“This is Vidarr.” I have no plans on giving Bjorn any more ways to torture me. He swings his axe a few more times, trying to make sense of what we want before letting us in, so I ask, “Is Jorvik here?”
“Came to offer your condolences?” He’s quick to reply with the information I need. They think Rasha is dead, which will make it hard for Jorvik to see reason.
“We need to have a word with your new head of council.” Vidarr’s commanding voice is nice to hear. He steps between us, nearly knocking into Bjorn, and I walk the reindeer through the gate into the village.
“Shaw!” Joanna barrels toward me in a mud covered dress, and I drop the reins. When she throws her arms around me, I whisper in her ear, “Rasha is alive.” Her arms stiffen against my neck, and she pulls away, her muted brown eyes searching mine.
“I need help to find the herd for her,” I whisper. Joanna hears me and looks to my left to see Vidarr. His charm works its way back as he dips his chin in a smile that would melt an icicle.
“Vidarr.” He outstretches his hand, and she blushes like they all do.
“This is Joanna.” Introducing her, I let a moment of normalcy cross my tired soul.
“She’s spoken for,” Bjorn drawls, walking by us.
“Don’t mind him. He limps since Yule and has been sent here by Harald,” Joanna explains softly so only I can hear. Holding out my elbow, I beckon for her to slide her arm through, and we fall in line behind Bjorn to walk to the center of the clan. “Did she find the bow?”
I nod to my back to answer her. Tucked under the leather wrap in the quiver rests Skadi’s bow. She raises her eyebrows, squeezing my forearm with her overworked hand.
“I’ll tell you more when we are alone,” I say, hoping to bring hersome comfort. I know they were very close. To lose Rasha for more than a month and to think she’s dead is a pain I had no intention of bringing up.
“We have company!” Bjorn shouts as we walk up the steps into the longhouse. Women are cleaning and stocking the fire basins, all in similar dresses to Joanna, with heavily worn fabric and lacking the security of a weapon on their belts.
Jorvik comes through a door in a wall that cuts the longhouse in half and stops dead in his tracks when he sees me. Letting Joanna’s arm fall, I shrug off the hidden quiver so she can take it. Vidarr steps aside, taking Joanna with him. Jorvik gains speed as he crosses the empty hall, women take heed to find other places to be, and I shake out my arms, knowing he’s going to be full of bravado.
“What the fuck do you want?” Jorvik hisses, the gold chains around his fur coat clinking in his anger.
“Rasha needs your help.” I say her name, and he swings. His knuckles connect with my jaw, and I feel all of Vidarr’s wrath exploding around him. Joanna screams, but I take the hit. I couldn’t protect his sister, which is why I am here. Needing to gain any form of complacency if this is to work, I still my torso, not engaging, but I block his next punch with my forearm and take a step back.
“Rasha is dead because of you,” Jorvik seethes.
“She’s alive. We need to find the reindeer herd before the next full moon in two weeks.”
Jorvik lunges, ready to swing at me again, so I take the hit to my shoulder and punch him in the gut. He doesn’t go down. Instead, he launches himself at my waist, and we collide with the wooden floor. Holding a hand out to keep Vidarr from intervening, I open myself up to Jorvik who punches me in the ribs. In return, I swing my legs around his scrawny ass and bash his head into the floor.
“You fucked with her head. Kissing her and sneaking around with her. Our clan is in shambles because you got her killed,” he shrieks, grappling his hands at my neck, trying to strangle me.
“She’s alive, Jorvik. She didn’t die. The only pain she’s endured is by you using her.” I hold his shirt to pick him up while he’s tryingto claw my fucking eyes out and slam the both of us back on the floor. His teeth grind together, and he lets me go.
“Don’t lie to me. Is my sister alive?” He spits blood on the floor. I let him go and back away, dusting off my clothes.
“She’s alive. I have the bow of Skadi that she pulled from the burial site.” I give a bare bones version of events, causing Jorvik to survey the room, taking in Bjorn who is sitting on a table and Joanna tucking herself behind Vidarr with the quiver pressed against her chest.
“Prove it,” Jorvik says, beckoning Bjorn to him. “And who the fuck are you?” He looks at Vidarr.
“I am the proof you need. I saw Rasha use the bow against a Fenrir from the Immortal Realm,” Vidarr explains. Jorvik coughs out a laugh.
“Are you two related? In blood or simple delusion. Fenrir are creatures from bedtime stories. This is crazy. Lock them up.” Jorvik motions to Bjorn who slides his axe into a better position.
Vidarr claps his hands together, and magic erupts throughout the hall. He opens his hands to reveal the deep purple, shimmering channel between this world and the next.
“What are you?” Bjorn points the axe at Vidarr, to which my brother smirks and waves his hand pulsing with ancient magic. The axe hurls out of Bjorn’s grasp and into Vidarr’s in one smooth motion.
“I walk the Vanheim. I have seen the Maiden wield Skadi’s bow and use the power that she gained for her sacrifice.” Vidarr’s eloquent speech makes Jorvik’s dumb face fall in utter shock.
“Enough,” I softly tell my brother as he slides the axe to Joanna before closing his hand and sealing his power into the channel.
“Why does she need the reindeer?”
