Gullinborsti
Chapter 24: Gullinborsti
You had no idea what you were eating, but it looked horrid and it tasted as if they had simply spiced some greenish slime, yet you gathered your courage and took another bite. Afterall you didn’t want to insult the elves who had welcomed you into their home. You sat next to lord Hogun who wasn’t all that talkative, but when you asked him a question he would always respond. That’s how you found out that he was born in one of the art-cities of Vanaheim, Silfrgarðr, near the silver mines. He spoke of its grandeur and the markets that were known throughout the nine. He had come to Asgard after his coming of age ceremony. The tradition for it on Vanaheim was so much different than the one you had on Asgard. While you simply had a feast where the whole village came to your house to bless you and give you gifts, the Vanir tradition was to go roaming on your own.
You wished you could have joined your old friends and roam together over the nine realms like you had once dreamed about, but you never had. Lord Hogun, however, had gone from village to village until he had reached the coast of the Froðufandi Sjó where he managed to get passage on board of one of the majestic trading cogs Vanaheim was known for. He had sailed with the crew for years until one day the captain had loaded in so many different goods to make the passage to Asgardian waters by taking one of the canals that had the same power of transportation as the Bifröst. You knew there were only a few of them scattered throughout Yggdrasil and they were heavily guarded. You needed to send in a form of request to make the passage at least three months before the set date and even then you could still be refused, but lord Hogun’s ship had been granted permission and thus he came to Asgard where he stayed to this day.
For a man of such great adventures, he was very quiet, given that both lord Volstagg and prince Thor couldn’t stop talking about the adventures they’d had. You weren’t sure whether you preferred the silent and unravelling mystery that was lord Hogun or the boisterous and open page that prince Thor and lord Volstagg were. Yet you were sure you preferred either of them over lord Fandral who was still trying to get your attention by sucking one of his fingers that he had dipped into some sort of mushroom sauce while he kept his eyes fixed on you. You pretended not to see it as you let your eyes roam over the high table. Prince Loki hadn’t approached you after you had so rudely dismissed him and prince Frey from your room. You knew it hadn’t been your place to yell at them or reprimand them and you also knew they could have had you flogged for your insolence, but they never had.
You were grateful for that, yet it still made you miserable and guilty to watch them both playing around with the food on their plates without ever eating a thing. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, a feast to bless your fortunes on the hunt that was to come at dawn, but none of you seemed to be enjoying themselves. You sighed for maybe the hundredth time before taking a sip from your mug of ale.
“What’s troubling you, fair maiden?” Lord Fandral asked and you tried your hardest not to roll your eyes at his chosen words.
“Nothing.” You told him and glanced back at the high table to see how prince Loki was giving his soup a murderous glare, prince Frey looking bored and prince Thor laughing and clasping lord Ullr’s shoulder who was also booming with laughter.
“Ah, I see. You’re saddened that our little liesmith has not given you leave to join him up there like he has before.” You glared at him with hard eyes. That was certainly not why you felt so low-spirited.
“I’m not.” You said while not trying to hiss, but your distaste clearly sounded through your voice.
“Then why are you so defensive, dear?”
“Leave her be, Fandral.” Hogun said in that raspy voice of his.
“What a woman.” Fandral breathed as he leaned into his chair. “First you have my attention, then Loki’s, then Sif’s, Volstagg’s and Thor’s and now you have even managed to have Hogun the Grim defend you like the knight in shining armour that he is. Perhaps we should send you to Jotunheim so you can seduce the beasts with your many talents.” Your nostrils flared with anger as you shot up from your seat. You didn’t need to hear any of his vile comments, so why stay and listen? You left the feast without as much as a dance or an opportunity to hear the voices of the dwarven princes and the brother and sister from Jotunheim even though you had dreamed of what they would sound like ever since prince Frey had mentioned they would join you on the hunt.
You hardly slept that night, too nervous for what was to come, too angry at both yourself and lord Fandral and too excited to finally meet the dwarven princes of Svartalheim and the brother and sister from Jotunheim. Surely you would be introduced to them given that prince Frey had told you he wanted you to join him on this hunt, but then again that offer might have been withdrawn given that you had insulted prince Frey severely by calling him pathetic and sending him away from your room so carelessly. You sighed and rolled out of bed, before walking over to the bathroom to fill up the bathtub. Your room was magnificent, too magnificent for a mere help of an archivist, and you suspected that prince Frey had given you this room because he either wanted to impress you or because he wanted his new friend to have a little extra.
