บท 43: 42
Chapter 42
"This way, Harry," Roshilde said as she guided him out of the Feasting Hall. He followed obediently and silently; his mind was stuffed with everything that happened today.
She took a turn, then another. "How do you know where we're going?" Harry asked, curiously. "I mean, Thor said my room is in his palace."
Roshilde grinned at him. "I'm your Valkyrie," she said, as if that explained everything. He gave her a dirty look in response, causing her to laugh. "As your Valkyrie, I know things like that, it's part of the deal," she further explained.
"Just what is it that a Valkyrie does?" Harry then asked. "I mean, there was talk of training schedules and stuff."
Roshilde nodded. "Valkyries are Lord Odin's shield maidens," she said. "We go out and find the souls of brave warriors who died in combat, and bring them here for resurrection. Once they are here, we become… kind of… responsible for them. We help with setting up training schedules, room service, things like that. Of course, there are fewer of us then there are Einherjar – so sometimes we swap duties, help each other out, things like that. You probably noticed that me sticking close to you during the feast is a bit of an exception – we serve at the feast, but it's more like waitressing rather than individual service."
"I did notice that," Harry said. "Why was that?"
Roshilde grinned at him. "Well, you are new to all this. And when you draw the attention of Lord Odin and the other gods, I thought it prudent to stick around and make sure everything was taken care of properly."
The young demigod nodded thoughtfully. That made sense.
"Anyway," the Valkyrie went on to explain. "As long as they're here, Einherjar are functionally immortal. While they can die, they will resurrect almost immediately. If they leave, though, their deaths are permanent. Valkyries have this, too. Should we fall in battle outside these walls, we will die permanently."
Harry nodded softly; lots of people he knew could die permanent deaths. Like Artie's Hunters; they were kept young and ever-living by Artie, but they could die in battle, just like everybody else.
Then he remembered what Roshilde had said about Valkyries. "So you're like Artie's Hunters?" he asked. "They're Artie's handmaidens, so are Valkyries like that?"
"Who's Artie?" Roshilde asked, curiously.
"Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt," Harry explained warily, already bracing himself for yet another person reacting strangely to the explanation; really, Artie was not that bad!
To his surprise, and gratitude, Roshilde just nodded. "I see," she said, as if that made perfect sense. "I've heard of her. We're a bit like that, I suppose. We have totally different skillsets, of course. And our duties are completely different. But, I can see the comparison – we're companions to a god or goddess, and we have duties assigned to us. I suppose, in that way, we're a bit alike."
Harry grinned. "And are you supposed to stay away from boys, too? Artie's Hunters all have to stay away from boys, and some of them really hate us."
Roshilde burst out laughing. "That would make our job of finding Einherjar quite difficult!" she chortled as she guided Harry through an archway. Suddenly, the walls were completely different. "We're in Bilskirnir now, that's a shortcut you can use," she explained at his look. "Otherwise, we'd have to cross the entirety of Asgard and climb the tallest mountain."
Harry nodded eagerly, telling himself he'd do his best to remember that passage. "To get back to your question," the Valkyrie said, giving another laugh, "Valkyries aren't prohibited from having relationships in any way. So there are no rules against falling in love or having relationships."
The young demigod nodded again. That was a major difference between Artie's Hunters and the Valkyries! At least, he wouldn't have to dodge filthy looks from the Valkyries just because he was a boy.
He really wondered why Phoebe had it in for him that much. She still glared at him every time he came to Artie's camp, sometimes even showing him her weapons in a threatening manner.
Roshilde grinned teasingly at him. "Why were you asking?" she asked in an exaggerated fashion, teasingly waggling her eyebrows.
Harry pouted and looked away. "I was just curious," he answered shyly. "Artie's Hunters have to stay away from boys, and it means Miss Zoë doesn't want me to give her a hug." He crossed his arms. "Despite the fact that she could really use one sometimes."
The Valkyrie burst out laughing. "Isn't that sweet?" she asked, throwing an arm around the young boy's shoulders and pulling him close. "Everyone needs a hug every now and again," she added, "so if you feel the need for one, or if you think I could use one, feel free."
Harry grinned and hugged her back. "Hugs are great!" he chirped.
The Valkyrie just kept laughing as she steered him around a corner. "Here we are," she said, still giggling with mirth, although she was now slowly regaining her normal demeanor. "You still have your key?" she asked.
Harry nodded, lifting a chain from around his neck. It held both the key to the Simulator, and now the key Thor had given him. As he lifted it, the key glowed golden, a glow matched by the door. Not long after a click followed.
"There," Roshilde said, satisfied, as she pushed down on the handle. The door was one of those old school heavy-duty wood-with-metal-reinforcements ones. The Handle, too, was heavy-duty, something which was probably a good idea considering the average Asgardian's strength.
The door slipped open easily and noiselessly. "Welcome to your new home," she said, theatrically, making an exaggerated motion towards the room.
Harry grinned at her. His Valkyrie could be silly, apparently. He walked past her and gave her an equally exaggerated dip of his head. "Thank you kindly," he said in his best posh accent.
Roshilde let out a snort and made to follow him.
