“Yes. I don’t think he’s very fond of the modern woman. We tend to bite back.”
He pulled her tight to him. “So we will agree that we are betrothed, the wedding to happen after our child is born, depending on whether we can vanquish Valkarin.”
“That sounds about right.”
“You know Valkarin is eager for you to go to Lokranor after he takes the throne.”
“As Erin pointed out to him, he has tried to conquer Lokranor a few times and failed. So let’s hope history repeats itself.”
Heinrekh ran his hands down her back. “Let us hope, because the only place you are going to be living is with me.”
Sasha slid on top of him. “For now we only have tonight, so let us not waste it.”
“That’s another point on which I agree implicitly with you, my dear,” his blue eyes twinkled.
CHAPTER 9
Erin was bouncing around in the back of the sea plane like a kid high on additives.
“Are you always this exuberant travelling?” Wilhelm asked.
“I’m excited about seeing Iceland,” she chirped. “It’s so very different from the rest of our Realm. And you and Magnus should be right at home.”
“Last time we travelled, we were armed.”
“We have the swords with us, but the good people of Iceland might be a little alarmed if we turn up fully armed. Remember we’re not entering a Vokteren strong hold.”
“Do you know where we are heading first?”
“Gullfoss. The Golden Falls.”
“Will they not be frozen?”
“Yes. Frozen solid.”
“And how are we finding the object you need.”
“Sorcery. But not mine, Heinrekh’s.”
“He’s meeting us there?” Wilhelm sounded horrified.
“No, but thanks to him the bracelet will show us where the dagger is located.” Erin glanced over to a very pale looking Magnus. “Didn’t you take your Dramamine?”
“Yes. But I’m not sure how well it is working. This flight is rougher than the last,” he groaned.
“I think Magnus was dissing your flying expertise, Birdie,” Erin teased.
“I’m not going to react, child,” Birdie responded. “However much you want me to tip the wings.”
“Spoilsport,” Erin sighed.
“Did you really want to spend the last hour in a small cabin with the smell of vomit in the air?” Bridie always was the voice of reason.
“I guess not.”
Erin spent the rest of the flight holding Wilhelm’s hand. Whilst his outward appearance was calm, she knew he was worried about Lokranor. Even with Lodraill back at the temple, the city was virtually defenceless. She hoped they would find the objects quickly and be able to send Valkarin back to his tomb.
She pointed to the landmass in the distance. “We’re almost there.”
Birdie landed the plane on the water with exceptional skill and taxied up to a mooring.
“Something tells me this isn’t Reykjavik,” Erin glanced at Birdie as she got out the plane.
“Arborg. It was the closest I could get us to Gullfoss with transport provided.” She gave instructions to Magnus and Wilhelm to load the bags and weapons into the 4x4 she had hired. “I hope this bracelet works, Erin. We’ve booked the hotel for tonight in Greenland, not here.” Birdie fixed a firm eye on her niece.
“It doesn’t exactly come with instructions. Just what I managed to pick from someone’s mind.” She did feel guilty for taking the object from Angus, but it would have been used for evil not good. “It supposedly shows me the dagger’s location when I put it on. But I obviously have to be at the Falls for that.”
The scenery was stunning as they drove along the shore of a fjord towards the Golden Falls; it was heavily snow-covered, just as she envisaged it to be. The area, as expected, was a hive of activity with tourists so they blended in quite well. Wilhelm especially looked like a local with his long shaggy hair. Erin headed down to the platform closest to the Falls, it looked breath-taking with the water frozen mid flow, huge sheets of ice hanging down like folds in a curtain.
“Here goes,” she murmured slipping the bracelet on.
She felt a tremendous burst of energy run through her veins. The purple crystal in the middle started to glow. A red hot pain shot through her head, then suddenly an image. She gave a low squeal and touched her temple as the pain started to ease.
“Hell, it’s a trap,” Magnus hissed.
“No,” Erin held up her hand, still doubled in pain. She needed to see the image clearer. A few seconds later she had it. The bracelet was put quickly back in its carrier. “You’re not going to like this, but it’s behind the Falls.”
“You mean the other side of the frozen water?” Birdie looked at the Falls in disbelief.
“Yep. If you remember in all good treasure hunting films, artefacts are always hidden in a secret chamber behind the flowing water.”
“But this water isn’t flowing. It’s frozen solid,” Birdie stated the obvious.
“I guess we can’t scale down there in full daylight?” Magnus grunted.
“No,” Birdie let out a frustrated hiss. “Whilst you figure out how you’re going to do this, I’ll go amend our travel plans.”
