Keeper Hunter

Copper was waiting for me by the ATV just as the sun was breaking over the horizon. It seemed it was going to be sunny day but Copper’s glum expression put paid to that.

“Look,” she said. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting.”

“That’s ok,” I replied.

Copper held her hand up. “Please let me finish. Damn it’s not ok I’ve been acting like a spoiled child.”

“That town wasn’t your fault. There was no way you could have predicated it. So don’t take the blame for something beyond anyone’s control?” I told her.

“It wasn’t that,” Copper replied looking more uncomfortable. “I got jealous of you, you always seem to be in control.”

I snorted. “Control far from it. You’d not be jealous if you knew the shit that happened to me?” I snorted again. “You definitely wouldn’t be jealous I’ve nearly died several times. I got lucky I’ve had friends that saved me.” My thoughts were on Digger and Kelli. Kelli had saved me on Saros from the effects of a suppressor beam. It would have literately ripped my cells apart. Digger saved my life on a number of occasions the last being on Alfheimir. I had been dying and she had fixed me up.

“That’s what’s I’m jealous of. Frigga would love you,” Copper stated.

I wasn’t sure what context she was putting on ‘love’ but I had to correct her on some points. “A number of Valkyrie don’t, some have tried to kill me.” Like the two teenage Valkyrie on my forest training mission. They were determined to kill me and hide my body in the brush. Being Valkyrie it wasn’t an idle threat only my actions and Thirika’s intervention saved me.

“Frigga wouldn’t, she saved me from drowning. She told me afterwards it was the thrill of taking on dangerous waters and winning.”

I nodded. “That is pure Valkyrie. My Moi would have done the same.”

“Moi she your lover?”

I winced at that, that would have got her a punch if I had been Valkyrie. Then I knew a few that wouldn’t have bothered. I knew of at least three that leaned that way but one of then got exiled for it. Ljufu was one and I regarded her as my sister she had been a good friend and I hoped she still was when I got to Saros. After that I wasn’t sure what my next move would be. “Far from it Moi means mother or teacher in Valkyrie she adopted me sort of.” Thirika said I was her daughter and she treated the same as any Valkyrie daughter working me hard so I could be better, faster and stronger. I felt sad at the thought I missed her as much as I missed the Keepers.

Copper was silent for a moment. “I see I keep making the wrong assumptions about you?”

I was getting used to that. “It doesn’t matter,” I replied with a shrug.

“It does to me,” Copper said. “We’re going to somewhere I consider sacred, a place I need to go to with a clear head?”

I refrained from asking the question. I guessed it had been something traumatic and this was her pilgrimage. I wasn’t sure if my guess was on the mark but I’d try to believe it was? “How about I drive and you can clear your mind?”

Copper considered my question. “Ok,” she said reluctantly.

“Just tell me where to go and how we get there. It will give you time to relax and clear your mind.”

Copper regarded me in a new light. “Thanks,” she said simply.

I climbed into the driver’s seat of the ATV. “OK which way?”

“Take the exit ramp and head East.”

Back on the highway we passed hectares of open farmland. A stark contrast to the semi desert scrubland on the other side of the mountains. After a while Copper spoke.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure but there are some things I can’t talk about if you catch my drift?”

“Ok I do get that,” she said thoughtfully. “But are you really Valkyrie you don’t look like any I’ve encountered. What’s that word you called yourself vaihdokas or something like that?” She gazed at me intently. “I know I’ve asked you all this before I just want to get it clear in my mind?”

“That’s correct I am vaihdokas according to the Valkyrie. But it’s all I am I have enough Valkyrie blood flowing in my veins to satisfy the Elders’ entry to Alfheimir requirements. Beyond that I don’t know.” I sort of guessed the rest but wasn’t going to go any further on that. Whatever the Elders had done had awoken my Keeper DNA how or why unfortunately that was something I could never fathom. Had they not then I would have died in that tunnel. Somehow my Keeper DNA allowed me in. What happened afterwards when the computer had put me in that harness, and forced me to work was something that brought a cold sweat to my nightmares and I had plenty of those.