You weren’t comfortable with that title for you didn’t practically feel as if you had behaved much like a friend to him, but if you hadn’t stopped both the princes, they could have blown up the room with all of you in it. You sighed once more and put the dried tealeaves you had purchased a few days ago into a teapot before bringing it to a boil quickly by using your seidr. It was a simple spell, one of the first you had ever learned and it hardly required any energy which you were grateful for. You had no idea how long it would take for you to feel as well as you had before you had almost set the Silverwood ablaze, so for now you only used spells that required a bare minimum of seidr. The tea tasted exactly like the farmers had named their village, like enchanted water. It wasn’t too sweet nor too bitter. It was just right with a slightly spicy undertone.
When you finished your breakfast, you took a bath, got dressed and left to meet the others at the dining hall. You were a bit anxious, not only because both prince Frey and prince Loki would be there, but also because you had no idea what you were about to get involved into. You were most definitely not a hunter. You had never even held a bow in your life and now you were joining an elite party of experienced hunters that were probably going to grow annoyed with your inexperience. When you walked through the open doors, prince Thor was the first to notice your presence as he walked over to you with a big smile.
“Svinnr! Frey told us you were joining us! I had no idea you were a huntress!” He beamed and your cheeks reddened.
“I’m afraid I have to disappoint you, my prince, for I am not a huntress.” He gave you a quizzical look.
“A tracker then?”
“Not even that, I’m afraid.” Prince Thor truly seemed lost now and you could simply hear the question that was on his mind. ‘What are you doing here then?’ You didn’t know the answer to that either, but then again you didn’t have to for prince Frey then walked in with a younger elf by his side that seemed to have a small moustache above his lip and another female elf that had her bow draped around herself.
“Morning, my friends! I hope you have gained enough rest for this glorious hunt!” Prince Frey spoke with such enthusiasm that you were hopeful he had forgotten about your rudeness the day prior. “I have just spoken with our tracker”, he slapped the younger elf next to him on his back, “and Byggvir here has told me that he has found tracks of the boar I wish for us to hunt down. I must warn you all, however, this is not your ordinary boar. This is an animal of old forgotten legends, a ferocious beast with golden hair and ivory tusks. I advise you all to be vigilant and to watch out for both yourself and your companions around you.” The hunters all nodded and murmured their approval, so you did the same. Prince Frey then sat himself down at one of the lower tables which was quickly followed up by the others as you all took your seats. You then began to discuss the plan of action, or rather, you listened as the others discussed strategies. You were lost to all of it and you were getting more and more anxious by the minute. Everyone seemed to have a role in this sport and they also knew exactly what was expected from them, while you were still trying to figure out the meaning of the word ‘baying’ that lord Fandral had used half an hour ago. The dwarven princes were having their breakfast and gave a few words of advice before they delved back into their bowls of oatmeal. Prince Loki hadn’t said a word, but at some moments you thought you had felt his eyes land on you. You were too afraid to turn your head towards him, so you tried with all your might to ignore him. You focused on the female elven with her bow instead. She was the princess the lady Sif had told you about when she had spoken about the royal family of Alfheim. The elven huntress wasn’t only beautiful, she was also just as fierce as the lady Sif, maybe even more so as she had this sort of invincible air about her. You prayed to the Norns that you wouldn’t make a fool of yourself in front of her on this ridiculous endeavour.
You were just imagining yourself getting shot by the same arrow you had fired from your bow while the princess was clutching her stomach from laughing so hard, when a hand fell on your shoulder and your name was muttered in a soft voice. You turned your head to see prince Frey standing by your side with a soft expression on his face. The others were already getting ready and had all left the table.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, my prince. Are you…” You bit on your lip. You didn’t really want to remind him of what happened the day prior, but neither could you let it drop so easily. “I’m very sorry for yesterday, your highness. It wasn’t my place to reprimand you nor to act so carelessly.” To your astonishment prince Frey chuckled.
“Let it be known, dear, that it is always your place to reprimand me for my foolishness.” He said and your cheeks reddened instantly. What were you to say to that? Were you even expected to say something? Prince Frey seemed to understand your dilemma as he cleared his throat. “I wanted to let you know that I do not expect you to do much. Don’t let the others talk you into doing something you’re not yet comfortable with. I will however give you my bow and if you wish, I can teach you how to use it, but not today. For now I wish for you to enjoy this outing and be safe.”
