by Ayer, T. G.
The three Norns stood at least ten feet taller than us. Their faces not as hideous as I'd expected. The only other frost giants I'd seen up close were the fake-Brody that I'd fought and the glamored Gus and Gretchen at Aidan's father’s mansion. These women weren't beautiful nor were they ugly.
Nor were they dripping with icicles with skin blue from cold. They were just three frost giant women who stared at our gathered group with annoyance.
"What is your reason for coming to the Hall of Urd?" The Jotunn on the left asked, her voice booming around the room.
Sigrun's elbow poked into my side and I took a step forward. "My name is Brynhildr and I wish to consult with you regarding my fate. I was sent here by Mimir."
"Mimir sent you?" the middle Norn asked, her voice softer, curious. The three women looked at each other, expressions just the tiniest bit softer.
"Yes. He said you are the only ones who can help me."
"Very well. Come with us." The three intoned together and walked toward the first carved archway. The ground rumbled with each step they took and I beckoned Sigrun to follow me. I didn’t want to be alone with them.
Sigrun stepped forward and so did Aimee while Hugin circled above me then coasted along silently behind the Norns. A few moments of dark passages and weak torchlights later, we arrived into another round room, almost identical to the first. Only this time no pool of water occupied the center of the floor.
The walls were covered in paintings that seemed to undulate and change every time I looked at them.
"Your companions may wait at the door," said the first Norn without even turning around. She must have had eyes in the back of her head to know I'd picked up a retinue.
Sigrun and Aimee turned back to the doorway, expressions of relief on their faces as they saw the stone benches placed on either side of the archway. They settled down, Aimee mouthing good luck and Sigrun waving me off. I left them there, where I knew they would be privy to everything the Norns said, yet remain at a safe distance and able to run for help, or their lives, depending on the outcome of this exercise.
For a moment I wondered if I'd gone clean out of my mind to come this far in the hopes of changing something that was written in my fate. Should I just have accepted it and moved on?
The three Norns had their backs to me and I waited in silence.
Then they turned, and as they moved, they grew smaller and smaller, their faces and bodies and garments shrinking before my eyes until they stood together, looking very much like three old women, no different in species to me.
"I am Urd," said the first Norn as she twisted around and brought forth a spindle half filled with thread. "I am the Norn of Fate. I watch over the past, what has happened, what is done and what was meant to be."
I bowed my head, unsure if that was the best mark of respect, but when I looked up, none of the Norns were paying any attention to me so I straightened quickly.
She passed the spindle to the next Norn, who said, "I am Verdandi, and I watch over what is happening now, and what is being done."
Verdandi passed the spindle along to the third Norn, who inclined her head and regarded me with a stare that could only be described as unfeeling. "I am Skuld, and I watch over what will be, and what should be. We are all the sisters of Fate, each bound by lives meant to be lived, fates meant to be."
Skuld handed the spindle back to Urd as all three watched me in silence. The three Norns were responsible for everything then. All our lives, everything we've ever done, and everything we will ever do.
"What do we signify to you, Brynhildr?" Skuld asked.
I said the first thing that came to mind. "The past, the present and the future."
"That is correct. And in the past, present and future, everything is pre-ordained, everything is written, everything is fated."
"But don't some people get to change their fate?" The words were out before I could control my tongue and I hoped my lapse wouldn’t offend the Norn’s sensibilities.
They seemed unperturbed as Urd answered me. "Some people do, but we always warn those who seek to change the path of their fate. Destiny has a power and a strength that is hard to fight. Perhaps you will change the path you are on, but it is more than likely that the end of your journey will be the same as fate originally decreed."
"Now tell us, Valkyrie Brynhildr. What is it you wish to know?" The three Norns asked the question together, their voices singing in unison.
I swallowed a rise of nerves. "Mimir foresaw a certain doom for Odin. He said I am instrumental in his death and that I may not have a choice in it." The three Norns exchanged curious glances then gazed back at me and waited. "Mimir said my destiny is destructive and I want to make sure that it does not mean I have a hand in the All-Father’s death."
