Curse of the Valkyries

by Rachel Tsoumbakos

  “Then let me,” Helgi whispered.

  Helgi led his new wife away from the merriment of their wedding feast. Taking her through the village, the noise of the rowdy crowd quickly dissipated once they passed by a few houses.

  Their home was high up on the hill and overlooked the entire town. It was easy to see from anywhere in town but was private and not very close to any of the other buildings. Sigrun had wanted it that way. She liked being reclusive, having the choice of when she mingled with people.

  Helgi guided her through the quiet streets of the town. When he turned to look at her, she was gazing at the sky filled with twinkling stars.

  “It’s so beautiful outside tonight,” she said, her voice drifting off as she spoke.

  As they reached their home, Helgi scooped Sigrun up, delighting in the fact she squealed as he did so. She wrapped her arms around him and Helgi never wanted this moment to end. He kissed her fiercely, keeping his eyes open so that he could witness her enjoyment of their passion. The moon shone down on them and he could see her eyes twinkling in the glow of it.

  “I love you, Helgi,” she said as they parted from their kiss. “Never leave me.”

  Helgi wanted to smirk at her words but he could see the hollow fear in her eyes. He knew she was being serious. After all, she would eventually outlive her.

  “I shall do everything within my power to remain here on Midgard with you,” Helgi promised. He set her down gently and looked towards the sky. “I beg of you, Odin, allow me to be forever with this woman!”

  His voice echoed across the night’s sky, reverberating across the valley and he was sure the gods heard his plea. The wind whipped up and Sigrun’s hair slashed the air. She pulled her cloak tightly around herself and Helgi reached out to pull her closer so that his own body heat would help to warm her further.

  His hands slid from her waist to her shoulders and back down again as Sigrun snuggled into him. Kissing the top of her head, he picked her up once more and crossed over the threshold to their home.

  Pushing against the massive oak doors that protected their house, the pair entered an entrance hall. He carried her through into the main room where the fire was roaring, warming the room and inviting them in. Helgi eased Sigrun down onto the bed platform that ran the entire length of one wall. Furs were piled up in the middle and it made a soft place for her to sit.

  He kneeled in front of her and Sigrun gazed down at him lovingly. His fingers caressed her ankle and then slowly teased their way up her calf.

  Sigrun never broke eye contact.

  Reaching her knee, Helgi finally let his eyes be drawn away as he leaned in and parted her legs. His lips grazed the soft skin of her inner thigh and Sigrun let out a small groan.

  As he kissed her, his fingers wandered higher, pushing her skirts along with them. Sigrun leaned back, her elbows supporting her weight.

  Finding the centre of her being, Helgi rubbed one thumb along the nub. Sigrun’s back arched, pushing hard against his hand. He could feel wetness already and bent down to taste it.

  His tongue dove into her folds and hungrily lapped at her. Sigrun panted with desire and Helgi was desperate to have all of her.

  Pulling away from Sigrun, he stood and pulled his tunic over his head. Next, he undid his pants and allowed them to drop to the ground.

  Sigrun gazed at his body and Helgi felt himself stir, his manhood straining and standing further to attention than he ever thought was possible. Sigrun’s skirts were pooled around her, blending in with the furs on the sleeping platform. Crouching down, he stealthily honed in on his prey.

  Diving over her body, Helgi nuzzled down into her neck, sucking behind her earlobe and listening while she purred with pleasure. Her arms encased him, protecting him and Helgi never wanted the night to end. He wished they could stay here forever, making love and exploring each other’s bodies until the gods came for both of them. Sigrun dug her nails into his back and Helgi felt a groan erupting, deep and guttural.

  Their lips met once more and Helgi’s tongue pressed against Sigrun’s. They battled for a moment until Helgi rose up and allowed himself entrance to Sigrun’s body. Her legs parted, welcoming him home and their kiss never ended.

