by Ayer, T. G.
"Yeah . . . but it doesn't hurt so much anymore," he said. His voice was etched with sadness. And my heart ached for him. For all of us. I missed home too — Ms. Custer and the kids. But it was easier for me to move on. How many times had I needed to move on?
I just hugged him back. Reveled in the feelings running through me as our bodies leaned against each other.
He shifted his weight and looked down between us for my hand and linked his fingers with mine. He looked at me and smiled. Warm fingers tingled, entangled, heated.
His smile disappeared as he pulled me toward him, leaning against the side of the bed, drawing me closer. Shadows played across his face, darkening his eyes and pulling me closer. Closer. Our breath entwined. Closer. Lips touched. More. Sparks sizzled around us and everywhere between us.
What was this? Where had this come from? But even though I questioned it, I still reveled in the intense heat of it. Our lips parted, I pulled away, and stared at Joshua. He stared back and blinked and I managed only one breath before his lips claimed mine again, the heat twisting and spinning around us, on lips and tongues. My hands were tight around his neck while his fingers pressed against my lower back. We couldn’t get any closer if we tried.
Geri, or was it Freki, bumped into my knee, hackles high, teeth bared, staring straight at Joshua.
Stupid animal.
"Right, Furball. You are meant to protect me, but that's taking it a bit too far," I snapped, my heated blood slowly cooling. Our interlude had ended and now reality came barging back into my life. I sat on the bed, a rush of disappointment filling me.
Joshua chuckled. "Poor thing. Don't give him too hard a time, Bryn."
"You'd say differently if that hand of yours was all chewed up by my four-legged bodyguard here." I sniffed.
Joshua leaned closer, ignoring the sudden lift of the wolf’s ears. "Are you complaining? I had the distinct impression you liked where that hand had been."
I blushed, blood rushing to my head and warmth blooming in my belly at the mere thought of where his hand had been and how much I'd liked it. I cleared my throat. "My opinion is really not the subject of this discussion, now is it?" I glanced pointedly at the wolf still standing beside the bed, still at stiff attention.
"Look, Fleabag, I'm not the bad guy here, okay? So back the hell off." Frustration edged Joshua's voice even as he playfully threatened the wolf.
"Sorry, boys. I hate to break up the party, but this girl has a few things to get done today." Joshua and the wolf turned their heads to look at me, both bearing inquiring looks. I glanced at Joshua. "Well, you might as well stay. Unless you have something better to do with your time?"
He shook his head. "I'm here if you need me."
"Okay." I shoved off the bed, feeling slightly bereft as I left the warmth of the furs. I knelt in front of the huge chest that sat at the foot of my bed.
I flipped up the lock and pushed the lid open. Inside, my weapons gleamed. My sword, the sword of Brunhilde I'd inherited because I was of her blood, my daggers, the golden, plate-sized scale from Steinn's dragon back. And finally, the ball-and-chain I'd taken from Bal the fire giant.
I blinked and stared at the weapon. When I'd put it here months ago, the ball-and-chain had been a hunk of aged, tarnished metal. Since it emitted flames when thrown, I hadn't expected it to look all shiny and new.
And now it was.
It gleamed a nice, bright-yellow-bronze. So shiny it would easily have been mistaken for gold. Seems Turi had been polishing my weapons.
"What is that?" asked Joshua, coming around to inspect the weapon.
"It's the ball-and-chain I'd taken when I beat Bal on my first trip to Muspell."
"Okay," Joshua looked at me, skepticism gleaming in his expression.
"What?" I asked. What was so hard to believe?
"You took this ball-and-chain from a giant?" I nodded. "Then why isn’t it a giant ball-and-chain?"
"Huh?" I frowned. Joshua was right. When we'd encountered Bal, the ball-and-chain had been the right size for a fiery giant. He'd certainly not been trying to kill me with a human-sized ball-and-chain. What had happened and how had I not paid attention to it? I scowled at the weapon. "You're right. When Bal saw us coming, he'd charged us and swung the ball-and-chain at us. I remember it missed us by inches. The thing was huge. This is so strange. How had I not realized it had changed in size?"
