"Ragna what?" asked Alex, confused.
"Ragnarok is the end of the Nine Worlds, when the Norns wipe the slate clean and start again. The legends say there will be a great battle and natural disasters which will destroy the Worlds. Only two people will survive in each world and they will have to start their races again."
"Ok, that doesn't sound good. We can always not get rid of the sword if it's that bad, then the curse will never end," said Alex, looking over at the sword on the floor. "We can just hide it or something."
"If we don't destroy the sword, it will destroy you Alex. Look, it's already starting with your bloody nose. It must be the curse, no demigods get bloody noses," cried Ellewen.
They all looked at each other in shock.
"No, that can't be right," said Sasha, breaking the silence. "Why would the Norns care about a sword? There must be more to it than that."
"Well there's only one way to find out," said Baldur.
"What?" asked Alex.
He was feeling very sick and he pushed away his horn of beer, the smell was churning his stomach.
"Go and ask them. They're probably just messing with you, it's what they enjoy doing; interfering in lives, turning everything upside down. Find out what they're up to and then beg them to weave the web again."
"The web?" asked Alex.
"The web containing the strands of your life. The strands which dictate which direction you will take," said Baldur, placing his hand on Alex's shoulder in sympathy.
"I can't, I need to go rescue my mother. I'm not leaving her with those big-eared freaks. I'll check out these Norns when we have her back safe," he said, looking up at Thor.
"No Alex, your life depends on this. The longer you leave it, the more damage the sword may do. Go see the Norns and I'll gather support to rescue your mother. Odin may have forbidden Baldur to accompany us but I have many close friends who will help."
"But.."
"No Alex, my decision is final. I won't risk losing you too. If you die there is no way Hel will ever let you return."
Alex could feel static electricity crawl over his skin; he was furious. How dare this man...god tell him what to do. Thor sensed his mood immediately and placed his hand gently on Alex's shoulder. The static flew immediately across Alex's skin and into Thor's hand.
"Easy son. I know I have no right to order you to do anything. You're a man now and I haven't been in your life long but you need to trust me on this. What would your mother say if she found out you risked your life for her?"
"I wouldn't know," spat Alex. "I don't even know what she looks like."
He shook Thor's hand off his shoulder irritably.
"Oh Alex, I'm so sorry. I know this has all been really hard on you and I promise I'll make it up to you. Look here," he said, reaching under the neck of his tunic.
He pulled out a large heavy gold locket and handed it to Alex.
"Open that," he insisted.
Alex grasped the locket and pinged the mechanism open. Inside there was a miniature portrait of a woman. She was very beautiful with long blonde, wavy hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was milky white and her full red lips were smiling as though she had a secret.
"Is that....?" asked Alex, choked up.
"Yes, that's your mother. It was painted just before she told me she was pregnant with you."
"Thor!" shrilled a voice from across the hall.
"Dammit," said Thor, brushing his hand across his eyes and pinching the top of his nose.
He spun around to face Sif, his wife. She was standing by the dais, arms crossed and she looked furious.
"Yes dear?" he asked innocently.
"Outside," she hissed, pointing to the doors behind her.
Thor sighed and turned back to Alex.
"I need to go sort this out. Get yourself to the Norns, find out what's going on and come back here. I'll have gathered my friends by then and we'll go get your mother back."
Thor pulled Alex towards his chest and gave him a quick hug before striding out of the door behind Sif.
"I wouldn't want to be in Thor's shoes right now," laughed Baldur. "She has a wicked temper that one."
"It must be hard for her," said Nanna, coming over and reaching for Baldur's hand. "Thor isn't exactly being discreet about his infidelity."
"I'm going outside for some fresh air," said Baldur. "See if I can calm things down out there."
They could all hear the shouting coming from outside the door, even over the noise of the feast.
"I'll come too," laughed Nanna.
"Is it ok if I go with Alex to find the Norns?" asked Sasha. "We kind of agreed to stick together you know? I want to make sure he's ok."
