Joshua II

by T. G. Ayer

  The god straightened just then, peering out toward the entrance to the hall. Then he shifted his penetrating gaze back to Bryn who seemed unaffected by the power of the god bearing down on her. “We have assembled the scout teams,” Odin said. “And Fenrir needs to train and dispatch the teams. We need you, Brynhildr, and we cannot wait.”

  Joshua hid a smile as he spotted Fenrir’s dark head gliding through the crowd. He spoke to a few warriors as he made his way to the dais. Bryn glanced around as Fen said, “Well, I thought I would have to come and drag you out of your room by your lovely red hair, Bryn!”

  He smiled at Bryn, a teasing tone to his voice. Joshua had known that Fen bore a certain fondness for Bryn, much like Odin and Frigga did, but seeing it was a surprise. The Ulfr rarely showed an emotional response to anyone. Joshua had seen his kindness and caring, of course, so it didn’t surprise him.

  Besides, Bryn was the type of person you either liked or hated. Thankfully, Fen was on the good side.

  Joshua watched as the warrior slowed to a stop and slapped Bryn’s shoulder. “What say you, Bryn, are you ready to return to Midgard? We have a fair amount of trouble to attend to.”

  The warriors around Joshua and Aimee shuffled restlessly and Bryn’s response was lost along with much of the conversation that followed. The All-Father frowned and replied softly. Joshua understood the frustration of the gathered troops as he waited, unable to hear the conversation.

  Then Fen added a little louder now, “We need more Warriors, and we are just not getting them anymore.” The rest of the conversation faded until Fen turned and waved at Joshua and Aimee.

  “He told her, I guess,” said Aimee. As Bryn glanced over at them, Aimee smiled and Joshua did the only thing he could think of. He gave her a thumbs-up.

  What an idiot.

  So much for playing it cool.

  Still, Bryn waved and sent them a cheery grin.

  Fen continued to speak to Bryn and Joshua focused on the tall warrior who was beckoning him. Joshua nudged Aimee who glanced at him momentarily before peering beyond him toward Sapphire, the blonde einherjar.

  The pair, along with the rest of their team, shifted their attention to the warrior as she strode toward them. Her cheeks were shining, and a smile teased her lips.

  “Are you lot ready to tackle your preparations?” she asked, her face stern though her eyes sparkled.

  Joshua nodded, then glanced quickly at Jill and Sapphire, who he was pretty certain weren’t strong enough for a trip to Midgard and back. Sapphire smiled and acknowledged Joshua’s unspoken question.

  “Joshua, Aimee and Karim—you are with me. Jill and Sapphire, you are assisting. You’ll need to be at the ready when the team comes back, both to help them regroup and to take their place if need be.”

  “We’re understudies?” asked Jill, her lips twisting in disappointment.

  “Consider it more as belonging to the second wave. These guys are the first wave, the hammer that swipes at the enemy. You lot are the spears, to be used where needed.”

  “Still sounds like an understudy to me,” muttered Jill.

  Sapphire shook her head but didn’t respond. She turned on her heel and waved at the group. “Come along now. We need to start you on your pre-mission briefing. There are a few things we need to go over to prepare you for the missions.”

  “We do know what our world is like. It’s not as if we haven’t been there before,” said Karim as they followed Sapphire out of the Great Hall.

  Aimee nudged Karim and sent him a cold glare, but she need not have worried. Sapphire paid Karim no mind, just strode off ahead of them, her slim frame bearing the weight of her full armor as if she wore nothing more than a dress.

  And beside Joshua, Aimee had that drooling expression on her face. He wasn’t sure if she had the hots for Sapphire herself or if it was the woman’s badassness that she coveted.

  Just then, Aimee glanced at Joshua’s grinning face, and promptly punched him in the arm.

  And just like that, things went back to normal.

  Chapter 5

  Joshua leaned against the stone wall, watching the sparring warriors on the field before him. Aimee was guiding Jill’s elbow, demonstrating a thrust, the purple-haired girl’s face a study of concentration.