"You had a lot going on then, remember? You probably didn't give it too much thought. I mean, dragons and fire giants? A shrunken ball-and-chain would hardly make you stop and think when Aidan's life was in danger."
I nodded but I wasn't convinced. "I'm taking it to Njall. Maybe he can figure it out… tell me more about it." I rose, carrying the ball, now no larger than a soccer ball, and looping the six feet of chain around my arm. I frowned again. For six feet of metal, the chain was far too light. It didn't weigh my arm down a bit. Strange.
"I'm coming with. I'm too curious to stay behind." He chuckled and followed me out into the passage. The wolves hurried out too before I could shut them inside.
***
Chapter 27
The ball-and-chain hung from my hand, swinging back and forth as we walked. The hallways of Asgard’s palace were quiet, our footsteps echoing along the bare stone floor as we passed each flickering torch. We walked by only a handful of Valkyries and einherjar on our way outside. Those we did come across threw curious glances at me as we passed, but none dared to stop us.
It wasn’t hard to understand why they were intimidated by me. Ever since Sigrun brought me to Asgard, ever since I became the first living human to become a Valkyrie, I'd done things that would’ve made the rest of the Warriors of Asgard a little wary of me. Defeating a dragon, fighting a fire giant, not to mention the strange dislike Loki had taken to me.
And if I didn't intimidate them, my team certainly would. Under Fen's guidance, we'd spent a lot of time in Midgard, tracking the dying einherjar and finding out what Aidan's father had been up to.
Of course we hadn't come home unscathed. I'd lost my wings. And Aidan.
Now Joshua walked beside me, showing he wouldn’t leave my side. He'd never back down, never stop supporting me. Where would this go? I didn't know. All I knew was I craved more—more time with him, more of him.
I smiled to myself and kept walking as we left the palace and descended into the fields. We took a right turn and headed up the muddy roads toward the little village of longhouses to find Njall the smith. The wolves trotted behind us, their visibility drawing more stares and whispers. I guess nobody ever saw them without Odin.
My heart twisted thinking of the All-Father and his banishment from his home. We had to find a way to get him back. I clenched my fist. As soon as I retrieved Gjallerhorn, I would find a way to bring Odin home.
I avoided the deeply tracked puddles along the road, a companionable silence wafting between Joshua and me. "Have you met Njall before?" I glanced at Joshua as a ray of sunlight flashed on the sword at his side.
"Nope. Who is he?"
"He's the smith. He's been here for a long time. When I met him, he said he’d known me."
"You mean he knew Brunhilde?"
I nodded and smiled. "He was one of the first people who didn't immediately assume I was exactly like her. If you know what I mean." Njall had made me smile. My arrival in Asgard had sparked much commentary on my status as the reincarnation of the great Warrior princess Brunhilde. Though Njall had acknowledged the connection, he’d still treated me like myself and not as if I were just an extension of her.
We hurried through the cacophony that just seemed to grow louder the closer we got. A number of small buildings huddles together, all producing the similar discordant music of metal on metal.
We ducked as we entered the wide entrance of Njall's smithy. The clanging didn't cease once we were safely enveloped in the heat and darkness within the building. My eardrums vibrated and my sternum thunked as hammers hit metal in one half of the bui
lding.
A gigantic fireplace on the far wall welcomed us, so large my room in the palace could fit comfortably within its brick walls. The heat generated by the enormous fire ran its fiery fingers along the skin of my cheeks and lapped up the moisture in my mouth, leaving behind parched lips and skin on the verge of cracking.
Darkness and shadows within the building were broken only by the movements of the sweat-ridden men at work. I stood there a moment, unsure if I should call out for Njall. Joshua stepped closer to me as a large man moved through the heated shadows and a pair of beefy arms enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug.
Njall, for all his size, was a sweetheart, and I was slightly thrilled he liked me as much as I did him. "Bryn, what a pleasure to see you. We have been hearing all about your escapades. It makes me so glad to see you are well. We were all so terribly worried about you. What a horrible thing to happen to you."
"It wasn't fun. But I'm still here, aren't I?" I punched his gigantic arm.
