The Lost Tale

Hers and Mine

My brow furrows as I watch the man circle the room- a slick looking smile crossing his face as my mother still kneels with her head facing the floor. Her shoulders shake as he makes his way to a chair sitting to the side of a table; "You my silly little thing... You haven't done anythin' as of yet." His voice is sing-songy as if he were speaking a riddle. "But I have come to you for a special favor. I know you serve the old gods well- and now I need that... loyalty."

There is an abrupt silence as his gaze bores into her; his sharp eyes glow an ominous green that compares to the eyes of the other me- the violet in them swirling in what I can only believe is magic. I have no idea what's about to happen and the beating in my chest seems to get louder and louder as my mother raises her gaze to meet his. "I am loyal to the gods- and I will accept your task."

She moves to stand, mousey brown tendrils fall over her shoulder as her expression hardens into one of severity. Crossing the room and taking a seat, she falls silent as Loki clears his throat happily. Their talking warps into murmurs; a high pitch tone begins to ring in my eardrums and I cover my ears for relief. The awful sound pierces into me and I move away from the house; the other me hovers at the doorway unfazed. I wonder what she hears that I can't... I shake my head as my legs carry me across the village at full sprint, dirt kicks up behind me in clouds.

Soon I am out of the village and am comforted by the shelter of the woods that lay past the crop farms. The hair on my arms stands on end and a stiff wind blows intensely from behind me- with a peak over my shoulder my heart stops. Glowing purple eyes meet mine shining with a ferocity that sends a chill down my spine and her voice sounds out- ethereal though I can still hear my normal voice beneath it like a reverberating whisper. "You should've waited... if only a little longer."

A sadness sinks into my chest as her eyes burn into mine, a surrealness in looking at this different form of me- heavenly with obvious inner wounds. A tear sheds from my eye, the stream running softly down my cheek before I blink; and then I am gone. The grass beneath me is cold as I wake- a small flame flickers sending fractiles of light bouncing from the glassy trees.

My eyelids blink groggily into the still dark night, and as I sit up I can feel the stiffness in my muscles creaking in protest. Eluf sleeps underneath one of the glittering pillars as Ove prods at the fire with a stick of the same material, the light makes small popping sounds as he looks up at me. "You were out a while- must've been really tired." His eyes gloss over me as if he were looking for answers to a question I can't manage to think up.

With a nod and a groan I get to my feet and stretch; dew drops drip from the blades of grass at my feet. "Yeah I was. Have you slept?" I ask with a soft voice that floats in the air around us- the stillness of early morning contrasts the two of us as we shuffle around the fire. He nods and we let the comfortable silence hover as we move around our make-shift camp.

The first rays of light pour onto the landscape as Eluf wakes, and shortly after we are gathered up and ready to leave. I pull the trinket from my pocket- the cold chain rests in my palms for a few moments as I focus my energy; the metal shifts and my fingers grasp firmly at the metal thread as the charm circles wildly. Moments pass and it chooses the direction, westward and up is now our course as we wander in the dim lit dawn.

I try not to be obviously bothered by the dream I had, but still I can't find myself comfortable- my mind is burning between my ears with questions. What did that woman mean when said I should've waited; why do I continue to see the burning glow of her eyes- my eyes against my skin.

"- haunted." the word catches my attention and I snap back into reality as Eluf continues his thought; "Ya know it makes you think twice about it when you do this kind of thing." he loosely gestures to the forest of light around us; the sun can be blinding from some angles off of the tree's smooth ice like bark. "We're going to be the old gripes hollering on about ghost stories because we really live in one."

Ove chuckles in response and I shake my head with a forced grin; my hair ruffles with the movement. "I'm sure that this adventure is just as much an opportunity as a risk." I chirp- trying to convince myself even more so than my companions. "We're on the right path, may as well make the best of it, right?"

Eluf's scrutinizing gaze lingers on me as I speak sending a rush of warmth to the center of my cheeks. "The risk of not being old enough to tell those stories- to claim the honor." his voice seems oddly cold, an unexpected change from his demeanour over the past few days. The wind blows loftily over us "I'm trying to trust you- but I still see that monster when I look at you."

He falls behind me, his pace slowing as I look apprehensively over my shoulder. Ove eyes me wearily and I know he can see the slight tremble to my hands, the subtlest of movements. His hand slides into mine, our fingers interlacing with a squeeze. "Have anything you want to talk about?"

I let out a sigh, "only if you don't judge me." Ove laughs and nods, his expression flattening again before I start. We follow the charm as I tell him about the ritual Nilyha and I did- his onyx eyes widened for a few moments of silence before he urges me to continue. Eluf walks several yards behind us- and I talk openly about the dream I've had; the concerns that it gives me.

After a while I fall silent, and the only sound in the air is the clobbering of our feet amongst the grass. We near the edge of the forest- and in the distance a gleaming city of towers looms ahead. I stop for a split second- my eyes taking in the elegant and rigid pillars, shooting into the sky like giant arrows of ice.

Ove stops beside me, "Once we find this item- you're going to find Nilyha." his voice is stern, though there is no harshness behind his words; "You need to take what you're doing very seriously. If this is a sign of anything it is that trouble is headed this way." He exhales- and I nod in response.

"I was thinking the same thing. She said she can teach me how to use it; the magic inside me. I'll bet she can help me understand that dream too." The city in the distance slowly becomes larger, the closer we get to it the higher it seems to grow, tops of buildings blend into the clouds in the sky above.

The three of us approach the place carefully- a wall shoots up several feet above our heads, the grand archway filtering in very few passers as we reach the open gates. The grass is replaced with smooth stones in pale shades of blue and purple. The beings that live here take many forms- and I'm not sure what to make of them though they pay us little mind.

Every now and then we cross along the path of a curious creature- the wide eyes seem to peer into us as we pass. The trinket in my hands trembles at the end of it's chain- now pointing sharply into the air. The building before us is tall beyond wildest dreams; I can't see where it ends and the sky begins as we reach the doors.

Two creatures stand at the door's sides. Owls the size of horses- though instead of the wide open eyes I'd accustomed with them- void holes with starlight in the center. The two owls open their beaks unnaturally as we approach, a dull tone hum echoing from them as we stop walking. "Who seeks to enter the council house?" The shrill voice doesn't fit the image- the stark owls contrast the childlike voice that sounds through one of the beaks.

I look to Ove curiously before speaking up; "My name is Iona- and I was led here by Odin. I request access inside please." Eluf and Ove both look to me as if I have lost my mind, but I hold my hand up dismissively. The Owls spread wing, and both in unison launch into the air as their beaks close. They whirl in the air around us for moments before the light of the outside world is blocked- the Owls wings furl over us as a roof; the door opens.