Valkyrie Hunter

We were led downstairs to the corridor of rooms below the hall. I’d been here before. I followed the Acolyte every second aware I might be walking into a trap. The Acolyte stopped by a door indistinguishable from any of the others in this corridor.

“The Elder awaits for you in here.” She pressed a button next to the door.

Hesitantly I entered my two guards following. The room appeared to be about five metres by five metres square. There was a door to the left and right. Opposite the door out were two tall back armchairs a low table between them. On the wall by the left door as a desk with a holo terminal not active. A hollow faced Elder with a long grey braid that curled down her shoulder sat in one of the armchairs. On her cheek was a tear drop tattoo, a severe expression on her face.

“Your guards must wait outside,” she said to me. “We wouldn’t be having this conversation if Thirika Yanik hadn’t been so insistent.”

“Please wait outside,” I said to the two Marines.

I saw them both glance at the Elder.

“You sure?” Xenobi said.

“I’ll be ok,” I lied to them.

I waited until they were outside before turning to the Elder.

“Now what is this about?” The Elder gestured to the other seat. “If this is about Clan matters I have no control over my former Clan. I’ve given up all ties to them. Clan matters must be taken up with Mother Sophronia Palkkasir.”

“That would be difficult,” I replied trying to be diplomatic.

“Why?” The Elder leaned forward alert.

“She died!” I winced I shouldn’t have been so blunt.

“Impossible,” the Elder said disbelieving.

“I was there I saw her die.”

“You sure?” The Elder stared at me uncertainly. She tapped the armrest of her chair.

“Unfortunately so.”

The right hand door opened and a young Valkyrie woman stepped through. She was a typical Valkyrie, her long blonde hair was up in a bun. Her clothes were definitely civilian I couldn’t see anything to identify her Clan but for the tear drop on her cheek. Her loose top and pants were a dark almost black grey.

“How did she die?” The newcomer asked.

“She attacked the Prophet.” I wasn’t going to give that bastard any other name.

I saw the younger one look at the Elder. “The last message we had from her was that she was in negotiations with the Prophetess.” Suddenly the younger Valkyrie turned to me her eyes wide. “Wait a minute you said Prophet?”

“Yes,” I said simply.

“Information we’ve just learned about in the Debating Hall,” the Elder said.

“Do you believe it is true.” I asked the Elder directly.

“Yes.” The Elder frowned. “I believe your evidence is true. I just hate the fact that we’ve been lied to.” She added. “There are those among us that don’t. These you will have to be careful of.”

That was easy enough to understand. I noticed the younger Valkyrie regarding me carefully.

“Yes?” I said to her. “There a problem?”

“Mother Sophronia only sent us a message yesterday?”

“Did you speak to her directly?”

“No, she couldn’t send a comms, she sent a messenger, one of our Clan we can trust.”

“And did she say she’d seen Mother Sophronia?”

The younger Valkyrie hesitated. “I can’t remember if she had?” she sighed. “I didn’t ask I should have?”

The Elder flicked her eyes to the younger Valkyrie before settling her gaze on me. “I have to ask you and please do not spare any details. Why when she was negotiating with the Prophetess or Prophet.” The Elder grimaced. “I’m really not sure if they deserve any title now? Did Sophronia attack it?”

“She told me someone betrayed her?”

“Who betrayed her?” the Elder demanded.

“That I do not know?”

The younger Valkyrie seemed to be troubled about my statement. “How do you know all this?” she asked suspiciously.

I’d be the same in her shoes. “Because I was in a cell with her. We’d been left in there to die.” I said bluntly with a shudder. If it hadn’t been for Digger I’d be dying in pain if not dead by now. They’d defied the First Ones to help me and at my request helped Sophronia to die a Valkyrie death.

“You look remarkably alive to have been on death’s door?” The Younger Valkyrie accused.

Again the younger Valkyrie was doubting my words. As before I understood where she was coming from. “I have friends that were able to heal me enough to get me moving. They did the same for Sophronia.”

“And they helped you escape?” the Elder asked.

“It’s complicated they were not permitted to. They weren’t even supposed to heal me.”

The Elder looked at the younger Valkyrie. “This is something we do not talk about to anyone?”

I winced at the Elder’s rebuke. I guessed she already knew about my Keeper blood. Something the Elders didn’t want anyone to know. Which was why they altered the data on the holo. None of it made sense then that was the typical Valkyrie way.

The younger Valkyrie opened her mouth to say something then closed it. “How did you escape?”

