Part One
Prologue
Every breath came harder than the last.
Her arms sagged with the weight of the axe in one hand, the shield in the other. Heavy wood dragged on the muscles that screamed for relief. Those muscles that ached for relief, that begged for her to quit. She would not. She
could
not. She felt her feet sliding in the slick mud that the pelting rain and dozens of pairs of boots had churned from the earth. Nearly a hundred bodies lay strewn about the field of battle. Ships burned in the shallow water, flames licking up the wooden masts and the ships listing uselessly as they began to give in the heat. She stood alone now, the last of them left alive.
The raiding had begun well. They had taken three villages by surprise, plundering meager riches and supplies, finding little else of value and leaving those villages in ruins. Then they had been ambushed. Arrows had struck down a half dozen raiders and then the infantry had slammed into them from all sides. They fell into each other with a wild abandon, lost to the bloodlust of battle. She had felled three Saxons herself and earned a bloody cut across her leg for the trouble.
She was going to die. She knew that now.
There was no one left. There were too many. The ships were burning. All was lost.
Except this moment. She had this moment.
She roared at the Saxons, slamming her axe against her shield before she charged at them. The first Saxon was stunned, especially when the axe slipped under his clumsy attempt to guard and it bit into his head. She yanked it free and let a sword glance off her shield, before taking the arm holding that sword off at the elbow. That Saxon fell back screaming and clutching at the open wound that had been his arm. Others came forward and soon a spear was thrust through her belly. She fought through it, eyes wide and wild as she carried herself along the length of the shaft just to chop wildly into the wilder's face with her axe. Then a sword bit into her back, across her face. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the sky, smiling as they killed her. They had come for her and they would think they had won.
But she knew better. She was dying a Shieldmaiden. She was winning.
"Gyda." She opened her eyes.
She was still on the battlefield but the rain no longer fell, it was suspended around her now. She looked around and saw herself, laying there in the mud, still smiling. But someone had spoken to her. Someone had called out her name and they had sounded close. She turned and found another.
This woman was dressed in golden armor. Her helmet bore wings that swept back and away from her head. Golden shoulder guards and a golden chest piece were carved with runes that seemed to burn brightly in the gloom. A leather belt was cinched around her waist, studded with circles of polished steel. She carried a long spear in one hand and gleamed, even in the darkness of the battlefield. But, the battlefield was gone now. Gyda was alone in a dark space with this woman and then she knew. A Valkyrie.
She dropped to a knee, reverent. The Valkyrie tilted her head and looked down at Gyda.
"Rise, warrior, you are worthy." The Valkyrie said, holding out a hand. Gyda took it, trembling with excitement. The Valkyrie smiled and set aside her spear. Gyda's feet were on solid ground even though there was nothing but a pressing darkness around her, and the spear simply disappeared into that blackness when the Valkyrie released it.
"You will be
einherjar
at Odin's side." The Valkyrie said. "I am Róta, and I am here to take you to Valhalla."
Róta stepped forward and dragged her fingertips over Gyda's own armor. Gyda wore a chainmail shirt under a metal studded tunic and it was perfectly clean now, free of any stains of battle. Róta strode around Gyda, gathering up Gyda's wild blonde hair and pulling it over her shoulder. Gyda shuddered when Róta's fingers slid over the exposed skin of her neck, leaving a trail of bumps and the shiver of a gentle touch running through Gyda's body. Róta's hands moved down and found Gyda's belt, undoing it and pulling it off.
Gyda felt a quiver of something else through her body when she looked into Róta's eyes. There was mischief there, and something else. The Valkyrie was enjoying herself.
Róta leaned down toward Gyda's face, her soft breath against Gyda's skin. Róta's coy smile deepened when she reached around Gyda and found the lacings for her leather armor. With deft fingers working quickly, the lacings fell apart and Gyda arched her body while Róta removed the tunic and set it aside, where it disappeared.
"I am worthy?" Gyda asked, breathy, inches from Róta's mouth. Róta shrugged, lifting the chainmail shirt next. Gyda helped to shrug out of the heavy metal links, feeling the weight removed from her shoulders.
"You are worthy. Now you must be prepared."
Róta's fingers slid underneath Gyda's undershirt and began to lift it. Gyda obeyed and allowed her undershirt to be dragged up, lifting her arms. Beneath it was the rigid muscles of a seasoned raider and warrior, the scars of past battles that lingered on her skin. Gyda's undershirt caught briefly against the slight curve of her breasts and then freed itself. Róta tossed it aside and then came close to Gyda, almost pressing her body in. Gyda shuddered again and her nipples began to harden. Róta used both her hands and slid them down Gyda's hips and pushed down her trousers until Gyda stepped out of them. Her mound lay bare, her body exposed.
