“Surrender?” Archie cried. “Are you serious?”
“Very,” Freya said.
“She’s right,” Kai agreed. His blue eyes grew intense. “Do you have any idea how powerful one frost or fire giant is? Even a small one? By their size alone, they could destroy this home with one kick. An army of them will decimate Midgard in days. Even Asgard, with all of Odin’s strength, won’t be able to stand against the united giants for long.”
“You’re saying we’ve already lost,” Mims commented.
Kai shook his head. “No. I’m saying that this war won’t be won with open engagement. If we were to rely on strength alone, the war is over long before it starts—especially against the giants. We need another plan.”
“Well, who do the giants hate?” Mims asked.
“Us,” Orus said. “And everyone who sides with Odin.”
“I liked it better when giants just hated each other.” Freya sighed.
“Exactly!” Kai said. “United, they are a danger to all the realms. They will be unstoppable.”
They began walking toward the lake in silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts. They occasionally heard the sound of raised voices coming from the barn, Thor’s ringing loudest as they argued and debated a way to save the realms.
They stood by the lake, looking at the dark beauty around them. In the distance, the howl of wolves shattered the silence. Their lonely calls, echoing off the mountains, only added to the deep sense of desperation.
“I’ve been thinking.” Kai stretched and flapped his large white wings. He rubbed his shoulder to massage away an ache. “Not all the giants will join the war or fight against Odin. I had a few giant friends in Utgard. And there are others who make Asgard their home. I wouldn’t be surprised if they join Odin’s forces to fight against Dirian.”
“So there are some giants on Odin’s side?” Mims asked.
Kai nodded. “Not all giants hate Odin. Right now Dirian’s united the giant kings against him, but I doubt it would take much to set them on each other again. . . .”
The moment Kai finished, there seemed to be a collective understanding among them—a simultaneous idea that offered the faintest glimmer of hope.
“So, if we could find a way to set the giants against each other again . . . ,” Freya started carefully.
“It could stop the war!” Orus finished. “That’s it! That’s how we defeat them. We don’t—we let them defeat each other!”
2
FREYA LED THEM BACK UP into the hayloft. Then they jumped down to the floor of the barn completely unseen. Everyone was too busy arguing—it seemed no progress had been made since they had left the barn.
Loki was still facing off against Kris and several Dark Searchers. Thor and Balder were looking even more thunderous, while Freya’s sisters stood back, arguing with their mother and Brundi.
“I don’t know about you guys,” Archie said, “but I’m not going to interrupt them. We’re likely to have our heads chopped off or feel the force of Thor’s hammer long before we tell them our idea.”
“Coward,” Orus teased. “Besides, you’re already dead! They can’t hurt you.”
“Maybe not here,” Archie agreed. “But you’ve seen how Thor can hold a grudge. What about when we make it back to Asgard?”
“If we don’t find a way to stop the war, there won’t be an Asgard.” Freya caught Archie’s arm. “C’mon. We have to find a way to get them to listen to us. We don’t have a moment to waste.”
In the center of the barn, Balder was holding Thor back to stop him from hitting Loki. Even in this most dangerous of times, it appeared that Loki was causing trouble. He just couldn’t help himself.
They saw Azrael standing with his angels, and Freya knew he was the only one who would listen to them. “Azrael.” Freya crept up to him, careful to avoid being seen. “We’ve had an idea, but we need your help to get the others to listen.”
“I doubt anyone could do that. What’s your plan?”
They filled him in as fast as they could. “We’re just not sure how to do it,” Freya added. “We don’t really know a lot about the giant kings or what it would take to turn them against each other.”
Archie added, “Or how to get Thor to listen to us.”
Azrael rubbed his chin thoughtfully and started to nod. “You know, it’s so simple, it just might work.” He caught Freya by the hand. “Come with me. It’s your idea. It’s only fair you should take the credit.”
“No, Azrael, I can’t!” Freya begged as she tried to pull away. “I’m in enough trouble already. There’s no telling what Thor will do if he sees us back in here.”
“He will listen; that’s what he’ll do,” Azrael said. “This is the perfect opportunity for you to redeem yourselves. You must tell him.”
Azrael’s grasp was too strong for Freya to break away from him. He led them to the front of the barn, where the loudest fighting was going on.
“Excuse me!” Azrael shouted. His voice rang out louder than Freya had imagined possible. Everyone in the barn stopped and looked at the Angel of Death. Azrael smiled. “Now that I have your attention, Freya and Kai have something to say.”
Thor’s blazing eyes shot from Azrael to Freya and then Kai. She could actually feel the weight of his anger toward her. “What are they doing back in here? I told them to go!”
Azrael shook his head. “Thor, you should be thanking them for exposing Dirian’s betrayal before he had the chance to kill all the Searchers in the keep.”
“That remains to be seen,” Thor said. “But even so, they are hardly experienced fighters. There is nothing they can say that will help with the war.”
“That’s the problem,” Azrael said. “You’re thinking like warriors. But you can’t possibly win against the combined strength of the giants.”
“Of course we can; I have Mjölnir.” Thor lifted up his hammer proudly. “And the Searchers and Valkyries have their fighting skills, powers, and weapons.”
