by Judith Post
Peta turned on Diana. "You killed three of the witches. Why not all of them? Why not Heid? Why didn't you destroy her?"
Diana sighed. "Did you see her magic? How powerful she is? The Norse gods burned her on a pyre three times. Three times, she rose from fire, renewed. I barely got everyone out of that cave alive.”
"Would you have survived Heid?"
"I'm immortal."
Peta looked at his mate and children. "So you spared her to spare us?"
"We came to rescue you, not destroy you."
The shapeshifter dropped to one knee. "In that case, our allegiance is yours."
"We'd rather you and your family stay safe. Hopefully someday, shapeshifters will thrive once more."
"You refuse our help?" He sounded offended.
Freya answered. "We want your young ones to grow up. There are too few dragons, but we can only do so much."
Peta looked at his mate. Communication of some kind passed between them, it was clear. Then he turned to Diana. "My wife and our children will return to our home. I'll stay to join your fight."
"If Heid captured you once…."
"She captured our children when we were scavenging for food," Peta said. "We live in dragon territory and foolishly thought we were safe. We grew lax."
Diana hestitated, curious. "How many dragons are there?"
"You should know. Not enough."
Freya looked at Diana, frowning. "What does he mean you should know?"
"Diana gave us our territories, free of mankind, on an island shrouded by mists and surrounded by rocks and tides."
"I should have guarded it from black magic too." She hadn't thought of that. At the time, she believed keeping dragons and humans apart was enough.
Freya stared.
Diana ignored her. "We don't wish to risk you."
Peta straightened to his full, human height. "Dragons despise charity. We have a debt. I intend to repay it—with or without your permission."
Freya sighed. "No wonder you like dragons. They have the same temperament as you and your cat, Roman."
Freya hadn’t called her that in a long time. Diana got the point. "I should have told you."
"You might have mentioned it. Dragons came up in conversation," Freya snapped.
"I'm sorry." Diana didn't apologize often. Freya seemed to realize that.
Freya shrugged. "Can we protect Peta's wife and children if they return to their home?"
Diana grimaced. "I can protect them from humans. The island's inaccessible. But if Heid already went there once…. "
Peta fell to his knees once more. "We honor you."
"Oh, for Zeus' sake!" She let out a sigh. "We don't want to lose anymore allies than we have to when we fight Heid. I'd rather you went home."
"I'd rather I stayed." Peta glanced at his wife and children.
"Can you help his family?" Freya repeated.
Diana raised an eyebrow at the dragon—a stubborn beast, too intelligent for his own good. "If hellhounds invade your island, can you defeat them?"
"We roast and eat them."
"And giants?"
"Make a great bonfire."
Freya looked a little more confident. "So it's only magic that can defeat you."
Peta shook his head. "Dragons have magic of their own. It was only carelessness that got us into trouble."
"You thought you were safe." Freya shook her head. "With your own magic, talismans might be enough to keep you protected. I'll fetch some. The dwarf, Olaf, makes them. With his magic, my magic, and your magic, you should be all right."
"I'll make a necklace of rowan leaves for your wife and children," Diana said. "They'll be protected from black magic.”
Peta nodded, satisfied. "My family will be fine without me."
"And them?" Inga looked at the wolves, huddled together at the edge of the clearing, ready to run if they had to. "Do they have a parent, somewhere to go?"
One of them shifted. He became a young boy. Head bowed, he said, "Our mother died, fighting Heid, when she came for us. Our father went to the village to spy for her, to keep us safe, but he was found out. He died, too, trying to escape."
Diana frowned. "But you're not that old. How did your father become Griswold's scribe in so short a time?"
The boy looked at his feet, unwilling to meet her eyes. "Heid killed the actual scribe. She made my father take his place. He didn't want to. It was the only way…."
"We understand," Freya said. "He didn't have a choice."
The boy said, "We thank you for saving us, but we have no place to go, no home or parents."
