While she contemplated the stories around the fire, Eleesa peered up at the mighty mountain above them. She had been allowed a break from her training. Herbjarg’s eldest son, Thurmod, had taken over training her. He was much rougher than his father, but the preceding days had toughed her. She now fought with both the axe and shield. She could lift both weapons without dropping them. However, she was still far from using the tools with any real skill. All the family taught her was defense. Such a strange land this was, where the women could fight, and monsters ruled. Even Herbjarg’s daughters and the family slave could fight. They all took turns in relentlessly attacking Eleesa with shield and axe. The only training, she loved was the bow. Segruide, Herbjarg’s youngest daughter took a liking to Eleesa. She taught Eleesa how to sew, shoot a bow, and even learned some of Eleesa’s language. Diodo was still the best teacher for Eleesa in the language of the Hinn.
The mountain seemed to be on fire today as the party broke camp. Diodo told Eleesa that it was normal in this region. The Hinn said that it was the mountain bear, Bjorg, breathing. Smoke reached up into the clouds from the mountain peak. So, Eleesa was frightened at the mighty smoke. Segruide comforted her by rubbing a hand across Eleesa’s shoulders. Just after breaking camp, the entire party waited for a moment in admiration of the smoky crest. In reverent silence, the party moved back up the mountain. It had gotten considerably colder and snow dotted the rocky surface. Travel was very slow this high up in the mountains. Yet, many miles lay ahead still. Herbjarg informed Diodo and Eleesa that his family would be leaving them after another day. Eleesa’s face fell and Diodo explained to her the reason. Herbjarg, much to the distaste of his family, had broken old traditions by helping them. They believed the mountain bear had cursed them for this action. None the less, Herbjarg had seen the bear in a dream. He took this as a sign to turn back. Diodo had convinced Herbjarg to stay until the party reached the closest peak. The family had become very fond of Diodo and Eleesa in their travels. Eleesa had grown to feel safe with them as well. She feared that she was not ready to face the world on her own. Fortunately, Diodo had promised to accompany her. It was at this moment in the journey, Eleesa wondered where her long-time companion Marco had disappeared to. He was probably the stealthiest boy Eleesa had ever met. However, more pressing worries brought her back to the present.
The mountain had no food farther up. They must shoot a mountain goat before climbing any higher. The party fanned out in three hunting parties. Diodo, Herbjarg, Sighilde, and their slave traveled together. Eleesa accompanied Segruide and Thurmod. Byulgrut, Flarok, and Hilde traveled in their own group. Herbjarg had said to meet at Turvalt. Eleesa assumed Turvalt must be a place farther up the mountains. She had learned much of the Hinn language up to this point and decided to ask.
“What is Turvalt?” Segruide held back with Eleesa to talk. She rubbed a finger across her mouth. Eleesa took this to mean to talk quietly. Thurmod, crouching, moved up ahead of the two young women.
“Turvalt is a village just up ahead. It lays on a plateau and hold our House of Bjorg.”
