‘What about her wings?’ Archie asked.
‘There is nothing we can do about that,’ Frigg said softly. ‘She will remain grounded.’
Freya was trying to process what she was asked to do. Frigha or Brünnhilde was a legend, a story told to all the Valkyries to frighten them into obedience. It had never really occurred to her that Brünnhilde was still living on Earth somewhere.
‘If it’s been so long, she may not be alive?’ Archie continued.
‘She lives,’ Odin said. ‘She cannot be permanently killed unless I allow it.’
Frigg smiled at her husband and her eyes sparkled. ‘Don’t let Odin’s gruffness fool you. He may have a foul temper, but he would never allow permanent death to claim one of his Valkyries. She lives still.’
‘What foul temper?’ Odin’s red eyebrows came together in a deep frown as he turned to his wife. ‘I don’t have a temper.’
Frigg smiled warmly and stroked her husband’s cheek. ‘No, of course not, my beloved – though at times you can be a little difficult. But it makes me love you all the more.’
Freya was stunned at the sudden blush rising in Odin’s face. She could feel his deep emotions towards his wife. In all Asgard, Frigg was the only one who could calm him.
‘Perhaps I can be a bit harsh,’ Odin admitted softly. ‘But it is necessary to maintain order.’
‘And so you must,’ Frigg teased. She turned back to Freya and Archie again. ‘Go to Midgard. Find Brünnhilde and bring her home.’
‘How will we find her?’ Archie asked.
Azrael answered for Frigg. ‘The same way Maya found Freya that first time in Chicago. You will take Brünnhilde’s Reaping Mare. She will lead you to her mistress.’
‘Her Reaping Mare is here?’ Freya asked, finally finding her voice. ‘Where? All the Reaping Mares at the stables belong to the Valkyries.’
‘She is not at the stables,’ Frigg answered. ‘She has been kept in a quiet pasture behind our palace. I have cared for her well, but she still pines for Brünnhilde.’
Odin’s voice softened. ‘It is my command that you find my missing Valkyrie, Brünnhilde, and bring her back to Asgard. If you are successful in this endeavour, I will end your probation and you may return to your full duties as a Valkyrie.’
‘What if we are unsuccessful?’ Freya asked.
Odin’s brows knit together in a deep frown. ‘You are a Valkyrie on a formal mission; you must not fail. To do so would bring shame on the Sisterhood of the Valkyries. There will be repercussions for all of us, should that happen.’
‘That’s not fair,’ Archie said.
‘What?’ Odin shouted. ‘You accuse me of being unfair?’
Archie took a step back. ‘No, sir! I just mean, what happens if we get there and Brünnhilde doesn’t want to come back?’
‘She has no choice. Should she refuse my command, then I shall return to Midgard to collect her myself. And you remember what happened last time . . .’ Odin turned back to Azrael. ‘Your angelic friend here will not be able to help you a second time.’
Frigg put her hand on Odin’s arm to calm him. ‘Freya, you must understand. To maintain order, Odin’s commands must be obeyed. Otherwise the other realms, especially the Frost and Fire Giants, will see this as weakness and move against us.’
‘Do you mean attack us?’ Archie asked.
Frigg nodded. ‘Peace has a delicate balance. It won’t take much to tip that balance against us.’
Odin’s eyes flashed a warning to his wife. ‘Enough talk. You and Archie have two Asgard days to find Brünnhilde and bring her back. That should be plenty of time. Any longer, and I shall have no choice but to consider this a defiance of my command.’
He placed his hand on Freya’s head. ‘I restore to you all your powers. Now, Brünnhilde’s Reaping Mare, Jonquil, has been taken to Bifröst and is waiting for you there. Heimdall is aware that you are on this mission and will allow you to cross the bridge without question. Go now and return my missing Valkyrie to Asgard.’
Freya paused before Odin, delighting in the feeling of all her restored powers. She hadn’t missed her reaping ability, but being without the full power to sense people’s intentions, or to feel the approach of danger, was like a constant ache. As if a piece of her was missing.
Finally she bowed her head. ‘As you command, Great Odin, we will bring Brünnhilde home.’
