Chapter 7 - Vengeance
We returned to Svartalfheim the following afternoon and word quickly spread about what happened to our hunting party. After handing Krang’s body over to the shamans to prepare his funeral, I met with my father. As I relived the past night’s events, his face became more shocked at each passing detail. I finished the tale, ashamed of my failure and furious at the Aesir who overstepped her bounds.
“I find it most disturbing that the Warrior Maiden attacked so callously. We must go to King Oor, as taking the life and a prisoner are acts of war. This situation is so much worse than we originally thought.”
I nodded at his words. I knew we would have to go to the king, but the thought of reliving this story once more made me ill. “Father, what about Drexler? We need to organize a rescue party. I can only imagine what she is doing to him.”
“I agree daughter. We see the king immediately and petition his rescue. Let us gather the survivors.”
Father and I moved quickly. We found Ryle in the armory sitting against a corner sharpening his curved dagger. The sleepy, yet rueful look that I had grown accustomed to seeing had been replaced with a blank stare. It was almost as if no one was in there.
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Ryle, are you okay?”
“I am fine my lady. Is there anything I can do for you?”
This was not going to be easy. Everyone reacted differently to trauma. “We are going to see King Oor and need you to come with us. He will want to hear from all of us.”
He put his dagger back in his belt. “Then let us be off.”
Maya was easy to find, with the rest of the shamans in the medical ward. Father went over to Izek, the head of the shamans, and explained the situation. Maya was quickly summoned and joined our group. Her eyes were red and puffy, a tell-tale sign she had been crying. These two may have survived, but Sif’s attack may have broken them beyond repair as well.
It was night when we left the Darklighter stronghold and made our way into the valley. The shops and market were closed for the day and very few elves were on the street. Those that were still out and about either offered their sympathy or gave us a quiet sign of mourning. Saddened faces and looks of disbelief were only natural, as an attack like this had not happened since the Elven Wars.
When we reached King Oor’s estate, one of the guards escorted us to the throne room while another went to summon the king. No doubt word had already reached his ears, but it was just like Oor to wait until we were ready to talk and not summon us. He was a good and fair ruler, but there was feeling amongst some of the clans he was a bit too relaxed with protocol.
“All rise and be presented to the ruler of Svartalfheim, King Oor.” It was the guard who had fetched the king. After his declaration, he took a step back and assumed his position.
Oor entered the room and at this close range, one could not help but be impressed by him. A full head taller than I and built like Algrim, the blacksmith, Oor was the definition of a dark elf warrior. Even in the presence of friends, his daggers the Fangs were strapped to his back. The blood of a great many light elves had been cleaned off those wicked weapons.
“At ease everyone. On this dark day of mourning, we can toss aside proper protocol.” We did as he said while he took a seat on the throne. “Azmodeous is on his way in, but I have no time to wait. Rumil of clan Darklighter, I know this is difficult, but once more would you share your tale?”
I took a step forward and obliged his request. This was the second time I had to share it and it was no easier. I did not leave out any details, from the moment we exited the cave at the Dokkalfer Mountains until the moment I returned with Krang’s body. His disgust grew by the moment and peaked as I went into detail on how Sif beheaded one of our own and kidnapped another. I finished my tale with a simple request.
“Your majesty, I wish to go back into the Great Forest and find Sif. Drexler was in my squad and I mean to bring him home using any means necessary.”
By this time, Azmodeous had made it into the room and had caught most of the story. Unlike the king’s face, his was much tougher to read. “Lady Rumil, we can only assume that Drexler has been killed. To go back into the woods would be a needless risk. I know this is not the popular answer, but we need to wait for word to return from Asgard.”
“Absolutely not! One of our people was kidnapped and to not seek a way to bring him home is a dishonor to him and the ways of the dark elves! We are not cowards like the light elves are!”
Father stepped up beside me, “Calm down my daughter. I know you are upset, but remember your place.”
“No Hargna, there is no need to admonish your daughter.” Oor turned his attention back to me, “The queen would have reacted the same way, much like your own mother would have. I also happen to agree with you. This may be an isolated case of an Aesir acting on their own, but Drexler is a dark elf. We will bring him home.”
“Thank you my lord.” I bowed my head, but not before I saw the look of disdain Azmodeous had. It might be good enough for him to hide in Svartalfheim until Ragnarok, but I would not.
“Hargna, when do you expect the Dark Moons to return from their investigation of Jotenheim?”
“Tomorrow morning my lord. Why do you inquire?”
“They are to accompany Rumil and recover Drexler.”
“I also want to go with them my lord, if that is allowed.” Ryle had stepped forward, beside me.
Oor gave Ryle a look over. “I sense a great fire in you young one. You did well in your efforts to fight off a highly skilled Aesir warrior. I grant your wish.”
“Thank you.” He bowed his head and moved back.
“Then it is settled. Tomorrow we return one of our own and show this Warrior Maiden that the elves of Svartalfheim are not to be trifled with.”
