Realms Gate: A Realm Divided

by Juliet Anderson

  Wilhelm was in the Archives vault with Ajax, tracking down everything they could about Grunfeld. They were not having much luck.

  “I have my suspicions that Grunfeld has been set as a trap,” Ajax sighed after several hours of futile searching.

  “How so?” Wilhelm queried. He was desperate to prove useful so Erin might find it in her heart to forgive him.

  “Frejboren is listed as a Vokteren stronghold, so anyone in their right minds would try and avoid it. The logical choice then would be Grunfeld. It just seems too convenient.”

  “You might be right. Perhaps the gateway has been permanently sealed on the other side. Either way, we need to find more for Erin. What of the Vokteren?”

  “His followers continue to wait for Valkarin’s heir to reveal themselves. It is his heir alone who can resurrect him.”

  “Heinrekh?”

  “I’m not sure. I know he searches continually for Valkarin’s tomb, but the Vokteren keep moving it.”

  “Erin has Valkarin blood?”

  “Yes, but she also has Scottish blood in her veins so it is highly unlikely to be her.”

  “The Vokteren must have a leader, one who recruits new members, trains them, inducts them in the history of the cult.”

  “Yes, the Lord of the Vokteren. Unsurprisingly it is rumoured to be a descendant of Isafor Voktere, but I think that highly unlikely. The line was supposed to have been extinguished a long time ago.”

  “Erin also needs to find someone to train her to use her skills to their full. Perhaps this leader of the Vokteren might be of use.”

  “Why would he want to train someone who could vanquish their master if he ever rose?” Ajax queried.

  “Who knows what Heinrekh’s true goal is. Erin is pure, she just wants to be able to contain him. They could share a united front against Heinrekh.”

  Ajax looked at Wilhelm with renewed interest. “You are starting to worry me with your intellect. I have to put it down to my outstanding teaching.”

  Wilhelm laughed. “It is amazing how the mind can focus when you can see the benefit of the end result.”

  “I will keep searching for more about the leader of the Vokteren in case he may be of use to us.”

  “Good, but I ask that no word of this gets to the King. He is against plans to use the Third Realm gateways, even though we act in the best interests of Lokranor.”

  “You have my word no-one but us will have knowledge of what we find.”

  Wilhelm left Ajax to it and returned to train with his men. He was pleased they were making a little progress, but he wanted to find out something monumental for Erin. He just felt so useless at the moment, not knowing if she would ever see him again, whether they would be together. If only he knew what had truly happened that night.

  Sasha sat nibbling on her food, she was not very hungry. In fact she felt positively deflated. The wild night of passion with Heinrekh had been anything but. It had been nice. Just nice. Nothing more than that. Talk about a let-down. Not that she was supremely experienced from having just one lover prior, but she really had expected something a little more passionate. A few fireworks perhaps.

  “You look pensive,” Heinrekh stared across the table at her.

  “I think I should get home to Muirhead. I do not want my absence to go noticed,” she looked down at her barely touched food.

  “I thought you were spending the night?”

  “I would prefer to go home.”

  Heinrekh came and set next to her, studying her face intently. “Why? Did I not please you in bed?”

  Sasha stood up and headed over the fire. The heat from it would mask the reddening in her cheeks. How the hell do you tell an evil sorcerer they were, quite frankly, not that great in bed? They never lied to each other, so she was not about to start now. She just needed to find the rights words.

  “Your kiss is intoxicating, your touch sets me on fire. I expected a passion unlike any other when we finally came together as one. Yet it was….,” she searched for an appropriate word. “It was just pleasant.”

  “Pleasant?” he stood up, fire starting to build in his eyes. “You found my lovemaking nothing more than pleasant.”

  “Yes,” she lowered her gaze, embarrassed to look at him. “Perhaps it means we are not suited for each other after all.”

  “Pleasant,” he reiterated again with anger.

  “I think maybe I should leave.”

  “I think not. You have challenged my ability to please a woman. I do believe I should have the right to rectify the situation.”

  “We are from two different realms, Heinrekh. Maybe it is done differently where I come from.”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her until her head was spinning again. She felt herself being lifted off the ground. “Pleasant indeed,” he hissed.

  A few hours later, Sasha lay stroking his beautiful bare chest, she was purring like a kitten.

  “You appear to be smiling, my dear,” Heinrekh looked positively smug. “Has that slur been retracted?”

  “I would say so. Why did you not do that from that start?”

  “It has been a very long time since I was in a relationship. I lie with women to satisfy my need.” He kissed her seductively. “I believe I forgot there were two of us seeking fulfilment. Now shall we go eat?”

