Author's Note:

I've posted a glossary of terms (including the days/months and their English equivalents) to go along with these stories, it can be found at Bigcloset Topshelf, Fictionmania, & tgstorytime.

Shout outs go to the following people: Beyogi, Maggie Finson, Loki who served as either alpha and/or beta readers, The Rev. Anam Chara who helped edit some of the dialogue (spoken by the characters Hervor, Heime & Gilda) to more accurately reflect Elizabethan era English and last but certainly not least Holly H Hart for her superb editing prowess.

Vordag, the sixth of Thorri

When we finally arrived at álfheim, Hervor called us all to a halt and after we all dismounted from our rides. She moved away from us all and began to weave a spell. Ribbons of pale blue magic flew out from her fingertips and spun around in a complex pattern which stretched out in all directions. The magic washed over us all, and what looked like a spirit shield appeared in a wide circle around the root. No, that wasn't right, the shield had been there the whole time. We just hadn't been able to see it.

A hole appeared in the shield and Hervor gestured for us to move through. We quickly complied, dragging along all our baggage as we hurriedly passed across the opening. Hervor didn't immediately follow us. Instead, she calmly walked over to Sogvor and handed her a small bag, which I assumed contained payment then followed us through the hole. The shimmering blue barrier closed behind her then seemed to wink out of existence as it returned to its previous invisible state.

The root seemed to be planted firmly in the middle of a forest that extended as far as the eye could see. It really didn't look any different than a forest on Midgard might. I even recognized several different varieties of trees including maple and cedar. It was so green and vibrant that I almost thought I could feel the life emanating all around me.

"Miun drouneng," a voice proclaimed abruptly as a tall figure detached itself from a nearby tree and fell to one knee facing Hervor and was joined by three more figures. Each of them had been so well disguised that they had appeared as if they were part of the forest.

"Resa," Hervor proclaimed and the elves each returned to their feet.

There was a brief exchange, and I didn't understand any of what they said, but when I heard my name accompanied by the word 'prinsessa' it didn't take an idiot to figure out Hervor had just introduced me as her granddaughter.

The four elves turned to me and each fell to one knee. Each muttered something in Elvish, then returned to their feet as Hervor commanded them too. I hadn't even realized that two of the camouflaged elves were women until they spoke. They wore so much paint over their features that I had been barely able to distinguish their faces, let alone determine their sex.

Hervor muttered something with a casual flick of her wrist and two of them disappeared back into the trees as if they had never even been there. One of the remaining two approached me.

"Your highness, I would be honored if you would allow me to take your bag," she said in almost perfect English.

"Sure, if you don't mind," I muttered, warily relinquishing my bag to her.

She stared at me a moment, but didn't say a word as she grabbed it from my hands.

"How much further do we have to go?" Sam asked suddenly.

"Not long, child. Dagdedar is merely a travel-spell away," Hervor replied, eying Sam with a calculating expression.

"Dagdedar what's that?" Leif asked dumbly.

"It is our capital city, human," Garik muttered, staring at Leif in irritation.

"Why don't we get going then? I'm eager to get out of these dirty clothes," Gramor muttered suddenly.

Hervor nodded and direct us all to stand in a circle with her standing at its center. She called up were magic and began to work the weaves. There was a bright flash of light and then we were standing in the middle of what I at first took to be another forest filled with massive trees, many of which were as large as a house.

"Venn, what's this? I thought you were taking us to this Dagdedar place?" Leif asked, looking around with wide eyes.

"She did," I muttered, feeling a sense of awe come over me.

The place where Hervor had brought us was a forest, but it was also a city. When I looked around, I was able to make out the outline of a window here, a doorway there.

"It feels so good to be home," Garik said from my side with a huge smile on his face.

"Aye, no offense to thee my daughter, but I find human dwellings to be much too confining."

"You actually built your homes inside of the trees?" Sam asked in amazement.

"Nay child, these dwellings were not built. They were grown," Hervor said with a soft murmur.

A face appeared around a corner. It belonged to a young child who let out a delighted squeal then disappeared again. I could hear his voice carry out through the city as he called out excitedly. It didn't take long for a crowd to gather, they each bowed to Hervor and Heime and stared curiously at the rest of us.

Hervor smiled and addressed the people that had gathered. Again I noted her use of the word 'prinsessa' and my name. The people turned to me and I felt a sense of panic set in as I realized I had no idea what to say or do.

"Prinsessa Brynhilde," an elven woman close-cropped light-brown hair at the front of the crowd said with a flourish and a bow. She beamed up at me and said something more in Elvish.

