“THE NORTHMAN CHRONICLES”
THE TEMPLE OF ODIN
Daniel Ickes
Copyright 2014 by Daniel Ickes
Cover Art By Christophe Bacher
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Table of Contents
Title
Copyright
Table of Contents
Story
Author’s Biography
The Northman Chronicles, Temple of Odin
Chapter 1
Icy winds blow down over the mountains and through the village of the Snow Tiger Clan, swirling the falling snow. Three harvests have come and gone, Thor is now almost fifteen. It is a crisp and frosty November morning; Thor and Balder were making preparations to travel far north into the mountains and beyond. They intend to explore the realms of mystic lore and Eric cautions his son of the dangers in those lands.
“Remember Thor, you two will be passing through the lands of the Frost Giants. They are an ancient and powerful race, said to have been here long before men.”
“Fear not father. We will be cautious.” Thor said. This is going to be the first time Thor and Balder will be gone for more than ten days, by themselves. They dressed warm in wool shirts, fur vests, fur girdles with wool leggings and fur boots. Wide leather belts carried their swords. Wrapped in their fur cloaks, they said their goodbyes and on foot, headed north.
For four weeks they traveled, keeping to the edge of the Asgardian mountain range. At night they would build an ice cave for shelter from the cold. They were moving through the upper regions and arrive at the border of Nordheim. No forests or vegetation of any kind, only ice and snow for as far as the eye could see, shining in the bright sunlight. There they stood, looking north to the horizon, the wind blowing through their long blond hair, resembling the manes of two great lions.
Thor’s blue eyes were ever vigilant, scanning the frozen wastes. For they were now in a land of all carnivores, the lands of the snow bear. It is a creature of great height
with long sharp canes, resembling those of the snow tigers that live in the Asgardian Mountains.
Two more weeks of travel brought them to a great wall of ice, as large as a mountain that spread away in both directions. Legends say that it was built by Ymir himself and sitting in the wall, before them, was a high archway. Balder leaned close to Thor and whispered.
“It is said that the Temple of Odin lies somewhere beyond this pass.” Thor nodded in agreement, for he was overwhelmed with a felling of being drawn, as if some unseen force was pulling him into the pass. So through the archway they went. The walls seemed to be completely formed from ice. An hour later, the boys step out onto an open plain and into the realm of the Frost Giants. Thor points to a mountain range in the distance.
“There, in that direction, some force is drawing me.” Thor said. After another week of crossing the icy tundra, they reach the foothills, entering the mountains through another pass. After an hour of moving through the pass, Thor and Balder felt the earth shake slightly but with increasing frequency, as if something very large approached from the direction they were headed in. The boys took cover behind an outcropping just in time, for from around a bend up ahead in the pass, came Frost Giants. Standing ten or more feet tall, five of them. They wore horned helmets atop a head of flowing white hair and their beards and mustaches were just as white, blowing in the wind. The garments
and cloaks the giants were wearing were made from the fur of the snow bear, as were their boots.
But their skin was the most outstanding aspect of their appearance. It shined and glistened in the sunlight, giving it the aspect of living ice. Thor and Balder remained quiet and still till the giants’ pass out of sight. They then leave their place of hiding, moving back onto the path.
“They may have come from the temple.” Balder said.
“I believe so, I just pray that a village of those monsters doesn’t sit between us and the temple.” Thor said. So the two boys start back on their journey through the pass, in search of the Temple of Odin. When they rounded the bend, from whence the giants came, the sight left them breathless. The pass ended at the entrance to a huge structure built into the face of a much larger structure. As the two boys drew closer, they noticed the first building was constructed entirely of white marble.
They reached the steps and paused for a closer look, the beautifully carved pillars holding up the portico roof. There were no windows in the building, only two large iron doors. Thor examined the smoothness of the walls and the texture of the iron doors, then turns to Balder, saying.
“This place was built by men, not Frost Giants. See the height of the steps and the doors.” Said Thor.
“So?” said Balder.
“They are too small for these giants to navigate without bending over.” Thor said, and then continued.
“This is it, the Temple of Odin.” Then Thor steps to the heavy iron doors and gripping the handles, swings them open with one mighty effort. The hallway that greeted them was lit by many torches and the force that has been drawing Thor, was overwhelming here. He looked at Balder and nodded. Balder returned an affirmative and they both moved cautiously into the temple, to a shocking discovery. Instead of being bombarded by the musty odor of centuries past. The place had the scent of freshness, as if someone has kept the temple in order for all these ages.
Thor, with sword drawn and Balder with an arrow set to his bow, walked slowly down the hall. Pillars lined both sides of the hall and the walls rose above the torchlight and disappeared into darkness. Thor and Balder reached the other end of the hallway and standing there before them, was an entrance to a chamber. After steeling themselves, they entered, Thor going first then Balder. It was a large room, carved in a circle and was also lit by torches. Statues of great warriors from a bygone era, lined the walls.
The roof was dome shaped and very high. In the center of the chamber was an altar. On it laid all manner of offerings, from fine furs and weapons to jewelry and gold. Balder was looking through the items on the altar, when Thor looked passed the altar to
an image carved from the finest marble. An image of an elderly man with long flowing hair and beard, whose sinews still held great strength.
He was dressed not unlike an Asgardian, sitting on a great throne, the persona of the king of the Norse Gods, Odin. A strange feeling of de`ja`vu sweeps over Thor like a tidal wave. He turns to Balder and says.
“By mighty Mjolnir! Though I have never been here until now, I have seen this place.”
“But how, when?” Balder said.
“In a dream I had several harvests back.” Thor said. He then steps to the image sitting on the throne, there lying across the knees was the same magnificent blade that Thor had seen in his dream. Thor reaches for the wonderful sword.
“No! You will bring a terrible doom down on us if you touch that sword.” Balder said.
“But I feel as if it is drawing me to it.” And Thor lifts it from its place of rest. It glistened and flashed in the torchlight.
“Come, we better go before we are discovered.” Balder said. Thor lays the great blade back in its place of honor, and then they went back down the hall. Yet Thor knew he was there for a reason, but the why eluded him. The boys step back out onto the portico and straight into the prese
nce of two Frost Giants.
“Who are you, little men, to trespass in our lands?” the one giant thundered. Thor stepped forward and his stature bespoke of courage and bravery.
“This is my friend Balder, and I am Thor. We are Snow Tiger Clan and hail from Asgard.” Thor said, tightening the grip on his sword hilt.
“Well little boy, prepare to be greeted by Odin himself!” roared the Frost Giant, and then both monsters charged. Thor, drawing his blade, met the arrogant one half way. Balder laying two arrows to his bow, takes aim and let fly. The arrows strike the other Frost Giant in the chest, killing him. But not before the monster launched his spear, striking Balder in the chest, piercing his heart and punching out his back. Staggering, he topples down the temple steps coming to rest at the bottom stair, blood spreading out over the snow, turning it crimson.
Thor was engaged with the other giant, when he caught the commotion out of the corner of his eye. There Balder lay, at the foot of the temple stairs, with a spear through his body, Thor exclaims.
“Balder!” then he intensifies his efforts, and his eyes begin to smolder and burn like pools of swirling blue flame. Thor pummels his assailant unmercifully. Their blades clashing together resounding through the mountain pass. Thor, with his great strength, began driving back the Frost Giant; he was thinking that he needed to end this confrontation quickly,