Nigkala Tales Pt. 34: Life as a Valkyrie

"Careful, gentlemen. She is a Dragon Warrior. Easily a match for the likes of you."

I was shocked, as I recognized Thor's voice. Others, took it as a challenge, and they named their hall's champion as my opponent. Katla placed a bet on me, as did Thor. So I accepted. The tables were shoved to the sides to open space for us, and a Glima match was begun. The champ was a large man, but I had nearly a foot on him. Still, he was clearly well muscled.

We began, and while he tried to maneuver me to throw me to the ground, my wide stance and size did not give him the leverage he needed. He even tried to lift me, but try as he might, he was unable to twist me far enough to drop me on my side. Then when he took a quick breather, I struck. I used both hands and lifted him quickly into the air, and re-positioned my grip lower down and lifted him further until his feet were almost shoulder height on me. Then I spun him upside down and thrust him downwards. Everyone cried out, but I pulled my attack when his head was less than an inch from the floor. Then I twisted him and tossed him away, and he landed on his butt.

There was silence for a moment, then the fallen man said, "You have bested me. Let me buy you a drink." I lowered a hand, and he pulled himself up. "Thor was right. We are no match for you." We spent a few hours here, but at one point I heard another voice I recognized. I took care to not be seen looking, and found the voice belonged to a strangely clad warrior talking with Thor. I sensed he was powerful, like Thor, yet unlike. But this meant I could keep track of him, and I listened to what he had to say. After a while, he left with two women. I then sought out Thor, and gaining his attention, I asked who it was he was talking to.

"That was Loki, my brother. Why do you ask? Did you want to play with him?"

"I asked because I have heard his voice before. The man who brought me to Captain Ironblood looked different, but the voice and mannerisms were the same. It was not someone pretending to sound like him. His gestures, the way he keeps aware of what is around him, and other things, all say it is the same person. Does he use disguises, or illusion magics?"

"He does, indeed. But he most likes to outwit others. Are you sure? It has been years."

"I don't know how I know, but I know this about pretending to be another. There are many subtle cues that you must imitate, not just the looks and sound."

"Then it could well have been him, but unless he admits it, there is no way to prove it now, and trying to prove it would serve no purpose. I would say little of this to anyone, especially him. It is better he forgot you existed."

"Why would he have brought me to another?"

"If it was him, he might think nothing of using an innocent in his plans. Enough about him. I hear you have a tattoo of a dragon."

"I do, why do you ask?"

"You are a Dragon Warrior. You have a dragon tattoo. Perhaps it means something. I hear it is very lifelike. That takes a lot of effort. You might want an artist to look at it. It may even illuminate your past. Likewise that touch of divine. Why are you so marked, and by which god?"

"Learning my past does sound interesting. Very well, I will seek some experts. So, did you make a lot of money on my little display?"

"Not too much. These folk can't afford what I can, so I keep my bets small. Sometimes I lose, and they love it then, but with you, I have seen you fight. I had no doubt as to the outcome. The way you won was also important. It was clear to all as you won, that he stood little chance, yet you gave him a chance, and afterwards, you made friends with him. You are a natural leader, and they see that. Our people are composed of many kinds, some of whom are far superior in power to the rest. They are used to that disparity, and they now see you on the more powerful side. In fact, they think all the Valkyrie as being at least somewhat superior, so your being a prospect means you were likely to be superior anyway. Part of what makes our people work with such a disparity is the effort made to downplay the difference, and make friends on both sides."

"It seems you have thought a lot about this."

"Not really. As a child, it was taught to me, and we had to show we understood it by explaining it. These also learn about it, but as they tend to be on the lesser side, they learn not to fixate of our differences. Not all follow this ideal, but most do. Even Loki, with his many faults, is not callous in this way."

We spoke for another few minutes, then I left to get another beer. When I turned back, I saw he was talking with another, so I found someone else to talk with. A few hours later, my escort returned, and we headed back to the training dorms.

The next day, I asked Katla to take me to an expert tattoo maker, so I could have my tattoo examined. She made some inquiries with the others, then we headed out into the city. Eventually, we entered an establishment in the nicer part of town, and I learned this was where an expert tattoo artist worked.

