The reindeer antler headpiece was firmly centered over his blond braided locks. His warrior body was warmly wrapped inside the magnificent white bearskin fur, and the lapis lazuli spirit ring pulsed on the calloused center finger of his left hand. In solemn silence, Skjöld watched with members of theLáhpitribe as Jaskka poured a cup of golden mead from a wooden pitcher, then methodically tore open a section of flatbread, tucking inside a slice of reindeer meat, a few lingonberries, and a succulent piece of smoked salmon. With majestic ceremony, the eldernoaidicarried the offering down to the frost-covered shore of the icy fjord, placing the overflowing bread on the sand beside the boat that had transported Skjöld on his spirit journey into the realm of water.
Jaskka faced the sacred fjord and the towering cliffs, raising his weathered face and mug of mead toward the starry night sky.His deep voice resounded across the icy waters, echoing against the snow-capped stone.
“Ancestors who walk beside us in the wind, sea, and stars,
We call upon you now, as we prepare this feast.
Guide the soul of the new spirit walker, Lagudi,
And protect the people of our Láhpi tribe.
O spirits of the land, sea, and sky,
Accept this humble offering,
And grant us strength, prosperity, wisdom, and peace."
The eldernoaidi poured the golden mead into the sea while the tribe watched in hushed stillness. When Jaskka rejoined the group gathered near the fire, his wife Máret approached and took his hand, leading him to the center of the table. Once he ceremoniously consumed a slice of reindeer meat, the tribe cheered as the feasting, music, and dancing began.
While musicians played willow flutes, plucked lyres, and chanted ajoiksong of celebration, the women of the tribe circulated, pouring mead into cups for the adults and a lingonberry and honey brew for the children. Jaskka invited Skjöld and Haldor to sit with him and Máret on reindeer hides spread over the frosted ground. Måhtte, Niillas, and Ellef joined them upon the softened furs.
Their plates filled with sizzling meat, smoked fish, fresh berries, and barley bread, Skjöld and his mentor Haldor settled down onto the thick pelts beside thenoaidiand his attentive wife whose pale blue eyes sparkled in the firelight.
Jaskka washed down a mouthful of salmon with a swallow mead. He eyed Skjöld with obvious curiosity tempered with patience and wisdom. “Tell us about your spirit journey. What did you learn in the realm of water?”
Skjöld’s muscles still twitched from the thrill of traveling through water and communicating with theÁhkká. He gulped from his goblet to quench his parched throat before relating the incredible otherworldlyvisions he had foreseen inside the waterfall cave.
“My spirit voyaged to a distant land where a magnificent waterfall cascaded from a mountain into a hidden sea cave. Near the entrance to the grotto, I glimpsed two glowing female figures—the spirits of my grandmother Lova and my great-grandmother Sprota —who beckoned me to come inside. There, I met Divona, the Celtic Goddess of Sacred Springs, whom my mother Ylva once worshipped inside that very cave. The goddess wordlessly told me to use my inherited gift and look into the same freshwater pool where my mother had once foreseen her own fate.”
His hand shaking, Skjöld drained his wooden mug of mead, composing his thoughts as Máret refilled his goblet. He nodded in gratitude, then continued his tale. “In the vision, I beheld a snow-capped mountain on an island enshrouded by mists and encircled by an icy fjord. At its base, under the overhang of a craggy cliff, there is a cave where a dwarf lives with a trove of treasure and a hoard of magical weapons. Amongst them, I spotted a glimmering shield with a fiery blue stone which spoke to my soul as the words of thevölva’sprophecy floated into my mind.You, Son of the Dragon, must shield the cape and defend the future crown.”
Skjöld turned toward Haldor, who regarded him with keen interest and the piercing eyes of a peregrine falcon. “I must wield that Dwarven shield to fulfill the prophecy. And I must warn the dwarf of an impending attack. For in the vision, I also foresaw asnekkjalongship with a raven prow and a black sail headed directly toward the dwarf’s cave. Rus raiders plan to strike, seize the dwarf’s treasure and weapons, and prevent me from fulfilling the prophecy.” He ran his right thumb pensively over the spirit ring which pulsed on his left hand. Skjöld glanced up, fervently searching Jaskka’s contemplative, chalk-painted face. “How do I find this mist-covered island? How can I even approach a dwarf? And how can I possibly obtain the Dwarven shield that I have foreseen in the vision?”
