The elf screeched in rage and the next thing they knew he had called others to his aid.
Freya was swarmed by elves, kicking and punching her – though they reached no higher than her midsection and were doing no harm to her, until one managed to hit her in her wounded side. She swatted him into the gutter.
‘Dark Searchers mustn’t hit elves!’ A large troll grabbed Freya from behind and gripped her wounded arm. Freya howled in pain.
There was a shocked intake of breath from the crowd. As the troll kept hold of her, a Dark Elf snatched off Freya’s hood and another wrenched off her helmet.
‘Valkyrie!’ the troll roared.
‘Valkyrie!’ the crowds echoed. ‘There’s a Valkyrie in Utgard!’
Freya let out another howl and drew her sword. ‘Go!’ she cried to Kai and Archie. She swung her sword in a wide arc to keep the crowds at bay as they backed into the main street.
‘Gee, look out!’ Archie cried.
Freya turned just in time to see a Frost Giant’s foot coming down above her. She threw herself flat to the ground and pointed her sword upwards. The giant’s foot came down straight on to the sharp blade and stopped just before crushing her.
The giant screeched and as he hopped in pain he squashed a troll and stepped on two of the Dark Elves before losing his balance and falling into another Frost Giant – who he took down with him.
The crowds of Dark Elves, dwarfs and trolls panicked and ran for shelter as the giants fell like massive trees toppling in the forest.
This was the distraction they needed. ‘Come on!’ Kai ordered as he caught Freya by the hand and hoisted her up. ‘This is going to get ugly!’
The sound of the two Frost Giants hitting the ground was like an explosion. ‘Valkyrie!’ the bare-footed giant cried. ‘A Valkyrie attacked me! Call the King! Odin has declared war and sent his Valkyries to Utgard!’
‘The Valkyries are attacking!’ panicked a dwarf.
‘Invaders in Utgard!’ cried a Dark Elf.
Kai shook his head. ‘Rumours spread faster than lightning. Hurry up before they claim all of Asgard is here!’
Kai grabbed Archie and flew towards the entrance of the inn with Freya close behind. They manoeuvred around the drinking Frost Giants, who swatted at them in the air as though they were irritating flies.
As they entered the inn, giants were rushing out to see what all the noise from outside was. Ducking between legs and darting around full skirts, Kai led them to the rear of the inn. He landed and put Archie down.
‘We have to run from here,’ he called.
Freya caught hold of Archie’s hand. ‘Stay with me and don’t let go!’
Archie looked up and around at the huge Frost Giants pushing to get out. ‘Now I know how a mouse feels!’
‘This way,’ Kai called.
They ran up to a door at the back of the inn with a gap between the bottom of the door and the floorboards just high enough for them to squeeze through. Kai lay flat on his stomach and crawled under. The others followed and they emerged into a small back room. Frost Giants were playing cards around a large table. Kai put his finger to his lips and motioned for them to follow him around the room, keeping as close to the wall as possible.
When they were halfway round, a Frost Giant burst in. ‘The Valkyries are in Utgard! They’re on the rampage and attacking everyone. Sound the alarm!’
The giants stood and cast their chairs back. One missed Freya and Archie by a hair’s breath. The ground shook as they roared and charged through the door.
‘Quickly!’ Kai called as he caught hold of Archie, opened his wings and flew across the room. ‘Frost Giants have powerful senses – it won’t take them long to trace us here!’
Freya followed her brother. They ducked under another door and then flew down a deep set of stairs.
‘This way!’ Kai led them through a dimly lit hall until they reached another door. They crawled under it and into a store room filled with casks of mead. ‘Follow me. The escape tunnel is at the back!’
Suddenly the door burst open and three Frost Giants charged in.
‘There she is!’ one boomed, pointing down at Freya.
‘Gee, run!’ Archie cried, catching her by the hand.
They only managed a few more steps before a giant threw himself to the floor and snatched up Freya and Archie. ‘Gotcha!’ He rose to his feet, holding them in his massive grip. ‘Why have you attacked Utgard?’