  In the field to Joshua’s left, Karim and Mika were sparring, their swords a blur as the pair attempted to best each other with each move. Both warriors were splattered with mud, their faces almost unrecognizable. Joshua was impressed by their moves, but he watched Mika with a greater concentration.

  The sharp clashing of swords echoed around him, peppered with grunts and frustrated growls. In the field behind Joshua, the sounds of metal slamming into metal grew loud enough to hurt a person’s ears.

  Joshua turned around and leaned on the stone wall, shifting his attention to the sparring valkyries. This field was no less muddy, pairs of warriors scattered across an area four times the size of a basketball court.

  Red hair and red-bronze wings flashed as Bryn thrust, twisted, and then attacked again. She moved so fluidly, as though the swordplay was more a ballet than a potentially deadly battle.

  Bryn let out a low grunt, thrust hard and slammed her sword into her opponent’s chest. Not hard enough to injure, but with enough force that Joshua was certain the valkyrie would sport a stunningly purple bruise in the coming hours.

  The valkyrie let out a low cry and fell backward, landing hard in the mud and sending a splatter of mud in all directions, eliciting a round of annoyed cries as the observing warriors received a face full of gunk.

  Joshua grinned as Bryn stepped away, chest heaving as she struggled for breath. “You know, it’s really hard to concentrate on sword practice when you make a face like that all the time,” he called out as he vaulted over the low wall, unable to keep the laughter from his voice.

  Bryn stiffened, then whirled on her heel as Joshua approached her. Her eyes widened and a smile broke out on her face as she spotted him, her arms flung wide to greet him with a heartfelt hug.

  Taking care not to stab her with his own deadly sharp sword, Joshua returned the hug with equal happiness, unbearably glad that she was feeling better, that she was back to a healthier frame of mind.

  When they finally let each other go, drifting away from the curious eyes of the rest of the valkyries, Joshua grinned. “I’ve been watching you,” he said, unable to help a cheeky smirk. “For a girl, you sure can wield a sword.”

  He made a show of deliberately scanning her from helmet to mud-caked sandals, his face serious. But he suspected he’d failed when Bryn burst out laughing.

  It was so good to see Bryn smiling.

  “Don’t mess with me, Warrior,” she retorted, still chuckling, “I’ll wipe the floor with you.”

  “The mud, you mean?” he replied, still smirking, grinning as he waited for Bryn to get the punchline.

  As usual, she didn’t get it. “Huh?” she asked, her brow furrowed as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

  “The mud, not the floor.” Joshua stabbed the point of his sword into the thick layer of mud between them, and received a slap on the shoulder for his efforts.

  “Enough with the pleasantries. Get back to work, Warriors.” Fen called out as he walked past, sending a stern glare in their direction.

  He caught Joshua’s eye and smiled, sending his approval. Joshua was all too aware of how concerned everyone was for Bryn’s well-being. And of course, well aware that Fen knew how much Bryn meant to him.

  And then the crap with Mika hit him like a kick in the gut. Joshua watched Fenrir walk off, wondering what he would think if he knew that Joshua suspected Mika of working against her own father, against Asgard and Odin. That reality was enough to make Joshua feel ill.

  Still, he straightened and grew serious, blinking when Bryn waved a hand in front of his face.

  He met her gaze and gave a rueful smile. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

  “About Fen?” she as
ked, her expression curious.

  “Yeah! He’s…” Joshua paused, aware that he’d almost voiced his concern about how Fen would feel when he found out about Mika. Then Joshua continued, finishing his sentence with a lame “. . . strange.”

  “Strange as in . . . ?” Bryn’s gaze followed Fenrir, over Joshua’s shoulder.

  Joshua followed the direction of her gaze. “Don’t know . . . maybe it’s the whole werewolf thing,” he said, reaching for the first excuse he could find.

  They spent a moment watching Fen walk amongst the training warriors, until Joshua took a breath and asked, “You still pissed at him?” He shifted his attention to Bryn, interested in her reaction.

  Her eyes narrowed, sparking with annoyance. “About what?”

  Joshua held up his hands in defense, “Hey, news travels. We heard about your little flying accident.”

