by K.E. Rodgers
***
Hlutskipti – (Destiny)
Kári sat beneath one of the ancient trees, a worn and tattered blanket thrown over her body. Small and inadequate for comfort, it barely covered her legs and boots. But it didn’t matter as no weather on this earth could inflict its torture on her nearly indestructible form. Even still, she was not without weaknesses. In the dreaming world she was most vulnerable, not only to herself, but to whatever creatures played in the land of mist and illusion.
Her followers and the Prince and his party had stopped to rest for the night. It was impossible to travel through the Black Woods after the sun set. As dark and haunting as the woods were during the day, they were as black as death without the light.
In the morning, when the sun returned to the land again, they would continue forward on the last leg of their journey home. By this time tomorrow Kári would be inside the capital city gates and she would see again the family she had so carelessly thrown away. The anticipation of this reunion was more nerve-racking than any confrontation with an enemy.
Calming her racing heart by placing her right hand to her collar bone, she closed her eyes. The chain of her necklace brushed against her fingertips, the cool metal matching the coolness of her flesh. Out of habit and a need for comfort she pulled out the long chain, running her fingers along its links until she came to the cold diamond.
Kári clasped the charm in her palm, holding a piece of her father in her hand. How she wished she could speak to him now? He of all people would understand what she was feeling right now.
Aõalríkr sat beneath one of the ancient trees several feet from where Kári and the band of eastern warriors had hunkered down for a well deserved rest before their final trek forward at first light. He could see that his men had once again placed themselves between himself and the others. It would take much to convince this fractured nation to trust each other again.
From his vantage point he had a clear view of the woman who seemed to invade his thoughts without him even realizing it until it was too late. It must have been the lack of sleep or his impending doom with the institution of marriage that made him feel like he was falling from a great height. Or was he sinking into the bogs of something he wasn’t willing to name yet? Either way, he was most assured of one thing. The person responsible for them was the one person who was least likely to share those same feelings.
It was for the best at any rate. Nothing could come from dreams and fantasy.
The nights curtain slipped in softly, drawing close another day. The sound of voices drifted off into the sounds of sleeping breath as the moon reached its zenith in the black sky.
Kári was one of the last to remain awake. Even the few who were set to keep watch while the others slept seemed to be falling under a spell of slumber; their eyes holding the glazed look of oncoming sleep.
She gave a yawn to her own sleepiness, pushing the lure of it away as she gazed over at the man on the far side of camp. He was situated much as she was; his back against a sturdy tree. But what surprised her was that his eyes, unlike many of his men were open and watching. They were watching her, his emerald green eyes gazing at her with a penetrating stare that was both unsettling and fascinating.
It was then that she caught sight of another pair of eyes; Finnr’s. Concealed behind a cloak of midnight, his red hair was only slightly noticeable in the darkness. There was a look about him as he looked between herself and Aõalríkr, one that made her suspicious of him. There was not a drop of sleepiness to cloud his eyes tonight and the half concealed grin on his face warned her of his secret design on them. But it was too late to stop him. Already she was feeling the spell of sleep as it took over her, pulling her into the deep waters of the unseeing world of dreams.
Just as her eyelids closed she saw from the half closed curtain of her eyelashes that the giant of a man across from her was also slipping from this world; his eyes closed and his breathing matching that of his men. In a moment she would join him. A harsh curse escaped her lips as her breath slowed and her andi slipped away from this world.
The dream world where the Norns liked to play is much like the world of man. It must hold true to the laws of the universe and exist within its place and time. Some can skip easily from one world to the next, wielding the powers of one world within the laws of another. But most are merely pawns or playthings to the Norns and other creatures that live in the land of dreaming mists and shadows.
Kári came to consciousness in her dream; finding herself lounging under an identical tree as that of the world she had come from. And just as before, her men were there, laying on the soft grass or cuddling up to boulders. Yet none were awake as she was, their bodies stretched out in quiet repose in the land of dreams. They could not be woken from their dreamless sleep until they were ready.
Feeling a moment of grogginess and disorientation, Kári managed to stand up. Unlike Finnr, she had less control over this world. Sometimes despite her own efforts to make something change or happen in the dream world, she couldn’t. She was at a disadvantage.
Finnr came behind the trees to her left, his motions hesitant as he came toward her. She rushed him, finding her will momentarily strong. He raised his hands as she approached, not trying to defend himself.