Freya and Archie were trapped. The giant’s fingers wrapped tighter around them and started to squeeze.
Archie cried in pain.
‘Let them go!’ Orus cawed as he swooped at the giant’s head.
‘Stop!’ Freya begged. ‘I’ll tell you, if you loosen your grip. You’re hurting my friend.’
The giant roared with laughter and the sound nearly deafened them. ‘Hurting a dead boy? Don’t make me laugh!’
Kai buzzed towards his head, stabbing his swords into the giant’s cheeks. ‘Release them!’ he shouted.
The blades did little more than sting the angry giant. But it was enough. He staggered back as his friends came forward to try to swat Kai – but they kept missing him, which meant all they were doing was hitting the wounded giant.
Kai darted forward, his sword aimed at the giant’s chin. It worked! The giant cried out and opened his fists to try to catch him.
Freya and Archie fell from his hands. Freya opened her wings and caught Archie before they hit the floor.
‘This way!’ Kai shouted as he flew away from the giant and towards a load of stacked casks.
Freya and Archie followed close behind. They landed on the floor and ran behind the first cask. The giants were shouting and tearing after them, tossing the casks aside as if they weighed nothing.
‘In here,’ Kai called as he darted behind a barrel against the wall and disappeared into a tiny hole. Freya and Archie followed close behind.
But just as they slipped through the opening, the barrel was torn away and a giant reached for Freya. He missed her legs and only managed to catch hold of her bottom flight feathers. But it was enough. He wrenched her back.
‘No!’ Orus cawed. ‘Archie, help her!’
With only seconds before Freya was dragged from the hole, Archie caught hold of her golden sword and pulled it from its scabbard. He swung it back and tried to cut her feathers, but the sword’s magic wouldn’t allow him to strike her.
‘Not her feathers, you idiot!’ Orus squawked. ‘The giant, stab the giant!’
Archie swung round towards the giant. He saw his mark and managed to stab the golden sword into the giant’s hand.
The Frost Giant screeched and snatched his hand back, taking with him a handful of feathers from Freya’s wings. But Archie and Kai caught hold of her and dragged her deeper into the tunnel.
Angry shouts followed them through the narrow passage as they dashed through the dark tunnel. They ran as fast as they could, taking what felt like hundreds of sharp turns, until the sounds of the angry giants faded. They nearly choked on the stale air and the dust from mouldy, damp earth but they pressed on. Eventually the air became cooler and fresher. Up ahead, they saw the dull light of the exit.
‘We’re under Utgard’s outer wall,’ Kai announced.
The ground beneath them rose and they crawled out of a narrow hole in the thick stone wall. Snow was falling heavily and laying a thick layer on the frozen ground.
Freya took deep breaths, drinking in the fresh air. She opened and flapped her wings. There was a large gap along the bottom of one wing where some of her long flight feathers had been yanked out.
‘Can you fly?’ Orus asked.
‘I hope so.’ She straightened the remaining feathers.
‘There is no time to preen,’ Kai warned. ‘They’ll soon discover where we’ve come out. We must go.’
Kai, with Archie, was first into the sky. It was a lot harder for Freya, with her wounds and damaged feathers, but she managed to take off behind
him. The storm was rising, turning the thickly falling snow into a blizzard, obscuring the way ahead.
‘Where is it?’ Freya demanded as they circled in the sky. ‘It should be here!’
Bifröst was nowhere to be found.
‘Freya, over there,’ Orus cawed. ‘What’s that? It looks like a fire in the sky.’
Freya followed Orus and saw the flash of bright flame in the dark-grey sky. She beat her wings and flew closer. It was coming from a large black dragon.
‘It’s Loki!’ she called back. ‘Kai, this way!’
Freya chased the flame like a beacon and soon they saw the huge dragon soaring before the entrance to Bifröst.
‘Hurry!’ the dragon roared. ‘Before Bifröst shifts again!’
Freya had never been so happy to see the shimmering colours of the Rainbow Bridge. She flew into the blazing colours and saw Kai entering beside her. The dragon followed up at the rear.
