"It's Fenrir," she shouted. "Loki's son."
Fenrir was pacing towards them slowly, stalking his prey and taking his time. He could smell their terror and it made him feel stronger. He would eat well tonight.
"Everyone get behind me," shouted Alex, shoving Becca and Ellewen behind him. He raised his hands in front and sought the source of his power deep inside himself. He felt the energy surge up his body and into his arms and he released a blast directly at Fenrir. The wolf twisted at the last moment and the electricity struck a tree behind him with a loud bang. Sparks rained down and the tree burst into flames. Fenrir growled in the back of his throat making them all tremble. His mouth was open and they could see fresh blood dripping from his fangs.
"Where's Dvalin and his dwarf rope when you need him?" asked Alex as he backed up slowly.
"Should we climb a tree?" whispered Matt.
"Matt, look at it, he could reach you at the top of the tallest tree with a lick of his tongue," snapped Ellewen.
"Do you have any spells Ellewen?" asked Alex.
Fenrir was getting closer and he could smell the stench of his breath. He smelled of sweat soaked nightmares and blood.
Ellewen was muttering under her breath with her eyes screwed tight with concentration. She was becoming paler and paler and looked liked she was about to pass out. She swayed and Matt caught her as she fell.
"Ellewen," he cried, shaking her gently.
"It's too much," she whispered, her eyes fluttering. "He's too big and powerful. The spell won't last long. Leave me, save yourselves." She passed out in Matt's arms.
Alex turned back towards Fenrir; she had turned him into a puppy and he was jumping about yapping. Alex reached down, picked up a stick and threw it as far as he could into the bushes.
"Fetch puppy," he shouted.
Fenrir barked in excitement and the little cute ball of fluff ran off and chased after the stick.
"Quick, run," shouted Alex, as he watched Fenrir bound up and down through the bushes.
Matt clasped Ellewen to his chest. He wasn't going to leave her behind and she was so petite she weighed nothing at all. They ran along the path, branches snagging in their hair and whipping their arms, drawing more blood. Alex had taken the lead and he headed for a purple glow in the distance. It looked like the trees thinned out and the sky was showing through. As he got closer he slowed down, his chest was burning and itching again. Danger was close.
He stopped just in time and used an overhanging branch to stop his momentum. Before him opened a massive ravine which cut the forest in two. Matt barged into him and Alex stumbled forward, his feet slipping on the loose earth on the edge.
"Hey, watch it," shouted Alex, fighting to keep his balance.
"We're trapped," cried Matt, looking about frantically.
The ravine was very deep and at the bottom a fast flowing river raged around jagged boulders. There was no way they could climb down.
"Up there," said Becca excitedly. "Look there's a bridge."
Alex looked downstream and could see a rickety, old rope bridge, stretching across the ravine.
"Follow me," he said, pushing his way through the bushes on the edge.
His chest was painful now and he heard a howl not far behind them.
"Hurry," he shouted. "He's coming again."
They all looked behind them and could see the trees shaking in the distance. Alex tore at the bushes and branches with his hands, desperate to reach the bridge. They managed to fight their way through the undergrowth and stared at the bridge in dismay. It was more rope than actual bridge. The wooden slats had long since rotted away and the ones which were left were so spaced out there was no way they would be able to reach them. Ellewen stirred in Matt's arms and groaned.
"Where am I?" she mumbled.
"You're ok, you just fainted," said Matt, setting her down gently and supporting her arm.
A loud howl pierced the air. Fenrir was almost upon them.
"We can't cross that," said Sasha, looking at the rotten bridge.
Alex reached for one of the ropes, which looked like a handhold and tugged on it. It came away and fell into the ravine with a splash.
"Here, this one," said Matt, pulling on the rope on the other side. He was heaving on it and it seemed secure enough.
"We'll have to crawl across it," said Alex. "Get on top of it, curl your leg around and use your leg to push yourself across. I saw it on a Bear Grylls programme."
"Yes, but they had safety harnesses," said Becca, peering over the edge dubiously.
