Scene: The Forest

Accompanied by the baking summer sun, we reach the woodland edge before noon. As we close in on the forest, my heart starts beating faster. This is it. My first real fight. But nothing is here. Not a rustle, not a sound. No sound at all. This place should have some sounds to it - animals, wind rustling in the trees - anything. But we are met by an eerie silence in it's stead. Brynja bumps her wolf head on my hand, and I see her looking very alert.

"It's here alright," Modi states. "We won't even have to go in and track it."

"That also means that it probably was headed for the portal," Thrud retorts.

"Good thing the Alfs tipped us off," Magni sighs. "Now we just have to lure it out."

As if prompted by Magni, Brynja swiftly leaves my side and jumps into the dense forest, before anyone can object. Instead the others spread out and pull their weapons, so I too unsheathe my blade, the hilt slightly warm to the touch, warmed by the baking sun no doubt. I notice neither of the Thorsons have drawn Mjölnir - Modi holds a sword and Magni a long-hilted axe. Do they consider the hammer too powerful for this, or is it because I'm the one who must prove myself today? The sudden violent rustling of trees pulls me out of my thoughts and remind me of where my focus must lie. I realize that as the others have spread out to the sides, I'm in center - the most obvious target of whatever is headed for us right now. I flex my fingers around the sword hilt, and steel my mind to be prepared for any shape or size to emerge from the thicket.

The world slows as the first shape emerges from the wall of leaves - Brynja leaps out above the bushes and runs by me, and then her persuer sprints out and stops for a second - a massive gray troll towering above us. His thick hide like that of an elefant at the softest spots but otherwise literal rock. A beard of moss draped underneath his bulbous nose and down his chest. As intented, his hateful eyes narrow in on the clear threat - me.
Everybody stand still, waiting for anything - hoping to lure him further away from the forest edge, before we make our play. My heart is roaring in my chest, but I keep my aggressive stance - my conveyed intent that I'm here for a fight. In a moment of calm anticipation, he reaches back, his hand searching and grabs a bulky tree trunk, which he pulls out of the ground with unsettling ease. As he swings it around his other hand grabs above his first and drags it across the trunk, snapping every branch off along the way, leaving a clean log in his hands. I shutter. One hit from his mighty arms and I will very likely be crushed, and he just improved his reach considerably. My hand starts shaking. I have been training for sword fights, but not against anything taller than a man. I will my body to keep steady. In theory, I know how to do this. I must let him attack me first. Keep an eye on his arms and be ready to move around him. Hope that my sword can piece his skin. Go for the joints. But first, I must goad him to come to me.

"NITHING!" I yell. The only old norse curse word, I remember. "I'm here to bring you down!" I don't imagine he knows any modern languages, but I hope he senses the challenge in my tone at least. His expression darkens - challenge conveyed, I guess. I try controlling my breathing. My knuckles have turned white by grabbing the sword so tightly.

And then he sets of, storming towards me in a thundering howl of pure wrath, the log raised well above his head before it comes crashing down towards me, splinters blasting to all sides as the log connects with the grass where I stood a second ago. My sidejump not far enough, stray splinters pierce into the leathers on my side, and I rush to get a good hit in, but his swift sidestroke with the downed log surprises me, and by luck more than skill, I fall to the ground and the log passes over me with a speed that would probably have send my broken body flying. But there is no time to think about 'if's!
I leap up and lunge at the creature, barely stabbing his knee, but missing the soft part. Sparks fly out as steel meets rock, but the troll falls back a step with a grunt and as I retract the sword, I can make out a slight scratch, where the tip has pierced his stone skin. I wonder if there really is magic flowing through the blade, giving it an unnatural sharpness maybe. The troll goes for a low sweep this time, but there's no time to make distance, so I try to time a jump instead, only barely getting high enough for the log to pass under me, and i land on all fours. Fuck. He's faster than I expected, and I'm too slow to take advantage of his movements. He's starting to back sweep, and I haven't got a shot in. I pounce towards his foot to get under him, and give him my own sweep across the side of his stomach, stopping him, but losing my guard, I don't react to his sudden turn and kick straight into my hip.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck

I fly a good six feet or more, too surprised to take in what happened before I land hard and roll on the grassy field. My thigh screaming in pain, but nothing feels broken. I turn my head to get a hold of the troll, apparantly my sword got him good enough that he had to check it before continuing his relentless attacks. I try to get up, but fall over to the spike in my thigh. Noticing my movements the trolls head snaps to me, and in a movement he takes a huge step forward, lifting his club for the killing blow, but breaks his action as Brynja leaps in, setting her sharp teeth in his lifted shoulder with a vicious growl, as a hand appears next to me.

