Exiled: (Phoebe Meadows Book Three)

by Amanda Carlson

  “Alrighty then,” Ingrid announced to the group. “Phoebe, Sam, Leela, and I are heading to my mother’s house. The rest of the Valkyries will make their way to our compound here in Asgard.”

  I’d heard a little about the Valkyrie Stronghold here. It was vastly superior to the one in New Mexico. I was eager to see it, but knew I wasn’t going to get to spend much quality time there.

  “Yes,” Leela said, smiling. “Your grandmother is desperate to meet you. We must head there at once.”

  “We will accompany you to her door,” Rae declared. “People linger in the streets, and we can’t take a chance with Phoebe’s life. I will also leave two to guard the door while you meet inside.”

  “Grete would love to see you,” Ingrid said, clapping Rae on the back. “As one battle captain to another, I’m sure you’d have some serious stories to exchange. It’s been too many years between visits.”

  That was the first I’d heard that my grandmother had been a battle captain.

  We headed back the way we’d come. People had thinned out, but curious onlookers remained. In fewer numbers, they were decidedly less emboldened when facing a passel of Valkyries with raised weapons. We didn’t have to go far before we veered off the main thoroughfare, heading down a little avenue dotted with perfectly straight trees with emerald green leaves.

  The homes, for the most part, were tall and skinny, appearing to be clad with a smooth stucco, no seams to be found. They all had high-arched windows and roofs made from a material I couldn’t name, resembling colored glass. Most of them were painted light colors, but occasionally, there was a standout red or blue.

  Sam held on to my arm. She almost skipped along as we walked. “It’s like a magical fairy-tale land. Exactly how I’d imagined it would be, and nothing at all like I envisioned.” She sighed. “It’s a beautiful oxymoron. A mixture of new and old, fantastical and archaic. My kind of place.”

  “It is,” I agreed. “It’s almost like a made-for-TV movie about how people in Midgard would perceive people in Asgard. Nothing outstandingly different, the houses are still houses, but they’re brighter and taller and—”

  “Gravity defying,” Sam finished. “I still can’t get over that physical forces can be manipulated here. Isn’t that the coolest thing you’ve ever heard?” She shook my arm. “This place is awe-inspiring.”

  I chuckled. “Yes, it’s very impressive.”

  “So what do you think your grandmother’s going to be like?” she asked. “Do you think she’s going to be fierce? Or laid-back and cool?”

  “I have no idea. Honestly, I just hope she likes me.” There hadn’t been much time to discuss my grandmother on the journey here. “Ingrid just mentioned she used to be a battle captain, so I’m sure she’s imposing.” It felt totally weird that I was going to be meeting my real grandmother. Asgard was going to be a place of many firsts. But as I looked around, I realized I felt comfortable here. Things were different, but not in a bad way. It was how I imagined I would feel after being away from my hometown in Wisconsin for ten years and finally returning. I’d see things in a new light, but they would feel familiar.

  “You know,” Sam pondered, “things should seem more foreign to us than they do. I wonder if that is because of our Asgardian blood. This place calls to me. It’s like a sweet song singing in my head.”

  “Yes,” I said. “It feels familiar, in a long-lost-relative kind of way.”

  “We’re here,” Ingrid announced.

  We’d stopped in front of a neatly trimmed lawn, with several trees dotting the yard. A long walkway led up to the house, which was set back from the street. This home had more of a cottage feel to it. It wasn’t tall and thin, like the others around it. It was a story and a half at the most, with a big, wraparound porch. It was painted a crisp white, and everything seemed to be in perfect order, including the pink and purple flowers planted in window boxes on the second floor and several orderly bushes situated out in front.

  Ingrid opened the gate, which was also white, matching the house, and started up the walk. I followed her. A few paces in, I realized my mother wasn’t behind me. I glanced over my shoulder.

  Leela stood on the other side of the fence, her face serene. She seemed deep in thought. I hurried back to her, laying a tentative hand on her arm. “This is a big day for you,” I said. “You haven’t been back here in over twenty years. How does it feel?”

