A Raven's Beckoning

The air around Hrafn was dark. His leather boots were plunged within deep snow. Frost covered the fur over his shoulders. He could barely see the two mountains he stood between but only a partial view of a passage that would lead him further into the darkness. As he pondered over his presence here, his ears became attentive.

“Caw!”

Hrafn stood still. He quickly gripped the hilt of his blade that hung beneath his coat. His eyes stayed sharp, keeping watch of the lurid trees.

“Caw!”

Another of the eerie cries brought Hrafn’s sight to the skies. From them, he could hear a whisper in his ears.

“Follow the feathers along Bord’s Pass. There you will find the power you seek”

Hrafn returned his eyes to the path ahead. Black feathers had fallen upon the snow, leading into the dusk. Beyond them, he could feel those cries rippling his eardrums. Before he could take his first step, another voice harked for him.

“Wake up, Hrafn I say! Wake up!”

Hrafn steadily opened his eyes. He found himself lying on a heap of hay, his iron sword resting by his side. Before him, he saw a man with a wooden bow held in his left hand.

“Gunvor. What brings you to the barracks?”

The tall man placed his bow in a leather bag that hung along his back.

“Gorm has approved our plans to infiltrate those mountain caves above Bord’s Pass. We need to form an infantry unit and prepare for the raid by night”.

Hrafn grabbed his sword and stood to his feet. He was excited to learn that they’d finally pursue Hoden and his Followers.

“Where are the others?”, asked Gunvor.

“They went for drinks and merry at the Pit”.

Hrafn had finished readying himself and followed Gunvor outside. Upon his departure, he could see the surrounding homes and the armory that stood nearby. Livestock walked along the stone passages, accompanied by farmers who carried harvest in wheelbarrows from the lone fertile grounds on the outskirts of Amux. Swordsmen trained behind the tall gates of the barracks while archers trekked towards the southern hills. Dense clouds had hid the midday sun. Unswept snow rested amongst the walls, corners and rooftops of dwellings. Hrafn and Gunvor reached the great statue of Ullr that stood upon a highly carved rock. Hrafn was always mesmerized at the sight of the legendary Ullrkun who held his arrow aimed at the northern peaks of Ishmore.

“Someday my name will be revered more than him”.

Gunvor saw the envy in Hrafn’s eyes.

“Don’t let your eyes stray for fame, Hrafn. Keep them within the pack”.

Hrafn scoffed at those words. He looked to the stone shoulders of Ullr. A crow had perched itself upon the left shoulder and a raven upon the other. Before he could ponder over its meaning, Gunvor had grabbed his right shoulder.

“Come Hrafn, we must head for the Pit”.

Though hesitant, Hrafn headed with him towards the doors of Olaf’s Pit which resided just east of the monument. The renowned brewery of Amux appeared old yet lively from the cheers and stomps that could be heard from outside. Gunvor pushed open the two wooden doors. Both he and Hrafn kicked the snow from their boots then headed inside. Torches upon each table and a near furnace lit the longhouse. Farmers, blacksmiths, and merchants sat on stools by a long bar ahead of the entrance. At the several wood carved tables, the Ullrkun soldiers sat. Swords, maces, and bows rested upon the tabletops. Shields lied against the backs of chairs. Some of the merry soldiers danced and sang with common folk while others drank of Greij, the finest brewery crafted from the grains of Lundsun. While looking about the long hall, Hrafn found lady Brynja dancing with three others. The Ullrkun archer saw Hrafn and Gunvor and smiled before returning to drinking the brew she held and dancing. Hrafn went to a lone table to sharpen his blade while Gunvor headed to a nearby table where a fellow Ullrkun sat alone. This one was sharpening his two swords with a whetstone.

“Harjit”, said Gunvor as he seated himself at the table.

“Gunvor, my friend. What brings you to a place like this?”

“I could ask the same of you. I would think you’d either be studying or training at the barracks”.

Harjit chuckled while holding one of his blades, inspecting all its ends.