Chapter 8 - Target
Algrim had delivered another bunch of arrows for me. Using my anger and guilt as motivation, I sharpened each of the heads to the point that just a nick would pierce deeply. As fast as this Sif moved, I would need every advantage I could get.
Once the arrowheads were at the point I felt confident, I went to the range. I needed to sharpen my skills, which meant making the targets even faster and forcing myself to shoot from even more difficult angles. I do not recall how long I was there, but when I stopped to gather my wits, I saw three elves watching.
“Lady Rumil, we are here to give you are support and our condolences. We will not fail you.” A little taller than I, Ayr put his hand out in welcome. I took it and the blue glow of friendship was affirmed.
“Thank you, all three of you. Your support in this matter is most warming.”
“Of course my lady. We are at your disposal to rescue a friend.” Gretta was the lone female in the group and their medic. She was also quite proficient with blades and the bow. I could see why she was chosen for this group.
Ustin came forward and gave me a hug. Part of me would always feel terrible for not reciprocating his feelings, but at the same time the friendship he offered calmed me. “The Aesir have gone too far. We will make amends for our loss.”
I broke away, “Yes we will. One of mine, Ryle will also be joining us. His tracking abilities are very competent and should be a great help.”
“That is why I chose him. My brother Tymon looks up to him and spoke highly. I am glad I was not incorrect in my choice.”
“All of your choices were perfect Ustin. This Sif is just a monster and her skills in combat are incredible.”
“That she is my lady,” Ayr closed his eyes, as if reliving a memory, “but you have seen her in action now and she will no longer have the element of surprise. Those are advantages to you.”
He was right. We were not prepared for such a foe and I did not take her challenge seriously. From that moment onward, I would never underestimate the Warrior Maiden. The Dark Moons asked for some details from the attack to base a plan of attack on. While we were going over everything, Ryle joined us.
> “I apologize for my tardiness.”
“It is okay. I had not specified what time we would be leaving. But as we are all here, I say no time like the present, unless someone has a need to attend to?”
“We are all here for you. The only thing that needs our attention is finding Drexler.”
“Thank you Gretta. Let us see my father and tell him we are leaving on our journey. We can make a detour to the armory if anyone needs to stock up on supplies.”
It did not take long and soon we were meeting with father in his library. “Well my daughter, it would appear you are ready.”
“Yes father, we are all in order. With your permission, we are ready to take our leave.”
His look was very sad, but he knew my mind was made up. “May The Norns watch over you and bring you back safely.”
“We will come back, I promise you.”
I could not stay much longer or father’s sad look might make me change my mind with this endeavor. However, he looked from me and addressed the four elves standing beside me. “All of you are highly skilled and more importantly loyal to Svartalfheim. Watch out for each other and protect one another from death. We do not need any more blood lost.”
His message was a bit cryptic, but I would speak about that to him later. For now, we had to get a move on if we were to make it to the forest before nightfall. I gave my father one last hug and with that, we were off. With everyone in top form, we were able to make good time. It was dusk when we exited the cave and hit the mountain trail.
“Let us take a quick rest. We have been moving incredibly fast.”
Everyone offloaded their packs and took a seat. Rest was always welcome when traveling in such harsh environments. Outside the cave, it was cold and it felt as if it could start snowing at any moments. Icicles hung from all the crags and cliffs on the side of the mountain. It just served as a reminder of how close to ice giant territory we truly were.
“Ustin, did you discover anything on your trek up towards Jotenheim?”
“Ahh, yes, we barely had anytime once we returned, but we did make a discovery. The random tribes we were able to listen in on all reported the same rumor.”
I was intrigued. “What rumor was that?”
“If true, it is not welcome news, but the excitement exhibited by the giants told me it probably was. The Warlord, Geirrod, has escaped his prison.”
Chapter 9 - Trepidation
Shivers went done my spine. Geirrod was one of the worst of the ice giants and his release from his forced captivity at the hands of Thor and Loki was not welcome news. I hoped we would not come across his path, as I do not know many that would be able to stand against him and survive.
“All of this happening at once only adds to the feeling that we are headed towards another dark time.”
“Be that as it may Rumil, we do have a task to complete and we should not get too ahead of ourselves. Worrying about an ice giant will bring us no closer to finding Drexler. Should the time come that we need to concern ourselves with him, then we will cross that bridge.”
Ustin was right; I needed to focus on my task at hand. “Well said my friend. I think we have rested enough out in the open. Let us make haste and get into the forest.”
We quickly regrouped and made our way down the trail. For the second time in a short period of time we were lucky and there was no sign of any ice giants. When we reached the forest, the moon was high and the cold was getting unrelenting.
Ryle pointed out a nice clearing that we could use to set up camp. Quickly going to work, we were able to get a fire going. It may draw the attention of the dire wolves, but without it we would likely freeze to death.
“I think we should discuss our plans tomorrow. In my opinion, we should head towards the cabin the three of you discovered on your last journey into the woods.”
