Valkyrie Hunter

I woke to excruciating pain wondering why I’d put myself up for it. As the awareness of my current predicament pulsed through me I slowly looked around. I wasn’t in the same room nor was I shackled to the wall. I wasn’t in a state to go anywhere as it was. Every part of my body thrummed with pain. The room had been plastered at some time but the plaster had cracked and peeled off to reveal the brick underneath. I was on my side and opposite me was a Valkyrie looking as bad as I felt. She was staring at me or at the figure kneeling at my side muttering. I became aware that the figure bending over me had her hand on my chest. She had a long dark coloured dress and what seemed to be a fathered cloak on her back. It was then that I realised her hand wasn’t on my chest it was inside it. I glanced up to see a familiar face.

“Digger,” I tried to speak louder but I couldn’t my throat felt on fire.

“Hush Gwen,” she said to me then added half to herself. “This is bad really bad, too much damage.”

I don’t know how I knew but I was close to death. Curse that stubborn Valkyrie blood I could have shut up but I had to open my mouth. Then I had the feeling I would have suffered the same no matter what I did.

“Am I dying?” I already knew the answer not that I wanted to.

“Yes that is a certainty,” Digger admitted. She spoke again with determination in her voice. “But not today if I have anything to say about it.”

“Is that bad?” I had to ask her talking was hard to do.

“Yes Gwen,” she told me softly. “I’m not going to lie, I can’t not to you, not in this state. You have damage to your liver and kidneys. Three ribs were shattered. I’ve dealt with that first. There are also dangerous levels of toxins in your body.” She shuddered her face sad. “I can’t do this?”

I knew it must be bad for her to say that. “Digger, just let me go.” I knew she’d fight to keep me alive. I didn’t want her to struggle for nothing.

“I can’t, just can’t.” She reached down and touched the lank hairs half covering my face. “I going to take you home. Damn what the First Ones think. We can’t lose you.”

Rather than looking at Digger I glanced across to the Valkyrie opposite. I couldn’t take the despair in her voice.

“Please do what you can for her.” I tried to point I couldn’t even do that too weak.

“Do you really want me to do this?” she asked me.

“Please,” I gasped. If I were to do this one last thing I’d be at peace.

Digger touched my hair again. “Because it is you asking. Note this I can’t heal her fully I need all my energy to heal you,” Digger warned me.

“Just do what you can,” I breathed through the pain.

Digger stood and walked over to the Valkyrie who was staring at her with a curious mixture of dread and elation. Digger knelt and put her hand in the Valkyrie’s chest as she had done to me. I seemed to be an eternity before Digger returned.

“It’s time we are gone.” With one swift movement she scooped me and cradled me in her arms as if I weighted nothing.

“Digger?”

“Gwen,” she replied spreading her dark feathered wings. “Sleep now.”

I fought hard against the dimming light but I couldn’t stay awake.

I woke in a more familiar environment. Some how Digger had transported me to the cavern. I had expected the ranch house but this was probably more comfortable for the Keepers I wasn’t in a position to argue with her. I was lying on a black slab or rather half embedded in it. Surrounding the slab were a number of Keepers their backs to me all dressed in dark long sleeved dresses. All had my hair and if my guess was correct my looks. They had their wings spread and where I assumed singing. At least they were saying something in that weird language that no human voice could replicate. While I watched them Digger leaned over me her hand reaching down into my chest. I felt the pain ease.

“Thanks,” I said to her my voice firmer.

“Don’t yet,” Digger replied with a frown.

I glanced back to the other Keepers. “What’s going on and where’s Mouse?” I was concerned I couldn’t see her nor could I see Scout and that did worry me.

“Keeping the First Ones from poking into our business.”

“And these Keepers?”

Digger gave me an odd look. “What’s that term you use. They are running interference.”

“I don’t understand?”

“They are singing for the departed and it keeps the First Ones away. It reminds them of when they were mortal.”

“So they are immortal?”

“Did I not just say that.”

“And Scout?” I hated to admit it but I worried about the sanity of the youngest of the Keepers. The trauma she’d been through, just thinking about it brought a chill to my blood.