CHAPTER FIVE
Freya drew her sword-belt around her waist as she walked to Bifröst with Archie and Azrael. The angel looked deeply troubled and spoke very little. While he had been with Odin, he’d kept his manner light and friendly, but the moment they left Valhalla he became withdrawn.
‘Is everything all right?’ Archie asked.
Azrael paused, gazing around them as though searching for someone. ‘I can say nothing here, but once we cross Bifröst, we need to talk.’
‘That doesn’t sound good,’ Orus muttered softly to Freya.
Freya didn’t press him for information, but there was something about his manner that troubled her. Instead, she warned Archie that once they crossed the Rainbow Bridge he would become like a ghost. ‘You’ll only be able to touch people and objects from our world.’
‘I’ll be able to speak, right?’ Archie asked in alarm.
‘Of course,’ Azrael answered. ‘But only Freya, Orus and those of the ethereal plane will be able to hear or see you. You will be silent and invisible to most humans and animals.’
‘Most?’
Azrael nodded. ‘Some may be able to see you, but they will be uncomfortable in your presence.’
‘Don’t worry, Archie,’ Orus said. ‘I’ll take care of you.’
‘What about me?’ Freya said.
‘I’ll take care of you too,’ Orus cawed.
‘That’s not what I meant. I was going to take care of Archie.’
‘I can take care of myself, thank you very much,’ Archie said. ‘I haven’t trained all this time at Valhalla to let you two babysit me. I can fight now, you know.’
‘You can all take care of each other,’ Azrael pressed. ‘Now, please, we must go. We don’t have a lot of time.’
‘Time for what?’ Freya asked.
Azrael paused and stared at her, but said nothing.
As promised, Heimdall was waiting at Bifröst with Jonquil. The ancient Reaping Mare was magnificent. She was the tallest horse they’d ever seen and as black as midnight. The feathers on her wings shone in the light as brightly as Freya’s and Orus’ wings. Frigg was right, she had taken good care of the Reaping Mare.
Freya tilted her head to the side as they drew near. ‘From here, she looks a bit like Sylt, doesn’t she?’
‘I guess so,’ Archie agreed. ‘But she’s much bigger.’
‘That’s because she is much older,’ Azrael said. ‘Freya and I can fly, but you should ride Jonquil. Once you return to spirit, she will also carry you to where we are going.’
At their approach, the Watchman of the Bridge came forward and held up his hand.
‘Greetings, Heimdall,’ Freya said, nodding and giving the formal address. ‘We come in the service of Odin.’
‘Greetings, Valkyrie,’ Heimdall responded, bowing deeply. ‘Be welcome and cross in peace.’
With the formalities out of the way, Heimdall grinned and patted Jonquil’s neck with his huge hand. ‘I haven’t seen this beauty in an age. Does this mean Odin has finally forgiven Frigha?’
Freya nodded. ‘We’ve been sent to find her and bring her home. But we mustn’t tell anyone yet. Not even Maya or my other sisters can know.’
Heimdall winked. ‘You know you can trust me. Maya could torture me, and I still wouldn’t tell.’
Freya grinned, imagining her beautiful, finely boned sister trying to take on the massive Watchman. The only way Maya could threaten him would be to tickle him into submission.
Despite his size and terrifying demeanour, Heimdall had proven to be a great and trusted friend. He had let M
aya slip across Bifröst more than once to protect her and had even testified on their behalf when they’d returned to Asgard in disgrace. Recently he’d been spending a great deal of time with her sister at Valhalla.
‘Do you know how long you might be?’ Heimdall asked.
Freya answered. ‘Odin’s given us two days. But I’m worried that isn’t enough time.’
‘Especially if she’s made a life for herself on Earth,’ Archie added.
‘I am sure Odin knows what he is doing. If he has set that deadline, there must be a reason.’
‘Indeed,’ Azrael agreed.
The Angel of Death’s dark expression troubled Freya as she helped Archie up on to the Reaping Mare.
‘She is big!’ Archie said as he tucked his feet under her neatly folded wings and caught hold of the reins.
‘Journey well!’ Heimdall called as he escorted them on to the bright and colourful Rainbow Bridge. ‘I will be waiting for you.’
