Valkyrie Hunter

I walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed after my shower and again wearing Arva’s clothes. The yellow tank top and maroon skirt more Clan colours. Belatedly I remembered about wearing another Clan’s colours. Anhild was seated on a couch she nodded thoughtfully as she looked at me.

“Will it be alright to wear these?” I asked her

“Arva’s clothes, we’ve got no objections.”

“I meant Clan colours?”

“Oh I see. We don’t have a problem with that we’ve adopted you, you are an honouree Clan member while in Bondedottir territory,” she assured me.

“Thanks especially after all the trouble I’ve caused.”

“I’ve read and understood your thoughts in your note. I’m just glad you made it back.” She stood. “Something to eat would be good about now?” she suggested.

My stomach agreed.

We moved to the kitchen. I sat at the table while Anhild busied herself over the stove. The door opened and Walla strode in her face a fury.

“Is this true?” She waved a datapad she was holding in my face.

“What is?” I asked shocked at her outburst and confused.

She halted, stared and then blushed meeting Anhild’s unrelenting glare.

“What is this about?” Anhild enquired her voice held a hint of anger not at me but at Walla.

“Sorry,” Walla apologised. She waved her datapad in the air. “It’s just… no that’s not fair to Gwen. I was jumping to the wrong assumptions.”

“And those assumptions are?” Anhild spoke before I could say the same.

“The Elders knew, I bet the Mother they knew?” Walla sounded uncertain of herself. “If they did they never told Gwen.” She shrugged. “Sorry Gwen.”

“What are you talking about?” I had to admit that after my initial shock I was curious.

“The blood sample you gave me?”

“The Prophetess?”

“The correct wording should be Prophet.”

“What?” both Anhild and I said together.

“The blood sample was from a male.”

“Is that possible?” I tried hard to reconcile Walla’s words with the image of the Prophetess/Prophet I’d seen in the anti grav car. It thought she looked off but at the time but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I was more concerned about her telepathic abilities that I’d dismissed that. Yet uncertainly lingered she or he had breasts the kind I’d expected to see on a female Valkyrie. “Well it looked like a female Valkyrie to me, one with telepathic abilities?”

Walla walked over to the table putting her datapad on it and sitting down heavily.

“Are you sure the Elders told you nothing?”

“That I’m certain of. They sent me to Svertingdottir territory to deal with the refugee problem. I had no intention of crossing the border but Sylgard arrived in a convoy looking for help. I only went with them because I didn’t want them to start a war with the Svertingdottir?” I paused then continued. “We where ambushed in Vasarakaupunki I don’t know what happened to her after that.” I told them about the cell I woke up in and my getting beaten up. I told them about Hardgera’s involvement in my rescue and how she abandoned me.

“That sounds like Mother Hardgera Thidrikdor. She’s well known to be, you know the word ‘flighty’. Flittering from one thing to another and that’s because she can’t make a decision without her bevy of ‘advisors’.”

Anhild grimaced. “Walla’s correct that sounds like her. She alienated the best of her Clan and only listens to her favourites. She should grow a backbone. Mother Nidbjorga unfortunately was the same she made a bad decision and let the Prophetess’ Cult grow here and made no move to stop it.”

“Perhaps she was fooled like we all were.” I said. “Weren’t you a believer,” I said to Walla directly.

She had the decency to look embarrassed. “That was true. I stopped when the fighting started I couldn’t believe the Prophetess would soak the streets with blood.” She eyed her datapad. “This proves I was right to stop believing.” She sighed. Getting out off her chair she stood straight placing her hand to her chest. “Gwen of Clan Hunter. I pledge my life to you. May the Mother of All be my witness.”

“Walla?” Anhild sounded anxious. Then she nodded thoughtfully putting her hand to her chest. “I pledge the same.” She gave Walla a look. “So what has you so fired up?”

Walla sat back down her face hard. “I was so shocked by the results I did them several times.” She looked guilty. “I’m sorry Gwen I was so incensed I didn’t take into account that this all would be new to you. Forgive me?” She pleaded.

“Forgiven and forgotten.” I was itching to know what Walla had discovered.