Then had to take a step to the side or she would have bumped into him. Harry had frozen at the sight of the room. "Whoa," he managed.
The room wasn't a room per se; it was more like a penthouse suite. The entrance hall had all the usual amenities one expected, a coatrack, a comfortable bench to sit on while removing shoes or boots, and a large cupboard one could store outdoor clothing in, like jackets, coats, and the like. There was an umbrella stand there, too.
The entrance hall emerged into a central atrium. This atrium had a ceiling enchanted to look like the starry sky on a good night, when one was exceedingly lucky to have no clouds or wavering air due to temperature differences.
Harry wanted to drop onto his back right there and then and practice the constellations as Zoë had taught him, but repressed the urge almost immediately.
Off to one side of the atrium was the bedroom; it held a large wardrobe, as well as a dresser, and a huge, king-sized, four-poster bed. A large standing mirror stood in one corner, practically inviting Harry to take a look at his reflection.
He looked tired, he thought. And a little bit tipsy, too. Miss Frigga was right to have sent him to bed rather than let him travel. Even if it was fire-travel and Hestia would have kept him safe, he didn't want to come home looking like this. Hestia would have been so disappointed in him.
The walls were a nice shade of beige that gave it a warm feel to it.
Next to the bedroom was a dressing area, which gave way into a bathroom. The colors here were a shade or two darker, making it feel just that tiny bit warmer than the bedroom. The bathroom had a huge walk-in shower, as well as a large tub sunk into the floor. It was probably big enough for him to get a good, solid, swim stroke in!
Off to one side of the bathroom was a sauna, as well as a nice toilet. Harry grinned, suddenly remembering how Hestia had been forced to conjure one when he first started living at Helios' temple.
On the other side of the atrium was a living area that flowed into a kitchen; both of those were stocked incredibly well. A living area had several full-length leather couches as well as a TV – quite large but not as large as that huge-screen TV he'd gotten on Olympus using some of his poker winnings.
The other end of the living room had a crackling fire, and this more than anything made Harry feel both at peace and at home. He always felt good when he was near a hearth, almost as if he could feel Hestia's presence through it. A nice recliner stood facing the fire, and he knew he could spend quite some time in it, just gazing at the fire.
The far wall of the living area was lined with bookcases, containing a copy of just about every book he'd read in Athena's library, as well as many others. For a moment, he wanted to just grab a volume, sink into that comfy chair next to the fire, and read.
That was also the moment he was unable to stifle a yawn.
"Right, I'll let you get some sleep," Roshilde said. "There's a phone over there. Considering you're in Lord Thor's palace, feel free to rack up a bill."
Harry had to stifle a laugh instead of a yawn.
"Dial 9 to get the reception desk," his Valkyrie said. "Again, considering you're in Lord Thor's palace, there's no menu for Room Service so feel free to ask for anything that strikes your fancy. Since I'm your Valkyrie, I'll usually be the one delivering Room Service, but if I'm out, it could be someone else so don't be surprised."
Harry nodded obediently. "Also," Roshilde finished, "That TV probably has every premium channel unlocked. Take care you don't see anything you're not ready for."
The demigod grinned widely. "Too late," he chirped. The Valkyrie looked curiously at him.
"Miss Athena showed me stuff on the Human body, including all the disgusting bits," Harry explained. "Then Mister Apollo taught me some healing, and he had some more books with some more dirty pictures, and he was so disappointed when I told him that Miss Athena had already told me about those bits."
Roshilde looked like she was doing her best not to burst out laughing.
"That whole business is just disgusting," he ranted on; unaware of the effect he was having on his poor Valkyrie. "And besides, I don't get the whole obsession at all. I mean, everyone's face is different, so every girl's chest is different, too, but that doesn't mean you want to ogle those faces, right? So why is Mister Apollo obsessed with staring at girls' chests?"
Roshilde had turned partly away, her shoulder shaking.
"I'm sorry!" Harry squeaked. "I didn't mean to upset you!" he hurried around to face her again.
"'S not your fault," Roshilde said, giggling. "But that rant was just funny!"
Harry pouted at her. It wasn't funny.
She gave him a sloppy hug. "Come on, it's time for you to get some sleep," she said. "I'll be around in the morning to wake you up for breakfast."
Harry nodded. He felt tired, that was true. The book and the fire could wait until tomorrow, he decided. Then, he realized that his poor Valkyrie would have to get up before him, since she had to come and wake him up!
"You don't have to come and wake me up, you know?" he offered her as he walked her back to the door of his suite. A suite. He still had trouble processing that.
Roshilde read between the lines and ruffled his hair. "That's very sweet of you, but I do have other charges that need waking up as well," she replied.
Harry nodded, a bit disappointed that he couldn't immediately find a way around that problem.
She laughed and ruffled his hair again. "See you tomorrow, Harry!" she said, cheerfully, before pulling the door shut behind her. Harry pouted slightly, wondering why people went for his hair that easily.
Deciding on ignoring that mystery, he got dressed for bed; that dresser held a multitude of pajamas, all suited to his taste and size. Right before he crawled into bed, he remembered something.
Closing his eyes and folding his hands, he prayed to Hestia, to let her knew he was staying over at Thor's place because Thor had given him his own room and Miss Frigga had asked him to stay over because it was late.