"Princess," a voice whispered from my side. It was the guard who had volunteered herself to carry my bag. "This woman names herself Aglaia. She wishes to welcome you home and hopes your visit will be a pleasant one."

"Tell her that… I'm sure it will be," I muttered, staring at the guard with wide eyes, remembering at the last moment that elves felt it was poor manners to thank someone.

The guard relayed my message, and Aglaia beamed back at me. I waved awkwardly at the crowd, then I heard Hervor make a pronouncement in Elvish and the assembled elves moved out of the way to make a path for us. Heime took the lead, motioning for us to continue as we made our way through the Lejosá¡lfar capital.

We reached the center of the city where the branches of the massive royal palace reached up into the sky. Sunlight shining down from above seemed to make the great tree appear almost as if it had been set afire. There was a brief delay as we all gawked in amazement before we were led inside.

There's so much to tell, and yet I find myself at a loss for where to start. Dagdedar is a really amazing place, as are the people. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but they are much different than I could ever have guessed. I've always thought of elves as being humans with a more magical nature, but the truth is that elves are very different. They simply don't care about the small things that humans worry and fret over. They have different priorities, and I'm not entirely sure if the divergence is just cultural, or if it's due to a fundamental peculiarity at the very core of their being.

I have to ask myself is that divergence a part of me, or am I more human than elf? Even just a few days ago I would have said I was more human without question, but since coming to this place I'm not so sure. I'd never felt so complete before coming to álfheim. It was as if a piece of myself were missing, and I hadn't even known it. It was like this huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders and I felt free of it for the first time in over eighteen years.

I've changed so much since my transformation… Sometimes I feel as if I'm a different person who somehow got stuck with Neil's memories. The question really is: how much of this change is due to my own natural progression, and how much has been forced upon me by Hervor's many machinations? Or is it simply my innate elven nature slowly growing more dominant? I wish Hervor would talk to me and help me to understand, but all she will say is that understanding will come to me only when I'm ready. Well enough of that. If I keep this sort of talk up I'll wind up driving myself crazy.

There's a sort of celebration tonight. I get the impression that Hervor comes and goes quite a lot, and it's not usual to make a big deal when she returns. I think it's because of me. The light elves seem captivated by their new princess. I was afraid how the people might react, but they really seem genuinely pleased to have me as part of the royal family. I think had the people been human I would have received a much different reception.

Siffendag, the seventh of Thorri

Well I met my aunts last night… Yep I said aunts. Apparently, Heime has two sisters. I'm not really surprised, but it would have been nice for someone to tell me. Like every other elf I've ever met, my aunts are tall, beautiful, and fair. When I first met them I thought they were twins they looked so much alike, but there's quite an age gap between the two of them, something like a few hundred years.

Gilda is the older of the two, and she seems to the more outspoken of the sisters. Dagmar, has Hervor's calm serenity, but unlike my grandmother, actually seems to have a sense of humor. She speaks with a much more modern vocabulary than any of my other Elven relatives. Well at least the ones that I've met. Both my aunts admit to having children, though none so young as me.

My suspicions that the celebration last night was supposed to be in my honor turned out to be dead on. There was a feast, and well… a really wild party. The elves are highly sexual beings and they have very few inhibitions in that regard. I witnessed several couples have sex right out in the open. Needless to say, I returned to the palace early that night. Eva seemed disappointed, and actually found my embarrassment quite amusing. Leif, Sam and even Gramor shared my discomfort, and we all stayed inside for the length of the celebration.

I have a feeling my time spent within the Dagdedar is going to be an eye opener. I have the day more or less to myself, and because álfheim is protected by a ultra-powerful spirit shield and the place is practically crime free, I can go pretty much wherever I like without having some overzealous guard getting in my way. Eva and I plan on hiking up into some nearby foothills where we can have some alone time.

Freydag, the fifteenth of Thorri

It's been over a week since my last journal entry… I've become quite the celebrity among the Lejosá¡lfar wherever I go I can't seem to get any privacy, but I guess that's to be expected since most elves have little understanding when it comes to the concepts of personal space and privacy. They are a very open people, which I never would have guessed from my experiences with Hervor. Maybe she's spent too much time among humans. I've tried to keep under the radar, but that's pretty difficult since there are no locked doors anywhere in Dagdedar, or anywhere else on Alfheim near as I can tell.

