by T. G. Ayer
An eye opened, its iris living fire.
It blinked at me a few times and I knew I didn't have to wait long.
A gust of wind slammed against me, greater than the one Suri had cause. This powerful breeze pushed me a few feet from the two warriors and I had to flap my wings harder to remain aloft, shedding little blood-red feathers as I went.
Out of thin air, a gigantic golden dragon appeared. Tyra had scales of gold, accented with a shining bronze, and as she turned her face to me she blinked the very eye that had looked back at me from the ball.
I stuffed the sphere into my dress pocket -as flimsy as it was it would have to do - and waved at her, relieved. "They need help," I yelled, pointing at the two warriors. I didn't bother with greetings even though I spoke to the dragon matriarch of Muspell, grandmother of Suri and mother to the King. She was a powerful, arrogant, ridiculously loyal woman, who had somehow managed to take me under her wing. Her gift of the amber ball was her promise to be there for me if I ever needed her. And I have never abused the power to summon her.
Now, Tyra nodded to me and swooped down to the warriors, her two short forelegs aiming at the gigantic beam. As she moved she extended her claws and carefully gripped the great log, taking infinite care.
Slowly, she lifted the beam and rose into the air, flying it to the side of the building and laying it carefully on the ground. I hovered over the men. "Are you in pain?"
"I'm not," said the one on the left, red hair blazing in the sunlight. "But, I think Jin is. Broken collarbone from what I can see. Maybe ribs too."
I nodded and turned my attention to his friend whose almond shaped eyes, and olive skin gave him a distinct Asian look. Jin was in for a long recovery. But knowing he was an einherjar make me feel a little relieved. The people of Asgard had many ways to regenerate broken warriors.
"Jin, I'm going to move you. Do you think you can handle the pain?" I asked putting a hand to the side of his dark head. His expression seemed out of focus, but then he grinned.
"If you are doing the carrying I would suffer the flames of Hel with a smile," he said, his voice scratchy and slightly accented.
His friend snort loudly, while I just shook my head. I settled slowly on the rubble then leaned down to slip my hands carefully under him. I worried about hurting him, that any movement may make his injuries worse, or even kill him. Who knew what kind of internal injuries he'd sustained.
Gritting my teeth I took his weight and was relieved to feel his lightness. A dead warrior was incredibly heavy, that I knew from bringing my fair share of dead to Valhalla before.
I rose into the air, my wings thrusting as I flew Jin to the grass beside the building. I hovered for a moment, unsure if I should put him down here or go looking for whatever infirmary the citizens of Asgard had erected.
"What's the matter, beautiful? You can put me down now," said my injured burden giving me a sexy raised eyebrow.
I shook my head, unamused. "You have better things to think about than girls, Jin. I'm just wondering if I should leave you here, or find a place where the other injured are being seen to. I don't want you to be hurt unnecessarily."
He sighed, making me raise my own eyebrow at the dramatically long sound. "A woman after my own heart. You actually care what happens to me. Tell me, where have you been all my life?"
I wanted to laugh, and to be honest the flirtation should have been a nice distraction from the horror around us. Unfortunately the very horror of the day, coupled with my fears for Joshua, made Jin hard to appreciate.
I ignored him and flew higher, trying to see around me into the distance. Tyra rose beside, flapping her great golden leathery wings. "What is it, child?" she asked, her voice the same stern yet kind tone I remembered.
"I don't want to set him down unless it's for the last time. He has a broken collarbone and what looks like two broken ribs. I also suspect his hips are either broken or crushed too. The less we move him the better."
Tyra straightened, hovering in front of me as she reached out her forelegs. "Give him to me carefully. I will take him to look for the infirmary. You take care of those two." She pointed at the two warriors who still needed care. "The girl needs to have the splinter taken out but I don't think it will affect her health in any great way."
With that, Tyra hovered closer and I had no choice but to relinquish my reluctant burden. Jin didn't look too pleased to be transferred to the dragon's clawed hands. "Fair maiden, please tell me we will meet again."