Now assured that his all-time favorite goddess wouldn't be worried about him, Harry crawled into the huge bed, wrapped himself in the covers, and immediately fell to sleep.
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Someone was knocking on the door at way-too-early o'clock. "Muyaaah?" Harry managed as he pulled one eye open. The knocking continued.
"Mwhaaah," he replied to himself, dragging his second eye open before rolling over and putting one leg out to catch himself as he literally rolled out of bed. Forcing himself to stay on his feet, he managed to make his way to the door of his suite.
"Whasissit?" he slurred as he pulled the door open.
Roshilde looked far too chipper, cheerful, and above all, awake for Harry's tastes. "Good morning Harry!" she chirped as cheerfully as she looked.
He stared at her for a moment. "Right," he muttered.
"Come on, lazybones, get a shower, grab some clothes, and let's get you to breakfast!" Roshilde said.
Harry grumbled; if this was how things were going here on Asgard, he wouldn't be spending a lot of time here. He never minded getting up early, but after going to bed late he definitely wanted to sleep in.
"Come on!" Roshilde said when he didn't give any signs of moving. She turned him around and gave him a small push. "Get ready! The day is awake!"
Harry went. Maybe a hot shower would wake him up. He heard Roshilde giggling as she pulled the door closed, obviously on her way to her next victim… er… charge.
Half an hour later, he was seated at the same table as last night. The Einherjar, as well as their present gods, looked like they hadn't even had the grace to stop partying yet. Most looked like they hadn't even conceived of the notion of going to bed. He managed a weak glare in Thor's direction when the large god cheerfully wished him a good morning and asked him if he slept well.
"Ah, I remember my first hangover!" Thor went on lithely as Harry grabbed some breakfast off the table and mechanically started to eat.
"'M not hungover," Harry complained.
Thor laughed; Frigga looked doubtful. Odin, on the other hand, merely looked amused. "Of course you are not," Thor said. "That is why you look like you have one," he teased.
"I looked like this because some way too cheerful person turned me out of bed way too early," Harry complained.
"Thanks!" Roshilde said as she put a cup of strong coffee down next to his plate.
"That wasn't a compliment," Harry told her.
"Still taking it as one!" the Valkyrie replied with a grin.
Thor laughed loudly; Frigga and Odin looked like they wanted to but were hiding it.
"After breakfast, I'll take you to the sauna," Roshilde said. "That will help wake you up. A good breakfast, some strong coffee, and a nice hot sauna will get the blood pumping."
"Don't I have one of those in my room?" Harry asked her, before immediately turned to Thor. "Thank you for the room. It's utterly awesome."
Thor's chest inflated proudly. "I'm glad you like it!" he boomed in his usual boisterous fashion.
"A private sauna is nice every now and again," Roshilde said, replying to his original question. "But for waking up you want the real deal, and nothing wakes you up better than jumping in a frozen lake after heating up."
"Frozen lake?" Harry asked, doubtfully.
All three gods laughed. "You're not selling it very well," Thor told Roshilde.
"I'm not trying to, My Lord. I'm trying to wake him up," she answered honestly, causing the God of Thunder to continue laughing.
Harry pouted at her, but Roshilde appeared unmoved and continued to cheerfully server him breakfast.
He managed to eat breakfast, and after some coffee he felt better. Not completely normal, but better. When his valkyrie dragged him off, he barely managed a wave to Thor, Frigga, and Odin. All three seemed highly amused at his predicament.
Roshilde was grinning while accompanying him under way to the public sauna.
"Didn't you say you had other charges as well?" Harry asked, knowing that he was grouching just a little. He was tired, all he wanted was to go back to bed.
Her grin widened. "Sam was nice enough to help out, and considering it's your first day here, I thought you could use the company." She pouted at him. "Don't you want my company?"
Harry gave her a look. "Of course I do," he said, honestly not wanting to hurt her feelings, even if she made it clear she was joking. "Who's Sam?" he then asked, wondering whether the term 'handmaiden' in the description of the Valkyries was to be interpreted loosely. For a moment, he imagined a guy dressed up as one.
"Samirah's helpful," Roshilde explained. "She's... different, but she's nice."
Harry felt silly for his thoughts regarding guys joining the Valkyries now. "She's different how?" he asked, his usual inquisitive nature dragging him – somewhat – into the realms of the living.
"Well, for one thing, she faces a lot of problems because of who her father is," his Valkyrie told him.
"Well that's just silly," Harry muttered. "You can't blame people for who their parents are."
"True," Roshilde greed. "Then again, if your dad's Loki, all-around Bad Guy trying to start the End of Days..."
Harry frowned and thought quickly. "I'd have an epic bout of teenaged rebellion and do my best to be nothing like him?" he offered.
Roshilde laughed loudly. "Exactly!" she shouted, putting an arm over his shoulders and yanking him into a rough, one-armed hug. It was still a hug, and therefore good in Harry's book, but he did wish she were a bit more gentle in the future.
They walked quietly for a few moments and arrived at the elevator. "What was the other thing?" Harry asked.
