You
don ’ t think I have needs? ” The goddess said, eyeing Jess. “ You don ’ t think I want the same things that you want? ”
I stepped
in front of Jess, pushing him to stand behind me. “ Tell
me, ” I said, choosing my words carefully, “ what is it that you want, great Skuld ? ”
“ It
isn ’ t your warrior, child, though he looks enticing enough. No,
what I want is much more valuable. How far are you willing to go to save this
mortal man? ”
“ I
will do everything in my power to see that he is safe. ”
“ That
is good to hear. For what I require of you is something of great importance. I
want you to bring me something. You will travel to Vogelburg and retrieve one of my treasures. The mortal will remain here with me until you
return. ”
“ No, ” I said, stepping forward, “ wait. ”
“ Silence! ” Skuld said, her voice like a needle in my ear. “ I
will not be defied. ”
“ Sabrina. ” Jess put his arms around me and tried to pull me back, but
I stood my ground.
“ Forgive
me, goddess, but I cannot leave him. ”
“ He
will be safe with me. Death, as you must know, has no admittance to my lair. ”
“ But
I can ’ t leave him —”
“ You
will leave him, or he will die. That is your choice. ” Skuld resumed grinding her fingernails into the arm
of her throne. The scraping sound echoed, an insistent
clawing.
“ Sabrina,
no, ” Jess said, pulling at my hand. “ Let ’ s get out of here. ”
“ You
must decide quickly, ” Skuld said, scraping her nails
more furiously. “ I cannot hold my tongue forever. ”
Was she
holding back my prophecy by force of will?
“ I ’ ll do it. ”
“ Sabrina,
no! ” Jess said.
“ Good.
That is very good, ” Skuld said.
“ What
do you want me to bring you? ”
“ It
isn ’ t a matter of want, Valkyr . I need the stone. My
stone. ”
“ Skuld ’ s stone? ” Of course, I ’ d heard of the stone. Skuld ’ s stone was legendary. “ But if it ’ s yours, why is it not with you? ”
“ Many
generations ago, a young Valkyr tried to steal it
from me. So I hid it from the gods and all beneath them. ”
“ Then
why not leave it in hiding? ”
“ It
appears that things have changed. Do you really want to stand here, risking
your mind, to ask questions about the stone? I can ’ t
hold on much longer, you know. ”
“ Where
is this stone? ”
“ I
told you. In Vogelburg , at the base
of the wayside shrine. You will find three stones there. Look for the
bluestone. She is smaller than the rest. Now go! ”
Skuld threw herself back in her chair. Her eyes rolled back in
her head until her gaze was pure white.
“ Sabrina,
daughter of Gudrun, I must tell you —”
“ No! ” I screamed.
"You have done what...." Skuld continued, apparently unable to stop the prophecy.
I clapped
my hands over my ears and fell to my knees. Gustel's warning rang through my head. Do not
anger Skuld . I wanted to scream at her, to beg
her to stop, but I feared that would only encourage her to speak.
Jesse had his arms around me one minute, and the
next he was gone.
He bounded
toward the throne of trees. The raven squawked and beat its wings. Its razor
sharp beak opened, its head thrust forward, ready to attack. Jess turned his
back on the beast, then swung around and caught the raven off guard, pinning its
neck to the floor with his foot.
"Mortal..." Skuld said, trying to rise from her seat. Jesse
clamped both of his hands over her mouth.
"Jesse,
no!" I shouted.
He looked
at me, his eyes burning with fear, anger, and yes, panic .
We would never leave here alive if I didn't act.
Swallowing
back the gripping fear trying to envelope my very soul, I ran to my lover's
side.
I reached
for his hands. "No, Jess. This isn't the way."
“ Do
you trust her, Sabrina? ” He didn ’ t bother to keep his voice low.