"Of course darling," said Nanna, stroking her cheek.
"Where do we have to go anyway?" asked Alex.
"The Well of Urd," explained Sasha. “It's by the Yggdrasil tree root, here in Asgard."
"Great, no more portals then," said Matt relieved.
"Well, it's quite a way. Asgard is pretty big," said Sasha.
"Yeah and I don't suppose there are trains or buses. How long a walk are we talking here Sash?" moaned Matt.
"You can take your father's goats Alex," said Baldur. "I take it he still has them?" he asked Sasha.
"Goats?" asked Alex, bemused. "You're not serious are you?"
"That's a great idea, he won't mind," said Sasha excitedly. "They pull his chariot, it's how he gets around."
"Hang on, doesn't he use his hammer to fly about?" asked Matt.
"Honestly Matt. How many times do I have to tell you that the Avengers films don't depict reality?"
"Ah man, that sucks. I was hoping he would give me a ride, Superman style."
"Yeah, travelling by goat doesn't sound much fun," said Alex grimacing. "How big is this chariot? Will we all fit in?"
"It can take four at a push I guess. Best if Alex, Becca, Matt and myself go," said Sasha.
"Thank Odin, for that," said Ellewen, sitting down again. "I was thinking you were going to drag me along. I've heard the Norns are really creepy."
"We'll be ok, you stay here and keep Lexi company," said Sasha. "Come on, we'd better go now, you look really pale Alex, are you ok?
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit dizzy I guess. Where do we find these goats then?"
"I'll have one of the servants bring it around," she said, pulling out her phone and texting someone.
"Ellewen, I don't suppose you could do something about my outfit? I'm feeling a bit overdressed for a trip in a goat chariot," laughed Becca, looking down at her dress.
"Sure, the spell was due to wear off soon anyway," said Ellewen, clapping her hands together.
Becca's dress immediately disappeared and she was left standing in the jeans and cropped white top she had been wearing before.
"Oh," said Alex disappointed. "That was a really nice dress."
"Don't worry, I'll magic it up again for her when you get back," laughed Ellewen.
Sasha's phone pinged in her hand.
"There're here," she said looking at the screen.
"That was quick. You sure this is ok? I mean we haven't asked Thor," said Matt.
"He won't mind. He'll do anything for Alex. I'll let him know," said Baldur.
"Dude, ask your dad for a car," whispered Matt into Alex's ear.
"Too right I will," grinned Alex. "He's got eighteen birthdays and Christmases to make up for."
"Come on," laughed Sasha, ushering them out of the hall.
Alex looked back at Lexi, she was sitting talking to Ellewen and looking very serious.
"Hey Lexi. Keep her out of trouble eh?" he called across.
Lexi looked up and smiled weakly, then put her head close to Ellewen's again and shook her head at something Ellewen said. Alex felt his stomach flip, she looked really unhappy and he felt bad that she was being left out.
"Alex," said Becca, nudging him.
He flushed bright red as he realised she had caught him staring at L
exi.
"Yeah, sure," he mumbled, rubbing his hand through his hair.
He walked to the door and felt Lexi's eyes burning into his back. He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously and stepped through the door after Becca. The sight outside made him look twice. Standing beneath the golden tree was a black chariot with golden runes carved into its wooden surface. Tethered to the chariot were the two biggest goats Alex had ever seen. They were the size of small ponies and had large, curly, yellow horns and thick coats of white wiry fur. They both stared at Alex with protruding, yellow gold eyes and the nearest one bleated as though he were greeting him.
"Oh man, goats again," moaned Matt.
"Yeah, well at least we don't need to carry one this time," laughed Alex, walking over to the nearest goat and rubbing its nose.
It nuzzled against his hand as though he were looking for a treat.
"Ok, I take it no one has experience riding a goat drawn chariot?" he asked looking around the group.
They all shook their heads looking warily at the goats.
"Come on, it can't be that hard," he said, moving to the back of the chariot and jumping on.
The goats lurched forward a few steps and he clung onto the sides in panic, trying to keep his balance.