"And thank the gods for that." He nodded, his grin so wide his teeth gleamed like pearls in the darkness of his mouth. He glanced at Joshua and sent me and enquiring lift of his eyebrow.
"Njall, meet Joshua." That's as far as I intended to go with introductions.
"Well met, einherjar." Njall grasped Joshua's arm and shook it so hard I was sure a little more force would have him using Joshua as a hammer on one of his anvils.
Joshua returned the greeting with a pleasantly amused grin.
"So what can I do for you, Bryn?" Njall got back to business and I was only too glad.
"Well, you can tell me what you know about this." I held out the ball-and-chain, gripping it by the metal links. It swung back and forth, the gleaming metal reflecting the flickering light from the fiery hearth.
Njall grunted as he took the weapon from me. He ran his fingers along the chain, then paused to place a fingertip to one of the vicious-looking spikes dotting the ball. The ball began to shimmer a red gold, as if fiery heat surged through the metal. Almost imperceptibly, the weapon grew in size as Njall held it and stared in transfixed silence.
Joshua and I exchanged a curious glance, then looked back at Njall. The gentle giant's face twisted into a contemplative frown before a smile tweaked the corner of his lips. "Where did you get this?"
"In Muspell." I kept it short, unsure how Njall would react if I revealed I'd sort of stolen the weapon. Sometimes spoils of war may not be the most appropriate to yell from the rooftops.
Njall nodded, barely paying me much attention as his gaze slid along the metal, then concentrated on the ball, his nose decreasing the distance between him and the weapon. "This is a very intriguing weapon." While he spoke, his eyes never left the ball. I moved closer, peering at the metal, curious at what had drawn Njall's undivided attention. "Look, here." He aimed a sausage-like digit at the surface of the metal between the gory spikes. I peered hard and saw nothing.
Raising my head, I almost clicked my tongue in frustration but Njall touched my hand before I stepped away. I snuck a glance at his bushy eyebrows, his gaze still focused on the weapon. Something was intriguing him, which only served to intrigue me further, so I looked again, determined to concentrate.
At first I saw nothing. I shifted my weight from one foot to another, about to give up, and then I saw it. Perhaps it was the change in the direction or the light, but I gasped at the sight of the shiny surface covered with thin, almost invisible carved runes. But unlike the letters and patterns found all around Asgard, these patterns writhed and twisted in constant movement on the face of the metal. I blinked. Had Turi not taken the time to shine the thing, we would never been able to see the writing.
"Wow." I breathed the word, almost afraid the sound of my voice would still the dancing runes. It didn't. Njall raised his gaze at last, a twinkle of mutual fascination in his eyes.
"These runes are magical, the power imbued in them when the weapon was first cast."
"Can you read it?"
Njall nodded and we both bent to examine the moving letters. This time Joshua hunched forward and examined the ball too. "The magic that fills this metal is unique. It allows the ball-and-chain to shift in size to match its bearer."
I gasped. "So that's how I managed to use the weapon to defeat Bal." The words left my lips before I could consciously stop them, but Njall didn't even bat an eyelid.
"So what size was the ball of the weapon when this Bal was using it?"
"I guess you could say he was giant-sized." I grinned. It was a waste of time playing games with Njall.
"Ah, so is it safe to say this weapon was much larger when the giant used it."
I nodded. "Actually, the ball was bigger than my head. And when he threw it at Aidan, I didn't think, just picked it up. I'd expected it to be too heavy but when I picked it up I managed perfectly fine. I just thought being a Valkyrie gave me the strength to carry it. I didn't give it a second thought."
Njall leaned forward to examine more letters and frowned. "The runes say something about fire."
"Oh, yeah. When the giant carried the ball-and-chain, it was on fire."
Njall glanced up at my face, his eyes almost crossed as he scrutinized me. "That is what it says. That the weapon is aflame while it is in use. Did it do that when you wielded it?"
"Not that I recall." I shook my head, frowning, trying to remember. But I never saw the ball-and-chain in flame while I held it. Not the way it had burned with fiery heat when Bal carried it. "No. It didn't. Only when Bal carried it. He also had a sword that burned with flame too."
