by Katrina Cope
Elan lunges for the zmey again, her threats continuing. Come here, you slimy little creature. I would love to teach you a lesson.
The zmey dives for Elan from the side, and Elan struggles momentarily with her large body, trying to stop herself from flopping forward. Using this opportunity, the zmey pushes up and disappears around the edge of a mountain. As soon as Elan steadies herself, she pursues the zmey, trying to catch the trail before it turns cold. It takes her a moment to launch her massive form into the air and steady her wings.
The zmey appears briefly before completely disappearing, and Elan fades into invisibility.
I head toward Britta and help her stand before leading her to her sword. Then I move to help Eir. Britta has gashes all down her stomach and on the inside of her arm. Eir doesn't look much better, with gashes all along her shoulders and down her arm.
Eir places her hand over one of her wounds. "What just happened? Why is the zmey attacking us? What did we do?"
I feel a deep tinge of guilt growing through my body. It was only a short time before that I mentioned to Gilroma how I wished the zmey would mark my friends so they could have magic and help me out. Looking at their state, I don’t know what I was thinking. Even so, I don’t understand why the zmey would suddenly attack my friends. That was a private conversation buried deep within a mountain. No one could have heard us, let alone Loki.
"Other than a few gashes, are you all feeling okay?" It takes a considerable effort to push the guilt aside, even though I was only thinking out loud about this happening. I didn’t cause it.
"A little shaken up." Britta slides her sword back into its sheath. "And feeling a little sorry for myself. Besides that, I feel all right."
"I feel the same." Hildr flinches as she reaches for her back. "But I'd love to know why the zmey decided to attack us."
"Does that mean we’ve been marked with magic?" Eir asks. "Was that the creature that marked you, Kara?"
I nod then get distracted by a roar that echoes through the valley. I search for Elan but can’t see her. She must still be invisible. I can’t see the zmey either. I focus back on Eir. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure if the zmey has marked you with magic. But if it did, wouldn’t that be a good thing?"
Hildr’s eyebrows tweak with interest. "Is that a possibility?"
"It’s the same creature that marked me and created the magic inside of me. But it’s also Loki in one of his many images."
Britta looks at me in disbelief. "You mean Loki would do this?"
"That's what I've been told and what I’ve read. I have read that that creature is Loki and that when he marks you, it is a mark of magic and eventually you will manifest the power. I shrug. That's pretty much what happened to me anyway."
Elan’s golden form appears from around the corner, flying in our direction.
“Don't tell Elan that the creature is Loki, though,” I whisper. “At least until I work out that it is Loki for certain. I'll fill you in on the rest later."
Elan lands, and the ground shakes. Her face is etched with annoyance. It disappeared again. I want to tear that little creature apart. It's been stealing our eggs, and I still can't get to it. Did you see where it went? She looks at us individually. The three of us shake our heads.
"No. Sorry, Elan. I didn't see it. I would tell you if I did," I say.
She huffs and throws her head to the side. I'm going to search again. And with that, she pushes off into the air. The dust billows up around us as her wings flap toward the ground.
I look at my three friends. "It would be best if you get your wounds attended to. If you’re ready for another shock, I know someone who can achieve this properly.”
They stare at me blankly. My skin crawls, but I don’t blame them. They are getting bombarded with a lot of shocks at once.
Hesitantly, I ask, “Are you ready for another shock?”
- Chapter Seven -
* * *
“What do you mean another shock?" Hildr’s eyes are wide, and she points in the direction that the zmey flew, even though it’s out of sight. “We’ve just been scratched by that zmey creature. What other sorts of shock do you have for us?"
I shrug and fiddle with my hands in front of me. "There’s someone else I’ve been seeing." The words come out quickly, and I suddenly feel the need to study the ground.
"Do you mean that angel of death?" Eir’s voice rises with excitement.