  Bryn’s lips tightened and she swatted at him, but he ducked in time, avoiding the blow. “It was no accident,” she retorted, her expression shifting as she took a fighting stance, bobbing on her knees.

  She twirled her sword around her, her movements holding an unspoken threat. One which Joshua countered with his own sword-work, well aware now that Bryn was on the defensive, and resorting to battle to defend herself. Only today, she battled not with her snark, but with a deadly sword.

  Joshua shrugged. “Guess he had his reasons.”

  “Yeah.” Bryn wove her sword above her head in an arc, aiming straight at Joshua, but he was ready for her. Raising his sword, he caught the blow with the flat of the blade and swept her weapon aside.

  “But what if he’d been wrong?” she asked, her tone low, almost feral. Joshua was beginning to understand how deeply Bryn had been hurt by Fen’s unorthodox teaching methods.

  She still had a lot to learn about Fenrir.

  “But he wasn’t,” Joshua replied, attacking, his blade aimed straight at Bryn. Her eyes narrowed, hardened, as she deflected the blow with consummate ease. Joshua hid his admiration for her skill as he said, “You have to stop dwelling on it, you know. He knows what he’s doing.”

  Joshua was ready for Bryn’s attack, which was accompanied by a flare of anger in her eyes. He took a few steps back, refusing to engage with her anger, but it seemed he’d poked the bear.

  Her voice was hard, bitter, as she replied, “I wonder if he would’ve been so sure of himself if it all went horribly wrong and I’d ended up splattered across the bottom of the ravine.”

  Changing tack, Joshua decided to go with the conversational approach. “You know, I still can’t get used to it,” Joshua said with a low snort. “He’s the Fenrir. The legend come true. But he isn’t half as terrifying as the myths.”

  But even as he spoke the words, a part of him was afraid. Not of Fen, but of what Mika was going to do to his heart. And Joshua found that he cared for the wolf warrior, more than he’d realized. Perhaps that would explain how much Mika and her suspected betrayal was affecting Joshua.

  Joshua shook the thoughts away and focused on Bryn. He’d studied her moves and was beginning to see her weaknesses and her strengths. He feinted, then swung the sword in a low arc, realizing too late that she wasn’t ready.

  Muscles clenched, he slowed the speed of his blow then stepped lightly away just in time to avoid slicing off half Bryn’s face. She became aware of her vulnerability only at the last second, her gaze landing on the point of his sword as it passed by her face, an inch to spare.

  Joshua had almost killed Bryn.

  Chapter 6

  “Hey! Pay attention, you idiot,” Joshua shouted, struck by how close he’d come to hurting her.

  Bryn blinked at him. “Sorry. Was thinking about something,” she replied almost absently.

  Joshua gritted his teeth. “Yeah? Well, here’s something to think about. Keep your head in the game, or you just might lose that head.” He lifted an eyebrow, allowing a grin to soften his anger at her carelessness. “I could have killed you.” As he said the words his gut tightened, the reality hard to deal with.

  “Just try,” came Bryn’s smart reply, drawing a smile from Joshua, and pushing aside the dark clouds of his fear.

  Bryn let out a soft grunt, her fingers curling tight around the pommel of her sword. Her forehead furrowed with concentration as a look of determination formed on her face.

  Their sparring session was anything but relaxed. Blades clashed, the mud attempted to trip them up, perspiration drenched their foreheads, glistening on every bare patch of skin. Bryn was strong, so skilled with her sword that Joshua found he was a little distracted with awe.

  Still, he was no slouch himself—as Fen had said on more than one occasion during training—and gave as good as he got. Well, maybe not. Joshua held back a number of times, not entirely sure why, especially when Bryn was making it brutally clear that she was giving the fight her all.

  Joshua parried a blow that seemed to have the full force of her might behind it, accompanied too by a low grunt that sounded alive with her anger. Swiping her sword aside, Joshua took a breath and stepped away, studying Bryn as she caught her breath, a glint in her eye that he wasn’t sure he liked.

  “Come on, Warrior. Is that all you’ve got?” Bryn called, grinning widely, waving him forward with her sword. Her cheeks were splattered, her armor barely visible beneath caked on layers of mud.

