Germania circa 436 A.D.
The last of the winter snow had finally started to melt away, leaving the forest floor icy cold under my bare feet as I ran and leapt over fallen trees and moss covered rocks. My long blonde hair whipped in the wind as I laughed with joy. The Black Forest was my secret home away from the village, a place where I could explore and discover by myself. Even though my mother would scold me frequently, it didn’t stop me from playing between the ancient trees and valley’s.
“Helena, a forest is no place for the daughter of a village chief to run around in. What if you got hurt or eaten by the wild animals that roam there? It would break our hearts to lose you.” She often told me but I was not afraid, even though I was only nine years old. The forest was my world and I ruled as queen there.
I always wanted to be brave like my father and his warriors. I would often sit in the rafters of our house where they couldn’t see me and listen to their tales of faraway places and the wars they fought. My father, the clan leader Aldegar would often speak of the Roman army and how they were marching through Germania. My eyes grew wide as he described their terrible weapons of war and how many they were, more than any little girl could count. But he never gave up, not for even a second and I could see the fire raging in his eyes as he lifted the spirits of his men again.
“No Roman will hold this country, not while the blood of our ancestors still flow in our veins. The very forest itself protects us and we will rain fire on anyone who dares invade our sacred land.” His powerful body stood tall with pride and his long brown beard shimmered by the light of the torches as he raised a tankard of beer into the air. No nasty Romans could ever hurt us, as long as Papa was still standing.
I never stopped believing that.
When they were finished, I would often sneak out into the night and practice sword fighting by myself. The clanking of a wooden sword would sound out as I hit the nearby tries over and over again till I collapsed in exhaustion. Once, I tried to borrow a shield from the village but it was way too heavy for me to drag all the way to the clearing in the forest. So I had to make do with my little sword.
Nobody in the village suspected what I was doing by myself in the dark recesses of the woods, all except one. My father had caught me one day as I was sneaking out a sword from the blacksmith. He didn’t say much, just staring at me with his big blue eyes but I refused to give him and never averted my gaze. He calmly took the Great sword I was lugging behind me in his huge hands and held it in front of him.
“What couldn’t you be more like the other girls in the village?” He grumbled in a deep tone.
I just kept looking up at him, blinking a few times. The silence reached breaking point between us, neither one of us taking a step back but I could see the lines of a smile forming on his face and soon he was roaring with laughter.
“You have a strong heart Helena but I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” He sighed and looked at the blade again. “Fine, seeing as nothing can convince you otherwise; I might as well give you a decent sword. This one is way too heavy for you.” He placed the Great sword against the wall and reached into a pile of swords the blacksmith had made up early, carefully selecting the right weight for me. Finally he found the right one. “Here, it’s only a light metal sword we use to train the village boys with but it should be perfect for you. But if your mother finds out, you are on your own young lady.”
He looked at me suddenly sternly for a moment. “A sword is not just for killing, it’s for saving lives as well. I pray to the Gods that you will never have to make that decision and carry that terrible burden one day. Do you understand what I’m saying Helena?”
“I do Papa.” I jumped up and hugged him tightly around the neck before running off to go hide my precious new weapon. There was a look of pride on my father’s face as he shook his head in wonder, watching me disappear around the corner.
I was maybe small in stature but I had the heart and courage of the finest warrior in the village. From that day on, I trained even harder in the forest and spent many hours observing the other warriors, learning the sword fighting craft till it was engraved within my soul. Why I did it, I was not really sure but I always knew that the normal life in the village was not for me. Getting married, having children, washing clothes and serving food? No, my world was too big for such nonsense.
If I only knew that day, how my life was about to change.
It was an early spring evening and I had snuck away from my chores to go practice in the forest again. I knew that mother would be furious at me for disappearing so suddenly but there were more important things to do; I had imaginary Romans to fight with. In the empty clearing of the forest, I was busy cutting and thrusting and rolling on the ground when I thought I heard something. I stopped and listened intently, unsure of what it could be. Perhaps someone from the village had found out my secret and was spying on me.
I had to find out.