"Sorry?" Roshilde said, apparently lost in some kind of thought.
"You were explaining about Sam, and said 'for one thing' – that means there's a second thing, right?" he told her.
The Valkyrie nodded. "Right. Well, for a second, she's unusual. She took a lot of flak in her mortal life, and it's left some marks."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. It sounded like Sam had a life that he could relate to. "What happened?" he asked. "Unless I can't, or shouldn't, know?"
Roshilde shrugged. "She's Muslim, and the mortal kids in her school weren't very nice about it. They were incredibly cruel about it, in fact."
"Oh," Harry said. "That sucks," he added, emphatically. "Poor Sam."
She grinned at him and ruffled his hair. "That's what I like about you, Harry. You just accept everyone at face value."
He shrugged self-consciously. "Hestia says to always judge people by their actions, not their appearance or beliefs."
They exited the elevator. "This way," Roshilde said, guiding him down yet another corridor of the immense Valhalla Hotel.
"How does that work, anyway?" Harry suddenly asked. "I mean, if Sam's Muslim, how did she become a Valkyrie?"
"Lord Odin chose her after she saved her school from a Frost Giant, dying in the process," Roshilde explained. "Something about her being related to some Arabic ambassador a thousand years ago. The guy wrote some kind of treatise on Vikings, I think. I have no idea about the theology behind all of it," she finished. "I'm a Valkyrie, not a scholar."
Harry laughed softly.
"Sam practices her faith, and she's a Valkyrie. That's all that matters, really," Roshilde concluded.
Harry nodded.
"Here we are," she said, pushing a door open. They emerged into a cold, frozen landscape. Harry's breath immediately fogged in the frigid air, and he wrapped his arms around himself. This cold was definitely waking him up!
"So, now what?" he asked her, shivering a bit in the unexpected cold.
"First, we walk over to the frozen lake," Roshilde said, indicating the frozen lake in question and starting to walk. Harry followed quickly, hoping the movement would help keep him warm. "We grab an axe from that stump over there, and axe out a hole in the ice."
Harry stared at her for a few moments, out when she offered no further explanation, he followed her movements and grabbed himself an axe. It was one of those big wood-splitting axes, and he struggled a bit to get a good grip on it.
Roshilde didn't stop and just calmly walked up to the ice, where one part of it had obviously been opened up quite a few times; the ice was noticeably less thick. She raised the axe and brought it down, re-opening the frozen-over hole. Harry joined her.
"Great," she said after they had reopened the hole in the thick ice. "Now we take the sauna." She grabbed his axe, and easily slapped the two axes back into the tree stump, ready for the next person.
"And what does that mean?" Harry asked. He knew the basics, a sauna was hot and you sweated in it, and then you cooled… off… he stared at the frozen lake, then at Roshilde.
The Valkyrie grinned at his sudden comprehension as they approached a nice log cabin, smoke rising from its single chimney. "First, you get naked," she said casually as she pushed the door open, allowing them both to enter some kind of anteroom.
Harry stared at her. She ignored him, and reached for a cabinet, from which she withdrew a couple of large, fluffy, white towels. "Then, we go inside the sauna. Then, we cool off. Easy, no?"
Harry kept staring at her. "Naked?" he asked.
Roshilde nodded, already starting to disrobe. "It's considered impolite to stare," she told him. "If you're shy, you can cover yourself in your towel. Just keep in mind that it's considered good manners to keep the towel under you to soak up your sweat so it doesn't stain the benches."
"Oh," Harry muttered, quickly spinning around. Slowly, he started to take off his clothes as well.
"Take off your jewelry, too," Roshilde said when she noticed his rings and bracelets. "They'll get hot in the sauna and might cause burns if you're not careful, so it's good practice to take those off, too."
Harry hesitated at that. "They're divine gifts," he explained. "Do I have to?"
Roshilde shrugged. "Hey, I'm just a guide, so if you're willing to risk it, then that's fine by me."
He nodded and kept the rings and bracelets on, quickly wrapping the large towel around his waist. Behind him, Roshilde giggled.
"You've got nothing to be shy about," she said, still giggling.
He turned around and was about to formulate a reply when he froze.
His Valkyrie was completely naked, and hadn't even bothered to cover up with her towel. "Ehm…" he managed.
Roshilde giggled again. "You're so cute," she told him. "Come on, let's get in."
He stared after her, before remembering that it was impolite to stare. He shook his head; he'd seen what girls looked like before, in Athena's anatomy books, and in Apollo's dirty pictures.
Seeing it in real-life was different, but not that different, he told himself. He drew a breath, and forced himself to get over the complete unexpectedness of the situation.
He followed her into the sauna proper and made sure to close the door behind him. It was hot in there!
"We don't have much in the way of body modesty or nudity taboos," Roshilde said, flipping one of the hourglasses dotted around the wall, before having spread her towel on the lowest tier of benches and sitting down on it.
Harry nodded, and followed her example, before taking a good long look at the sauna itself. It had three tiers of bench seats, all made of wood. In the center of the room stood a huge wood-burning furnace, which held stones at the top.
"The stones are there so you can pour water on top of them," Roshilde explaoined when she noticed him looking. "It gives a blast of steam when you do that."