“Brynja and some of the men wanted to drink and mingle. These days have been intense for them so I allowed them to come here by midday”.

“Gorm must be worried about the departure of Nord from the Council of Tyr. He’s keeping the men prepared for battle”.

“Yes, I’ve heard from my confidant within Brimir of the disputes within the Council. He’ll keep us informed”.

Gunvor looked at his fellow soldiers about the hall then back at Harjit.

“Gorm has approved of us raiding the mountain caves along Bord’s Pass at nightfall”.

Harjit looked through the near window. He could see the distant mountains that surrounded Bord’s Pass and the dark skies above them.

“We must be careful doing this raid my friend. Many soldiers and traders have vanished traveling there with no sign of their passing”.

“Danr had taken Bord’s Pass to reach the short way to the Sea of Dophrus not too long ago”, said Gunvor while waving to a server for a pint of Greij.

“Isn’t he the blacksmith that trained in Dormus?”

Gunvor waited for the server to place the pint on the table and leave them.

“That’s the one. He was returning to the ships that took him there and was accompanied by several Ullrkuns for protection”.

“But isn’t he still bedridden and silent? He hasn’t uttered a word for many days now”.

Gunvor took a swig of the brew then looked at the torch that rested within the middle of the table.

“Before he no longer spoke, his last words after being brought back from the Pass were ‘Don’t heed the lady’s lyrics’ ”.

“I’ve heard a farmer that travels to Lundsun mention the same”, said Harjit as he finished sharpening and inspecting his second blade.

“Those soldiers that went with Danr were never found nor were their armaments”.

Hrafn heard these words while whetting his blade. He grew intrigued and listened intently from the near table.

“Could this be the work of Hoden and his followers?”, asked Harjit as he placed the whetstone within a pouch knotted to his belt.

“I can’t say. The few spare ones that have passed through the mountains mentioned hearing a faint yet piercing sound from above”.

“Tell me where I can find those spared men”.

Gunvor and Harjit looked up at Hrafn who stood before the table. The purplish eyed warrior had sheathed his sword and placed his hands upon the wooden tabletop.

“I will learn of what stole our brothers and earn my name by defeating that monster”, said Hrafn.

“Keep your eyes within the pack Hrafn”, said Gunvor. “No name needs to be earned”.

“Your name is already known here”, said Harjit. “You’re the strongest of us. You don’t need to prove yourself to outsiders”.

Hrafn returned to his table in disgust. He held the brass medallion that hung from his neck. The etched raven reminded him of his teacher. Thoughts of the surrounding fires and sparks from clashing blades tightened his grip on the medallion. He could hear the words of the short bearded, cold eyed warrior.

“Seek power”.

Remembering those words, Hrafn thought of that whisper from his last dream along with the crow and raven atop the statue of Ullr.

“You shouldn’t be worrying yourself”.

Hrafn saw that Brynja had seated herself at his table. She had placed her bow by the table’s side.

“Brynja, do you know of the men that returned from Bord’s Pass?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing. But why does this matter?”

Hrafn gave a quick look to Gunvor and Harjit who were still entrenched in talk.

“I’ve heard there’s some mischief that’s occurring at that Pass. It may be the work of the Tribe of Hod. If I defeat the one causing it, my name will finally be spread about all of Norsia”.

Brynja took a sip of ale and watched the few cinders that fell from the torch upon the tabletop.

“I remember the days of Gorm teaching us. You were so different back then”.

Hrafn recalled his training alongside Brynja during their younger years. He smiled from thinking of the tales told by Gorm by campfire. But again, thoughts of the teacher that Gorm had given him to had stolen his head. A raven and crow were always perched upon the rooftop of the barracks then, watching his battle with his mentor. Hrafn felt a grab upon his right shoulder. He gathered himself and saw that Gunvor was standing by his side along with Harjit.

“It’s time Hrafn”.

Hrafn grabbed his sword and followed Gunvor outside.

“Men, let’s go”.