Fenrir howled again and they could smell the stench of his breath through the trees.
"Yeah well, we have motivation," said Alex, cocking his leg over the rope. "I'll go first in case it doesn't hold."
Before the others could protest he had pulled himself off and was dragging himself on top of the rope over the ravine. They all held their breath, terrified that the rope wouldn't hold. After what felt like a lifetime he managed to reach the other side and he rolled off the rope and fell to the floor.
"It's fine," he shouted across. "Becca you go next. I'll hold the rope steady."
Becca looked over the edge again and shuddered. As soon as she heard the panting behind her though, she literally leapt up onto the rope and started to pull herself across. The rope swayed alarmingly and she let out a small yelp.
"I can't do it," she cried. "My arms are burning. I'm not strong enough."
"Becca you have to, come on, quickly, the others need to get across," shouted Alex.
He could see Fenrir's red eyes between the trees and started to panic. There wasn't enough time. Becca finally managed to pull herself across and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing from the effort. The muscles in her arms were burning and she was shaking uncontrollably. Sasha was already on the rope and heaving herself over, grateful for all the time she had spent in the gym.
Suddenly Fenrir burst through the bushes to the left of Matt and snapped at his head with his huge jaws. Matt ducked out of the way at the last moment and picked Ellewen up quickly.
"Hold onto my back," he shouted at her.
She scooted around onto his back and held on tight like a monkey. He scrambled up onto the rope with difficulty and wrapped his arms around it.
"Alex, zap the rope," he yelled. "We'll swing across."
A gigantic paw swiped at the rope and they swayed to and fro precariously. Fenrir snapped his jaws trying to grab hold of Matt's leg. He held on tight with his arms and kicked out at Fenrir's face with his foot.
"Matt!" Ellewen screamed as the rope jerked up and down.
Fenrir had his jaws secured around Matt's foot and started to shake him from side to side. Matt's arms started to slip backwards and he clung on for dear life. Ellewen crawled further up his back and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, almost strangling him. Suddenly there was a loud blast and the air lit up white. Matt and Ellewen found themselves free falling and they both screamed. The rope was wrapped tight around Matt's arm and he hung on tight. His legs were free of Fenrir and they swung out behind him. They swooped towards the rock face on the opposite side and smashed into the side. Matt's arms slipped on the rope from the impact and he slid down until he found a better grip. He had taken the full impact on his side and groaned in pain. He was sure he had broken a few ribs. Ellewen had lost her grip on his waist with her legs and they had bounced backwards on impact. If they hadn't she would have broken one for sure.
Matt looked back and saw Fenrir on the edge of the ravine snarling and snapping his huge jaws. When he realised they had escaped him he sat back on his haunches and howled his fury. The ravine shook and rubble rained down on Matt and Ellewen's heads. When the dust settled they looked up and could see the white faces of Alex, Becca and Sasha looking at them over the edge.
"Are you ok?" shouted Becca.
"Yeah, but I think I've broken a rib, I can't pull us up," winced Matt, as he tried to pull them up with his arms.
"Hold
tight," called down Alex. "I'll pull you up."
Fenrir howled again and slunk back into the forest. His huge black tail swished behind him and knocked down the trees and bushes in his path. Matt felt the rope move and he pushed his legs out against the rocks. As Alex pulled them up he walked up the side of the ravine, Ellewen clinging onto him desperately. Finally they reached the top and Alex and Sasha pulled them up over the edge carefully. Matt collapsed onto his back, gasping in pain.
Sasha lifted his shirt and grimaced as she saw the grazes and bruising which had already started to form.
"I think you've broken at least one rib. What the hell were you thinking? You could have died," she said angrily.
"Well I'm sorry, there was a giant wolf chewing on my ankle. My options were a bit limited. Great shot mate by the way," he said grinning at Alex.
"I was aiming for the rope but hit Fenrir right between the eyes. I think he had chewed through the rope already," said Alex sheepishly.
He really needed to learn how to control his power; he could have hit Matt and Ellewen.