  She smiled, her eyes brightening. “It feels wonderful.” She took my hand. “I have dreamt of this moment over and over again, wondering if it would ever come to pass. The day I would finally arrive home and be able to introduce my beautiful daughter to her grandmother. There are no words, only joy.”

  I bowed my head. “I hope she likes me.”

  Leela laughed, settling her arm around my shoulders. “She will do better than like you. She will love you, just as I do.” We walked through the gate together. “But you mustn’t be put off by her stoicism. She’s like Ingrid, but without much of the humor. She was a fierce Valkyrie in her day, much revered. It was hard for her to say goodbye to that life. But Valkyries always do what’s in the best interest of their sisters, and after a certain age, as their vitality wanes, they retire to a quieter life and start a family.”

  “Valkyries are forced to retire?” That was the first I’d heard of that. “It must be hard to swallow going from battle captain to homemaker. I can’t imagine.”

  “It is,” Leela agreed. “But had she not, we wouldn’t be here.”

  “That’s not how we do things in Midgard,” I said. “It’s harder for women to have children when they’re older. Too many complications.”

  “Yes, women here in Asgard do not have the same reproductive issues that women on Midgard have. It’s a shame they age so quickly there.”

  “It is,” I said. “But you didn’t wait until you retired to have me. Why is that?” It was a little weird to talk about my mother having an affair with Odin, but those were the facts.

  “Because I fell in love.” Leela shrugged. “What I did was taboo for a Valkyrie. I chose my own needs over my dedication to my sisters. It’s not expressly forbidden, but it’s not commonly done. If a Valkyrie gets pregnant, or chooses to live with the man, she must leave the sisterhood. But I have you”—she hugged me closer—“so I can’t be too disappointed with how it all worked out.”

  “Me neither.” I smiled.

  We were almost to the door when it swung open.

  A beautiful stoic figure with long, flowing gray hair stepped out onto the porch. She was dressed in full Valkyrie regalia.

  My grandmother.

  4

  __________________________

  ____________

  “Mother!” Ingrid bounded onto the porch in true Ingrid fashion, giving her mother a big embrace. “It’s good to see you. It’s been too long.”

  “Ingrid,” my grandmother said. “It’s fortuitous to have you back.”

  Ingrid moved out of the way, and my mother and I moved forward.

  “Mother,” Leela said. “It is wonderful to set eyes upon you again.”

  My grandmother marched down the porch steps. Rae and Sam stood off to the side, Sam’s eyes as wide as saucers. Grete was a towering figure who wore her long gray hair plaited the way many Valkyries wore theirs: braided closely at the sides, long and free down the back. She had Ingrid’s hazel eyes and Leela’s high cheekbones. She was beautiful and didn’t look a day over fifty. “Come to me, child,” she beckoned to me. “Let me see you in full.”

  I stepped forward, saying nothing as she appraised me. After a moment, she opened her arms, and I walked into them.

  That was it.

  The hug was fierce and loving.

  I relaxed as all my trepidation leaked out. This was my grandmother. My flesh and blood. When the hug was finished, her hands still gripped my shoulders tightly. “I’m Phoebe,” I told her. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “And I am Grete.” Her voice ha
d a nice melodic ring to it. “Welcome to my home. I can feel your strength. I’ve heard about some of your adventures, but we have much to catch up on.” She dropped her arms and faced my mother.

  I moved out of the way to give them space.

  Leela had her head bowed.

  For the first time, I realized that maybe Leela hadn’t left on great terms with her mother. My birth had to have been a family scandal.

  “Come forward, my daughter,” Grete said, her tone unwavering.

  Leela raised her head and complied, her hands clasped in front of her. She stopped a foot from her mother. “We parted it anger,” Leela started, “and I have much regret for that day. But I hope you understand I did what I did for Phoebe. I do not second-guess my choice to leave, although I have wished, at times, that it could have gone differently between us.”

  “I understood your reasoning, even though I didn’t agree with it at the time,” Grete said. “Your temperament is fierce, as is your soul. It is a testament to you that you have managed to survive that harsh realm for all these years. I am happy to see you again, Daughter. I have had many years to contemplate our words, and I forgive you and your actions. Thusly, if you choose to forgive me, my hope is that we may come together and begin to mend old wounds.”