“Mother Hardgera Thidrikdor helped me.”

“That fickle bitch,” the younger Valkyrie grunted.

“Mind your words!” the Elder warned the younger Valkyrie.

“I apologise,” the younger said her hand to her chest. That Valkyrie gesture I was still in the dark about. It must be some sort of pledge.

“I asked Mother Hardgera to give Mother Sophronia a weapon. She gave her a sword.” I saw the Elder nod thoughtfully. “Mother Sophronia was determined to find the one that betrayed her and kill her.”

“Are you certain you do not know who it was?” the Elder asked.

“No I didn’t think to ask. I just wanted out.” I went on to tell the two Valkyrie how Mother Hardgera had abandoned us when she learned a patrol was coming.

“I take back my apology!” the younger Valkyrie declared. “She is a fickle bitch.”

“Enough!” the Elder said with a glare. “When you are Mother the safety of your Clan comes before anything else.”

“Sorry Elder Thurida,” the younger Valkyrie apologised. “I was too hasty in my judgement.”

“Haste leads to mistakes. I on the other hand am hungry for Initiate Hunter’s report.”

I took that as a sign that Elder Thurida wasn’t judging me on what I said. Although I wasn’t certain if she knew about my Keeper blood.

“We parted ways. Mother Sophronia on her hunt. I to seek a place to hide and plan how to get out of the city. I got lucky two Bondedottir took me in.” I wasn’t about to name Walla and Anhild. I still wasn’t certain I should tell them about the two. “They gave me their niece’s clothes.” This was the hard part. “I sneaked out worried that my presence was a danger to them.”

“Are you listening Ragnild?” Thurida said. “Initiate Hunter may not be Clan but she is a Silver. Silvers work for the good of us all and not for any Clan.”

Thurida gave me a look. “Even if that Clan has what’s that Terran expression ‘beef’ with you?” Thurida placed her hand on her chest. “I do have an inkling of what Clan Palkkasir has done to you. It gladdens my heart that you came to me without malice in your heart.”

I frowned. “You say that but I did kill one of your Clan she was wearing Martin colours and failed to save another?”

“Then if she was wearing another Clan’s colours without permission then she deserved it.” Ragnild stated bluntly without hesitation.

“I have heard of the incident,” Thurida added. “You and the Martin Clan have nothing to fear. Those involved will be punished. Greed was one of things Mother Sophronia was hard against. She was working hard to build, another of those Terran words ‘bridges’ with the other Clans. Too long the Palkkasir was run wild getting far from what we once were.” Thurida shrugged. “As a former Clan Mother I was just as responsible for the rot. I know full well what the other Clans think of us.”

I placed my hand on my chest unsure if that was the right thing to do. “I hold no anger towards the Palkkasir. Mother Sophronia gave her life to save mine. When I made a bad decision. I should have stayed with the two Bondedottir but if I had I would have never discovered the truth about the Prophet.”

“How did you find that out?” Ragnild asked carefully.

“I, like Mother Sophronia was betrayed.” I told them about my wandering through the city and avoiding the patrols.

“Disgusting!” Ragnild said when I told her about the rebel using the alley as a toilet.

I continued informing them of my encounter with a Bondedottir who threw me out when she realised I wasn’t Valkyrie. “Not long after that I was captured. I didn’t even get a chance to fight I was stunned. The next thing I knew they were dragging me to the Prophet’s vehicle.” I hesitated, reliving Sophronia’s death vividly in my mind, another soul to my collection. “Mother Sophronia charged down the Prophets guards cutting through them as if they weren’t there. It gave me a chance to deal with the ones holding me.”

“Please I need to know,” Ragnild begged.

I began to suspect I was talking to Sophronia’s daughter. “I killed the two that held me. Sophronia leapt onto the vehicle ready to kill the Prophet. That was when I found out the Prophet was a telepath. I didn’t know until later about the Rhosani bit.” I took a deep breath. “He made some gesture and flung Mother Sophronia away from him. I knew before she hit the ground that she was dead. Her death gave me a chance to shoot the Prophet. Unfortunately I didn’t kill him. The vehicle drove off before I could finish him.” This was the bit I had the most difficulty with. “I’m not sure of your death rites. I placed her sword in her hand?”

“That is more than acceptable,” Thurida assured me.

“I took a sample of blood from the Prophet and ran.” Just as I said that a siren sounded echoing loud. “What’s that?”

“The Halls are under attack!” Thurida said. “We defend these Halls with our blood.”

I took that as a hint to leave.