“Your bow, my prince?” He sighed heavenly.
“There will come a day when you will call me by my name, without me having to tell you to. And yes, my bow. The very one you had advised me to get for myself.” You couldn’t help but smile at that. “Now come, my sweet, and let us hunt for this mythical creature.”
When Léttfeti had been saddled and you had managed to get your quiver of arrows strapped correctly onto your back, you were ready to join the others. And then Loki appeared, seated on his black horse that was built for speed.
“Good morning, Svinnr. I take it you slept well.” He said it with such a controlled tone that you were left wondering whether he was angry or simply making conversation. You hoped for the latter.
“Good morning, my prince.” You answered him. “I slept fine, thank you.” His gaze burned through you as he regarded you wholly.
“Liar.” He hissed and then he spurred his horse on to trade your company for prince Thor’s. You sighed as you patted Léttfeti’s neck. It had been the former option as you realised he was still angry with you. He had every reason to, yet it still made you feel horrible. You mounted Léttfeti and trotted towards the lady Sif.
“Do you think we’ll find that boar prince Frey spoke of?” She asked you after you had exchanged pleasantries.
“A part of me hopes so, because then Ostara will truly be magnificent, but another part wishes the boar goes free today.” That made lady Sif chuckle.
“You have a sweet heart, Svinnr, but the world is a harsh one.” The lady Sif spoke wisely and you were sure her eyes had glazed over a bit. You didn’t dare to ask why they had done so nor did you want to. Some things were better left unquestioned and if the lady Sif ever wanted to tell you more about her life, she would do so out of her own free will. Lady Sif shook her head and instead told you about the battles she had fought on Muspelheim. She was just telling you about a glorious fight between her and a fire giant, when the party was halted. Prince Thor dismounted and touched the wet mud.
“It’s fresh, it should be close.” He said quietly. You grabbed the Mirkwood bow prince Frey had lend to you and adjusted the bundle of arrows on your back so you could draw them easier if you had need of them.
It took all of you another two hours to hear the grunting sounds of a boar. By the sound of it you guessed the boar to be gigantic in size. Everyone had halted their horses and you saw the elven princess draw the string of her bow back, ready to fire the arrow that rested on the wood and between her fingers. Prince Frey, Prince Thor and even prince Loki had also readied themselves to take a shot. Everyone and everything had gone quiet. As if the entire forest knew what was going to happen. And then the princess fired her shot and the boar growled loudly before fleeing the scene. “Damn!” yelled Thor as he shoved his heels in the flanks of his horse and soon he shot after the boar you were yet to see. You did the same and followed closely behind the royals, but your skills with riding a horse were clearly not on the same level as theirs were and you quickly fell behind on the others before they all disappeared and you were left alone in a forest you didn’t even know. You made Léttfeti halt and you listened to the quiet noises of the birds and the wind through the trees. You had gone off the track and you had no idea how to get back to Andlang. A twig made a crushing noise and Léttfeti became nervous as he neighed and trashed with his head. You looked in the direction the noise had come from, but saw nothing. A bird suddenly flew over your head, nearly hitting you in the face. Léttfeti neighed again and you too felt as if someone or something was watching you.
The first wolf appeared to your left, he was still far away, but you saw how his eyes were on you and your horse. The second one jumped just a few feet in front of Léttfeti. He seared and threw you of his back as he ran away in fear of the wolves. After you had fallen down, you had rolled through the vegetation and down a hill. You came to a halt against a large tree and when you looked up you could see that there were now four wolves with bared teeth. You stood up, desperately trying to ignore the pain in your muscles, and reached for the bow behind your back with trembling hands and drew an arrow out of your quiver. The wolves crept closer and closer while they growled and drool fell to the ground. When one wolf tried to come even closer, you tried to shoot it. You didn’t even come close to hitting him. The other wolves growled even louder as if they now knew you didn’t stand a change. They circled you, but they didn’t take another step closer, until two other wolves joined their hunt. You took a few steps back until you felt your back rub against the bark of a tree. At least now the wolves wouldn’t be able to surprise you with an attack from behind. An arrow was drawn, and you aimed at one wolf than another. You tried to determine which one of them was the alpha. If you were able to take that one out, the others wouldn’t dare to attack. Seconds past and the wolves grew bold again. Some were coming slightly closer, trying to see how far they could go.
