Ancient Hunter
Epilogue

A tall sandy haired young woman in a brown dress stood in the centre of a busy airport concourse. A large black bag was slung over one shoulder and at her feet was a wheeled suitcase. The woman’s dress reached to her ankles to reveal a pair of high heeled boots underneath. There was no sign of fear on her face but there was wary alertness in her eyes. Crowds of blonde haired equally tall people flowed around her. I straightened up from my observation of the young woman. I unfolded the red and silver sash I had balled in my hand and tied it around my waist. A band of green separated the red and silver bands of the sash. Two Valkyrie Guardians stood with me in their leather pants and tops. The handle of a two handed sword peeked out over their shoulders. They stepped out when I did flanking me. I threaded my way through the throngs of Valkyrie towards the woman. Her face swung in my direction an expression of relief on her face. Her eyes were the blue Valkyrie but her face was softened by her half Human heritage. She was the perfect blend of both her mothers. She smiled at me her face splitting into a broad grin.

“Auntie Gwen!” she said to me.

I wasn’t about to correct her about that. “Juliet,” I replied. Seeing her in the flesh was better than seeing her through a holo. She’d grown into a stunning woman in the seventeen years since I had last seen her as a baby. It was that long ago when I met Ljufu and Ana while hunting for Vanessa. Who had killed my friend Solstrid and tried to sell Monica and Alicia to the Orsini. Vanessa was dead long dead, that part of my life had passed. Things certainly had changed I now had a family of my own. None of my children would be eligible to become a Clan Mother. Miranda who I named for the once Human woman that had founded the Martin Clan was my eldest child and the only one that looked Human. The others seemed to have favoured their father’s side and had slightly pointed ears like all T’Arni hybrids. I was keeping a careful eye on Miranda the last thing I wanted for her was to develop a Keeper’s wings. I still had mine and worried she’d inherited my Keeper DNA.

I turned my attention back to Juliet she wasn’t really my niece by blood she was part of my extended family no matter which way you looked at it.

“Come on let’s get you home,” I said to her.

Juliet looked at me. “Oh I thought I was going straight to see the Elders?”

“Not today we have to get you acclimatised first.” Unlike what had been done to me I’d been dunked into Valkyrie society the moment the ship had docked into the orbital station above Alfheimir. I’d been forced to agree to the Elders terms in order to pursue my hunt for Vanessa. That wasn’t going to happen to Juliet, I’d made her mothers that promise. We exited the concourse into a bright sunny day. A black six wheeled armoured vehicle waited from us. The driver a Valkyrie leaned against it. She may have looked as if she was bored buy her eyes were dancing as if she was watching the surroundings. On her face was a lighter patch of skin where her Palkkasir tattoo had been.

“Any problems Sverun?” I asked the former Palkkasir. She’d saved my life on Davenport killing a traitor that was about to kill me. I’d asked to join my Clan and she had accepted.

“None,” She smiled opening the trunk on the armoured car.

“Put your stuff in here,” I said to Juliet.

She put her bag into the trunk along side the boxes of ammunition and spare Coil Assault Guns. “Expecting trouble?” she asked as if she was used to this stuff.

“Always,” I replied. “There are a few that don’t like the way I run my Clan.

Isolationists who have never venture above the surface of Alfheimir. Those that think fire is a bad idea and they prefer to live in caves.”

“Don’t you mean idiots?” Juliet said.

Sverun laughed. “That’s a better term for them Mother.”

We climbed aboard the vehicle my Guardians taking seat facing me. Sverun clambered into the driver’s seat another Valkyrie sat beside her.

“Time for introductions,” I announced. “These are my Guardians Frialmold and Rodrifa. You’ve met Sverun and with her is Hessie.” Sverun and Hessie had been guards at the brewery on Davenport. Hessie was Vaihdokas her father Human her mother exiled by her Clan. I’d brought the family with me to join my Clan. And that was my problem with the Isolationists they didn’t like non-Valkyrie I’d included in my Clan. “ Team this is Juliet daughter of Ljufu and Ana Weredale.”

To my pride they all said hello to Juliet.

