Einherjar

33

Wolfsted, Sodull, and Skalfi questioned Vandri and Blader about their meeting with the High King. Blader only said that everything was classified right now and he couldn't speak about it. Vandri just said that she was asked about Munin. "What about Munin?" Wolfsted pressed.

Vandri was quiet for a moment. "About why I chose to kill him. Instead of assuming Skalfi was at fault."

Skalfi narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"He wanted to know why I chose the allegiances I did," Vandri explained. "Why I chose to trust Skalfi over Munin."

"What did you say?" Sodull asked.

"I told him what my mother had told me, once. She said that if you are ever in a situation like that, not knowing who to trust but you need to make a decision quickly, you trust the person who's watching your back and kill the other one. That way, even if you're not right, they now owe you their life and perhaps they'll remember that later if push ever comes to shove." Vandri shrugged. "She used to say that although someone may be a part of a horrible plot or army that thinks all the wrong things are right, in the end, you mostly deal with individuals, not the army itself. When dealing with individuals, there's lots of wiggle room for perspectives to change."

"No matter how you look at it, I'm just glad you picked me over him," Skalfi said seriously.

[----]

Within a couple of days, the announcement went out that the einherjar within the hospital were scheduled for release. Formal uniforms were issued to everyone and the Valkyries were seen more frequently in the reception area, speaking with their recruits and making sure everyone understood what was going on. The day before the release, which would coincide with their official welcome into the einherjar, the patients were split into their original units and the drill masters arrived to speak with them.

Blader stood in a new plain grey tunic and trousers, matching everyone else in the hospital. The patient tunics had been done away with. Master Sigmund Utan walked through the door into Unit 232's designated room. He stood in the doorway for a long moment, just looking at them, and then he spoke.

"I heard I trained quite a few courageous soldiers this time around."

Wolfsted smirked.

Utan fell silent again. Blader exchanged a quick glance with Sodull next to him and saw the brief pain in his eyes. Erik had had courage, but he wasn't there with them today.

"We lost some great ones," Utan eventually continued, in a lower voice. "This year was hard, more difficult than it's ever been before. If you made it, you've proven yourself as an exceptional einherjar and I am proud to have worked with each and every single one of you." He cleared his throat. "Tomorrow, on Soldagr, we celebrate you, the ones who survived, but we will always remember the ones we lost in the Reenactment, for some of them were damn good soldiers, too. Just unfortunate enough to enlist in the wrong year, is all.

"You will have your revenge, however. Wars are coming at us and we will need every able-bodied warrior we got on the field holding back the advance. On Manidagr you shall all depart home on a week's leave, accompanied by your Valkyries. Afterward you shall report back to Vigrid to go through some more drills, just to ensure everyone's back on their toes, and then you'll be shipped out to your assigned destinations. Your weapons will be returned before you ship out. Everyone got that?"

"Yes, sir!" resounded throughout the room.

Utan nodded. "You are dismissed then. I'll see you tomorrow." As the recruits broke for the door, Blader trailed after Sodull and so he caught what Utan said to his friend. "Keep asking questions, Trautt. Perhaps next time someone will listen harder."