You didn’t know which one of them was the alpha and when you heard growling from behind you, you knew they had managed to surround you completely. You had no choice. You shot two arrows quickly after one another. One hit a wolf between its eyes and it died instantly while the other arrow hit the ground at another wolf’s paws. The other wolves ran towards you and so you climbed in the tree behind you, hoping the hunting party would find you before the wolves were able to climb up here. One wolf had been too fast and had jumped and bit you in the ankle. It shook its head aggressively as it tried to drag you out of the safety that the tree could provide you with. The other wolves jumped as well, but luckily none of them seemed to be able to reach you so easily. You held on tight to the tree branch you were hanging from and kicked the wolf who had your ankle between its jaws. You hit it right on its nose and it whimpered, but it did not lose its grip on your leg. Suddenly another wolf whimpered as it fell to the ground with a dagger sticking out of its side. The elvish princess you were yet to be introduced to, strode towards the pack with her horse and threw daggers at them. She was quickly joined by the rest of the party as they killed a few more of the pack before the other wolves ran away.
“You are indeed a great hunter.” Loki said mockingly from his saddle as he approached the tree you had climbed into. You, however, were too relieved that they had come to your rescue to answer him with a witty reply.
“Thank you, my prince. I though this might have been the day that I died.” You breathed out honestly as you pulled yourself up to sit on the tree branch you had been dangling from. You looked at your ankle which was covered in blood and you could see the gruesome bitemarks that the wolf had left behind which made your stomach turn.
“Are you wounded?” Prince Loki asked as you hadn’t come out of the tree yet. Instead of replying you let out a whimper as you touched your ankle. “Come out of that tree so I can take you back to Andlang.” Your leg was making you dizzy and it hurt more than you wanted to admit. You tried lowering yourself without moving it too much, but it still hurt nonetheless. Loki grabbed you as you, once again, dangled out of the tree and once he had you safely in his arms, he quickly wrapped you in his cloak.
“Svinnr? Are you alright?” Asked prince Frey as he walked over to grab your hand and regard you with an apologetic and worried expression. Before you could tell him that this hadn’t been his fault or that you were fine, prince Loki had beaten you to it.
“I told you this was bound to happen.” He hissed angrily as he clutched you closer to him. You didn’t dare to make a noise nor tell him that your leg was starting to throb painfully. Prince Frey wanted to open his mouth, but again prince Loki was faster. “No need to speak, you have done enough of that already. I will take Svinnr back to Andlang before you manage to get her killed. Enjoy your hunt, your highness.” That was truly harsh especially as you saw how terribly guilty prince Frey looked, but whatever you had wanted to say to him, died inside your throat as prince Loki nudged his horse to walk away from the others. Prince Thor, the warriors three, the lady Sif and even the elven princess all gave you an apologetic look full of pity. Somehow this was worse than your daydream about shooting yourself in front of the elven princess you had admired from a distance. You lowered your eyes, not wanting to see the pity in her eyes.
“How did you find me?” You looked at him, painfully aware of how close you were to his face. He had pulled you up, so you sat in front of him with your legs dangling from one side of his horse. He shifted slightly so he sat more comfortably, he then placed the reigns in his right hand, so he could hold you in place with his left.
“The lady Sif was the first to notice you had gone and when we rode back, we heard a scream, so we rode towards it. Why were you not with us?” he asked and you simply felt him grow angry. You sighed and looked at your hands that were covered in blood from touching your ankle.
“I am not the most talented rider out there. After a while you were all too far away for me to follow, so I halted Léttfeti to see how to get back to the road and then to Andlang. That’s when the wolves came.” You said and then a pang of pain crept up your leg as the horse strode over the uneven surface.
“He should have known you weren’t ready for this.” he spat angrily. “I told him so last night.”
“I’m sure, prince Frey didn’t mean to cause any harm.” You tried, but prince Loki only snorted mirthlessly at that.
“He never means to cause any harm, but that’s exactly what happens every time.” He sighed, stopped his horse and looked at you with his emerald green eyes close to your sapphire ones. “From now on, no more senseless adventures for you, even if prince Frey, my brother or one of his pathetic friends expect it from you, do you understand?” You raised your eyebrow at that. Well, given that most of the time you had spent on Alfheim had been senseless to begin with, you were certain more was to come. Prince Loki however was still waiting for a reply so you gave him one.
“I understand, Loki.”