  As Helgi plummeted into her depths, the groan ripped from his throat. It bubbled out between their kiss and Sigrun nipped at his lips. He pulled back and dove straight back in, their pace matching and intensifying until Helgi could feel the building tension between them.

  Then, they were there, at the precipice, and diving right over the edge together, only to be washed away on a sea of bliss.

  “It’s a boy!”

  Helgi cried hot tears of joy and he didn’t even care who saw him.

  It had been a year since they were married and Helgi hadn’t believed he could be any happier than by being the husband of Sigrun. Each day was filled with joy. They rarely fought and only parted when Sigrun had battles to attend to. Freya had given Sigrun leave so that she didn’t have to attend the feasts that accompanied the battles afterwards, in Valhalla. Instead, she was allowed to leave as soon as the fight was over, when all of the bodies had been collected and led away to the great halls of Valhalla.

  But then, Sigrun announced she was with child and Helgi had been happier still. He felt like he could burst with pride over the news and told everyone who would stand still long enough that he was to be a father. For months he had dotted on Sigrun, tending to her far more than was necessary but relishing the task regardless.

  However, this moment, the one where he got to hold his son in his arms for the first time ever, this was the happiest he had ever been. The happiest he believed he ever could be.

  He sat down next to his wife, his grin extending when he saw her weary smile, weak like tea. Cradling their child in the crook of his arm, he smoothed Sigrun’s hair away from her face. Helgi kissed her sweaty forehead and taste the salt of her labours there

  Two years later, another son graced their family and, once more, Helgi couldn’t believe his luck. Still, he beamed down on his wife, his small family.

  Internally, he sent his gratitude upwards, to Asgard, to where the gods resided. In the quiet times when he did this, he felt like the world belonged to him and that the gods would smile on them forever.

  Chapter 12: DAG

  The woods closed in on him as the sky darkened overhead. Dag didn’t like the way the shadows grew and followed him like they were tainting him. He had always been fearful of the forest, of what it hid from plain sight. It was an irrational fear, he knew. Most people he knew were scared of the darkness of the forest, or night-time, when they were young but grew out of it. For Dag, though, it was something he could never quite expel, even as he became an adult.

  He turned quickly, checking behind him for interlopers. However, as with every other time he checked, the path was clear. Of course, with darkness encroaching, it was hard to tell for certain anymore and the cold damp of sweat prickled at his lip.

  But he had a deed which had to be done. And, it had to be completed now when the phase of the moon was just right and when the time of year called for it.

  Because he would only have one chance to win Odin over.

  His teeth began to chatter even though he was keeping a brisk pace and it was only due in part to his anxiety. It was always going to become cold at some point as the chill of fear was replaced by bite of the wintry darkness.

  Dag gazed towards the sky and caught his first glimpse of the stars. A pale freckling of light drifting across the sky as if Freya herself had picked them up in her hand and scattered them there.

  He was almost at the top and was glad of that because he didn’t want to still be making the trek in the dark. It was too easy to get lost up here, to find yourself falling off a steep cliff and plummeting to your death.

  And that wouldn’t do for Dag since he had a deal to strike in order avenge the murder of his family.

  Oh yes, Helgi would pay.

  Dag nodded at the t
hought and it gave him a sudden flourish on energy. He darted forward, dragging the goat he had been leading behind him. The animal bleated angrily but Dag didn’t care. He was ready to get to the top of the mountain, ready to make his sacrifice to Odin.

  The goat’s blood spurted warm against Dag’s face. He closed his eyes in an effort to stop the stinging attack. Still, blood seeped in between his tightly closed lids and he could feel the burn already.

  “What sort of man are you?” Dag heard someone say in a deep voice. Then a chuckle. he opened his eyes and saw Odin in front of him.

  He had never met the god before but there was no mistaking him. His grizzled appearance, with white hair sprouting out from underneath his hat betrayed him. So, too, did the scar tissue over one eye. They had all grown up on the story of how Odin had given one good eye in exchange for all of his knowledge.

