According to the prophecy of the Norns, before Ragnarok, the sun and moon would be devoured by two giant wolves. Wicked cold will cover Midgard for three years in the darkness. Stars will crash out of the heavens, falling to the earth below. The World Tree will collapse, and soon all nine worlds will be covered in fire.
The end of days is a popular topic in many religions. We are obsessed with the mass destruction of a race, or in the case of the Norse, of more than nine races. The great war of good against evil is a theme repeated in many texts, be them Christian, Norse, Zoroastrian, or something else. Perhaps all sources are true. A great war will be waged between the side of good and the side of evil. The fires shall burn.
Dagmar turned out having brown hair and grey eyes, just like her father, Egil. All of the rest of her, however, is Astrid. From the shape of her face to the proportions of her feet, she is her mother's child. Dagmar's first mothe of life is peaceful. Spring time is bountiful, and come April, all is still well. That is, all is well until the sun does not rise one morning. It is the begining of the end.
"Lord Odin! The sun is gone!" Ingegerd exclaims, rushing into the throne room of Valaskjalf, Odin's personal palace. She is flanked by about thirty other worried Valkyries. Rona leans against the door frame with a handful of others.
"I know," Odin replies, nodding to Havelock and Denby who depart quietly from the room. "Loki has freed himself and Fenrir."
"And Thor, m'lord?"
"He is well, but his hammer, Mjolnir, and his gauntlets are missing. Stolen, I fear."
"Then all is lost."
"We must still fight. Someone must save Midgard. Those mortals won't do too well on their own. We all know that."
Ingegerd turns to her fellow Valkyries. "Then let us assemble our ranks! We call back the swan-maidens and begin our requisitions from the armories! If Loki wants a cursed war, let's give him one!" A cheer goes up from most of the Valkyries present. Soon, the news spreads and all the residents of Valaskjalf are begining their armoring. The residents of all the halls of the gods in Asgard are likewise readied. Ingegerd selects a troup to arm Astrid and prepare her and her dragon for the battle to come.
Eight women ride the skies upon their flying horses. Among them are Ingegerd and Rona. The women ride towards the tiny cabin, wondering if they can hold off the attacks of Loki and his mass of giants, or if the Norns will be proven correct and all will be lost.
Suddenly, a streak of red flashes passed them in the darkness. The horses become restless, and it takes much to calm them. Some of the meeker women also become anxious, but they do their best to hide it.
*Eight of you, eh?* a familiar voice runs through Ingegerd's head.
"Calm, girls! 'Tis Gunnhild!" Ingegerd calls to the troup.
*I'll lead you down. It's dark, so be careful. You're closer to the ground than you think.*
"Follow me, girls! She's showing us the way!" Within minutes, the eight and their horses are safely on the ground. The horses wear the mantles of the Valkyries, but they have not the brains to use them.
"Is Lady Astrid within?" Rona asks after approaching the soft light of the cabin.
*She is. I'll fetch her.* Gunnhild opens the door with her tail and flits into the cabin. The light blinds most of the eight. Moments later, Astrid and Dagmar are escorted outside by Gunnhild.
"What's that?" Rona demands, pointing at the babe in Astrid's arms.
"She's my child, Rona. Her name is Dagmar," Astrid replies, smiling lovingly at her bundle.
"What?"
"She's a month or so old by now. Isn't she lovely?"
"Who gave you permission to have a child? The world will be ending and one of our own plays mother! Absurd!" Rona draws her blade. "We'll soon end that, eh?" She takes two purposeful strides towards the new mother, but is met by cold steel against her throat. She glances to her side to see the form of Gunnhild clamly and firmly holding a sword at her throat.
*You shan't harm Dagmar or Lady Astrid,* she projects, her words icy and detatched. *I don't care who you are; you'r not to do it. If you take one more step, I'll kill you. I've no qualms for that.*
"You're all talk," Rona hisses, going to take another step. Before she knows it, Gunnhild flicks up her head and nicks Rona's cheek. "Why you little -"
"Rona!" Ingegerd barks, grabbing the wrist of the woman's sword arm. "Hold." Rona struggles against the grip of her fellow, but she stops when Ingegerd's hand goes to Rona's forehead and a pale light issues forth.
"Let's get our Lady Astrid suited for the coming battle," Rona says after a moment of silence. She sounds almost cheerful.
Astrid hands Dagmar to Gunnhild, who takes the child carefully with her tail and sinks to the ground, wrapping her wings about the babe. "What did you do to her?" Astrid asks Ingegerd, her eyes wide.
"I took away her personality. Pity, too; it takes at least a millenium to get one. Rona is no more. Change into this, won't you?" Ingegerd hands Astrid a pair of black pants. Astrid does as she is told as Ingegerd continues. "I can't stand the ones without personalities. They lose all their battle skills. They also annoy me to no end."
"Then why -"
"She would have killed you and then Odin would have had my head. He's a special mission for you. Arms up and hold still." Astrid complies and watches the forms of the Valkyries pull off her sweater, wrap her bosom, and armor her torso. Chain mail covers all of it save her lower neck. It also covers her hips, flaring out to two tiny spines. More solid armor covers her chest, upper back, and shoulders. Plate mail armors her stomach. All of it is silver with gilded designs.