"Oh," Harry said.
"So, a bit of an explanation," Roshilde said, closing her eyes and leaning back a bit, her back resting against the second tier of benches. "It's usually recommended to acclimatize a bit on the lowest tier, especially if you're not used to a sauna" she said. "Your head is in zone 2, your body in zone 1, and your feet are on the floor. After a few minutes, you can move up; that way you're sitting in zone 2, your head is in zone 3, and your legs and feet in zone 1. The higher you go, the hotter it gets. Some people end up either sitting, or lying down, in zone 3; of course, sitting upright means your head is even higher."
Harry nodded, that made sense.
"You're young," Roshilde then said. "That means you'll heat up quicker than me. The goal is to sweat. After five minutes or so, you'll start sweating. After ten minutes or so, sweat will be pouring off you. Usually, you shouldn't stay in a sauna for longer than 15 or 20 minutes."
Harry nodded. "We keep the sauna at 90 degrees Celsius, about 195 Fahrenheit for our American friends," Roshilde said with a chuckle. "You'll overheat if you stay too long. If you feel like you have to stop, then stop," she advised him sternly. "You want to be heated through nicely, but that's it."
"And then what?" Harry asked, noticing that his skin already started to develop a nice sheen of sweat.
Roshilde moved up a tier. Since this was his first time, Harry decided to copy her. "After 15 minutes or so, you get out and cool off in that nice hole we cut in the frozen lake earlier. If you're nicely heated through, you'll feel the cold seep into your body; it feels great."
The door opened suddenly, and a huge warrior ambled in, bare as the day he was born. He grunted a thanks for the hole in the ice, then spread his towel on the top tier of benches on the other side of the room, and stretched out.
Roshilde leaned in closer. "It's considered bad manners to have a loud conversation in the sauna, so let's keep quiet from now on, ok?" she said.
Harry nodded quietly. He shifted silently, the bracelet on his right wrist shifting with the motion. He bit back a yelp as the metal that hadn't been in contact with his skin suddenly did touch skin.
Roshilde gave him a smug look that basically said, I told you so.
Harry pouted back at her, basically saying I know. You don't have to say it.
The Valkyrie grinned victoriously. I'm still saying it. I did warn you.
The young demigod grumbled silently, giving her a dirty look. You don't have to rub it in.
Her grin turned slightly malicious. Of course I do.
Harry shifted uncomfortably, ensuring his jewelry didn't shift and burn him. He wiped at his forehead, it came away covered with sweat. She was right, the sweat was pouring off him now, steadily dripping onto his towel.
He could feel his heartbeat rising to compensate, and his breathing became deeper and quicker. It didn't take long after that before he started feeling uncomfortable. He glanced at Roshilde; the Valkyrie sat relaxed on her towel despite the sweat on her skin.
A random drop of fluid made its way quickly down her body, before being absorbed into the towel. It was a rather strange application of the laws of fluid-dynamics, Harry thought.
He looked away, remembering not to stare.
Roshilde caught his eyes, and glanced meaningfully at the hourglass she had flipped when they entered. It showed they had been in there close to fifteen minutes already. She made a quick motion with her head, as if asking, shall we go?
Harry nodded softly, feeling more than a tad uncomfortable now.
It was barely a minute later that the discomfort vanished completely when he followed Roshilde's example and jumped into the freshly cut hole in the frozen lake. The cold indeed seemed to seep into his body, a strange dichotomy of feeling the cold but not feeling cold.
When he emerged and dragged himself back onto dry land, steam rose from his skin into the cold air, the same way breath would fog.
"Let's grab a shower and get dressed," his Valkyrie suggested. "Are you feeling awake now?"
He nodded shyly, both at the suggestion and the question. Yes, he definitely felt awake now.
"Good. Let's get dressed and get you some training," Roshilde said, already striding towards the sauna and their clothes. Harry shivered, the cold had started to overcome the heat of the sauna he'd stored.
"Training?" he asked as he legged it after his naked Valkyrie. He had to admit, it had been really easy to ignore the lack of clothes after the first surprise had worn off.
"How about Sword Fighting to the Death?" she asked. "Or Melee Fighting to the Death, perhaps?"
"Eep?" Harry managed, somehow able to turn his squeak of surprise into a question.
"Everything's to the death here, since Einherjar resurrect…" Roshilde stopped, reviewed her statement and looked at him. "Oh. That might not be a good idea, after all."
Harry nodded agreeably.
"Well, no matter," she concluded. "We'll get you some training and I'll do my best to pull you out before they kill you."
"Ah…" Harry protested. "Maybe I should go home?" he asked. While he'd been training, and training hard, with various deities, he'd never been bluntly told to 'fight or die'. Not even Ares went that far, and that crazy god threw him at high-level monsters as a birthday 'surprise'.
Roshilde turned to him, her lower lip quivering and her eyes moistening. "You'd run away?" she asked. "For a Valkyrie, it's considered a dishonor if their charges display less than stellar courage. If you run, that reflects badly on me!"
"Strategic regrouping," Harry said, shaking his head. "So it's not 'running away'."
