Authors note:
Firstly, I would like to let you know that there is very little sex in the story. I did try to squeeze more in but it detracted from the chapter, which is basically the back story for Jan and Kasper. I know that it won't be to everyone's liking, but I like my stories to have plot with a touch of sex, and not sex with a touch of a plot. If that is the kind of thing that interests you, this may not be to your liking.
Secondly, this is a fairly big step away from my normal chapters, and a little more to my 'normal' writing style, which borders on Fantasy Fiction. This story is loosely based on Nordic Mythology, but not accurate to the common writings (just in case there any experts out there). The featured folk song is one of my own creation, and not written anywhere else.
ATM
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Ragnarök
Where the known worlds meet, there stands an immense tree known as Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life. Amongst the roots of this tree reside the Norns, the three witches who spin the fates of all living creatures.
At the base of the tree sits a well, but not any well. It is the Well of Knowledge. It was to drink from this well that the Allfather, Odin sacrificed an eye to gain foresight of the fate of the worlds.
With His gained foresight, Odin knew that at the time of Ragnarök, many will perish, so He formed a plan, He selected two humans, a woman, Lif, and a man Lifprasir to be taken to Yggdrasil, so they may survive the end of days and repopulate the new world. To ensure that his chosen will reach the tree of life safely, Odin chose two warriors to escort them to where they would be safe. Janneke, a dark haired Valkyrie, and Kachina, a fair, pale skinned, student of Freyr, the Mistress of the Mystic Arts.
To keep his plans hidden, Odin arranged for the two humans and their Æsir protectors to be settled at a small farm, beyond the hills that ringed Valhalla.
This is where the true beginning of our story lies.
Wooden staves clashed, separated, then clashed again. Janneke blinked sweat from her eyes. Her opponent was a worthy match, not as strong as she was, but far faster. It was as if every attack Janneke made, her opponent knew what it would be, before she herself did. She paused, releasing a slow breath and blinked once more. Lazily she spun the stave about one hand, changing grip slightly to grasp the wooden weapon off center. Another spin, this one unbalance due to the altered grip, then altered her stance a tiny fraction and snapped the longest end through, sweeping it upwards toward the forward knee of her adversary.
There was another resounding crack, as wood met wood. Janneke's stave halted a fraction of an inch from its target. She knew, using her superior strength, she could force the block and still score a hit, but it would leave her off balance, and for a minor strike it wasn't worth the sacrifice.
The two warriors stepped back, each acknowledging each other's abilities.
Janneke's opponent attacked now. Stave twirling rapidly about her body, spinning so fast it became a blur. The blows rained down, too fast for Janneke to count, and she had to dig very deeply to parry each attack. She realised too late that the series of blows had been cleverly orchestrated to force her defense wider with each attempted strike. Now her stave was circling wider and wider leaving her chest an open target.
As she predicted, her opponent's stave abruptly changed course, its end jabbing directly towards Janneke's defenseless abdomen, there was nothing she could do to stop the killing blow.
Her shoulders tensed. Then beat the wings that unfurled behind her, lifting her feet off the floor and moving her backwards by a foot.
Her attacker now, having nothing to strike against, over extended and staggered forwards, now completely at Janneke's mercy. Another beat of her wings allowed her an opening, the tip of her stave descended in a smooth arc, and spanked Kachina on her behind.
Kachina yelped. "You cheated." She accused. "You're not supposed to be using your wings."
With her feet resting on the ground once more, Janneke grinned and mopped the sweat off her brow. "Like you weren't supposed to use spells to increase your speed."
A wide grin eased its way across Kachina's lips. "That's different." She protested half-heartedly.
They both knew Janneke was the better fighter. Like all Valkyries, she had been created to wield a blade, and numbered amongst the best of Odin's elite female warriors. Which was the reason why He had chosen her for this particular task. Kachina however, held many other talents, some of which even awed the dark haired Valkyrie.
The muscles in Janneke's arms swelled as she hauled a bucket of water from the river that ran close to the small farm. Cupping her hands, she took a long drink, relishing in the coolness of the fluid on her parched throat. Once her thirst had been sated, Janneke unbuckled the straps that held her cuirass, a peace of hardened leather molded to her body, in place. With the straps undone she removed the hard covering from her sweat soaked undershirt and laid it down on a nearby rock to dry in the sun.
Glancing to the cool river longingly, Janneke impulsively removed the greaves from her legs then the tasset from around her waist, and the boots from her feet. As she relished the cool breeze on her skin Janneke folded her wings in so she could remove her undershirt.
Standing by a river in just her skin wasn't unusual for Janneke, she was a warrioress and quiet used to bathing in rivers and lakes, but here away from the reassurance of her fellow Valkyrie, she felt a little vulnerable, and momentarily wished she had asked Kachina to accompany her. Sighing, she shrugged off the feeling and gave her wings a couple of beats to carry her over a decent spot, then lowered herself in to the cold water.
The sudden chill to her skin made Janneke gasp, as her breath was snatched from her lungs, then slowly, as she began to breath normally Janneke relaxed in to the waters embrace. The chill of the water caressing her skin was a blessing after the hard work out. Kachina's ability had improved greatly since she had been schooling the mystic. Not that it had been a chore. There was something about the slight pale girl that made Janneke feel special. And when Kachina looked at her with those deep azure eyes... Janneke quivered at the thought, it was like the mystic could see in to her very soul.
A movement by the riverbank snatched Janneke's attention away from her daydreams, and she moved a little further towards the cover provided by an overhanging tree.
"I wonder who could have discarded all this clothing?" A voice called out from the riverbank.
Janneke peered through the branches to see the pale, Fae, Kachina stood on the stony shore, smiling mischievously as she idly picked up Janneke's undershirt. A small twinge of excitement tugged at the rigid muscle of her abdomen, as she suddenly felt very naked hiding in the water.
"What to do with these?" Kachina mused. "I suppose I could take them back to the camp, I'm sure the owner will come looking for them."
Slightly torn between her embarrassment and the need to retrieve her clothing, Janneke edged out from her hiding place.
"Oh they belong to you!" Kachina exclaimed with fake surprise. "I didn't realize you were a nudist."
