted that they were all men except Gunlod, Vigdis and Valdis. All of the men were gigantic specimens, with the smallest of them being well over seven feet tall. Most of them had black hair, with the exception of Thrym and Aurvandil. Thrym’s hair was snow white while Aurvandil’s hair was pale blonde. Vigdis and Valdis both had long blonde hair that was kept back in a long, thick braid. Gunlod had an ebony mane of hair that fell down to her waist, left loose and flowing about her.
I returned the favor an
d introduced all of my own people, even managing to call Spec-4 by her actual name. I could tell by the look on their faces that they already knew who we all were without my introductions. In fact, I had the distinct feeling that they knew entirely too much about us already.
Once the introductions were completed, we all sat down around the fire and waited for everyone to get settled in before we began speaking. I noticed that everyone kept their weapons within easy reach, despite the fact that we were here under a flag of truce. We might be here to discuss the possibility of working together, but it was clear that none of us trusted the other group. Trust was going to be a difficult commodity, for all of us.
“If you like,” began Thrym, “we can show you how to wear your new armor.”
“I would appreciate that,” I said. “I think I’m going to like it.”
“If you do,” added Aurvandil, “we can arrange for all of you to have a set. After all, if we are going to be facing a common foe, it is only right that we all go well prepared.”
Thrym gave Aurvandil a brief but dark look, then turned back towards me as if nothing had happened. I was beginning to get the feeling that Aurvandil might be like Bergelmir. More like us than the other Hrimthurssar.
I stood up and shrugged out of my pack. I would make the first gesture of trust, by allowing them to assist me with the armor. That small step might very well open the door for us to begin a more relaxed talk and thereby allow us to reach some kind of an agreement. If we didn’t find some common ground, I had little doubt that this meeting was going to end in bloodshed.
As I was removing my thick outer coat, Vigdis and Valdis came over and stood on either side of me. Snake smiled lecherously and nodded his approval, but Spec-4 just glared daggers at them both. Although they were larger than me, I was suddenly aware of just how close they had gotten. They were close enough that I could smell their breath and the strange perfume that they both wore. It was oddly enticing.
Spec-4 stiffened and frowned when they began removing my body armor and thick outer shirt. Vigdis made no attempt to hide the fact that she was running her hands along my chest and torso. Valdis followed her example and soon I was unable to concentrate on much of anything but the feeling of their touch. No matter how I tried to think of other things, the sensation was pleasant. Their hands were strong, yet surprisingly gentle.
When they began removing my boots and belt, I thought I was going to groan. I was stripped down to my thermal underclothes (what we called polypro’s in the army) before they began helping me into the black outer suit of finely-linked chain mail. I slipped into it like a diver’s wet suit and they laced it up the back, taking up all of the slack and making the chain almost form fitting. Then they began to clip the plates into place.
The entire process took less than two minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. When they had finished, I stood before the group in my new black armor complete with matching armored boots. I was stunned at how well it all fit and how light it felt on my body. The plates locked in place protecting my vital spots and allowed freedom to move all of my joints. There were overlapping plates that protected the joints without hindering movement. I was surprised at the simplicity and the versatility of the design.
When they buckled on the new sword belt and both swords, I felt transformed. With both swords and both daggers on my belt, I had my two wolves and my two ravens. The daggers were perfectly balanced so I really could let my ravens fly. I had two swords that would be called the Ulfrbrandr and two daggers that would be called the Hrafnbrandr; the Wolf Blades and the Raven Blades.
“Now you look like a warrior,” commented Thrym.
“I’ve always felt that a warrior should be judged by his deeds,” I replied, “not by the clothing he wears.”
I could tell by the looks on both of the twin’s faces that I had just scored a point. Thrym frowned but didn’t comment at my barely veiled insult. A few of the Hrimthurssar as well as my own people chuckled at the comment. Thrym had not expected me to reply to his insult with one of my own; especially one that would score such a blow. Everyone here was aware of my exploits, but my people had heard nothing about Thrym’s own.
I was shocked at how warm the armor was. The under-layer as well as the chain mail offered a great deal of insulation against the cold. I found that even with the raging storm outside, I felt comfortable enough to function normally. If I could arrange suits of this armor for all of my people, I was only more than happy to oblige. Although, I doubted that such generosity would come without a price.
Unrolling a long cloak made from a white wolf’s pelt, Vigdis placed it around my shoulders and buckled it with a clasp that was fashioned in the shape of the Volknut. The age old symbol of Odin completed the image. With the head of the wolf as the hood, I looked like something out of the ancient sagas instead of a modern warrior.