"You have one now." The deep voice came from the edge of the trees. Peta's wife spun and lowered her head, ready to blast the newcomer. Tyr stepped into the clearing. Diana didn't know how long he'd been in the tree line, listening. Peta gaped. "Sky god," he said.
Before he could kneel, Tyr raised his hand to stop him. "What an intriguing group—a little of everything—wolves, dragons, shapeshifters, gods, goddesses, and witches. I bet there's an interesting story." He raised a brow at Diana, but she turned to go into the house.
"I'm getting wine," she told him. "Want anything?"
His lips tugged at the corners. "Only information. Maybe Freya will tell me. And let's start at the beginning. I want to hear it all."
By the time Diana returned, Freya was finishing up.
Tyr glared at her, pale eyes flashing. "You could have been hurt, debilitated."
"You could have, too, when you fought the giants."
"I had no choice. We were under attack."
She sipped from her goblet, leveling a cool glance his way over the rim of her cup. "If you'd seen the reading, what would you have done? Could you have left them in that cave?"
"I'm a warrior. It’s different."
“And how’s that?”
“I’d have taken Donar with me.”
“A lot of good that would have done you.”
“There were two of you against thirteen.”
She held up her fingers to count. “You. Donar. Hmmm, that makes two.”
"But…” His hand balled into a fist. “Damn it, Diana, you could have been killed!"
"I'm immortal, unlike you. You’re going to be killed." She tossed back her wine and started toward the kitchen for more.
“You could have called me. I’d have helped you.”
“I don’t need a man to protect me.”
His scowl made the wolves dart behind Peta. “I offered to help you, not protect you.”
“I think I’m more capable of battling Heid than you are.”
“And I think I’m more capable of battling giants, but you hesitated when you thought I might need you, even though Jorunda was in danger.”
He had her there, but she wouldn’t admit it. "Do you want me to help you, or do you want me to sit on my hands and give you advice?"
He growled, and the young wolf backed farther away. "Do you shift?" the boy asked.
"No, but that woman can frustrate me more than most."
Diana carried the ceramic jar to the kitchen’s doorway, so that she could listen to their conversation as she poured herself more wine.
“Don’t look so smug!” Tyr snapped. “If I’d have lost you….”
“You’d have to defeat Heid without my help.”
Tyr’s shoulders slumped, and he ran his hand through his white-blond hair.
Freya turned her concentration on the wolves. "Do any of the other pups shift?" she asked the boy.
Diana smiled. Freya didn’t like it when she and Tyr argued.
"Two of my sisters. The others have the gene, but it's latent."
"If they mate…?"
"Their pups could be shifters," the boy said. He returned to his biggest worry. "We have no den. Heid blasted it when she killed our mother. She brought her hellhounds with her, and they have our scent. They can track us wherever we go in Giantland."
"You'll live with us in the meadow," Tyr said.
>
"But it's your world," the boy stammered. "Protected by the gods."
Jorunda walked into the clearing and stopped in amazement. He stared at the sight before him.
Tyr seemed surprised to see him. "I'd have waited if I'd known you were coming. Jon told me Griswold had called you to him."
"My lord…."
Tyr interrupted, clearly uncaring of the chieftain's concerns. He motioned at the warrior. "You wolves will work with my friend and run with him. You'll defend the mortals here."
The boy stiffened. "We're no one's pets."
"Neither am I. Yet I work with Jorunda and protect the village." Tyr shrugged. "Does that make me less of a god?"
A flush crept to the boy's cheeks. "No, I meant…." He fumbled to a stop.
Tyr smiled. "You won't serve these mortals. You and they will be allies. They'll protect you and yours, just as you'll do for them."
Satisfied, the boy gave a quick nod. He glanced at Jorunda. Before the warrior could speak, Freya said, "I should tell you we circled the village and the giants’ camp with wolfbane."
"We can't pass it," the boy said.
"Then we'll have to find another safe spot for you outside the wooden fence."
She would have said more, but Jorunda interrupted her. "Enough! Will someone listen? I have news." He planted his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. "Our chieftain has come down with a fever. He mumbles gibberish, out of his head. He needs your help. We must hurry!"
