Valkyrie Hunter
Chapter 26

I woke on a bed that was as much as I could tell. It was dark around me I couldn’t see any details. There was a pain in the back of the head that complimented the pulsing pain in the front of my head. I could taste bile in my mouth. Slowly I sat up trying to balance the pain in the front and back of my head. I could tell one pain was from a KO the other was a hangover. Although I couldn’t see much I was aware I wasn’t alone in this room.

“You killed her didn’t you!” I accused the dark.

“Some others may have as a strict example of how unbending the rules are?” A familiar voice informed me. “But not Solva. Freyagrunn is alive and well if a little humiliated. Solva made her clean the blood off and wash the floor of the Hall. A menial task for a Bond Sister.”

I still was in the dark as what a Bond Sister was I assumed it was important.

A light turned on low at first and slowly grew brighter. I was on a bed in a box like room with wood panels and roof it had a closet and a chair. One door led out. On the chair was a familiar Elder one that was a Martin or former Martin. They had to shed their clan loyalties on becoming an Elder.

I remembered that she had spoken to me when I’d first arrived on Alfheimir and then again when I stopped the Black Stripes from destroying themselves and the Hall.

“Where am I?” I asked carefully. I burned enough boats recently to sink a fleet I didn’t want to add this Elder to them.

“My quarters you are quite safe here. And Solva apologises she didn’t know you intolerance to Hjemme.”

Which explained my hangover. The Elder was right I couldn’t drink even a thimble of the stuff without keeling over and having the worst hangover for the next few days. I just wanted out and to find Miranda and Ella. I certainly didn’t want to be drawn into the middle of a civil war no matter if the Black Stripes started it. I looked at myself realising I couldn’t do that, wash my hands and walk away. I had to stop them no matter the personal cost to me. “Can I go?”

“Not yet,” The Elder replied.

“Why?”

“We need to talk. I to talk and you to listen do you think you can do that?”

I heard a mild rebuke in her words but that wasn’t going to stop me voice my concerns. “Where are Triple ‘M’ and Ella?” I had to know if they were ok and safe. I avoided calling Miranda by her real name.

The Elder gave a sigh. “What did I say about listening Gwen Martin.”

“I’m not really a Martin you Elders saw to that. Thirika said they made me one but that was temporary?”

“Come on Gwen we can’t have you lying in bed all day.”

“All day!” I cried out alarmed. I shot out of bed instantly regretting it. My head pulsed in pain.

“Less talking more listening!” She opened the door to reveal a larger more familiar room. I’d been in here before. The holographic fire and the two comfortable armchairs were the same. The images on wall had changed to show snowy scenes.

I followed her in trying hard to ignore the pain in my head.

“Sit down please Gwen.” Despite my pounding head I noted she hadn’t dressed me as Hunter or Martin. I sat in the seat she indicated noting a plate of Aravi rolls and tall glass of juice on a side table. Next to the Elder’s chair on her table was a data pad.

“Those are for you,” The Elder said pointing at the plate. “They are for you I had them specially baked. You have to be hungry?”

I was and took a bite. They weren’t as good as the ones Ana had made but I was hungry wolfing down every last crumb and drinking the juice. I felt better with my hunger sated by the meal and my brain ache had dulled. I was more clearheaded and more coherent. “I want to see Triple ‘M’ and Ella?” I know I was repeating myself but I was long past what people thought about that.

The Elder sighed. “What did I say about less talk. I’ll see what I can do if it gives you peace. The fewer that know they are here the better.” She picked up the data pad and glanced at it. “I have Thirika Yanik’s report on what happened to you. And before you rant I’m not interested in what happened on Saros. I asked her for her opinion. Some of what you did is exemplary and some was foolish. Stopping plots goes a good way to negate the foolishness of trying to go it alone. Am I clear?”

She expected an answer. “I hear you,” I replied finally. There was nothing else I could have said.

“Good.” She seemed satisfied with my answer. “Now onto other matters.”

“Other matters?” I asked suspiciously.

The Elder sighed. “Why do I have to keep repeating myself? Listen and I will talk.”

“Sorry,” I apologised genuinely. I really shouldn’t be alienating an ally.

“Don’t be.” She waved aside my apology. “As I was say other matters.” She leaned forward putting her datapad on her table. “I want to get to the reason you were kidnapped and dumped in the mountains?”

“To get to Triple ‘M’.” I wasn’t going to give Miranda’s name up.

The Elder nodded thoughtfully. “Yes that’s what we thought.”

“Well it worked she was chased from her home,” I said honestly.

“I just wonder…” The Elder did an odd thing. She raised her hands and did the put in ‘quotes’ sign her fingers in the correct positions.

I understood her actions straight away. It surprised me that a Confed knew what it meant let alone a Valkyrie.

She continued. “Who gave away Triple ’M’s location. Very few knew about it and most of those are Martins. They’d never reveal it?”

“And those that aren’t?”

“Have no reason to, it exposes them as well.”

I guess she must be referring to the other ‘Old Ones’ that occupied the mountains. Miranda had inferred she wasn’t the only one there.

“How many are we talking about?”

“No more than I can count on my fingers and toes.”

“Well someone used me as bait to draw her out,” I said bitterly. “It worked.” That didn’t take into account the attempts on my life. I still owed Freyagrunn a debt for saving me. The thought would have given me a headache. I suddenly realised my headache had gone either by the nanobots in my blood or she had put something in my food and drink. “And it worked they found their way in.” I told her about the radioactive substance in my blood. Blood that Miranda had filtered for the radiation. I’d thought that she’d filtered out my nanobots. I couldn’t be sure if it was nanobots or whatever the Elder had given me.

“What I can understand that they forced Triple ‘M’ out, but why continue targeting me?”

“That’s because we’re dealing with two groups one after Triple ’M’s secrets. The other is afraid of you.”

I stared at the Elder surprised by her statement. “Why me?”

The Elder gave a chuckle. “You do have a habit of foiling plots. You have an excellent track record of doing so.” She snorted. “The Palkkasir may have a bad reputation but they only work for money. No, those that tried unsuccessfully to kill you are on a different agenda. You see now why we wanted you back.”

“Why I’m just one person?”

“One person that stopped so much damage?”

“That doesn’t make any sense?” I was referring to the attacks on me. I supposed I was obliquely also talking about the Palkkasir and the reward for Miranda. I suspected someone wanted to learn the secret of her longevity. I felt cold realising I might be the same. Something to do with my Keeper DNA the Valkyrie had accidentally activated.

“That what we need to establish. As to the latter that’s simpler.”

“In what way?”

“The way we asked you here in the first place.” The Elder frowned thoughtfully. “It looked as if we were wrong in ordering you here straight way. You exposed a plot to kill Commander Hrutdottir.”

“Which they wouldn’t have done had I not been there.”

“You don’t know that.” She sighed again. “Don’t sell yourself short. You did more then we could have expected. Too late to warn us about the rebels but not too late to ready ourselves for the incoming conflict. Then you went to expose what those you call the Black stripes were up to.”

Just at that moment her comms bleeped.

“Ah, the Council is ready for us.” The Elder stood. “Come along Gwen.” She stepped towards the door out. “One other thing Gwen?”

“That is?” I really didn’t want to confront the Elders.

“Be yourself.”

Typically cryptic as is normal for the Valkyrie. I followed her out the door like a lamb to the slaughter.

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