[Etude 1] To Honor Raven – Part 3
[Part 1] [Part 2] Brian crept slowly up the hill, shivering from the chill breeze as he started to approach the Jotan camp. The moon, high in the sky, shone brightly as it illuminated the clear night. An owl, perched on a nearby tree, began to hoot as Brian silently moved past. Pausing behind a shrub, he began to analyse the sentry camp before him.
‘There’s only two of them - I should be able to make it past without much trouble.’ He had practiced silently stalking prey with Valgar when they had gone hunting. In his mind, this would be no different. After all, they would not be expecting him to sneak past.
Glancing down, he carefully picked up a nearby rock - measuring the weight in his hands before throwing it down the path he had come from. There was a loud ‘thunk’ as it struck some rocks.
‘Urh?’ a Jotan watchguard grunted in surprise, standing from his hut to squint out in the darkness. Stepping slowly and lightly, Brian crept around and behind the hut - his eyes alternating between the path before him and the Jotan who began to meander down to investigate the noise.
Brian’s heart began to pulse, the thrill of managing to break into the settlement making him more alert to the potential danger. He reached a torch marking the entrance to two different tunnels that bore through the rock, and quickly he hid behind one of the trees.. ‘Now I just need to find that totem.’ He grinned, excited at the prospect of beginning his own legend - knowing that he would soon have an exciting story of his own to share to the Norn. As he looked around he saw that one of the tunnels lead towards a groups of tents. ‘Might as well start with that.’
Carefully he began to enter the tunnel, making sure the torch did not emphasize his shadow as he kept close to the side. The torch flickered in the wind, and Brian spotted something glisten on the ground. It was a large footprint, preserved within the snow as ice - reflecting the light of the torches lighting the tunnel.
Brian frowned curiously as he began to step towards it, figuring the footprint belonged to a Jotan. ‘Damn, that’s a huge footprint! Are there some that are really that big?’
He knelt down, touching the ice-covered print in curiosity. ‘I wonder how th-’ The air around him suddenly became oppressive and heavy, pushing Brian’s shoulders down with a suddenness that he did not expect. Feeling a strange stirring within his chest, Brian immediately raised his head - stumbling back as he met eyes with an enormous Jotan ghost.
“HWAAAARRGGGHH!!” It yelled with an anger which shook Brian to his core, and with it two other ghostly Jotan appeared - one standing by the entrance of the tunnel, the other beside the original ghost.
Brian fumbled as he tried to draw his sword, still reeling from the sudden appearance of the spirits before him. The stirring in his chest, like an itch, was growing - and panic seemed to smother any thought he tried to make.
“CAWWW!”
A huge bulk of feathers suddenly flew by, and with surprise Brian watched as a giant raven creature clawed at the spirits before him, forcing them to move back. The raven turned its head towards Brian, beady eyes staring him down. He wanted to shrink into the ground.
“You should not have come here!”
The voice was cold and and angry, turning back to face the three spirits that started approach once more. Brian could only just recognise Huldra’s voice, and upon realising who it was he quickly drew his sword - no longer paralyzed in shock.
“I’ll help you!”
“No!” she spoke, batting the spirit’s club away with strong talons. “You will return to the camp immediately!”
“Bu-”
“Leave! I will deal with these restless spirits you so carelessly stirred!”
Brian grit his teeth in frustration before running back the way he came, feeling the shame wash through him. He had been so sure that he could be a hero, so certain that he could bring back the totem, and now he was forced to run away like a coward!
He heard distant sounds of shouting, and he realised that the camp was rousing. Shame gave way to dread as he realised the shaman would be alone in the tunnel, potentially facing an angry mob of Jotan.
‘What have I done?!’
He quickly reached the hut he had previously snuck past, halting immediately when he saw the Jotan’s giant bodies strewn across the ground. There was a sound from within the hut, and Brian breathed in relief as he saw Valgar emerge looking at him with concern.
“Sveinulf! Raven’s wings - what were you thinking, coming up here by yourself?”
“Valgar - the shaman is in trouble!” Brian exclaimed, pointing towards the tunnels, ”We have to help her - she’ll be overrun by Jotan! The camp-”
“Is awake,” Valgar interrupted, his voice deep and serious. “I know, Sveinulf. I am here to take you back to our camp before it gets worse.” He stepped over the surrounding corpses, turning as he began to walk. As Brian stepped forward to speak he could see the lethal claw marks that had made them. ‘She... took out all of these Jotan?’ “Huldra is blessed by Raven,” Valgar spoke, watching Brian as he looked back up. “Raven has provided her with all the knowledge she needs. She will be able to handle herself. Now - let us leave this place, and we must be careful not to leave tracks.” Brian could not find it within himself to believe Valgar’s words, but he followed Valgar back to the camp anyway - knowing there was nothing else he could do to help.
[Continue to Part 4]