“I wish to see this house of Bjorg.” As Eleesa spoke, Thurmod dropped down to a deeper crouch and Segruide held a finger to her mouth. Eleesa nodded in response. Segruide, keeping a low profile, moved up behind her older brother. The two were looking down over the small rocky hill. Eleesa, following their example, crawled up to the Hinn children’s left. They had spotted prey. A goat stood about a hundred yards away. It was grazing on a small patch of grass. Thurmod unslung his boy slowly. He attempted not to make any sound. Segruide unslung hers as well. Eleesa followed suit but bounced the bottom of the bow on the hard rock. Segruide and her brother cursed under their breath. They did not move their eyes from the goat, but Eleesa could feel their disappointment. Eleesa held her breath as the goat’s ears perked up and it looked around. Being extra careful, the three people removed an arrow from their quivers. Almost in unison, they quietly notched the arrows to their bow strings. Just as they were drawing back, a growl sounded from behind them. Segruide looked over at Eleesa with a look of fear in her eyes. Segruide’s expression was bone chilling and Eleesa dared not move. Thurmod nudged Segruide’s shoulder and let his arrow fly. At that same moment, Segruide rolled over on top of Eleesa. The weight startled and pushed the wind out of Eleesa’s lungs. The arrow fired on its own from Eleesa’s bow. Weight increased atop Eleesa suddenly. She was crushed under Segruide and something extremely heavy. Growling seemed to echo all around the mountain. Eleesa could hear a struggle on top of her but she could not manage to look. She heard both Segruide and Thurmod making cries of pain and grunts of exertion. Eleesa dared not lose her bow and felt wet saliva drip into her ear. Then, a weight shifted on top of the girl from Bahl. She shifted her gaze to look up and had to crane her neck to see anything. Out of the corner of her eye, Eleesa saw the smiling jaws of a mighty wolf. Segruide lay unconscious atop Eleesa. She looked over to see Thurmod unconscious as well. He was probably dead. Two wolves, slightly smaller than the one on top of Eleesa, were tearing at Thurmod’s limbs. Eleesa’s eyes widened with fear and she grabbed Segruide’s hands. The gloves on her Hinn friend’s hands had been torn apart in the dog’s mouth. Eleesa could feel blood streaming over her own hands. Using all her might she tried to budge the girl’s unconscious body and the wolf. Then, suddenly, Segruide breathed and opened her eyes. The wolf reared up in surprise. Segruide had managed to free her axe before the wolf knocked her out. She now buried the axe blade in the wolf’s haunches. The wolf yowled and jumped back. Segruide got to her feet, even as the other two wolves circled her. Eleesa crawled over to Thurmod as Segruide backed to the right. The wolves seemed more intent of Segruide and Eleesa grabbed Thurmod’s body and turned him over. Now, the boy’s shield protected his back. Eleesa didn’t see a point in checking Thurmods vitals. They were still in grave danger. Eleesa got to her feet and the wolves glanced over at her. As she replaced her bow with the shield and axe, another wolf arrived.
“Stay behind me, Eleesa. Watch my back.” Segruide backed towards Eleesa herself and remained in a low crouch. She peaked only just over her wide round wooden shield. The she struck the shield’s center with the axe head. Eleesa began to do the same. The wolves snarled and showed their teeth. Even so, the wolves backed away and then disappeared back down the mountain. Segruide breathed a sigh and stood up. “The wolves should not be this far up the mountain. This is a dark omen indeed.” Segruide rubbed her neck vigorously. Eleesa, still crouching moved around to see Segruide’s face. Her features showed deep confusion.
“What is it?” Eleesa watched as Segruide pulled a wolf’s tooth from her neck.
“That is very odd?” Segruide eyed the tooth and continued rubbing her neck. “The mountain bear must be watching over me.”
***
General Hamo hurt all over as the cart tussled his body around. Even the straw bundles below him felt like thorns. His four vigilant guards were completely silent as the party approached the old city of Granuma. Its walls were daunting and stretched for miles around the great city. The closer they got, the larger the dark city loomed. This area of the Bahl kingdom rarely saw sunlight. The ride had taken a day long than normal due to frequent delays. General Hamo needed his bandages changed regularly. Also, his condition required more rest than he was allowed. His guard would ask periodically if Hamo needed to rest. The General would simply answer with a grunt. He craned his head, which hurt, to look at the dark city. Granuma had stood proud since long before General Hamo’s grandfather lived. Some believed the city had been built by the ancient ones, at the founding of the earth. He looked up at the spires that adorned the highwalls. The outer wall was a newer structure. The iron had been painted black in keeping with the inner fortress. The wall itself was made from a dark stone. The deep grey had turned a tar black after centuries of sieges. The walls had been burned many times. Yet still, the stone walls stood firm. The iron gates stretched four stories into the sky. It rivaled those
high walls of Timujri. Above, soldiers stood resolute atop the battlements. General Hamo, himself, was never able to breach the city’s outer wall. Five guard towers stood at each point of the compass. No army could approach the city and avoid detection. In the dusty grey desert surrounding the capital, a crowd had gathered. Hovels had been built and slums marred the country side. The Capital was situation in what is known as the ash desert. This name came from the color of the grey craggy ground and dust. General Hamo remembered how the city had looked while he besieged it. The hovels and straw houses had been abandoned and set on fire. Even now, beggars and merchants strolled through the slums outside the walls. The area made a perfect place for brigands and bandits to hide. Yet, all that lived out side would either run or die in a siege. It seemed that these people had no idea the danger they were in every day.
