‘Well, I don’t know how it happened but I know what it means,’ said Clotho. The others stared at her eagerly, ‘It means that this is the Norn we have been looking for. The Nornir race and the Handir race combined in one body. My dear’ she said turning to Ellen, ‘You are our salvation you have come to set us free.’

 

Chapter 2

Ellen shook her head. “Give over,” she said, “It’s been a long day and the last thing I need is this sort of crap from you !”

 “Then I’m afraid the whole of Albia will fall at the feet of Evil.”Clotho replied.

“I don’t care. This has nothing to do with me!” Ellen answered in a raised voice.

“This has got everything to do with you! You’re the Hand” Lachesis corrected savagely

Ellen saw their logic. What was the hand’s job if not to protect the Norns ? She sighed.

“This is gonna sound a bit corny but...I can’t bring myself to say it....” She remarked

“Say what?” Lachesis asked with an annoyed tone to her voice.

“Uh...Take me to your leader?” She said with a weak smile.

************************************************************

“Here she is Sire” Clotho said marching confidently toward the King.

“Ah. You found the Slayer, now all we need is the Hand...”

“Found it.” added Atropos

“She is the Slayer and the Hand” Clotho informed the King.

“Extraordinary!” exclaimed the King. He turned to Ellen “You know what is expected of you?” He asked.

“Cinch.”She replied, “I kill a few Grendels, big deal! I do it all the time” The King looked at The Prophets.

“You haven’t told her have you?” He said regarding them coldly.

“Sire,”Clotho started,”It is not in our power to.The ettins keep the scrolls they are the ones who are to tell her”

The King stood up and said, exasperated, “Well take her to them then! Good grief the Grendels aren’t going to wait to be defeated are they? This war won’t fight itself!”

“Yes Sire” They chimed mechanically and hurried out of the court.

   Once they were outside however they changed their attitudes

“The cheek!” Lachesis fumed, “I’d like to see him get off his lazy behind and do something worthwhile!”

The others agreed. Ellen couldn’t help but smile. The Norns were so human. ‘Maybe,’ she thought, ‘Just maybe this won’t be so bad after all’

*************************************************

“Amazing!” The Ettin Prophets said in response to Ellen’s tale. Ellen was getting used to it now, the exclamations, the awed looks on the faces of the children.

“Anyway. You want to see the Scrolls don’t you?” Urd asked

Ellen nodded half-heartedly as Urd found the Scrolls and read aloud the entire prophesy

 

Then Evil comes to reign supreme

A Norn and a Hand will set us free

Amassing an unlikely team

A tragic death we all shall see

 

Evil defeated,falls & dies

We’ll not celebrate like we should

in  carnage that around us lies

Our leader’s dead and gone for good

 

Urd stopped reading and looked up at Ellen who shivered.

“And you’re the leader.” she said with narrowed eyes. Ellen felt faint and she obviously went white as a green norn who had been visiting asked her if she was all right.

“I’m not going through with it!” she said.

“It’s not that simple” replied Verdande who had stayed silent up to now.

“I’m making it that simple”Ellen insisted and looked around at the shocked crowd “I’m 14 years old!” she said defensively and in a quieter voice she added, “I don’t want to die”

Urd scoffed “14 years ?” she said “most of us don’t manage 14 hours !”

“Yes but you’re all Norns and ettins, I’m human. In Albia time 14 years would be...”she did a rough calculation, “40 minutes!”

They obviously hadn’t realised it before but they had now as the mothers among them shook their heads and even Urd said “It’s sad but you have to go through with it. The future of Albia hangs in the balance”

Clotho stepped in. “Yes we all wish there was something that could be done but-”

“I did” Ellen interrupted “I’m not doing it remember? Get those gigantic ears cleaned out and pay attention!”

She collapsed where she stood and sobbed pitifully.

  The Norn that had asked after her welfare then walked over to her and put his arms around her. The sobs subsided and she looked up into his concerned green face that instantly brightened.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe I know your name.” he said

“Ellen” she said through sniffs.

“Pleased to meet you Ellen, my name’s Einar”

“I’ll go if you come with me.” Ellen whispered shyly. It wasn’t so quiet that the Prophets hadn’t heard and when Einar looked at them to ask permission they said “Go with our blessing Einar.” Einar looked down at Ellen who smiled back at him. The crowd glanced at each other. They knew the look. They had seen it many times before. Einar whispered to Ellen, “‘til death do we part” and Ellen shivered at his choice of words.  

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