Halfway across the bridge, Freya stopped. She was panting as she turned and faced the opposite direction. ‘Bifröst, open the passage to Midgard!’
Freya and her brother launched into the air and flew the length of the bridge.
In moments, they exited Bifröst high in the skies above Earth.
CHAPTER THIRTY
As another day came and went, the family argued about launching a rescue mission to Utgard. Tempers flared as they weighed the dangers of starting the war with the Frost Giants against the need to find Freya.
Eir was still furious at Maya for not talking sooner. But having her mother angry was nothing compared to the guilt she felt for not stopping her sister. If anything happened to Freya, she would never forgive herself.
Just after supper, George came running into the dining room. ‘Vonni, everyone! Come quick. Some of the men have broken out of their restraints. They’ve taken Brundi and Gage as hostages.’
The Valkyries reached the barn together. The barn doors were closed and the men on the inside were shouting at John.
‘You heard me,’ a voice challenged. ‘Release us right now or we’ll kill the old woman!’
Tash was standing outside the barn. ‘They’ve got my brother and Brundi!’ she panicked. ‘They’ve got a pitchfork and say they’ll hurt them.’
Maya raised her head and closed her eyes, seeking out Gage in the barn. Her grandmother was calm but furious. The little boy was very frightened, but they were both very much alive.
‘Gage is fine,’ she reassured Tash. ‘He’s a little frightened, but Brundi is with him.’
Tash ran over to Eir and knelt before her. ‘Please, ma’am, please, can you save my brother? You have all these powers; don’t let them hurt him. He and Brundi are all I have left. I swear I’ll do anything you ask. Just save my brother!’
The senior Valkyrie took hold of Tash’s hand in her own gloved hands. ‘Do not fear, child. We will do everything in our power to free my mother and your little brother. Gage is very special to all of us.’
Eir moved closer to the barn and called the Valkyries forward. ‘Remove your coats and open your wings. We do not have a moment to waste with these foolish humans. Let them see who we are and what they’re up against. We will make them surrender their hostages and then we will fly to Utgard!’
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Freya felt her excitement growing as they headed back to Idaho. Her brother Kai was flying by her side, carrying Archie. She could sense his anticipation as he took in all the sights of Midgard.
Loki soared ahead of them. He’d changed shape again and was now an eagle that was leading them home.
They headed through the clouds and into the clear skies above Idaho. The sun was just starting to set and casting blazing pinks and reds in the sky.
‘You know the rest of the way from here,’ Loki squawked. ‘Tell Brundi I will be back shortly.’
‘Where are you going?’ Freya demanded.
‘I must return to Utgard to see what’s happening,’ Loki said. The eagle winked one of its golden eyes. ‘Try not to miss me too much.’
A short time later they were gliding over the property lines of Valhalla Valley. Even before they reached the house, Freya sensed something was wrong. Her mother and sisters’ fury was running wild.
They saw a crowd gathered outside the barn. Tash was crying and the residents of the ranch looked terrified. They stood behind a line of Valkyries in place to attack the barn, their swords held high.
‘What’s happening?’ Archie cried.
‘I don’t know,’ Freya called. ‘But it’s not good!’
They touched down just as her mother charged forward and wrenched the barn doors open.
‘Kai, stay here with the others.’ Freya drew her golden sword and ran to join her sisters and uncle.
A large group of men stood in the middle of the barn. Dressed in dark clothes – and their thoughts were even darker. They were preparing for a fight. Freya spotted Gage, being held by one man, while two more men were holding tight to Brundi and pressing a pitchfork to her back. It all became clear when she recognized one of the men she’d left at the top of the mountain.
‘You will release your prisoners now!’ Eir threatened, brimming with rage. Vonni was right beside her, bare-handed, but ready to fight.
‘One more step and I’ll kill the old woman!’ the man warned. ‘We’re in control here. You will give us back our weapons and surrender to us.’
‘Surrender to you?’ Eir challenged. ‘You expect us to surrender to you? You fool! Do you not know who we are?’
The man’s determination didn’t waver. ‘I don’t care who or what you are. You take one more step and I’ll kill her.’