Taking my seat facing Thrym, I watched as Vigdis and Valdis returned to their seats behind and slightly to the left of Thrym. While Marko stoked the fire, Aurvandil produced a large skin and proceeded to pass it around. When it was passed to me, I was pleased to discover that it was mead. The stout fermented honey drink sped warmth throughout my body and chased away the chill of the air, leaving me feeling content.
Once everyone had a chance to drink, the skin was put away and we settled back into our seats. It was then that I decided to ask a question that had been nagging at almost all of us for quite some time. I dove into the abyss without so much as a preamble. Either Thrym would answer or there was going to be trouble.
“So,” I began, hesitantly. “We’ve all been wondering this for a while. Where did you all come from? I mean, you’re obviously larger than anyone we know and then there’s the fact that your skin is blue.”
“Indeed,” muttered Thrym. “I had not doubted that this question would come up. I am surprised that you have not asked Bergelmir. Very well, I will tell you this tale.”
Thrym leaned closer to the fire and we all grew silent to listen, drawn by the sudden solemn turn of the conversation. Thrym spoke slowly at first, but his voice grew to fill the darkness and brought visions of his tale along with the dancing light of the fire.
“Long ago,” he began, “before the world existed as you know it, there were the Gods. The Gods of Asgard watched over Midgard and all of the Nine Worlds. The chief among the Gods was Odin, the All-Father.”
He paused as the fire crackled and sent sparks flying up the chimney and caused shadows to dance around the room like the fleeting memories of a world gone by.
“There were also the races of Giants,” added Thrym. “The Jotens, as they were called in the old tongue. They battled with the Gods for the fate of the Nine Worlds. The battles were so fierce that all of Yggdrasil[4] shook. Many lives were lost on both sides, but many great warriors emerged.”
I could almost see some of the battles raging in the shadows and hear the ringing of steel on steel. I could smell the scent of battle and taste the coppery flavor of blood in my mouth.
“The Gods won many of these battles and brought peace to the Nine Worlds,” he continued. “But not all who lived in the Nine Worlds craved peace. There were many who still secretly craved war. Loki, the Trickster, plotted to overthrow all that the Gods had wrought. After all, Loki was a Joten by birth. It would be through the machinations of Loki that Ragnarok would begin to bring about the end of the Gods. What Loki did not know was that Ragnarok is a cycle. Not only would there be a time that the Gods would fall, but they would be reborn anew. The cycle would begin again.”
I was stunned at the power of Thrym’s words. They held us all captivated. Even the Hrimthurssar seemed drawn into his every word.
“But Loki would not be so easily swayed,” rumbled the deep voice of Thrym. “After many cycles, he plotted to change the cycle of Ragnarok. By causing the dead to rise against the world of men, he began Ragnarok in a different way. By destroying the world of man and turning the majority of them into the living dead, he would flood
the ranks of the army of Hel and make his forces unstoppable.”
More images began to flash into my mind’s eye. There were the battles that I had fought myself, and then there were the battles that I had dreamed of that took place so long ago. When the Vikings fought against the living dead and I was known as Wygliff. Then, in the dancing light of the fire, I could see the face of the Old Man.
His long and tangled white beard and the dirty rag that he had tied around his face had been replaced. His beard was now clean and well trimmed, with braids tied in it from the moustache and down onto his chest. His hair was clean and pulled back in a long pony tail. The dirty rag over his eye had been replaced with a silver eye patch, very similar to mine. Only instead of a Volknut inscribed in his, there was a bind rune in the center, surrounded by intricate knot-work.
It seemed as if no one but me could see him. He smiled at me and whispered as if from a long distance away.
“His words are true, for the most part,” he seemed to say. “But there is more to his story that he isn’t telling you. Loki wants to prevent the Gods from returning by destroying the Einherjar before they can complete their tasks. Do not let them lure you into a trap. There will come a time when you will have to face them in battle.”
When I blinked, the Old Man was gone. The entire vision had lasted only a few seconds, while Thrym had paused to gather his thoughts. No one had even noticed that my attention had been focused on the fire. I knew that the Old Man’s words were true and I would have to be very careful in our dealings with the Hrimthurssar.
“Loki plotted to overthrow the Gods and rebuild the Nine Worlds as he saw fit,” said Thrym softly. “Only there was a problem. Not all of the Jotens wanted Loki to be in charge. There was one among the denizens of Muspelheim who wanted the Golden Throne for himself. The Frost Giants of Jotenheim remained loyal to Loki, while the Fire Giants of Muspelheim rallied behind the flaming sword of Surtr. They would wait until the Hrimthurssar had either destroyed the Einherjar or had fallen in battle to them. In the aftermath, when the victor was already weakened, they would strike.”
Ragnarok Rising: Desolation: Book Five of the Ragnarok Rising Saga Page 10