The young warriors trekked up the frigid mountain. The snow grabbed at their ankles, the wind fought their balance, the flurry blinded their ascent, and the cold tore at their exposed skin. Most wanted to give up, to turn back home and forget the Valkyrie trials altogether. Some even had the option to, while others would have simply nothing to return to. For Astria, she resolved to either become a Valkyrie candidate, or die on this mountain. She did not have a comfy house or a loving family to return to. She lost all of that seven years ago. All she had left was a life of slavery and that would never be an option for her again.
Although Astria and the other young warriors struggled under the harsh toll of their ascent, whatever their reasons, they all continued the arduous trek. Guided by the strongest warrior at their enclave and next in line War Mother of the Valkyrie, Sigrid, the young warriors eventually reached their destination. A small cove that sheltered them, mostly, from the snowstorm that fell from the mountain.
"Listen up," Sigrid commanded. "This is your final rest before your trial. In just a few moments, you will be guided to the testing grounds where your real test as candidates will begin." Sigrid looked around into the eyes of her candidates before continuing,
"Your goal for this test is to acquire three items: the horn of a goat, the liver of a draugar, and the blood of an ice giant." Sigrid looked upon the shocked faces of the candidates. None of them spoke, but they did not have to for her to see the fear and confusion in their eyes.
"Once you have these items, you are to make your way to the apex of the mountain. There, we will begin a final ritual to decide which one of you will become a true candidate. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Sigrid!" all the young warriors shouted in surprising unison. Sigrid nodded and then turned towards the snowstorm behind them. "Good, because your guides are here."
Most of the young warriors saw nothing when they peered into the storm. Out of the ten of them, only Astria, Vinga, and Kindra saw them first. Astria could feel the warm blood in her veins rush as the figures became clear to her. First, she peered dotted pairs of glowing greens, yellows, reds, and blues. Initially she guessed that these things might have been fairies, who would have been an honest, welcoming sight. Of course, however, that was not at all to be. No, instead the massive, hulking, figures of wolves appeared out of the blinding flurry. As they came closer, Astria could see that they resembled dire wolves but were so much larger. Guides or not, every instinct in Astria told her to reach for her spear and defend herself.
"Steady yourselves, they are friends." Sigrid said with what seemed to be a slight smile on her face.
The wolves stopped their approach once they came closer to the cove, except for one. A wolf as black a night and as big as a boulder, with piercing silver eyes, kept its approach. Astria's danger sense was already high, but now it felt like it was on overdrive. So much so that she instinctively began reaching for her spear. Luckily, Kindra was there to stop her. She quickly grabbed her wrist and without looking at her, slightly shook her head. Astria did not look directly at her either but understood the message nonetheless. She relaxed her hand and watched as the great beast approached.
"Daimon, old friend, it is great to see you in good health." Sigrid spoke with a warmer smile than the candidates thought possible. Bewilderment truly set in not once the candidates witnessed the wolf smile too, but even more so when it disappeared into a cloud of black smoke and reappeared as a black skinned man. Through the silent gasps and whispers, Astria could tell the other candidates were awestruck, even Kindra could not hide her fascination and surprise. She heard someone ask if the man was a Dokkalfar and Astria slightly rolled her eyes. Besides the wolf transformation, the man was still a man though Astria could not blame her others for their ignorance.
Due to several reasons, though chiefly land disputes, the nords, as they called themselves, rarely traveled far from their homelands. As such, most had no chance to see what other people looked like. Even for Astria, it was only by chance that her family was captured by slavers and taken up to the far north. Once they were brought here, the natives were just as dumbfounded as Astria once they saw each other. Although for Astria, that bewilderment quickly turned into resentment after her family began their lives as slaves.
"And of course, we were given to the shittiest and most arrogant family of them all." Astria thought as she subconsciously turned her head to glare at Vinga.
It was forbidden to fight amongst each other through their trials, but rumors still spread of those that did and survived. Astria felt a tap on her hand. Although slight and without looking, she knew who did it. She could almost hear Kindra saying, "Don't." as if she truly spoke. It took some time, but Astria begrudgingly returned her gaze back to the front. However, the fire in her would not relent. "By the gods I will have her head. Valkyrie's be damned."
After a few moments of warm greetings between the two, Sigrid nodded as the man-wolf named Daimon stepped forth to address the candidates. Now that Astria could see him more clearly, she could see that although the man's skin was dark, it was nowhere near as dark as the black hide, he wore. She could even see the various black markings that covered the parts of his body that the wolf's skin did not. Astria's eyes slightly widened, and her heart raced as she noticed that the markings were not runes but rather foreign marks. This alone confirmed her suspicion. This man was not from this land either.