"Why is this so important to you, Valkyrie?" Urd asked, taking the spindle back from her sister.
"Because I owe my life to the All-Father. I do not want to be the one to bring about his death."
"But what can you do if it is your fate, child?"
"If it’s unavoidable, I guess I won’t be able to do anything, but I just don't think I can live with the knowledge that Odin will die because of me." I answered, feeling the tears well up in my throat. "So changing the path of your fate does not always mean you change your destiny?" I repeated the words more for myself than anything, but she nodded anyway, seeming satisfied that I understood.
Verdandi nodded too and said, "Normally, to provide a seeker with the information they want, we usually require a form of payment."
My heart sank. A payment. Nobody, not even Frigga had mentioned a payment. What did I possibly have to give the Norns in return for information?
Verdandi smiled. "Do not fear, Brynhildr. The payment I require is a simple task." She made a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a sigh, then said, "And in return, I will tell you the location of the Gjallerhorn."
One the other two Norns hissed and converged on Verdandi. Clearly, they hadn’t expected her to offer such information to me. A thrill of anticipation ran through me. Knowing the location of Heimdall’s horn would mean Asgard could still call on the gods to come to their aid before Loki pushed Ragnarok into full-on action.
I waited patiently. I didn’t bother trying to eavesdrop as they’d fallen into some strange tongue I couldn’t identify. Maybe it was the language of the Jotunn, but I wasn’t making any guesses. They talked for a few moments more, then all three turned to face me. Urd and Skuld still looked slightly annoyed, but whatever Verdandi said to them seemed to have placated them for now.
She stepped toward me. "Warrior Valkyrie, this information will be entrusted to you, only if you can promise to bring back Gjallerhorn. The Nine Realms needs the horn to be recovered. And soon."
"I am happy to do this for you and for the Nine Realms."
"Now, as to Gjallerhorn, there is something else that I am able to tell you." Verdandi looked over her shoulder at her sisters for the briefest moment in which she received two almost imperceptible nods. "Do you wish to retrieve the god Heimdall?"
All I could manage was a nod. I stood in shock that the Norns were providing me with two very important pieces of information for nothing.
"You will find Heimdall in Jotunnheim. He is held within the Tower of Mord in the Palace of Jotunnheim." Verdandi paused as I tried not to gasp at his location. Jotunnheim. We’d just come through the frost giant realm to get to this level of the great tree. Maybe we could even retrieve Heimdall on the way back. Verdandi’s voice broke my train of thought. "As for Gjallerhorn, you will find it under the care of Bal, the fire giant."
My heart plummeted to the bottom of my stomach.
Fabulous.
Of all the giants to have the Gjallerhorn, it had to be a fire giant, and of all the fire giants in all of the nine realms, it had to be Bal. But I had beat his giant ass once before. I’d fought and defeated him in Muspellheim a few months ago while trying to reach Steinn, the dragon king of Muspell. And o
n top of it all, I’d taken away his ball-and-chain as spoils to the victor. Let’s hope I can repeat that victory.
Verdandi smiled as my face fell. I guess she already knew why I was unhappy. "Whatever your history with Bal, Brynhildr, you will need to get past it and retrieve the horn."
Sure, just lump me with the impossible task, why don’t you?
I nodded. "Thank you, my lady. I will retrieve the horn."
"And do not be tempted to retrieve Heimdall first. Time is of utmost importance as Loki could return to Muspell at any moment to take back the horn. This must not happen."
"Yes, my lady." I bowed my head. "And my payment?"
Verdandi wound her hands in front of her and the air began to swirl and mix together like a whirlpool. And in the blink of an eye, a small golden pitcher appeared. A depiction of the Norns was engraved on the side of the pitcher and the vessel gleamed.
"Take this to the Pool of Urd and return it to me, filled."
I nodded and took the vessel from her hand and left the room. Aimee met my gaze with wide eyes, but both my friends stayed put. I trotted off to the cavern in which the rest of the team still waited.
