by Kristi Jones
“Forgive me, goddess, but I cannot leave him.”
“He will be safe with me. Death, as you must know, has no admittance to my lair.”
“But I can’t leave him—”
“You will leave him, or he will die. That is your choice.” Skuld resumed grinding her fingernails into the arm of her throne. The scraping sound echoed, an insistent clawing.
“Sabrina, no,” Jess said, pulling at my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
“You must decide quickly,” Skuld said, scraping her nails more furiously. “I cannot hold my tongue forever.”
Was she holding back my prophecy by force of will?
“I’ll do it.”
“Sabrina, no!” Jess said.
“Good. That is very good,” Skuld said.
“What do you want me to bring you?”
“It isn’t a matter of want, Valkyr. I need the stone. My stone.”
“Skuld’s stone?” Of course, I’d heard of the stone. Skuld’s stone was legendary. “But if it’s yours, why is it not with you?”
“Many generations ago, a young Valkyr tried to steal it from me. So I hid it from the gods and all beneath them.”
“Then why not leave it in hiding?”
“It appears that things have changed. Do you really want to stand here, risking your mind, to ask questions about the stone? I can’t hold on much longer, you know.”
“Where is this stone?”
“I told you. In Vogelburg, at the base of the wayside shrine. You will find three stones there. Look for the bluestone. She is smaller than the rest. Now go!”
Skuld threw herself back in her chair. Her eyes rolled back in her head until her gaze was pure white.
“Sabrina, daughter of Gudrun, I must tell you—”
“No!” I screamed.
"You have done what...." Skuld continued, apparently unable to stop the prophecy.
I clapped my hands over my ears and fell to my knees. Gustel's warning rang through my head. Do not anger Skuld. I wanted to scream at her, to beg her to stop, but I feared that would only encourage her to speak.
Jesse had his arms around me one minute, and the next he was gone.
He bounded toward the throne of trees. The raven squawked and beat its wings. Its razor sharp beak opened, its head thrust forward, ready to attack. Jess turned his back on the beast, then swung around and caught the raven off guard, pinning its neck to the floor with his foot.
"Mortal..." Skuld said, trying to rise from her seat. Jesse clamped both of his hands over her mouth.
"Jesse, no!" I shouted.
He looked at me, his eyes burning with fear, anger, and yes, panic. We would never leave here alive if I didn't act.
Swallowing back the gripping fear trying to envelope my very soul, I ran to my lover's side.
I reached for his hands. "No, Jess. This isn't the way."
“Do you trust her, Sabrina?” He didn’t bother to keep his voice low.
“I don’t know, but we don’t have any other options. I’ll hurry!”
“If you can’t find the stone, forget about me.”
“No, I can’t do that.”
His eyes held the same look I’d seen in the street, the same look he’d given the young Afghani girl with the gun. “You must.”
“Jess—”
Skuld twisted in his arms.
"Get out of here, Sabrina. I'll hold her until you go."
“I’ll come back for you.”
“I know, now go!”
I reached for him and kissed him hard on the cheek. I inhaled deeply, committing his scent to memory. I put my mouth to his ear and whispered, “I’ll be right back.”
I fled the chamber, my heart swollen with love and despair. Leaving him with Skuld was terrifying, but I had no choice. As I ran down the tunnel, Skuld’s voice echoed off the walls. “You will bring about the destruction—”
And then her voice fell silent.
****
Flying from Salzburg to the village of Vogelburg, my emotions were in turmoil. For the first time in my life, I felt out of control. What was I doing running an errand for the terrible goddess Skuld? And how could I bear leaving Jess behind?
Speed was my ally now. I had to hurry. I had to make sure that he spent as little time as possible in the clutches of Skuld.
Why did Skuld want to keep Jess? There were only two reasons I could think of. Possibly this stone she wanted was incredibly valuable and Jess and I just happened to fall into her lap, letting her take advantage of the opportunity to get it without leaving her lair. But if that was the case, that still left unanswered questions. Why couldn’t Skuld leave the throne room and get it herself? What did she risk by leaving?
The second, more terrifying, reason that Skuld kept Jess was that she wanted him. I’d never heard of a Norn wanting to have anything to do with the human world. It worried me. It frightened me.
The stone. I didn’t know what the stone did. Nobody really knew what the stone did. I’d heard stories when I was young. When my mother told me stories of the ancient ones, the stone was always quite mysterious. It was said to be very valuable. More powerful than Odin’s spear, Gungnir, more magical than Freya’s falcon cloak.
But I didn’t know what it did. Nobody I’d met had any real knowledge of the stone. It was a legend, a mythical enchanted object from the far distant past whose meaning had been lost with the passage of time.
The wind rushed in my ears, my thoughts pressing in around me. I had to move faster. If I was lucky, the stone would be unprotected and easy to find. If all went well, I could return to Jess before dawn.
When I arrived at Vogelburg, the full moon illuminated a small Alpine village nestled in the valley beneath Wetterstein mountain. The tall fir trees dwarfed a scattering of small cottages littering the valley floor. The air was cool and crisp, the cold still having a firm grip on the month of March.
