Chapter 8 Miria: Story time

Chapter 8 Miria: Story time

I lay in bed, starting up at the ceiling. All I can think about is Ylvana being out there in the storm.

Rain pings against my window, intensifying with every gust of wind. Lightning lights up my room for a split second, then a low boom of thunder shakes the walls. I am not sleeping tonight.

I get out of bed and wander downstairs to the kitchen. Cook and some of her chefs are awake, slowly washing the dishes and putting things away. It seems like they are always working, which paid off, because the food tasted great. They don't seem to be aware of me as I get a glass of water. I don't blame them; I'm half asleep myself. I leave the kitchen, and head for the only place I feel like going; the library.

Ylvana once said to me the castle hallways were creepy at night. I laughed at that, thinking it was just her adjusting to this new life. Now, as I walk through the dark hallways, I realize she was right. The flickering lighting from the window casts weird shadows across the walls. I feel like the pictures were watching me. I walk faster.

As I pass the ballroom, I hear hushed voices and pause. I couldn't imagine anyone else being awake this late. I step into the ballroom, so empty now compared to earlier tonight when it was full of music, lights, and people. It felt wrong to have such a big room be so still.

Two shadows stand in the corner by the windows, taking in hushed voices.

"If something is going on, you need to tell me. My daughter's life is in danger!" I recognize Gwen's voice.

"I have everything under control!" my father hisses.

Gwen scoffs. "You straight out lied to Erling. He's suspicious now; and you know how he can get idea's spreading around. You refuse to ask for help from someone you know will be able to help just because of old grudges. I don't know how that Fenrir Warrior got into the ball, but I know you have not been taking the proper security measures."

Father sighs, and leans against the raining.

"Albin, you're a better leader than this. What is going on?"

He looks up, and stops when he see's me walking towards him.

"Mir," he says, rubbing his eyes, "What are you doing awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," I say, running my finger around the rim of my glass of water.

Gwen smiles at me. "Welcome to the club."

Father turns away from me, and starts rubbing his wrist.

"Have the Wolves found out anything new?" I ask.

Father stares out the window. "They turned over ever stone, but there's no sign of her in the village."

Well, duh. I doubt the Fenrir Warrior's are going to hang out in the village after kidnapping Ylvana.

"Bye the way," Father looks down at me with hard eyes. "Mother told me you left the castle."

When I told mother, she had not been in the mood to punish me. But Father is, even now when he is so tired.

"I saw Ylvana leave. I just wanted to try and convince her--"

"You're about to become queen! You cannot make such stupid decisions!" Father's voice booms over the white bricks.

"She was just trying to help. Right now, you have much bigger issues to worry about," Gwen says, calmly.

"Exactly, and I do not need to be worried about my own daughter running out on me!" he retorts.

I bite my lip. I hate it when I get yelled at--I rarely ever got in trouble. When I did, I felt extremely guilty. Plus, I'm nervous about how weird my father is acting. When I was young, he ruled with a clear mind and an iron fist. He was my role model; but now, I am no longer certain I can look up to him.

"I am well aware I am no leader, but if you could at least consider what I've been telling you--"

"He is not to be trusted!" father interrupts Gwen.

"Wait, who?" I ask.

Gwen puts her arm around my shoulder. "An old friend of mine--Eitri McNeil."

"Wait--you know Eitri McNeil?" I ask. I have only read about the old wizard, and of course heard what people said about him around the castle--none of which was pleasant.

Gwen nods. "He trained Aaron to be the great Warrior that he was. You can't believe everything they say about him. I know he is a great man."

Father glares at her. "You don't get to tell what my daughter to believe!"

"Yet, you and your bias opinion do?" Gwen shoots back.

"How can you defend him when you know what he did--"

"Aaron and Åsa's death was not his fault," Gwen says.

Father clenches his jaw, and turns around.

I remember the story. Sixteen years ago, before my Father met my mother, he was about to marry a lady named Åsa, but she was kidnapped by Fenrir. Eitri McNeil and Ylvana's father, Prince Aaron, created a plan to rescue her. Aaron left for the Sutherlands, but he never returned. It was no secret my father blamed the wizard for the loss of his brother.

"I trust him as much as Aaron did," Gwen says.

Father scoffs. "Yes, and that led him far."

"Father," I cut in, "it couldn't hurt--"

"Yes it can, Miria!" Father raves. "You can't understand---he's not to be trusted."

"How am I suppose to understand if no one ever tells me anything!" 

Gwen's lips curve into a faint smile.

"You are suppose to trust me. When you are queen, you'll have to make difficult decisions. Do as I say, and the answers will be clear," he says, looking out the window.

For some reason, I can't believe him.

"Now, I suggest you get to bed." He turns on his heels, and walks down the hallway. I know he is going to the War Council room.

"Something tells me you're not going to bed right away," Gwen says.

I shake my head. "To the library."

"Mind if I join you?" she smiles.

I shake my head, and we walk together.