  Dag quickly lowered his gaze, humble in the presence of a god, the god. The All-Father. Once more, Odin laughed and the two ravens perched on his shoulders jostled around, cawing and complaining over the sudden movement.

  “Why are you here?” Odin asked before lowering himself down onto a boulder. While the god appeared as old as the world itself, he moved gracefully, never huffing or groaning, betraying the fact that he wasn’t actually human.

  Dag returned his gaze, fearful as well as in awe of the fact the god had actually responded to his sacrifice, that he had heard his plea.

  “I am here to seek help in avenging the death of my family.”

  “Ah, I see,” Odin replied. “And, why should I assist you?”

  “One of your own were involved with the slaughter,” Dag replied. He licked his parched lips, suddenly nervous. What if Sigrun was a favourite of Odin?

  “And who might that be?”

  It seemed like Odin was dragging this out, delaying the inevitable and that made Dag tremble where he stood.

  “Sigrun,” he replied quietly. “One of your Valkyries.”

  “I know who she is,” Odin said loudly before standing once more. He strode across the clearing and leaned over the goat sacrifice. Dipping his fingers into the sacrificial blood, he drew a line down his own face. Then, turning, he walked over to Dag and drew a matching line on him also. The blood was still warm.

  “She allowed Helgi to kill my family.”

  “Yet, she is your family too,” Odin replied. “Did you not side with her after the battle was through?”

  Dag quivered as a gentle breeze picked up and blew across him. The wet blood cooled, became tacky on his face. Where it had once been warm, it was now frigid.

  “I did side with her,” Dag replied. He fought the urge to turn and flee, to run back down the mountain and hide from the All-Father. But there was no use in running from a god. Odin would find him, would likely catch him before he even had a chance to hide. So, Dag had no choice but to be brave and speak his mind and to tell the truth.

  “I knew it was the only way to survive, pledging my allegiance to Sigrun. To deny her would have sealed my own fate. And then, who would revenge my father’s death?”

  “Of course,” Odin replied. He stroked his beard and gazed out over the landscape. “Revenge is very important. However, you put me in some sort of predicament. Sigrun is one of the Valkyries. She is important, more so than she was ever treated by your father. However, she has also lived a life before this, which means that she is now living on borrowed time.”

  Dag wasn’t sure what Odin meant. But he breathed a sigh he hadn’t know he was holding until Odin appeared to shift in his opinion of Sigrun.

  “Then, perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement?”

  Odin’s ravens squawked. One jumped into the air and flapped its wings before settling back down. The All-Father reached up and patted the bird. Making a clicking sound, the creature settled. The other snapped at Odin’s fingers and the god laughed.

  “I think we can come to an agreement. Not because I want to see Sigrun dead, but because I understand just how important revenge is. Plus, a conflict like this leads to more conflict. And, we need every warrior we can get, however the means, when to comes to the end times. As far as I can see, gentle times do not allow for warriors. And, without battle-ready men, we stand little chance when Ragnarok arrives.”

  Dag sagged. The relief he felt was palpable. Although, there was a little trepidation as well. Even with what had happened under the instruction of Sigrun, he still loved his sister dearly. He knew that by killing Helgi, it would be a devastating blow to Sigrun. Yet, it had to be done. He had tried for so long now to ignore his father’s slaughter and the ghosts of his family had kept him awake at night, haunting him. No, his conscious needed to be cleared. Debts had to be paid and Sigrun would just have to bear the brunt of it.

  “I will need your help, though,” Dag finally said.

  “Of course,” Odin replied. “You wouldn’t be here otherwise. Men do not summon us just to talk about the weather, or to bid us a good day.”

  Dag felt heat rush to his face and looked away to hide his embarrassment.

  “Here, have my spear.” Odin pulled the weapon out from behind him. “It is special, magical. It will not miss its intended mark.”

