I wanted to cry. Everything was so messed up. Everything we had worked for was falling to pieces yet again.
“I’m so sick of all the changes. I’m so worn out from this unstable world.” I hung my head, tired of feeling so weepy. “I’m sorry I sound weak, but I’m not used to this. I thought it was bad enough when my mother was killed.”
Damh Varias said nothing, simply waited for Tam to speak.
“Please send a messenger to Gudarheim, and ask the lady Hecate for an audience. If she cannot come here, we will go to her. But tell her that Lady Fury and I need to talk to her.” Tam turned back to me, pulling me into his arms. “Don’t worry. This will work—we will make everything work out. You are going to live a long time, Fury, given the fact that you are both a Theosian and the Queen of UnderBarrow. You’re going to see so many changes in your life, and you need to get used to it. I know it’s difficult, but this is just the beginning of all the changes you’ll see throughout the centuries.”
“I will send the message, Lord Tam,” Damh Varias said, but before he could take his leave there was a tap on the door. He answered, and Zed entered the room.
“Excuse me, Your Majesties, but Lady Hecate and Lord Thor are waiting in the Blue room. They request an audience.”
“Speak of the devil,” Tam said, a faint smile on his face. “Tell them we’ll be there within a few minutes.”
Zed withdrew, shutting the door behind him. Tam held out his hand, and I placed my hand on top of it. Damh Varias took his place behind us as Tam opened the door. Elan and Wheel escorted us to the Blue room.
HECATE AND THOR were waiting, all right, but they weren’t alone. Hans and Freya were with them, and so was Jason. Also, Tyrell and the Dagda.
I blinked. Was the convocation of the gods moving into our conference room?
Tam cleared his throat then murmured a welcome to the others. “You have news?” he asked, coming directly to the point.
Hecate nodded. “We do. We called a convocation of the gods and all agreed. If Fenrir is, indeed, bringing Ragnarök to pass, then we will join the Norse gods to defend this place. Prophecies don’t necessarily have to come true. We aren’t willing to give over this planet to the Jötnar. The gods are going to war.”
Chapter 11
BEFORE SHE COULD continue, the Dagda stood. He was a massive god, covered with tattoos of spirals and Celtic knotwork. He wore a leather jerkin over brown trousers, and a torque of gold encircled his neck. On his wrists were matching bracers, and an ornate sword hung in a scabbard from his waist. The Dagda had long brown hair that tumbled down his back, and his eyes were amber, flecked with specks of gold.
“For good or ill, the gods who have returned are united in protecting our followers. We got the call a couple hours ago from Gaia, mobilizing us. Our priests will fight with us, but all other mortals are free to find safety where they can.”
I glanced over at Hans. “That means you and Greta—”
“We will be fighting by the side of our gods.” Hans caught my gaze.
I knew what that meant. He and Greta would be on the forefront of the war. It made sense, when I thought about it. This was first and foremost their war. No one had ever expected Ragnarök to really happen, but here it was, heading right down the path toward us.
“Speaking of this matter,” Hecate said. “Fury, you have my permission to go where you need to. I think I know what Tam has decided to do, and I agree that it is most expedient. You will still be bound to me, but I will not put you at the forefront of the battle. You’re one of my Theosians, but you are not one of my priestesses.”
I stared at her, not sure what to say. I was caught between loyalty to my goddess, and loyalty to my husband and my people. I had never expected to be in this position.
“I’d like to talk in private,” I said. “But for now, let us discuss matters surrounding the war.”
“Your Majesty?” Zed entered the room. He was looking at Tam.
“What is it, Zed?” Tam motioned for him to come toward the table.
“I have a runner fresh off the road from Verdanya. He has news.”
“Escort him in.”
We all waited, wondering what the hell to expect now.
When the runner came in, he looked exhausted. He also looked more than a little battered, with scratches all over him, and bruises on his face. His shirt was bloody, but I could see no outright wound. He was swaying as though he were faint, and Zed brought him a chair without being asked. The man sat down, waiting for us to speak.