I immersed myself in my training, since I didn't seem to have much else to do besides stand around and let the elves gawk at me. There are some fields a few miles outside of Dagdedar that we all trained at. Until coming to álfheim, I had been training almost exclusively with the practice hammer, but all the open space allowed for me to do a little practice with Mjá¶lnir.

Hevor handed over most of my magical training to my aunts. I still have training with my grandmother once a week, but most of what she's been teaching me is more meditative in nature. The rest of the week I rotate between lessons with Dagmar and Gilda. Dagmar's teaching style is pretty similar to Hervor's, and I was able to adapt to lessons with her quite easily. Lessons with Gilda aren't exactly what I'd call pleasant. She's not very good at explaining things, and when I failed to do as she instructed she got impatient and yelled at me.

Ah, well not much else to tell about…

I think I'll go and check in on Eva. We haven't been spending enough time alone together I need to let out some of my stress, and what Eva and I did in the bedroom does wonders for that particular problem.

Eirdag, the twenty-sixth of Thorri

So, I haven't been keeping up with my journal much. I've been busy… Hervor insists I need to spend time learning about my people. I've spent the last few weeks dodging the dusty old elf Hervor assigned to teach me about elven history and politics. It's pretty dry stuff and I really have no interest in learning any of it. I enjoy spending my time here in Dagdedar, and I almost feel like it's a second home, but I never really had much interest in history or politics, and having both crammed down my throat by some monotone-voiced librarian isn't what I consider fun. I mean, despite being older than dirt, my tutor, like all elves doesn't show her age, and like any other elf she's amazingly attractive, but it's still boring stuff even if the person who's reciting it happens to be easy on the eyes.

I started to pick up the elven language. I didn't really intend to at first, but most elves don't speak English and after a while I was starting to feel pretty isolated. I've only met about a dozen and a half elves who speak English thus far, and most of them are related. I still don't understand most of what I hear, but I know a few phrases, I've memorized the runic alphabet, and I can count up to thirty. When I asked Eva to help me learn the language she admitted somewhat reluctantly that she didn't know how to read or write, and insisted she was ill-suited to teach me.

I tried asking my father and Dagmar for help learning Elvish, but like Eva, they both insisted they weren't suited to the task. There was absolutely no way I was going to ask Eydá­s, (that's the name of librarian), for help, and Gilda was pretty well out of the picture as well. When I finally got to the end of my list Garik, was the only one I hadn't asked, and much to my surprise, he agreed to tutor me. Well, maybe it shouldn't be so much of a surprise. I mean it's pretty obvious the guy has feelings for me. I think he'd do anything to spend a little one on one time with me which really makes me wonder if spending alone time with him is such a good idea. I mean I am attracted to him, and if I'm going to be really honest with myself, I'm beginning to like him even if he can be a little annoying sometimes.

At least I don't have to worry about Leif anymore. I don't know how I missed it, but he and Sam have coupled up. I mean pretty much everyone else knew, but I only figured it out a few days ago. It kind of pisses me off… At first I thought it was because of Sam's past, but really it's because I'm sort of jealous. A part of me liked the attention Leif was giving me, and I think I actually had feelings for him… Gah, me and this damn love square, pentagon or whatever the hel you want to call it. It's some sort of polygon anyway. Nothing is simple anymore. Not that I ever thought relationships were simple, but honestly, this is just ridiculous! Frizz, I need some peace I think I'll go meditate for a while that always helps me clear my mind…

Vordag, the twenty-seventh of Thorri

I did something really stupid today… No, it wasn't stupid it was completely and utterly insane! I-I… kissed Garik. It was just a light peck on the lips, but even so I find myself wanting more. What the frizzing hel is wrong with me? Why can't I be happy with Eva? I love her, shouldn't that be enough? I know it's not uncommon for elves to take multiple lovers and occasionally multiple spouses, but I just want to be with Eva… Damn this frizzing ass body! I hate being a damn girl, and I hate being attracted to guys! Especially, frizzing Garik! Leif was bad enough, but Garik?! Gah! Dammit all to Hel!

Vordag, the Fourth of Goa

Shit… I saw exactly what happens when a light elf goes dark last night. The worse part is that it was Gilda that turned bad… I know she wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, but still I never would have thought she would go all super-villain on us. Eva and I had just returned from our daily training sessions and we were walking through one of the branches of the palace-tree when we heard a blood curdling cry ring out through the corridor.

We exchanged glances, then I grabbed Mjá¶lnir from where it was strapped at my waist and we took off running toward the source of the sound. We ran down the branch in a mad rush and stopped as we came into sight of Gilda and her victim. I don't really know the full story. None of us really do, but apparently Gilda had gotten into a heated argument with one of the servants and just lashed out at her.