Kneeling at the pool’s edge, I dipped the pitcher into the still water, sending hundreds of rippling waves to the farthest edges of the pool. With the vessel filled to the brim, I was about to leave when I recalled Mimir’s request. Perhaps nobody was allowed to touch the water in the pool, but I’d been sent to do just that. Where was the harm in retrieving some for Mimir?
I laid the pitcher on the ground and withdrew the leather water pouch. Praying I wasn’t committing some colossal sin, I dipped the flask into the clear water and filled it quickly with enough water to fill a goblet. I didn’t intend to be greedy and take more than was needed. I rose to my feet and screwed the cap back on. A moment later, untouched by cosmic punishments like lightning bolts from the sky and molten lava from heavenly volcanoes, I stepped away from the pool.
With the water pouch safely stowed away in my satchel, and with Aidan and Joshua throwing me curious glares, I hurried back to the Norns, uncaring of the water that spilled from the pitcher onto my hands and clothing.
I handed the water to Verdandi who smiled in satisfaction. Then she said, "Make a cup of your hands." I obeyed. "Now hold forth your palms and receive this water without spilling a drop."
A shiver of worry ran up my spine as Verdandi poured water into my hand. But nothing spilled. She poured and poured until she tipped the pitcher over, empting the last drop into my palms while I looked on, my jaw almost hanging to the ground. How did she do that? The entire pitcher of water, poured into my cupped palms and not a drop fell to the ground?
Verdandi seemed unimpressed by the impossibility of the whole thing. She flicked her fingers and the pitcher disappeared, replaced with a small fat-bottomed, long-necked bottle. "Come forward." I stepped toward her, my feet heavy and unwilling, and worry began to eke away at my confidence. I was suddenly very unsure of what was happening. "Now pour the water into this bottle."
I followed her instruction, further shocked to see the clear water pour from my fingers while transforming into all the colors of the rainbow and then some. The water continued to pour until the bottle seemed like it couldn’t take any more liquid, yet it did. My palms finally emptied and the bottle filled with swirling water of a hundred different colors. The water spun in a tiny whirlpool until the colors dissipated and the liquid returned to its former clear state.
Verdandi materialized a fat cork and sealed the mouth of the bottle. "Now take this bottle with you. Rub this liquid on the weapon you use to injure Loki."
"I’m not sure what you mean." I frowned.
"I mean that you will use this water when the time comes to attack Loki. It may not be now, or tomorrow, but some day in the future you will need to fight Loki, and then you will need this water. Please use it. And please ensure the wound is deep enough to deliver the water to his bloodstream."
I nodded, knowing I’d made the promise to complete this task, but who could have known the Norn would expect me to attack Loki with the water? "I will complete this task. I promise."
"Very well, Brynhildr. We have done for you what we are able."
"Nay, we have done for you far more than we should have," said Urd, her tone admonishing and her gaze fixed on her sister. "But, remember this, Valkyrie. The Nine realms will fall no matter what you or I do to prevent it. Everything has its time. But the tasks that you will perform will ensure things happen as they should."
I nodded, inexplicably calmer and more at peace with my quest than ever.
***
Chapter 22
After leaving the Norns, I needed time to think.
Sigrun and Aimee followed me out to the hall where the others waited. They were concerned. I understood that but I needed some space to get my head together first.
"I just need some time, guys. Sorry," I said and looked at the other archways leading away from the hall. I searched the ceiling for Hugin and called out to him.
He flew down in a rush of black feathers, landing on my shoulder and I walked toward the pool away from the rest of the group. "Hugin, which one of these exits will take me somewhere that I can just be by myself for a while? I need to think a few things through."
"I will find out for you," was all he said before he flapped away.
I turned back to the group and it seemed that Sigrun and Aimee had filled them in.
"So it was a waste of time then?" asked Aidan.