“What news have you?” Tam asked.
“Your Majesty, I was dispatched by King Kesbet of Verdanya. I only managed to make it here because I came under the cover of the deep woods. He sent me out in the middle of the night, and I just arrived. Verdanya is deep into full-scale war. The soldiers you sent arrived, and were swept up in the battle. The lycanthropes outnumber us, if you can believe it. His Majesty Kesbet has no idea of where they’re coming from, but they are like an unending force. And they are strong, much stronger than we remember. King Kesbet bids you to send more reinforcements. I’m to take the answer as soon as you give it.”
He looked so exhausted I couldn’t imagine how he could possibly hit the road again on such a quick turnaround.
“You look so tired. What is your name?”
“Maren, Your Majesty.”
“Well, Maren, eat something first, and rest, or you will never make it back.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I don’t have time to rest. I’ll be all right. But something to eat, that would help. And perhaps you have some wirerat?”
Wirerat was a stimulant, made from two very potent herbs and fortified with distilled caffeine. It was dangerous in large doses, but commonly used by runners who were on time-sensitive missions.
“We do have some, but I don’t recommend it in your state. However, the choice is yours.” I looked him over carefully. When someone was too tired, taking wirerat was the last thing recommended. It could send them into shock, and that shock could be deadly. I turned to Zed. “Fetch Sarinka, please. Ask her to bring several stimulants, including some wirerat. Perhaps we have something equally as effective but less dangerous.”
Zed bowed, then headed out the door.
“I cannot send any more men. In fact I was going to send a message recalling my troops. There has been a new development, and King Kesbet must be made aware of it.” Tam looked over at Damh Varias. “Will you write up the news in a sealed missive for this man to take back?”
Damn Varias nodded, withdrawing to the back of the room.
“Tell me,” I said, speaking to Maren. “Did you encounter anything or anyone on the roads? Are the lycanthropes gathered at Verdanya, or do you think they’re scattered through the forests?”
Maren shook his head. “The lycanthropes are everywhere. I’m good at my job so I was able to sneak through the forests, but the roads are dangerous. I have no idea where they all came from, Your Majesty. Neither does King Kesbet. The members of the royal family have been sent into hiding.” He paused, glancing over at Elan. He obviously knew that she was part of Kesbet’s family, but he said nothing.
I decided to ask for her. “Are they all safe?”
“For the moment, but I don’t have knowledge of where they were sent, or whether they will be coming back. Verdanya is under siege, and I am not exaggerating. If you recall your troops, Your Majesty,” he said, turning to Tam, “then all will be lost. It is not my place to ask you to reconsider, but Your Lordship, you will be signing the city’s death warrant.”
Tam let out a sigh, and he turned to me. I could tell that the decision was weighing heavy on his mind. After a moment, he asked Maren to step outside.
“We’ll call you back in a moment. There should be a chair out there you can rest on.”
When Maren had exited the room, closing the door behind him, Tam licked his lips and turned to the rest of us.
�
��I would welcome your opinions on what I should do. If I do not recall our men, chances are they will never return. On the other hand, if I do recall them, Verdanya will surely fall.”
“I don’t mean any disrespect, Your Majesty,” the Dagda said. “But whether you recall them or not, Verdanya will fall. The lycanthrope menace has grown, and with Fenrir at their helm, there’s not much a handful of warriors can do. We aren’t prepared for this. Oh, I’m not questioning the skill of your warriors, or their bravery. But we have not prepared for an all-scale attack.”
Tam nodded. “You’re correct. They will make no difference to this particular battle. While I am thinking of it, we should send a messenger to the Frostlings, to see how they are faring.”
