“Gunnar,” she whispered.
“I will send for your brother, love. I will get him here. Just stay focused on me. Do not leave me, wife. Do you hear me? That’s an order from your husband and you may not disobey me.”
Ire rose in her. She could disobey him if she wanted to. She tried to lift an arm to slug him, but it would only raise a little before falling back down. There was a great deal of pressure on her chest and she found it difficult to breathe. She opened her eyes to see Giric hovering over her with his hands pressed hard on her chest. Fear and moisture filled his eyes.
She smiled at him. He was so handsome, her husband. Her focus shifted to his breastplate. On it was the image of the serpent much like the one on her own shield. In her world it represented that which was sacred and rare and protected while also representing those who did the protecting.
Much was the same she suspected for Giric. He was to be protected, but also a warrior, like her. He would not want her to go to Valhalla. But he may not have a choice. Her parents were there among others of her kin. They awaited her.
Slay the serpent.
Her gaze shifted to his breastplate again. This time the serpent disentangled itself from the sword and regarded her. At first it spit and breathed fire, but she reached her hand out to it. Its piercing black eyes scrutinized her—as if to determine what made her up from the inside out. After an age, the serpent breathed out only smoke and moved its face so Saga could stroke its smooth scales. Despite the heat from within it was cool to the touch. She laughed, causing the serpent to veer up and grunt.
“Are you my Valkyrie, come to take me away?”
“No, Shield-Maiden. I am your guide back to where you belong.”
“And where is that?”
“Back to the Scots-land of Alba. You have much work to do there.”
“You are a serpent of Alba. You are not my kin.”
Just then another serpent emerged in the scene. The one from her own crest and side by side, Saga could see the similarities. They were sisters.
“We were separated an age ago, Shield-Maiden. You must go back and repair the damage done so we may reunite for all eternity.” Her serpent entwined its tail around Giric’s and they lay down beside one another. “There is more at stake here than you realize.”
The pain in her chest shot through her, causing her to gasp and arch her back.
“Hush love, the bleeding has stopped,” Giric said above her.
When she opened her eyes, her hand was on his breastplate and the image was as it had always been. But what of her vision? What of the message she’d tried to understand?
“Saga, love I will need to move you, but I cannot do so yet. I have summoned our healer, but I need you to stay focused and stay awake, can you do that?”
The poison muddled her brain. She was not sure if she could do as Giric asked, but she would do her best. Why had it only occurred to her now that there were so many similarities between the images of symbolism between Giric’s people and hers? It did not matter, she supposed, but she was determined to best this injury and return to him in full form.
Hands touched her body and within moments she was rolled onto her back. White hot pain stabbed her chest causing her to cry out. She was lifted and placed onto her back again. She opened her eyes a crack when she had the sensation of being lifted again. Her husband’s face was above her and another man’s was at her feet back on.
Saga felt herself drifting slowly away from the image.
“Keep your eyes on me, love,” Giric said.
She tried, oh how she wished she could tell him she tried, but she was so tired and she could hear the first screech from the Valkyries. They were coming for her and she did not possess the strength to tell them she was not ready, that she wanted to stay here for another little while with Giric, and that she wanted to see her brother again. That thought too faded as she slipped into blackness where there were no Valkyries, no Valhalla, and no Giric.
* * *
As they lifted Saga, Giric noticed the two assassins’ lifeless bodies nearby.
“Osgar! Secure them!” He could offer no more instructions as he and Donnan lifted her up the stairs and away from prying eyes. She had fallen unconscious and would need immediate care if she was to survive.
At her chamber he placed the cot on the floor and lifted her body in his arms. To Donnan he said, “Help Osgar find out everything about those two responsible for my wife’s condition.”
Thankfully, Donnan left and did not object in any way. Giric possessed no tolerance for his brother’s cynicism at the moment.
Once Saga was in bed and her clothes removed, Giric ushered everyone out of the chamber except for Lady Fraser, Freydis, and Vigdis. He would not even permit his sister entry for she’d begun shrieking from the moment she’d spied them climbing the stairs with Saga.
“You must heal her,” he said to Lady Fraser.
