Star Wolves - The Tribes of Yggdrasil: Book 1

Chapter 9

The door opened and light flooded the cell. Devrim covered his eyes and tried to curl up in a ball to escape the torment day brought.

"Good morning, Devrim," Hal said.

Devrim made a crack in between his arms to peek at Hal.

"How are they treating you?"

Devrim relaxed a little.

"I have a proposition for you Devrim. Interested?"

He said nothing.

"We would like to get our people back," Hal continued, "and to do that, we need a guide. In return, we would be willing to release you back to your sire in exchange for our people. What say you?"

"My sire will not want me back." Devrim curled back up.

"Ok, well if it means you'll be staying with us, then I'm sure your cooperation would go a long way to affording you luxuries, and maybe even an early release. Would you be interested in that?"

Devrim looked back at him, seemingly considering the proposal. "Perhaps."

Hal crouched in front of Devrim. "Look, we're going, with or without you, but if you help then that shows us who's side you're on now. If you plan on staying that is. We need someone like you who knows the Hrymar. You could be an ambassador of sorts." Hal knew he was stretching the truth, but needed some leverage. Hal stood up. "But if you'd rather just sit in this cell day after day ... then I'll be on my way."

"Wait," Devrim stood, "I will help."

Hal slept very little, and woke up tired, but forced himself out of bed. He remembered a verse from the Havamal which his grandfather had taught him when Hal was a small boy.

"It does no good to lie awake all night, ruminating on your problems. You wake up tired, and your troubles are still there."

The Havamal was a collection of Old Icelandic wisdom poems attributed to Odin, and it was the closest thing to a Bible his people had, though it was not prescriptive. The Asatruar had taken up the faith of their pre-Christian ancestors, and once again worshipped the old gods and goddesses. Hal proudly wore a gold pendant of Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, about his neck; the hammer was said to be the mightiest weapon ever devised, which Thor used to battle the Giants and protect mankind. It proclaimed him as a modern Heathen, although few understood what the term really meant.

Hal rolled out of bed and placed the hammer between his thumb and forefinger. Today he would need such strength.

Hal walked over to his shelf and picked up a bottle of mead and opened it. Beside it was a small silver cup into which he poured a little of the mead. He replaced the bottle and took the silver cup outdoors. Once outside on the grass in front of his apartment, he turned and faced north, looked to the heavens, raised the silver cup, and said, "Odin counsel me, Heimdall guide me, Thor protect me, and Freya comfort me. Hail the Aesir. Hail the Vanir, and all my ancestors. I honor you. I remember you. Be with me always." Hal took a sip of the mead and carefully poured the rest on the ground as an offering. He inhaled deeply, and returned to his apartment.

Hal was sitting in his chair, working with his bridge crew on final checks before launch, when Eva Joubert walked onto the bridge. She gave Hal a warm smile, and stared at him with those deep blue eyes of hers. "Good morning, Captain," she said.

"Morning, Eva. It's really great to see you again. It's been too long."

"It has indeed. I hear you are married now? And have a son?"

"I do. Ailan is five years old, and a chip off the old block."

"You?" he asked.

"Married only to my work, I'm afraid."