"Yes.” Then I register what she said. I look up and shake my head. "I mean, no. Not like that, Eir." I frown at her. "How did Harut come into this?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. You’re the one who’s talking about secrets.”
"I'm talking about something else." I huff with exasperation and take turns looking at my friends. "Come with me. There’s only one way to do this."
I head back in the direction I came. I can’t help but notice how clear and blue the sky looks, absent of golden dragons and the zmey. Elan hasn’t returned, so I can only imagine that she hasn’t caught up with the zmey yet and remains in her invisible form to pursue it.
I lead my friends back to Gilroma’s place, listening to their confused comments and winces over the pain they are feeling from the scratches. At least I know from experience that their wounds are not deadly. We enter the long, thin tunnel.
“Where are you taking us, Kara? This place is creepy!” Britta's voice sounds on edge.
I turn around and face them, barely making out their eyes in the dim glow of the distant light from the candles. "I'm not sure if he is going to be here, but if he is, he should be able to help with your scars and your healing.”
Britta pulls at her leather clothes, trying to pull her shirt over the top of her wound.
“Just a word of warning, though. He's a bit of a strange creature," I say.
Hildr grunts. "What do you mean that he is a creature? Haven’t we had enough strange creatures for the day?"
I lift my hand in a stopping motion. "Just bear with me. He's helped me out a lot with my magic, but he has to be kept a secret. So please, keep this secret." I clasp my hands together. "If you don't, then my trainer of magic will disappear forever. He is the one that taught me how to raise the barriers that helped us against the dark elves.”
They nod in unison and follow me down the dingy tunnel. Their footsteps echo loudly through the thin, enclosed alleyway. Finally, I reach the light at the end of the tunnel and circle around into the room. I'm surprised to see Gilroma is back and sitting in his usual spot.
I move farther into the room. "Where were you before?"
His glowing eyes lift from his book and observe me. "What do you mean?"
"Elan wanted to meet you, so I came back in straight after I left, but somehow you sneaked past me."
He shrugs his shoulders. "I just went out for a quick errand, but I’m back now. And you’re back so soon? What a strange surprise!"
"I brought some friends. They need your help." His face turns pale, and his glowing eyes seem to burn right through me. Suddenly, I’m questioning my decision. "I hope this okay."
"I don't know. It depends on who they are. And are they going to keep my location a secret? You say ‘friends.’ How many?" His voice is low and grumbling.
“Just a few. I trust them, and they promised to keep you and your place a secret.”
He nods once.
I turn around and call my friends. "Come on, guys! You can come around.” I unstrap my weapons and rest them in the nearest corner.
Hildr comes around the corner first, and her jaw clenches as her gaze crosses the cave. "Isn't he a dark elf?"
Eir comes around the corner, and Britta follows close behind. Her eyes widen as she stares at Gilroma’s glowing yellow eyes.
"Yes, he is a dark elf. Remember, I said that he helped me channel my magic, which helped to stop the dark elves that invaded us? He also helped after the zmey marked me again after the initial mark on my shoulder. Come in and let him take a look at your wounds."
&n
bsp; Apprehensively, they enter the cave together.
"Clearly we have to work on our trust issues in this little group," I say. "I trust Gilroma, and I trust you guys. We just have to learn to trust each other. You could get him to look at those wounds. Perhaps he can heal them enough so that you’re not left with big, nasty scars. Gilroma healed my last wound from the zmey until the scar completely disappeared.”
Hildr lets out an exasperated sigh. "Scars never worried me, but what the heck? Here.” She stands in front of him, and he observes her strangely.
Eventually, he stands and reaches for his ointment. "This can sting a little.” He dips his fingers in the ointment, and his hand pauses not far from her body. “And I have to touch you."
"I can put it on." Hildr reaches for the ointment.
He yanks the jar away. "Not if you want it to heal properly. It has to come from my fingers." A sad resignation fills his voice.
"Fine, then." She faces away, exposing her sore to him by lifting the flap of her torn clothes. She hisses as he gently runs his ointment-covered fingers along the wound.
