Einherjar

30

Vandri almost fell down the slope, her face strained from carrying Skalfi. Blader, Wolfsted, and Sodull rushed forward to help her, Blader taking Skalfi from her, carefully cradling her in his arms. Her head lolled back, her eyes closed. In her stomach was a large bloody gash which was continuing to bleed.

"No, no, Skalfi, no," Blader muttered, bringing her over to a large, thick root and kneeling down. Gently, he placed her down in the grass, the severity of her wound obvious. Like Erik, Skalfi wasn't going to make it.

"I don't know what happened," Vandri gasped, Wolfsted and Sodull helping support her over to Skalfi and Blader. Her entire body was trembling, whether from fear or anger or just the burden of carrying Skalfi for who knows how far, Blader didn't know. "Skalfi and I were fighting back to back, and then Munin joined us to help." Vandri took a deep breath before continuing. "But then he stabbed Skalfi, for no reason! I thought he was one of us! And then...and then...and then...." Blader noticed the tears cutting through the grime on Vandri's face as she stammered, trying to find some way of finishing her story. "And then I stabbed him."

Sodull placed his arm around her shoulders but Vandri didn't lean into him for support. She just wiped away the tears dripping down her cheeks, continuing to tremble with emotion. "But when Munin fell, he said something to me." She met Blader's eyes. "Something about saving Skalfi."

"What did he say?" Blader asked, feeling a slight spark of hope within him.

Vandri bit her lip for a moment before speaking. "He said that he was just the messenger, bringing tidings from his master. Skalfi's death could only be stopped if Blader Thrym took her place."

All eyes flickered from Vandri to Blader, then back to Vandri again. "What?" Blader asked.

"You have to take her place," Vandri repeated, her eyes dropping down to Skalfi lying limply in front of her. "You have to die in order for her to live."

"How does that work?" Wolfsted asked, furrowing his brow.

"Is this just a part of the Reenactment?" Sodull queried. "Another test?"

Vandri shook her head. "No, it isn't. At least, I don't believe it is. Munin...he said that Blader had to go down, into Helheim, to save Skalfi. I took it to mean you had to die instead of her."

"That's not what it means," Sodull said quietly. "When Baldor died, Hermod, his brother, descended into Helheim to bargain with Hela for his brother's life. I'm sure this is supposed to be similar to that scenario, but...." He trailed off, chewing his lip uncertainly. "This isn't right. This is Ragnarok, hence I'm not sure if Skalfi would go to any of the old afterlife places. I think there was a separate one for the Ragnarok deaths, since it was the end of the world and all. But I don't know. Besides, even if Skalfi went to an old afterlife, it would be Valhalla, or even Folkvangr, but not Helheim."

"So what does that mean?" Vandri asked.

Sodull hesitated a moment. "I don't know. This either is a genuine part of the Reenactment, or it's not."

"It's not," Blader said quietly. "It can't be. Munin stabbing Skalfi – we said that the Reenactment was faulty. That someone was being allowed through it. Maybe it was Munin." He turned to Vandri. "Did he say anything else, anything at all?"

She nodded. "He said to tell you, 'Whose life do you most prize?'"

Blader felt the blood drain from his face. Whose life do you most prize? A voice had said that to him, at the beginning of the Reenactment. And now Munin was repeating it to him. What did this all mean?

Me or Skalfi. It's either me, or Skalfi. Whose life do I most prize, my own, or hers?

"Did Munin say anything else, anything at all?" Blader pressed Vandri. "I need to know everything."