Before Thyra's hammer could strike Skade a rune shot up from the earth binding her wrist together with chains of mana. As Thyra was generating lighting to break free Skade stood up striking Thrya in the stomach. Blood trailed down Thyra's chin as a powerful gust of wind forced her back.
"You make it sound like I can't fight," Skade smirked.
Thyra halted in her tracks recalling the second hammer as she struck them together again. Lightning was on its way towards Skade, but she charged forward unbothered. Before Skade was hit with lightning a large stone slab appeared before her. When the lightning struck the slab the rune on it ignited as it faded back into the earth.
'What the fuck was that?' Thyra glanced around.
"Distracted in the heat of battle?" Skade asked.
As Thyra turned back Skade was running her fingers across several runes. Skade opened the palm of her hand taking aim at Thyra. The tattoos flared as Thyra was surrounded by stone slabs, and the mysterious rune from before appeared again. The surrounding slabs resonated with each other, and Thyra was struck with lightning. Thyra was being overwhelmed by her own attack as the top of the formation sealed her in.
"I can deal with you later, but right now they need my assistance," Skade declared while turning to the battlefield.
With the familiars wiped out, Henrik was able to rally their forces. Halfdan was still tied up with Baldur causing them to lose ground quickly. Skade walked towards the battle opening her arms and chanting. All the tattoos along Thyra's forearms began to glow as runes floated off her skin towards her allies.
The runes appeared on Halfdan's forces, and their wounds began to fade. Fatigue from endlessly swinging their weapons was lifted, and it was replaced with a surge of power. Henrik noticed the runes appearing along the warriors' neck, and glancing towards Skade he saw more lights rapidly heading their way.
"Fall back, and form a shield wall now!" Henrik ordered.
Seasoned warriors knew not to question Henrik's knowledge of the battlefield, but the greenhorns took notice, and a few of them reacted too slow. The runes appeared on their warriors as their mana began flowing into Skade.
"Don't let them touch you, and hurry up on the barrier!" Henrik shouted while motioning his men.
As another rune was closing on in their retreat a warrior narrowly dodged as it struck the ground. The symbol of the rune changed, and it rapidly expanded encasing the man in stone. More runes were flying their way as the warriors manning the shield wall finished chanting. The barrier popped up as the runes appeared on it. The rune was preparing to shift, but Henrik dissolved the barrier at its location causing it to disappear.
"You will need to chant constantly, and alter the nature of the barrier accordingly to ward them off," Henrik ordered while taking aim at Skade.
In a matter of minutes, Skade singlehandedly turned the tide of the battle. Most of the warriors we're confused about how they're outclassed so easily. The older warriors present recognized the magic right away, but never expected someone so young to be using it.
"You never mentioned having a runemaster," Sven said while observing Skade closely.
"I thought it was a lost art?" Kaya asked.
"With fewer clans worshiping the old gods their numbers have drastically fallen, but the art is far from lost. Skade has an affinity for runes, and our old seer believed she had blood ties with Freya. Her divinations are accurate, but we thought the rest was nonsense. With the stories, Samuel shared I've been reconsidering the old man's words." Harald replied.
"You have someone of that caliber in your village, and you keep her hidden from battle. Why?" Sven asked.
"Skade is a woman who acts on her impulses. Unless she has the desire to shed blood she tends to focus on her meditation and doesn't take kindly to interruptions. I would prefer it if Zack was here to monitor the situation." Harald sighed.
"You did tell her no killing right?" Helga asked.
Harald forgot to mention it to Skade, and as he looked back at the battle he hoped one of the others told her. After Henrik rallied the forces they went back on the attack with Skade as their focus. With enhanced warriors defending her, it wasn't an easy task.
One of Baldur's warriors managed to break past the formation and charged at Skade. The man swung down his battleax, but Skade evaded gracefully. She rapidly drew the blade from her back slicing the tendons on the man's arm in retaliation.
"Bitch!"
The warrior gripped his weapon with one hand swinging it with all his might sideways. Skade smiled rapidly taking a rune from her pouch, and smearing the blood across the rock. The rune reacted to the blood as the warrior froze in place.
"Have you seen that method before?" Haruna investigated.
"Not at that level, and especially not from a human. To seize control with little preparation, and only a dab of blood is no easy feat. Even with a talented blood mage, a method like that won't last long." Cassandra replied.
Skade slid across the ground slamming the blade into his thigh before tearing it out. The rune in her hand went back to a regular stone as she dropped it to the dirt. As the feeling returned to his body the warrior turned around to grab Skade. She lodged the blade into his shoulder while shaking her fingers at him. With a wounded leg, arm, and shoulder the man was incapable of fighting.
"You're so easy to read. Does everyone in your clan fight so recklessly?" Skade asked as she glanced at the others fighting.
A loud boom echoed through the battlefield as lightning surged across the land. Skade looked over, and Thyra's prison was shattered. Thyra was walking forward with frizzy hair and an angry look on her face.
"Your gonna pay for that little stunt." Thyra declared.