Jaskka wiped his bearded mouth with a tuft of pale green moss, which he tossed into the fire.His pale blue eyes sparkledlike ice lit from within, ablaze with the embers of ancient knowledge. “The fjord wraps around these islands like the protective arms of ancestral guardians. Use the wisdom gleaned in your spirit journey. Wield your inherited gift of sight through water as the spirits of theÁhkkáguide you.” The otherworldly eyes etched upon thenoaidi’spainted brow observed Skjöld from a distant realm as Jaskka turned toward Haldor, his deep voice reverberating with whispered echoes from beyond the veil. “Lagudimust seek the dwarf’s abode in the small boat which he crafted for his spirit journey. You must accompany him—in the form of a falcon. The dwarf will be amazed by anoaidiwho commands a wild, winged creature—and even more astounded when you assume human form as a Vikingvitki.He will invite you both into his cave, whereLagudican warn him of the danger. And you,Falcon of the Faroe Islands, must wield your avian magic to defend the dwarf and his priceless weapons.” Jaskka’s sapphire gaze blazed like starlight frozen in flame. “As a reward for saving his life and invaluable treasure, the dwarf shall bestow upon each of you an incomparable gift of gratitude.”
Knees cracking, Jaskka rose slowly to his feet and stretched his lanky, aging limbs. As Måhtte, Niillas, and Ellef congratulated Skjöld and wandered off to join the revelry, the eldernoaidireached for his wife’s hand and helped her to a stand. “Come, my love. Let us dance under the stars.” Jaskka spoke to Haldor and Skjöld, a grin stretching across his chalk white painted face. “Tonight, we rejoice. Tomorrow, you leave at first light.”
Skjöld gazed out at the dark depths where moonglow and theNorðrljós—the green and violet northern lights reflecting off the shields of the Valkyries soaring through the starlit night sky—shimmered on the icy, sacred fjord. Tomorrow, he would wield once again his inherited gift of sight through water and summon theÁkkháto discover the dwarf’s hidden cave.
His heart thunderedlike Mjöllnir, hammering the anvil of fate.
Chapter 2
Vitki and Völva
Haldor secured two spears and shields along the inside of the boat, covering them with woolen blankets and pelts, while Skjöld stored the wooden boxes and leather pouches containing flatbread, smoked fish, and dried reindeer meat for their imminent voyage. Måhtte, Niillas, and Ellef stood with several member of the tribe, watching as Jaskka placed a morsel of smoked fish on a stone at the edge of the fjord and poured a cup of reindeer milk into the salty sea as an offering to the spirits who would guide Haldor and Skjöld on the journey to find the dwarf. “May theÁhkkáguide you to fulfill the foretold prophecy.”
As Skjöld settled into the small boat, he was struck once again by the magnificence of his mentor’s enchanted armor.
Elongated overlapping plates of rich chestnut leather, shaped and detailed like layered feathers, were embossed with Nordic runes and intricate swirls like sea and sky. Real falcon feathers were meticulously woven into the leather vambraces on his rugged forearms, the striking appearance evoking wings of Haldor Falk’s shapeshifting ability and avian magic. His hawklike nose curved like a beak, and painted wings, intricately detailed with shades of black, silver, and grey, stretched across his rugged, bearded face. Below each of his dark brown, predatory eyes, theKaunrune—symbol of fire, power, and transformation—glowed in fiery red and orange hues. Atop his stunning leather headpiece, a striking crest of falcon feathers arose in a magnificent plume above a carved amber image of Freyja, the goddess who had taken the Vikingvitkias her human lover, marking him with lifelike tattoos of iridescent feathers etched across his chest and back, as she bestowed upon him the remarkable power of transformation into a falcon and theincomparable ability to command and control all winged creatures.
Skjöld revered his otherworldly mentor, Haldor Falk.
Falcon of the Faroe Islands.
Haldor’s piercing gaze held Skjöld’s as he launched the small craft out onto the mirrored waters of the fjord and—in a flash of golden light and a whoosh of flapping wings—soared into the silvery dawn sky as a peregrine falcon.
They headed north, following the serpentine path of the sinuous fjord. Haldor scouted above, periodically swooping down to rest on the seat of the boat before taking to the skies once again. As the sun began to set, he returned to the small vessel, shifting back into human form and settling onto the seat opposite Skjöld.