Róta shed her armor piece by piece next, stripping them from herself. When the golden helmet was removed it revealed straight strands of deeply dark brown hair, braided into a single braid down her back. Róta's mouth was arced up a permanent, coy smile and she was gifted with a beautiful face. When she stripped the plates away from her body Gyda took in the sight. Róta lifted her undershirt up and arched her back, pushing out her larger breasts at Gyda. Truly, Róta was gifted by the gods. Gyda breathed a little harder, looking at the slight sheen of Róta's firm belly and the curving of her breasts, her muscled arms. When Róta shimmied out of her own trousers, Gyda was truly stunned.
Róta was cleanly shaven underneath and her shapely legs continued with the flawless form that had already been revealed. But between Róta's legs there hung a flaccid cock instead of the pussy that Gyda had been expecting. She stared and Róta grinned, spreading her legs and standing there with them shoulder width apart, hands on her hips.
From the darkness Róta procured a clay jug in one hand.
"You must be prepared." She whispered, stepping forward. Gyda could smell the scent of fruit from the jug, a pungent mix that wafted to her. When Róta poured the liquid, it cascaded over Gyda's shoulder, across her back, down her chest. Slick oil with the fragrance of strawberries rolled over her skin. Róta poured carefully before setting the jug down, where it remained. Then she used her hands to massage the oil over Gyda's body. Gyda slumped under the strong hands that worked her skin, massaging oil over her shoulders and back until her skin was soft and slick with it. The scent faded to something more subtle and Róta's hands arched from behind Gyda to work the oil into her chest. Gyda shuddered when Róta's hands cupped her breasts, oil slick against her stiffening nipples. Róta was an expert and every movement was smooth and erotic against Gyda's shining skin.
Then Róta's hands drifted down, working the oil against Gyda's belly and soon her fingers drifted further still and brushed against Gyda's pussy, sending a new wave of shivers through the warrior's body. Gyda turned herself, surprising Róta with the sudden movement. Kneeling, Gyda reached out and found the jug of oil, picking it up and grinning up at Róta. Tipping it against Róta's belly, spilling the scented oil out so that it poured down to Róta's cock, dripping from the still soft member and over Róta's legs. Gyda set the jug aside again and reached out tentatively, fingers brushing over Róta's shaft. She opened her fingers and wrapped them around the soft, oil slicked cock and then she leaned forward and ran her tongue in slow, sensual circles around the head. Róta's breath came out in a gush and with one hand she brushed Gyda's hair away from her face, as the warrior took the soft cock into her mouth. Gyda tasted the oil and Róta, that soft cock growing between her lips. It stretched to an impressive length, slickened with a mix of the oil and spit. Gyda could feel the head pressing against the back of her throat before she took that impressive length into her throat.
Róta gently thrusted her hips, slowly using Gyda's mouth as she might use a pussy. Gyda's eyes looked up, eager and hungry for more.
"You want more?" Róta asked. Gyda nodded around the Valkyrie's cock. Róta pulled herself free, twelve inches of thick cock bouncing from between Gyda's lips and trailing a length of spit to Gyda's mouth. Róta leaned down and kissed the warrior woman, her tongue entering Gyda's mouth and tasting the oil and herself. Then she rolled Gyda onto her back. There was a plush, soft fur underneath Gyda's back that had not been there before. Róta leaned down and kissed the warrior once more, Gyda's head upside down and hanging off the edge of the fur covered surface that had been conjured.
"I'll give you more." Róta whispered, locking Gyda's hands in place with fur lined chains. Gyda was sprawled on her back and helpless now. She didn't mind, she was eager for it. Róta stood and placed herself so her legs were astride Gyda's head, her cock hovering there above the warrior woman. Róta took hold of her shaft and stroked it, leaning forward. Gyda took one of Róta's balls into her mouth while the Valkyrie stroked her length, moving so that Gyda could lick the underside of her shaft and then the warrior's tongue flicked around the tip of Róta's cock. Róta eased herself forward so that just the tip was in Gyda's mouth. Gyda enthusiastically opened wide and Róta slid the first two, then four, then six inches of her cock into Gyda's mouth. Gyda's chin bulged out as eight inches disappeared. Róta set both her hands on either side of Gyda's head and slowly began to thrust that eight inches worth of cock, slowly fucking Gyda's mouth. Gyda didn't struggle with the length, she writhed on the furs and slurped the length. Róta slid her body forward and in one motion sank the last four inches of her cock slowly down Gyda's throat. It bulged out with the thickness that stretched it now, Gyda's mouth wrapped around the still oil slicked Valkyrie cock.