  Leela smiled. “I would like that very much, and of course I forgive you. Now that I know what it is to be a mother, there is clarity where none had been before. For a Valkyrie, it is hard to put another before oneself, but it is a requirement for motherhood. I understand your anger and your fear, as I now have those same feelings for Phoebe and what is to come.”

  Grete glanced in my direction. “Yes, there is much uncertainty there. But I have felt her strength, and she will weather this storm, just as you have.”

  “Plus, she’s got a big ol’ wolf to protect her,” Ingrid joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Now let’s get inside before the neighbors come out to investigate. We don’t need any more gawkers. We’ve had enough of those already.”

  Leela and Grete looked at each other for a moment and then embraced, both clearly relishing the reunion. I was beyond happy for them.

  I walked over to Sam, who was busy dabbing a tear from her eye. Rae even appeared a bit shaken, but she was doing her best to seem otherwise. “That was such a beautiful reunion,” Sam said, her voice raspy. “I think everything is a little more beautiful here, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is.” I put my arm around my friend as we walked into the house, following Ingrid and Rae.

  The living room was spacious and well-appointed, seemingly larger than it looked from the outside. Everything was in order, with hardly any clutter or knickknacks around. The furniture was modern, with clean lines, a mixture of smooth wood and white fabric. There were several pictures over a mantel. I walked over and peered into the frames, smiling to see my mother and Ingrid as little girls with bright smiles, already dressed in Valkyrie costumes, awaiting the day they would be struck.

  There were several pictures of Grete with a handsome man. He had a gracious smile, dark hair, and shining eyes. No one had mentioned my grandfather yet, and I hadn’t wanted to pry. I leaned over and squinted. He was laughing in almost all the photos. He looked relaxed and happy, his arm usually around Grete or one of his daughters.

  Grete moved next to me. “That’s your grandfather, Lance. He was the love of my life.”

  “What happened to him?”

  Her face showed surprise at my question. She glanced at Leela, then back to me. “Well, he died, of course.” She headed purposely toward the kitchen, which had a wide doorway open to the living room. “Would anyone like some tea before we do more introductions?”

  “That would be great, Mother,” Ingrid said. “Here, let me help you.”

  Grete and Ingrid disappeared into the kitchen as Leela came to stand by me. “My father was a wonderful man. Ingrid and I loved him very much.” She moved down the mantel and picked up a photograph showing a very elderly man next to my grandmother. Leela traced her finger over his face for a moment before she said, “Valkyries age very slowly. And although the people of Asgard have a longer life-span than those on Midgard, they are not immortal. My parents were together for a hundred and twenty years before he died.”

  I tried not to act shocked, as Grete appeared to be no more than fifty years old. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have pried. I knew Valkyries age slowly, but the timing of everything is confusing. It’s so different than what I’m used to. He looks like a wonderful father and husband. I wish I would’ve been able to meet him.”

  “He would’ve loved you very much. Living in Asgard is a big change, but you’ll get used to it.” My mother handed me another photo. In the frame was the same face, but this time younger. He was handsome with a definite twinkle in his eye. “Ingrid gets her sarcasm from him. He was a very witty, charming man. He was a great father. We couldn’t have asked for better.”

  Grete came in carrying a tray. When she’d finished setting the platter down, I set the photo back on the mantel and led Sam over. I didn’t know yet what to call my grandmother, so I didn’t address her directly. “This is my friend Sam. She came with me from Midgard after she got caught up with us in a chase by the dark elves. We think her father is Asgardian, so it was a happy chance.”

  “Very little here runs on chance,” my grandmother said, smiling.

  Sam stuck her hand out. “I’m very pleased to meet you. Thank you so much for opening up your home to us. Asgard is a remarkable place from what I’ve seen so far. The gravity thing is incredible.” Sam grinned. “I can’t wait to discover everything else.”

  My grandmother shook Sam’s hand. “Make yourself at home. I haven’t spent much time on Midgard, but yes, designating gravity makes things very useful for us here.”