Katla asked, "Master Karlsson, my friend has a tattoo. Ricci has lost her memory of if, but we think it is important. Could you look at it and tell us about it?"

"Many have tattoos. What makes this one special?"

"It is very lifelike. Many colors, and the artwork is amazing. Also, it is of an eastern dragon, not something you see often."

"Or at all. Where is this tattoo?"

I said, "It is low on my leg. Easy enough to take my boot off and show you."

"Sounds intriguing. Please follow me to the work room and take off your boot."

He headed through a door, and we followed him. I sat where he indicated and took off my boot, and presented my leg to him. He scooted his stool closer, and placed my leg on his lap, while he examined the tattoo.

"That is very lifelike. A true artist made this, no mere ink worker." He then pulled over a magnifying glass to look even closer.

"Oh my! This is subtle. The color changes have so many in-between colors. And the lines are exceedingly thin when they need to be... Huh? What happened?" he was silent, and pulled out an eye-piece, and got really close. "That's odd. It seems to have changed while I was looking at it. The tiniest amount, but I noticed it."

He put my leg down, and went over to his workbench, and opened a drawer, rummaging a bit, before pulling out a small bag. He also got a board before sitting back down. Picking up my leg, he placed it on the board he now had on his lap. Opening the bag, he emptied it and rune-stones came out. He arranged them and said some words. Immediately they glowed, but so did the tattoo. He said another word, and the glow stopped. He then collected the stones and put them back in the bag.

"You can put your boot back on. That tattoo is magical, and no mere charm, I think. The stones told me that. But I am not one who deals in magic, so cannot tell you more. But with magic involved, the lifelike appearance may be part of the magic."

Katla and I spoke with master Karlsson, and got a reference for a mage who deals with tattoos. It turns out that she was only a few blocks away. We had to wait a while for her because she had another customer.

"Hello ladies. I am Bothild Beigarthdottir, purveyor of charms, and enchanter of more powerful magics. How can I help you?"

"I'm Katla, and this is Ricci. We were just at master Karlsson's place, about a tattoo Ricci has, and he said it was magical. He said you might be able to tell us more about it."

"I see. I take it you don't know much about it?"

"No. For some reason I have no memory of things more than a few years ago. The tattoo is older."

"Interesting. Where is it?"

I pointed, and she told me to sit and remove my boot. She sat opposite, and started casting spells. As she did, her face showed more and more interest. Finally, she finished and sat back thinking.

"Ricci, that is no mere tattoo, nor is it a fancy charm. That is a full-fledged magical talisman. There is not only your blood involved, but also the blood of another. I think it might be dragon, but that is only a guess."

I said, "What is a talisman?"

This surprised her. "You don't know?" I shook my head. "I see... Hmm... I assume Karlsson used his rune-stones?" I nodded. "They have a tiny amount of power, for a specific purpose. Talismans hold far more power, and while they have one or more purposes, they can accomplish them in many ways, for they are alive at some level. There is a lot of life in this one. It is the most powerful I have ever encountered, and likely one of the most powerful I have heard of. It has at least one purpose I learned - hiding. I could feel some power from you when you came in. Now I have examined the tattoo, and know it hides your power, I looked again at you, and find you have far more power than I originally thought."

"I spoke with Thor recently. He indicated I had a touch of the divine. Could that have something to do with it?"

"Possibly. May I examine you?" I nodded, and she began casting spells.

"Curious. You are very difficult to read. It seems you are touched, yet I cannot pinpoint it to a single god. The strongest source seems to be a part of you, rather than a touch of the divine. There are several influences that seem to be from different gods. One of them seems linked to a small pool of power within you. Perhaps you have an ancestor who was a god. I cannot name these gods, as they are unlike those I know." She did warn us about letting others know I had a talisman, as they are prized treasures people will kill to acquire. My life might be spared until they take the tattoo from me, but its removal could be fatal to me.

Further discussion wound up with us going to see another mage, but one well versed in the divine. Unfortunately, this did not give any more enlightenment.