“Granted, your hammer is great,” Azrael said. “But it, like you, can’t be in more than one place at a time. The giants aren’t going to line up for you while you strike them down one by one. They will come at us from every direction.”
“So what are you suggesting?” Thor challenged.
“Not me,” Azrael said. “Them.” He drew Freya and Kai closer. “Tell them what you just told me.”
Freya felt everyone’s eyes resting heavily on her. She stepped closer to her brother.
“Well?” Thor demanded. “You have our attention. Tell us, what is this monumental idea of yours that will stop the giants?”
The rage in his blue eyes held Freya’s tongue. Kai too was left speechless under the intensity of Odin’s son’s gaze. But then Vonni came over and put his hand on her shoulder. “Go on; just tell us your plan,” he encouraged.
“It—it was really Kai’s idea,” Freya said. “We were talking about the giants and how they always hated each other until Dirian united them.”
“We already know that,” Thor said, irritated. “What is your idea?”
Freya inhaled deeply. “Well, we know we can never beat them in a fight. They’re just too big and strong. But what if we broke their truce? If Dirian could unite the giants, maybe we can turn them against each other again. Then the frost and fire giants would be too busy fighting each other to attack Asgard.”
Thor’s face was unreadable. His eyes bored into Kai. “You thought of this?”
Kai straightened his back and tried to look like the brave Dark Searcher that he was. But Freya could feel his nerves as he faced Thor. “It wasn’t just me,” Kai said.
“You know, Brother, this could work.” Balder took a step forward. He was known in Asgard as the most gentle and reasonable of Odin’s children. The two brothers couldn’t have been more different. Because of this, they were very close. If anyone could calm Thor’s fiery temper, it was Balder. “I’m sure if a demented Searcher like Dirian could get the giants t
ogether, someone could drive a wedge between them just as easily.”
“Could it really be that simple?” Vonni asked.
Thor was scratching his long red beard. His bushy eyebrows knitted together in deep thought. He slowly nodded. “It really could.” His eyes settled on Freya. “That idea, little Valkyrie, may have just saved your life.”
* * *
Dawn arrived unnoticed as the fighters in the barn discussed the best way forward. The plan itself seemed simple enough. Working out how to achieve it wasn’t.
As morning became afternoon, large picnic tables were set up for food to be served in the barn. The size of the new, winged visitors to the farm meant dining in the house was impossible.
Freya stood with Archie and Azrael, watching the banquet. Her uncle Vonni was dishing out potato salad onto Mims’s plate as she sat between her parents. When he finished, he nudged her playfully before passing the dish along. Freya felt a pang of sadness as she watched that simple action. Mims had a father who adored her. He was a powerful Dark Searcher, but his love was obvious.
For most of her life, Freya had wished she knew who her own father was. All her mother would say was that he was a warrior at Valhalla. She yearned to know more, but knew it was forbidden. Valkyries were never told who their fathers were.
“I still can’t believe what I’m seeing,” Archie complained. “Dark Searchers and Valkyries are sitting with the farmhands like nothing is wrong.”
“I know,” Freya agreed, pulled from her reverie. “We’re wasting precious time. We have a war to stop, but look—everyone is just sitting there eating and laughing like it’s a celebration. Don’t they realize what we’re facing?”
“They know,” Azrael said seriously. “That’s why they’re enjoying themselves. Everyone in this barn realizes this may be the last opportunity for a normal gathering. Some, maybe even most, may not survive what is to come.”
Freya looked back at the table, seeing things differently. Azrael was right. Yes, Maya was flirting with a handsome young Dark Searcher, and yes, her mother was smiling as she cradled Vonni’s new baby son and spoke with his wife, Sarah. But she sensed beneath their smiles and felt the collective dread.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly to Azrael. “I spoke too soon. They know what we’re facing.”
“There’s no need to apologize. We’re all frightened for the future,” responded the Angel of Death. “Now, if you will excuse us, my angels and I must return to our realm.”
“Aren’t you going to help us stop the war?” Archie asked.
Azrael nodded. “Of course we are. But we must return to Heofon to tell of what we’ve learned and to make our own plans. When this war reaches Earth, we must all be prepared to fight for humanity.”
Freya felt something heavy settle in her chest at their parting. “I will see you again, won’t I?” she asked nervously.
Azrael smiled, but it held traces of sadness. “Of course you will. You’re my favorite Valkyrie in all the realms. Just call my name and I will come to you, always.” He gave Orus a long stroke down his sleek black feathers. “Keep a good eye on this one, Orus.”
The raven bowed his head. “I will.”
After saying his farewells to Archie and the others, Azrael and his angels opened their wings and took off into the clear blue sky.
When he was gone, Freya said nothing for several minutes. She couldn’t shake the awful feeling that she might never see him again.
3
BY LATE AFTERNOON, THE FIRST embers of a plan were being stoked. Maps were laid out and Loki indicated the tunnel entrances the giants would use to enter Earth and then head through up to the upper realms to reach Asgard.