I chose the church steeple as my landing site and looked down at the small graveyard below me. The pilgrims’ road was to my right. That is where I needed to search.
First I scanned the graveyard. The Vogelburg graveyard was a known midden.
I suppose the term midden is derogatory, but also fitting. It is a place for the corpses to go. The stiffs, the Valkyries currently serving their Death Duty. When Valkyries serve their Death Duty, they are forced to wander the earth as corpses for ten years. But with the population explosion of the last two centuries, it has become necessary to hide from prying mortal eyes. The midden provides a place of refuge, a place to rest or hide, if the Valkyrie’s family will not help her.
I didn’t want to make contact with any stiffs. They were desperate creatures, bored and in pain. Sometimes they tried to attach themselves to the living. They needed or wanted someone with power to help them. Not that there is much that can be done except to try to alleviate their pain with strong and continual doses of morphine.
I didn’t like to think of the Death Duty.
It brought back painful memories.
My own mother helped me through it. She took me to The Nest and gave me morphine to dull the pain. She spoke reassuring words. She read to me. That was the greatest gift. The words of Byron and Blake, Goethe and Keats soothed my wretched soul and took me away from the pain of the body.
I watched the graveyard and caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye.
“Dammit.”
A stiff was walking toward the midden, led by two Valkyries and two humans. They must be planning an internment. I’d have to wait. And every minute that I was away from Jess was a minute of anguish. I felt anxiety building inside me, seeping into my muscles and I had an insane urge to scream, to beat my wings and try to scare them off. But I had to wait. I had no choice. If they saw me, they might ask for help or supplies, and I had but one mission. To save Jess. I couldn’t do anything to jeopardize the success of that mission.
I felt a rush of relief and gratitude as they made their way slowly
past the midden. They were not yet embarking on an internment. Perhaps they still needed their supply of morphine? I hated to work without fully understanding their presence here, but I had to act.
I waited for the tiny group to leave, then coasted down into the graveyard, taking on the form of darkness itself. The outline of my body might be visible in the moonlight, but I hoped there would be no human or Valkyrie eyes to see me.
I decided to choose a weapon. There was no telling what creature might be guarding Skuld’s stone. Using all of my strength, I pulled out the horizontal piece from an iron cross towering over the grave of a mortal. The metal wailed in protest. When the iron sword pulled free, I waited, listening.
I eyed a second iron cross to my left, but decided against taking another weapon. I dared not risk waking the stiffs. Another shriek of metal against metal was sure to bring at least one of them to the surface.
I moved down the pilgrims’ road, keeping my eyes on the midden, straining to see any movement of dirt or cross, but the night was still and quiet.
I sensed the presence of the Fenrir just as I caught sight of the wayside shrine. I darted into the vegetation beside the road and pressed myself against the nearest tree. My heart, once so reliable, so constant, pulsed in great pounding beats.
I needed time to think. I’d never battled a Fenrir before, but I’d heard enough about them to know that their bite was dangerous even to the flesh of a lower goddess. A Fenrir could not inflict a mortal wound of course, but they could inflict wounds that were difficult to heal by the nature of their enchantments.
Fenrirs had been made legend by the mortals, as the creature known as werewolf. It is true that they can take human form when the moon is low, but they are not human at all, nor have they ever been human. But the moon was high, and the Fenrir guarding the stone would not be taking human form tonight.
In any case, the Fenrir could not kill me. Any pain I suffered would be welcome, as long as I triumphed and brought the stone back to Skuld.
I stepped out into the street, clutching my sword tightly.
The wolf lifted its head as I approached and emitted a low growl.
I stood before him, holding my head high. I hoped that he would not smell my fear. The shrine loomed behind the wolf. It was of simple construction, and I wondered at Skuld’s decision to hide her valuable stone at the side of the road this way. The road was seldom used, except by those living under the mountain, and she had bribed a Fenrir to guard it. Still, it was not a difficult place to find or access.
“Keep walking, Valkyr,” the Fenrir said, lifting its lips and revealing an impressive set of teeth.
“I have been sent on a mission by the goddess Skuld. She has asked that I retrieve her stone.”
“The stone is not to be removed, by the order of the great and almighty Odin, as you must well know, Valkyr.”
“Skuld herself has made this request,” I said, softly. “It is her stone to claim.”
“And I am under orders by Odin himself. I will not relinquish the stone to the likes of you.”
“Very well,” I said, and bowed my head. “You must do your duty, as I must do mine.”
I turned, as if to leave, then spun around and thrust my sword at the Fenrir, aiming for his neck. But he was quick. He must have been expecting the blow. He leapt into the air, letting out a fierce howl.
He came at me, his mouth open, his long teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
I whirled around and switched the sword to my left hand, but he was no ignorant beast and before I could move away, he bit down hard on my free arm, clenching it in his vise-like jaws.
I tried to pull away. The Fenrir shook his head, ripping the flesh from my forearm. I screamed out in pain.
Though I was able to withstand the mightiest of men’s weaponry, the teeth and claws of a Fenrir were different. He was a creature anointed by Odin. He had powers as strong as the gods themselves.