Brynja and the other Ullrkuns gathered their armaments and followed Harjit towards the barracks. Upon reaching the statue of Ullr, Hrafn saw that the crow and raven were still perched upon his shoulders. The crow looked at him and then flew towards the dark skies over the northern mountains. The raven also looked at him but instead remained still. Hrafn and the other Ullrkuns arrived at the barracks. The raised fists of Gunvor and Harjit stopped the soldiers by the gate. Harjit, Gunvor, Hrafn and Brynja walked ahead of the others and to the lone elderly man that stood in front of the entrance.

“Gorm", said Gunvor.

He and the other three bowed before the leader of the Ullrkuns.

“What do you need of us?”

“I’m here to remind you of the dangers of Hoden and his Followers. Don’t forget that Hoden was the last commander of the Norsian army. He’s also a practitioner of the Hodrian ways”.

“The ways of the Ice wielders?”, said Gunvor.

Gorm looked about the northern mountaintops.

“Yes. He, like the other tribe and village leaders, trained at the Temple of Hodr”.

Hrafn became more intrigued from hearing this.

“We’ll be careful”.

Gunvor stood again and turned to the warriors behind him.

“Men, prepare yourselves then meet back here by the night’s coming”.

The Ullrkuns gave a short shout in agreement and then headed into the barracks. Blades of swords and maces were whetted. Arrows were gathered and placed in parchments. Armor was fitted. By early dusk, the Ullrkun warriors of Gunvor and Harjit had gathered by the torches that lit the entrance of the barracks. Gunvor stood upon the steps by the doors.

“This is the night that we put an end to the raids of Hoden and his followers. Gorm has called for us because we are the best of the Ullrkuns and are suited for this task. There are two paths to the mountain caves that reside above Bord’s Pass. Hrafn and ten others will follow me towards one path. Harjit will lead the others towards the other. Stay alert and sharp. Hoden and his men will be expecting us. Now let’s go!”

The warriors cheered and followed Gunvor and Harjit towards the northern mountains. Flakes steadily poured from the skies as the warriors departed from the village of Amux. The air had darkened. Steps became heavier from the snow that had risen amongst the ground. Gunvor and Harjit both stopped and held their right fists high. The soldiers adhered and looked at the two high mountains before them. The passage between the mountains was hidden within a blizzard. The wide mountains had caves that could barely be seen midway up from the ground.

“Gunvor, head for the caves on the mountain on the left”, said Harjit. “We’ll take the right mountain”.

“Yes”, said Gunvor. “Hrafn, lead these men up to the caves. I’ll stay watch and head up last”.

“I’ll do the same”, said Brynja. “Harjit, I’ll ensure you and the others reach the caves safely”.

Brynja and Gunvor readied their bows and carefully surveyed the mountains while Hrafn and Harjit led the others to their respective caves. Hand after hand and foot after foot, the Ullrkuns scaled the mountains. The skies darkened. The air felt colder. Upon reaching the caves, two Ullrkun archers from each group held their bows, allowing Gunvor and Brynja to ascend. After reaching the others, Gunvor gave a wave to Harjit and Brynja then led his men into the nearby hole. A chilled howl blew at them. Rocky ice impeded their steps.

“Are you sure the Tribe of Hod dwells here, Gunvor?”, whispered Hrafn. “I can only see as far as my blade”.

“We’ll know soon enough”, Gunvor whispered back while keeping his ears attentive.

As they moved forward, a faint light caught Hrafn’s eyes. The glow came closer and closer, briefly lighting the passageway.

“Fall!”, Hrafn yelled.

He and several Ullrkuns quickly dropped to the ground. The glow struck an Ullrkun that had still stood, causing him to stumble backwards and fall to the rocky ground. Gunvor saw that it was an arrow immersed in flames that had hit the warrior.

“Archers, ready your bows!” shouted Gunvor. “Stay close to the ground!”