“I’ll get on that,” Damh Varias said, returning with the missive for Maren. It was sealed, with the official stamp from UnderBarrow. He placed the rolled scroll in a tube and sealed that too. “I’ve instructed him to return our men so they may prepare for the coming war. Your Majesty, I have also offered sanctuary to the citizens of Verdanya who can make it here within the next few days. If that is not acceptable, I will rewrite the message.”
“No, that’s perfect. We’re not heartless, and we can surely do our best to take in the survivors of this attack.”
Zed returned with Sarinka at that moment. Tam moved to the side to talk to Damh Varias, while I motioned Sarinka over to me. She sank down in a curtsey, then took the chair beside me.
“The man outside the door? His name is Maren. He’s from Verdanya. They’re under heavy siege, and he needs to leave immediately to take a message back to King Kesbet. He’s tired, and he needs some sort of stimulant. He asked for wirerat, but I’m worried that might make him keel over in his condition. Do you have anything gentler on the system that will manage the same effect?”
Sarinka lifted her medicine bag onto the table, and opened it up, glancing through the bottles inside. Finally, she took out two of them. One was a pale blue powder, and the other was pale pink. The pink I recognized as wirerat.
“I can mix wirerat with some xoomite. It will take a little of the edge off of the wirerat, but will still increase his stamina and ability to travel. That’s probably the safest choice if he wants to get there alive. Wirerat is harsh on the system, and if he’s been traveling without stop for a while, it’s only going to take a toll on him.”
“Will he be able to keep his focus? He’s going to have to slip in and out through the forests because the roads are crawling with lycanthropes.” I paused, then added, “They’ve launched a full-scale attack on Verdanya, and Verdanya is not winning.”
Sarinka closed her eyes for a moment, then let out a long sigh. “Then it’s started?”
“I believe so,” I said. “But please, do what you can to quell rumors in the village. If anybody asks, tell them Tam and I are going to hold a community-wide meeting as soon as possible to discuss what is going on.” I stared at the table, at the two bottles, thinking that before long we might all be running on wirerat.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
I was about to remind her that I was just “Fury” in private, then held my tongue. Our people needed a strong king and queen. It was time to wear the crown without exceptions.
“You’ll find him outside the door. Give him what you think he can handle. And maybe a little extra on top of it. It’s vital he makes it back to Verdanya.”
As she left, I joined Tam. “I’m going to talk to Hecate now. Then we need to decide how to break the news to Willow Wood.”
I walked over to Hecate’s side. She was talking in low tones to Thor and the Dagda. She stopped as I approached.
“Can we talk for a moment?” I asked. She nodded and I led her into an inner chamber off the side of the Blue room. The servants used it for staging meals during long conferences, but right now it was empty. I shut the door behind me and turned to her.
“You’re torn,” she said. “You feel you should go with UnderBarrow, and you feel you should stay with me.”
I nodded. “I don’t know how to resolve my feelings. My pledge to you is above everything, and yet my heart bids me go with Tam and UnderBarrow.”
“We have no clue what the next few months are going to bring. The thought of you running out to fight Abominations for me when we’re facing Ragnarök is ridiculous. Go with UnderBarrow, into the mists. I want you to be safe and to lead your people. I know how to reach you, so don’t ever worry that you will lose touch with me. I am one of the Elder Gods, after all.” She smiled then, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair from my face. “Fury, did you truly think that life would always stay the same? That the world would go on without interruption?”
“I suppose I did,” I said. “It’s the only life I’ve ever known. Well, until now. I thought the tsunami and the second World Shift was the end of things as they were, and that we were rebuilding the future.”
“You were. But you didn’t realize that Fenrir was determined to destroy that future. My guess is that he saw the second World Shift happen and decided to take advantage of it. He’s a crafty one, the Fenris Wolf is. He’s deadly and always thirsting for blood. It is his destiny to bring about Ragnarök, so he’s just following the path set for him. On some levels, you can’t fault him for that. He’s playing out the tapestry woven for him by the Norns. It’s not his fault that they decided he would herald the end of an age. Unfortunately, they decided to stage that end now.”