The pain was excruciating. I felt as if a bolt of electricity had ripped through my arm, from the shoulder to my wrist. I bit down hard on my lips to keep from screaming again, my teeth slicing through the soft flesh. I couldn’t scream again. The sound might bring the stiffs. Or worse, another Fenrir. The wolves almost always travelled in packs.
My body was coated in sweat, and the cold air soon had me shaking.
I hit him on the flank with the flat edge of the sword, and it was enough for him to open his jaws and release my arm. I rolled away from him, cradling the sword close. When I struggled to my feet, he was bowed down before me, growling, ready to pounce again. I hefted the sword, getting a better grip on it. I crouched low. My breath came in ragged bursts. I braced myself for the next attack.
The wolf leapt again, its silver hair gleaming in the moonlight.
The crack of a firearm rang out. The wolf yelped and collapsed on top of me.
I lay there, immobilized, listening to it gasp, holding my breath against the foul stench of the wolf’s jaws.
With a great physical effort, I pushed the beast off of me and struggled into a sitting position. My sword lay on the ground beside me.
Standing above me was one of the young Valkyries I’d seen from the steeple. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. I did not know her.
“You killed it.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you,” I said, getting to my feet.
“No problem.”
I glanced at my sword and back at the blonde.
An elfish grin turned up her lips. “Go ahead. Pick it up.” She still had the gun dangling in her left hand, but it was pointing south. She followed my gaze, shrugged, then tucked the gun into her pants, behind her back. “Works better than that sword.”
“I guess so. You’re getting ready to do an internment.”
The girl lifted her chin, her eyebrows shooting up. “You saw us?”
“I did.”
“Yes, an internment. You know how it goes.”
“I do.”
“And you were…?”
I hesitated. Of course I didn’t want to tell her the truth. But I couldn’t think of a lie. I rarely encountered Valkyries outside the battlefield. This one looked to be of age, but too young to mate. What was she doing here?
“Is it your sister?” I asked.
“Yes.” She stepped closer and peered over my shoulder. “I don’t see your sister.”
I resisted the urge to step back. My rescuer looked fresh and young, slender and innocent, but she emanated a strength, an iron will, that was unsettling.
“No. I’m not here for that.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Then what are you here for?”
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business—I’m sorry, what is your name?”
“I’m Ermhilde.”
“Ermhilde. I’m Sabrina. I appreciate your help, but I’m fine now. I won’t interfere with your internment.”
Ermhilde nodded, sucking on her bottom lip. “Good. And you’re welcome. Again.”
I picked up my sword, making a point to keep the blade down. “I’ll just be on my way then.”
The dead Fenrir lay in the dew covered grass beside the wayside shrine.
I glanced at the shrine, wondering how long it would take her to finish her business at the midden and leave.
“You’re here for the stone,” Ermhilde said, blinking, her gaze flitting between me and the shrine.
“No.”
“You are. Don’t bother lying. I can see it in your eyes. What do you want with it?”
I realized that it would take more time to lie than to tell her the truth. Maybe she would be willing to help me. “I just need it,” I said.
“For what?”
“I need it to—” I hesitated, then plunged ahead. “To save someone.”
“To save someone? That’s interesting.”
“Is it? What do you want it for?”
“Who said I wanted it?”
“You’re not here for an internmen
t.”
She shrugged. “Fair enough. I need the stone, too. I need it to change our fate.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Do you know the stone’s power?”
“I know it is powerful,” I said, doubtfully. The truth, of course, was that I knew nothing about the stone except for bedtime stories I’d been told as a child. How would Ermhilde know more?
“But you don’t know what it does?”
“No. Nobody does.”
“I think I know.”
“How? How would you know?”
“Legend tells us that if you possess the stone, you can change your future.”
“Legend says a lot of things, Ermhilde.”
“We are legend, and we exist.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. She sounded quite mad. “Yes, and legend says that Fenrirs were once human and Valkyries are maidens.”
“Those are human legends. Of course they’re ridiculous. But humans have nothing to do with us.”
“Of course they do. We choose our heroes from humans, our mates.”
“You’re not listening to what I’m saying. I’m telling you that with the stone we have the possibility to change our fate. If one of these is the stone. Which you seem pretty certain of. How do you know? How do you know one of these is the stone?”
Of course I couldn’t tell her that Skuld had sent me. She would think that I was lying or that I’d lost my mind. And it was obvious that this young Valkyrie had her own agenda. I was intrigued by what she said. Was it possible that this stone had so much power? Was that why Skuld wanted it? I hoped so, for if it was true, if she only wanted the stone, then Jess might be safe in her hands.
“Why do you want to change your future?” I asked, stalling, trying to decide on my next move.
“Not my future. Our future. Let me ask you something, Sabrina. Do you like being a Valkyrie?”
“Do I like it?”
“Yes.” She watched me closely. I couldn’t tell if she was angry or just extremely curious, but the intensity of her gaze was a little frightening. “Don’t you ever wish that you had a choice?”
“I do have a choice. We all do. We choose our heroes—”
“No,” she said, interrupting me, “I’m not talking about humans. I’m not talking about choosing warriors on battlefields for wars that we care nothing about. I’m talking about choosing a future for ourselves.”