"You good?" Thrud asks, as I grab her hand and let her pull me up to my feet. Wincing with pain, I give her a thumbs up, as I notice the brothers encroaching on the hulking creature thrashing about, reaching for Brynja without luck. I could take that offer of assistance, and allow the others to dispatch of the troll - something that probably comes easy to them - and that would be that. They would probably respect that too. In my first hunt, I stood up to a threat, got a hit in and lived to tell the tale.
But it wouldn't be good enough for me.

"Stand back - I can do this!" The voice that leaves my lips sounds more confident than my own. The Thorsons take a couple of wary steps backwards, and Thrud puts a supportive hand on my shoulder. Brynja lets go of her grip, and sets off from the trolls back, leading the gray giant's focus to me yet again, as she flies past me. I ground myself in a ready stance, my right leg wobbling shortly before settling. The troll glaring at me with pure hatred in his sunken eyes, and I do my best to match his scowl. Under his breath, he spews some hateful words in an ancient tongue.

"Yeah, you too, buddy!" I answer, not knowing what he said, but I have some guesses. He raises the log high again, but he would have to take some steps to reach me. I smile at his early tell, preparing another side jump, but instead of charging, he sends the log flying. The huge missile spinning in the air, and I drop down to the ground as the tree pass me mere inches above my head, but there's no time to regain my standing, as the stony beast charged quickly towards me as soon as the log had left his hand, and I see his stretched hand reaching for me. Without time for a plan, I get up on one knee and point my sword forward, flexing every inch of my body. Too fast to retract his hand, he impales his palm deeply on my sword, by his own forward motion, and I can sense the outside world darkening, as his fingers are almost around me, before his hand spasms and pulls back, as the troll screams. By the blood on my blade, it got in really deep. But I can't pause here. I have to take advantage of his moment of weakness. Another step forward and I stab him between his toes, using his natural reaction to turn downward to get a good sweep in across his stomach just below the navel, and dark red blood splurts back in my face. I take a roll to the side, before wiping the blood away from my eyes. Hopefully I have done enough of an impact to allow myself a precious second to get my bearings.

He's still standing, but keeping his hurt arm on his sliced stomach. Growling he's baring his teeth at me. That's good. His rage makes his movements more predictable. Look for an opening. He stops staring and sarts looking around. Maybe for something to throw. I guess that forces me to approach him for once. I've got this. A rush forward and his eyes return to me, sweeping his healthy arm, which I barely dodge, and I lose my direction, passing under his hurt arm, and cutting his achilles heal, sending him down on a knee. Falling down means I can reach his neck, and I make a jump for it, sensing his hands coming at me from both sides, I just hope, that I'm fast enough. Sword impacts throat and everything goes dark.

"Well done! But you need to work on your finish!" A hearty male voice hollers. I open my eyes, and find myself lying flat on my back, in the tall reeds. An extended hand enters my field of vision, and I let him help me up. Him. A burly red haired man with a beard stands before me. His eyes are intense, but kind. I have seen them before. Where am I again? A look around reveals nothing - just nature. A field.

"I was ...fighting." Thinking is hard. But I'm sure that was what I was doing. Before I awoke here.

"You sure were!" the man guffaws. "Well at some moments even! There's hope for you yet".

"There's hope for you yet!" My mind splits open. I'm here and I'm somewhere else. Being carried. Another voice cut in above the first in perfect unison. I try to speak, but manage only to mumble groggily. My mind resettling on the field of reeds.

"You just stick with my kin, and they'll make a real warrior out of you yet!" the burly man reasures me, putting an arm on my shoulder.

"I am not a warrior!" Anger sharpens my mind through the fog to form this statement. I know this about me - I train to make sure I can defend myself if needed, but "I'm not anyone's soldier!" Did I say that last part out loud?

"Fate might disagree with that," the man says with an overbearing smile. His eyes sadder than before. "Fate is bigger than all of us."

"FUCK FATE!" I yell, and I'm back in the grassland of Ithavöll, being carried on a strong broad back. My body immensely sore, and my breath strained.

"Good to hear you back with us," Magni's voice calls out under me. "And in good mood too!" he teases. The party stops walking.