“Do you really think you can stop him? That the gods can join together and stop the Jötnar from coming in?”
“I believe we have a chance. But think of it this way. If you are here, in the thick of things, I cannot focus on what I’m supposed to do. We are keeping all our priests and priestesses because they were born to fight for us, but they are bound to the gods in a way that you are not. It’s a very different thing, being a Theosian.”
“What if I wanted to stay?” I asked. “Hypothetically?”
“I wouldn’t let you. UnderBarrow needs you. Tam needs you.”
“It’s going to feel so odd being separated from Hans and Greta. I’m worried about them, about their safety.”
“They are Norse and they must fight in this war. Greta is a Valkyrie and she is an Immortal. She will be needed to gather the souls of those who die. You must sometimes let go of what you love, Fury. You must let people grow into who they are meant to be. If the Norns are kind, they will come through and be reunited with you.”
“So…we go to the Shining Lands, then.”
“Yes, and you’ll take Jason and Len and Shevron with you. Athena has plans for Kendall. And Tyrell, well, the Dagda will decide what he’s to do. But you and Tam belong together, and UnderBarrow is in your care. As I said, I will always be able to reach you. If you need me, send Queet. But not unless it’s an emergency. As I said, I have to bring all my focus to bear. Zeus and Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, and of course Aries will be fighting by my side. We have been through bigger battles, Fury. Trust us, please.”
I nodded, so many thoughts running through my mind. But my tongue seemed tied, and all I could do was stand there. As she started to walk back toward the door, I suddenly threw myself toward her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, realizing that I was probably so far out of line that she could punish me for it. But I couldn’t let it end on just silence.
“Hecate, you have meant the world to me. Please, don’t forget me. I will do as you ask. I will go with Tam and UnderBarrow. But don’t forget that I belong to you.” Tears streamed down my face.
She leaned down, gently kissing my forehead. “I will never forget. There will be a day when I call to you. And it may be soon, and it may be to join the battle. But for now, focus on your people and on UnderBarrow. You and Tam have a village to save as well as your Barrow, and you don’t have much time. Leave the lycanthropes and the giants to us. For now, you lead those who cannot fight.”
And with that, she gently loosened my arms
and pushed me back. “Stand straight. Wear your crown like the queen you are. Stand tall and fierce, Fury, my chosen Theosian. You have your marching orders. Obey them.”
I wiped my tears, dashing them away as I straightened. Hecate reached out and adjusted the crown on my head, and then, bidding me to smile, she opened the door and we reentered the chamber.
LATE THAT NIGHT, with the Sea-Council gathered around us, along with Thor, the Dagda, and Hecate, we hammered out our plans. We worked late into the night, fueled by a constant stream of tea and food, until early morning.
“Are you sure?” I asked Tam one last time.
He nodded. “This is the only way we can save UnderBarrow and Willow Wood at this point. The lycanthropes are too strong, and if they overwhelm Verdanya, which seems likely, we’ll be taking in survivors who need care and attention. We can’t do that and protect the village with only two-thirds of our guard. We can only protect our people if we take UnderBarrow away from the area.”
I yawned, wanting a nap so bad that all I could think about was my bed. But we had things to do first. “When are the heralds going out to gather the people of Willow Wood?”
Tam handed me another cup of tea. I grimaced but took it. I needed the caffeine and the bitter taste set me on edge enough to keep me awake.
“They’ve been given instructions to gather them at noon in the central square.” He glanced at the clock that I kept in the Barrow to keep me on track. “Why don’t you take a nap? It’s barely eight, so you could get in a good three hours of sleep before we have to be ready to go talk to everybody.”
“What about you? Don’t you need to rest?”
He shook his head. “I’ve gone far longer on far less sleep before. But you’re still getting used to this way of life, and you aren’t Fae, so you don’t have our stamina, even though you are a Theosian. Go to bed, my love. Rest and sleep for a few hours.”
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