Roshilde grinned suddenly, the quivering lip and moistening eyes completely gone. "Still, you might want to get some training in. If not combat training, there are Marathon Running to the Death, if you prefer."
Harry eyed her. She laughed. "You should see the look on your face!" she chortled.
"Evil, evil, Valkyrie," Harry complained.
"Yup," she confirmed cheerfully. "Come on, let's go to the Oslo Room. Single Combat to the Death, I'll pull you out before your limbs get chopped off and we need to call in Lady Frigga to reattach them."
Harry gaped at her, wondering if she were serious or not.
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It turns out, she was.
Despite all his training, and him reading the Big Book of Martial Arts, he found himself hopelessly and hilariously outmatched when it came to one-on-one combat with swords.
After all, he was only ten years old, and hoping to keep up with people who had more experience than he had years was a bit much. Even with training from deities.
And so, Harry had slipped away the first moment he could, managing to do so without serious injury.
He was currently in the huge library of the Hotel Valhalla, holding up a large tome on Nordic Runes.
He most definitely wasn't hiding, no matter what the treacherous little voice in the back of his head was saying. He was studying. He still struggled with magic, and considering Nordic Runes were magic, he was hoping he'd learn something to help him there. Learning, not hiding.
"Well now, I wasn't expecting to see you here," a voice said, making Harry cringe before realizing it wasn't the voice of his Valkyrie, coming to drag him to one more session of Combat to the Death.
He cautiously looked over the edge of the tome he was reading. Letting out a small breath of relief, he developed a wide grin when he saw who it was. "Hi, Miss Frigga!" he greeted cheerfully.
"Hello, Harry," the Queen of the Norse Gods said back, kindly, before taking a look at the book he was reading. "Reading up on runes?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "I struggle with magic, and I was hoping that knowing runes would be able to help me," he confided. "My teacher keeps telling me to visualize better, and that he can't give me shortcuts or anything because that would mean I'm doing things his way rather than find my own way, but that's difficult. And he tells me it'll take decades. That may not sound like much to him, but it's a long time for me!"
Frigga smiled wider as he rambled. "I think I can see where you're struggling," she said after he was done. "Is your teacher really old, really powerful, and somehow always taking a walk in Africa?"
Harry nodded, wondering if Frigga knew Marduk. The goddess continued. "I can see why you struggle," she confided in him. "Marduk is the greatest user of magic on this planet, but he has his own unique way of looking at things. He's also more than a bit opinionated, looking down on those that prefer a more structured approach to magic."
Harry nodded again, he'd noticed that. Marduk was always taking about cake-mix magic.
"Now, his way in undeniably the more powerful way," Frigga said. "It allows for complete use of thought of form. On the other hand, it is also undeniably one of the hardest ways to learn magic, especially when you're first starting out."
Harry nodded once more. "I've made progress, and Marduk says I'm making rapid progress, but I still feel like it's not much, you know? Like I do things wrong and I don't understand why."
"It is impressive that you have made any progress at all," Frigga told him. "It usually takes decades to make any decent progress with Marduk's methods."
"So he told me," Harry said, doubtfully. "But I still feel like I don't get it at all."
Frigga nodded while thinking. "I can see why you would feel that way," the goddess told him. "And if you wish to learn runes as a decent basis upon which to build, then that wouldn't be a bad idea at all." She eyed the book again. "Of course, you may wish to start with a book that will actually teach you something, rather than a book that is basically a list of vocabulary and grammar."
"Oh," Harry said, looking at his chosen book.
"Allow me to help," Frigga said, waving her hand and materializing a stack of books on the table next to him. "Those are duplicates, feel free to keep them. They'll give you a basic grounding in the use of runes for magic. While Runic Magic isn't like chanted or cast magic in that it has pre-defined spells, Runic Magic allows for some freedom as a form of magic in itself. You basically use the runes to write the desired magical effects, then empower them. The upside is the flexibility, the downside is the time it takes to create the runic array, or the runic paragraph."
"Oh," Harry said. That sounded like something he could use to help him figure out Marduk's method.
Frigga smiled. "That is why your choice to learn runes as a basic platform upon which to build is a good one," she told him. Harry blinked up at her, confused for a moment. "No, I didn't read your mind. I didn't have to," Frigga said, teasingly, as she stood up. "Good luck, Harry," she added as she turned and started to walk deeper into the library, obviously in search of whatever material she came down here for in the first place.
"Thanks, Miss Frigga!" Harry said after her. The goddess waved over her shoulder, then turned and vanished between two book cases.
He looked back to the stack of books, suddenly realizing that there were quite a few of them and there was only one of him.
"Hah! Found you!" a triumphant voice sounded from the entrance to the library. He looked up at Roshilde, his Valkyrie had a triumphant look on her face as she strode towards him. "Hiding out in the library?" she asked as she stopped in front of him. "I'm not that scary, am I?"
Harry grinned up at her. "I'd rather not lose my limbs, please," he answered teasingly. "Besides, you're right on time. Miss Frigga gave me some homework, would you mind helping me carry it back to my room?" he asked, while pointing at the stack of books.
Roshilde looked over. "Some homework?" she asked, softly. "That looks enough homework to keep you busy for years."