"Gilda," I whispered as I approached the tall elven woman. She was standing over the corpse with her back to me.

She whirled around and I took an involuntary step back when I saw the look of pure hatred on her face. She hadn't started to change yet, but the change had already been wrought upon her soul, so it was only a matter of time before she started to transform.

"I am free!" she yelled and leapt right at me.

I raised Thor's hammer and felt it slam into Gilda with the full force of its power. It might have killed her had she not called up a spirit shield, but it still sent her reeling down the hallway.

"Gilda, no!" an anguished cry called from behind me as my father came bursting onto the scene.

"'Tis already too late, brother," Gilda hissed leaping back to her feet.

"Nay sister, 'tis never too late. Thou canst still redeem thyself!"

"Thou understandeth not. I want this!" she howled.

"Even knowing the pain it will bring to your family and friends? Do you want to do this to them?" Eva retorted.

"What knowest thou thereof? Never have I felt so free!" Gilda shuddered, and grinned madly.

"I've lived with the darkness howling in my heart. It will consume you until there is nothing left but the desire to kill and destroy is all you care about," Eva called back.

"I do not care. Canst thou see? This is how I was meant to be! For too long have I tried to hold it back, but no longer!"

"Gilda!" Heime pleaded.

"Nay, brother! I will not hear thy pleas. Fare the well!" she exclaimed and was gone before any of us could act.

As the light from her travel spell faded away I watched as my father fell to his knees and wept. I felt his pain and grief almost as if it were my own, and moved to wrap my arms around him.

"Eva," I muttered quietly. "Go find Hervor or Dagmar. If Gilda is on the loose they're the only ones with enough power to defeat her."

Eva nodded and disappeared down the corridor as I did my best to comfort my father…

Laurdag, the Seventh of Goa

Gilda is still on the loose. It has been hard on Dagmar who was closer to Gilda than anyone. Hervor, well… she hides it well, but since I can feel her emotions through the bond I know she's feels deep remorse for her daughter. There's a little bit of guilt too… I don't think she was surprised by her daughter's betrayal, it's almost as if she were expecting it. It sounds crazy I know, but this is Hervor we're talking about.

I think I've grown closer to my father than I ever realized. It nearly breaks my heart to see the pain in his eyes whenever Gilda's name is mentioned. He and Dagmar are leading the hunt to find their sister, but the search hasn't been very successful. Since Hervor has the shield around the root locked up, the only way in or out of Alfheim is through Hervor, so the hunt has been focused in the area around the palace in the belief that Gilda will return to confront her mother.

Well that's all I know… Hopefully we can find Gilda soon. Having a dark elf on the loose isn't good for anyone's nerves.

Eirdag, the Tenth of Goa

"Prinsessa," a voice said from the opening to my room. I turned to find one of the servants standing there staring at me apprehensively. Very few of the servants spoke English not that it mattered since I'd requested the few that did to speak only to me in Elvish.

I still didn't understand the language that well, but when I caught the words 'drouneng' the elf word for queen, and 'tronraem' the Elvish word for throne room, I was reasonably sure I knew what she wanted.

I let her lead me through the branchway down into the main section of the palace-tree and finally into Hervor's throne room. Bright tapestries adorned the walls and a simple unadorned padded chair seated Hervor on a raised platform near the back.

A familiar figure with long auburn hair stood in the center of the room facing Hervor. Had there not been a very slight ring of light around my mother's form, I might have believed she was actually there. As it was I knew there was some form of magic at work. The Seidskati didn't have the sort of power required to send messages across worlds, but it was well within Hervor's abilities and sure enough, when I looked over to my grandmother I saw her hand clenched around a glowing purple orb about the size of a small orange. My mother had a similar orb clenched in her hand, and I just knew that the orbs were magical objects more than likely created by Hervor herself.

"…Sons of Odin are telling people that the Jotun will spare those who join their side. I don't know if it's true, but they have more and more magic users flocking to them. We're having some success detecting those transformed by Mengele's formula, but for every one we capture, another gets through. It isn't helping our credibility. Many are arguing the Seidskati aren't doing enough, and it's getting difficult to convince the people that we're doing everything in our power. For the time being we have the advantage, but I don't know if that will last."

"This is most troubling," Hervor said with a slight frown.

"You're telling me. We could use some help… if we don't stop Talman and his followers, there may be nothing left when it comes time for the final battle."