More fire arrows lit the dark passage with the Ullrkun archers firing back immediately after the arrows passed. Among the passing arrows Hrafn could see a tunnel on his left. He swiftly crawled towards it. Gunvor and the other Ullrkuns had kneeled with the archers shooting arrows into the dark when they could while following after Hrafn. The Ullrkuns eventually reached the new passage and returned to their feet. Gunvor removed a cluster of tied and cut branches from his belt. He then took a canister from his belt. A murky fluid poured from the canister he held above the branches. With the wool glove worn on his hands, he rubbed the strange fluid upon the ends of the branches. Fire burned across those branches’ ends and lit the pathway. No ceiling could be seen here. The path ahead of them ascended towards a faint light.

“This way!” said Gunvor.

Gunvor and two Ullrkun archers kept their bows aimed at the hole while following Hrafn and the others. That hole steadily brightened as they headed up the icy gravel. After reaching the top, the warriors had found that the distant light was a hole that led to the outside. The skies here were windy and gray. An ice bridge stood before the warriors, leading to the mountain that Harjit and the others had entered.

“What is this?”, said Hrafn while carefully walking on the bridge.

“This is where thieves fall”

Hrafn and the others looked above the hole from which they’d left. Upon a cliff, archers within dark cloaks and hoods had their bows aimed at them. A long bearded man stood before them with a torch held in one hand.

“Hoden”, said Gunvor.

“The reign of thieves will end here”

With a tip of his torch at the bridge, the archers by Hoden fired their arrows at the Ullrkuns. Two of the warriors were struck and fell from the bridge while the others managed to quickly hold their shields.

“Let’s reach the other mountain!” shouted Gunvor.

Hrafn and the remaining men held their shields against the incoming arrows as they backed themselves across the bridge. More Followers of Hod emerged from the hole that the Ullrkuns had come from. They shot their own arrows at the men of Amux.

“These are too many arrows to block!”, said one of the men. “We can’t handle an attack both from above and below!”

“Keep your shields raised and move back!”, said Gunvor.

As more and more arrows were shot at them, Hrafn saw that one of the Followers was struck by an arrow and fell from the cliff. Another arrow passed by Hrafn’s head and hit a Follower by the hole.

“Gunvor, we need your bow!”

Hrafn and Gunvor looked behind them and found that Brynja and two other Ullrkuns were firing arrows at the Followers.

“There are ones coming from the other cave”, said Harjit who held his shield with the other Ullrkuns with him directed at the other end of the bridge. “Take down these archers first”.

Gunvor and the two Ullrkun archers with his group fetched their bows and joined Brynja and the two archers with her. They steadily struck some of the Followers from both the cliff and the hole.

“Raise your swords!” said Hoden.

The Followers by the hole retrieved the blades from beneath their cloaks and charged at the warriors of Amux. Brynja and Gunvor kept their bows aimed at the remaining archers on the cliff while Hrafn and the others took out their swords. Upon the ice bridge, the Followers of Hoden and the Ullrkuns of Amux clashed. Sparks lit the skies. The yells of fallen soldiers and angered ones echoed throughout the mountaintops. Hrafn led the charge for the Ullrkuns, driving many of the Followers back towards the mountain from which Hoden stood. The purple eyed warrior’s swordship reminded Hoden of a swordsman he once faced from Lundsun. More and more Followers emerged from the mountain hole, pushing the Ullrkuns back to the middle of the bridge.

“Keep your swords high!”, said Gunvor while firing his arrows at the archers on the cliff.

During the battle, Hrafn found himself looking at the dark passage from his dream. Though his blade clashed with the Followers of Hod, he could hear the words of the lady.

“Follow the feathers along Bord’s Pass. There you will find the power you seek”

A loud screech woke Hrfan from his thoughts. Piercing shrills filled the air causing both Followers and Ullrkuns to grab their ears. Hrafn looked around the bridge. He saw that one of the Followers was quickly snatched away but couldn’t see what took him. The yells and cries of that soldier faded within the stormy skies. The warriors on the bridge found that an Ullrkun was taken next. Gunvor and Harjit looked into the near northern skies. They caught glimpses of the armor and weaponry of both Follower and Ullrkun falling to the depths below. Recalling his teacher’s words, Hrafn focused his anger and held his blade ready with his ears attentive. A near flapping sound caused Hrafn to thrust his blade just above him. A loud shriek rang through the air. Gunvor and Harjit were shocked at what Hrafn had pierced. It was a creature unfamiliar to them but one heard about through tales of spared passers.