The next morning, Katla informed me that my evaluation was complete, and the elders wanted to see me. I followed her, and met them on a balcony overlooking the training field.

"Ricci Olafdottir, are you ready to accept our evaluation?"

"Yes, Elder."

"In combat, your skill is better than an elite warrior, the minimum for a Valkyrie. Your strength, and speed, are significantly above such warriors. You have sufficient skill in healing magic. Against magic from others, we have learned you are also skilled, even being able to withstand several bolts from Mjolnir."

At this Katla gasped.

"Hush, Katla." She nodded. "While your memory is a concern, and divination has yielded nothing, your companions indicate you are an honorable woman. You have satisfied all the requirements to join our sisterhood. Lastly, you have no family that we could find, not even with magic. We offer you a place with us. Such an offer is not made lightly. Nor, if you decline, will it be offered again."

"To belong sounds wonderful. How long would I serve?"

"You are not young. Also, you are an ordinary, if extraordinary, human. It is unlikely you would last more than another ten years as a warrior without us. With us, the magic that protects us, and the magic we command to restore you, you would be expected to serve at least thirty years. Had you been of Asgard lineage, you would serve for centuries. However, if fate is especially cruel, or if Odin asks, you can retire before then. If you do, you will still be our sister."

I considered my options, being essentially alone, and joining a sisterhood. Battle did not even enter my thoughts. Finally, I said, "Elder, I ask to become a Valkyrie and join your sisterhood. What must I do?"

"There is a rite you must be part of. And an oath to take. Katla, show her the oath quickly. We must know within an hour if you cannot take it. We shall be preparing the rite for tomorrow evening." The elder then dismissed us.

Katla showed me the oath, and I understood it. I was surprised it didn't require any religious aspect. It only took a few moments to let her know I would take the oath.

My part in the rite was to be ritually purified, and presented naked at the start, and to take the oath and be dressed. Today, I was to be fitted with my ritual armor. It was to be selected from some pristine samples, so that I could perform the rite. Later, I would get custom-fitted armor. But there were problems.

"Alva, what are we going to to? We don't have boots tall enough to fit her, and her extra breasts! How are we supposed to handle that?"

"Yrsa, we'll have to fake it with the boots, but we'll have to work overtime to figure out what to do with the extra breasts."

"There's no way we can get done in time. The rite will have to be postponed. The elders won't like that."

"I know, but there is nothing we can do."

I broke in, and said, "Alva, Yrsa, there is something I can do. I can use magic to make leather and cloth for clothing. I cannot do metal. As to the design, I can create an illusion of myself wearing the clothing, and change it as you wish. Once you have decided, I can create it, and you can add the needed metal between now and the rite tomorrow. Surely, there will be enough time."

Yrsa said, "You can do that?"

"Yes."

"What if someone tries to dispel it?"

"Since it is real, and not magic, nothing will happen to it."

They looked at each other, then said, almost in unison, "Do it."

So, basing the illusion of the clothing they had already tried, I created an illusion of me in that clothing, but sized for me. I also altered the top to accommodate my extra breasts in a manner I thought might work. They were quite startled when one accidentally tried to reposition my leg to see how the boot fit, because it felt real.

"Eep! That felt real!"

"Yes. My illusion can take on substance. I felt that would be the most useful for you."

After coming to grips with my magic, they continued. They had me lengthen things, shorten them, change the color, and the design. It took nearly an hour before they were satisfied.

"Your illusion is perfect. What do we do next?"

"Wait a bit, as I create what I can."

The next few minutes was spent in duplicating the cloth and leather of the illusion. When it was done, I said, "That is as far as I can go. Let me put it on."

I quickly changed into it, and came out. "Ladies, please examine it."

They spent nearly twenty minutes checking everything, then Alva said, "Thank you so much. You have saved us many hours of work. Please take it off so we can complete them."

I changed out of the clothing, and gave it to them. They then dismissed me.