“ I
don ’ t know, but we don ’ t
have any other options. I ’ ll hurry! ”
“ If
you can ’ t find the stone, forget
don ’ t think I have needs? ” The goddess said, eyeing Jess. “ You don ’ t think I want the same things that you want? ”
I stepped
in front of Jess, pushing him to stand behind me. “ Tell
me, ” I said, choosing my words carefully, “ what is it that you want, great Skuld ? ”
“ It
isn ’ t your warrior, child, though he looks enticing enough. No,
what I want is much more valuable. How far are you willing to go to save this
mortal man? ”
“ I
will do everything in my power to see that he is safe. ”
“ That
is good to hear. For what I require of you is something of great importance. I
want you to bring me something. You will travel to Vogelburg and retrieve one of my treasures. The mortal will remain here with me until you
return. ”
“ No, ” I said, stepping forward, “ wait. ”
“ Silence! ” Skuld said, her voice like a needle in my ear. “ I
will not be defied. ”
“ Sabrina. ” Jess put his arms around me and tried to pull me back, but
I stood my ground.
“ Forgive
me, goddess, but I cannot leave him. ”
“ He
will be safe with me. Death, as you must know, has no admittance to my lair. ”
“ But
I can ’ t leave him —”
“ You
will leave him, or he will die. That is your choice. ” Skuld resumed grinding her fingernails into the arm
of her throne. The scraping sound echoed, an insistent
clawing.
“ Sabrina,
no, ” Jess said, pulling at my hand. “ Let ’ s get out of here. ”
“ You
must decide quickly, ” Skuld said, scraping her nails
more furiously. “ I cannot hold my tongue forever. ”
Was she
holding back my prophecy by force of will?
“ I ’ ll do it. ”
“ Sabrina,
no! ” Jess said.
“ Good.
That is very good, ” Skuld said.
“ What
do you want me to bring you? ”
“ It
isn ’ t a matter of want, Valkyr . I need the stone. My
stone. ”
“ Skuld ’ s stone? ” Of course, I ’ d heard of the stone. Skuld ’ s stone was legendary. “ But if it ’ s yours, why is it not with you? ”
“ Many
generations ago, a young Valkyr tried to steal it
from me. So I hid it from the gods and all beneath them. ”
“ Then
why not leave it in hiding? ”
“ It
appears that things have changed. Do you really want to stand here, risking
your mind, to ask questions about the stone? I can ’ t
hold on much longer, you know. ”
“ Where
is this stone? ”
“ I
told you. In Vogelburg , at the base
of the wayside shrine. You will find three stones there. Look for the
bluestone. She is smaller than the rest. Now go! ”
Skuld threw herself back in her chair. Her eyes rolled back in
her head until her gaze was pure white.
“ Sabrina,
daughter of Gudrun, I must tell you —”
“ No! ” I screamed.
"You have done what...." Skuld continued, apparently unable to stop the prophecy.
I clapped
my hands over my ears and fell to my knees. Gustel's warning rang through my head. Do not
anger Skuld . I wanted to scream at her, to beg
her to stop, but I feared that would only encourage her to speak.
Jesse had his arms around me one minute, and the
next he was gone.
He bounded
toward the throne of trees. The raven squawked and beat its wings. Its razor
sharp beak opened, its head thrust forward, ready to attack. Jess turned his
back on the beast, then swung around and caught the raven off guard, pinning its
neck to the floor with his foot.
"Mortal..." Skuld said, trying to rise from her seat. Jesse
clamped both of his hands over her mouth.
"Jesse,
no!" I shouted.
He looked
at me, his eyes burning with fear, anger, and yes, panic .
We would never leave here alive if I didn't act.
Swallowing
back the gripping fear trying to envelope my very soul, I ran to my lover's
side.
I reached
for his hands. "No, Jess. This isn't the way."
“ Do
you trust her, Sabrina? ” He didn ’ t bother to keep his voice low.
“ I
don ’ t know, but we don ’ t
have any other options. I ’ ll hurry! ”
“ If
you can ’ t find the stone, forget
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