“The Crow Men have come!” yelled Hoden. “Return to the caves!”

Just as the tribe leader said these words, several Crow Men landed upon the ice bridge. Hrafn removed his blade from the fallen one upon it then looked at the others. They appeared as a forge of man with the wings and head of the black feathered bird. Their eyes were dark and bottomless. Their beaks appeared sharp. An armor of Norsian make was donned by each with swords held in feathered hands.

“Gather back within the mountains!” shouted Gunvor.

Ullrkuns and Followers headed for the tunnels, clashing with the Crow Men ahead of them. Hrafn was mesmerized. Those beings fought like men of the Norsian army but with more strength and agility than even the ferocious wolves of Ulf’s Ravine. Though entranced, Hrafn saw that Hoden had leapt from the cliff onto the ice bridge. The tribe leader headed into the near mountain hole. Hrafn went after him. Upon entering the hole, he found himself immersed within darkness. The torch held by Hoden had faded into the passage below.

“Wait up Hrafn”

Hrafn saw that Gunvor, Brynja, and Harjit had reached him.

“I’m going after him Gunvor”

“We should retreat instead”, said Harjit while still catching his breath. “Those strange beasts have slaughtered the remaining men on the bridge and we’re within Hoden’s territory. We need to replan”.

“I agree with Harjit”, said Brynja between gasps. “ We should return to Gorm”.

“There’s no time for that”, replied Hrafn as he looked over his blade. “The time is now to end this and for me to claim my name”.

Hrafn hurried down the icy gravel, ignoring the pleas of Gunvor and the others. Though the tunnel before him was dark, he could see a faint light at its end. He found that the once dark pathways were lit with torches along the walls. Hrafn hurried along the lit path. He found himself led to a wide room with pointy ice cones above. The ground was of hard rock with icy stones along the walls. Within the middle of the room, he saw Hoden. The cloaked warrior held a sword in one hand with his other hand beneath his cloak.

“So you’ve come, young warrior”, said the leader of Hod. “Your eyes are different from the others”

“I’ve come to gain my name”, said Hrafn with his blade grasped with both hands.

Hrafn charged at Hoden and swung his blade. With a single hand, Hoden’s blade parried his sword away. Hrafn raised his blade again and attacked Hoden. The clashing of blades echoed throughout the ice cave. A few of the weaker ice cones fell, partially breaking along the ground.

“Is this the best of Gorm?” said Hoden. “The men of Norsia have become weak”.

Hrafn became enraged. Those words reminded him of his teacher’s own. The Ullrkun charged again at Hoden, his blade striking against that of the tribal leader. While holding his edge against Hrafn’s blade, Hoden removed his hidden hand from within his black cloak. Lively ice flowed across his blued hand. A mist surrounded it and felt cool. Hoden immediately grabbed Hrafn’s arms. Ice quickly enshrouded those arms, causing the warrior to release his blade. A sharp pain beseeched him, leading to a yell that passed through the near paths.

“This is where it ends young warrior”, said Hoden.

Just as Hoden was about to strike Hrafn, he looked at his left shoulder. An arrow had hit him. The leader looked at the tunnel which Hrafn had emerged from. Hrafn turned and saw that Gunvor stood there with his bow ready.

“Gunvor, you should’ve left with the others”, said Hrafn among his chattering.

“They went to notify Gorm. I’m here to bring you back”.