"Whoa there," he called out, grabbing the leather reins and pulling them towards him.
They stood still whilst the others jumped up behind Alex.
"Ok, I've got this guys," said Alex confidently. "Which direction?" he asked Sasha.
"We just tell them where to go," said Sasha. "The Well of Urd," she said clearly.
"Cool, goats with inbuilt Satnav, wicked," laughed Matt.
The goats bleated loudly and set off at a quick trot. They clung to the sides tightly, alarmed at how much the chariot swayed and lurched to the sides. When Alex became used to the motion he released his grip and looked around. They were travelling through a deep valley between two grey mountains, which were lined with thick leafy trees. Waterfalls cascaded from crevices and splashed down behind the trees. He looked behind the chariot and could see the golden roof of Valhalla shining in the distance and the tall golden leafed tree.
"It's beautiful," murmured Becca, leaning against his side.
"You're more beautiful," he said, kissing the top of her hair.
She laughed and he put his hand around her waist, pulling her closer into his side.
"Where's Bifrost, the rainbow bridge?" she asked, peering into the distance.
"The other side of that mountain," said Sasha, indicating to the right. "Probably about two days ride from here. I told you Asgard was big," she grinned. "Most people picture it as just a city perched on top of a hill. It's a whole world though like Midgard...Earth. Valhalla is way out in the wilderness as the warriors can get a bit excited and the fighting sometimes spills out into the fields. They couldn't have that happening in a city."
"When I crossed Bifrost before there was this golden city ahead and Iduna's garden was to the side. Who lives in the city? It looked huge,” asked Alex.
"The gods and goddesses have residences there. There're a lot of us. There are also meeting places where they get together for their Things," said Sasha. "Before you ask, Things are like committee meetings where they make decisions and judgments. Odin runs most of them but he sometimes delegates if he gets bored. I expect my dad will get involved now he's back."
"Committee meetings? Man he's just gone from one hell to the next," laughed Alex.
Chapter Fourteen
After what felt like a lifetime of standing in the swaying chariot Matt suddenly put his hand to his mouth and burped loudly.
"Oh man, I'm going to puke," he groaned, leaning his head over the edge of the chariot.
"Seriously? You're chariot sick? That's a new one," said Alex, grinning at him. "You look really green, don't mess up the chariot, hang over the back."
Matt moved to the back of the chariot and hung his head over, taking deep breaths. Alex pulled back on the reins and the goats came to a standstill. Matt quickly jumped off the back and emptied his stomach into a green bush.
"Oh man, gross," he moaned, still retching.
"Don't worry, we're nearly there," said Sasha, jumping down and rubbing his back.
He sat down on the grass and rested his head between his knees, trying to get his sense of balance back.
"How nearly is nearly?" he asked, twisting his head to the side and looking at Sasha who was sitting next to him.
"I think it's just around that bend up there; the Yggdrasil tree cuts through the mountains and blocks the valley off. There should be an entrance to the Norns home in the tree according to this," she said, looking at her phone.
"You do have a Satnav?" asked Matt, looking at the phone.
"Not quite, Iduna texted me a map of Asgard," she said, showing Matt her phone.
"Cool, well I'm walking from here, my stomach can't take anymore," he said, getting to his feet.
"I'll walk with you," said Sasha, reaching for his hand and squeezing it.
Alex flicked the reins and the goats set off again at a walking pace. It was as though they knew not to go galloping ahead. After a few minutes they rounded the bend and came to a halt in front of the Yggdrasil tree root. Alex and Becca jumped off the back of the chariot and joined Sasha and Matt. The tree was enormous and stretched right across the valley, blocking it off completely. It reached right into the sky beyond the craggy mountains and disappeared into the clouds. At the base of the tree there was a small pond; its edge surrounded in round smooth stones which had runes carved into them.
"The Well of Urd," said Sasha, pointing to the water. "We're here."
"I think that's a door over there in the tree," said Becca, pointing to the right of the massive tree root.