  Sasha was not sure she could actually move, he had turned her bones to jelly. As a general rule, she surmised, it was not good to tell an evil sorcerer that their performance was below par!

  CHAPTER 9

  Erin was packed and ready to go. She and Magnus were doing some scouting in Norway. They wanted a good look at both Frejboren and Grunfeld. She noticed Birdie had a bag with her as well.

  “You’re joining us?”

  “How did you think you were getting to Norway?”

  “Ferry, I guess.”

  Birdie laughed. “The ferry not only takes almost a day, it’s rough as hell. Also, when you got there, you might have had a problem renting a car. Magnus has no ID, remember.”

  “OK, I hadn’t thought of that. So how are we going?”

  “Sea plane.”

  “You’ve hired a pilot?”

  “No. I’ve hired a plane. I’m qualified to fly.”

  “You never told me,” Erin was surprised.

  “You never asked,” Birdie responded.

  “Where are we picking up the plane?”

  “The harbour at Thurso.”

  “Don’t you have to register a flight plan?”

  “Not if we fly below a certain height. We just have to notify the local tower we’re in the area. Now if there are no more questions, I suggest we get on our way. We want to be tucked up in a hotel before night fall.”

  Erin piled into the back of the RangeRover, even more excited about the trip. They really were venturing into the unknown. She chattered incessantly on the way to Thurso.

  “Have you given her sugar or caffeine, Magnus?” Birdie glanced in her rear view mirror.

  “Not me,” he grunted. “We could always try a sedative.”

  Erin snorted. “Just try.”

  Within a short space of time of arriving in Thurso, they were airborne. It was Erin’s first seaplane ride and judging from the colour of him, Magnus’ first flight.

  “I think our intrepid Viking might need a sick bag, Birdie.”

  Birdie pointed to the side compartment.

  “I’m fine,” Magnus scowled.

  Erin stared out the window for the rest of the flight, gazing at the water below them. Birdie pointed out the side of her window as they flew some distance past the Orkneys and Shetlands. “We have to keep our distance because of Lerwick airport.”

  From then on it was just dark grey sea for a while. Her gaze fixed on the horizon when it came into view. This was her first trip to Norway and the usual sights were certainly not on the list. Many tourists also did not arrive by sea plane. Birdie really was a skilled pilot and landed the small craft with ease.

&nb
sp; “I thought we were headed to Bergen. Where are we?” Erin was curious.

  “Bergen is too busy, especially with its own airport. We’re coming into Forde, it has a small harbour and is the perfect location for Grunfeld and Frejboren.”

  After a brief chat to the harbour officials, they headed up to the tiny car rental kiosk where a four wheel drive vehicle was waiting for them. Soon after that, they were headed out to Grunfeld.

  “I’ve booked us two rooms at the pub,” Birdie explained. “We are here on the pretence of studying the local wildlife. I am, after all, a vet so it is fitting.”

  “I have to say I’m impressed with all your planning.”

  “That is because you are a teen and would just have turned up and hoped for the best.”

  “Probably.” Erin glanced at Magnus lying down on the back seat. “Who’d have thought that Vikings get travel sick?”

  “If I ever stop feeling nauseous, I will kick your butt for that,” Magnus groaned.

  The small town for Forde was long behind them as they travelled the narrow road along the coast, arriving in Grunfeld mid-afternoon. The pub was in the middle of the small village. The houses were made from wood and all looked well weathered. The pub itself was in reasonable condition.

  “Remember, we’re here for wildlife. Well, I am. Erin, you’re the photographer and Magus, if he ever gains the use of his legs, is our local navigator,” Birdie reminded them before they got out the car.

  Erin overheard Birdie speak to the owner of the pub in very stilted Norwegian. She was impressed, her aunt had many talents. A few minutes later, they were shown to their rooms, which were simply furnished but most importantly warm.

  Birdie dropped the bags. “No time for rest, we need to get out and about.”

  “What about Magnus?”

  “I think we should leave him. I’ve already explained he is sick.”

  They grabbed the camera bags and headed out along the coastal path. The route was grassy, muddy and damn cold. Birdie seemed enthralled by the local wildlife.

  “Remember, this is just a cover?” Erin prodded her.

  “Yes, but in case someone is watching, we need to look authentic.”

  A thought just occurred to Erin. “Out of interest, what name did you check in under?”

  “Bridget Lomard. If I gave a false name and someone ran the plates on the car with the hire company, it would look highly suspicious if it is a completely different name. The fact that the owner of the pub just missed the Mc could just be seen as a typo.”

  “So why not just say McLomard.”

  “Just in case that name is well known here. We can’t be too careful. Now, take some pictures for me.” She pointed to some birds. “Those will do.”