Harry nodded happily. "Probably. But it's going to be a big help figuring things out, and besides, Miss Athena gave me a complete case of books, and has taught me a lot about memory management and time management and stuff, so I learn quickly." He looked away. "I think, anyway. I struggle to keep up with her pace sometimes."
Roshilde pinched the bridge of her nose, as if fighting a headache. "Struggles to keep up with a Goddess of Wisdom, right," she muttered to herself. She shook her head, as if deciding she was going to ignore the entire conversation. Cheerfully, completely dedicated to that decision, she said, "Sure, I'd be happy to help you carry the books!"
0000
Harry emerged from the fire, carrying a couple of the books that Frigga had recommended to him. He drew a deep breath, taking in the air of Helios' temple. Despite everything, this place felt like home, and he was happy to be back.
Helios' presence enveloped him in a welcoming manner. "Hi Helios! I'm back," Harry greeted the partially faded deity. "And do I have a story for you," he added. Helios' presence felt curious.
Nemmy, the Nemean House Cat, strode up to Harry, rubbed himself twice around Harry's legs, then took five paces away and sat down, his back turned.
"And you're upset that I've been gone," Harry joked to the cat. Nemmy swished his tail once to express his extreme displeasure. "I hope you've had enough food and drink the last couple of days."
Behind him, the fire flashed, causing a big smile to emerge on Harry's lips. Carefully, he put the books down on the coffee table, then sprinted to give his all-time favorite goddess a big hug. He'd missed Hestia!
"Hi Hestia!" Harry said.
Hestia hugged him back, but something felt… off. "Hello, Harry," the kindly Goddess of the Home replied as she hugged him back.
Harry pulled back slightly and looked at her. "Is everything alright?" he asked, suddenly worried.
Hestia smiled at him, but that feeling of wrongness increased. "Where have you been, these last few days?" Hestia asked. "I appreciate the prayers and you letting me know that you were helping Thor, and the prayer to let me know you were staying over in Asgard, but that didn't tell me a lot of details. Including the reason why a Norse God would grant you the privilege of a room, nor why Queen Frigga would insist you stay over."
Harry nodded, so the wrongness was because Hestia was worried about him. He'd have to remember that and be more precise in his prayers to keep her informed, apparently. He hadn't wanted to worry her, but it seems that he'd only succeeded in worrying her even more.
"Well, like I said, Thor needed help," he said. "It started with the Maths Party, where he didn't show up. Usually when someone can't make it, they drop a message, you know, but Thor hadn't said anything and I just felt wrong, like he was in trouble or something."
"Which is why you returned home early," Hestia said.
Harry nodded. "I kinda-sorta-maybe abused my gifts a bit and rolled the dice to get his exact coordinates," he said, shuffling awkwardly. "And when I found out he was in Iceland, I went to see Artie, hoping she could get me there."
"Wait," Hestia said. "Artie is involved? I knew you traveled to her camp, but I didn't know she was actively involved!"
"Well, sorta," Harry explained. "I didn't tell her who was in trouble, so she wouldn't get in trouble for helping me, you know? I know gods aren't supposed to interfere with other pantheons and all. I just asked her to help me, or if a Hunter could get me there or something."
"I doubt that Artie was pleased with that request," Hestia said, looking away as if thinking about something else, before focusing back on him.
"She wasn't," Harry admitted. "Nor was Miss Zoë. But I made a deal with them, and then Artie was happy to say yes and Miss Zoë took me to Iceland, leaving me right around the corner from where I had to be."
Hestia eyed him for a few moments. "And just what did you promise my niece and her Lieutenant for this privilege?" she asked, doubtfully.
"Schwarzwaelder-kirschtorte!" Harry said, cheerfully. Hestia snorted back a laugh and shook her head.
"My niece would sell her domain for a piece of chocolate," she said with complete amusement, shaking her head.
"I'm not sure about that, but she'd probably consider it for chocolate cake," Harry admitted.
At that moment, someone pounded on the front door. Confused, Harry went to open it, wondering who could know he was back already.
"Artie!" he cheered when he saw who it was, giving his second-favorite goddess a big hug. After releasing her, he look at Zoë. "Hello, Miss Zoë," he greeted one of his favorite teachers. Half-heartedly, he opened his arms. "Hug?" he asked.
Amused, the Hunter held out her hand. "Handshake," she answered habitually.
"Aunt Hestia called me over," Artie said while Harry and Zoë shook hands. "Something about you being gone for a couple of days and wanting to hear what happened."
"Exactly," Hestia said, emerging into the front hall and stopping in the shadow of the huge statue of Helios. "I was just listening to Harry's tale and found out that you two were involved."
Zoë shrunk back, obviously not eager to go back into Hestia's bad graces. Artie shuffled awkwardly.
"I simply agreed to let Zoë take him to where he needed to go," the Goddess of the Hunt said.
Harry nodded. "Exactly! Like I said, I didn't tell Artie anything about why I needed to get there, because I definitely didn't want to get her and Miss Zoë in trouble."
Hestia narrowed her eyes slightly. "Why don't you keep telling your tale, Harry? I'm sure my niece and her Lieutenant would be more than happy to know just what it is they helped you with."