Freya stopped where she was. "If we don't reach him in time?" Her hope was obvious with no subtlety at all. Her tone gave her away.
"He won't die," Diana said. "We read the runes. The man's alive after the battle."
Freya grimaced. "Damn. That's right. But it's Griswold." She shrugged. "What's the rush? He's more of a problem than a solution anyway."
"He's covered in a rash!" Jorunda said. "He spent last night with us—all of his warriors—at the council table. If we catch his disease, we cannot defend...."
Freya cut him off. "An epidemic." She looked at Diana. "Can you heal people with magic?"
"If it began with magic, which is what I suspect."
“Can we go now?” Jorunda asked.
“Lead the way.” She hurried to keep up on their way to the village. The wolves followed on her heels.
Peta called, "I'll escort my family home and return shortly."
With a nod, Diana said, "If we're not back yet, make yourself at home."
"Can I sleep on your east porch? The marble columns support a roof there—like an open cave."
She stopped to ask, "You never breathe fire in your sleep?"
"No, it's considered bad manners."
"And hazardous to your family. See you later, dragon." Tyr and Jorunda had forged ahead of her. She set off at a brisk walk. Not fast enough. Diana had to half-run to catch up with them. Finally, she and Inga gave up. They let the others go ahead. Freya cheated, turning into a bright bird and perching on Tyr's shoulder.
Diana slowed, but didn't dawdle. She'd protected the village against majic and hellhounds. Diseases, too, could ravage an entire population. Heid was one sneaky witch. If she couldn't kill with power, she'd resort to germs. Both were efficient.
Chapter 20
When Diana and Inga raced into the clearing, Ormr and Asdis came to greet them. The giant stopped when he saw the young wolves that accompanied them. "Hounds! I had a pack in Giantland. I miss them."
"You left them behind?" Diana glanced at the gates, shut tight. To keep the disease inside? She hesitated. She wanted the wolves settled and it would only take a minute.
The giant dropped to his knees. He held out a hand to the wolves. "I gave them to my brother. If I don't survive this, Illugi will keep them. Who do these belong to?"
The young, gray wolf switched to his human form—a young boy, and Ormr pulled his hand away in surprise. "We belong to no one. We've joined the gods in their fight against Heid."
"As have we." Ormr eyed him warily. "Wolfbane surrounds our campground, but I can move enough earth to make you a den close by. The others will help me move rocks."
Diana glanced at the high walkway that circled the log fence. Where were the guards? Where were Tyr or Jorunda?
"Why would you do that for us?" the boy asked.
"I love hounds." Ormr's answer was plain and simple.
The boy nodded. "Then we'll stay with you."
Inga tugged on Diana’s arm, motioning to the village. “I don’t see anyone. No guards. No warriors.”
As they ran toward the gates, Ormr strode to his friends and had a short conversation. They all bent to the ground and began to shove. Diana looked back, amazed, as the topsoil rippled. Soon there was a mound of dirt where there'd been none before. Each giant grabbed rocks and piled them around the mound. "That's the best we can do," Ormr said. "The soil's too thin to dig. We’d hit rock."
The gates didn't open. Diana pounded on them, but no one answered.
"Do you need help?" the young boy cried.
"I'll use magic." She waved her hand and the gates creaked forward. From where she stood, she cast a spell. She enchanted the giant's pile of dirt, making the sides rock hard.
The boy glanced at her, eyes wide. "You made us a cave." He and his family ducked inside.
When Inga started into the village, Diana stopped her. "Stay here for now. The last thing we need is an apprentice downed by disease."
"But…."
"Stay! And shut the gates behind me."
With a brief nod, Inga agreed. Diana rushed inside and ran until she reached Griswold's longhouse.
