The Lost Valyrie

Author's note: This fantasy story contains very little sex, and the sex it does have is more romance than erotica. There is no sex in this chapter.

******************

"As we travel through the forest, tell me when you feel the danger, and tell me from whence it comes," Friia instructed patiently for the seventh time as she rode alongside Rune, both the women on horseback.

The wife of Odin might be patient, but Rune was feeling frustrated and impatient with herself. So far she'd detected NONE of the dangers her sisters were representing as they hid around the area, ready to strike while Rune was not looking. It was as if her new skill was on a long journey far, far away from this place.

Valkyries playing the role of bloodthirsty demons, complete with how they were dressed and masked with horns and snarling faces, had jumped out to attack from behind trees, rocks, from below, from above. From the water and from out of pits in the earth. And each time, Rune had had no glimmer of warning.

The girl was starting to wonder if the whole "sensing danger" thing had been a coincidence of some sort, and her confidence was getting badly shaken. Worse, she wondered if Friia doubted her, too.

Secretly doubted, of course. From what Rune could SEE, the goddess was the very picture of supportive trust that Rune's skill would manifest.

"Don't worry, Rune," the heavenly power counseled her. "Learning to call upon a gift is quite different than having it pop up accidentally, in response to a dangerous encounter. We know the gift is there, but we have to be able to wake it at will. It takes time to learn to connect."

The young Valkyrie nodded ruefully, trying to trust the older woman as she rubbed her bruised side. Her sisters had started taking to WHAPPING her with their wooden training swords as they attacked, telling Rune she could defend herself only if she detected them before they ambushed.

The last, most forceful WHAP had come courtesy of Helga, herself, who seemed all too happy to torment the junior Valkyrie.

The girl could see a reflection of her own growing doubt in the eyes of some of her sisters, now. She wasn't sure what would be worse: disappointing the wife of Odin, or the other Valkyries her gifts were supposed to help protect.

"I have to concentrate," she thought as she and Friia continued their rather idyllic progress through the bright foliage of the forest. Valhalla - and all of Asgard - was a lovely place.

Rune frowned, knowing her sisters must be near. Maybe it would help if they trained in a place where there might be an actual danger, she thought. It would be more realis...

Wait. Was that a sense she was getting? Danger just up the way, waiting for them around a slight bend of the path? Rune stopped her horse.

"Up there. Where the path bends. Behind the rocks of the hill," she pointed, then looked at Friia for confirmation.

Friia smiled at her. "Sorry, no. There is no immediate danger here."

Rune made a half-frustrated, half-disgusted noise. "By the gods, this is useless. I can't do it!" Her rant bordered on a childish tantrum.

As the girl continued to berate herself, the heavenly power laid a gentle hand on her arm.

"Do you have to think about glittering in the sun? Do you have to decide to be strong when you wield a blade? Does worrying about being fast to strike or quick to defend make you even a tiny bit faster? You need to think less and BE more. You are a being of light, Rune. It flows through you as yonder stream flows along its rocky bed."

The wise goddess gestured to the gurgling, babbling brook next to the path as a demonstration. "Your gifts are like that. Don't try to MAKE the stream flow. It flows! Whether you will, or not! Instead, try to dip your foot in the water. Feel how cool and clean it is. How refreshing and pure. Then let it take you where it will go."

"Gifts," the other woman had said. Like she had more than one! Rune wondered what other gifts she might have. This one, and the heavenly fire, as they had called it. What else? The young woman felt excited to find out, and she had a million questions, forgetting her worries about her training so far.

"Do all the Valkyries have gifts like mine," she asked.

Friia smiled. "In short, no, they do not. The Allfather created the Valkyries to collect the souls of the slain warriors, the bravest of men, and bring them to Valhalla to be part of his army for the battle of Ragnarok. Valkyries were made able warriors to complete this task, and lovely, too. These are gifts after their fashion, of course."

Rune nodded as the pair resumed their slow ride through the forest. Her sisters were beautiful almost beyond description, it was true.

The other woman continued. "Twas after the demon invasions started that we first saw new Valkyries appear with different and more powerful gifts like the ones you have. And it was very well they did. The original Valkyries would have been swept away, as the demon horde was too great to withstand with skill of blade alone."

This was fascinating to Rune. A lot of this she knew, but some things she'd never heard. And she had more questions. Even just hearing it from as authoritative a voice as the goddess was amazing.

"If the Allfather's Valkyries needed help, why not have his warrior army fight at their side against the demons? Surely they are strong enough?"

The girl's question made Friia smile. "My husband is wise, and he knows he needs every warrior he can have at his side to fight the final battle of Ragnarok if he has any hope of surviving. He dares not waste a drop of their blood on this concern. The Valkyries must suffice..."

The goddess stopped, looking thoughtful. "If only the men of the earth would stop fighting each other and join to fight against the demons as one, they might defeat them utterly. But so far, nothing stops men from their selfish ambitions and petty jealousies. And the demons exploit this."

Rune gazed at her instructor in wonder. "But the demons would enslave and destroy them. Why can't they see?"