Just as she was upon him he dissolved into smoke and shadows causing her to grab at nothing and drawing her up short as she realized it.
“You little snake in the grass,” Kári cried out to the silent woods. “Come back here and face me.”
He reappeared behind her, taping her on the left shoulder. She spun around to make a grab at him until she found her movements halted in mid-strike. Kári found herself suspended in animation with little strength to get going again.
“Listen up, princess.” Finnr commanded as he took note of the rancor in her radiant blue eyes. “I’m only going to say this once and I trust you’ll understand. There isn’t a lot of time to dally around and I know what I speak is the truth. Will you listen to me and not try to attack me again?”
Kári nodded, only a slight movement of her head revealing her acquiesces to his request. Finnr took a step back just to be sure as he released her from the hold.
She stood there glowering down from her superior height at the man.
“Your father told you he would come one day,” he began. “Many years have passed and you thought it would never come to be, but it has and you must accept it.”
“I don’t have to,” she informed him stubbornly, “And what makes you so certain that what my father said applies to this fool of a man? He is nothing like I expected; a pompous man with an ego to rival the gods themselves. He isn’t good enough for my baby sister.”
“He will be a member of your family, whether you approve of him or not. You might want to get used to that fact. And he is not meant for your sister.”
“Finally you see reason,” she said before he could continue.
“He’s meant for you.”
Silence answered him back.
“Kári,” Aõalríkr called from the woods somewhere off to her right. She turned to look for him, but he was too far away. Bringing her attention back to Finnr, she found herself alone. The sneaky pest had slipped away again.
“I’m over here,” she called back, holding her hands to her face to amply her voice. In the dream world the laws of sound were slightly different from her world. Sometimes a whisper could carry like a shout and a bellow would seem only like a muffled gasp. This time the laws were working in her favor as her voice carried far enough to be heard.
Aõalríkr emerged through the trees, a scowl on his beautiful face. His men along with hers were still lost in their dreamless sleeps leaving them alone in this strange world.
The minute he saw her, he rushed to her side. She had only a moment to question the urgency in his haste to get to her. Just as he reached her side, the woods behind them were disturbed by the figures of at least a dozen Red Rebels. Their angry threats and shouts reverber
ated through the woods like falling boulders, despite their few numbers.
Kári had the opportunity to utter a single disbelieving ‘what’ before Aõalríkr swept her arm into his hand and propelled her away from the Red Rebels who were now in hot pursuit of them.
Another law of the dream world is that landscapes can change at a moment’s notice for those with little knowledge or control of the world. One moment they were racing through what looked like the Black Woods then the next they were in a snowy valley surrounded by the majesty of an unfamiliar mountain range.
Kári stopped suddenly in mid-run as her feet made contact with the icy crust beneath her feet. His majesty wasn’t as lucky as his boots skid upon the unfamiliar turf. He let go of her arm just before he made an ungallant head first tumble into a snowy mound.
The laugh that escaped her lips at seeing the prince upside down in the snow carried upon the wind like twinkling bells. The waning moon above them cast little light on the earth making the dream world seem grey in color.
Aõalríkr pulled hard and was able to extract himself from the dense snow, turning around to sit on the cold ground as he tried to attain his bearings in this world. When he had gained awareness of himself in the dream world, he found all his men and the eastern warriors were still asleep. No matter how hard he tried, none would awaken to his commands. Then he had made the mistake of wandering off where he came across a small band of Red Rebels eager even in sleep to cause trouble.
The icy wind in the valley sent chills up his back side, setting his teeth on edge. Sitting on the cold hard ground wasn’t helping either. With a groan, he pulled himself up from the ground. In this world he felt less like himself, his control slipping away into sluggish reactions that normally wouldn’t happen if he was in his own world.
“I’d move a little closer to me if I were you,” he heard Kári say.
“And why is that?” he remarked irately.
“Because of the Dreki that is crouched just behind you,” she answered. “I think he’s a little miffed that you tumbled into him and disturbed his sleep.”
Aõalríkr spun around on the slippery earth, coming face to face with the ancient dragon. The creature did indeed look a bit perturbed by the intrusion to his sleep. He blasted a great ball of fire that instantly melted the icicles that had formed on his hair.