Gripping my sword tightly in my hand, I strode towards the trees. Common sense said that I should be afraid and run away but fear was never something I really understood. Why should I be afraid of the darkness and all the monsters that hid there? I was the daughter of a Goth clan leader and he was never afraid of anything, so why should I? Bravely, I pushed past the deep green branches and leaves and went ever deeper into the cool evening embrace of the forest. A faint sound on the wind was pushing through the din and I listened intently to it. It was a low pitched whining sort of noise, one that you could easily miss if you didn’t pay attention. I ducked under a torn off branch and pushed open the veil of leaves in front of me.
A wolf was lying in the crook of an old oak tree, it’s grey and black fur matted with blood. My father had often spoken of the packs of blood thirsty wolves that roamed the Black Forest, always searching for their next prey. He had told me of villagers and young children that were dragged from their beds and into the night, where they would be eaten alive and never seen again. A few times, I had seen him lead a group of warriors into the forest; to go hunting for the hell beasts. They would return a few days later, carrying fresh meat and pelts over their shoulders but never without the scars and wounds of a terrible fight. But here, right now the wolf looked almost pathetic where it lay in a pile of its own blood. The beast bared its fangs and tried to growl at me but its energy was rapidly fading away as death approached it. I raised my sword into the air, ready to deliver the killing blow but something made me stop. The wolf’s eyes never left mine as she moved her paw away gently. A small bundle of pitch black fur was breathing softly under her warmth. She had been protecting her cub with her last dying breaths. I lowered my sword and reached out to touch her. She growled softly and then turned her head as I stroked my fingers through her wet fur.
The wolf reached out and laid her paw on my arm, the red and black blood dripping down my arm. It was difficult for me to explain but I felt a warmth entering my body, almost like the soul of the Wolf had become one with mine. It was like I was stronger, more alive and attuned with the universe itself. The spirit of the Wolf was now fused with mine, forever linked together for eternity. Finally, I could feel her slipping away from me, ready to enter the Great unknown. She left an indelible black paw mark on my arm that could never be washed away, no matter how hard I tried.
She died in front of my eyes and for the first time in my life, I felt sadness and regret. I reached down and picked up the still shivering cub in my arms. I knew it was a stupid idea and there was no way that father would allow me to keep the baby wolf but I couldn’t just leave him to die here alone. I made up my mind that he was coming with me and that I would make a plan later on. The cub looked at me with deep blue eyes and snuggled closer to my body before letting out a deep and happy sigh.
“I will call you Adelmar, it means “noble” in our language.” The cub whined softly and promptly fell asleep in the hollow of my arm. Picking up my sword, I turned and started walking home. All the while I was scheming how to hide Adelmar away from my father and the rest of the villagers. They would not understand and most likely want to kill him but maybe I could build a place for him in the forest. There he could be safe till he was old enough to hunt for himself. Exiting the forest, I was very proud of my plan but my joy soon turned to anguish as I peered into the distance. Ominous black smoke was pouring out over the horizon in the distance.
And it was coming from the direction of my village!
My feet flew over the cobbled ground as I charged through the forest, the thoughts racing through my head.
“Just keep calm, it’s nothing…It’s nothing.” I kept telling myself over and again. Adelmar whined softly in my arms, even he knew something was wrong. In my panic, I had completely forgotten about the wolf cub and how father and the others would react when he saw him. There was no time to hide him away in the forest and come back for him later. He would have to come with me; I had to get to the village in all haste.
My worst fears came true that day when I came running out of the forest. My village, my home was bathed in fire as black plumes of smoke escaped into the air. I could hear the screams of my loved ones, the panic laying thick in their choked up voices. Then came the sound that we as all Germanic children feared most, the low grunt of a call to war that my father had warned me about as we sat around the fire in the winter evenings. The Roman Cornicen horn sounded loudly, shattering the once tranquil mid-morning calm into a million pieces.
“It can’t be them…how could the Romans have found us? They weren’t supposed to be anywhere near us…it’s just not possible.” I desperately fought to make sense of it all as I stared in horror at the carnage unfolding before my eyes. I instinctively thought back to the words of my father and how he had told us children that when we hear that dreaded horn call, that we should take our brothers and sisters and run as quickly as we can.