“Ok Sverun lets get this show on the road!” Despite the time I’d spent on Alfheimir I’d retained my Imperial accent and my tendency to sprout Earth based idioms. More often than not I’d have to end up explaining them.

The armoured car sped down the highway there were few other vehicles on the road. Most Valkyrie used the mag-lev trains that criss-crossed under the planets surface.

“Mother Gwen we have company,” Hessie stated she was seated with Sverun monitoring the sensors.

“Are they gaining on us?” I asked her.

“Is this what you meant by trouble?” Juliet sounded worried.

“Yes.” I said I needed to be honest with her. “Hessie?”

“Mother Gwen,” Hessie responded instantly.

“Any movement towards us?”

“No Mother they are keeping their distance.”

“Sverun slowdown.”

“Yes Mother,” Sverun replied slowing speed of the car.

“Is that ok?” Juliet asked.

“They’re just tailing us. We’ve should be worrying about the ambush ahead. Those behind us are probably in comms with the ambushers making sure we don’t take a detour.”

Juliet stared at me wide eyed. “You are awfully calm about this?”

“They’ve done this before,” I told her sounding calm but was nervous inside. My time as a Clan Mother taught me to show a brave face even if I was quivering wreck on the inside.

“And will probably do it again,” Frialmold added as she unclipped her Guardian Sword and pulled a Coil Assault Gun from a compartment beneath her seat. Rodrifa did the same.

I was glad these two had become my official Guardians. The Confeds loss was my gain.

I considered what to do next there was a list of possibilities. I had to be ready for what came next.

“We are ready for action Mother,” Frialmold announced.

“Hessie call in air support.”

“Air support?” Juliet looked confused.

I wasn’t about to pull her up over repeating others words as I was guilty of doing that as much as I tried not to. I glanced at my warriors prided filling me. “Ladies remember we need them alive this time.” Meaning that other ambushers had not survived attacking us.

“Yes Mother Gwen,” they chorused.

A cloud of fire and smoke illuminated the road ahead as a shuttle with a silver stripe on its side flashed overhead.

“Looks like someone forgot to tell the Silvers that,” Sverun chuckled.

I knew she was taking a dig at me but that was Sverun. “The Silver Guard make up their own rules no matter what you ask of them.”

“Ljufu always talked about the Silver Guard as if they were some sort of superwomen?” Juliet said to me.

“They are in a way. Your mother would make an excellent Silver Guard if she wasn’t so committed to protecting Saros.”

I glimpsed a flash of light behind us that was the car that had been following us. It looked like the Silver Guard was in no mood to take prisoners. There went any chance to interrogate the survivors. I had wanted to find who was behind this. There was a lot of resent towards me for exposing the so called Prophetess as a fraud. It had been a male in a woman’s body a DNA test had showed that to be true no Valkyrie would follow a man of any race. After the rebellion had failed on Alfheimir he had fled to Paranova an Imperial world where he caused trouble there as head of their rebels. I’d foiled that plan and he had fled from there as well. A First One had assured me he’d been on the Goliath when they’d sent it to wherever they’d sent it to. It was coming back I was happy about that but we still had the remnants of the Black Stripes to deal with. They were the Confeds problem not ours. As with the Empire’s Night Guard extremists with no bite.

We drove past the wrecks of burning vehicles and shuttles with silver stripes on them. It was obvious that the Silver Guard was making a example of these trouble makers. I knew they were doing this to bolster their fearsome reputation. A lot of it was rumours that the Guard perpetrated by themselves. They wanted to be feared by those that thought the Valkyrie were weak. We drove on for another hour with no one saying at thing while a shuttle shadowed us overhead. It pulled away as we reached the turnoff to Landottir territory. Two concrete bunkers flanked the road either side. We passed them without incident and carried on for another twenty minutes passing a village of half timbered houses. They were only slightly larger the chalet I’d stayed at while waiting for a summons to go to the Hall of the Elders. Beyond the Village loomed the walls of the compound. Which looked more like a military barracks than my home and offices. High walls flanked by tower surrounded the compound. A massive gate straddled the road red and silver banners with a green stripe hung down the walls either side of the gate. It opened as were neared. Behind the gate was a three storey building of grey concrete set offside to the gate. A road curved around the building. The right side led to another gate built into the building while the left road led to a series of low long buildings. The main building had large picture windows on the third floor while those on the ground floor were slit windows. The place seemed to be a fort rather than the home it was supposed to be. Sverun drove into the building through the gate.

