Tur: An Elsker Saga Novella

CHAPTER TWO

Chapter Two

WE’D BARELY MADE IT home when the sirens started blaring. I shot Gunnar an uneasy look as we raced to our bedroom, throwing dress robes on the floor, and suiting up in black combat gear. I grabbed my rapier and dagger from the hall closet and tossed Gunnar his crossbow. By the time we got back to the front door, Ull was already in his fatigues, battle sword in hand.

“Go,” Ull commanded. We obeyed. Despite his feelings on the subject, he was the best fighter among us.

We ran through the night, down the dark meadow and past the pond. The Great Hall filled as we entered, gods and goddesses moving into ranks. Ull took his place at the head of the hall alongside Thor. Together, they were a peculiar pair -- one a battle-scarred redhead who looked like the stereotypical Midgardian Viking; the other a fierce blond assassin who looked like he might moonlight as a movie star. But they shared the same set jaw, the same intense look, and emitted the same waves of fury. Whatever was going down, it was serious. Gunnar and I stood in front of Ull and waited for our orders.

“Asgardians,” Odin’s somber tone rose through the frenzy. “Svartalfheim has attacked the Bifrost. Dark Elves overtook Heimdall and are crossing the bridge. I believe their goal is simple destruction, but we must protect the Unknowables nonetheless. Anders, your team is to guard the War Cabinet. Bjorn, ensure your men protect the Treasure Room. Dagnir, oversee the Sanctimony. And Magni, patrol the residential areas. The rest of you, follow Thor to the Bifrost.”

My brain clicked into fight mode, and I clenched my rapier in my left hand. I barely noticed Gunnar’s tug on my jacket as he pulled me to the wall.

“Inga,” he whispered.  “Please be careful.”

“You too, baby.” I smiled. I knew he was worried, but I couldn’t contain my elation. I hadn’t seen a real fight in a century. Anticipation thrummed in my veins.

“I mean it. You are my life, and if anything happened to you--”

I cut him off before he could get too sentimental. “Zip it, Andersson.” I kissed him gently, melting against his soft lips. “Save it for the after party back home.” He raised an eyebrow and I curled up against him for the briefest of moments before we righted ourselves and fell back into rank. Ull moved in to my side and relayed Thor’s orders.

“The two of you are to stay with me. For some reason Thor thinks I am a target, and he wants Gunnar at my flank. Inga, you are free to follow Skadi’s group to rescue Heimdall. But, knowing how you feel about her, I asked for your assistance as well. Is that all right?”

“Thanks, Ull.” Doing anything at Skadi’s command would be suicide. She made stupid mistakes trying to prove she was tough enough for a god’s job, and I had no intention of getting myself killed because of her ego.

“Now if anything happens, Gunnar, we protect Inga first. Get her to safety.”

“Hey,” I protested. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can.” Ull chuckled. “Or I would send you back to the house right now.”

“I wouldn’t go.” I put my hands on my hips. If Ull thought he could keep me away from this fight, he had another thing coming.

“Yes, you would. No matter. Come.” He jogged into the darkness, away from the troupe filing steadfastly behind Thor. His muscular form ran lithely toward the trees, then disappeared. That was weird -- protocol dictated we stay with the others. A three-person hunting party would be easy for an enemy to pick off.

Ull knew something he wasn’t telling us.

Gunnar raised an eyebrow and shrugged. I shifted my weapons to my left hand as we jogged into the woods after Ull. It’d been a long time since I’d been in the Dark Forest, and it still gave me chills. Asymmetrical trees cast shadows across uneven footpaths and the eerie silence confirmed that all the animals had fled. Someone -- or something -- was in here.