"Greetings candidates, I hope this final rest has served you well for the path ahead is fraught with danger. Steel yourselves, focus your minds, and let us begin." Daimon said. He nodded towards Sigrid with a warm smile and then continued to say, "And unlike your mentor, I am not so much of a hard ass. So as we walk, you may talk amongst yourselves, for you never know who you will talk to afterward."
"Ugh finally," Yulla yelled over the blizzard. "Bearing this frigid waste land is treacherous enough, but to keep silent about it is true torture."
"Maybe it's because your pompous ass shouldn't be here." Hilde said aloud.
"Neither should you man lady." Yulla sighed with a roll of her eyes.
"What was that?" Hilde yelled, balling her fist.
"Cease this foolishness before it gets out of hand. Our trials are ahead!" Verina yelled.
"You heard me man lady," Yulla reiterated, ignoring Verina. "I thought only women could be Valkyrie, but I guess numbers are running short these days." This made Hilde redder than any evening sky Astria had ever seen.
"I'll make you eat those words." Hilde yelled furiously.
"Enough!" Verina yelled again.
"Wouldn't you rather me eat your tiny cock." Yulla said, whipping her golden hair around to make a fondling gesture with her left hand and a stroking gesture with her right.
"FUCKING CU-" Before Hilde could move, let alone get her words out, Vinga held the blade of one of her axes to Hilde's throat. Niel snickered as Vinga's hot red face immediately turned white. Her eyes went wide as she stammered, "B-but… she-"
"I don't care," Vinga said, not taking her eyes off of Yulla. "I have no use for dogs. Settle down or you're on your own." And just like that, everyone witnessed a fiery volcano peter out in the blink of an eye. Even Verina was both awed and impressed. Hilde, however, was shaken. She immediately unclenches her fist and said, "Of course, Vinga. I'm sorry."
"Yes, you are," Vinga said as she put her axe away. "Remember that the next time you act out of line," She then turned her attention back to Yulla.
"As for you. The next time you provoke one of my warriors, I'll make an eagle out of your hide." Yulla was not one for threats, but even she was a bit taken aback by that. However, to keep from being made a fool she quickly regained what composure she could.
"Whatever." Yulla huffed as she crossed her arms and turned her head.
Verina could do nothing but sigh in dismay and yell, "Everyone, I know tensions are high and we are all tired from our trek, but let's try to focus on the trials ahead and not on killing or making a fool out of each other." At that point, things had already cooled down between the candidates. Vinga had accomplished what Verina could not in all her years of preparation and training; command and dominate, and everyone felt it.
"I know you hate her but take note of how she commands others." Kindra whispered to Astria. If it were anybody else, Astria would have told them to fuck off, but she knew Kindra did not say things for nothing. As much as she hated to admit it, Kindra was right. From her gaze to her stance, Vinga was bred to fight and lead warriors. Not surprising given her bastard of a father, Asger, was their enclave's leader and tied for strongest warrior with both Balder and Eluf, Kindra's and Verina's fathers respectively. They, besides the very gods of course, were the only ones he ever showed any respect towards. Anyone else, was just prey in his eyes. For Asger dominated everything in his path and claimed whatever he wished. A true viking through and through, which everyone, even the people who feared him, praised. It was no doubt that the Valkyrie would choose him upon his death, which infuriated Astria to no end. For if it were up to her, she would have the man gutted and raised for the buzzards the peck at for all eternity. However, that was not possible. Valkyrie served Odin and by Odin's Law of the Worthy, the man would be accepted, no arguments. Lest you wish to face the wrath of Odin himself, which Astria was very much willing if it meant torturing the bastard for what he did to her family.
"Still think letting them speak is a good idea?" asked Sigrid with a sigh.
"There was much that needed to be said, and much that needed to be shown," Daimon smirked. "Besides, I have a pretty good impression of them now."
"And?" Sigrid asked.
"A rambunctious lot." Daimon answered with a devilish smile.
"Much like yourself." Sigrid said with a sly smile and a wicked gaze.
"Old habits die hard." Daimon said, returning the gaze back to her.
"We will see if they live just as hard." Sigrid said, almost sultry.
"That we shall." Daimon said, almost hungrily.
Between the commotion from a moment ago, the tense atmosphere it created, and the awkward chatter it created, no one noticed the obvious courting of the two mentors, except Astria, Kindra, and Selda.
"Are they…" Selda asked.
"Yes, Selda." Kindra answered with a bright blush and shocked stare.