The interior was a total contrast to walls of unrelieved concrete on the outside. It appeared light and airy despite the lack of windows. The walls were painted with a brightly coloured murals. On wall held a wooden panel with intricate carvings. It to my embarrassment was a depiction of my history from the moment I’d left Earth to date. I hadn’t wanted it but the carver insisted. It was like the panels that showed the history of the Valkyrie in the Hall of the Elders. A reception desk stood beside the door a T’Arni was seated behind it her blonde hair tied in place with red, silver and green ribbons Landottir Clan colours. She nodded to me as I entered glancing at the two Valkyrie there. One wore a carved wooden doll hanging around her neck. She was Thrira’s daughter. Her mother an exile had been murdered on Davenport by Black Stripes. She’d asked to join my Clan when I had given her the doll her dying mother had given me to give to her. She’d been the one that had carved the panel. The other Valkyrie with her stepped forward a data pad in her hands.

“Good to see you back in one piece,” she said handing the data pad to me. “These are today’s recommendations.”

“Thanks,” I replied without enthusiasm, such was the life of a Clan Mother building her Clan. I gestured to Juliet looking around her mouth half open. Juliet’s mother Ana was an artist a very good one. “This is Juliet Weredale show her to the guest rooms.” I turned to Juliet. “Go with Dorgulda, she show you to your room and explain everything.”

Juliet bowed her hand to her heart. A gesture of respect her other mother Ljufu had taught her well. “Thank you Mother Gwen.”

I smiled at her as Dorgulda led her away. I turned to the other Valkyrie. “Anything else I need to know?”

“Elder Jenna is in your office.”

I’d made Jenna the Clan Elder. She refused taking over the Clan I guess she’d had enough trauma trying to survive the destruction of the Landottir. “Visiting or complaining?” I asked mildly.

The Valkyrie laughed. “More fun when you find out.”

I took the stairs up my Guardians trailing behind. My office and did mean the loosely was at the top of the stairs a large room with a picture window overlooking the compound. My desk was at one end of the room a scattering of couches and low tables in between. A Valkyrie in black robes sat on a couch her long grey braid nearly touching the floor she still wore the shock collar around her neck. It was a reminder to the Elder council that they failed to help her Clan my Clan now. Seated opposite was the last person I expected and wanted to see here. The First One who was calling herself the Mother of All. Both stood as I entered. I spotted a familiar figure standing by the window he was looking out over the compound. At the moment nothing else mattered. Jervic, he’d become my world excitedly I breezed past Jenna and the First One.

“Later,” I said to them striding across the room to him. “Jervic?” I breathed. He was still with the Alliance as was Kelli.

Jervic turned to me his smile melting my heart and held out a fluted glass to me filled with a amber coloured liquid. “Here.”

I took the glass and raised it to my lips feeling the bite of ginger as the fluid hit my tongue. “Lovely just like mom makes it.”

Jervic laughed. “You mother did make it.”

That was true I’d persuaded my parents to move in with me. It was in that moment I felt fulfilled. I wasn’t the same woman that started the journey so long ago with Vanessa’s betrayal and Solstrid’s death. I’d gone through a lot of changes becoming the mother of a dead race. I’d found my ancestor alive and well on Alfheimir and stopped the Black Stripes here and on Saros. I’d rescued Monica and Alicia and brought them back to Saros. And lastly discovering what happened to my Clan. I’d done more then what anyone had asked of me. But as I gazed into Jervic eyes I found none of that mattered. This was my moment. The rest could wait for tomorrow it was just the two of us. For now, for tomorrow, forever. My life was complete. It wasn’t what I had intended but I was here with those I loved. I turned to watch the sun go down. I had the rest of my life to deal with this. As someone had said in some vid ‘Tomorrow was is another day.”

The End.

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