Valkyrie Hunter

I stared at my reflection in the mirror surprised by the change. I definitely looked more Valkyrie. Anhild’s blonde hair dye and Walla’s contacts made me look more Valkyrie than I had imagined. Then I had tried to retain my human aspect. I still was unsure that this disguise would pass muster. I didn’t have the Valkyrie body shape nor did I have that pale skin they seemed to generally have. In fact I was looking more vaihdokas then human. I speculated that was what the Elder’s had seen before I stood before them. Which is probably why Solstrid and Ljufu were more accepting of me. Exiles that had a reminder of their home in me. I shuddered at the thought of Solstrid’s death and the fact I’d never resolved that.

“Are you alright Gwen?” Anhild asked sounding concerned. She had been standing behind me in the apartment’s bathroom. It was rather cramped with two Valkyrie and me.

“I was just thinking of Solstrid I still haven’t been able to hunt down her killer. These Black Stripes keep interfering and chasing me from my true task.”

“Black Stripes?” Walla said with a look to Anhild.

I found myself explaining the Black Stripes unsure if they’d understand.

“I see,” Walla said once I’d finished.

Her comms bleeped. She brought up a holo of a set of stairs and several what looked like apartment doors and a number of Valkyrie. All kitted out in mismatched armour and all were carrying those deadly coil assault guns.

“Trouble,” was all she said. She turned her attention to me. “Hop in to bed Gwen, but I’ll be calling you Arva from now on.” Her next words were to Anhild. “Be careful dear heart.”

“I will,” Anhild replied.

They hurried me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Walla pulled back the covers and I climbed into bed.

“Are you sure this will work?”

“It will have to. I’ll regret having to kill them.”

I winced at Walla’s solemn statement. It was the Valkyrie way I had to keep reminding myself.

“I’ll pretend you have Lymes disease,” Walla stated. “I studied it at the UCLA on Earth when I was on the student exchange scheme during the reign Emperor Victor.”

Constantina’s grandfather but I had another question. “Why Lymes disease you get that from tick bites and ticks are an Earth animal?”

Walla shrugged, “I can describe the symptoms to the finest detail.” She snorted. “These ignorants won’t know that.”

I heard a thud on the apartment door I could hear from the bedroom.

“Places girls,” Anhild called quietly from the door. “Walla stay with Gwen, I mean Arva. Let me deal with the intruders.”

The door slid closed while I lay in bed listening to the sounds in the apartment.

“Here take this.”

I was surprised when Walla thrust a Seven Double ‘M’ into my hands.

“Keep it concealed only use it as a last resort.”

I slid the gun under the covers. “Ok,” I replied.

“Now pretend to be asleep and do not say anything.

“Now?” I heard Anhild’s overly loud voice. “What do you want.”

“Who is here is this apartment?” I recognised the voice as the one in charge when I was hiding in the basement.

“Just the three of us?” Anhild said.

“That checks out with the database,” another voice stated. “Anhild, Walla and Arva.”

“We’ll see?” The one I’d labelled the Commander said. “We looking for fugitives. You will suffer if you are harbouring them?”

So it appeared Sophronia hadn’t been found either nor had Hardgera given us up.

“Harbouring?” Anhild sounded enraged. “You’re the ones that are keeping us from going out. We need to survive, to eat and there you are trying to starve us?”

“Traitors to the Prophetess are everywhere!” The Commander growled.

I gripped my pistol ready to leap to Anhild’s defence.”

“Stay still,” Walla whispered to me. “Anhild knows what she is doing.”

The door to the bedroom slid open. Anhild stood there gesturing angrily.

“This is all your fault. Walla’s niece is ill and we can’t even take her to the Med Centre. This is your fault, poor folk like us had the protection of the Clan. What protection do you give us?”

Through my half-closed eyes I saw an unfamiliar face peer around the doorframe. Walla had dimmed the lights slightly to cover any imperfection in my disguise.

“What’s wrong with her?” The voice attached to the face demanded.

“She has Lymes disease,” Walla replied sounding as annoyed as Anhild was. She went on to detail the symptoms of Lymes disease calling it a viral infection instead of what it really was.

“Is it transmittable?”

“Oh yes. But by fluid contact. Don’t let her cough on you?”

I coughed a rasping hoarse cough that had the head disappear promptly.

“Well,” the Commander’s voice demanded.

“It checks out ma’am only three in here,” Another voice said.

“Head out!” The Commander ordered. “And you. Keep a civil tongue in your head our I’ll have it cut out.”

“Oh you’re not Clan?” Anhild sounded defiant.

“Mother,” Walla exclaimed and headed to the door. She leaned out. “Anhild please moderate your tone I’ve only just got Arva to rest. That last coughing bout put an strain on her heart.”

“Sorry Walla,” Anhild told her. Her next words where to the rebels. “I wouldn’t hang around too long in here you might catch it. Then again you should stay, the longer you do the easier you’d be to catch it?”

I was sure I heard a stampede toward the door out. Anhild entered a few minutes later a broad grin on her face.

“Well?” she said.

“Wasn’t that dangerous provoking them?” I asked her.

“They would have been suspicious if I hadn’t.”

When I thought about it she was right. To have done anything else would not have been the Valkyrie way. I made to get up Walla waved me back.

“Stay they haven’t left the building. Best stay there until we are sure the have left.

I lay in the bed for a while. I must have drifted off to sleep. I woke to the sound of humming machinery. Walla was seated at a small desk in the room hunched over a holo screen.

“How long have I been asleep?” I asked wondering about the time.

“Early morning,” Walla replied turning off the holo screen with a touch of her hand. “I’m sorry I disturbed you. I’ll try to be quieter.”

I sat up in bed noticing a piece of blood stained black material on the table beside her. I recognised it as the piece of robe I’d hacked off to bandage my foot. Several thoughts surfaced none of them good.

“What are you doing with that!” I said sharper than I intended.

“Oh this?” Walla held up the strip as if it was nothing to be concerned about. “I was analysing your blood.”

“Why?”

“Curiosity mostly. I was prying to be honest I wanted to know who I was dealing with?”

Instinctively I reached for the pistol Walla had given me finding it missing. “I’m not your enemy,” I said cautiously.

“No you are not.” She turned and regarded me carefully. “You are safe with us.”

“But you were analysing my blood.”

“True. I have to admit your blood is fascinating. You’ve got a really strange combination of factors. You are both human and Valkyrie but there is a rogue factor that I can’t define. It’s from an unknown race. I thought I’d be able to ID it but it defies explanation.”

“Rhosani?” I said automatically unsure why I’d said that.

“Definitely not. When the first news about our war with the Rhosani came through Mother Nidbjorga asked me to look into it. Your sample does not match any samples we have for the Rhosani.”

“It has been thirty thousand years since they last appeared could they have changed?”

“The basic genome structure remains the same no matter what they look like now.”

“And me?”

“Don’t have any of the markers.”

“If I had?”

“You would have never woken up!”

I felt a chill run down my back. “I see.” I quickly explained the Black Stripes and what I’d learned from the Curator.

“Thank you Gwen you have given me much to think about.” She looked at me curiously. “From what you have said has me wondering about the Prophetess. I’d definitely like to examine her blood. And not because I doubt she original I want to know who she truly is?” Walla held out her hand to me. “Time to get up Gwen.”

I got out of bed, dressed and headed out of the bedroom.