Gretta seemed displeased by this. “My lady, from here we would have to go directly into dire wolf territory. This time of year, with food being even scarcer, they are much more aggressive.”
“And if I might add,” this time it was Ayr, “that if we go west to avoid the wolves, we would end up in the domain of a rather large and powerful forest troll.”
Both scenarios were not ideal. “We continue straight ahead. Wolves are much easier to outmaneuver and outrun if needed. A troll is one creature I would prefer not to have to deal with. Even in ideal situations, much like an ice giant, it is a losing proposition.”
It was settled. In the morning, at first light, we would head south to where Sif’s cabin retreat was. Why in all the realms she would need such a remote location I did not understand, but it could be where our friend was held. With our route in place, we all tried our best to rest. Sleep did not come easily for me, and before I knew it, the sun was peeking over the horizon.
I looked around camp and saw that everyone else also was awake. “Let us eat a quick breakfast and continue on. The more area we can travel during the day through wolf territory the better off we will all be.”
We each grabbed some dried boar meat and some bread. It was not much, but when traveling quickly, you had to pack light rations. Ryle stamped out the fire and we were ready to go.
Ryle took the point position and given directions from Ayr, he would lead us to the cabin. Hopefully his tracking skills would keep us clear of any danger, both from animal and possibly Aesir. The rest of us fell in behind, ready at a moment’s notice to defend each other should we need to.
As the sun continued to rise, the weather warmed a bit; this made it easier to keep going at a torrid pace. I had instructed Ryle that once the sun gets to its highest position that we should stop for a break. My thoughts started to drift back to my first encounter with Sif. The hate in her eyes still made no sense to me. What had our people done to her to deserve such treatment?
“Everyone, halt!” Ryle’s command was barely an audible whisper, but the urgency came through clearly.
We all stopped and immediately grabbed our weapons. “Is there something ahead?”
He shook his head no. “They are all around us. I apologize Lady Rumil; I did not see the trap until it was too late.”
That is when we heard the sounds of wolves howling. It did not take long to confirm that we were surrounded. It would appear the dire wolves had not shown themselves until they could form a perimeter. These creatures were much smarter than most give them credit for.
“What are we to do my lady?”
I thought for a second. They still had not attacked and were keeping their distance. We were not their normal prey and so it seemed they were taking their time before they made their move. “We use what time we have to prepare ourselves. Ustin, Ayr, any suggestions on how to defend an attack?”
They looked at each other. Ustin nodded and Ayr took that as his turn to speak. “Once they are confident they can overtake us, they will come in all their numbers. Chances are they will rush in and a good marksman will be able to pick them off, giving the rest of us time to thin the numbers.”
I took the hint. “I can get a better vantage point from the trees. I can provide cover to you. Ryle, how many do you think we are dealing with?”
He closed his eyes and took the scene in. “Between ten and twelve I would wager. It seems that this pack is a bit smaller, but from the sounds I am picking up and the old tracks we have seen, the wolves might be a bit on the bigger side.”
“It seems we have some work to do. I have twenty arrows in my quiver and will take as many down as I can. Let us all support each other and come out of this alive.”
I could not say anything more; loud howls rippled through the forest. The wolves had decided it was time for dinner.
Chapter 10 - Wolves
I had taken my position in the trees. Below me, my four squad members had decided on the diamond defense. I had my first arrow in position and ready. Before I had gone into the tree, Ryle thought the alpha of this pack was at the north side of our spot and would be the first to charge. Our h
ope was in putting the alpha down, the rest would back off. With dire wolves, however, that was a fairly unlikely chance.
Sure enough when the howling broke, I heard the thunder of the charging wolves echo through the forest. Pointing to the north, it did not take long for a very large, grey wolf to come into my sight. Lining up the shot, as soon as he passed the last tree in my way, I let the shot go and its mark was true. The arrow hit right between his eyes and the wolf fell, dead on spot.
Whatever euphoria I had at a clean shot left when none of the wolves even stopped in hesitation. The alpha being killed meant nothing to them and if anything they charged even faster. I got off two more arrows and put both wolves in my sight down, but the rest were on top of us.
I did a quick count and eight wolves were snapping and clawing at the four elves below me. Being so close and now with them engaged, I had to line up my shots even more carefully. My first target was a rather angry looking wolf trying to bite off Ryle’s arm. I was fortunate and the shot buzzed right by his head and directly into the wolf’s eye. It fell in pain and Ryle brought his dagger down to finish the job.
With that immediate danger gone, I turned back and saw two more dead wolves courtesy of Gretta’s dagger. Ayr was defending against two more and Ustin was in the process of finishing off the two that were attacking him.
“AHHHH!!”
I turned back to the scream and saw that one of the wolves had surprised attacked Ryle in the back. It looked as if he was running to help Ayr when the wolf launched on him. Without thinking, I let loose another arrow and the wolf fell to the ground dead. Even still, it looked as if the damage had been done. I hopped down from my tree and ran over to him.
Power Play: Act 1 Svartalfheim (Ragnarok on Ice) Page 3