Valkyrie Hunter
Chpater 22

We followed the path through the forest a route I travelled many times before. I walked letting the quietness of the forest calm my frayed nerves. I had too many worries to think about. The sound of bird song and a gentle breeze flowing through the trees helped me to relax. The trees parted to reveal the meadow before the Hall of Elders. I halted and stared shocked to my very core. The last time I was here there had been a pristine meadow of grass and flowers. What I was seeing now was far from that. The grass was blackened and burned in patches. The meadow flowers trampled and craters littered the ground. On the path leading to the Hall the only thing that seemed untouched were splotches of darkened brown stains. Blood from the looks of it. What had happened here wasn’t recent. Surrounding the Hall I could see a network of bunkers and trenches. I was sure I could also see some sort anti-air defences.

“God what happened?” I exclaimed.

“Rebels,” Thirika growled.

“You mean Clans?” There had been talk of dissolving several troublesome Clans but it had only been talk.

“Rebels,” Thirika repeated. “Not any particular Clan, a lot of dissidents with weapons they somehow sneaked onto Alfheimir.”

My mind went back to the Black Stripes the Curator was dealing in arms shipments, a kind of middleman. Unfortunately even Denassi couldn’t get the destinations of the weapons for the Curator’s computer they had been wiped clean. I thought about it and dismissed the connection the Black Stripes were human orientated. Well except for the Director she was the only alien I’d encountered. I realised my first thought might have been an error and quickly decided to voice my thoughts to Thirika there might be some Valkyrie Black Stripes.

“Did any of the attackers have three Black Stripes on them?” The ones at the Gala had it tattooed on their skin.”

Thirika looked at me intently. “I don’t know. Do you have a theory?”

“I suppose so?” I told Thirika of my encounter with the Curator and what he had told me.

“I’ll check,” was all she said. She stepped away from me and had an animated conversation with someone on the other end of her comms. She returned and gave me a nod. “They are checking.”

I had to ask her about the Clans. Dissolving a Clan was something not taken lightly. It was a good chance all those that resisted would be killed. Given the Valkyrie loyalty to their Clans it would amount to genocide.

“Did you dissolve the Clans involved?”

Thirika grimaced, distaste thick on her face. “Not possible these rebels came from a lot of Clans.”

I caught her meaning there were number of Clans that had remained loyal to the Elders. “Which ones remained loyal?”

“Yours, my former Clan, any of the Clans with silver.”

“I don’t have a Clan, the Elders refused remember.”

“That was before, you are now officially a Martin.”

I wasn’t quite a Martin according to Miranda I was more a Landottir. Technically it was once part of the Martin Clan. Probably the last one but it was there, part of my history. I waved my silver bangle at her. “Good I can finally take this off.”

“Unfortunately not just yet. They still need you.”

I was sceptical. “After all I said to them?”

“Despite your outbursts they respect you. You didn’t have to do what you did to save them. They are grateful and they need you.” Thirika added a warning note. “It doesn’t mean you are indispensable.”

I followed Thirika my mind in a whirl trying hard to decipher what she had told me. We were about half way between the forest and the Hall. Suddenly Thirika grabbed me pulling me off my feet as a bullet whizzed through the space I’d just occupied.

“Stay down!” Thirika ordered. I could feel her body trembling in anger. “Find that sniper!” she yelled.

Several armoured Valkyrie erupted from the trench and ran in the direction of the bullet. Before I could voice an objection Thirika pulled me up from the dirt of the path and half carried, half ran to the nearest trench and threw me in. I tumbled down getting a few grazes and bruises on the way down. Thirika leapt in after me.

“Get those shields up!” she yelled into her comms.

I scrambled to my feet and dusted myself off. I had worse but it was still a shock to be rough handled like that.

“You alright?” Thirika asked concerned.

“Thanks for saving me.” It sounded lame. She had done it before. Well those two in the forest I’d dealt with by the time she decided to show up. I suspected she had watched me and only decided to intervene knowing my mind about killing.