"Lower your arms, please," is the next of Ingegerd's instructions. Two gauntlets are shoved onto each of her arms. One slides up near the shoulder, the other stays on thelower arm. Both of these flair out near the elbow.
"Boots are next." Long, fleece-lined, doe-skin boots with metal hooks on the heel are handed to Astrid. She shoves her feet into them and laces them up to the top - a few inches from her knee.
Before she can say much else, shin- and thight-guards are strapped to Astrid's legs. A wite cape lined with a blue, velvety inside is clasped about her shoulders. Ingegerd unties Astrid's braids. "Hold very still," the Valkyrie says and grabs a handful of hair. She slices through it with her sword. All that is left is a jagged mess at the top of her head and two gentle tendrils that fall from above her ears.
"You're ready, Lady Astrid," Ingegerd finally says, nodding and handign Astrid the sword that Gunnhild used to attack Rona. Astrid picks up the blade's sheath and returns the sword to its usual home.
"I'm not going without Gunnhild or Dagmar," she says levelly.
"I figured as such. Are all of you ladies up for a fly?"
Gunnhild returns Dagmar to Astrid, flies inside the cabin, and returns with the swan-feather mantle and Dagmar's blanket. *Ready.*
Astrid smiles and wraps Dagmar in the blanket. "I'll fetch one of the mares," she says, begining to head towards the barn.
"No need!" Ingegerd calls after her. "We can call an extra." She issues a shrill, sharp whistle. Moments later, a grey and white stallion gallops from the sky. Entwined in his mane and tail are swan feathers. "His name is Canute, and he'll serve you well." Ingegerd takes Astrid's mantle and fastens it about Canute's neck. "Go on. Mount up."
Astrid hands Dagmar to Gunnhild before swinging her legs up to mount Canute. Then, her child is returned to her. "To Asgard?"
"Aye, across Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, and two Valaskjalf, Odin's hall," Ingegerd replies. "Ready ladies?"
"Aye!" call the other Valkyries. They mount, and one by one, the nine riders and horses and one dragon take to the skies. They fly to the northwest, heading to the World Tree and Bifrost, the only path to Asgard.
"Miss Astrid!" Two little boys run to meet the incoming riders. They bear torches and ar dressed warmly.
"Havelock! Denby!" Astrid calls in reply, smiling. "What mischief have you two been causing?"
"None, ma'am," Havelock answers calmly, eying Gunnhild as she lands. He takes the reins to four of the horses as the Valkyries dismount, and he takes them to a nearby paddock. "Is this little Gunnhild?" he asks upon return.
*Little? I'm as big as you are, pipsqueak!* Gunnhild replies indignantly, stretching out to prove her point.
"You once were little."
*And someday you'll have tact.*
"She's something else," Denby whispers to Astrid. He watches how the shrape holds herself when defending against Havelock's jokes. She seems to eminate a great deal of pride that is fuelled by some inner malice or the like. Sighing, Denby takes the five remaining horses to the paddock and returns with all nine mantles. He hands each to its owner and edges passed Gunnhild.
"Lord Odin is awaiting your arrival, Lady Astrid," Ingegerd says, and the nine women, two boys, dragon, and babe enter the halls of Odin.
"Lady Astrid, welcome to Valaskjalf," Odin says from his throne.
Astrid, with Dagmar in her arms, drops to a kneel. Gunnhild drops to her stomach, folds her wings, and bows her head beside her Lady. "M'lord," Astrid says simply.
"I trust you've had a nice journey."
"Very nice, m'lord."
"Gunnhild, you've grown better than I'd thought you would."
*Thank you, m'lord.*
"Is that your daughter, Lady Astrid?"
"It is, sire."
"Her name?"
"Dagmar."
"Very nice."
*Begging your lordship's pardon,* Gunnhild projects calmly, *but we've a war brewing. I doubt we've the time to speak of frivolties.*
Astrid shoots Gunnhild a look of nothing quite forboding, but one that says 'watch your tongue!' She shifts Dagmar in her arms, staring at the floor. The the surprise of most, Lord Odin is laughing. She dares to look up at him.
"True. True. I'll get to the point. I consulted Mimir's head in the Well of Knowledge a few days ago. We're all most certain to die. The Norns predicted that only two mortals and a handful of gods would survive. You, Lady Astrid, and your fellows deserve better. I had a pair of dwarves make a blade especially for you, Astrid. Each of us gods will suply a tiny drop of blood to strengthen it. With it, you can escape the End of Days to a more peaceufl world. Ingegerd will escort you."
"Me, m'lord?" Ingegerd responds, stepping forward. "I don't understand."
"You are the most capable of accepting change. You are the topmost ranking Valkyrie here, but you do more than simply follow orders. You will protect Astrid and her fellows until I give a signal. Then, you will know that all is lost ant to leave before it is too late."
"But I could help!"
"Help the way I told you to, or do you not respect your lord?"
Ingegerd immediately drops to her knees. "I do, m'lord," she says sharply, hanging her head. "I simply regret that I can not die with he whom I have followed for all of my days."
Odin nods. "You are dismissed. Go and make your peace with your fellows."