Erin stared out over the expanse below her. If they could make it to the edge of the waterfall without being seen, she’d already picked out the best location to be lowered down; hopefully it would be close enough to the frozen flow of water which she had to slip behind. The image of where the dagger was hidden was still very clear in her head.
“We’re going to need some rope and I should get a decent pair of ice climbing boots,” Erin looked at Magnus.
“Dare I ask when you’re going to attempt this insane treasure hunt?”
“Tonight, of course.”
“It will be madness to try to get down the Falls in the dark.”
“It won’t be, well not totally.”
“You need full visibility to scale the waterfall.”
“I eat my carrots, I have good night vision. Plus a little sorcery to help me on my way.”
“I haven’t protected your back all these years for you to break your neck here in Iceland.”
“Good, because I won’t. Now stop looking so sour.” Erin made her way back to where Birdie was on the phone. “Do we have deluxe accommodation?”
“There is a place not far from here that rents out cabins. They just so happen to have availability tonight.”
“Wonderful. It can’t be any worse that those fleapits we stayed at in Grunfeld and Frejboren,” Erin pulled a face. Then she remembered Jasper was standing right behind her. “Sorry, I hope you aren’t related to the owners.”
“No,” he smiled. “And you are correct in that they are vile.”
“We will have to head back to Arborg to get the supplies. Hopefully they’ll have what we need as I really don’t want to drive into Reykjavik.”
“Aw, I wanted to buy Wilhelm and Magnus a souvenir form the Viking museum.”
“Viking museum?” Wilhelm’s queried.
“Ignore her, Wilhelm,” Birdie shot Erin a hard look. “They have an exhibition which very loosely relates to all things Viking, but very different from what you know.”
“But I had the perfect helmet picked out for Magnus.”
“Remember who will be lowering you down the face of the waterfall,” Magnus grunted. “I could accidently drop the rope.”
“Then I would come back from the underworld and haunt you senseless,” she grinned. “The dead are never truly dead, as my poor father is discovering.”
“When you two have quite finished,” Birdie scowled, “could we please get going? Daylight does not last too long at this time of year.”
The small town of Arborg did not have much going for it. Whilst Birdie and Jasper went scouring for the climbing necessities, Erin, Magnus and Wilhelm bought food supplies. When they met back up a short while later, Birdie had got eve
rything she needed.
Back on the road once again in the direction of Gullfoss, Erin gazed contentedly out the window. They passed a small store set back off the road. Something about it caught her attention.
“Stop, Birdie,” Erin shouted suddenly.
Birdie jammed the brakes on. “What is it?”
“Nothing worth shooting us through the windscreen,” Erin griped. “I wanted to see that store,” she pointed to the one they had just passed.
“What?” Birdie hissed.
“It’s called Aria’s Crystals. It sounds silly, but humour me.”
Birdie muttered loudly and threw the car into reverse. She pulled up beside the store. “You have five minutes.”
Erin slipped out and ran inside. Something was pulling her to the store, and her instincts weren’t usually wrong. She felt like she had stepped back several hundred years on entering. The interior was dark with minimal lighting and had such a gothic feel to it. It was packed with hundreds of different crystals of varying size and shape.
She held up her hand and ran it along the lines of crystals. Suddenly she felt the draw, a force pulling her towards a purple crystal. She picked it up and felt an energy similar to the one she had got from the bracelet at the Falls. Perhaps it was connected to the crystal on the bracelet.
“Let me guide you,” a soft voice spoke inside her head. Erin almost dropped the crystal in surprise.
“You have a good eye,” a croaky voice announced.
Turning around, Erin came face to face with the owner of the store. She looked fairly wild, with long flowing straggling hair and well-weathered skin.
“It is a beautiful crystal. How much?” Erin asked.
“That one is fifty euros.”
Erin did not have that much on her. But Birdie did. Magnus, can you tell Birdie I need fifty euros. It’s important.
If it’s for a helmet, she’ll not be pleased.
No. But it is for something that could help us.
Birdie came in a minute later. “What is it you want to buy, Erin?”
“This crystal has quite captivated me.”
“A crystal?” Birdie looked unimpressed. “Surely it’s not worth that much.”
“I think it is quite the most beautiful one I have seen.”
“Oh, very well child,” Birdie gave in begrudgingly. She knew they would be stuck there arguing all afternoon is she did not cough up.
Having paid the owner and left, Birdie gave her the third degree in the car. “Why the crystal?”
“It has an energy attached to it. It called to me.”
Jasper examined it. “It looks like an early Frejan crystal. I’ve only ever seen pictures of one before.”
“It is valuable?”
“A lot more than fifty euros.”
“Is it like a Baldoren crystal?”