"There's hope for you yet!" Modi's laughs heartily, as Thrud approaches me, still hanging on Magni's back.

"Well done! But you need to work on your finish!" She smiles, but there is something else in her eyes. Concern maybe.

"Was- is it bad?" I manage to cough out. Every breath and word a painful endeavour.

"Well, to your merit, you had hurt the troll's hand well enough, that he couldn't use his full force, when he squished you between his hands like an insect. But you got lucky - some bruised ribs, but nothing broken. A tricky play, that 'paid off' this time - You did stab his throat deep enough to kill him. But, please, don't do anything like that ever again!"

"You look young now, but you still sound like our old headmaster!" I jest. But she's right. I was very lucky this time. She smiles at me with those eyes so like his.

"Smart-ass!" she scoffs, and I can feel my body bouncing with Magni's silent chuckling.

"Where's Brynja?" I ask, as we continue walking. Magni still insisting on keeping me on his back.

"Oh, she went on ahead. Hunting, I imagine. You've got a good friend in her!" Magni relays with that deep voice. So reminiscent of the man in my dream.

"Yeah, I sure do!" I sigh releaved. Truth is I never spend much time with Brynja besides drinking and I see her even less now, after she turned. But she really came through today. A memory stirs of her carrying me on her back just like this, after a particularly nasty night out.

By late afternoon we make a stop for the night, Magni setting me down softly by a tree. Even handled gently, my body screams in protest. God, if this is how bruised ribs feel, I don't ever want to break one.
Brynja joins us with a mouth full of plants - herbs, I guess. We still have much meat left from the stag, she and Modi brought us the other night, but it did lack spices. She drops the plants by the fire, and shifts to her human form, Modi and Magni doing their best not to stare at the muscular naked amazonian woman, as she puts on some clothes and drop down next to me.

"You okay, Al?" she asks concerned.

"I've had worse hangovers." I smile, before coughing heavily, ruining my chance to look cool and collected.

"I would doubt that if I hadn't witnessed it myself!" she laughs. Her aura so like that of the Thorsons, I realize. But she's right too. I can't count on my hands how many sundays I've been totally wrecked by my own actions the night before, back in the dormitory days.

"You saved me back there," I say, nodding towards the forest. "Thanks..."

"Hey, no problem, Al. Besides, I couldn't let you have all the fun."

"I guess not," I cough. "I don't think this is my kind of fun though." I gesture to my ribs, suppressing another cough.

"Maybe it will be, when you get better at it," she teases.

"I didn't realize you were such an expert in fighting trolls," I tease back

"Well, I hope to be." She says with a more serious weight to it. "It felt natural to me - fighting in a pack. Taking down something big and threatening. Maybe it's just the wolf in me. But it felt good taking part in protecting our world from something that would have attacked otherwise too!"

I look at her in silence, as I have no answer to that. I've never had enough sober talks with her to know what she wanted from life. But defending others just makes so much sense for her. I didn't get her thrill for the fight, but the idea of keeping others safe resonates with me. I guess that is what I should take away from this too. That my actions helped keeping Idisiaviso safe from an attack. I mean, no doubt the boys and Thrud would have managed it by themselves otherwise. But it feels good being involved in keeping others safe.

"I like that too - Having the strength to protect others, I mean."

"Then I hope you'll join me when it's my turn to hunt," Brynja smiles.

"I'd like that." I answer sincerely. "I thought you'd have found an actual wolfpack to do that stuff with by now, though?"

"Nah," Brynja sighs. "The other werewolfs grew up together. That I was left as a changeling is apparently not common for them. I join them for ...'wolf stuff', but I guess, I have more fun with the Vettir, honestly. And you girls!"

"Fuck, I didn't know. I thought you left for the woods and didn't really drop by Evergreen anymore."

"Yeah, nah... In the beginning, after my turn, sure. I had to figure out who the local wolves were. But then I returned to Everglade, and you had already moved out."

"Damn... I'm sorry. I just... needed my own space, I guess. But you're always welcome though. Zeldine basically lives with me too anyway! And there's always room in the foot end of the bed," I joke.

"I just might take you up on that," Brynja responds, nudging into my shoulder carefully.

"Dinner's ready, girls!" Thrud shouts.

Parent Plot

Plot: The Wild Hunt

Related Characters

• Alea
• Brynja
• Magni
• Modi
• Thrud

Related Locations

• Ithavöll