Previously: Sága’s efforts to help Odin avoid senseless war with the Council were foiled, but stubborn Sága hatched a new scheme to keep the peace.
BACK AT SÖKKVABEKKR, I paced back and forth in the sand along the river bank. It had been a full day since I sent a messenger to find Odin. The Valkyries stood guard outside the main gate waiting for him, so I suggested he travel through the mountain caves to the waterfall access.
I also kept a low profile. Under the cover of the veranda, I had busied myself with rewriting over two dozen myths and sagas, adding the required feminine perspective. We’d have a good head start when Odin arrived. What was taking so long?
A crash jarred me from my thoughts. I rushed through the back of the hall to the main entrance. My breath caught as six Valkyries, including Skuld and Brynhild, flung the doors open and stomped into my foyer.
“Was that really necessary?” I asked, pointing to the broken hand-carved ash wood doors.
Brynhild shoved a printed paper at my chest. It hurt.
“Sága Vörsdottir, you are served with an order to allow the search of these premises for Odin, God of War, and fugitive from restorative justice. Will you comply?” she asked.
“Please, Brynhild, sit down and make yourself at home,” I said, extending my shaky arm to welcome her and the others. I let the order fall to the floor and walked to the bar on the veranda. “Would anyone like a drink? I am going to have several.”
Two Valkyries nodded, and I poured.
Skuld stepped between the Valkyries and the bar. “Sweet Sága, the perpetual hostess. No one is drinking on duty, I’m afraid.”
I downed one goblet full of mead to calm my nerves and held up another. “Well, I’m not on duty. Skol, everyone!”
Skuld looked around the yard at the idle Valkyries. “What’s the problem? Conduct the search!”
Brynhild cleared her throat and held up the order. “She offered the customary hospitality, but did not consent to the search.”
Skuld grabbed the paper from Brynhild and plodded over to the bar. “Sign the paper, Sága.”
“Mmm,” I said, ignoring Skuld. “This vintage is fantastic! Are you sure none of you want to try it?”
The Valkyries looked around at one another. No one said a word. Brynhild let out a long breath. I wondered if she had caught on to my con. Since I would not consent to a search, there was only one way to get them out of my hall without going to prison.
“Well, that’s too bad,” I said. “Can I get anyone a honey cake? Is it too late in the day for those? How about brunch? I can send out for brunch.”
“Sign!” Skuld shoved the paper at me and knocked over a goblet.
Brynhild scowled. She’d figured me out.
“You’ve just broken the rules of guest etiquette in my hall,” I said, breathing in a ragged breath. “I’m afraid I must ask you to leave.”
“I’m here on official business, not as your guest, so I’m not leaving until we search this hall from top to bottom for the fugitive,” Skuld said.
“Which fugitive is that again? Odin? He sure as Hel isn’t here.” I waved Skuld away and chugged another goblet of mead. “And, since I did not consent to the search, but rather invited you into my home, you are, in fact, a guest. That means you must leave when asked.”
“Nah, I’m not leaving until I verify with my own eyes that he is not here,” Skuld said, walking slowly around the veranda, tracing her fingers over the ornate underwater scenes carved into the sandstone walls. “You know, I’ve always liked this hall. Maybe I’ll move in when you’re in prison as Odin’s accomplice.”
“You’ve forgotten your place, Skuld!” I slammed down the mead pitcher and braced myself on the bar. The liquid courage had finally kicked in. “I am a goddess of the Æsir, and while you have great power and authority over the entities imprisoned in Náströnd, you have no power or authority over me in this hall. I don’t have to comply with any order you bring against me because I have committed no crime. Now, get out!”
“When I get through with this place, there won’t be an Æsir left standing. As far as I’m concerned, every goddess in Asgard is a traitor,” Skuld said, her face contorting as her anger intensified. “And I think you’re the worst traitor of all. I know you helped Odin escape. It’s only a matter of time before I prove it. Hel won’t be able to save you then.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pushed back from the bar and positioned the pad of my foot over a runestone set in the floor. “Clearly, you and Odin have some personal issues to work out, and I have no desire to be involved. When the Council issued their decree, you both became equally unhinged. I had nothing to do with it.”
Brynhild turned away and clutched the hilt of her sword. I sensed that no one had ever accused Skuld of being unhinged before. I hoped Brynhild was laughing at Skuld and not at the fact that I’d probably just guaranteed my arrest.
Skuld’s jaw clenched as she considered a response, but some image reflected in the mirror behind me caught her eye. She turned and hurried to the paper stacks on the veranda table. “What do we have here?”
“It’s nothing that will help you.” I forced out a breath. “You really should leave now.”
Skuld was silent as she studied the parchments.
Brynhild joined her. “What did you find?”
“The myths and legends,” Skuld said, scowling at me. “You’ve been rewriting them for him!”
“It was your idea,” I said, steadying myself with a hand on the bar. That mead really had a kick.
“It was not!”
The other Valkyries whispered among themselves.
“This was not my idea!” Skuld said, her eyes wide.
“It was, though. At Helheim, when you said you thought I would help Odin rewrite the myths, but then realized I wasn’t helping him at all ... that’s when I got the idea,” I said, pointing at her. “From you.”
Reading for herself, Brynhild laughed. “These are great! Are mine in here?”
I nodded.
“Give me those!” Skuld grabbed the pile away from Brynhild. “This will not happen. I will not let you save Odin. You will be detained at Náströnd until this is over and justice is served.”
She stacked the papers together and carried them to the fire pit.
“Don’t!” I yelled, tempted to run over and try to save my work. But if I left the runestone, I wouldn’t have any defense against them. Six air elemental Valkyries against one water goddess was not a fair fight. I’d be arrested, or worse, in five minutes flat. Damn Valkyries. Why couldn’t they just leave when asked like civilized folk?
Skuld grinned and dropped the parchments into the stone circle. When she lit the match, I pressed my foot to the runestone and closed my eyes as the floodwaters rushed in from every direction.
a note from the author…
Thanks for reading Episode IV of the SÁGA'S FABLE MIND series! I hope you are enjoying the story. Stay tuned because things are about to get wild for poor Sága!
📰 Want to know how Sága’s actions in this episode impacted Midgarðr (aka Earth)? Find out here and here by reading The Wyldwood News.