"I have apprised thee of the situation, Siedkona," Hervor muttered, staring at my mother with a meaningful look.

"Surely, one dark elf can't be that much of a danger. You're going to have to open the barrier around your world sooner or later."

"Of this I am well aware. Steps are being taken to resolve the matter."

"Hervor, we're supposed to be allies. We need your help. Are you just going to sit idly by while our world burns to ashes around us?"

Hervor let out a long sigh, "I will send my troops as soon as I am able."

"I certainly hope so. We're not getting desperate yet, but it's only a matter of time. Please hurry."

"I shall do all within my power. Thou hast my word, Seidkona. Now tell me what of the faekin?"

Mom shook her head, "The faeries have been quite a valuable asset, but there is only so much they can do against human weapons. Very few of them are skilled at using their magic for destructive purpose and many of those that do have the knowledge refuse to use it in order to kill. I've yet to see the Gray Queen face to face, but her messengers assure me she is doing everything within her power to help."

"Have the dvergar settled upon a price?

"The dwarves seem unusually reticent. I'm convinced they're holding out for something, but I can't even begin to guess what it would be."

"The dvergar are no fools. They shall see the light soon. Thou hast only to wait."

"And what of thy other allies?" Hervor muttered, and I could feel her discomfort through the bond. Obviously, she was referring to the exiled elves, but her pride kept her from speaking of them directly.

"The Fellá¡lfar still haven't come to a decision. The other tribes are probably the only reason we're holding our ground. Now enough with the questions. I'd like to hear how my daughter has been doing."

"Ask her thyself, Siedkona. She has been listening upon our conversation for some time," Hervor said, waving a hand in my direction.

Mom spun around, and I saw her face for the first time in months. She looked haggard, tired and worn, but her face seemed to brighten considerably when she caught sight of me.

"Bryn, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Mom. I wish I could be there with you," I muttered, wishing for all the world that I could wrap my arms around my mother's image, but she was just an illusion, and I doubted it was a good enough one to allow for me to 'touch' her.

Mom shook her head, "No, Bryn you don't. I've seen the very worst of human nature come to light since you've left. I don't ever want you to see the things I've seen. It's better you stay where you're at in álfheim, but enough of that. I want to hear how you have been."

"I'm fine."

"Bryn, please… I need this. Tell me what's been happening with you," she said staring up at me with an expectant expression.

Things must have gotten bad. I knew my mother and I knew how she thought. She wanted to hear about me because it would put her mind off her troubles for a short time. So I told her about my training, Sam and Leif's budding romance, my attempts at learning Elvish and I finally described Dagdedar and álfheim to her.

Mom didn't interrupt me, instead she merely listened with an almost wistful expression on her face. When I was done she seemed disappointed, but didn't press me for any more information.

"I suppose it's time for me to go… The rest of the Seidskati will likely want to know what I've found out. Goodbye, Bryn. Goodbye, Hervor," she said sadly, then suddenly her image faded away and it was just me and my grandmother again.

Siffendag, the Twelfth of Goa

Well, I think Hervor has had enough playing cat and mouse with Gilda. She announced today that she was going to be sending troops through to Midgard as part of an effort to try and get Gilda to reveal herself. Of course, it's a calculated risk. Hervor can't lie, so she actually has to send troops. So we'll probably only have one chance at capturing Gilda, and if we fail it's a good bet she'll escape through Hervor's shield.

The real surprising part is that when we spring the trap on Gilda, Hervor wants me there. Hervor, Dagmar, and I are the only ones with enough power to match Gilda. While I have very little training in the full use of my magic. I more than make up for that particular shortcoming with Mjá¶lnir at my side. I'm pretty sure Hervor has some secret reason for including me, but I really don't care. I want to be a part of this. At the very least I can help my father get some closure.

Vordag, the Eighteenth of Goa

Yesterday we sprung our trap and it was a disaster.

With a blink of an eye we appeared outside the root with a few thousand of Hervor's soldiers.

"Gilda, daughter, I know thou art here. I know also that thou waitest for me to open the shield, likely so that thou mightest sneak through. Know this, daughter, I shan't let thee through. I didst give the humans my words that I would send aid, but I gave them no promise of when. I will to wait thee out, daughter. Wilt thou to wait me out?" Hervor called out in English.

There was no reply… So we sat and waited… and waited… and waited. It was hours before anything happened and just when I was beginning to think Hervor had miscalculated, Gilda finally made an appearance. It was getting late and Dagmar, Hervor and I were all sitting around a fire. There were guards posted all over the place, but when dealing with a magic user as powerful as my aunt, the guards were superfluous.

