The Valkyrie's Hunt - COMPLETE

Chapter 14. Checkmate

The road to Helheim was much less clear this time, Mordgud a faint presence guiding her rather than blocking her way. The gates gave way and Luci was sucked, naked and still wet, into the hall of the goddess of death. Yet again, she found herself bowing to the Queen of the realm, but this time it was the daughter of Loki and Angrobodr, Hel herself.

Hel leant her head slightly to one side, one side of her was beautiful, a pale version of her mother with her father’s flaming eye. The other side was bleached bone held in place by taught tendons under the ragged cloth of her dress, and nothing else. The empty socket regarded Luci as the ember blinked slowly, considering.

“You still do not understand, do you? No matter. Here you are. In my hall, none go hungry, none have want or need. You are dead but welcome, Lightbringer.”

Luci smiled a small smile. 

“I had never thought to hear that name again, m’lady.”

“And yet, you do.” Hel’s teeth clacked where the cheek was not present to hide them. “You are not the first who bore it, and you were not the last, but bore it you did, once.”

“Once, but no more.”

“No more then.” the goddess nodded. “No more. Welcome, Luci of the Valkyries.”

“My thanks, m’lady.” Luci bowed again and hoped that Hel would be certain enough of her own power to agree to her request. There was no time to take the long route now. “I was wondering if perhaps you might be willing to let me meet with Freya, I had heard she was here and it has been a long time since I saw her.”

“Of course.” Replied Hel, that knowing smile still haunting her face, and Luci did not even finish the thought of ‘that was easy’ before the realm slid around her and she found herself outside the door of a hut, one of many and indistinguishable from the others around it but for the familiar melody drifting through the walls.

Luci knocked and called out;

“Freya, My Lady, I have come for you!” And the door swung open to reveal the smiling face she had known so well. 

“Come in, come in!” Freya beckoned, arms outstretched to embrace her chosen. “Oh how lovely to see such an oft-wished for face!” Luci entered the little hut and found it was simply decked out, but the furs on the bed were fine, the pot stewing over the fire was clearly well made, and the bowls upon the shelf were beautifully polished. Freya herself was dressed in a similar style, simply but with good quality, in a deep blue woolen fabric and golden torque, her skin still glowing gently with the gold she was known for. 

“You must eat with me.” Freya gestured at the low table with two bowls ready and waiting, and two furs ready for them to sit and dine together. 

“There isn’t much time…” began Luci, but Freya interrupted, rummaging in a wooden chest by the stove before pulling out a tunic the colour of a moonless midnight sky and a belt with a buckle in the shape of a star. 

“Nonsense. Eat with me, and time will find us soon enough.” Her rune pouch bounced on her hip, humming quietly with magic. Luci did as she was told, and Freya served up the stew and poured a wooden sharing cup of mead.

“Thank you for coming for me.” She spoke softly, “I have been a long time waiting, and no time at all, I suppose.”

“Of course, m’lady. You were much missed and never far from our hearts.”

Freya nodded, sure that this was true, and then she watched Luci with a calculating eye as they ate together. Finally she finished her food. 

“You do know that for me to leave, another must freely choose to take my place, don’t you?”

“Ah. I had rather hoped that that would not be the case, if I am honest.”

“If there is any doubt in your heart then I will remain here. I will not take what you are not willing to give.”

Luci only needed a moment, but she took that moment to be sure, breathing into her heart and feeling the weight of love, heartbreak, and the devotion to Freya and her long grieving husband. 

“And how would I live with myself if I left you here? You are needed, My Lady. You are missed… I missed you. It would make my heart happy to know that you blessed the world above with your beauty and magic again.”

“Then thank you, dear Valkyrie. You will live on in our stories and always have a seat in my hall, even if you cannot sit in it.”

Luci felt Helheim begin to swim, like water about her giving way to air… There were voices from a long way away. She unbuckled the recently returned collar and held out her shield to her goddess, her queen. Her lungs felt heavy with water, her heart light with a service completed. 

“Take my place in the lands above, My Lady… Freya. And go with love.”

The golden lady took Luci’s offered talisman, her power, her home, and placed it about her own neck before laying a final kiss on Luci’s forehead as the sense of the lagoon faded with the light of the goddess. 

“You will fly again, dear valkyrie, never fear.” Her words echoed around the hut as Luci crumpled to the floor and the world faded to black… she could hear the voices of her friends, of Ella, in urgent tones, “look, she’s waking up…”

But it was Freya's voice that answered them, and Freya's alone, as Luci's vision swam to black. 

It seemed she had earned a place in Freya's Hall for a second time, but received an eternal stay in Helheim anyway.