“Kind of. But instead of being able to converse with the spirit world, the crystal is just linked to one person.”
“Cool. I’ll try it out later.”
“Is that wise until you really know what it can do?”
“I’m a teen, I never do what is wise,” Erin grinned. She was thrilled, she had a new gadget to play with.
The cabin Birdie had rented was quite basic but suited their needs. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom and a large, dining and kitchen area.
“Whilst you boys unload the car, Erin and I will get some firewood from the shed around back,” Birdie instructed.
It made Erin smile that no-one was brave enough to question her.
“What are you grinning about young lady?” Birdie asked as they trudged through the snow to the back of the cabin.
“Three grown men terrified of a five foot woman, you have to see the funny side,” Erin smirked.
Birdie gave a big smile. “Yes. But they need keeping in line.”
Erin held her arms out as Birdie loaded her up with several logs. All of a sudden, she let out an almighty scream and the logs went flying as she jumped about flapping her hands.
Magnus and Wilhelm were around the back of the cabin in seconds fully armed. “What is it?” Magnus grunted, surprised that Erin had not called her Talmar.
“Spiders,” she squealed, still dancing around like an idiot.
“Spiders?” Magnus lowered his sword.
“Yes, I hate them. They scare me shitless.”
Wilhelm looked at her in amazement. “You are scared of a spider? They are very small.”
“So is Birdie, but she still frightens you,” Erin snorted.
Magnus pointed to her back and sniggered. “I think she missed one.”
Erin screeched and channelled a burst of blue energy through herself, vaporising any hangers-on.
“Stop teasing her, Magnus,” Birdie shot him a warning look. “Otherwise she might just retaliate.”
“Dick,” Erin hissed at Magnus and stalked back around the cabin.
“What about the firewood, Erin?” Birdie called after her.
“You have two fully grown men there, I’m sure they can manage a few logs,” Erin retorted. A shiver ran down her spine; she would face Valkarin over a spider any day.
“What are the sleeping arrangements?” Magnus asked once they were all inside.
“Wilhelm and I in one room, Jasper and Birdie in the other. You’re out in the shed,” Erin smiled sweetly.
“Nice try, young lady,” Birdie looked at her disapprovingly. “Erin and I will take one room, you and Wilhelm will be in the other. Jasper has volunteered for the sofa.”
“I preferred your idea,” Wilhelm murmured to Erin.
“Yeah, Magnus snores like a pig.”
“I do not,” he retorted.
“And you know this how?” Wilhelm scowled.
“We shared a room at Grunfeld after I had been drugged by the Vokteren.” She pinched Magnus’ cheek. “And he snored like a wild boar.”
“You were drugged, how would you know?” Magnus hissed.
“Actually Ingrid spilled the beans. I’ve had to supply the poor woman with ear plugs.”
“Enough bickering you two,” Birdie stepped in otherwise they would be at it all afternoon. “We need to get a fire started.” Birdie loaded some dry logs into the huge stone fireplace. “Who has the lighter?”
“So old school,” Erin rolled her eyes and gapped the logs with a couple of bolts of blue energy. They sparked into life.
“Show off,” Magnus muttered and took his bag into his room.
“So what’s the plan?” Jasper asked.
“We have a late lunch here then set off for Gullfoss as darkness is beginning to fall. Magnus will hopefully be able to lower Erin down far enough that she can access the section she needs.” Birdie had most of it figured out.
“And if she can’t?”
“We’ll have to improvise,” Erin grinned. “I’m not bad at that.”
“It’s your improvisation that’s turning my hair white,” Birdie muttered.
Erin retreated into her room to examine the Frejan crystal further. Something about it fascinated her. It was simple yet so beautiful. She grasped it with both hands, as she did with the Baldoren crystal, and let the energy from it flow through her.
The face of a woman become visible in her mind. She had the most amazing glossy light brown hair, tied back into a plat, her eyes matched her hair and her skin was quite flawless.
“You are the one who wears my bracelet?” she asked.
“Yes. Are you Aria?” Erin held her breath. Could this really be Valkarin’s wife?
“I am. Why do you seek my treasures?”
“Valkarin has arisen again.”
She gave an enigmatic smile. “Evil does not stay dead for long.”
“The dagger is behind Gullfoss. How do I pinpoint its exact location?”
“Wear the bracelet. It will take you straight to it. The same with the medallion.”
“Thank you.”
“You may need more than those items to return Valkarin to his tomb
.”
“I understand your bones are fairly toxic to him?”
“Yes. But you will need to find the location of my tomb. I see in your mind you have already been close by.”
The Realms Unite (Realms Gate) Page 7