They walked over to the wooden door which was set into the tree and Alex knocked the large metal knocker.
"Come in, it's open," called a voice from behind the door.
Alex pushed the door open and they entered a round chamber, which was brightly lit with overhead fluorescent electric lights. The walls were lined with wooden panels and three desks with computer screens stood facing each other. Over to the left hand side there were three middle aged woman sitting around a spinning wheel. One was rooting around a black sack by the feet of the wheel and was pulling out silvery strands and handing it to the woman seated at the wheel. The woman at the wheel was feeding the silky strands into the spinning wheel. The third sat huddled on a stool with a big red shawl wrapped around her. When the spindle became full she took it off and examined it closely. The woman at the wheel stopped her spinning and stood up with a groan, rubbing her back. She was just taller than the girls and had silvery blonde hair, which was pulled back in a messy bun and bright blue twinkly eyes. She was dressed as though she worked in an office with smart black trousers, a patterned blue top and a pale blue cashmere cardigan. She took her glasses off and they hung around her neck on a chain.
"Oh my back. That's enough for today girls, I don't think my back can take anymore and we have guests," she turned to Alex, Becca, Sasha and Matt and smiled warmly.
"Wow!" exclaimed Alex. "Did we just see you weaving someone's destiny? That is so cool."
The woman who was standing looked at Alex puzzled and then realisation kicked in and she laughed loudly.
"No, no...Skuld here has cold feet so we were spinning some wool so she could knit some socks."
She nodded towards the woman in the corner who was wrapped in the red shawl. All they could see of her was her face poking out of the shawl. She too had blue eyes and wore glasses.
"It's freezing in here," complained Skuld wrapping herself up more tightly in the shawl. "The stupid air conditioning is too cold."
"Oh don't mind her, she's always complaining about the cold. The air conditioning is at its lowest setting Skuld, there's nothing more I can do. Now who would like a nice cup of tea?" she asked cheerfully.
"Yes please," they all said t
ogether and laughed.
"Lovely, I'll pop the kettle on, wait here I won't be a moment. Verdandi," she called to the woman who was taking the wool out of the sack. "Can you sort out some chairs, that one over there looks a bit green," she said, nodding towards Matt.
Verdandi left the sack alone and stood up. She too was dressed smartly in a black dress and jacket. She brushed her long brown hair back from her face and smiled at them all.
"Of course, no problem," she said bustling around and dragging the chairs from behind the desks into the centre of the room. She found another chair from a room leading off the one they were in.
"There you go, sit yourselves down. You look a bit peaky too Alex," she said, patting Alex on the shoulder as he sat down gratefully. "Urd won't be long. A nice cup of tea will sort you out."
Alex was skeptical, he had suddenly started to feel really weak and his legs were wobbly. He initially thought it was from the motion of the chariot but now he wasn't so sure. He fingered the pommel of the sword nervously; it was as though it was sapping the life from him.
"You know who I am?" he asked surprised.
"Of course we do, we are the weavers of destiny after all and the gurus of the Nine Worlds," she winked at him.
Urd came bustling back into the room with large mugs of steaming hot tea and a plate of biscuits on a tray. She handed them out and sat on a stool opposite Alex.
"So what brings you here?" she asked, dunking a biscuit into her tea. "We don't get visitors here often do we girls? Anyone would think we are three scary old crows," she laughed.
The other two shook their heads and leaned forward on their chairs eagerly as though they were about to get some juicy gossip.
"It's about the new prophecy," said Sasha, taking the lead. "Ellewen collapsed and had a vision. She said when the curse of the Tyrfing sword ends, Ragnarok will begin. We don't understand though, we need to destroy the sword to save Alex's life. The curse is killing him. We came to beg you to weave another thread, one where Alex doesn't have to die by this sword," she pleaded.
"My lovely girl, I have no idea what you're talking about. We didn't weave a new prophecy about the sword," said Urd.
Helheim (The Nine Worlds Trilogy Book 2) Page 18
