Page 77 of Alien Viking's Plunder

“We have many bows and many arrows,” Bragr said with a tight smile, much less confident than he wanted to seem. “It’s time we win this battle. Pull all our warriors back to a safe distance and shoot at these unholy things, out of range of their claws and teeth. If you please, of course, Your Highness.”

Craxon raised his sword to his nose in salute. “I do, of course. And you are in command here, not me. I thank you for your courtesy, Earl Bragr. Don’t stay away too long.”

“No longer than necessary, Your Highness,” Bragr promised and turned around. “Heidran, for this I will need a wise man who can ward off some evil witches.”

“For all the good my knowledge of them has done today,” Heidran said with a lopsided smile. “But of course I will come, Chief.”

They made their way to the shortships, making sure the retreat went as it should. Bragr slapped shoulders and praised his warriors in passing. Retreating was the last thing they wanted to do, but he knew they needed the experience. Sometimes withdrawing was the right thing, and would make a final victory more likely.

The bows came out and the first fire arrows were shot. One skrymt fell, but the others seemed confused.

“That gave them something to think about,” Bragr said as he and Heidran lifted off in the shortship and sped away. “No more of our men will die in that battle. And after sunset, I think those undead aliens will be much less eager.”

“We shall see, Chief,” Heidran said, holding on to the shortship with white knuckles. “Gornt’s powers have grown much stronger since last time we saw him.”

The journey took far too long for Bragr’s taste, despite him forcing the shortship to fly as fast as it could up into the mountains. If Josie was in the Ice Caves, she was in great danger, whether or not Gornt was there. He secretly doubted that his father was there — only Josie had been seen, and there wasn’t much to connect those two.

The landscape changed and became full of green, angular rocks, sticking out of the snow and sparkling in the light from Straum. Not long after, the opening to the Ice Caves loomed ahead.

“Skrymtir,” Heidran said. “Dead.”

Bragr brought the shortship to a stop and jumped out, Brisingr in his hand. There was no movement in the cave opening or anywhere else, but he spotted the long groove in the snow where a longship might have landed and taken off.

“He’s not here anymore,” he seethed. “He may have taken Josie with him.”

“And yet he left these dead skrymtir,” Heidran said, bending over to examine them. “They have not been stabbed or cut. Rather it seems Gornt lost his hold over them, or he chose to give them up.”

“What would be the point of that?” Bragr asked, peering into the Ice Caves. He’d only been there once before, and he didn’t relish going in again.

“Perhaps they were not worth the effort,” the shaman said. “Perhaps they didn’t work as well as he thought. These ones look smaller than the ones we’re battling. Or perhaps this sacred site didn’t provide as much power as he needed. There will be much more power inside the caves.”

Something caught Bragr’s eye on the ground. He reached down between two sharp crystals and picked up a narrow leather ribbon, braided and tied in a knot he had made himself.

His worry increased. “She was here. I made this for her.” He showed it to the shaman.

“She may still be inside, lost in the tunnels.”

“Then we shall find her,” Bragr said and took a step inside. “Stay behind me, but tell me if you sense strong danger.”

“I shall stay in front, Chief.” The shaman’s voice was steady. “I will guide us right.”

Arching his eyebrows at the shamans sudden assertiveness, Bragr let him pass. “Very well.”

Bragr remembered the coldness of the Caves, the tension in the air, the difficulty of walking on the crystal floor, and the dizzying light reflected from thousands of blue-green facets. And the absolutely excruciating pain at the end.

He unconsciously stroked along the Marks on his arm. This was the place where they had been burned into him. “We must be approaching the dome. This has been a longer walk than last time.”

“Take a right here, Chief,” Heidran said in a distant voice. “The caves change slowly. They are different now from when you were here for the Trials. But the correct way is revealing itself to me. The power of Straum is strong in here.”

“Should I call for her? Let her know we’re coming?”

The shaman was moving as if he were thirty years younger. “No! Do not shout, although tempting. The cave distorts all sound, and nothing you yell will be understandable deeper inside.”

They moved fast, and when the tunnel split Heidran picked their route without hesitation.

“Ah,” said the old man. “That’sfrom combat. A spear wound, I think.”

There was a skrymt on the ground, lifeless on the sharp crystals.

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