Even with death staring them down and her arch enemy only a few feet away, Astria could not help but chuckle. Kindra was such an anomaly to Astria at times. So strong and yet, so pure that it was often times funny. Especially whenever love, sex, and relationships were brought up. Her family, unlike Vinga's, were strong yet surprisingly pious. Maybe it was their affiliation with the Christians or just maybe they were kind in nature. Either way, she admired them greatly. It was horrible to think, but at times Astria wished her family were given ownership to Kindra's family instead. They may have still lost their freedom, but at the very least they would have been treated like people instead of livestock.
Once the two love birds were done with their banter, the wolf-man named Daimon announced that it was time for them to depart as he turned back into a wolf. Though now that Astria was given a closer look at him, she found his other self to be less of a wolf and more of some kind dog/fox hybrid. More evidence that the man was not native to these lands for she had never seen such a creature here. The creature was thinner than a wolf with much pointier ears that stood straight up, but even that did not deter from the shear amount of power and ferocity that emanated from his presence. Just like with Vinga, everything from his walk to his talk were drenched in power and pride. Only in his case, way more than Vinga could ever hope to obtain.
"Farewell for now my chosen. I await to see you again." Sigrid said as she saw them off.
As Astria followed Daimon and his wolves with Kindra and Selda by her side, she turned back to glance at Sigrid one more time. She was an unimaginable warrior, a sturdy mentor, and yet, she always had this sense of compassion that made Astria not only feel empowered, but also at peace. For seven years she taught them, trained them, and when they were not well, she nurtured them. No matter the injury, whether it was physical, mental, or emotional, Sigrid was always there to aid them. To Astria, and probably to many of the other candidates, she was like a second mother, which is why Astria felt her eyes well up leaving her behind. She knew she might see her again, either in this life or the next, but seeing that face she made, that mixture of sadness, pride, and happiness. The face of a mother marrying her daughter off or watching her leave her home, was almost too much to bear. She noticed that even Kindra was biting back tears. Selda on the other hand did not make a sound, but steady streams of tears fell from her face. She was not alone either. Everybody was dealing with their departure int their own way. Yulla kept her head down with her hair blocking her face, Ivana, another Christian, walked and prayed, Verina cried, and so did the rest except Hilde, Vinga, and Niel. Hilde bit back their tears just as Kindra did while Vinga looked unsteady but almost emotionless. Niel, however, just could not stop grinning.
Astria always felt something was off about her, especially given her family lived in the woods and worshipped old gods. She would usually not judge, considering she was also pretty foreign to the enclave's customs, however, there was always something about Niel's presence that felt… dark. Her rituals were strange enough and so were her red, white, blue, and black tattoos, but even without that, just being around her made Astria anxious. Even Kindra noted how much the woman made her uncomfortable as well. The fact that Vinga kept her around was a testament to either her sheer confidence, or foolishness. Astria was not sure why Niel was chosen, but something told her she did not want to find out.
However, what she did want to learn about was their guide, Daimon. As the group traveled forward, Astria raced off to the front of the pack. Kindra and Selda both gave each other a bewildered looks and chased after her. Even Verina noticed and tried to stop her, but it was all for naught. Because before any of them, or their words, could reach her, Astria herself was suddenly stopped short and leaped back a few paces as two large wolves came crashing in front of her. Their eyes fierce as they growled and snarled at her. Part of Astria's instincts commanded her again to grab her weapon while the other part warned her that that would be the last action she would ever take. Her eyes then began to glance around her and to her sudden fear, all of the wolves that guided them now looked at her. Their eyes were ferocious, yet patient as they waited for the command of their alpha. Fortunately for Astria, Daimon barked in his dog-wolf form and almost immediately the two wolves backed away. Though they still growled and snarled at her, the two wolves allowed Astria to pass. Her friends also tried to pass, but the two wolves instantly moved back in place.
"Sorry for just taking off," Astria called back. "I'll be fine! Wait for me!" Kindra and Selda nodded as Astria hurried over to Daimon. The great dog-wolf transformed back into a human as Astria approached him.
"You know you should never approach a leader in such a manner," Daimon reprimanded. "That could have been very dangerous in other lands."
"I know, I'm sorry," Astria said turning her eyes away for a quick moment. "But I have little time and I wanted to speak to you."
"I am listening." Daimon replied.
"You just mentioned foreign lands, and I could tell that you are not from here, but much further south." Astria said looking at him with an expression of both joy and curiosity. "Where exactly do you come from?" Daimon burst with laughter once he heard her question, causing Astria to frown.