"Jin, cut the chatter. You need to rest," I scolded. "But I do have one more question if you insist on talking."
"Anything for you, beautiful," he said and I could just imagine him as a regal prince, giving me a graceful bow.
When I looked up I almost burst out laughing. Until that moment I had never seen a dragon roll her eyes.
I suppressed my laughter and asked, "Have you seen Joshua?"
"Joshua? Yes. He was entering the hall just before it collapsed. He was close to front entrance when it happened." Then he eyed me suspiciously. "Damn, if he's who you are looking for then I am lost."
I raised both my eyebrows this time. "And why is that?"
"Because, my dear, if you are looking for Joshua then you must be his Brynhildr, and if that's the case then who am I to intrude on true love." He gave another dramatic sigh then said, "Fly me away before my poor heart breaks within my breast."
Tyra snorted this time saying, "Oh for Odin's sake." She clicked her tongue and flew off and at the same time I turned and flew straight to the two warriors.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Before I began my search for Joshua I had to take care of them.
What I wanted to do was dig within the rubble with my bare hands until I found him. But I had to temper my need and attend to those who needed my help, even while my heart broke, even as I prayed so hard my head began to throb.
I lowered myself beside Lysa and helped Jin's friend unearth her from beneath the stones. He looked up at me. "Sorry about Jin. The dude can never shut up around pretty girls."
Lysa snorted. "Jeff's right. The man still thinks he's walking the halls of his father's palace from five hundred years ago."
I chuckled. "Can't believe I had him pegged for royal." I sank beside Lysa, noting the lack of blood leaking from the wound. "It's going to gush as soon as we get that splinter out."
She nodded, perspiration soaking her dark brown hair, flattening it against her skull in gleaming clumps, proof in itself that she was in an immense amount of pain. "I can handle it," she said as she readjusted her position, lifting herself slightly off the ground. The small movement sent pain skittering across her face. It hurt but she kept control of herself, no shouting or crying. I admired her for her strength.
But, I shook my head. "I can't risk doing that out here. If it hit an artery you'll bleed out way too fast." From the look on her face I could tell she'd already known that. I frowned at her. "Lysa, bravery is one thing, stupidly risking your life to prove yourself is something else entirely," I snapped not caring if I hurt her feelings.
Jeff chuckled while Lysa looked a little foolish. "Sorry. Sometimes I get in my own way." Her cheeks were pink and I suspected it may be more because of her embarrassment rather than her injury.
Then I felt bad. This was hardly the time to be telling people off. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"
"No. Don't apologize. I needed that." She smiled then pointed at the splinter. "On the count of three?"
I nodded, a little relieved now that she'd brushed off my rudeness. "Yes. I'll break off the front end first. I'm just really worried about it splintering further."
I was beginning to think she needed the infirmary and not my ministrations. But she grabbed my hand. "Just do it before I turn into a weeping female." I was beginning to like Lysa more and more.
I held her wounded arm gently. "Fine, but it's going to hurt."
"At least it's not childbirth, right?" She laughed and I joined her while Jeff looke
d on, worry lining his face.
In the middle of the laughter I grabbed the end of the piece of wood and broke it about three inches from the wound.
Lysa groaned. "Bitch. I thought you were supposed to count." Both Jeff and I chuckled, which drew a smile from Lysa.
I shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?" Then she raised her eyebrows. "What about the rest of it?" she asked glancing behind her where the splinter stuck about a foot in length.
"Mmmh, let me see," I said and she shifted to allow me to see the back of her arm. "Nasty. There's a bit of blood here but again not too much."
"That's a good thing. I hope." Her voice had softened, probably weakened by the pain. I grunted, trying to think of a way to distract her. "So I suppose it won't work if I pointed into the sky and said 'Omigod look'?"
"Nope."