The book I had shown Chris and Alex is still on the round table. I pick it up, and sit down in my favorite chair. Gwen wonders around the room, looking over all the books.

The light of a candle above me shines on the pages. I've read these stories so many times. Even though they have been around for 800 years, they never get old.

I turn to a page with the story of Skoll and Hati;

Sköll heitir ulfr,
er fylgir inu skírleita goði
til varna viðar,
en annarr Hati,
hann er Hróðvitnis sonr,
sá skal fyr heiða brúði himins.

I read these words easily, just like I could do with German, Gaelic, and all the Old Scandinavian languages.

The lines say Skoll and Hati are the children of Fenrir, who chase the sun and the moon across the sky.

Of course we know the sun and the moon are bodies in space, but the veil between science and mythology is complicated here. We know the scientific facts, but we also know Skoll, Hati, Fenrir, the other Norse deities, and other mythologies and beliefs are real too. We are able to accept more than one truth.

The story continues:

Over thousands of years Skoll and Hati, the children of Fenrir, have chased the sun and the moon. It is this constant chase that keeps the world in motion, but one day the chase will end. At Ragnarok, they will devour the sun and moon. 

The Story of Sølvefalske

In the year 1066 A.D, there were many people suffering from the effects of the Dark Ages. Skoll decided to create the island of Sølvefalske, as a sanctuary for people. By the power of Odin's Runestones, he placed the island at the truck of the world tree, Yggdrasil, to be equally distant from all nine realms.

To allow people access to the island, Skoll then created the Freslakjoll, a portal that can only be accessed through drowning, or other wise dying at sea. As more and more people found their way to the island, the thriving kingdom was created, as a peaceful home for all. But peace did not last forever.

As the kingdom was established, rivalries over leadership arose. Two brother's fought each other for dominance. Villager's were forced to choose sides. Eventually, the younger brother beat the elder, and he banished his brother and his followers from the island.

The exiled citizens were forced to wonder the sea's. Skoll's brother, Hati, took pity on them, and created the Sutherland Islands. There, the exiles found shelter, and created their own kingdom. From that point on, Hati watched over the Sutherlands, while Skoll protected Sølvefalske.

The runestones Skoll and Hati used to create the island's were hidden in the forest. Their power was the source of life on the islands.To this day, the whereabouts of the runestones are only known to Skoll.

But the Sutherland's became greedy for the power of the runestones. This eventually turned into the war.

Eitri McNeil and the Runestones

On of the founders of the island was Eitri McNeil. At around age 30, he discovered the power of the runestones, and learned to harness them. Little is known about his actual practice besides the Shifting Spell he had created.

Skeptics believe it was Eitri McNeil who has hidden the stones from the rest of the island, and caused the war. Other's believe he does not have the runestones. Little is truly known about the old man.

McNeil's last known address to the kingdom was his message from Skoll. It stated the following; "When the runestone's are threatened, I will send a guardian."

I stop reading, and look over at Gwen, who had found a book and is sitting in a chair.

"Is it true what Erling said?" I ask her. "Is Ylvana really the Wolf Princess?"

Gwen puts her book down, and sighs.

"I don't know," she says. "It is certainly a possibility, but . . . it's a difficult concept to grasp. Shortly after Ylvana was born, I learned about her powers. I remember one day I went to check on her in her crib, and in her place was a little wolf pup. I nearly had a heart attack. I thought someone had switched out my daughter for a wolf. Just before I was about to search the house, she changed back. So I went to McNeil to find out about it . . . " She pauses a moment to think through her words. "he told me about Skoll sending a guardian; that it might be the cause of her power."

"Do you really trust McNeil?" I ask.

She nods. "With my life. Your father is simply blinded by grief to see the good side of him. Everyone else is afraid; and upset that McNeil's magic hasn't been able to do anything for them."

I look back at the story; when the runestone's are threatened, I will send a guardian.

"But why can't he do something if he's so powerful?"

Gwen smiles faintly. "Even magic has it's limits. There's been some very old conflicts between McNeil and the Royal family that the Royal's have never been able to get over."

I nod. "So, does Ylvana know about this?" 

"I've told her the story, but Ylvana was never interested in being a hero. The happiest days of her life are when we were living together in the cabin. I knew that if she became the runestone guardian, she would have to give that life up. I tried to keep her power a secrete not just from the Fenrir Warriors, but from your father. Now, both of my efforts have been all for not."

"They wouldn't kill Ylvana though, right?" I say, hopefully.

Gwen does not answer right away, which I take as a bad sign.

"What they want is to use the Wolf Princess' powers to find the runestone's for themselves. Whether she is the wolf princess or not, she knows how important it is to not let them get all 24. She will refuse, and if that happens . . ."

I watch as a tear forms in the corner of her eye.

"They will either force her to work with them, or get her out of their way," Gwen finally finishes.

"Ylvana's going to be okay," I try to reassure her. But I don't think I'm doing a very good job, I can't even reassure myself. "She's the toughest girl I know. She has to get out of this."

"Let's hope so, for all our sake's."

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