“Hide and you don’t dare look back, you hear me Helena? You take care of the little ones and run till you cannot run anymore. I will find you and bring you home safely.” I could almost hear his gruff and comforting voice as I gripped my little sword tightly and looked down to Adelmar.
“I’m sorry but you must stay here. It’s too dangerous for you.” I hugged him tightly and placed the cub on ground. The little grey wolf sat back on his haunches and cocked his head at me, almost like he was trying to figure out what was going on. I looked back at the raging inferno before me and pulled out my sword as the sun shone brightly on the polished blade.
“I am the daughter of a Chieftain, I do not run!” Gripping my weapon tightly and gritting my teeth, I charged into the waiting hellish arms of the fire. What I saw next would haunt my dreams for all my days. My home had become a blood soaked slaughterhouse. The men of the village lay scattered on the ground in pools of deep scarlet. The Romans must have come out of nowhere and caught them unaware. They never had a chance to fight back, killed where they stood by the onrushing legion before marshaling any resistance or offense. The cold fear numbed me as I ran to my house but it was empty and deserted.
“Mother? Father? Where are you?” I voice ragged with pain and frustration as I searched in vain for my parents.
The only remnants left behind in the house were the broken furniture and trails of fresh blood leading outside. A scream whipped me back to reality as I flung my head around; it was coming from the village square close by. Throwing all caution to the wind, I ran from the house in the direction of the commotion. Immediately, I knew I had made a mistake and charged blindly like a fool into a trap. My parents were on their knees in the middle of the square, a Roman blade at their throats. I barely made it a few steps when a legionnaire stepped out and grabbed me around the shoulders. I fought mightily to free myself but it was all for nothing, his grip was iron tight around me. An overweight Roman centurion turned his head and sneered at me. He was middle aged with graying hair by the side of his head and had a long scar running down his left eye. He ran a calloused finger down my cheek and wiped the long blond hair out of my eyes.
“Ah child, I so wished you weren’t around to see this but we have to follow the Emperor’s decree no matter how it pains us.” He snapped his fingers and I looked on helplessly as a legionnaire slit my mother’s throat before my very eyes. I wanted to scream, scream till there was nothing left in me but my body was numb as I watched my mother fall to the ground in an unmoving pile, her eyes staring blankly at me. My father broke free from his captors, breaking the jaw of a nearby soldier with one mighty punch but the numbers were simply too great and soon the legionnaires overwhelmed him, beating and kicking him within an inch of his life. They dragged up his broken body and made him watch as the Centurion pulled out and placed the tip of his Gladius on my throat. I never cried and never wavered, looking him straight in the eyes. It was a fitting way for a Barbarian princess to die.
“Nothing personal, you understand? It’s just business.” He reached back, the blade’s hungry tip hurtling towards my still body. Then everything and everyone suddenly stopped, like time itself was halted by a divine hand. Not a sound or so much as a breath was heard, we were all completely frozen in time.
High above the humble little Germanic village, three stoic figures sat watching the events unfold before their eyes. They had many names given to them by the mortal race- the end bringers, carriers of the apocalypse. We simply knew them as the four horse men. War, Famine, Pestilence, Death. The humans had spun many tales about these fierce some old gods over the centuries, of how they will ride again one day and turn the world to ashes again. But they had kept their peace and their distance for eons, intrigued at the petty machinations of the human race far below them.
“The child is impetuous and stubborn, what makes her different from any of the other mortals down there?” Rumbled War and stamped his staff a few times in agitation while flexing his red muscled back.
“She has heart and spirit, enough to match any warrior she meets.” Answered Famine, twisting a bone between her thin ethereal fingers as she secretly smiled to herself.
“Bah, another hot headed mortal only interested in bloodshed and war. They have no concept of the true horrors I can bring” Replied War dismissively.
“Ah but there you are wrong my dearest companion, look how she showed mercy to a creature as simple as a wolf. She stayed her hand when it would have been easier to strike. No, this child is different from the others and deserves our protection.” Famine knew she could twist the arm of War anytime she wanted to. He just needed a bit of gentle, womanly persuasion.
