Rising from the table, she stretched her arms overhead and walked across the cottage to the straw bed piled with furs and soft wool blankets. She placed the sheathedLjósálfardagger upon the bedside table. Elfi removed her gown, folded it neatly, and set it on the table beside the candle, which she extinguished. As she slipped into bed and snuggled into the soft covers, she looked out the open window at the starry night sky. The same twinkling stars that watched over Njörd. She thought of Jarl Rikard and his men, riding to Reims to fetch her father. “May the gods protect you, my love. And bring myfaðirsafely home.”
****
Elfi was scrubbing the remains of her breakfast—barley porridge and blackberries—from the pot and pewter bowl, rinsing them in the freshwater stream which flowed near the cottage, when she heardle chant des sirènescoming from the sheltered cove. The fluid notes floated over the gentle waves on the salty breeze, calling to her mermaid soul.Like the innate bond Njörd recognized when he met Bodo and his Úlfhéðnar pack. The same kindred spirit that he’d sensed from the white wolf in Norway. Elfi’ssjóvættirmagic stirred at the sound of the sirens’ song.
Heart racing, mouth suddenly dry, she dashed across the sandy beach. The smiling faces of the nineGallizenaegreeted her from the turquoise waters, their lustrous hair and fluttering tailfins a stunning array of blues, greys, lavenders, and greens.
“Bonjour, Elfi! Leave your gown in the cottage and join us. Inmermaidform.” Hrönn’s pale aqua hair glimmered in the early morning sun.
“I’ll be right there!” Elfi raced into the cottage, dropped the clean dishes onto the shelf, and quickly unstrapped herÚlfbladdagger, setting thedragonscalescabbard and sheathed blade upon the table. Leaving her boots on the rush-strewn earthen floor, she removed her gown and chemise, folding and placing them beside hertrollkorsamulet and tiered necklace, which were carefully laid upon the bed. TheÚlftiriwhistle—made from the bones of Njörd’s sacred white wolf—was tucked inside her leather satchel, sitting on the bedside table. Satisfied that her belongings were safe, Elfi exited the cottage, lowered and secured the sealskin door, and sprinted across the soft white sand. When she arrived at the water’s edge, she stepped into the foamy waves lapping at the shore. And—drawing the essence of the sea deep into her soul—dove into the cove as a mermaid.
Swirling under the curling waves, she followed the nine billow maidens out to sea. When they surfaced, so did she, amidst a flurry of frothy, white-capped waves, buffeted by the open ocean winds. All around her, sunlight danced on the turbulent sea like thousands of glimmering jewels. In the distance, a small island with rocky shores and craggy cliffs rose above the windswept water.
“Thesirens’ songcalled to your soul. And your spirit knows the song of the sea.Sjósongr.Thesjóvættirmagic of your mermaid mother, daughter of the Sea Goddess Rán.” Kólga’s dark blue eyes glistened like sparkling sapphires. “Sing from the depths of your soul. And summon the strength of the sea.”
“Just as you draw the ocean into your body when you shift into mermaid form, pull the power of the sea with yoursjóvættirmagic. And hurl its tremendous force against those rocks.” Eyes widened with anticipation, Himinglæva watched Elfi wieldsjósongrfor the very first time.
Like a song sung from the depths of her soul, a thrumming rose within her, unfurling and unleashing her magic. Fingers clenched like powerful claws, she extracted the essence of the sea, pulling an enormous wave from the bottom of the ocean floor. She lifted her arms high above her head, the wave rising to an astonishing peak twice the height of a Vikingdrakkarwarship. Remembering the technique Njörd had taught her, Elfi hurled the wave like a dagger toward the target. As her arm slammed against the surface of the water in front of her, the swelling surge crashed upon the island shore, splattering sea foam and shattering rocks high into the salty sky.
A triumphant thrill rippled down Elfi’s spine to the twin tips of her mermaid tail.
“Very well done. Now do it again.” Himinglæva’s melodic voice was laced with encouragement and pride.
Elfi hurtled another huge wave which pummeled the craggy shore.
“Create two waves—one with each hand—and fire them in opposite directions toward the same target.” Kólga’s sapphire eyes glinted with thrilling challenge.