Njall read a little more, then straightened. "There is much more there that I cannot understand. The runes are ancient. Perhaps there is something that makes the weapon more special to the giant?" Njall spoke, but from the glazed-over look in his eyes, he seemed to be talking to himself.
Yeah, the weapon is special to the fire giant alright. It belongs to him.
I gritted my teeth, more certain now that the ball-and-chain must go with me back to Muspell. Maybe it was important to Bal. Hopefully. If so, then the weapon may give me some leverage and I may be able to bargain with it for Gjallerhorn. It was worth a try.
***
Chapter 28
Joshua left me at my door with the demand I get some rest. I couldn’t deny I was beginning to feel the fingers of exhaustion filtering through my brain. I smiled as he spared me a hasty kiss before he hurried off to Valhalla. He still had his own duties to perform.
But as tired as I was, I had one stop I hadn’t made. One I'd promised to make. I had to visit Fen and congratulate him on his impending nuptials.
I stepped into my room only long enough to stow the ball-and-chain in the trunk and lock Geri and Freki in. I hadn't minded the wolves following me around so much, but they were becoming a bit tiresome. And I did wonder at the wisdom of taking my wolf guard dogs along to pay a visit to the ultimate wolf-man of Asgard; Fenrir.
It didn't take me too long to make my way to Fen's hall, the most likely place to find him if he wasn't busy throwing Valkyries off cliffs, that is. I smiled as I recalled the plummeting feeling in my gut when Fen had shoved me off the edge of the cliff in his unique way of training me to fly. I'd been spitting mad for a while after that, barely speaking to him, let alone looking at him. All the while, the stubborn Ulfr general had remained unapologetic, which had only served to make me more furious.
I'd forgotten all about being angry with Fen when I lost my wings. I guess in the end there were worse things to hold grudges for. And quite rightly, my desire to rip apart Stephen Lee and Loki definitely overshadowed my petulant anger with Fen.
The double doors to the small hall stood open and a Huldra servant was busy clearing away the two large tables occupying one half of the room. I assumed I'd just missed a meeting; Fen held them all the time to brief and debrief his scout teams.
Fen sat at a smaller table off to the side, head bent over sheets of ancient, brown paper, the corners held flat by a mug of ale, a strange
green crystal, a small dagger, and a cell-phone. He looked up as I neared the table and gave me a welcoming grin.
He rose and rounded the table, enveloping me in my second bone-crushing hug within hours. His features darkened as he studied my face. I could tell he was worried. And I knew why.
Odin.
"Now tell me what happened, and how you managed to convince Odin to give you his beloved spear." Fen spoke, his voice edged with emotion. So many people were so invested in my life these days that I was beginning to get used to it. Pushing people away wouldn’t help. Not now. I took a seat on one of the stools in front of his table before launching into a quick retelling of my encounter with Odin.
"We have to find him, Fen." I almost begged as all the emotions I’d felt came rushing back to me. The memory of Odin fading from my sight, the sound of his voice faltering and floating away on the air.
"We will find him. Do not worry." Fen spoke the words but I wasn't convinced he believed them himself.
"He gave me his staff and his wolves. Does that mean he isn’t planning on coming back?" I asked, pleading that it wasn't the case, that Odin hadn't already resigned himself to leaving Asgard forever. "He can't. Loki must pay. I will make Loki pay if it's the last thing I ever do."
"Do not be rash and make it the last thing you do," Fen offered drily.
Very funny.
"Sigrun said the Norns suggested you go to fetch Gjallerhorn immediately."
"Suggested? Don't you mean demanded?" My lips twisted in a wry smile. I didn't really mind taking instruction from the Norns. If it meant saving Heimdall and Odin, I'd readily take instruction from Loki himself.
"When do you leave?"
"As soon as I have a rest?" I answered carefully. Fen was my general, my boss. He wouldn’t be too thrilled to find his Warriors not taking care of themselves.
Sure enough, he nodded. "Good. You have a team in place?"
"Aimee, Joshua and Sigrun, I think." Then I remembered my four-legged friends. "And a couple of wolves."