A conical horn blew from the southern guard house upon Lord Milco’s arrival. The massive iron gates slowly opened with creaks and shudders. Inside, more slums stretched for miles. Each section of the city was segregated into districts. The poor resided in the south. The merchants and artisans resided in the west. The wealthy resided in the east and a standing garrison resided in the north. Travel through the over crowded city was slow and cumbersome, especially in the southern portion. General Hamo looked up at rotting roofs and people hanging out of windows. The party passed three taverns and two whore houses. Everywhere they went, the filthy stench human decay assailed their noses. The inhabitants walked around with dirty faces and beaten expressions. Hamo looked up at the worst time to meet a bucket of dirty water. The woman above was emptying her cleaning basin into the street. General Hamo laid back in dismay. The stench of the city would never wash off. Why did so many flock to this cesspool of filth? The capital of rats and lice. This was the name given by the commoners. It was a fitting name. Lord Milco didn’t even bat an eye at the poor the rushed to move from his path. He didn’t even show a twitch spray of dirty water hit him. Also, no one paid any mind to the people that relieved themselves in the middle of the street. There was basically no law here. General Hamo remembered well how difficult it was to police the city. After he had joined Queen Magiya, the task of cleaning the city was almost impossible. His old trusted friends were alive then. This was a different time he lived in today. The party picked up their pace. An old woman, too slow in evacuating the path, was trampled under Lord Milco’s horse. The men walking behind him didn’t even step aside. They simply stepped on top of her. General Hamo groaned as the wheels of the cart rolled over her body. It jostled the cart and threw Hamo over to the side. The guard that sat in front of Hamo cursed under his breath. Light was fading fast and once the sun went down this place would become different. No group, not even royal soldiers, wanted to be in south Granuma at night. The city was like a mob with no purpose at night. Theft, murder, and the vilest of acts took place at night. None were safe in the city. Even the parts of the city with guards were not safe.
Finally, the group approached the inner-city. At its center, Granuma’s pride rose high into the clouds. The tallest tower on the entire continent. Around the tower rose the walls of a great keep. The original structure of Granuma where only the library, the Lord Milco, and royal guests stayed. The rulers of the land in a bygone age lived in the tower. Now, the royal chambers had been locked ever since Queen Magiya ascended the throne. No one knew where she stayed. When the time was right, she would just appear. The tower and its keep were blacker than the city or its outer wall. The keep was made entirely from stone and it boasted a garden, courtyard, and an inner wall to add further protection. The gardens and courtyard had long since fallen into decay. The plants and grass were all dead; choked by the grey dust. The inner wall, keep, and tower had been burned more than any other part of the city. Spiders, rats, and other insects infested the keep grounds. A roaming guard of twenty men patrolled around the clock. Yet, none of these precautions made a difference. The inner wall and keep were closed to the rest of the city. Only the most royal attendants were allowed inside.
