To the vows that bind them as one.
To the gods who bless this sacred union.
Beneath the starlit stone of Íslyra.”
Íssla inclined her crowned head to the newly married couple.
“To Elfi and Njörd. May love light your path, and joy fill your hearts. On this wedding night, and forevermore.”
With hearty shouts of “Skál!”, the wedding guests toasted Elfi and Njörd.
At the far end of the Crystal Hall, royal attendants opened a pair of elegant twin doors of carved moonstone and embedded crystal, revealing a golden light which beckoned with the tantalizing aroma of delectable fare and the inviting allure of music.
Queen Íssla lifted her goblet once more. “Let wedding joy fill the Moonstone Hall,” she proclaimed, her voice clear as a clarion bell. “May the sumptuous feast begin.”
Hands clasped, wedding rings glittering in the golden light, Elfi and Njörd led the procession and followed the radiant queen into the glorious feast.
Inside the vast chamber, high walls of pale moonstone glowed with radiant inner light. Through tall arched windows, slivers of moonlight illuminated long tables draped in forest green. Silver platters were piled with roasted meats, grilled fish, and fresh vegetables steamed with aromatic herbs. Vases of fragrant white flowers and beeswax candles emitted a sweet floral scent, andcrystal containers of golden mead sparkled in the firelight from blazing hearths encased in moonstone on opposite walls of the opulent hall.
The queen’s attendants escorted Íssla to the elevated dais at the far end of the chamber. Etched with silvery runes and adorned with glitteringgildirgems, the queen’s moonstone throne was flanked on each side by a pair of elaborately decorated frosted ashwood chairs.
While the queen regally stood before her throne and watched the wedding guests enter the Moonstone Hall, sentinels ushered Elfi and Njörd to the queen’s right, where their bridal seats were adorned with soft white blossoms and silvery silk. Úlvhild and Haldor were seated on the queen’s left. Their chairs, carved from pale ashwood, bore sacred rowan boughs bound in dark green ribbon with sprigs of juniper and fragrant wild thyme.
Fluid notes from lutes, lyres, harps, and flutes floated through the festive air as guests imbibed in Moonflower mead and savored the sumptuous fare. The feast was superb—a delightful blend ofLjósálfarfruits, fish, berries, nuts, and bread, to restore magic and renew spiritual strength—and hearty meats, rich sauces, and roasted roots for humans and wolves alike.
And when the feasting was finished, Skjöld told the tale of how he and Haldor had defended a dwarf’s treasure and hoard of Dwarven weapons. As he had done inSigurðshöll, he demonstrated the extraordinary power of hisÍsfirshield by projecting a plume offrostfireflame into a moonstone hearth. He explained how Haldor had freed a young woman named Skadi by killing herDökkálfarguardon the attacking enemy ship. And how theFalcon of the Faroe Islandsnow wielded theÍsfálkrspear.
“Skadi also granted me the power to summon her in battle.” Haldor attracted the attention of Íssla’s enthralled wedding guests. “For she is halfLjósálfarand halfjötunn.A Light Elven healer who can transform into afrostdragon.”
Úlvhild waited until the murmurs of excitement quieted and expectation hung heavy in the silent hall. “I have foreseen a battle.” As her cryptic voice echoed off the moonstone walls, aripple of unease swept across the hushed crowd. “TheDökkálfarwho attacked the dwarf’s cave were seeking Dwarven weapons to thwart a prophecy.” She leaned forward to look at Njörd, seated on the opposite side of the queen. “Now that Njörd has reclaimedÚlfsongr,they will attack us here.To seize the Dwarven sword and avenge a slainDökkálfar.By slaying theLjósálfar Lord of Starlight.”
Gasps swept through the hall like wind upon water.
“If this is true, Ildris, you must seek shelter at once inÁlfheim,where the Dökkálfar may not tread.” Queen Íssla warned the copper-haired Light Elf, seated between Luna and Lugh at theLjósálfartable of honor.
“Nei, my queen, I cannot.” Ildris arose from his seat and bowed before his queen. He straightened his broad back and regarded Íssla with a reverent but resolute stare. “I turned theDökkálfarsilversmith Nithrak to stone with thegildirgem of my brooch. Since I yet retain traces of that solar radiance, his brother Gúldur will track me down.” Ildris directed his compelling, otherworldly gaze to Njörd. “I must lure Gúldur to Njörd,” he declared, his deep voice filled with conviction. “For the White Wolf to fulfill the fateful prophecy. And slay theDókkálfar Blacksmith of Dorestad.” Ildris raised his crystal goblet to Njörd. “May Odin guide your prophesied blade. AndDökkálfarshadow fall to Dwarven steel.”
Chapter 20
Final Night Together
After a riotous round of cheers, Njötd rose to his feet and addressed the crowd. “Our crews have restocked supplies for the return voyage to Normandy. Skugga and theDökkálfarwill undoubtedly attack as we attempt to set sail.”
“I shall remain at your side, to lure Gúldur.” Coppery hair shining in the soft firelight, Ildris inclined his luminous head to Njörd.
“I shall defend our men withfrostfireflame.” Skjöld leapt to his feet, proudly displaying hisÍsfirshield, itsHrímsúlgem ablaze with violet fire.
“And should they attack by sea, I shall summon theMélusinesto sink Skugga’s ships.” Elfi’s confident voice echoed off the moonstone walls.
Íssla raised an inquisitive royal brow. “TheMélusines?”
Elfi grinned at the perplexed queen. “The sea dragon warriors of theGallizenaemermaids.The nine billow maiden daughters of the Sea Goddess Rán.” Blue green eyes glittering like the exquisite gems at her throat, Elfi whispered, “I am the daughter of the billow maiden Dúva and granddaughter of Rán. I inherited my mother’ssjóvættirpower, so I may summon theMélusinesto sink ships with their enormous fangs, sharp claws, and spiked tails. I can hurl towering waves to inundate enemy hulls. Or invoke Rán with this necklace.”
She touched the droplet-shaped gems which shimmered with the colors of the sea. “This was a bridal gift from Njörd,” Elfi explained, flashing a radiant smile at her new husband. “He found it in a marketplace on the shores of the Caspian Sea. It had once belonged to a Persian princess. But the original owner was Rán.This past summer, I voyaged to theÍle de Sein, off the distant coast of Bretagne, to meet theGallizenaemermaids and learn to wield my inherited power. While I was there, they took me to meet Rán. I am now able to summon her with this necklace, for she imbued it withsjósongrmagic—the Song of the Sea.”
Íssla beamed at her son’s beguiling bride. “Then we shall be well prepared for tomorrow’s battle. I am delighted Njörd chose you for his wife.”
“Avölvain Norway foresaw my future. She told me that my fate and my mate—the siren with sea goddess eyes—would be found on the shores of a distant sea.” Njörd raised Elfi’s hand to his bearded lips and kissed her soft skin. “I was the Danish Jarl of Ribe, and King Harald sent me to thePays de Caux,for an arranged marriage with the daughter of a Norman count. The moment I saw her, I knew Elfi was my fated mate. I sensed it in my very soul.” Passion and pride burned in his feral lupine gaze. “The Norns have interwoven the threads of our fates. Elfi and I are destined to wield our inherited magic. And fulfill the prophecy together.”