  Chapter 13: FREYA

  The surge of excitement was palpable as the group descended the battleground. Freya lived for this moment. With Odin on one side, and the Valkyries on the other, they were a formidable presence. Not that most of the warriors below would know that. But it gave Freya a sense of purpose like no other. Even being in control of fertility and being able to help bring forth life, was nothing compared to knowing she was doing her best to secure their future at Ragnarok.

  She sidled a glance at Sigrun and smiled at the woman when she was met with her beaming face. Sigrun had been prolific when it came to sons. Now, she knew that they stood a chance at defeating the fates, at what was preordained.

  Glancing to her other side, she saw Odin. The other side of the spectrum. While Freya and Loki believed in changing their future, as time went by, Odin seemed more and more convinced that they should allow for the nature order of things.

  Oh, how she had argued with him. As she tried to change his mind, the god had grown more firm in his decision. So, Freya was mostly silent on the matter now unless it came up naturally in conversation. She may not be inclined to provoke her lover to a confrontation on the matter, but she would certainly let him know she still remained firm on the stance whenever the topic occurred.

  The roar of war greeted them as they touched down on Midgard and Freya had little time to ponder the goings on of Sigrun. She watched as the Valkyries rushed in, eager to make their selections. Freya and Odin stood back, as they always did. This was as far as they would dabble in the world of humans. Well, in this battle, anyway, Freya thought ruefully.

  “What are you thinking about?” Odin asked.

  “I wonder at how Sigrun and Helgi’s life will unfold,” Freya answered. As she turned, Odin’s expression changed. Morphing from what appeared to be a look of surprise into that of the ever-present bland expression he liked to wear rather than let people read his true emotions.

  “There is no point in worrying over that,” he replied, his gaze now sliding out across the field in front of them. Freya followed the direction he looked and could see Sigrun in the midst of the fray. Her blonde hair whipped around as she turned towards a man who had caught her attention. “Their lives will unfold as they should.”

  Sigrun had claimed a man and was now travelling back across the field, coming closer to where the gods stood. “As we have willed it,” Freya corrected.

  “No, as the fates expect it. We have no say in their higher plan.”

  Freya turned to Odin, touching his arm. She hoped he would turn to her and was relieved when he did. “Have you done something?”

  His gaze returned to the battlefield and Freya’s blood felt like ice in her veins.

  “Sigrun and Helgi have produced offspring,” he replied. His voice low
ered as he spoke and Freya saw Sigrun pause as she ran past.

  The Valkyrie turned, as though scoping the scene in front of her but Freya wondered if she had heard Odin speak her name and was listening to their conversation. Perhaps it was time Sigrun knew the truth.

  “It is time for the fates to step in once more and reclaim their part in their lives,” Odin continued.

  “How can you say that? How can you speak without empathy on the matter?” Freya kept her sights firmly on Sigrun. The Valkyrie had moved off once more, ready to claim another mighty warrior for Valhalla. “Her sons are so important now, they have changed everything the fates had ever planned for this world.”

  “We should never have dabbled—you should never have dabbled—in their lives,” Odin replied. His voice was louder now but his words slipped out through tight lips.

  “How could I not?” Freya replied. Sigrun had paused again on the battlefield. “The runes spoke to me, they confirmed everything Loki had said about their destiny.”

  “Even if the runes spoke it, you should never have listened to that trickster. You should never have presumed to know more than those who truly do have the greater good in mind.”

  “The greater good?” Freya shrieked the words out, no longer caring if Sigrun heard or not. “I bring about life! How is that any less than the greater good?”

  “And you always temper your role in this world with your own judgement, with the correct judgement for your assigned duty. I think, by meddling in the lives of others such as this, you and Loki are not suited to make decisions on these matters.”

  Freya frowned. She wanted to rant, to scream at Odin, to curse him as Hedinn had done to Helgi all those years ago. Freya drew back her breath, ready to slay Odin with her words but a horn sounded and the battle on Midgard was over. The Valkyries prepared to ascend and Freya was drawn back into the world of battle.