Page 64 of Rune

I eyed Liv. Those shields were rigged to break. She’d told me that.

As if sensing my thoughts she nodded. I swallowed that hope and turned back to my sister. At my side, Ve was squeezing my hand with both of his. It was hard to find any comfort in a moment like this, but it meant something to me that he was trying. All around us, the gods had their own weapons raised in the air as they shouted. It made the atmosphere all the worse, like the air was thicker and it pressed in on us from all sides. It’d be impossible not to let the pressure get to you, especially when Tova was used to training beside mein the quiet of the fjord, but for now she was holding her own. She advanced, her axe swinging.

Step by step, she pushed Glyn closer toward the rim where she could trap her beneath the dual axes. If that shield ever broke. It’d taken many hits by now, enough to make any mortal blacksmith proud from the scraps of metal plated to it.

Glyn darted her gaze from side to side as she backed up. That fueled Tova, and her axe swung with a sickening speed.

It struck. The shield splintered.

Both girls faltered as the shield fell apart before their eyes. Tova recovered first, and Glyn had to dart to the side to avoid being struck. She could move much faster now, and Tova discarded one of her axes to race after her.

Glyn hurled herself around with her blade outstretched. It connected with the edge of Tova’s axe, and Glyn used the weight to rip downward and spin herself into Tova. There, she jammed hard with her elbow against Tova’s gut, keeping the axe outstretched away from them. Tova bent, and grunted as she rammed her head against the back of Glyn’s. It was enough to push her away so she could rehandle the axe.

But Glyn didn’t allow her to attack. She dropped her weapon, and instead of running, barreled into Tova. It knocked them to the ground, where they rolled into the weapon cart and knocked it over.

Swords, axes, and spears rolled around them. Glyn ended on her back and fumbled for a shield to hold above her head as Tova struck again. This shield cracked instantly. She tightened her grip on the broken shards of wood and jammed them into Tova’s arm.

It drew blood. Tova screamed.

Gleefully, Glyn drew to her feet. The audience was roaring, and she soaked in their praise as Tova drew alarge splinter from her skin. Glyn picked up the axe Tova had dropped before, and raised it.

“Are you still confident Tova will win?” I asked Ve.

“Yes.” But his reply came slower. She was evenly matched. His grip tightened.

Tova’s eye went to the side, where the spear was. But she was forced to look back as Glyn attacked.

Her footing was all wrong though, obsessed with constant motion, so she never took the chance to ground herself. She threw her full body into the swing, then bounced back, reset and swung again, her feet moving three times in between.

But Tova stood like a calm storm, waiting to strike until Glyn came close enough. When she did, Tova jammed her hilt upward to deflect the attack then yanked it sideways. It rammed against Glyn’s cheek.

“Yes,” I whispered. The fickle crowds roared with pleasure.

Tova advanced, driving the girl back. Glyn’s movements became more panicked. That would be how Tova won, by keeping calm as Glyn fell apart.

They were closer to our side now, close enough that the familiar glint of victory came into view in Tova’s eyes. She swung. Glyn connected then retreated. Again. Again. Backing her against the wall.

Glyn’s shoulder blades hit the wall. She couldn’t swing an axe from there. Not hard enough to matter, anyway.

Tova swung, and it was all Glyn could do to lift her axe and hold back the blade.

That was it. Tova had her. Everyone knew it. As they screamed, Tova lifted hergaze to find Trig.

She’d never killed before. I guessed it was easier when the other person was actively trying to kill her and gods were cheering her on, but it was never easy.

Trig pulled his lips into a thin line, and slowly nodded. Telling her it was okay.

Before she could look back, Glyn shifted, letting Tova’s axe slam into the wall behind her. As Tova drew it back to make the final blow, Glyn reached into the weaves of her hair and drew out a dagger. She sliced against Tova’s leg.

My sister collapsed to a knee. I screamed.

It all happened so quickly, it was hard to process. Somehow, Glyn had a hidden blade. She hadn’t picked it up here. We would have seen it. And they were stripped of their weapons upon entering Asgard.

Just like Balder was able to help by offering a spear, someone had helped Glyn.

Which meant a god here was trying to get Tova killed.

Tova winced, but recovery time wasn’t an option. Not when Glyn’s axe was coming down. She rolled to the side, roared as she put weight on her leg, and sprinted toward the weapons again, leaving her second axe behind.

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