Friia's response was immediate and forceful. "Men are weak, Valkyrie. When you meet them, you will see for yourself. Men require strong leaders, but those leaders must also be men of virtue, or else chaos is the result. Our foes thrive on chaos, lies, and division."

"But how can we make them..." the student began to question, but the wife of Odin held up a hand, silencing her for the moment as the pair came fully around the curve of the path Rune had mentioned earlier.

Ahead of them lay a gully thick with underbrush on one side of the path, and a pile of boulders along the other side. A dense thicket of trees laid further down the way, as well as a deep drift of snow. Rune could see multiple potential ambush spots, here.

"Enough questions and thinking. There is a time for them. But now, you must simply BE. Gaze at the water rushing over the rocks. Consider how the sunlight sparkles on the stream. Enter the stream and let it flow over you. Let it take you where it wants to go," the older woman commanded.

"And then, tell me where the danger is, here."

Rune frowned, feeling like it was impossible. But how would she know if she didn't try? It was true she didn't have to try to glitter and glow. It was a part of her. This should be, too.

With a sigh, the girl tried to clear her mind by focusing on the stream. Seeing how the water flowed, the gurgling noises it made as it bounded along its merry path of rocks and silt. She could see herself dipping her foot in the cold, clear water and laughed as it licked the skin of her ankle and shin. She imagined herself getting smaller as she waded out to the center of the shallow stream: smaller and smaller until the rushing current swept her away. And she let it take her.

With her eyes closed, Rune didn't see what was happening to her as she sat atop her filly next to Friia, but the heavenly power smiled as she observed Rune's glowing aura increase in strength, getting brighter and brighter. "Heavenly fire, indeed," the goddess said to herself, softly, trying not to disturb the young Valkyrie.

For her part, Rune was seeing the stream flow carry her along, rushing faster and faster, the current so strong it would sweep away a full-sized Valkyrie. Soon she felt it bring her to a high waterfall and go crashing over, down into a brilliant light that seemed to pulse with her heartbeat and the breath in her breast.

The young warrior's eyes opened, and she could see a new light. Literally. Different parts of the scene before Rune shined with varying degrees of vibrancy. Except for one part, which was darker and seemed to be swallowing the light. It was the large, deep drift of snow ahead, the one that lay partially across the path. Her sisters were hidden in the snow, she knew, waiting to pounce.

She felt she could almost feel their life, hear them breathing, feel the soft thud of their hearts. It was fascinating and beautiful. One of them snickered softly, thinking that they'd get to WHAP Rune again as the mounted pair rode round the snow drift.

The girl realized she could feel her sister's delight in this game, and the realization drew a soft laugh from her.

It was Friia who drew her back to the now. "And? Where is the danger, Valkyrie," she asked with some amusement in her tone.

"Oh," Rune gasped, a little startled. "Sorry, my Lady, I was enjoying myself too much." She cleared her throat, still not sure this was a true vision she'd had, but choosing to trust the process had led her in the right way. "They're hiding in the snow drift."

The wife of Odin, the wisest and greatest of all the goddesses, smiled at her, pleased. "Very good, Rune. Now you can see how to tap into your gifts. The more you practice, the easier and quicker it will get. At some point, you won't have to try to make it happen: it will be as easy as slipping a glove over your hand and fingers."

Calling over to the snow drift, Friia declared, "You can come out, now." And four of her sisters appeared, coming up from where they'd been hiding. Helga was there, as well as Hildi. Hildi beamed at Rune, clearly happy for her and proud, too. Rune grinned back at her, liking her more than she ever had.

Helga grumbled, disappointed she'd not get to WHAP her favorite target again with her wooden training blade.

"OK, girls, let's go to our next ambush..." Helga called out, turning to leave without congratulating the young Valkyrie. But all the others did.

Rune frowned, wondering why the woman persisted in treating her rudely. Wasn't it good for all Valkyries if she could protect them?

"Try not to be too vexed by Helga, young Valkyrie, " the wife of Odin commented after the others were gone, divining Rune's thoughts as they started to ride again. "She lost most of her friends in the demon invasions. It has left her a little hard-hearted, and you remind her of those she's missing, girls she befriended when all your sisters were young, like you."

Immediately, Rune felt ashamed for judging the older woman. Could that be her, someday? Yes, it could be. "I am sorry, my Lady. I didn't know. Please forgive my harshness."

Friia smiled, "There is nothing to forgive. You have a good heart, sweet one."

Rune smiled back, "Thank you, my Lady," as they traveled on.

The goddess knew when it was time to get back to business.

"Now, let's practice what you've learned. Up ahead here there are at least three more ambushes. You will tell me where they are when you see them. If you see them early enough, you will be allowed to throw some heavenly fire at them. Do you think you can?"

"Yes, my Lady," the young woman replied. "I can try!' Rune smiled happily at the thought of blasting her sisters a little! Especially Helga!

Ugh. No, not especially Helga. Maybe instead she'd try being SUPER NICE to the older Valkyrie!