  Erin noticed they were headed around in a circle towards the ruins of the Grunfeld Hall, all the while photographing wildlife. Birdie was exceptionally skilled at this, Erin thought. When they were standing close to the supposed gateway, Birdie pulled out a set of high powered binoculars, pointing in the direction of something.

  “I think over there, Erin,” she shouted glancing through the glasses. She was looking to see if they were being watched. No-one was visible, then at the last minute she picked up something.

  “Camera, quick,” she barked the order.

  Erin passed her the one with the telescopic lens. She captured the image she needed. “Stand just in front of the gateway in a moment. I’ll take a photo of you,” she murmured softly.

  Birdie clicked away quite happily for a few minutes whilst Erin appeared to be fiddling with another camera. As she looked up, Birdie took her picture. “The scenery is beautiful, let me get one more.”

  “Right, shall we head back, we might see more on the way,” Birdie’s voice carried across the headland.

  “You saw something, didn’t you?” Erin said softly as they trudged over the ancient ruins.

  “Yes, I think so. A couple of dark shadows. I’m also hoping I might be able to see something on photo I took of the gateway.”

  “Like what?”

  “There should be a very faint distortion to the picture between the arch if a gateway is present.”

  “This place is very reminiscent of the North of Scotland, but from about a century ago.”

  “Yes,” Birdie smiled, “they do not seem to have advanced that much. Perhaps there is a reason for that.”

  “Being?”

  “To protect the ancient gateway, of course. That last thing the Vokteren need are loads of tourists traipsing through here.”

  “True,” Erin gazed around. “It is rather creepy though.”

  “Just wait till we get to Frejboren tomorrow. Now that looks like it is stuck two centuries back.”

  Erin was pleased to be back at the pub, it was damp and cold outside. Her skin felt raw. They ordered two coffees and took them upstairs to their room. They were glad Magnus was back in the land of the living.

  “Fruitful trip?” he yawned.

  “I think so,” Birdie mulled over what she had seen. “I’ll know more when we get home, but I’m pretty sure the site is guarded. Which brings us on to the next issue. If it is, we may well have visitors tonight.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes. They’ll be keen to see what we’ve discovered.” Birdie removed the memory chip from the telescopic camera and replaced it with a blank one. “We can’t be too careful.”

  “You think they’re going to come in tonight?”

  “We’ll push them down that route to know for sure. I propose just Erin and I have dinner in the pub tonight. Magnus can still be too sick. The cameras will be left with Magnus, so the Vokteren will have no choice but to try and drug Erin and I so they can sneak in later tonight.”

  “Won’t that be putting you both at risk?” Magnus sounded anything but happy.

  “Perhaps. It would be better if Erin slept in with you,” Birdie thought out aloud.

  “Gross, no thanks.”

  “Just sleep, Erin. In case you are drugged. We will leave the main camera in with Magnus to see if they will be brazen enough to sneak in knowing he could be fully awake. If the chip is missing in my camera in the morning, then we know for sure Grunfeld is heavily guarded.”

  “Not wishing to sound too ungrateful,” Magnus grunted. “But what the hell do I eat?”

  Birdie opened her bag and threw him some sandwiches. “I make the perfect girl guide. Always prepared.”

  Erin and Birdie had a very strange dinner in the pub. They sat in a corner, trying to hide from view of the locals, as being stared at continually was quite off-putting.

  “Anyone would think they’ve never seen a visitor before,” Erin muttered.

  “I don’t think they get that many. How is your stew?”

  “Revolting. Wish I’d got the sandwich option,” Erin pushed the gristly meat around the plate.

  “We might have better food tomorrow. Frejboren has a very small hotel.”

  “Next time we run a covert op, I will come better prepared.”

  Birdie laughed. “There is no pleasing the young.”

  “You’re learning fast. Now can we head back upstairs, I’m starting to feel like an exhibit in a zoo?” Erin also secretly hoped Magnus had not eaten all the sandwiches. She would quite happily kill for one.

  Erin was chatting away to Magnus when a wave of tiredness hit her. It had been a long day.

  “I need to sleep. Pillows will be put down the middle of the bed, cross that line and I will remove what you hold dear,” she glared at him.

  “I always thought it was my body you drooled after,” Magnus sighed dramatically.

  Erin leant over to swat him, but never made it. She fell fast asleep.

  Clever Birdie, Magnus thought. She was right. He made sure the camera was in full view so any midnight thief did not have to look too far for it. About an hour later, he heard the door open with just a small creak. Soft footsteps moved around the room. A dagger was in his hands just in case.
Deciding they had had enough time to find what they were looking for, he let out a loud cough, rolled over and hugged Erin, muttering a little incoherently. The infiltrators took this as a sign Magnus was not heavily asleep and left.