She came at Hervor from out of nowhere, and it happened so suddenly that she was on my grandmother before I realized she was there. Hervor was ready however, and a spirit shield formed up around her to repel Gilda's attacks. The black blur that was Gilda let out a howl of impotent rage and disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared.

"Thou shalt die, mother! I would have preferred that thou live, but thou hast left me with little choice," a voice called seemingly from everywhere at once. The voice wasn't recognizable as belonging to Gilda. Before, her voice had been soft and musical. After her change her voice sounded rough and guttural.

"Gilda, sister, please, return with us to Dagdedar… It's not too late. You can still redeem yourself. You can still expel the darkness from your soul," Dagmar pleaded.

"Nay sister, I will not! I have been liberated!"

"She hath chosen her path, Dagmar," Hervor pronounced quietly.

"Mother, I give thee one more chance. Let me through or die!"

"Nay daughter, I will not."

"So be it!" Gilda growled.

"Mother!" Dagmar called out suddenly and flung herself in front of Hervor.

The air in front of Dagmar flashed a sickly yellow color and she let out a high pitched scream as the magic worked its deadly course through her body. Steam rose from her skin as her flesh started to boil. I let out a strangled cry and turned away so I didn't have to watch the rest. When I let myself look again, Dagmar's charred remains were lying on the ground at Hervor's feet.

I was angry, but I couldn't afford to be angry… I'd seen what anger could do to an elf who let it take control, and I didn't want that. No! I couldn't allow myself to take that path. Gilda had allowed herself to take that trail, and she had killed her own sister in an attempt to kill her own mother. I reached hold of my magic and let it wash over me. Then I emptied my mind of all emotion as Hervor had taught me. It worked, the anger faded away and a calm serenity washed over me.

My eyes scanned the small clearing looking for Gilda. She was nowhere to be seen, but I knew she would strike again once she detected a hint of weakness. I didn't intend for that to happen. She had to be stopped, and Hervor and I alone were the ones that had the power.

"Hervor!" I called. "Duck."

I grabbed Mjá¶lnir from my belt and raised it up into the air. A bolt of lightning flashed from above and hit the hammer in the center of its head. I swept it in a wide arc and watched as bolts of lightning shot out in all directions. Power sizzled across the landscape and the trees. I heard a thud and a loud gasp as the wave of lightning hit Gilda and sent her careening to the ground. I caught my first real glimpse of her post-change, and I kind of wished I hadn't. She had completed her transformation and looked like a typical Dokká¡lfar female. Her nose had been blunted, her skin had turned completely black, and her once golden locks had gone completely white.

She snarled up at me as I approached and leapt back to her feet in a flurry of motion. I raised Thor's hammer and sent bolt after bolt at her as she leapt through the trees. She was just too damn fast and none of the bolts hit home.

Power crackled around me and a yellowish splash of color appeared before my eyes. I leapt to the side, but the field of yellow followed me wherever I went. I knew that if I didn't act soon I would die just as Dagmar had. Mjá¶lnir's power proved useless in this regard, so I turned to my only other avenue, my magic. Power flooded through me and I concentrated on creating a spirit shield. Although, I knew how to form the weave, I'd never successfully created a barrier, and it was only in my moment of desperation that I was able to successfully form the proper threads of magic together. A bubble of blue energy winked into existence around me and Gilda's curse fizzed harmlessly against it.

I looked down at my hands and realized with a start that there were first-degree burns up and down my arms. I had become so deeply immersed in the workings of my magic that I hadn't even felt the corroding effects of Gilda's magic against my skin. They hurt like hell, but I wasn't seriously injured, so I forced my attention back onto what was important and leapt back into action.

Gilda's spell had succeeded in one respect. It had occupied all my attention and allowed her to move against Hervor. I let the spirit shield slip away and took off running toward my grandmother and Gilda as they duked it out. I waited for an opportunity to slip in, but the swirls of magic that surrounded both of them emanated a few yards in every direction and there was simply no way I could get close enough to do any good. So I watched hopelessly as they dueled.

The amount of power emanating from the two of them was staggering, but I got the feeling that Hervor was holding back. The emotions pouring through our bond were those of a mother in distress for her daughter. Hervor couldn't bring herself to kill Gilda. Even after everything my aunt had done, Hervor still loved her daughter. I couldn't hardly believe that Hervor would let her emotions keep her from do what was necessary. It was a horrible thing for a mother to have to do, but this was Hervor, the same being who had commanded her own son to father a child with a woman he had barely known.