Hoden removed the arrow from his shoulder. He directed his frosty hand at Gunvor while keeping his blade held. From that hand, an icy wind rushed towards the archer. Gunvor hurried to hide behind a stone on his left. Edges of the wind touched the stone, causing a thick ice to cover the large rock. Gunvor retrieved two arrows from his parch. He quickly fetched the container from his belt and poured the liquid over the arrowheads. After some swift rubs of the arrowheads, fire surrounded them. He emerged from an end of the ice rock and shot the fire arrows at Hoden. The leader of Hod placed his icy hand towards the arrows and blew another frost wind. Those arrows immediately froze and fell to the ground. Gunvor attempted to hide behind another nearby stone but his left arm was caught by the wind. He dropped his bow and tried to peel away the ice that began to cover it. Hoden placed his blue hand back beneath his cloak and headed towards Gunvor. He raised his edge above the head of the Ullrkun archer.

“The two of you will be a message for Gorm that Amux will be returned to Hod”, said Hoden.

While struggling to free himself from the ice spreading across his body, Hrafn heard a faint lyric in his ears.

“Follow the feathers along Bord’s Pass. There you will find the power you seek”

“Hrafn!” shouted Gunvor. “Stay within the pack!”

Hrafn ignored him and kept attentive to the next words.

Come before the Queen, tall and small

Return to serve the ruler of all

Hear the cries of the great wolf at dawn

Lend your ears to the lady’s song

May you be born anew from the ashes of old

No longer will you worry of the night and cold

For Ragnarok is coming and almost at hand

Let us reclaim our glory over all the lands

Hrafn shut his eyes. His breath had steadied. Hoden and Gunvor looked at the Ullrkun swordsman and the gray air that surrounded him. Black feathers spread about his arms. The ice on his body had cracked, shattering upon the ground. Wings from the crow sprung from his back, higher than his head and wider than his body. Hrafn reopened his eyes. A purplish glow hovered over them. The transformed Ullrkun grabbed his blade then looked towards the leader of Hod.

“Curses of the siren”, said Hoden. “This one has embraced her words”.

“Hrafn”, said a shivering Gunvor.

With his wings spread, Hrafn flew towards Hoden. He swung his sword at his head. Hoden barely dodged the swift blade, moving to his left. Hrafn’s blade had struck the ice covering Gunvor. The cold rocks shattered, leaving Gunvor to immediately rub his numb arm. Hrafn again charged at Hoden. Hoden directed his blue hand at him. Icy winds hurriedly gushed at the feathered man. From left to right, Hrafn avoided those winds. Hoden quickly held his sword with both hands and blocked Hrafn’s strike. Sweat poured down the tribe leader’s head. Cool tears grazed his cheeks. Hoden looked at his blue arm. Hrafn’s talons had pierced through it, sending shards of ice to fall from it. Hoden released his sword and grabbed his blue arm. Through his pain, he managed to look at the purplish glowing eyes of Hrafn and the blade he held before his head.

“Caw!”

Hrafn sheathed his sword upon hearing those sounds that echoed throughout the mountain cave. He turned and looked at Gunvor who stood with his bow held in his stable hand. After a last look at Hoden, Hrfan flew towards the near passage.

“Hrafn!”, shouted Gunvor.

Ignoring Gunvor, Hrafn quickly departed the mountain cave and returned to the ice bridge. Several Crow Men stood over the fallen Ullrkuns and Followers. Hrafn flew with these Crow Men into the dark skies over Bord’s Pass. The winds no longer felt cold to Hrafn. He felt unbothered by the dark. Beyond the dark skies, Hrafn was astonished at what he saw. There was a high castle, taller than the Tower of Astrid from where the old ruler of Norsia reigned. Ice covered portions of this grand castle which appeared to be of Norsian architecture. Before this castle was a bridge. More Crow Men stood aligned on each side of the bridge, cawing at them as they landed at the bridge’s end by the great castle. Before the high doors of the castle, Hrafn saw a strange lady. Her skin appeared similar to the ice along the castle. She wore a silverish armor with two horns upon her helmet.

“Come and receive your power”, she said to him.

Though slightly hesitant, Hrafn gazed into her bluish glowing eyes. His head began to feel strange. His hands could not feel the skin upon his face, only feathers. His nose and mouth had vanished, a beak replacing them. Angered, the feathered Ullrkun tried to speak but could only utter these words.

“Caw!”