She tapped her datapad and a holo showing a number of bar graphs rose above it going from right to left on the holo. She pointed to the leftmost one. “This is my DNA profile.” She pointed to the ones next to it. “These are Arva’s and Anhild’s. As you can see the similarities.” She pointed to the next graphic it was different from the first three but there were places it matched. “This is yours Gwen.” She looked at me apologetic. “The rogue elements in your DNA have me puzzled but I can discard those. You have many more Valkyrie markers than you would have for someone that looks as human as you do?” She pointed to the next one. “Human.” She pointed to the next one. “This is the so called Prophetess.” With a flick of her fingers she enlarged the graph it so it showed a lot more detail. “In this one you can see there is a XY genome.”

I had to take her word for that. “I’m sorry if I’m being dense but what does that mean?”

“All females whether they are Valkyrie, human, and T’Arni, Ezaran or Fandaran have the double ‘X’. Which probably why we are so compatible with you humans. Hence the fact you have mixed blood. What I am trying to say is that. Although the Prophetess is Valkyrie ‘it’ is male.”

“Male!” Anhild exclaimed a horrified expression on her face.

“But she looked female?” I was more used to transgendered humans on Earth but to the Valkyrie it was a sin worse than any other was. There were laws against discriminating against them on Earth but we weren’t on Earth. This was Alfheimir and they had their own rules although some of them left me feeling frustrated. I kept my mouth shut it seemed that Walla had more to say.

With a flick of her fingers she reduced the size of the graph. “I discovered a few other genomes that should not have been there.”

“What genomes?” I’d have to look up half of what she was telling me later but for now I wanted to hear Walla’s conclusions.

“I found traces of Rhosani DNA?”

“Walla, dear are you certain?” Anhild stepped close to Walla and held her hand.

“I really wish I wasn’t.” She pointed to the last graph on the holo. “This is a record of the Rhosani DNA we hold in the records. There are certain markers that match Rhosani DNA.”

“Then ‘it’ needs to die!” Anhild declared.

I stared at her shocked she had surprised me. I thought her gentle and caring them I hadn’t taken into account she was Valkyrie whose first reaction was to fight.

“Walla can you copy the data you have?” I decided to take action not wanting Walla and Anhild’s deaths on my hands because they did something stupid. And trying to take on the Prophetess was that kind of stupid. Only because Sophronia had sacrificed her life was I able to shoot the Prophetess. She said escaped and I had to run. I deeply regretted leaving Sophronia’s body behind.

“Why?”

“I have to get this to the Alliance.”

“Alliance?” Walla asked with a look to Anhild.

“The TCA. If there are Rhosani here the TCA will act. The Elders have no say over that. Admiral Komana has already threatened them.”

“The TCA are here, why?” Walla gave me look. “Did they know?”

“They don’t,” I replied guessing I’d have to tell them that. I didn’t think it was the best solution but it was the only thing I could do. “They were here for me.” I told them as much as I could without mentioning Miranda. I just said a Martin Old One.”

“You where in the mountains?” Anhild asked me. “And you killed Palkkasir wearing Martin colours?” She leaned over and patted my shoulder. “So that was why you were so anxious about wearing our Clan colours. Well don’t be you are our Clan.”

“You’ve certainly had more than enough adventure for several life times,” Walla said. “I see where you are going with this. You have our pledge we will help you.”

“If it is going to get you killed please don’t? I carry enough souls already.” I explained Sophronia’s death and how she had done the same pledged her life for mine. Then I told them how she had charged naked into the fray and died at the Prophetess hands. I know I was repeating what I had told them already, I just gave them more detail. I glossed over the fact she believed that I was a Daughter of the Messengers whomever they were. The truth was more complicated and twisted. According to the First Ones I was technically the Keepers’ mother.

Walla looked at Anhild grimly. “We see. No we won’t do that. That would be a waste of our lives but there are other ways we can help?”

I just hoped they didn’t do anything I’d regret later and I didn’t want the burden of their souls upon mine. I already had Solstrid’s and Sophronia’s souls I did want to add more.