While I had some nervous anticipation, Katla told me not to worry, and that all was going to be fine. The next day, she, and several other ladies attended me in the bath, and ensured I was clean as possible. And after the two-hour bath was a makeover that took another two hours. Had I long hair, it would have been three. My nails were done, eyeliner applied, lipstick, rouge, scents, and powder everywhere to make me extremely desirable. Then I waited in a small side-room until the other participants were ready. While I was given drink, even mead, I was not allowed to eat until afterwards.

It became time. Because I had been led to the room through the hallways, I had not seen the hall the other door would open to. When it was opened, and I was led out, I saw it was one of the larger halls, and there must have been two hundred women in attendance. There were only nine in the center where I was taken. It was clear the rest were there to watch.

As I was coached, I faced each in turn as they asked a question, and I would repeat the portion of the oath that answered it. As I did, I was given something to wear. First was the leather skirt. Then came a cotton shirt. Then the boots, one at a time. Next, the leather vest, two leather gloves also one at a time, and a headband. Lastly, a leather belt. Only the headband and the belt were stock, as I had made everything else. While I had made them also, to complete the set, they chose not to deal with adding metal to them, to save time. I received them the next day. I made two more sets later, so I could always have a fresh set at need.

Now that I was fully dressed as the other Valkyrie, I was pronounced one. The cheering lasted at least fifteen minutes. Then the food was called for. The ladies pulled the tables back into place, then, to my surprise, men came in to serve us. All were clearly military, and I later learned this tradition was long standing for new Valkyrie. I, however, could only get a small bite at a time, as they sent me from table to table to show me off to all assembled. Once I had been to all the tables, I was allowed to eat a full meal.

In the morning, I was assigned a place in a squad that needed another woman. I learned their names, and was soon taken to be given weapons. It was easy to find some daggers that worked for me, but they had no sword that truly fit me. They gave me one of the longest they had, and it was still small for me. They said that they would commission one for me. When I mentioned I had a longer sword of my own, they said it would not do. Not only would it look different, it would also be made of inferior metal and would lack the runic enchantments that a Valkyrie's sword has. There was a similar problem with a bow. They found one large enough, but it was not as powerful as my bow. However, they asked to borrow the sword and bow, so the respective craftsmen could use them as something to compare with. I also went with them initially to show them how they worked for me.

The next month was a lot of training. Less about fighting, and more about working as a team, and understanding the job's responsibilities. The month after, was learning to use the magic of the weapons, and the enchanted jewelry. It was during this month, that my new weapons were brought for my inspection. I was amazed.

I knew my own sword was stronger than other weapons, but I learned that the enchanted sword was stronger still, and also more flexible. The bow, likewise, was special. It had the same pull as my bow, but it was clearly made by a master. Not only could it send an arrow a little farther, but it could also enchant the arrow as it left the bow. It also could create an arrow of energy in conjunction with an enchanted ring I was given. I was told this prevented others from using such arrows against us from a captured bow.

The third month, was training on the winged horses that some Valkyrie used. Being a master horse rider was one of the initial requirements. Learning to deal with a winged horse was usually difficult. Once I realized what I would be practicing, I summoned the predator to dwell within me and learn with me. It would also advise me. Once I passed their demanding proficiency, I was sent to seek a winged horse that suited me.

We went to a pasture a few days travel away. There, I found, was a small settlement that cared for and raised the winged horses. I was given a special scarf to wear. These creatures would know I was seeking a mount by wearing it. I was told to go out into the field and put the scarf on. They would come to me and check me out. If I could lead them back to where I entered, then I would have my mount.

I went out, and put the scarf on. Almost immediately, one approached me. Then I felt his mind touch mine. That surprised me. So I, in turn, opened my mind to its touch. That got a swift reaction of surprise from it. Several others soon came to me, and also reacted to my openness. They then scattered, as other older ones came. That's when I realized the initial ones were quite young and curious. The newer ones were ready for riders, if they found one worthy. I felt their touches become more intrusive, yet gentle. It was clear they were evaluating me.

Slowly, the crowd around me grew. After half an hour, the growing crowd suddenly parted for another. it was clear that this one was a stallion, and smarter than the others. I was surprised again when it spoke.