“There could be more tunnels that I don’t know about,” Loki admitted. “But these are the ones I’ve used.” He pointed down at the world map. “There’s a good one here in the Florida Everglades—that’s my favorite. It’s big and wide. I’m sure it’s going to be the tunnel of choice for the giants. Then there’s one in France, one over here in Russia, and then another in China. The fifth tunnel is down here in South Africa.”
Thor followed Loki’s finger on the map. “What about the exits out of Midgard going up toward Asgard?”
Loki nodded. “The closest one in North America is here, in northern Quebec.” He then pointed to multiple places on the map, revealing the giants’ routes to the upper realms.
“There are so many,” Eir, Freya’s mother, said.
“I’m sure there are more that I don’t know about,” Loki acknowledged.
“And all scattered too far around the world for us to cover,” Vonni said. He stared at the map and shook his head. “If they do come, and if they use this entrance through the Everglades, they’ll tear a path right up the East Coast of the United States to make their way to Canada. It’ll be a disaster.”
“They will come,” Thor said. “Have no doubt about that. We can wait at the various entrances and fight them there, stopping them from getting any farther into Midgard. Or maybe I could close the entrance with Mjölnir.”
Loki glared at Thor and shook his head. “Can’t you get it through your thick skull? These are entrances to the Yggdrasil root system. If you destroy these entrances, you’ll disrupt the flow of energy that feeds the tree. If the tree dies, we die with it! Your hammer could do more damage than the giants.”
“Who are you calling thick skulled?” Thor challenged.
“You, if you can’t see the lunacy of your plan!”
“All I see is your finger in this. I’m still not convinced you didn’t start this mess with the giants.”
“What?” Loki cried. “You’re still accusing me of starting the war?”
Thor loomed over him. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why should we trust you now? You’ve done nothing to earn it!”
Archie shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe they’re still at each other’s throats.”
“I’m getting out of here before Thor turns on us again.” Freya walked out of the barn.
“Where’re you going?” Archie called after her.
Freya sighed. “I don’t know, just away from them and their constant bickering.”
“It’s Loki who always starts it!” Orus said. “I’m with Thor. I still don’t trust him, and I think he might be behind everything.”
“That’s just it—he could be,” Freya admitted. “But we don’t know.”
Too restless to stay in one spot, Freya turned to Archie. “Do you want to go flying with me?”
“Now?” Archie said. “Gee, it’s still light out. You could be seen!”
“At this point, I don’t care. Frost giants could be here any minute; being seen by a few people is the least of our problems. Besides, if I stay here much longer, I’m going to go insane. We won’t go far, just up to the mountain where Azrael took us. The view is breathtaking and the air feels clearer up there.”
Freya put her arm around Archie and opened her wings. She sprang up into the air and started to fly. The day was cool and the fresh air felt wonderful on her face. Rising higher over the lake and to the mountains behind it, she felt calmed by the beauty around them.
They touched down at the top of the mountain and gazed over the valley. “Archie, this is real . . . ,” Freya started.
“Of course it is.”
“No, I mean really real. Asgard is at war. Earth is in danger, and I’m terrified that this could be Ragnarök.”
Archie hesitated before he responded. “Gee, when I first started to train with Crixus, he told me about Ragnarök. He believes if we all pull together, it doesn’t have to be the end of everything.”
Freya frowned. “He said that?”
Archie nodded. “That’s why he trains me and the other warriors so hard, so that we are prepared to do our part and make sacrifices. He said Ragnarök will bring dark times, but if we hold true to ourselves, from it the light will rise.”
“Crixus, the gladiator, told you that?”<
br />
“He’s not the savage that you think he is. He’s really cool.”
Freya had only spoken to Crixus once or twice. He had seemed awkward and uncomfortable in her presence, and she was sure she had once caught him looking at her strangely when she and her sisters sang in Valhalla. She never imagined that a gladiator could think so philosophically.
“Do the other warriors feel that way?”
Archie nodded. “Most do. That’s why they train so hard.”
“All that training will be lost if we don’t find a way to turn the giants against each other,” Orus cawed.
“And that’s the problem,” Freya said. “How do we do it?”
She took a seat on the boulder that Azrael had hidden her coat beneath. That seemed such a long time ago, but it was only a matter of months. Archie sat beside her. Saying nothing, he held her hand as they looked out over the mountains.
* * *
As the sun slowly crossed the sky and started to descend in the west, they were still no closer to a solution.
“Okay, let’s think. . . . What do we know about frost giants?” Archie asked.
Freya shook her head. “Not a lot. Loki is part frost giant. Maybe he knows what can turn them against each other.”
“But can we trust him?” Orus asked.
“That’s the trouble,” Freya said, considering all her encounters with him. “We can’t.”
“So we’re stuck.” Archie stood at the edge, peering over the valley. “Earth is about to be invaded and we can’t stop it.”
As they stood together, Freya heard a sound that was all too familiar—a sound that chilled her blood. It was the heavy thumping sound of large, powerful rotors.
“Do you hear that?” Orus cawed.
Archie frowned and looked around. “That sounds just like . . . Over there, look, just coming over the mountains! Army helicopters.”
A large squadron of military helicopters was flying over the mountain range. They crested the highest peak and started to descend down into the valley—their destination clear.