As they made their way over the bridge, Freya wondered why Azrael was accompanying them. She was glad for his presence, but she knew he was needed elsewhere.
At the other side of the bridge they took to the sky, following Jonquil’s lead.
The Reaping Mare held her head high and whinnied in excitement – it was obvious that Jonquil was happy to be flying in Midgard again. It wasn’t long before she picked up a scent that made her put on more speed.
‘I think she knows the way!’ Freya called over to Archie.
Orus was struggling to keep up beside her. ‘She’s much faster than Sylt!’
‘Come here and let me carry you.’ Freya opened her arms and held him tight as they followed closely behind the Reaping Mare.
For half a day they flew. Freya recognized that they were flying across the Atlantic Ocean and once again heading for the United States. Reaching the eastern coast, they continued west.
On and on, Jonquil led them. But after a time, Azrael took the lead. With his smooth, even wing beats, he took them lower in the sky. Soon they were flying over tree-covered mountains.
‘Let’s land here for a bit!’ Azrael called, soaring smoothly towards a tall, rocky mountaintop.
They touched down on the mountaintop. Stunning views surrounded them: a lush forest of trees encircling a sparkling, sapphire-blue lake.
‘It’s amazing!’ Archie called, still on Jonquil’s back. ‘Where are we?’
‘Idaho,’ Azrael answered.
With all of her powers and senses returned, Freya could feel deep concern coming from the angel. ‘All right, Azrael, we’re out of Asgard. Now will you tell us what’s wrong?’
The Angel of Death settled his large white wings on his back. ‘We’re all in big trouble, Freya, and I can’t see an easy way out of it.’
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this. ‘What do you mean?’
Azrael looked as if he was struggling for the best way to explain. He kicked a branch off the top of the mountain and watched it fly across the sky. He turned back to her. ‘I haven’t been completely honest with Odin and if he finds out the truth, he will be furious and not accept our help.’
‘Help with what?’ Freya asked.
‘The war,’ Azrael said flatly.
‘What war?’ Archie cried, sliding down from the mare. ‘With who?’
‘All the realms.’
‘What?’ Freya demanded.
Azrael sat down on a boulder and dropped his head in his hands. ‘You know there has been tension in the nine realms almost from the very beginning of life. The lower realms want to possess the upper realms. The middle realms don’t care either way, but will side with the winner.’
‘That’s why we have the Nine Realms Challenge,’ Freya said. ‘To keep the peace.’
‘Ten Realms,’ Archie corrected. ‘The Angels of Death are competing now.’
‘True,’ Azrael agreed, looking up. ‘But our involvement was about more than just wanting to unite our realms. We’ve heard rumblings that someone is stirring up the Frost Giants and trying to unite them with the Fire Giants. Together, the giants will be powerful enough to wage war against Odin and claim Asgard. We came to the Challenge to see what we could learn. The giant clans have always been enemies, which made them easy to defeat. There’s no way they would work together unless someone else brokered the deal.’
‘And?’ Freya asked.
‘And it’s as we feared. From their behaviour at the Challenge, it seems the Frost and Fire Giants have formed a secret alliance – an alliance that could move against Asgard at any time.’
‘How do you know all this?’ Archie asked.
‘We are not part of the Nine Realms,’ Azrael explained. ‘Living outside them means we can study them without taking sides. Throughout time we have watched the various petty squabbles between the realms. No real damage has been done because none of the realms worked together long enough to defeat another. But this time it’s different. If the giant clans can stay united, they will be powerful enough to defeat Odin and take Asgard.’
‘Does Odin know?’ Freya asked.
Azrael nodded. ‘Of course, he’s not a fool. He has suspected this for some time – though he has no idea who is behind it all. I fear it could actually be someone from Asgard.’
‘You’re saying there’s a traitor in Asgard?’ Freya cried.
Azrael nodded. ‘But they are being very clever. I still haven’t discovered who it is.’
‘So why are we here?’ Archie said. ‘We should be in Asgard helping to prepare for war.’
