late October morning. The only sound to be heard is the snores of Rune who had wedged herself between two branches of a swamp maple. She is dreaming of Hans, of returning to Grimm Land as the princess she had seen in the mirror and Hans, running across Vagary Vale, arms open wide to embrace her. Just before he reaches her, she feels the hair rise on her cheek. She opens her eyes and gasps with fright as Helga, the Egyptian princess cum frog, is nose to nose with Rune.
“I need to tell you the rest of my story,” Helga says urgently.
“Fine, geesh, just back off a bit, will you?” Rune says, sitting up and dangling her legs off the tree branch. Helga imitates Rune’s position. “I scared you,” she whispers.
“No, you startled me is all, it’s dangerous to startle someone sleeping. It could jump up and bite you. Didn’t your mother teach you . . .” Rune breaks off, remembering their conversation the day before. “Didn’t your father teach you that?”
Helga shakes her head slowly. "I wouldn’t listen to anyone. I was mad and mean, except with Worick. When the Vikings returned from their raids, I'd sit on his knee in the Great Hall. There were vats of mead, meats roasting on the fire; the balladsman singing tales while the men banged out the rhythm with mugs and gnawed bones. Worick proudly proclaimed that I would become a Valkyrie, fighting as well as any man and unafraid of the sound of a sword as it cleaves the air."
"You are very strong for being so skinny," Rune says. "Were you unafraid of battle?"
"Of everything! At least by daylight. I took pleasure in seeing the red blood of sacrifice to Thor on my hands; I rode a horse as if I were one with the animal, I swam the freezing waters of the fjords, and strung my bow with strands of my hair. At night, alone with my thoughts, unable to talk, I was afraid I would never have a friend in the world. It wasn't enough that at night I transformed into a frog, but I also looked different from the other children who had yellow hair and blue eyes and fair skin. They were careful around me because children are suspicious by nature. I didn't play with them; I hated them all when I was a girl and longed for each of them as a frog. Because I was the chieftain’s daughter, they had to be nice to me, but as I grew older and could beat them all at every test of strength even the boys, shunned me. As a frog I was afraid I would never be loved, and as a warrior, I didn’t care. Hearken well my words Rune, in this land, a girl who is unafraid is doomed."
“But the Viking woman loved you,” Rune says.
"Illa was a strong and capable Viking woman, but toward me she was both soft and frightened. By day, I had my fun scaring her with dangerous stunts, like walking on the edge of the well and standing up on a galloping horse. But as twilight neared and my transformation began, I drew close to Illa. I couldn't help myself and I couldn't apologize for being bad because I couldn't talk. Every night Illa would say:
I could almost wish you always would be my silent frog child, for you are far more frightening to look at when your outside is beautiful and your inside ugly
."
Without thinking, Rune reaches out to touch Helga's shoulder. Blue sparks fly and she quickly draws back her hand. Helga seems not to have noticed, her sad stare remains fixed on the horizon.
"The swan who brought me here said my outside is ugly, but inside me is a beautiful girl, probably an enchanted princess. We both saw her when I looked in a magic mirror. Creechy, I wish I'd brought that mirror. He said coming to this land would help me transform. Do you think it will; do you think I'm ugly?" Rune drops her head and bites the corner of her lip.
Helga shrugs her ghostly shoulders. Having been called ugly three times, especially when Rune had believed herself beautiful, could be overlooked considering the sources were a swan, a stork, and an elf. However, if Helga
“I need to tell you the rest of my story,” Helga says urgently.
“Fine, geesh, just back off a bit, will you?” Rune says, sitting up and dangling her legs off the tree branch. Helga imitates Rune’s position. “I scared you,” she whispers.
“No, you startled me is all, it’s dangerous to startle someone sleeping. It could jump up and bite you. Didn’t your mother teach you . . .” Rune breaks off, remembering their conversation the day before. “Didn’t your father teach you that?”
Helga shakes her head slowly. "I wouldn’t listen to anyone. I was mad and mean, except with Worick. When the Vikings returned from their raids, I'd sit on his knee in the Great Hall. There were vats of mead, meats roasting on the fire; the balladsman singing tales while the men banged out the rhythm with mugs and gnawed bones. Worick proudly proclaimed that I would become a Valkyrie, fighting as well as any man and unafraid of the sound of a sword as it cleaves the air."
"You are very strong for being so skinny," Rune says. "Were you unafraid of battle?"
"Of everything! At least by daylight. I took pleasure in seeing the red blood of sacrifice to Thor on my hands; I rode a horse as if I were one with the animal, I swam the freezing waters of the fjords, and strung my bow with strands of my hair. At night, alone with my thoughts, unable to talk, I was afraid I would never have a friend in the world. It wasn't enough that at night I transformed into a frog, but I also looked different from the other children who had yellow hair and blue eyes and fair skin. They were careful around me because children are suspicious by nature. I didn't play with them; I hated them all when I was a girl and longed for each of them as a frog. Because I was the chieftain’s daughter, they had to be nice to me, but as I grew older and could beat them all at every test of strength even the boys, shunned me. As a frog I was afraid I would never be loved, and as a warrior, I didn’t care. Hearken well my words Rune, in this land, a girl who is unafraid is doomed."
“But the Viking woman loved you,” Rune says.
"Illa was a strong and capable Viking woman, but toward me she was both soft and frightened. By day, I had my fun scaring her with dangerous stunts, like walking on the edge of the well and standing up on a galloping horse. But as twilight neared and my transformation began, I drew close to Illa. I couldn't help myself and I couldn't apologize for being bad because I couldn't talk. Every night Illa would say:
I could almost wish you always would be my silent frog child, for you are far more frightening to look at when your outside is beautiful and your inside ugly
."
Without thinking, Rune reaches out to touch Helga's shoulder. Blue sparks fly and she quickly draws back her hand. Helga seems not to have noticed, her sad stare remains fixed on the horizon.
"The swan who brought me here said my outside is ugly, but inside me is a beautiful girl, probably an enchanted princess. We both saw her when I looked in a magic mirror. Creechy, I wish I'd brought that mirror. He said coming to this land would help me transform. Do you think it will; do you think I'm ugly?" Rune drops her head and bites the corner of her lip.
Helga shrugs her ghostly shoulders. Having been called ugly three times, especially when Rune had believed herself beautiful, could be overlooked considering the sources were a swan, a stork, and an elf. However, if Helga
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