"Matt, you saved my life," said Ellewen, holding his hand. "That was pretty cool. Here I can help with the pain," she said, closing her eyes and placing a hand over his ribs.
"Ooh, that tickles," he said squirming.
"Keep still," she murmured, her eyes still closed.
"Mmm, that feels good," he sighed.
"That's probably enough Ellewen," interrupted Sasha, kneeling down and holding Matt's other hand. "You don't want to overdo it again, we need to get out of here."
"I'm done," said Ellewen, winking at Matt.
Suddenly a vicious roar filled the sky, the earth trembled and trees crashed over with the force. Alex looked over the ravine. Fenrir was leaping through the forest as though it were long grass. Just before he reached the edge of the ravine he went back on his haunches and leaped across the chasm. They stood frozen to the spot, mesmerised by the terrifying sight of the giant wolf flying towards them with its mouth wide open, it's yellow teeth glistening and its tongue lolling to the side.
They all yelled in fear and tried to scramble back off the edge of the ravine and out of Fenrir's reach.
Luck was on their side though as Fenrir had miscalculated and his giant paws clawed on the edge desperately. He couldn't find purchase and started to slip down the jagged rock face. With a howl of frustration he lost his grip and fell into the swirling waters beneath him. The current whipped him away out of sight in moments.
"By Odin, that was close," said Ellewen shakily, jumping to her feet and dusting off her black jeans.
"Too close," muttered Alex, peering over the edge.
There was no sign of Fenrir at all but Alex suspected that would not be the last they would see of him.
“I thought Alan said he was tied up to a rock somewhere with dwarf rope?” he asked.
“Hel must have freed him somehow,” said Ellewen. “This is really dangerous, the gods will be furious. There’s a prophecy which says that Fenrir will kill the gods. That’s the reason why he was tied up in the first place.”
"Yeah well, we’ll have to worry about that another day. We have bigger problems on our hands, like getting out of here. You ok to move Matt?" he asked, looking at Matt worried.
His friend was covered in scrapes and bruises and looked like hell. His own wounds from the branches had healed almost immediately.
"Yeah, I'm good," he said, getting to his feet with Ellewen's help.
"I'll sort the rest of your scrapes out later," she said, eyeing his wounds critically.
"Mmm, I'll look forward to that," he grinned.
"He'll be fine," cut in Sasha. "Just needs some clean water on his cuts. It's best to heal normally. Who knows what damage you're doing with all of that voodoo mumbo jumbo magic stuff," she said icily, glaring at Ellewen.
Ellewen shrugged. "Whatever, the offer is there Matt, if you want it," she said, smiling at him cheekily.
He grinned back, not noticing that Sasha had walked off muttering under her breath about witches and shameless hussies.
Chapter Six
They fought their way through the bushes until they found a path and set off down it. Nervous tension filled the air and no one spoke. Everyone was wondering if Fenrir would come bursting through the undergrowth again.
After a short while the trees started to thin and it grew lighter. They could see the light purple sky between the branches and sighed with relief. They were all sick to death of the forest and its oppressive darkness.
"Hey, what's that?" asked Matt pointing ahead.
They entered a clearing, which had a bubbling brook running through it.
"That, is a good place to rest and eat," said Alex, rubbing his hands together at the thought of food.
"Is that a good idea?" asked Becca, looking around nervously. "He might catch up with us."
"Becs, he's at the bottom of a river, it's cool, he's gone," said Alex, more confidently than he felt. He knew Fenrir wasn't dead, his chest was buzzing unpleasantly and he rubbed it to ease the itching.
"I need to sit down guys, my side is hurting again," said Matt, holding his side and looking at Ellewen hopefully.
Sasha tutted and strode forward towards the stream to check it out. The others followed and dropped onto the grass wearily. Everyone was shattered.
"I don't get it," said Sasha, pulling bits of branch and leaves out of her hair. "Surely we’ve been through enough to prove we're brave. Why are we still here?"
Becca was crouched at the waters edge, washing the blood from her arms and face from the multiple grazes she had. "I guess there's more," she shrugged.
