The unmistakable form of a slender female Norn with long hair was in silhouette at the far end of the wood, but a few yards from the Norns cowering together. The remaining question was: was she friend or foe?  

 

Chapter 4

Ellen was first to stand up.

“Hi. I’m Ellen. Who are you?” she said, trying to make conversation.

“Yeah and where did you learn how to use a bow and arrow like that?” Einar added.

The Norn’s pretty laugh rang out in the dark quiet of the wood. “I’m Giselle of the Woodland and I taught myself.”

“Anyway,” began Einar, “Thanks, We’ll be going now”

Giselle stepped forward. “I’m ready,” she said

“You?”Einar scoffed, “You must be joking! You don’t even know where we’re going!”

“You think it matters to me?” she said taking another step forward.

“We are on a mission to save the whole of Albia from the Grendels” Einar said slowly

“My skills would be useful to you then” Giselle said taking an arrow and putting it into her bow.

Einar sighed and with a firm shake of his head he walked off. Giselle grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. She shot an arrow into the pile of leaf litter Einar was about to step on. The leaf covering fell in exposing a pit that was so deep that if one should fall into it one should consider it their last resting place.

“That my friend is exactly why I should come with you,” she said with a triumphant but annoyed tone to her voice, “This wood is littered with them.”

When they got up and started walking neither one protested when she followed.

**************************************************

“So,” Giselle started, “You are the hand.”

Ellen nodded

“Groovy” the archer said.

The small party, now bigger by one, had been walking for a while. Ellen had been telling Giselle her story and Einar had been cracking not very funny and even disgusting jokes about grendels and their similarities to snot.

Giselle had become fond of Ellen’s kind nature and sense of duty in a very short time but first impressions last the longest (unfortunately for Einar) and she considered the green norn to be a spoilt brat. Once, just once had she reacted badly and threatened to ram an arrow into his head. Ellen had pinned her to the ground and said

“You do, and you die! Do we understand each other?”

Giselle had nodded and got up. Short of hating Ellen, she respected her even more, she transferred her hate to Einar but though she bickered with him, she never again threatened his life.

           “Do you know how much farther we have to go?” Ellen asked Giselle.

“Quite a way yet I think but I’ve never ventured farther than that hill over there” she replied pointing to a hill that was more of a mountain.

“What about the map?” asked Einar not paying much attention

Ellen snapped her fingers. “Einar, that is the first intelligent thing you’ve said all day!”

She flopped onto the ground and rooted around in her pack for the map. She unrolled it and noticed that another of the spaces was filled in. None of them was surprised, not even Giselle as Ellen had told her everything in remarkable detail.

“Look!”she cried to Einar, “There’s another!”

 

Over the hill and far below

Lies the place where you must go

Do not allow your wits to leave you

Nor appearances deceive you

 

“And what in the name of the Hand does that mean?” said Giselle then she clapped her hand over her mouth and remembered that the hand was right next to her. Two bright balls of red burned in her cheeks.

“Sorry” she said.

Ellen didn’t hear her ,or was pretending not to.

“I’m guessing that we have to climb that hill/mountain that you talked about Giselle”

Einar groaned, “Do we ‘ave to?” he said pretending to faint.

Ellen laughed  but Giselle said “Well, you dont have to come you annoying little snotball,” she noticed Ellen laughing but getting irritated at their constant bickering, “but if this is the only way then I for one am going to do it!”

“Good Grief!” Einar said back “Your sense of humour is worse than a grendel’s  IQ!”

Ellen lost her patience. “For God’s sake, shut up! All I’m asking for is a bit of peace, is that too much to ask?” Ellen was shaking with fury and turned to Einar and said, “I have put up with your moaning for ages now. I am doing this out of the goodness of my heart and from the very start I have complained but once, and that was because I was told I was gonna die for the sake of Albia. You have nothing to worry about Einar and yet complain is all you ever do!” Ellen took a deep breath and turned to Giselle. “And you!” she said so savagely that Giselle backed away, “Yeah sure, you’re skilled with that bow and arrow, but Einar was right (for once) when he said you haven’t got a sense of humour! I’m effectively walking to my own death here and I can still laugh, don’t you think that’s saying something? This is the last journey that I’ll ever make, lets try and make it a good, or at least bearable, one shall we?”

Ellen stopped, panting. Einar and Giselle had backed away and now all they could say was: “Sorry”

***********************************************

They clambered up the hill at a rate of knots and rolled down the other side, laughing as they went, even Giselle.

       They reached the bottom and staggered to their feet, swaying and dizzy. The shock of  spears digging into their backs and a gruff voice bellowing “Don’t move!” brought them to their senses.

 They managed to catch a glimpse of one of the creatures out of the corner of their eyes, the leader they presumed. At first they thought with dread that it was a grendel, but it had fur sticking out from beneath and between the scales, and grendels did NOT have fur.

The voice rang out again. “Friend or foe?” it said.