"Okay. Jeff, can you hold her?" He nodded and leaned forward to hold onto Lysa's shoulder. "No, come around to the front of her, hold her like you're hugging her so you have her body tight. I don't want her jerking in case I can't get it broken on the first try." When he nodded I said, "I'll hold her arm. On three." I counted and snapped the wood a couple of inches away from Lysa's skin. She moaned loudly, her face going so white I held my breath waiting for her to pass out.
But she remained conscious, breathing through the remaining pain. Now she had a ten inch splinter of wood impaling her upper arm which looked like it would be fine until she got to the infirmary. I rose and dusted my hands off, despite knowing her bloodstains would not wipe away so easily.
I was done with them. Now I needed to concentrate on finding Joshua.
Clearing my throat, I asked, "Your friend Jin said he saw Joshua enter the hall before the quake. Did you seem him?" I looked from Jeff to Lysa, hoping they'd give me a confirmation. One person may be mistaken, three would make it all the more certain.
Jeff was nodding. "Yes, he greeted us when he entered. He was just inside the doors when it hit."
"Thanks." I said turning away from them. They could manage on their own from here.
But Jeff called out making me turn back. "Wait," he said waving his hand at me. "I'll help you. Let me just get Lysa to one of those boulders over there."
I glanced back in time to see Lysa roll her eyes. Then she said, "Lysa can manage to get to the boulder on her own." She glared at Jeff, daring him to protest but he didn't seem to have much sense. He glanced at me, probably looking for my agreement but I shook my head.
"What she said," I said, knowing why Lysa had made that stand. She'd probably had enough of being helped and now she needed to do something that didn't include being a burden.
Lysa gave me a nod, then ignored Jeff and limped over piles of rubble. She reached the boulders, and only when she'd settled down on one did Jeff turn to me expectantly. "Lead the way," he said, his expression inscrutable. As we headed to what remained of the entrance of Valhalla I could have sworn I heard him swear.
And when he came to a sudden halt I knew why.
We stared into a deep chasm, a gigantic crack in the earth. I'd seen it from afar but hadn't realized it had ripped through the entrance of the hall. Now, all that remained of the front door were the four metal hinges that had held it to the threshold.
The ravine ran straight through the twenty foot wide entrance to the hall of Valhalla. And somewhere in this rubble lay Joshua. I didn't want to contemplate the possibility that he could have fallen into the ravine, yet an insistent voice in my head implied it was the most likely assumption.
"Joshua?" I shouted into the chasm, hoping he'd hear me and yell back that he was okay. But I heard nothing in the wake of my desperate summons.
Jeff stood at the edge of the ravine, staring down into its depths.
Something about the way he was standing, so still, made fingers of ice scrape all the way down my spine.
I joined him, having to force my legs to move the few steps forward. And when I looked down my stomach twisted.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The earth had opened up, turning the two edges of the mouth of the ravine into cliff-faces. A mountain climber may love such challengingly deadly terrain but I'd never been a fan. As I stared into the chasm by the light of the sun streaming down on us, I could make out broken bodies caught on jagged ledges, armor glinting back at us as if this was some kind of macabre joke.
Dozens of warriors had died falling through this crack.
And what if one of them was Joshua?
Although I couldn't stand the prospect of going deeper into the earth, couldn't stand the idea of being swallowed up by tons of rock and soil, I still thrust up into the air and hovered over the opening. The width of an average narrow alley, it widened in some places to street width and narrowed in others so much that in many parts a person could stretch out and touch each wall with their fingertips.
I met Jeff's eyes. Even a seasoned warrior could show horror. "I'm going down to look for survivors."
He was shaking his head slowly. "I should go with you," he said the words escaping even as he realized that made no sense.
I didn't wait for a response, just said, "Wait here, in case I find anyone alive."
What I meant to say was 'stay and watch over me in case the earth decided to close this mouth of a ravine and lock me up inside its depths'. And from the widening of his eye I knew he sensed my meaning.