Hlif met her in the great hall. Her brittle, gray hair hung loose instead of pulled back in its usual bun. She pushed it back from her face, distressed, and motioned for Diana to follow her. "His fever's worse. His skin burns, but he cries that he’s freezing. Helga's sleeping with him to keep him warm. Even under a mountain of furs, he shivers with cold." She led Diana to Griswold's private chambers. She gave a quick knock at the door and stepped inside.
Footsteps sounded in the hall. Tyr and Freya came to join them, their expressions grim. “All the servants are down, stricken with disease,” Tyr told her.
Diana glanced at Hlif, suspicious. “But you’re healthy? So is Helga?”
“We worked in the gardens all day and most of this evening until Jorunda came to get us.” Hlif’s sunburned skin was a testimony to her words.
A young woman, sunburned, too, sat up in the fur-covered bed. She had long, drab hair and a plain, round face. She reached for her shift and tossed it over her head. When she stood, Diana could see that she was stick-thin.
Hlif grimaced. "You could have kept your nightdress on, girl, but seeing as how this is your only chance to bed a warrior, why not?" She rolled her eyes. "She's even willing to risk the plague to lie with a man."
The girl blushed and lowered her head.
Diana instantly felt sympathy for her. "How long have you lain with him?" she asked.
"A few hours."
"Then you'll need a potion the minute it's ready." Diana stalked to the bed. The chieftain was covered in a red rash. She could feel the heat from his body where she stood. His breath came in short spasms. "Do you know what he ate or drank before he fell ill?"
The girl motioned toward a tankard on his bed table. "He was fine after supper. He didn't grow feverish until he retired to his chamber."
Diana bent to sniff the contents of the cup. White crystals clung to its side. The liquid gone, the poison had become visible. She picked it up between her fingers and rubbed them together to smash the white powder. She sniffed again. "Ghoul pox," she said.
Tyr frowned. "I never heard of that."
"Then you're lucky. I know an antidote."
"Is that part of your magic?"
“No, just knowledge I've accumulated the hard way. Take me to the kitchen gardens. While I pick, call for help and bring as many buckets of water as you can carry. The disease is fast and deadly
. If a child was near Griswold, it's already dead." She enchanted seeds and leaves as she went. She glanced at the lowering sun. “It’s late, but it’s still light.”
“We’re getting closer to the time of the midnight sun,” Tyr proclaimed.
“I need water!”
Hlif and Helga grabbed buckets and hurried away.
Tyr ran to fetch warriors to help him. He came back immediately. "We'll have to do everything ourselves. They're all sick. Every single one of them, even Jorunda."
He and Freya ran to the well too. When they returned, Diana said, "Blow a horn or something. We don't have much time." She grabbed a pestle and mortar and set to work. Freya watched and followed. In twenty minutes, they had the first powders ready.
"Add three pinches of this to each cup of water." Diana turned to Hlif. "Drink this, then get the village organized. Three lines again. And hurry. Helga, drink yours, then send Inga to me."
"Is it safe for her to come inside?" Freya asked.
"Now that I know what we're fighting."
Tyr hurried toround up villagers.
"Don't miss anyone," Diana warned.
Diana kept working while the others distributed medicine to the villagers. She had Helga and Hlif dispense it to Griswold, then to the other servants in the house. When Inga came, Diana made her drink before saying, "The warriors are sick. Help them."
"Jorunda?"
"Needs you."
Diana worked at a feverish pace, making more and more powder, but when she finished and went to join Tyr and Freya in the village square, their faces told her what she feared to ask. "How many?" she finally said.
"It hadn’t spread to the village," Tyr said. "We got lucky there, but every child in Griswold's longhouse. They were dead before we got here."
"Up to what age?"
"Ten. All gone." His voice betrayed him. He rubbed a hand across his forehead. Freya crumpled to the ground, sitting cross-legged. "I thought the rowan protected against dark magic."
"Spells and chants, yes. Even energy. But germs, no. Where would Heid have found ghoul pox?"
"From your world," Freya said. "She must have brought it back with her."
Diana shook her head. Not wise to despair. Only cowards sagged in defeat. "Did we get to the adults in time?"