He does this a few times before pulling his hand back. "There. That should do."
Hildr reaches around and feels the area of her skin under the torn leather. Her fingers tap the area as though searching in a panic. "There’s nothing there."
"No. It's healed." Gilroma wipes his fingers on a cloth, ridding them of the salve.
"Thank you," she says stiffly, as though remembering who she is talking to and pushing away her excitement.
Eir charges up to Gilroma. “I'm next."
He smiles. "Of course. The peaceful one."
Eir balks, and her face flattens in shock. "How do you know that?"
"Kara talks about you all the time."
Eir glances at me. “Really?"
He shakes his head, unable to hold back his smile. “No… And yes. But to be honest, I can smell it on you. You’re a peacemaker, and that is what I live for." He runs his salve-covered fingers along her wound.
She squeals slightly and gazes at Hildr. "That really does hurt, doesn't it?"
Seeing Gilroma is finished with Eir, Britta apprehensively approaches. "I guess I’m next." She lifts the torn leather away from her torso and watches him intensely as he works, hissing when he puts the cream on her wound.
Within moments, he pulls back. "There. It should be all done.
She reaches down and feels for the sore with her fingers. "That’s a miracle!"
He chuckles. "I wouldn't call it that.” He shrugs. “But if that’s what you really want to name it…"
Eir looks down at Britta’s torso. "There’s not a single scar in sight." Her eyes soften when she looks at him. "You must be a miracle worker. Not even Anita could heal it like this."
Gilroma moves to the corner and puts his ointment away. "I'm flattered."
Hildr narrows her eyes at him. "So what are you doing in here, so deep in the mountain? Since when have you lived in Asgard?"
His eyes widen for a moment as he looks at her, and he sucks in his scarred cheeks. Then he relaxes and nods. "I guess all these questions are to be expected. I am a friend of Anita's, and I've been here for many, many years. Recently, I've worked with Kara. She was directed here by your healer."
"Really?" Hildr’s eyes are still squinting. “Anita has never mentioned you."
"Yes. Anita is good like that. I have asked her not to mention me unless it is deemed necessary. She has kept her word. And I'll ask the same of you. If you want me to help you with your magic, you must keep my space a secret. I do not believe Odin will tolerate me living here." His eyes suddenly grow a bit brighter.
"How come your eyes glow?" Hildr leans forward to get a closer look.
"The elves we saw the other day had brown eyes." Eir sounds slightly embarrassed over Hildr’s lack of kindness.
“That is a long story," he says as he looks at us one by one. "Now, let's see what you can do with your magic."
- Chapter Eight -
* * *
I leave Gilroma’s cave feeling elated and confused. My two best friends, Hildr and Eir, and my newest friend, Britta, have been tainted with magic. The zmey decided to mark them, and this confuses me, but at the same time, I’m happy that they have been given the gift of magic. Their powers are already manifesting under Gilroma’s guidance, and they have only been marked for a short period. At the same time, I don't understand why the zmey has marked them. I wonder why it has suddenly picked on my friends and not the other Valkyries.
I need to find Loki. My mind whirls with thoughts and ideas of where I might be able to find him. All of them are eventually leading back to the palace. Perhaps I should try there. Loki must be somewhere close if he has just appeared as the zmey again and was on the hill when the dark elves attacked and the senior Valkyries came to help.
"I'm beat!" Hildr’s shoulders slump. "How do you do it all the time?"
"I'm exhausted too." Eir’s face is a lighter shade than usual. "Now I know how you felt when you passed out before."
"I’m going to have a shower and get cleaned up." Britta runs a hand over her blood-soaked leathers, attempting to cover her torso. “I seriously need to find new leathers. If Mistress Sigrun finds us, she is not going to be impressed, and if she presses us for answers, she’s going to be even less impressed knowing that we have been marked with magic.”