Arms extended at either side, Elfi clutched the raw power of the sea, pulling it up into a pair of towering waves high above her head. Crossing her arms in front of her bare torso, she launched them together. And shrieked in gleeful triumph as they pounded the tiny island on opposite shores.
“That is how you could sink an enemy ship. Inundate the deck with one wave, and capsize the vessel with another. Or crack the hull in two with a simultaneous strike.” Sunlight glimmered upon the frothy waves and reflected in Bylgja’s bright blue gaze.
Elfi’s heart hammered in her chest, her entire body shaking with her newfound power. “Can I wield mysjósongrmagic as a human, or only in mermaid form?”
“Both. And you may summon us withle chant des sirènesin either form as well.”Himinglæva pointed to a group of small islands to the south. Swim to the nearest shore, walk up onto the beach. And hurl a wave as a human.”
Elfi submerged under the cold surface, flicked her mermaid tail to propel herself forward, and emerged onto the rocky bank of the island upon two long legs. Wind whipping her hair and salt stinging her bare skin, she summoned the magic ofsjósongrfrom the depths of her mermaid soul. And fired a rapid succession of enormous waves, each one striking a different island target.
Victory surging through her veins like the waves she had just hurled from the sea, Elfi shifted into a mermaid and swam back to join theGallizenae.
Under the watchful eyes of her mermaid mentors, Elfi practiced wielding hersjóvættirmagic throughout the afternoon. Finally, as the sun began its descent in the western sky, they swam to an island to rest upon the rocks.
Opalescent scales shimmering in the golden light of the setting sun, Himinglæva smiled at Elfi, her perfect teeth like lustrous pearls. “You have mastered the magic ofsjósongrand now wield thesjóvætirpower of the sea. For today’s final lesson, you must summon theMélusineswithle Chant des Sirènes.”
Elfi’s breath hitched in her throat. TheMélusineswere the warrior form of theGallizenae. Enormous sea dragons, reminiscent of the legendaryJörmungandr, the gigantic ocean serpent of Nordic tales.And I shall summon them with the sirens’ song!
With a slender finger, Himinglæva indicated a trio of islands to the north. “That first islet is calledLes Rochers de la Vieille—the Rocks of the Old Woman—named for the treacherous rocks which protect the realm of Rán. The second is known asLes Rochers de la Portebecause the rocks form a passageway, like a portal. The third,Les Rochers de l’ Écume,is named for the seafoam that collects along the rocky shore. Swim to whichever one you choose. Walk up onto the beach and place your hand upon the surface of the sea. Identify the island where you wish us to appear. And summon theMélusineswithle Chant des Sirènes.”
Elfi slipped into the cold water, shivering from the delicious chill of the sea and the thrill of anticipation. As she swam, she was inexplicably drawn toLes Rochers de la Porte, as if an otherworldly force beckoned her. The closer she got to the island, the stronger the pull, hersjóvéttirmagic responding to an intrinsic, instinctive bond.
When she arose from the ocean and walked up onto the shore, she was stunned to see a thunderous waterfall cascading from a craggy cliff, tumbling over the open mouth of a hidden sea cave into the turbulent waters below, much like her beloved waterfall cave in the Mermaid Cove. Power pulsed from the darkened depths inside the cave, but Elfi intuitively sensed a benevolent presence. A kindred spirit which sang to her soul.
Rather than venture alone into the mysterious grotto, Elfi decided to summon theMélusinesas she’d been told. Perhaps theGallizenaeknew of this mystical cavern. Or would at least accompany her inside to explore.
Elfi walked to the edge of the shore and bent down to place her hand upon the ocean water, pouring hersjóvættirspiritinto the sea. “Mélusines,,heedle Chant des Sirènes. Send the sea dragons toles Rochers de la Porte.”
As Elfi stood on the rocky beach, peering into the swirling surf, nine mammoth beasts appeared beneath the turbulent waters, each dark shape twice the length and width of the Viking longships Njörd had brought from Denmark.
Monstrous reptilian heads with huge, pointed horns and elongated blue snouts rose above the roiling surface of the sea to display sharp, serpentine fangs. Massive scaled bodies with barbed dorsal fins and powerful spiked tails churned and whipped the choppy sea as theMélusinesformed a whirling circle. The giant sea dragons swirled in a spiral, creating a maelstrom in the darkened depths, from which a thirty foot wave swelled into a curling peak which crashed against the rocky shore.