“Best if she keeps away, she’d get very upset seeing you in this state.”

“Ok.” That I did understand.

Digger pressed her hand deeper into my chest. “Quiet now Gwen I have much to repair.”

“And afterwards?” I asked her. I couldn’t stay here I had to get back to Alfheimir. Not that I wanted to I had a duty, to Miranda, to Thirika and ultimately to the Elders.

“What did I say about being quiet?” Digger admonished me softly.

I drifted off to sleep despite struggling to stay awake.

I woke to someone humming a tune. I wasn’t on or even in the slab but I was lying in a comfortable bed stark naked. With pleasantly coloured comforter and sheets a stark contrast to the blackness of the cavern. I was in less pain I sat up without my vision blurring and looked around to see a familiar figure smiling at me she had been the one humming a tune. Something from Earth something my mother sang sometimes. My core lightened on seeing her despite the homesickness welling in my heart.

“Mouse?” I breathed.

“Food and drink are on the table,” she said to me.

I couldn’t see a table. Then if in response to my thoughts a table emerged from the floor assembling itself as it rose. I watched fascinated as the table formed itself and chairs grew around it. As if it was a tree growing in one of those speeded up vids. It was a bit of shock to see furniture build up from nothing. On the surface a bowl and glass grew out of it. White porcelain and clear crystal glass.

Mouse held out her hand and pulled me up. “Let me help you,” she said her fingers light on my hand seemly to ignore my lack of clothing. I’d lived with Valkyrie so it bothered me less than it once did.

“Digger said you’d be a bit wobbly at first.”

I staggered over to the table guided by Mouse’s gentle hands. I stared at the bowl and the glass with more than a little trepidation.

“Is it safe?” I asked her trying hard and failing to hide my fears.

“Oh Gwen,” Mouse said sadly. “You of all people should know we’d do nothing to harm you?”

“Sorry,” I told her hastily. I shouldn’t be taking out my fears on her. I was so relieved to see her. I was better than this.

“We do care about you.” Mouse grimaced as if had bitten into something sour. “We could do more but we are walking a thin line between your needs and the rules the First Ones have imposed on us.”

“Rules?”

“Nothing for you to fret about,” Mouse replied.

It was. I felt she was hiding things. “Mouse?” I warned.

“Just eat you must be hungry.” She deftly avoided my question.

I knew I wasn’t going to get anything else out of her on this subject. I turned my attention to the bowl and glass. The glass contained a clear liquid that looked like water and tasted the same. In fact it tasted like ship water. Not stale but devoid of all taste like it had been through a recycler time after time. The contents of the bowl where another matter. Floating in a lake of white liquid were specks of brown that resembled some sort of cereal. I dipped a spoon into and raised it to my lips, a spoon that wasn’t there a moment ago. I ate the mix like the water it didn’t taste anything it was bland. I hadn’t the heart to tell her that. I was hungry enough to eat it anyway. I pushed the empty bowl away feeling a lot better.

“Thank you,” I told her.

“I’m glad,” she replied.

Mouse reached over and took my hand. You are on the mend in a couple of your days you’ll be back to your old self.”

A thought occurred to me. “Couldn’t you have put me in the other body?” As much as I hated the feeling of me in a duplicate I’d be fit and able to fight.

“We can’t we don’t know where it is.”

I looked at her surprised. “What do you mean?”

“The First Ones.” She scowled. “They found out about as you would call it ‘proxy’ and took it.”

It might have been a copy of me to hold my as Digger called it my ‘essence’ I wouldn’t wanted it destroyed. “They destroyed it?”

“Rules,” Mouse said. “The same rules that constrain us. They will not destroy it they’ve put it somewhere out of our reach.” She paused and grimaced. “And have forbidden us to ever create one again.”

I shivered at the implication for the Keepers. They had used my DNA to recreate themselves without that outlet they would die out. I know they had taken it without my say so. But they needed to escape the digital hell they were in. Had they not done so I’d still be moving rods a slave to their computer.

“Come Gwen.” Mouse pulled me up.

“Where are we going?”

“A journey you’ve been on before.”

Led by Mouse we walked away.