"That’s an understatement. I’m coming too." Hildr screws up her nose at her clothes. “I feel disgusting, and I'm exhausted.”
"What are you going to do, Kara?" Eir asks.
"I'm going to wander around for a bit, I think. I'm so happy you guys have magic, too, but I’m also a little confused. I need to clear my head and think it over."
"Don't go doing anything stupid," Britta says.
I give her a strange look. "Gee, thanks, Britta."
"You know what I mean," she says.
"Yeah, but if she does, then she won't have us by her side to help protect her with magic," Hildr says.
I roll my eyes. "I’ll try and keep out of trouble. Okay?"
Eir lifts her eyebrow at me. "Good. So we’ll see you soon?"
I smile innocently. "Of course. I have to get to class soon anyway." We part ways, and I watch them slowly walk away as they receive strange glances from the guards around the academy. With the torn clothes and no wounds, they are an odd sight.
When I'm confident that they’re gone, I head straight for the palace, sneaking past the area where Elan likes to sleep. I don’t know if she is lying invisible or if she's just not there, but I don’t want to upset her by letting her know where I'm going. I still don't think it's a good idea to let her go near Odin, just in case he doesn’t honor his word and captures her again. There's something about his promises that I don’t trust. And I know that he wants an emperor dragon as another marking that he is the most powerful god on Asgard.
Dark clouds gather across the sky, and I can’t shake the eerie feeling that something terrible is going to happen, especially when the clouds cover the sun, sending the land into a darker shade. I trek around the mountains and finally spot Odin's castle in the distance. Suddenly, an enormous crack of thunder rumbles across the sky, and the sky responds by releasing the walls held within the clouds. Rain falls without reprieve, drenching my clothes and my path. Puddles slosh around my shoes, soaking them until my feet slip over their inner lining.
A large crack of thunder rumbles again, and I start to wonder if Odin has gotten wind of what I'm expecting to do. Although I can't understand why he would care if I visit Loki. Perhaps he has been annoyed by someone else, and Odin is getting Thor to send out a message that all of Asgard can hear. Or maybe it is just the weather. I approach the castle and see the guards standing close to the main entrance, trying to escape the rain. This could be problematic. It may be harder to sneak past them.
I duck under the canopy of a nearby building and study them, wondering what to do but at the same time trying to lo
ok inconspicuous. One of the guard’s eyes land on me, and he watches me for a moment before getting distracted and looking elsewhere. In some ways, I wish I’d brought Elan. She might have been able to distract them or help me sneak in. In another way, I’m glad that I didn't. I would hate to put Elan in danger for such a small reason.
I decide to bite the bullet, so I charge up to the front door and approach the guards directly. I skim the palace steps two at a time.
"Halt!" the guard on the right calls out as I bound up the last step.
I gaze at his name embroidered on his top near the shoulder. "Please, Gorm, I just want to get out of this rain. I beg of you, let me past." I put on the most distressed look I can muster and flutter my eyes innocently for a few beats.
Gorm lifts his nose. "You know the only people allowed past this area into the castle are members of the staff or people invited by Odin or one of the royal occupants."
"But it’s pouring out here." I hold my hands over my head in a wasted attempt to stop the drops from falling on my head. I can feel the rain saturating my clothes. As a last attempt, I dart forward and stand in line with the guards. Instantly, their spears crisscross in front of me in a combined movement, blocking my path. I raise my hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'm stopping right here. I wasn’t entering the castle. I was only getting out of the rain."
"We have already discussed this. You can't get any farther unless you have an invitation from one of the royal members or you work here." The guard on the left glares down at me. "The rain excuse is invalid. I saw you taking shelter in that building down there. You could have stayed there."
He's right. I did see him watching me before, but I had to try. My mind races with scenarios that may persuade them to let me in. One idea intrigues me. "I do have an invitation, Birger."
Birger’s eyebrow rises. "Really? And who is it from?" His mouth thins to a line of disbelief.