"No, it wasn't a waste of time. Well . . . for what I'd hoped to find out, yes, it was a waste of time. But we come away with two very important pieces of information. The location of both Heimdall and his horn." I received nods all around along with expressions of satisfaction and purpose. Hugin flew back into the room and headed for my shoulder. "For now, I just need some time to myself."
"Follow me," the bird said in my ear. He launched off my shoulder and headed off across the room to an archway on the other side of the room. I followed, trusting he'd lead me to peace and quiet.
A few moments later, the passage deposited us into a grotto. It was unkempt with rivulets of water seeping from the ceiling and trickling down a gigantic root which sprouted from the right wall, rose and fell like the hump of a great serpent, then dove back down into the ground and disappeared. The floor itself was a web of tiny roots packed with mud until it provided a level walking surface.
It had the distinct air of abandonment, yet it felt like the perfect place to hide away and think. My heart still thumped erratically against my ribs. The opportunity to save Heimdall was not lost on me, but how did I deal with the knowledge that I couldn’t change my hand in Odin’s destruction?
How could I continue being a Valkyrie and do my job, knowing in the end, he'd die because of something I did or something I was going to do?
I sat on a soft, spongy root, paying scant attention to the water trickling alongside my seat. Hugin found a perch a few feet away from me, keeping a silent watch. I laid the bottle down beside me. The last thing I needed was to smash the thing to smithereens.
My thoughts and emotions remained fixed on the All-Father. The Norns had given me the location of Heimdall and Gjallerhorn. That meant if we could find Odin, he’d know exactly what we needed to do. Not that I didn’t know what my next step was. Retrieve the Gjallerhorn first, that was the instruction.
But I needed to talk to Odin. To know that he knew what we were doing and that we were actually making progress. To just get a word or two of advice from the All-Father. Where in Hel was he anyway? Why would he choose now of all times to disappear without a word?
As I sat there, the spongy root shifting beneath my rear, I almost imagined Odin standing before me in his old dude form, black eye-patch, floppy hat and flowing gray cloak. I scolded myself.
You want to see the old guy so much that you have to imagine him in front of you? Get a grip, Bryn.
I blinked, almost laughing at myse
lf, but the image didn’t go away. It wavered as if Odin was appearing out of thin air but was having trouble becoming fully corporeal.
Blinking again, I shook my head sharply, convinced I was imagining it, but when the image remained right where I’d first seen it, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do first, faint or tell him off for abandoning us. But either way, I’d be talking to what looked like a projector image. And a weak one at that.
I stared and stared harder, and when the image spoke, I fell right off my root seat, dumbstruck. "Brynhildr, my child, do not be afraid."
It really was Odin. At last, I remembered I still sat where I’d fallen, mere inches from a little patch of water. I scrambled to my feet, dusting myself off and staring straight at the apparition, still half-sure I was losing my marbles.
Then as I watched, the apparition became clearer and I became more confident that Odin had appeared in the cavern with me. It looked like him and even talked like him. I watched him and said nothing.
I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. "Where have you been? You’ve got poor Frigga so worried. And we searched the whole of Asgard for you - turned the place upside down looking for you." Now that my words were finally out, all I wanted to do was bite my tongue clean off. Who was I to scold the All-Father?
But he just chuckled. "I know, my child. It has been difficult." Odin frowned as if trying to find the best way to explain. "I was trying to weave a magical ward around Asgard, one that would prevent Loki from entering our realm so easily, but I miscalculated. Either that or Loki has somehow laid down his own magic before me, which backfired on me." Odin paused, a thoughtful twist to his forehead. "Mmhh. And now that I think about it, that sounds like the best explanation. In fact, when the magic exploded, it felt so much like Loki that, at the time, I thought he’d appeared out of nowhere and attacked me."
"Where did you go to cast this magic?"
"The edge of Asgard, beyond the sky where the lights appear for our einherjar." I nodded. Odin spoke of the aurora borealis. To the Asgardians, the Northern Lights marked the journey of a Warrior from death to rebirth as an einherjar.