Dead Memories

29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Thor had been away from his home for a long while now, but the pull of the Bifrost was as familiar and exhilarating as always. Skurge offered to hold onto the injured and blind Amora despite being injured himself, and Thor did not fight him on it. He had no desire to carry the treacherous sorceress in his arms.

As soon as his feet touched the floor of the observatory he opened his mouth to greet Heimdall, but his eyes landed on someone else and he abruptly fell silent.

'Brunnhilde,' he said after a moment. He glanced around but Heimdall was nowhere to be seen, only the tall blonde Valkyrie stood in front of them. She pulled Heimdall's long sword out, shutting the Bifrost down. No, it was not Heimdall's sword, it was Brunnhilde's own blade.

'Greetings Son of Odin,' she said. 'Welcome home.'

'Greetings to you too, good Brunnhilde,' Thor nodded in return, remembering his manners.

'Some warriors will take the prisoners off your hands shortly,' she said then, standing in front of them. Her gaze was not as unnerving as Heimdall's, but it made Thor stand taller nonetheless. He doubted there was any warrior in all of Asgard who did not straighten their back when standing in front of the great Valkyrie.

'Where is Heimdall?' he asked then.

'He has been relieved of his duty,' the Valkyrie answered, much to Thor's shock.

'What? How can that be? What happened?'

For Asgard's guardian to be replaced, it was unthinkable.

'You must ask the King yourself,' she said. 'I'm just fulfilling the duty I have been given.'

'How?' Thor wondered out loud. 'Without Heimdall's all-seeing eyes...'

'I brought you here when you called. Have I not?' Brunnhilde asked in return, her voice hard.

'I meant no disrespect,' Thor quickly reassured her.

'I am more than just Asgardian, Odinson,' she said. 'Forget that not.'

No one would be foolish enough to forget that. She did not always stay in Asgard, but Brunnhilde was still the leader of the Valkyrior, the Choosers of the Slain, in name and spirit. She was one of greatest warriors of the Nine Realms and more than powerful enough to defend Asgard in Heimdall's stead. Thor just did not understand why. Heimdall had always been Asgard's guardian and all-seeing sentinel. Thor could remember no time when it had not been so.

But Brunnhilde was right, he had to ask his father about this.

He heard footsteps approaching from outside and he was relieved to hand Skurge and Amora over to the Einherjar. He could not stand looking at the sorceress, even though she was silent now. It was maybe the defeat she had suffered, her injuries, or Loki's threat, but she kept her lips firmly shut.

But then it was not the Einherjar that entered the Observatory, much to Thor's surprise. Instead of golden armour, shields and spears, these warriors had blades and axes. They wore dark brown leathers with white furs thrown over their shoulders, all adorned with the same gold seal. They were all Warriors of Skornheim. Thor's brows furrowed even deeper. He had not been away from Asgard that long.