‘Odin has sent you here for a good reason. He put on a brave face during the Challenge, but he is deeply concerned. And although he may not show it, he cares for all his people. If trouble is coming, he wants everyone safe in Asgard, under his protection – including Brünnhilde. But more than that, he wants to see if anyone will follow you. He suspects there may be more than one traitor in Asgard. You are here as the bait to draw them out. If the giants learn that you have come here, then he has confirmation of more spies.’
‘Why didn’t he tell us?’ Freya asked.
‘He doesn’t want you to behave any differently. You are both young and inexperienced with the politics of war. If you knew, you might give something away. But it’s because of your youth and inexperience that he specifically chose you to go. Odin knows he’s being watched. He’s hoping that the giants will interpret your mission here as him finally forgiving Brünnhilde and not anything more suspicious.’
‘Like trying to find out who the spy is,’ Archie said.
‘Exactly,’ Azrael agreed.
‘Why are you telling us if Odin didn’t want us to know?’
‘Because I need your help,’ Azrael said. ‘And because you deserve to know. If you are going to be pawns in war, I think it’s only fair that you should be told. You are both old enough to understand what’s at stake.’
‘How can we help you? Freya asked. ‘What have you done?’
‘I have been protecting a Midgard family that I shouldn’t have. It wasn’t my place to get involved, but I knew what Odin would have done. Now it’s too late for any of us.’
‘Azrael, I don’t understand,’ Freya said.
The Angel of Death stepped up to Jonquil and stroked the Reaping Mare’s neck. His wings drooped and he sighed.
‘A very long time ago,’ he started, without turning around, ‘a young Valkyrie defied Odin and fled Asgard. She was beautiful, feisty and loving. I cared deeply for her and tried to help.’
‘You mean Brünnhilde?’ Freya asked softly.
Azrael nodded. ‘But the betrayal was greater than even Odin knows. She was with child. But not just one; she was going to have twins.’
‘Twins?’ Freya repeated in shock.
‘So?’ Archie said. ‘Women have twins all the time.’
‘Women do, but Valkyries don’t,’ Freya explained.
‘Exactly,’ Azrael agreed. ‘But Brünnhilde was carrying twins . . .’ He paused an
d turned to Freya. ‘A girl and a boy.’
‘That’s impossible!’ Freya cried. ‘Valkyries don’t have boys.’
‘Really?’ Archie asked. ‘No boys, ever?’
Freya shook her head. ‘Babies born of Valkyries are always female.’
‘That’s not entirely true,’ Azrael said. ‘It’s very rare but, sometimes, boys are born to Valkyries. But the newborn is taken from his mother and delivered to Utgard . . .’ Once again Azrael paused. ‘To the Keep of the Dark Searchers.’
‘Why?’ Archie asked. ‘What do the Dark Searchers want with them?’
It took a moment for the information to sink in. The idea was too terrible to consider. But the more Freya thought about it, the more it made perfect sense. Their wings, their incredible strength, hiding their faces . . .
‘Dark Searchers are the boys born to the Valkyries,’ Freya gasped.
Azrael nodded. ‘That is why Odin keeps them close. The males aren’t needed on the battlefields. Though they are strong and powerful, they don’t possess the power to reap like the female Valkyries. So Odin turns them into his Enforcers of Justice, the Dark Searchers.’
‘And that’s why Odin trusts them,’ Orus added.
Azrael nodded again.
‘Do the Valkyries know that the Dark Searchers are their sons?’ Freya asked.
‘I don’t think so,’ Azrael said. ‘Valkyries’ natural fear of the Dark Searchers means their recognizing senses don’t work. Most believe their sons have either been killed or sent to another realm. It is a secret that has been kept from the very beginning.’
‘But you knew,’ Freya said.
Azrael nodded. ‘I told you, we’ve been watching the Nine Realms for a very long time.’
‘Wow . . .’ Archie murmured.
‘So what happened with Brünnhilde’s babies?’ Freya asked.
‘The twins were not her first children. Her first child had been male. According to Odin’s law, the baby was taken away from her the moment she gave him his name. She grieved for a very long time. When she found out she was with child again, she discovered that she was having twins, and that one of them would be a boy. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing another son. Just before she gave birth, she flew from Asgard and fled to Earth.