“I’m confused?” Copper remarked.

“Tell me about it,” I told her truthfully.

“Are you part of a Clan?”

“You can’t be Clan and be with the Silver Guard,” I told her. We seemed to be ploughing over previous conversations I certain I’d told her all this before I seemed to be going over the same ground again. “I’m sure I’ve told you all this before?”

“Not really,” Copper replied. “Didn’t you tell the crime boss Palkkasir or whatever she calls herself.”

“Palkkasir is her Clan the only one I know of that does not have Clan colours. Palkkasir have a tear drop tattoo on their cheeks.”

“What do you mean by Clan colours?” Copper asked.

“Each Clan has bicolour sash those are its Clan colours they identify the Clan. When one of the colours is silver then they have pledged themselves to the Elders.” Then I hadn’t known the rest. The Landottir an off shoot of the Martin Clan had the red and silver of the Clan but it also had a strip of green between the red and silver. Miranda had told me that Jenna was one of her Bond Sisters. Something I was a still a little vague on had decided to break away from the Martins and form her Clan the Landottir, the Clan that died. I felt sad about that, wiped out before it had a chance to flourish. Two thousand proud Valkyrie had followed Jenna into her dream of starting afresh all most all killed in one attack. An attack that had no motive, no reason I knew of. All the survivors except for my great grandfather had been reabsorbed into the Martins. He was taken to Earth. Somehow the Elders wiped his memories and hid his blood. How or why I didn’t know and even Miranda who had ordered it done couldn’t tell me. Of all I was a Landottir. Great grandfather Theo had never renounced his Clan. How could he if he couldn’t remember and that was a saddest part?

“Ok so where do the Silver Guard come in?”

“The Silver Guard works for the Elders. They are impartial because they are Clanless. It says they are neutral and will enforce the Elders edicts.”

“And you are one?”

“Only an Initiate although it wasn’t my idea.”

“Oh yes you told me that the Silvers choose you and not you choose them?”

Copper was right I hadn’t asked for any of that but I had got sucked into it anyway. I had Runa, Thirika and even in some part Kara all wanting me to be part of the Silver Guard. Then there were the Elders who refused my initiation into the Clans. I knew of at least three Clans that wanted me Martin, Hrutdottir and Yanik. All three Clan Mothers had offered me places in their Clans. Mother Sigrunn Yanik had offered me a place in her Clan before I even met the Elders. I think the reason the Elders had refused because I was already a Landottir but they would never confirm or deny that. What they did do was set Miri to watch out for me, well not just me but anyone they had an interest in. Hence her appearance, who would expect a green eyed, red haired girl of being Valkyrie. The Elders did to her as they did to Theo they hid her blood so she appeared one hundred percent Human. Until a few years ago I believed I was pure Human too. The Elders had done what they had done to reveal my Valkyrie blood but what they did was awaken the Keeper in me. I still wasn’t sure if that was for the good or the bad. I was going off topic I needed to get my mind back on track.

“So where are we going?” I asked Copper.

“A place I know of we’ll have to stay a few days. Phedra will want to make sure things are safe.”

Phedra sound like a T’Arni name. “So Phedra is the leader?” I shouldn’t have asked that. I hadn’t wanted to go all Security on Copper.

“She’s the captain of the Independence. The ship that will take you across the border.”

“You’re not coming with?”

Cooper shook her head sadly. “I’m tied to this place by binds I couldn’t even begin to tell you. As much as I’d love to leave I can’t. Someone has to stay, someone has to look out for those that have no voice.”

“Is that was you do?” I had wondered if she had a job.

“I’m a T’Arni/Human liaison officer. We deal with disputes between the T’Arni and Humans. Since the Separatist uprising there have been more of those.”

“I see.” I really did. Typical Empire sweeping anti-alien issues under the carpet and pretending they didn’t exist. It made me angry it also made me ashamed to call myself an Imperial. Then I wasn’t anymore the Elder’s and the Keepers had seen to that. I turned my thoughts to the road and continued driving.