Gilda pounded at Hervor with her magic and I watched as Hervor slowly lost ground. Finally, it looked as if it might be the end. Gilda summoned an incredible amount of earth magic and the ground started to quake. A huge cavity appeared between the two of them, and a massive arm shot out from it. The arm, which was composed entirely of stone, reached out and snatched Hervor up from the ground.

"Now mother, 'tis time for thee to die!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" I yelled, having finally found my opening.

I jumping at Gilda with the hammer above my head and brought it down with all the force I could muster. The power blasted into Gilda's shield, which crackled and fizzled against the strain. Gilda staggered back and lost hold of her earth spell. The arm collapsed to the ground, and Hervor became lost among the debris. I didn't stop to concern myself over my grandmother's well-being. I had caught my aunt off-guard, and I didn't intend to lose that advantage. Lightning shot out all around me as I unleashed the power of the hammer against her barrier. She tried to counter with a fire-spell, but I saw her attack coming a mile away, and summoned a spirit shield to dispel the attack. With another hit from the hammer Gilda's shield shot apart and she fell to her knees, seemingly dazed.

I moved in for the final blow, but Gilda wasn't nearly as weakened as she had led me to believe. She struck out with massive blast of fire and it was all I could do to keep my shield up.

"Gilda!" Hervor called out. She was bruised, and bloodied, and looked like shit, but she was still alive.

Gilda's head snapped toward the sound of Hervor's voice and while she didn't loose her hold on the fire spell, it waned just enough to allow me to act. I pushed outward with my shield and let it absorb the full brunt of her attack as I took a tentative step forward. I clenched Mjá¶lnir in my right hand and slammed it into her chest with all the strength I could muster. She let out a nightmarish screech of pain as the lightning cascaded through her body and built up inside of her. I sensed what was about to happen next and averted my gaze as her body exploded from the energy building up inside. Her bloody remains littered the forest floor and I did my best to ignore them as I let my shield fall away.

The combined use of my magic and Mjá¶lnir had left me feeling quite drained, but I wasn't so weakened that I couldn't remain standing. I stuffed the hammer back into the loop on my belt and moved slowly over to where Hervor had fallen to her knees. She looked to have lost a lot of blood, and I suspect that her right arm was broken, but she would survive.

"Thou hast done well, Brynhilde," she muttered with a wary shake of her head. "Thou hast done what I, in my weakness could not." I could feel her despair and misery through the bond. In just a short span of time she'd lost both of her daughters.

"You knew this would happen," I whispered suddenly. I don't know exactly why that particular thought popped into my head. There was no indication whatsoever to give me any reason to believe it were true, and yet I knew down at the very core of my being that it was.

"Aye, I knew," Hervor and began to weep. I'd never seen my grandmother lose her hold on her emotions like that. I found that I couldn't hold my tears back either, so I wrapped my arms around her and we wept together.

Freydag, the eighteenth of Goa

Lejosá¡lfar funerals–if what I just experienced can even be called that–are very different from human ceremonies. Everyone got together, and they simply talked and consoled one another. There were no speeches, no prayer-songs, they didn't even bother burying or burning the bodies. They simply they left them sitting out in the woods for the animals to carry away.

Hervor wants me to return to Midgard with the next batch of soldiers. She said that I'm finally ready to return… I know it sounds odd, but she actually brought me to álfheim to protect me from myself. According to Hervor, after Marion and Sophie's deaths I had set myself on a path that would have led to me going dark. As much as I hate to agree with her, I think she's right.

After Sophie's death I had been out for blood. If I had allowed my anger to control me, I could have easily gone down the same path as Gilda, and there's no way in Hel that I want to let myself go down that road. That's why Hervor's been cramming meditation down my throat. She knew that it would help me gain control of my emotions. Had I been completely human, I couldn't have learned so quickly, but elves are capable of a much deeper control than humans. We're actually able to fragment our minds, so that while we still experience the emotions in a tiny corner of our brain, our emotions won't affect our ability to think rationally.

I don't think Mom really understood why Hervor wanted me to come here. I think she was more concerned about my physical well being than anything else. She probably won't be happy to see me returning home, but I think I'm finally ready.

Vordag, the twenty-third of Goa

"Are they ready?" I asked turning to my father.