"More?" asked Matt horrified at the thought. "We nearly died. How much more of a test do you want," he shouted into the sky.
"I don't think Hel is listening," said Ellewen, rummaging in her rucksack for some food.
"One apple, a packet of crisps and an energy bar," she said disappointed. "We had better get out of here soon or we'll run out of food. How about you guys, what do you have left?"
Alex looked into his rucksack. "Nothing. I'm starving."
"Alex! You were meant to pace yourself," said Ellewen throwing him the apple.
"I'm all out too," said Matt, emptying out his bag.
"You guys, you're hopeless." She tossed the energy bar over to Matt and he blew her a kiss.
Sasha dug out a chocolate bar and handed it to him. "Here, I'm not feeling very hungry."
Matt grinned and tugged her ponytail playfully. "You know me so well."
She looked away towards the water hiding the smile, which curved her lips and then frowned. A pair of eyes were looking at her from across the water.
"What the?" she said, squinting.
The surface of the water broke and long blonde hair whooshed up out of the water in an arc, showering water droplets everywhere.
"Grim!" shouted Sasha waving.
Grim rose majestically from the water sitting astride Gorvir, his pet snake. He grinned and waved at them. As usual he was completely naked but luckily Gorvir's horns protected his modesty. His tanned body was rippling with muscles and the girls leaned forward eagerly as he came towards them.
"Stop the press, who's that?" asked Ellewen, her eyes shining.
"Grim, he helped us unlock the Gulldyrr so Dvalin would tell us where the sword was," explained Sasha.
"Oh Odin, I had heard about him but had never seen him. He's lush. Look at those cheekbones, they're to die for," sighed Ellewen.
"Friends!" he called happily, as Gorvir swam closer to the bank. "It's good to see you again. Who is this lovely creature?" he asked winking at Ellewen.
She giggled and blushed.
"Hey Grim, how's Mia?" asked Matt standing up and towering over Ellewen.
Grim laughed. "She is as beautiful as a field full of sunflowers, as enchanting as a sunset over the mountains and sexier than..."
"Yeah, we get it, you're still in love," cut in Alex laughing.
> "I most certainly am," he smiled revealing his perfect, white teeth. "I left her back in Norway, it's not safe for her to travel with me here."
"How on earth did you get here? We're in the Underworld for goodness sake. You're not dead are you?" asked Sasha, suddenly worried.
Grim chuckled. "No, I'm not dead my lovely. All of the waterways between the worlds are linked so I can pretty much travel anywhere I want. Though I don't come here often. It's too depressing for my liking. I had to come to warn you though, you are in great danger."
"Warn us?" asked Becca panicking. "Warn us about what?"
"The Volvas had a seance and contacted Hel to find out what was going on. Those girls are a nosey bunch, they love their gossip. It seems that Hel is pretty mad at Alex for sealing the portal and stopping her from escaping Helheim. She's even more annoyed that you snuck in here without permission, so she's going to do everything in her power to make your lives miserable. I came to warn you to keep a look out. I don't know what she has planned next but you should have made it through Vaskr by now. She's a spiteful little madam and will be enjoying every moment watching you all suffer."
"Can you get us out of here then?" asked Matt. "Give us a lift to the other side of this land?"
"I'm afraid not. It doesn't matter where I take you, she will keep you here until she is satisfied that you have suffered enough."
"Great, now what then?" asked Alex frustrated. "We just keep going until she kills us off? She's psychotic."
"My advice is to keep going and I'll watch your back where I can. Don't worry she'll get bored soon, she always does. She has the attention span of a fish," said Grim laughing.
"Cheers mate, we really appreciate that," said Alex sincerely.
Knowing they had a friend down here made him feel much better.
"Go on then," said Grim, waving them off with his hand. "Be careful and I'll see you soon."
He nudged Gorvir's sides and she slunk beneath the water. With a final wave he disappeared into the depths.
Ellewen sighed. "He's divine," she crooned.
Helheim (The Nine Worlds Trilogy Book 2) Page 8