He backed up and away from the Dreki, his hand going instantly to his Suero. Unfortunately for him it was gone from his side. The Norns were messing with him, he knew it. Aõalríkr had never been very friendly with them, preferring to make his own future rather than pandering to their wishes for him.
The creature stomped toward Kári, laying its massive head down so that she might reach it. She laid her hand over its jaw and massaged its cold scaly skin. The Dreki seemed to purr at her gesture, a rumbling sound that could be heard for miles.
“Do you know this Dreki, madam?” Aõalríkr questioned as he stood next to her near the head of this lethal creature. She obviously was familiar with it as it was with her. It wasn’t everyday that one made contact with the elusive beast and it was even rarer to get this close to one.
“Perhaps,” she answered vaguely. What she wouldn’t tell him was that she did indeed know this Dreki. He belonged to her father; a pet of sorts if you could call such a creature a pet. They had only met a few times in her world, but even still he always recognized her.
Kári pressed her face against his neck as she listened to his heart beat. With her body so close to it she could feel its thoughts as if they were her own. The thoughts of animals are difficult to understand, but occasionally she could figure out the general gist of what it was thinking.
She reached around to its long thick neck, pulling herself up onto its body. Aõalríkr had his hand on her boot just as she had situated herself onto the creature. She frowned down at him from the slight height. The creature was lying low to accommodate them.
“What on the gods frosty earth are you doing? You can’t possibly ride this beast.” He looked like he intended to pull her off the creature.
“Yes, I do intend to ride him. Now get on.” Straps appeared in her hands, secured around a length of leather that was placed around the beast’s neck.
“You have got to be joking.” He shook his head as he reached up for her, intending to take her off the creature and put her back onto the somewhat safer earth. However, just as he had his hands around her the creature moved, causing him to swing into the air and land onto the creatures back behind Kári.
“I think you have been overruled, your majesty,” she said with a laugh.
It dawned on him then that this was the first he had ever heard her laugh. It was beautiful. Somehow he knew that only in this world would she ever let herself laugh as she was now. And for some reason he wanted to change that.
The Dreki rose high into the sky, moving its burden far above the earth as they swayed from their precarious seats on its back. Aõalríkr held one hand firmly around Kári’s waist, using his other hand he took control of the reigns. Surprisingly she let him.
They flew high over the valley as the Dreki made its way to its planned destination. Someone had given the beast orders and whoever it was had been most specific about where it was to take the two humans. At the top of one of the tallest peaks along the mountain range, the Dreki made its descent into landing. What little trees remained at the summit of the mountain was coated in wintery frost and ice. Nothing could possibly grow under such harsh conditions.
Aõalríkr slid quickly off the Dreki taking Kári with him. Pulling her from the creature he held her back and away from it lest it suddenly become dangerous. You could never be too certain with wild creatures.
The Dreki, however, accomplishing its goal to see the humans to the summit, took little notice of them as he took to the skies once again. His great wings caused snow to shake from the plants and boulders around them, raining down on them in great sheets of white.
They both found themselves partially covered up to their thighs in snow and ice. It took them a few moments to escape and when they did the first thing that Aõalríkr did was come after Kári with a vengeance.
“You have got to be the craziest person I have ever met. What in Brunkjar were you thinking getting on that Dreki’s back? You could have been killed.” He was shouting at her now. His tirade switching between several dialects of language, some of which she was unfamiliar with. He was also holding on to her, their bodies far too close for her comfort.
After several heated minutes he realized his mistake. It was far too much to be so close to her and in this world he wasn’t sure what he would do. Aõalríkr quickly stepped back, putting appropriate distance between him and temptation.
He went to sit upon a large boulder that had been cleared of snow from when the Dreki had taken off. Situating himself on it with one knee bent and away, he turned to gaze at the woman who had existed in his mind all day and now was haunting his dreams. There was no escaping her.
Kári saw the succession of emotions as they passed over his face. He was the one her father had warned would come into their family and change the lives of them all; forever. Until this moment she had thought that she had outwitted this destiny. She hadn’t.
She plopped down on the cold snowy ground, her mantle billowing about her like a skirt. And then she realized it was a skirt that was framing her figure. Instead of the manly attire she had become accustomed to wearing she was now decked out in a full skirt and bodice; a fur lined cloak hanging over her, the hood framing her face and shielding her from the weather.
