Valkyrie Hunter

Before I could react a hand circled around my waist while another was clasped firmly over my mouth. I was dragged backwards through the door into what appeared to be a kitchen. It had counters and cooking facilities. A large refrigerator and dominating the room was square table with two seats. Beside the Valkyrie was a trash bag. Obviously she had been putting out the trash when she encountered me. It explained the mountains of trash and broken furniture in the basement. Didn’t they have a trash collection around here? The hands whirled me around and I found myself facing an elderly Valkyrie. Her face and hands were wrinkled. She wore a long dark coloured dress and her grey hair was in a long plait that hung down her back. She stared at me in shock and surprise.

“A human?” she uttered and blinked hard. “I thought those not of the blood had been evacuated weeks ago. She let go of me and stepped back. “You have a name human?”

“Gloria Henry,” I lied. It was my alias when I went to Saros. A time when things were simpler all I had to do was find Vanessa and make her pay.

“A Terran?” the Valkyrie sounded even more surprised.

Curse my accent I’d never rid myself of that. I kept silent I wasn’t sure where this Valkyrie’s loyalties lay.

“You don’t have to tell me.” She gestured to herself. “I’m Anhild Bondedottir.”

Which meant I was still Bondedottir territory. Although it didn’t give me a clue as to where I was within the territory.

“Please sit,” Anhild slid out the chair and gestured to me.

I limped across and sat down I didn’t have anything better to do. I was hurt and on unfamiliar ground. Anhild must have noticed the blood. I was leaving a blood footprint across her clean floor.

“Mother you’re injured!” she glanced to the basement door. “Walla!” she shouted.

Another elderly Valkyrie appeared to her call. Just as old but a total contrast to Anhild. She wore a short dress in a floral pattern with a wide leather belt and long boots that reached to her thighs. Looking her from a human point of view she might have Valkyrie features but her style was human albeit for a human a heck of a lot younger. Yet it looked natural on her for some unknown reason. I relaxed slightly they couldn’t be with the rebels if they were mimicking human styles.

“Anhild, and who is this?” Walla asked.

“This is Gloria Henry and she’s hurt her foot?”

“I grab my medkit,” Walla said without hesitation. She disappeared to reappear moments later holding a medkit that could have come out from a shuttle. The same type of kit I’d handed to Monica what seemed so many years ago.

She pulled out the other chair putting the kit on the table. Again before I could react. Anhild pulled out my chair setting it opposite the other. Walla sat in the chair while Anhild bustled about getting a bucket and a mop.

“I’ll clean up while you help Gloria.” She busied herself cleaning the blood from the floor.

“Can I look at your foot?” Walla addressed me.

“Of course,” I couldn’t refuse.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when she lifted my foot and placed it on her lap.

“Carefully now Gloria I’ll be as gentle as I can. I’m not a medtech but I’m as close as I can to be one.” She unbandaged my foot tutting at the wound. “How did you do this?”

“Glass,” I replied with a wince as she probed the edges of my wound. Blood trickled out of my wound and onto her skirt. “Sorry,” I apologised.

“For what?”

“Getting blood on your skirt.”

“Think nothing of it Gloria. You needs come first.” She opened the medkit and started taking things out. Gently as he could she washed my wound and applied a sealant to the wound. “Now while that dries we can talk about you.”

I wondered what she wanted. I wasn’t in a position to move. Her hand was around my ankle and my foot was still on her lap.

“About what?”

“How you came to be in this state?” I saw her scrutinise my clothes. “You can’t have walked around the city in that robe and no shoes.”

I had to be partly honest with her. “I escaped,” I said simply.

Walla sighed. “I guessed it was that.” She looked me squarely in the eyes. “We won’t betray you. The Mother of All is my witness.”

I took a chance. I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing. “I’m working for the Elders.”

Walla snorted angrily. “Elders, half the time they don’t know what’s going on under their feet. To send a human into danger is something bordering beyond stupid. What were they thinking? The idiots!”

I was glad her anger wasn’t directed at me. “I got captured,” I told her truthfully.

“Where?”

“A town called Vasarakaupunki,” I said wary of her reaction.

“Mother!” Walla exclaimed.

“I was with an escort from Mother Nidbjorga we were heading for Elvby.”

“Well you’ve arrived but Mother Nidbjorga pulled out five days ago.”

“This is Elvby?” I had to admit the surprises kept coming.

“The Prophetess’ forces took the city three days ago. There is still fighting in some of the outlying districts.” Walla grimaced. “What I’d do to get a sample of her blood?”

“Sample of her blood?” I know I was repeating her words but I’d long given up trying to stop myself.

“I’m a geneticist or I used to be. A sample of her blood will prove once and forever she wasn’t the Prophetess of old.”

“You doubt she is?”

“Oh course. The real Prophetess would have not torn this world apart with war. I was a believer until this new one appeared.” She released her grip on my ankle and pulled my foot off her lap and placed it carefully on the floor. “You’ll be safe here. I give you my blood pledge on that.”

“Thank you,” I said simply.

Walla stood. “Anhild will fix you something to eat. I’ll show you were you can sleep.” She regarded my robes. “I think I can find you something to wear. My niece’s clothes will fit. She was about your size.”

“You sure she won’t mind.”

“She in no position to object. She was killed in the fighting.”

I shuddered at that. “I’m so sorry,” I apologised. I felt guilty lying to her and to Anhild.

“Don’t be you didn’t do it.”

“Yet I feel responsible. The Elders sent me to investigate but I failed. If…”

Walla put her fingers to my lips. “Stop. I don’t blame you. She made the decision to go out and fight for her Clan. She was old enough to but she died believing in the Clan and that what really matters.”

If anything I felt even more guilty. “Walla?” I said lamely. “I haven’t exactly been honest with you. The Elders sent me that much is true. My name is Gwen Hunter and I have Martin blood in my veins.”

Walla nodded thoughtfully. “I doubted the Elders would send some random human and a Terran one at that into the heart of danger without some significance. I’m assuming you are a Silver?”

“An initiate only.”

“Nonsense you escaped.”

“I had help.”

“But you still escaped.” She regarded me carefully. “What will you do now?”

“Try and get back to the Elders with my report.”

“Good luck Gwen of Clan Hunter. I suggest you rest a couple of days and gather your strength.”

“But they’ll be searching for me?”

“We are Valkyrie what care do we have for that,” She said proudly.

“And Anhild?”

“Oh she’ll lap this up like milk.”

“Come I’ll show where to sleep and get you clothes.”

I followed her out of the kitchen wondering if I was doing the right thing?