Page 68 of Alien Viking's Plunder

“He must think you’re dead.”

Bragr grabbed Josie’s arm to steady her as he had the sled bank hard around a copse of tall trees. “He knew the ship broke up above Gardr. But I think he wanted to be absolutely sure I was gone, so he sent that horde of skrymtir that we fought. If we’d been injured, like Siv and Sigurdr, then they would have killed us. We will take a shortcut. Don’t be alarmed.”

The sled turned to the right, towards the mountains, seeming to be heading straight for a sheer cliff. Josie squealed as the hard, gray cliffside came closer fast, but then Bragr turned the sled hard, going into a narrow canyon.

“Strangely, going through this gorge is easier when going fast than when going slow,” he called over the noise from the wind.

For long minutes the sled banked and weaved its way between two rocky walls, and then the canyon widened and they flew over a long, narrow lake with trees all around it.

“If his plan depends on you being dead,” Josie was finally able to say when they had passed the lake and were flying over farmland again, “and you’re actually alive, then you might be able to surprise him.”

“Who knows what he’s planned,” Bragr growled between clenched teeth. “I will use all my power to—”

An arrow on fire zoomed past right in front of them, and Bragr threw the sled into a turn so hard that Josie screamed, clinging to him with all her strength as the blood was forced from her head and her vision was framed in black.

19

- Bragr -

He straightened the sled up and landed as fast as he could.

“It’s all right,” he told Josie, who was clinging to him with her eyes closed. “They’re my people.”

He jumped down to the ground and strode towards the group of warriors and shieldmaidens. One of them held a bow and a clutch of the arrows that were sometimes used to give signals during battles.

“Heidran!” Bragr called, spotting his old shaman. “What’s going on?”

Heidran bowed. “Gornt happened, Chief. He attacked Hjalmarheim last night with several hordes of skrymtir. He took the jarlagard, and he has declared himself king.”

Bragr just stared. The disaster was worse than he had feared. “King?”

“We thought you had died, Chief,” Heidran went on. He was pale, but composed. “There were tales of theKrakencoming apart and its crew falling over Gardr.”

“Those tales are true, but I survived. The rest of the crew wasn’t so lucky. How many are dead?” Bragr asked, dreading the answer.

“A few dozen warriors died,” the shaman said. “They destroyed ten times as many skrymtir, but there were so many of them. Aliens, they were. Big and terrible. Much more deadly than the usual skrymtir, or they would not have been able to force their way to the jarlagard.”

A big warrior made his way towards him. “Earl Bragr! I saw Gornt’s army. It’s very large, and they’re all aliens. I fear this will be a bloody struggle.”

Bragr clasped hands with the man. “Prince Craxon! I’m honored to see you visit Hjalmarheim! Especially in these difficult times.”

“The times have turned difficult, indeed,” the prince said. “I came on the call of Shaman Heidran, who is looking for a certain warrior. Something to do with a recent Prophecy, I gather. I thought perhaps this warrior could be one of my men in Ragnhildros.”

“Possibly even you, Prince Craxon,” Bragr said. “I would never ask the prince of another land to fight for me. Though any help you could give would be gratefully received.”

“I shall stay and fight,” the prince rumbled, “and I shall send for my warriors. But I recommend this war be fought as soon as possible. It will be unusually bloody and terrible. Whence comes the astonishing huldr by your side?”

“That’s Josie,” Bragr said, proud to be in her company and boyishly gratified that even a discerning man like the prince recognized her beauty. “She’s a shieldmaiden from the planet Earth. Notice her spear! It’s called ‘Tornado’, and with it she has already defeated a host of eight dfergir without a single death.”

A murmur went through the crowd of seasoned warriors.

“Surely this female is more to you than a mere shieldmaiden,” Craxon said, frowning. “I see it in both your eyes. But I shall not say more until you yourself bring it up.”

Bragr glanced at Josie, and for a moment their gaze met. Was it that obvious to everyone?

“Be that as it may,” he said, “this war must be fought, and quickly. We have the advantage, because this is our land.”

“Everyone will fight, Chief,” a shieldmaiden said, slapping the hilt of her sword. “For our own land and for you as our king.”

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