The stone door creaked open at the party’s arrival. It was small in comparison to the rest of the structure. The door was also the only entrance. It allowed for four men to pass walking side by side. The guard the opened the door raised his javelin to Lord Milco as the troupe moved by. In the courtyard they came to a halt. The four guards pulled the cart to a stop. Then, the two in hopped into the stone ground. The two in the back hoisted General Hamo up between them. Lord Hilco dismounted and barked orders to his men. Even as torch light began to illuminate the city. The party hurried to get in doors. The four guards were the first to approach the keeps iron gate. It swung open with a shudder and a bang. The guard inside was wearing the same uniform as Hamo’s attendants. None of the soldiers uttered a word as they passed inside. The gate guard did not salute Lord Milco either or say a word. The guards carried General Hamo up the long flight of stairs. They stretched up for miles, winding in circle after circle. After every flight stood a single solitary oak door. Entering any of the doorways would open a maze of stone corridors. During the day, light would beam down the center of the tower due to an open ceiling. When it rained the water would pool into a well that dropped far down into blackness. A small four-foot wooden railing had been built to keep people from stumbling off the staircase. That was a creation of General Hamo’s. He had ordered the railing built when a drunk lord stumbled into oblivion. After what seemed like an eternity of climbing. General Hamo arrived at his quarters. Lord Milco was thin and used to climbing the long staircase. However, some of the men he had brought were out of breath. They had been lagging for the last few flights. Lord Milco would surely give them a proper scolding.
The Royal General’s Quarters consisted of a long circular corridor that wrapped all the way around. The General’s bedchamber was joined by silk curtains to where his personal guard slept. The General’s guards carried Hamo to his bed and laid him down on the silk sheets and pillows. The bed was still made in the old way. A lot of pillows had been arranged the length of the room. Atop the pillows was placed a silk sheet. On top of the sheet blankets more silk. A brazier crackled in the corner of the room. A handful of generals had died over the centuries due to fire. Exhausted, General Hamo fell asleep on his bed of pillows.
***
Eleesa and Segruide arrived at Turvalt. The bore the weight of Segruide’s brother between them. He was dead, and his lips had turned blue. The two young women strained and sweat moistened their brow. Turvalt was a sight to behold. A single large hall stood at the edge of a frozen mountain lake. Smoke was rising from a chimney of wood and straw. There were no visible fortifications. The inhabitants must not have met many armies up here. Eleesa could make out another large structure on the other side of the lake. That must be the House of Bjorg. Diodo and Herbjarg waited by a small fire outside the hall. The look of sadness to Herbjarg first and he rushed out to meet the two young women.
“My son!” Herbjarg cried in the Hinn tongue as he took the boy’s broken body from the two girls. “Why has Bjorg done this to us! Why my son!” The great Hinn warrior was reduced to tears as he cradled Thurmod.
“You must show strength. Do not anger the gods Herbjarg, the rest of your family depends upon it.” Diodo laid a hand on Herbjarg’s shoulder. Herbjarg nodded and laid the young man on the ground. The rest of the family rushed out of the hall to meet them. Only Herbjarg’s wife broke into tears in the group. Everyone else looked on stoically. Eleesa looked over at Segruide who was still stroking her throat. She caught Eleesa looking at her and moved away. Eleesa felt as though Segruide did not like her anymore.
“Thurmod struck a goat with his arrow.” Segruide left her hands at her side. She spoke with her eyes fixed on her dead brother.
“I will get it. Best not to let good meat go to waste.” Diodo slapped Herbjarg on the shoulder and walked towards Eleesa. Diodo gestured with his head emphatically. Eleesa followed but not without protest. Diodo grabbed her by the shoulder, spun her a
round, and nudged her along. It began to snow and soon their tracks would vanish.
“Why must I come?”
“This is a private matter for the family. We must respect their rights. When we return, a feast will be provided. This will be the last feast that either of us will have for a while. Tomorrow morning, we shall all go to the House of Bjorg and make sacrifices. Then, we shall continue up the mountain. Herbjarg and his family will send his son into the salty earth. They will cut a hole open in the ice big enough for a ship. Thurmod will be buried with his brethren at the bottom of the Turvalt lake.”
The First Valkyrie Page 15