Heime nodded and I turned back to Leif, Sam, Gramor and Eva. After receiving a nod from each, I gave the all go to the elven spellcasters. A flash of bright light filled my vision and once it had cleared I found myself standing in the shattered remnants of New Copenhagen. It was my birthplace and my home of eighteen years, and almost nothing of it remained. It made me want to weep, but I didn't allow myself to become lost in my grief. We hadn't come for sentimentality sake. We were there with a purpose in mind. The city had become one of the primary focal points between the war against the Sons of Odin and their allies. It was for that reason we had come.

Hervor had given command of the elven soldiers to me, all five-thousand of them. I didn't have the experience or knowledge, but Heime was there to guide me and keep me from making any stupid mistakes. Hevor seemed to think I needed the experience, but as always, she refused to tell me why. The Lejosá¡lfar soldiers had embraced my leadership enthusiastically. I was after all, the hero who had defeated the dark elf Gilda.

Suddenly, I felt a trickle of cold chills run down my spine and I knew someone was casting a spell nearby.

"Havta frem!" I called in Elvish issuing the command to move forward.

My companions, along with the contingent of soldiers leapt into motion behind me and I moved quickly toward the source of the magic. The icy tingles became stronger as I moved closer to the source, and judging from the frequency and the power of the magic being used it was a good bet we were about step into the middle of a battle.

"Father, there's a lot of magic being used over that way," I whispered at my father pointing to the North.

Heime nodded thoughtfully, "Then to battle we must go, daughter. 'Tis the only the choice."

"I know it's just… I've never ordered anyone into battle."

"Aye, 'tis a difficult burden, but methinks thou shalt bear it well," he replied back, gripping my shoulder with an encouraging smile.

"Bryn, you were born for this," Eva said whispering on my other side.

Sam, Leif, and Garik all joined in offering their support.

I nodded, unhooked Mjá¶lnir from my belt, and called "Havta frem!" one final time before breaking out in a dead run.

A burst of air magic shot toward me and I summoned up a spirit barrier to block it. My attacker was an air mage, and while she was extremely skilled in the use of her power, she was no match for me when it came to raw elemental potential. Really, it sounds arrogant, but no human was.

Mjá¶lnir made short work of her and I moved on to the next fighter, only to find that there were none left to fight. Our arrival had turned the battle–well, maybe skirmish is a better word–quickly in favor of our allies. There were maybe a few hundred soldiers and a dozen or so magic users on on the other side so we pretty easily overwhelmed the enemy.

A very dirty and very tired looking soldier appeared. "It was sure nice of you folks to show up."

"Glad we could render some assistance. I'm Princess Brynhilde le Fey. And you are?"

"Lieutenant Jensen at your service, your highness. I'm sorry but did you say le Fey? I thought elves didn't have surnames."

"I'm only half-elf. My mother is Aryanna le Fey," I replied quietly.

"So the rumors are true," he said with a shake of his head.

"Well, I guess I ought to show you to camp. I'm sure the Lady le Fey will wish to see you," he added.

"Lead the way," I muttered with an extended hand.

"…move some troops down south to this ridge we can head them off before they can get any closer," Mom said. Nick Flint, Daniella, Matoaka and Theodora were all huddled around her, listening intently as she spoke. She was leaning over a large map and had her back turned away from us as we stepped inside the command tent.

Daniella was the first to note our presence and I saw her eyes widen in surprise as she whispered my name. Mom straightened her back and swirled around to face me, "Goddesses, Bryn what are you doing here?"

"Why yes, Mom, it's nice to see you too," I replied.

"That's not what I meant. It is good to see you, but why aren't you on álfheim?"

"Hervor thought it was time for me to spread my wings and fly," I replied dryly.

"Hervor… That woman never ceases to confound me," she muttered with a shake of her head.

Mom stared at me for a moment, then moved across the room and embraced me in a hug. "I am glad to see you. I just didn't want our reunion to take place in the middle of a battlefield," Mom whispered in my ear.

Daniella joined in our hug and there were warm wishes spread all around as we greeted one another. Our reunion was cut short as a soldier appeared at the tent entrance to announce an incoming attack.

"I've brought five-thousand battle-ready Lejosá¡lfar soldiers if you'll have us," I volunteered.

Mom looked ready to object, but after a brief moment let out a weary sigh, "I'll welcome the help, but I don't want you putting yourself in danger."

"I don't think my troops will be willing to go into battle without their prinsessa," I replied with a smirk.

That seemed to do the trick, "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

I smiled ruefully and shook my head, but before I could make a reply there came a loud bang from somewhere outside and we all went running out of the tent.

To be Continued

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