Blood Moon| The Last Kingdom| Sihtric Kjartansson

FORTY-SEVEN

"Of course," Emil rushed out, his heart soaring elatedly.

Sigtryggr accepted my order with a nod, offering Emil a slight smile.

"My Queen!"

I turned back to the front as Wolland's horse raced towards me, "What is it?"

"The camp," Wolland rushed out, "we have reached it. We must leave the horses and continue on foot into the trees."

I pulled Helios to a stop, swiftly dismounting from him, "What did you see?"

"No more than a hundred men," Wolland revealed, "they will be dead before Edward can save them."

"And our way into the camp?" Sigtryggr called out, helping Stiorra from her horse.

"Their are two routes, Jarl," Wolland revealed, "through the forest and around or over the frozen lake."

"The lake is too risky," Stiorra spluttered, "it will not hold, and if the sun is any hotter, it will melt it."

I hummed under my breath, turning to Emil, "What does Tyr say?"

Emil startled, his cheeks flushing, "I— I do not quite know how to speak to him yet."

"That is to be expected," I nodded curtly, offering my hand out to him, "come. I will show you." I glanced back at Sigtryggr, "Take the warriors to the forest, prepare them, and wait. I will return as soon as we have spoken to the Gods."

"Of course," Sigtryggr bowed his head before raising his voice and speaking to the warriors around us.

Emil followed me into the side of the forest where no warriors walked, and we sat together between the trees.

"Now, usually," I mumbled, "I would suggest one of us stay awake, but I wish to guide you through to Tyr myself."

"You can do that?" Emil blinked as I pulled a few vials from the inside of my armour.

"Freyja can," I grinned, passing the smallest bottle to him. "It is poison, so you will feel strange and drowsy. Do not fight it. Just close your eyes."

"Why do I have to drink poison?" Emil wrinkled his nose, eyeing the vial in his hand.

"Because to speak to the Gods, you have to cross onto the line between life and death," I revealed, selecting a vial for myself as well. "Do not worry, the Gods will not let you die."

Emil nodded slowly, taking the cork out of the vial, "Skol?"

I snorted, doing the same to my vial and toasting it, "Skol." Then, we both tossed the poison to the back of our throats.

Freyja's creek was dark and dull, as it often was in the winter season, and it was far too cold. I did not come here as often as I used to.

I wrapped my arms around myself, looking around slowly, "Good evening, Great Goddess."

Freyja responded with wind.

"Will you let him in?" I mused, "He is new to this. I know you wish to meet him too."

"He is older than you were," Freyja replied, her voice quiet, "stronger too."

"He is bonded to Tyr," I told her, searching through the mist of the creek with my eyes, "and my daughter to Loki."

"Powerful children," Freyja hummed, "Fine, I will let him in."

A gasp sounded at my back, and I whipped around.

Emil breathed heavily, his eyes looking all over, frightened and confused.

"You are okay," I stepped forward, taking his hands, "you are in Freyja's creek. You are safe."