“You might not be my daughter by blood but you are the daughter of my soul.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. I changed subjects to something more immediate. “What the hell happened?”

“Someone is very afraid of you.”

At that moment I tasted bile and puked my limbs trembling my hands shaking. “Sorry,” I burbled. Only moments before I was so calm.

“Don’t be it’s delayed shock reaction. I’ve seen it in more seasoned warriors than you. No matter how afraid you are you go through with it.” Thirika looked up at an armoured Valkyrie, one of those she had sent off after the sniper. “Well?”

“Sorry ma’am,” the armoured Valkyrie reported with a Confederacy salute. That the thing the Confederacy did by putting their hand to their brows and not against the chest the way the Empire saluted. “We found nothing and our scans came up empty.”

“Someone fired that shot. I want more patrols this is supposed to be a safe area. I get really annoyed when some bitch takes a shot at me.”

Thirika promptly stepped on my foot her way of telling me to keep my mouth closed. I wisely did so. I didn’t want a repeat of the last time she’d done that.

“If that had been one of Elders,” she snapped at the Valkyrie. “They would be dead they don’t have my reflexes.”

The Valkyrie saluted again. “Aye ma’am doubling patrols and sensor sweeps.”

“Come along initiate we mustn’t keep the Elder’s waiting. You need to clean up first.”

I clambered out of trench to see the shimmer of a force field surrounding the Hall. Thirika must have seen what I was gazing at.

“The Elders put that in after the plot to destroy them.”

I remembered the incident. I’d stopped the Black Stripes from destroying the Hall of Elders and several cities. That had been by pure chance. Thirika took me by the arm when it looked like my legs were too unsteady to keep me upright. We made our way to the Hall. I’d calmed down enough to ask once we were out of earshot. “Why did you lie to them?”

“We’ll talk about that later once we get you cleaned up.” Thirika arched an eyebrow. “Or do you want me to stand on your foot again?”

“Uh no?” But I had to ask the questions even with Thirika’s promise. I knew I was pushing my luck but I had to have my say. “Why would they shoot at me?”

“Gwen!” Her warning was loud and clear. “Clean up, questions later!”

“Damn Moi I have to know?” I felt panic rising inside me. I tried had to tamp it down.

“Later!” Thirika said abruptly and grabbed my arm propelling me towards the Hall.

I had a choice either continue my questions and falling flat on my face or to go with the flow. Like I had much of a choice in the matter. I chose the latter. As we drew closer to the Hall I noted there was more than a few guards their weapons at the ready. Thirika surged past them without a word and entered the Hall dragging me with her. Inside was busier than I’d ever seen it with a number of what I assumed were Clan Mothers and their bodyguards. Either seated on the benches that lined one side of the wide corridor. Or pacing up and down outside the entrance to the Elder’s chambers. Several black robed acolytes in their hooded robes were scurrying between the groups. I jumped when Thirika let out an ear-splitting whistle. A few of the Clan Mothers turned to look at us before returning to whatever they were doing. One of the acolytes hurried over.

“Show Gwen where she can clean up and get her some fresh clothes,” Thirika demanded impatiently.

She let go of my arm, which was immediately taken hold of by the acolyte. I was guided by silent acolyte through one of the side doors and down some steps into the underground. I’d been under the Hall before to one of the Elder’s chambers. This time I was led to a different section of the underground. The acolyte showed me a bathroom replete with clean white towels and a set of five showers and sinks that accompanied them. It was clean and tidy. I stripped off knowing that it was expected of me. I showered feeling the sting of the water on my gazes. I washed with a pleasant scented soap. The shower had another effect I felt calmer when I stepped out drying myself with a pristine white towel. I regretted the bloodstains I’d left behind on the towel. The acolyte was gone and in her place was a black robe and silky black underwear in my size. My original clothes had gone. I dressed and headed out liking the feel of the underwear against my skin.

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