I took a deep breath and prayed I'd find Joshua, although these days most of my prayers went to Odin and I wondered for a moment if even that was simply a waste of time. I shrugged off the negative veil that threatened to take me over and descended slowly into the rip in the earth. Thankfully, the afternoon sun was high above us, shedding angry light on the corpses that remained after the chaos.
I searched the length of the rift that ran beneath Valhalla, where so many lives had been taken. After an hour, with my fear increasing each minute that I hadn't found Joshua, I'd returned two dozen bodies to the surface, and only six survivors, some so badly injured I didn't think they'd all live through the night.
My ears rang, my heart beat so hard it felt like it had jumped into my throat, and my fingers hurt from clenching them. But I still searched, sinking deeper into the chasm, feeling the air around me warm up. When I glanced up, the sky looked like a thin strip of light, and all around me the shadows grew.
The deeper I went the darker it got, but it was the same as up top. Wide in places and incredibly narrow in others. Here, I found two more warriors, caught in the narrow spaces, unable to fall further, bodies broken beyond belief.
I didn't dare take them up, especially with the length of time that had passed. They were dead, beyond saving. But Joshua, if he was out here and still alive, would very likely be hurt and in need of medical care.
I couldn't afford to waste any time.
Continuing my search, I sank further and further into the now near pitch-dark cavern. Visibility was so low I soon found myself searching only for the glint of armor or the reflection of the weak light on pale skin.
Above me, the surface now looked like a flash of lightning, and my heart hammered against my ribs, screaming at how bad this idea was. I was too deep now, and soon I'd have to give up.
The walls seemed to be closing in on me and when I felt the pressure of stone on either side of me I realized it had become too narrow to move around comfortably, especially with my wings getting in the way and scraping along the rocks.
Tears blurred my vision and I blinked them back frantically. Blurred eyes cannot see very well and I might miss Joshua if I couldn't see. I stiffened my spine, urging myself on, trying to convince myself that there was still hope.
And then I couldn't move. The space was so narrow the my wings were struggling to keep me hovering, and if I went any further I would have solid stone at my back and at my chest, with my only way to climb as if I were scaling a cliff.
And below me was a bottomless crevice. Nothing but darkness.
I sucked in a breath. I couldn't go any further. My
search had come to a fruitless end.
I exhaled, trying to swallow the sob that welled in my throat. If I gave in to my despair I couldn't be sure that I would even want to rise to the surface. A voice in my mind suggested that Joshua may not have been anywhere near Valhalla in the first place. Maybe the warriors were mistaken and the man I loved was working hard along with his fellow warriors to save the people of ruined Asgard while I searched the depths of this bottomless ravine on a misguided whim.
But, I shook off the thought. I couldn't refute what three warriors had said. Joshua was somewhere here. But I couldn't see him. And now it was too dark and too tight to go any further.
I'd reached the end of the line.
A sob ripped its way through my throat and I cried out, finally allowing my emotions to crash to the surface. My fingers closed and fisted of their own accord and before I knew what I was doing, I began to pummel the wall in front of me. Taking out my grief and fear and frustration on the rock wall.
My cries echoed along the chasm, and though I felt a ripple of concern that my beating may result in a rock fall, I simply didn't care.
I glanced up thinking about what waited for me on the surface. My friends and new family yes, but more battling with Loki, the coming end of days, and to face all of that without Joshua?
No.
I just couldn't do it.
For what seemed like hours, I remained suspended, in a fog of grief, frightened and drained. Until my heart stopped racing and my tears dried and my fists finally unclenched sending spikes of pain into my hands. I studied my knuckles, skin broken and red and raw. And bloody.
I sighed. I was being selfish,
Even if Joshua didn't need me, up above the world was in turmoil and people needed help. I would find another time, later on, to lick my wounds.
I thrust my wings and moved upward, beginning to gain speed as the chasm widened. As I went, I scanned the ravine left, then right, and just as I turned my head to look up something strange glinted in the corner of my vision.