"My apologies young candidate," Daimon said as his laughter died down. "I find it rather amusing you would risk your life for such a question."
"It is an important question to me." Astria said still frowning. Daimon's laughter died down completely, though he still kept a somewhat jovial expression.
"Again, my apologies. I can tell you are not native to these lands either so of course you would want to know of the outside world." He stroked his short, curly, black beard before continuing, "Though my ancestors hails from the great land of Ku, I myself, and much of my family, have always been nomadic." Astria's eyes went wide with joy. Even the frown she kept began to form into a smile.
"If that is so then have you been to the lands southwest of here? The lands by the sea?" Astria asked excitedly.
"If you are referring to the land of Roma then yes. I worked as a mercenary there." Daimon said thinking back. Astria's heart raced. She had not heard that name since she was a child. She remembered at night that her parents would always tell tales of a magnificent city in the heart of Roma that was ruled by both the people that chose their leader and the mighty gods that protected them all. Tales of the great warriors that fought and raced a mighty arena or other tales of the many inventions and arts crafted by its scholar and artists. Roma sounded like the perfect country, which always made Astria wonder why her parents even left.
"So, what was it like since you were last there?" Astria asked anxiously. Daimon looked at her for a second and then looked ahead as he said, "The last time I was in Roma, much of it was on fire." Astria's heart immediately fell into her stomach.
"B-but… are you sure?" She asked frazzled.
"Yes," Daimon answered looking at her again. "However, that was some time ago. I heard it has since rebuilt, though not to its former glory."
"Oh." Astria said, lowering her head in dismay.
"Sorry, young candidate." Daimon said with genuine sympathy.
"It's alright. It is not your fault I just… I just dreamed of seeing the land of my parents. They spoke so highly of Roma and its people, and I used to always dream of returning there with them until…," Astria shook her head as she fought back tears. "I just wanted to make it there for them." As the memories flooded in, they became too much for Astria. She tried her hardest to withhold them, but the tears kept streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry." She said embarrassed.
"It is alright," Daimon said as he passed her a small cloth. "It is ok to weep, even in battle. For it is only the determination of emotion, not its weakness." Astria nodded her head as she took the cloth and began wiping away her tears.
"Thank you." Astria said as she wiped her tears away.
"Of course." Daimon said with a smile. It took time but Astria was finally able to calm herself and stop her tears from flowing. She gave Daimon back his cloth and thanked him again.
"Of course," He responded again with a smile as he took back his cloth. "Now then, anything else you needed to ask me?" Astria thought for a moment and then said, "Can you tell me anything about the trials ahead?" Daimon regarded her but ultimately shook his head.
"I am sorry, young candidate, but that is for you to experience."
"Fine," Astria said with a huff. "Then can you at least tell me what is between you a Sigrid?" Daimon laughed a hearty laugh at that. Much louder and more jovial than the previous.
"I also cannot tell about that either." Daimon said still chuckling. Astria then shrugged and laughed with a huge smile, "Worth a try."
The two of them laughed for some time until Daimon soon stopped laughing and said with a mix of foreboding and hope, "The trial grounds are not too far away now. Best return to your companions before beginning." Astria nodded and though her laughter was gone she still retained a slightly sad yet warm smile.
"Thanks again for answering my questions and I hope to see you again." Said Astria.
"I will be seeing you again." Daimon said with a warm and encouraging smile of his own. Astria smiled even wider at him before returning back to her friends.
"Try not to run into danger again." Verina lectured as Astria passed by her, to which Astria nodded. As soon as she made it back to her friend's, Selda jumped her with questions.
"So, what was he like? What were you two laughing about? Why is his wolf form so mangy? Did you find out about him and Sigrid?" Selda interrogated before Astria could catch her breath.
"Selda!" Kindra scolded.
Selda shrugged and said, "What? I'm curious."
"It's fine Kindra. We just talked about the lands beyond here and had a good laugh about it. And no. I tried but he would not tell about his relationship with Sigrid." Astria replied.
"Ugh," Selda breathed in disappointment. "Well did you at least learn more about your homeland?"
"Yeah." Astria replied turning away.
"That bad?" Selda said sorrowfully.
"Selda," Kindra scolded again in a whisper before giving Astria her full regard. "I'm sure that despite whatever you learned; things will be alright."
"Yeah, they are its just…" Astria could feel her emotions begin to rattle her again.
Kindra placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "We'll talk about it more after the trials. All of us." She looked to both Astria and Selda as they nodded their heads in resolute agreement. Kindra smiled and embraced them one last time before the start of some of their last trial.