  Joshua hesitated, concerned for this sudden desire to spar almost until she was run ragged. He didn’t like it, but neither did he want to call her on it in front of all her comrades.

  He shrugged the thoughts off and focused on her, letting out an amused snort. “Bring it, Valkyrie. Show me what you got!”

  Bryn lunged forward, barely waiting for Joshua to finish speaking. She struck hard, her blade slamming into his, the vibrations running up his hand and ringing in his head.

  She was strong. Stronger than he’d expected.

  But Joshua was fast, side-stepping Bryn quickly before landing a glancing blow on her shoulder. Bryn merely spun around and swung hard again, this time the power behind her sword arm tempered.

  Joshua wasn’t blind to the fact that she was holding back, but even as they moved in the war dance, he saw something rise in her eyes, something dangerous and powerful, coiled within her, waiting to spring.

  Bryn and Joshua circled each other, the valkyries within their field maintained a safe distance from the pair.

  Bryn thrust hard and Joshua feinted to the right, slamming her blade down and away as he repositioned himself. Bryn’s momentum pulled her past him but she went with it, using it to spin around, this time her movements filled with a raw energy.

  Before she swung her blade at him, Joshua sensed something had changed. It was no surprise when he lifted his sword to defend her attack and he felt the raw power within the strike; a power that didn’t make sense. Yes, Bryn would be strong, all the Valkyries were. But they were not more powerful than the best of the einherjar.

  But this power she displayed spelled danger for Joshua. Not fear for himself, but rather concern for what it meant for Bryn.

  As they continued to spar, Joshua could see the signs that she was fighting against something. Her forehead glistened, and from the look in her eyes it wasn’t from exertion, but rather from something stronger. A ripple of concerned whispers filtered among the watching valkyries, validating Joshua’s concern.

  Bryn’s next blow was strong and instead of countering, Joshua relaxed, allowing his blade to absorb the power of the blow and push him backward. The momentum almost tipped him on his ass but he stumbled and regained his footing, moving from worried for Bryn, to afraid. Even though he’d been expecting her berserker power he still found himself surprised.

  He barely had time to recover when Bryn came at him again, sword swooping toward him. He parried then shifted stance to move aside, drawing her around in a shallow circle. But Bryn didn’t seem to register what Joshua was doing.

  All that mattered to her was the rage, the strike, the power
.

  Bryn sprang away, fury glittering in her eyes before she spun around then studied him coldly. Joshua knew the moment the strike was coming even before she moved. She lunged, her sword point coming straight for his abdomen, but before he could react, Bryn swirled around and slammed her foot at the backs of his legs. He moved with the momentum of her blow, losing balance, tipping back, hitting the mud hard.

  He watched Bryn’s sword as it curved through the air, shimmering in the sunlight, as it surged toward him. Didn’t move. Not even when the point of her sword entered his neck. The wound was shallow, would only draw a few drops of blood and was far from fatal, especially in Valhalla, but the attack itself, the dark power behind it, that was what worried Joshua the most.

  Joshua could only stare at Bryn, fearing she’d fallen into some kind of trance. Her body shook, pulsing with shudders, and her eyes closed against the rage. Joshua stiffened, wondering if this was the moment it would go from bad to worse.

  Bryn opened her eyes, blinking as she took a deep breath. The power that had taken control of her had scared Joshua, and now as he looked up at Bryn, he knew he had to shake her out of its control.

  He pushed to his elbows and yelled out, “What the bloody hell was that?” He’d hoped to pull Bryn back to awareness and the sound of his voice, loud and harsh, was enough to startle her.

  As Joshua boosted to his feet, Bryn’s eyes cleared and she stared at him, bewildered. He watched her, angry now, though he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t blame Bryn, that much he was sure of. Whatever was happening to her, he was certain it wasn’t who Bryn truly was. Violence like what she’d just displayed, pure unadulterated violence, that wasn’t Bryn.

  Not the Bryn he knew.

  His thoughts faltered for a moment, wondering if maybe she’d changed, that maybe she’d become a valkyrie and had also become a different person altogether.