Author's note: This fantasy story contains very little sex, and the sex it does have is more romance than erotica. However, there is some (light) lesbian sex in this chapter!
There is also some continued discussion of sexual violence.
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After Asger's departure, the feast went on into the night. It seemed like additional celebration was in order, at least for most of those assembled in the feasting hall of Valhalla.
The oppression that Asger's dominance had weaved like a spell over the court was dissipating!
Rune was lifted effortlessly on strong shoulders and carried to the dais, where she was seated with honor in the chair formerly occupied by Asger - the seat of the Mightiest Warrior of Valhalla - and congratulated by all. Odin smiled warmly at her from a few seats away, as did Friia, and the other heavenly powers assembled. They seemed quite pleased, and Rune blushed back at them, inclining her head respectfully.
Now, it was the young Valkyrie's turn to narrate the tales of her battles, and Rune spent the next couple of hours telling and re-telling how she'd saved her squadron from the demon ambush. And how she'd learned to shoot heavenly fire from her hand. And how to detect danger.
And most of all, how she'd defeated Asger!
Not that Rune wanted this attention. At all. But her audience was so enthusiastic! They pounded on their tables! They lifted their horns of ale in salute! They cheered her exploits! Then they made her tell the story again!
By the Gods, it was all rather exhausting! And all Rune wanted to do was to check on Helga and Hildi, who had fought to defend her from Asger.
Finally, there was a break as another warrior told one of his stories instead. The Valkyrie tried to listen politely, but it was difficult while she was so worried about her friends.
The man seated next to her, presumably the second mightiest warrior in Valhalla, made a polite inquiry.
"My Lady, are you OK, after the fight," he asked.
The young woman could feel him treading lightly, lest he insult or annoy her.
Rune wasn't in the mood to allay whatever fear he had. She had a lot on her mind, and she didn't know this man at all. And it wasn't ONLY about Helga and Hildi, she began to realize.
How well did these men know Asger? Probably well. She wondered if they shared Asger's views on the use of Valkyries.
"I'm fine, thank you for asking," she responded politely to the warrior, but with a cool tone.
The man took the hint and didn't try to talk more. Instead, he nodded to her respectfully and said simply, "Gorm, at your service, my Lady. If you need anything, you have only to ask."
Rune nodded back to the man, biting her tongue now to keep herself from asking him how many of her sisters HE had attacked and raped.
Very soon another Valkyrie appeared, offering the finest ale and meat, and asking what else Rune might like. It was Estrid, a much more senior Valkyrie compared to Rune! This made the young girl blush, shyly demurring the special treatment Estrid offered.
But there WAS something she wanted, and after a moment, she beckoned the other girl closer to whisper in her ear.
"Could you please check on Helga and Hildi for me? I never had a moment to see about their condition."
Asger hadn't been wrong when he thought Rune might fear her two friends were dead. She'd seen the other Valkyries carry her sisters from the hall, and that was it.
"Of course, I will, my Lady," Estrid responded with a gentle smile. As Estrid took her leave to go and do so, Rune had already decided something:
If Helga and Hildi were dead, she was going to find Asger and burn him to ashes.
Had such a thing ever been done? The girl didn't know. She was pretty sure the Valkyries had never stood unified against a Valhalla warrior, either.
Rune felt a rush of fierce pride in her sisters as she remembered how they'd grabbed spear and shield and rushed to defend her (and Helga and Hildi). Their unity would translate on the battlefield, she was sure, and her heart ached with her love for them.
The Valkyrie had never felt anything like this!
In fact, the girl had always felt she was a bit of an outsider with the older Valkyries. Maybe every new Valkyrie felt this way, but no one had ever said it. The taunting she'd endured from Helga was a big part of it, but she realized now it was only a part, not the whole. Rune could see suddenly with clarity how much she'd just wanted to be PART of something good. Something close and intimate and valuable.
And she'd never felt it with her sisters. Yes, things were getting better since the demon ambush, but the sting was fresh, and she felt it anew as she considered all this, tears filling her eyes briefly and threatening to overflow.
The young Valkyrie wiped at her eyes furiously. It had been an emotional evening for her. But it had turned out well, at least for HER. She thought about how Helga and Hildi had stood up to that brute for her. And how her other sisters had rushed to defend her. They were so strong. So brave. So GOOD.
And it made her want to burn that fucker, Asger, to a pile of dust that much more as she considered all the Valkyries he'd attacked and raped over the years he'd been here. How much of her sisters' goodness had he defiled, ruined, and snuffed out? The Valkyrie remembered how she'd felt as he'd flung her friends heedlessly around the room, how she'd felt with this stinking breath in her face, the lurid grin she'd endured. It was as if she could see in that grin all he had planned for her.
It was an upsetting train of thought, and Rune could feel the heat of her fury building within her.
"My Lady, are you certain you are OK," Gorm's voice came to her, sounding worried.
She'd not been aware of how her rage was manifesting. She was glowing intensely, and she was hot. Very hot.
Rune laughed grimly, feeling her aura kick up another level at his question. "Tell me, Gorm. Tell me what you did to stop Asger from what he's been doing to my sisters all these years. You're the second mightiest warrior in all of Valhalla, right? If anyone could influence him, it would be you. Right?"
The man pushed his chair back and stood up, a look of terror on his big, sturdy warrior's face - a face that was sweating either in apprehension or due to the intense heat from the fire within her. Or both.
It reminded Rune of the way the demons had fallen back in terror, trying to get away from her during the battle, and for a moment, the young warrior wanted to laugh.
But the comparison was startling. Were these men the same as her demon foes? No, they weren't.
"I better get this under control before I hurt someone," the Valkyrie thought to herself, closing her eyes and trying to center herself in the ways she'd been practicing since her time with Friia. She was LIGHT, she was GOODNESS, and she must allow the light to flow through her and cleanse her. She breathed deeply, considering the life-giving, cleansing flow of light, and her rage started to recede.
"That's good," she said softly to herself, opening her eyes to see all those around her looking at her silently, many in apprehension, others in surprise, and some who looked envious. All sorts of expressions! The man sitting next to her was nowhere to be found, presumably having fled in case Rune decided to incinerate him.
