underwater light.
She wore a
white veil and a white dress, trimmed in yellowing Bavarian lace. Bony fingers
protruded from her long sleeves. Her nails were also extraordinarily long,
drawing to dangerous looking points. I could see the smudge of bright red
lipstick under the veil.
Cold sweat
broke out across the back of my neck. I was afraid and it wasn ’ t just the knowledge that she could destroy me. It was
something physical. Something elemental. A feeling of
disgust overcame me, as if I were standing in the bowels of a viper pit.
A large
raven, the size of a lioness, stood beside her. I'd seen Odin ’ s ravens before, and like Death, they always unsettled me
with their red eyes and screeching cries.
Jess stood
utterly still, his gaze fixated on the ancient goddess. I bowed low, my nose
almost touching my knees.
Keeping my
eyes lowered, I said, "My eminent goddess Skuld .
We come to you seeking protection for this mortal man. I am —”
"I
know who you are," the witch said, her voice small and weak, a trickle of
water and not the roaring waterfall I had expected. Still, I heard her. Despite
the cotton stuffed into my ears.
She ran her
long fingernails across the wooden armrest of her throne, the sound of it
prickling the hairs on the back of my neck.
"You
are Sabrina, daughter of Gudrun, descendent of Brunhilde ."
I held up a
supplicating hand. "Please. Please, great goddess. I come here in humble
shame for the injuries my kind have inflicted on the great and mighty Norns ."
Skuld reached up and put a finger to her veiled temple.
"Save your breath, young Valkyr . I do not tell
your fate as punishment for past deeds."
"Sabrina..."
Jess said, his voice a warning.
"I am
compelled to tell you, ” Skuld said, resuming the
scraping of fingernails against wood. “ It
is my curse, as yours is to wander the battlefields of men for all
eternity."
"Please,
great goddess, I beg you..."
A keening
sound erupted from the old witch, and it took me a moment to realize that she
was laughing. "Great goddess, pah . I am no goddess. I am cursed, child. Cursed for all eternity,
as you will be if Odin finds you."
"But
how..." My voice faltered. This meeting was going all wrong. Talking to Skuld , asking her questions? What in Odin's name was I
thinking?
Jess looked
at me and shook his head, another warning.
"My
pets hear all," Skuld said, interrupting her
scraping long enough to wave towards the raven by her side. She pointed a
shaking finger at us. "You have stolen a mortal. Right out from under
Death's nose, if the word of the Valkyrie is to be trusted."
“ I
only wish to save this mortal from the clutches of Death. ”
Skuld ran one long fingernail against the armrest of her gnarled
throne. Back and forth. Back and
forth. “ Why is that, young Valkyr ? ”
“ He
is a true hero, ” I said, unable to take my eyes off her scraping
fingernails, the rhythmic scratching getting louder and louder. “ He is the only real hero I ’ ve
seen in all the years, on all the battlefields. ”
“ Mark
him, then. Why come to me and risk your sanity? ”
“ He
deserves a life, ” I said, finally raising my eyes to meet hers, “ a life here, on earth. ”
Skuld pulled back her veil. Her face was the same texture as the
bark of a tree. Deep fissures ran down her leathery cheeks. Her lips were a smudge
of red, the edges ragged. But her eyes were alive, sparkling pale blue eyes
that were alive with curiosity. “ You
are wiser than most Valkyries, young one. Valhalla is an accursed place, it ’ s true. But what can I do? ”
“ You
could give me a protection spell. A spell that will keep
Death at bay and let the young mortal live. ”
“ You
want my help, but I ask you, what are you willing to do for me? ”
“ For
you? ”
The goddess laughed, a low rumbling that sounded as if it came
from the depths of the earth.
“ You
want something for nothing, young Valkyr ? ”
“ No,
I just didn ’ t think —”
“
She wore a
white veil and a white dress, trimmed in yellowing Bavarian lace. Bony fingers
protruded from her long sleeves. Her nails were also extraordinarily long,
drawing to dangerous looking points. I could see the smudge of bright red
lipstick under the veil.
Cold sweat
broke out across the back of my neck. I was afraid and it wasn ’ t just the knowledge that she could destroy me. It was
something physical. Something elemental. A feeling of
disgust overcame me, as if I were standing in the bowels of a viper pit.
A large
raven, the size of a lioness, stood beside her. I'd seen Odin ’ s ravens before, and like Death, they always unsettled me
with their red eyes and screeching cries.
Jess stood
utterly still, his gaze fixated on the ancient goddess. I bowed low, my nose
almost touching my knees.
Keeping my
eyes lowered, I said, "My eminent goddess Skuld .
We come to you seeking protection for this mortal man. I am —”
"I
know who you are," the witch said, her voice small and weak, a trickle of
water and not the roaring waterfall I had expected. Still, I heard her. Despite
the cotton stuffed into my ears.
She ran her
long fingernails across the wooden armrest of her throne, the sound of it
prickling the hairs on the back of my neck.
"You
are Sabrina, daughter of Gudrun, descendent of Brunhilde ."
I held up a
supplicating hand. "Please. Please, great goddess. I come here in humble
shame for the injuries my kind have inflicted on the great and mighty Norns ."
Skuld reached up and put a finger to her veiled temple.
"Save your breath, young Valkyr . I do not tell
your fate as punishment for past deeds."
"Sabrina..."
Jess said, his voice a warning.
"I am
compelled to tell you, ” Skuld said, resuming the
scraping of fingernails against wood. “ It
is my curse, as yours is to wander the battlefields of men for all
eternity."
"Please,
great goddess, I beg you..."
A keening
sound erupted from the old witch, and it took me a moment to realize that she
was laughing. "Great goddess, pah . I am no goddess. I am cursed, child. Cursed for all eternity,
as you will be if Odin finds you."
"But
how..." My voice faltered. This meeting was going all wrong. Talking to Skuld , asking her questions? What in Odin's name was I
thinking?
Jess looked
at me and shook his head, another warning.
"My
pets hear all," Skuld said, interrupting her
scraping long enough to wave towards the raven by her side. She pointed a
shaking finger at us. "You have stolen a mortal. Right out from under
Death's nose, if the word of the Valkyrie is to be trusted."
“ I
only wish to save this mortal from the clutches of Death. ”
Skuld ran one long fingernail against the armrest of her gnarled
throne. Back and forth. Back and
forth. “ Why is that, young Valkyr ? ”
“ He
is a true hero, ” I said, unable to take my eyes off her scraping
fingernails, the rhythmic scratching getting louder and louder. “ He is the only real hero I ’ ve
seen in all the years, on all the battlefields. ”
“ Mark
him, then. Why come to me and risk your sanity? ”
“ He
deserves a life, ” I said, finally raising my eyes to meet hers, “ a life here, on earth. ”
Skuld pulled back her veil. Her face was the same texture as the
bark of a tree. Deep fissures ran down her leathery cheeks. Her lips were a smudge
of red, the edges ragged. But her eyes were alive, sparkling pale blue eyes
that were alive with curiosity. “ You
are wiser than most Valkyries, young one. Valhalla is an accursed place, it ’ s true. But what can I do? ”
“ You
could give me a protection spell. A spell that will keep
Death at bay and let the young mortal live. ”
“ You
want my help, but I ask you, what are you willing to do for me? ”
“ For
you? ”
The goddess laughed, a low rumbling that sounded as if it came
from the depths of the earth.
“ You
want something for nothing, young Valkyr ? ”
“ No,
I just didn ’ t think —”
“
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