“You’ll get cold sitting on the ground like that. Come here.” He held out his hand in invitation.
Under other circumstances she might not have gone to him. But this was the dream world and she was lost in it as much as she was lost to the lure of this man. As if under a compulsion, she rose and went to him, putting her hand within his large and warm hands. He brought her to sit next to him, drawing his heavy mantle about t
hem both.
“How are you friends with a shape-shifter?” Kári asked as she laid her head against his shoulder. This felt too good to be real. She shouldn’t want to remain here with him, but she was powerless to change it. Somehow this felt right. But then in the dream world the things that made sense within this world couldn’t hold up under the laws of hers.
“Do you really want to know or are you just trying to strike up conversation so you’re not bored?” He put his arms about her smaller form, bringer her closer to his body. It was a mistake to let her close to him when he couldn’t be sure of his own control, but he couldn’t stop himself. This felt too good to be real and he couldn’t help but feel the rightness of it all. But he was more than aware that in the dream world he was more than a fool.
“I really want to know,” she whispered back, closing her eyes. This was only a dream and in dreams you could have whatever you wanted even if it wasn’t right to want it. Kári could savor these moments and hold them with her forever.
“I found him,” he began. His voice resonated through her body and she felt the cold diamond of her necklace warm against her flesh. She brought her hands to it, trying to hold the warmth to her, knowing that all too soon it would return to its natural icy state.
“His family was killed many years before when he was only a pup. The people in his village didn’t understand his other half and they were afraid of him. One day as I was riding through on some campaign that I can’t even recall I found him in the woods just as some boys were going to tie him to a tree and skin him. He couldn’t have been more than a teenager at the time, but he fought them even though they outnumbered him.”
“How old were you at the time?” She opened her eyes to look to up at him.
“Not much older than he was, but I was a good deal bigger and stronger. I couldn’t stand to see someone being cut down or thrown away because they were different. They couldn’t take the time to figure him out so they thought his life was worthless to them.”
She watched his face turn hard as he recalled the boys who had only learned their values from parents who thought the same. His own father had felt that the shape-shifter people were not to be trusted. But Aõalríkr knew the truth and didn’t allow his own father’s prejudices stop him from sparing another young man’s life.
“So you reached him in time to stop them,” she reasoned the obvious.
He nodded, rubbing his hand along her shoulders absently. “Just barely and with a great deal of luck on my side I managed to dissuade the boys from slicing him into little doggy pieces and persuaded them to find something else to entertain them. Álfr didn’t like that I had interfered and in fact he didn’t like me much after that either.”
She was confused. “Are you saying he wasn’t grateful then?”
“Hardly,” he said with a chuckle. “He had no liking for the royal family, especially my father who allowed his entire family to be murdered while he thought those responsible went unpunished. But in the end he came to understand I wasn’t my father and we’ve been friends ever since.”
“That’s a nice story,” she answered with a yawn. “I suppose there are some redeeming qualities about you after all.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment, Kári?” He teased her. He liked saying her name. Felt that he should be allowed to say it whenever he wanted and that it belonged to him, as she should. The dream world was pulling his mind into the impossible.
“Yes, Aõalríkr, it’s a compliment. And it’s all you’re getting from me.” Even in her sleepy state she was still surly and stubborn. He liked that more than he should. “I like your eyes too, but that’s the last compliment you’ll hear from me.” She wasn’t even aware of what she was saying now.
“Are you falling asleep, madam?” he teased again as he brushed away a strand of her sun-kissed hair from her beguiling little face.
“No,” she said sleepily. “I was just thinking that I might actually grow to like you.”
“Good,” he answered and with a will not his own he bent forward and placed a kiss upon the cool flesh of her forehead. She would never have allowed him such liberties in their world. He knew that these moments with her would have to remain in the realm of dreaming fantasy.
Aõalríkr felt the sluggishness of a dreamless sleep taking hold of his body. Already he could see that Kári had been washed away into the dark depths of a deeper sleep. He felt himself fast approaching the point when he wouldn’t be able to hold on to her anymore. When next he would come to himself it would be in his own world far from these most precious moments of peace.
In that moment just before sleep took him, he prayed to the gods to give him but one thing in his life. Never in his existence had he asked for anything from them, but now he would. All I want is her. And with that thought he was swept under.