“But she is so young and you know the rules of the gods. We must never interfere with the affairs of the mortals. It is a sacred decree that cannot be broken, even by us.” Pestilence grumbled to himself, flicking away a few stray flies around his head.
“We would never dream of interfering but a bit of guidance would not go amiss, don’t you think? All I’m suggesting is we give the child a little push to get her going. Nothing more than that.” Famine had seen War’s resolve starting to fade and she quickly took advantage of it.
“Fine! Though I am not happy with this, you make a convincing argument. The child Helena will have to make her own way in this world or any other and we may not interfere with her destiny in any way. She will go through hell and face the worst horrors and trails the mortal race has to offer. If she survives her tribulations, she will grow up to be a mighty warrior. I just pray that she never forgets who is she truly is inside.” War declared, looking calmly down at the anemic form of Famine.
“Did someone mention my name?” The doors to the heavenly palace flung open and a lithe figure with long red and black hair swayed in. She was a study in class and elegance but darkness and misery followed in her wake. She calmly walked to a nearby pitcher of wine and poured herself a glass.
“Death! What are you doing here?” Thundered the elder god in anger. “Who’s watching the Underworld in your absence?”
“Oh I have minions to take care of such matters and besides it does get boring down there, what with all the wailing and torture and bla bla bla. I could not but overhear your conversation with dearest Famine over there and well it caught my interest.” She said, sprawling out over a chair lazily.
“What interest does this child hold for you?” Asked Famine suspiciously.
“I am always looking for new forms of entertainment and the child has caught my attention. Seeing as I never play by the silly rules of the old gods, I wanted to offer her my help.” Replied Death with a wicked smile.
“You never do anything without a reason. What’s in it for you?” Famine knew all the tricks of the dark temptress and was always weary around her.
“I offer the child a weapon to aid her in her fight. There is great power in my gift if used properly but if she misuses it, then she will surely fall. And when she does, I want her soul all for my own. Now doesn’t that intrigue you dearest brother?” Hissed the viper.
“I believe in this child, she carries a great spirit inside her.” Famine replied coldly to the demon.
“Then let’s put her to the test. You say she will rise to become a great mortal and I say she will never make it. Are you up to this little game?” Death focused on War, gazing deeply into his eyes. He rubbed his beard in thought again.
“I’ll even make it more interesting for you. I’ll send one of my little uh he-he helpers with her along the way. I wouldn’t dream of it that the child makes the journey all by herself. Do have a deal?” War eventually agreed and nodded his head at Death before rising from his throne.
“So be it but the child will not start her journey in this age. I will send her through time to a new world.” He announced in a booming voice.
“No!” interrupted Famine in shock.
“This is my decree and besides, I want to see what the child is capable off.” He stamped his staff again and sent a lightning bolt down to earth. Death smiled to herself and slowly turned and left the room. The queen of darkness had gotten what she wanted.
Below in the village, everyone was still frozen in place. Time began ticking again and the Centurion’s blade flew through the air. He was inches away from me when a grey blur appeared out of nowhere, clamping its jaws on his arm. Adelmar the wolf cub had saved my life. The Centurion screamed in agony, blood streaming from his arm, he eventually threw the cub off where it landed by my feet. As I picked him up, I saw him charging at me again; sword held aloft. A lightning bolt struck at his feet, hurtling him violently backwards. As I looked up at the maelstrom forming in the heavens above me, my little blade floated up into the air and started to change. I held out my hand in awe as the sword bent and twisted itself into a steel gauntlet around my hand and wrist. Even in the midst of the chaos, I could feel its power surging inside me.
“Hold on!” I shouted to the cub as the winds whipped around me. A second lightning bolt struck us and instantly the world became as white as snow. The last thing I saw was my father looking up at me as I was carried into the heavens. After that, I could remember nothing and passed out.
I finally came to, unsure of how long I was unconscious. My head was pounding as I lifted it off a wooden slab underneath me. Looking up, I saw a set of grinning sharp jaws and a twisting tail before me.
“So glad you could fit us into your schedule princess.” The voice said sarcastically.
“Where am I?” I replied in a haze, trying to get my bearings again.
“This is the year 1700. Welcome to England darling.”