  Ingrid took a teacup off the platter and handed it to Rae. “Mom, this is Ragnhild, our current battle captain.”

  Rae bobbed her head as they shook hands and, for the first time, I saw that my grandmother still wore her weapon. The handle of an ornate sword was tucked into her belt, which was cinched around a short tunic. Other than her gray hair, she could’ve passed for a young Valkyrie, no problem.

  “Ragnhild, I’ve heard much about you,” Grete said. “I knew your mother well, of course. We served together. She recently moved to Vanir, correct?”

  “Yes,” Rae answered. “She remarried a god and moved. Throughout my childhood, I was lucky enough to hear stories of you and your legendary prowess and unflinching courage leading our sisters into battle. Those stories are what made me want to become a battle captain myself. Thank you for being such an inspiration.” Rae bowed in reverence to my grandmother, bending at the waist. I’d never seen Rae affect a pose like that for anyone. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  “I’m certain your mother generously embellished those stories,” Grete said. “But I’m proud to have even lent a small hand in who the Valkyries are calling the greatest battle captain they’ve ever had next to Brynhild. That is high praise indeed.”

  “They exaggerate,” Rae said, briskly brushing aside the compliment. She set her teacup down. “I hate to rush out, as I’d love to spend more time sharing stories, but there’s a lot of organizing that needs to happen before tomorrow morning. I will leave two of my warriors behind, even though you are all capable of fending off any threat. That way, you can catch up without glancing over your shoulder. These are unsettled times, and we must remain diligent.”

  “Indeed,” Grete said. “We appreciate the extra hands. There has been much gossip and stories flying around since the Norns arrived. They have whipped people into a frenzy. I’m not expecting anything to go easily over the next few days.”

  Leela took a cup off the tray and settled into a chair as the battle captain left the room. “Rae is right. There is much to do before tomorrow, but I must leave within the hour. I’ll be back in time for the evening meal.”

  We all sat.

  �
��Who are you meeting?” Ingrid asked.

  “Mersmelda,” Leela answered.

  “The oracle?” Ingrid gaped. “I thought she died. That was the rumor anyway.”

  “Her death was a necessary cover,” my mother said. “But she is alive and well. I’ve kept in contact with her over these long years. We had a special way of communicating that went undetected by the dark elves, facilitated by my servant, Willa.” Willa, a dark elf hybrid, had stayed behind at the stronghold in New Mexico with a few of the Valkyries. She would join us in Asgard once it was safe.

  “Mersmelda has been forgotten by many over the years,” Grete said. “How did you communicate?”

  “By stone.” Leela pulled a flat stone no bigger than a half-dollar from her pocket. It was matte black with a tiny hole bored in the center. “She placed her thoughts into here, and when I held it, I could read them. Then I would do the same.” My mother smiled. “Each time, I was certain she wouldn’t understand what I was asking, but she always did. She forbade me to speak of it until I was out of Svartalfheim. It was one of the things that kept me sane during my long incarceration. She foretold that this day would come. That we would all be here together. Now I must go see her and give her my thanks and a generous payment.”

  “And where exactly will you get the funds?” Ingrid asked, grinning as she leaned forward in her seat. “You haven’t exactly been gainfully employed for the last twenty-four years.” As far as I knew, Valkyries didn’t earn money. Everything they needed was taken care of, so there wasn’t much use for it.

  Leela gave her sister a cagey smile. “I have my ways.”

  My grandmother nodded thoughtfully as she sipped her tea. “I never thought I’d live to see three generations of Valkyries sitting in the same room. It makes me very proud.”

  “Don’t get any ideas about seeing any more,” Ingrid joked. “I won’t be retiring for the next hundred years or so. Then, who knows about starting a family? Not sure I’m the mothering kind.”

  “In a hundred years, you might feel different. Give it time.” My grandmother turned her focus on me. “Tell me about yourself, Granddaughter. I’m anxious to hear your story. The Norns portrayed you as a threat to our well-being. Seeing you sitting before me, their stories don’t add up. Is that your weapon?” She nodded to the short sword I’d managed to strap haphazardly onto my belt.