‘And that,’ Vonni’s voice grew deep and threatening, ‘will be the last mistake you ever make. Release my mother and you may survive this.’
Gage was looking at Freya and Archie. His lips were trembling and his face flushed with fear. ‘Archie, help me . . .’ he whimpered.
At this, Eir turned immediately and saw Freya. She lowered her sword and took a step closer. ‘Freya, by Odin – where have you been? Maya said you went to Utgard to get—’
In that instant, the men struck. They charged towards Eir and Vonni.
‘Mother – look out!’ Freya screamed.
But before they could do anything, Kai flew into the barn with both his black blades flashing. He landed among the men and with one of his blades wrenched the pitchfork away from the hunter threatening Brundi. He took out the other with a swipe of steel. Kai then spun and, in a movement too fast to follow, brought down the hunter holding Gage.
Freya charged in and caught hold of Gage. She pushed him towards the open doors. ‘Go outside with Archie and find your sister. Don’t look back!’
‘Come with me, Gage,’ Archie called, drawing him to the barn doors.
Freya turned back to the fight. A hunter was charging at Kai with the pitchfork in his hands. ‘Die, you winged monster!’
With one sword, Kai easily deflected the pitchfork. His second blade slashed down, hitting it out of the attacker’s hand. He glanced back at Freya. ‘So this is a living human? They’re so weak.’
‘I’ll show you weak!’ The man charged again, but he didn’t stand a chance against Kai’s Dark Searcher skills. He fell to the ground, defeated.
The air was filled with the sounds of Valkyrie howls and flashing swords as the fight heated up.
‘Give me a sword!’ Brundi demanded. ‘Let me fight!’
‘Mother, get out of here!’ Eir shouted back. ‘Keep the humans outside safe!’
‘No, this is my battle!’
‘Mother, go!’ Vonni ordered her out of the barn, as he caught hold of a man and threw him the length of the building.
From the barn door, Brundi watched her family fight for the world she had created in Midgard.
The hunters stood no chance. Soon there were only three men left standing. They huddled together in a horse’s stall, begging for mercy. The fight was over. Angels of Death a
rrived to claim the others. Nodding to the Valkyries they collected the men and left silently.
‘Wow, Kai.’ Freya turned to her brother. ‘You’ve got to teach me some of those moves.’
‘Me too!’ Archie agreed. ‘Crixus would be blown away if he saw me doing that with two swords.’
‘It’s easy,’ Kai said. ‘Anyone can do it.’
‘Anyone who’d trained their whole life as a Dark Searcher,’ Freya corrected.
‘Then I shall train you.’
They became aware of everyone staring at them.
‘Is that him?’ Gwyn took a step closer.
‘It must be,’ Skaga answered.
‘Kai?’ Eir whispered, disbelieving. ‘Is this really my Kai?’
Freya nodded and looked at her brother. She elbowed him in the side. ‘Go on, Kai. I told you about her. That’s our mother.’
Kai looked uncertain as his eyes locked upon his mother for the very first time. He cleared his throat. ‘So . . . Are you really my mother . . . ?’
Eir nodded, as tears sparkled in her pale eyes. ‘My beautiful Kai!’ She crossed the distance between them in two long strides and wrapped him in her winged embrace.
Kai stood frozen as his mother held him. Arms at his sides, he was unprepared for the show of emotion. But soon he relaxed and embraced his mother awkwardly.
As her mother and brother were reunited, Freya approached her sisters. ‘So what do you think of our brother? Kai’s my twin. We were separated at birth.’
‘We heard.’ Kara nodded. ‘We’ve been frantic about you, especially when Maya said you’d gone to Utgard.’
‘You told them?’ Freya turned to Maya
‘I had to,’ Maya cried. ‘You’ve been gone for days! We thought you’d been captured by the Dark Searchers.’
‘She was,’ Orus cawed. ‘Dirian nearly killed her again!’
‘Dirian!’ Eir immediately returned to Freya’s side. ‘What happened? Tell us everything.’
‘It’s a long story,’ Freya said. ‘It involves a few angry Frost Giants, Dark Elves and trolls.’