Harry shrugged. "So Thor was in trouble, like I thought," he explained, and proceeded to tell them how he made himself invisible and snuck into the cave with the Frost Giants.
"Frost Giants?" Hestia squeaked, angrily. "As in multiple?"
Harry nodded. "They didn't know I was there, though."
Hestia's eyes narrowed further, focusing on Artie. The Goddess of the Hunt shuffled awkwardly, obviously uncomfortable.
Worried, he continued his story, of how he found Mjölnir, and picked it up for Thor, before finding the god chained to the wall and helping him get free. When he came to the next part of his story, Hestia interrupted him again.
"First Frost Giants, now Draugr!?" she shouted. "So you went to help a Norse God and found yourself fighting Frost Giants and Draugr?" She turned to Artie. "And Artemis, you helped him?"
"He didn't tell me!" Artemis protested.
"I didn't tell her, Hestia," Harry back her up. "I didn't want to get her in trouble for interfering with another pantheon."
"Hmm," Hestia hemmed in a unappreciative manner.
Harry swallowed, the next part was going to upset her for real, he just knew it. He explained about how Thor's lightning had been deflected, and how he'd caught it on his sword and now it could do both fire and lightning and making it ridiculously easy to cut through things.
Hestia had her arms crossed, but said nothing.
Harry shuffled a bit, wishing that he had the nerve to try and hide behind Artie. Not that Artie was likely to protect him from Hestia's displeased stare…
He finished the first part of his tale soon after, recounting how he'd been hit a few times, and how he'd helped Thor finish the quest anyway, and how he'd woken up in Asgard with Miss Frigga healing him.
"So," Hestia said, in conclusion. "You went out to help Thor, norse God of Thunder, enlisted the help of my beloved niece, snuck into a cave filled with deadly monsters, rescued the god in question, fought said monsters, got hurt, and found yourself on Asgard, under the care of the Queen of the Norse Pantheon."
Harry nodded.
Hestia rubbed her forehead. "I suppose it is inevitable," she whispered. "Harry, one question."
"Yes, Hestia?" Harry asked.
"Why did you not ask for my help?" the Goddess of the Home asked. "I could have set a fire for you so you could fire-travel easily."
Harry shuffled even more uncomfortably. "I didn't want to worry you," he said. Hestia lifted an eyebrow, not impressed with the explanation.
"You were afraid that I would stop you," she said.
Harry looked away, unwilling to lie to her but equally unwilling to agree.
Hestia sighed. "Harry, I taught you to help your friends, and above all, you are a demigod. Trouble will always find you. I worry for your safety, that is what one does when one cares for another, and while I will try and steer you away from self-destructive practices, I also don't want to run your life for you."
"Oh," Harry whispered, looking at his feet.
"I am proud that you went to help a friend," the Goddess of the Home continued. "And I am equally proud that you went out of your way to try and keep those who helped you out of trouble," she said, glancing at Artie. "I am, however, rather disappointed that you all felt you had to do this behind my back."
Harry felt an inch tall now. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Artie didn't look much better.
"In the future, I would prefer it if you all kept me informed of things like this. Despite everything, I do not want to be an obstacle that has to be worked around," Hestia concluded.
"In all honesty, Aunt Hestia," Artie said, politely and deferentially, "you are sometimes a bit overprotective."
"Only because I care for you," Hestia said. "I do not wish to see anyone get hurt. I do, however, like to think I am not so unreasonable that you have to treat me as a roadblock."
Harry looked at Artie. The Goddess of the Hunt looked at him.
"Sorry, Hestia," Harry whispered.
"Sorry, Aunt Hestia," Artemis agreed.
"Then all is forgiven," Hestia said, her usual kind smile back in place. "Now, why don't you continue with your story, Harry? I assume there's more, since you haven't said why you stayed over yet."
Artie and Zoë gave him a curious look, so Harry told them the rest of the story; how he got invited to a party for rescuing Thor, how Thor showed him around Hotel Valhalla, and how he made the cakes for Artie and Zoë.
"You made those cakes while a guest at Asgard?" Artie asked, surprised. "Even borrowing their kitchen?"
Harry nodded. "I didn't want you to think that I was putting it off or that I wasn't grateful," he explained. "I hope they were good, I wasn't used to their equipment."
"Mine was delicious," Artie replied immediately.
Zoë nodded. "Mine was definitely the same," she said. "I shared with some of mine sisters, they were all in agreement."
"You shared yours with the other Hunters?" Harry asked.
Zoë nodded in confirmation, then got a devious smile. "Those that were well disposed to thee," she explained. "When Phoebe pouted, I explained to her that it wouldn't be good of me to share a cake with her made by one she dislikes so much. 'T would be most hypocritical. Her expression was quite amusing."
Artie gave her Lieutenant a look of obvious tolerance.
"Thanks, Miss Zoë," Harry said, grateful to her for sticking up for him, even if it was in a small way.
"I can not abide hypocrisy," the Hunter said, sanctimoniously, sticking her nose in the air.
Harry laughed softly. Artie and Hestia shared a look.
"Perhaps the rest of the story?" Hestia asked.
Harry blushed slightly, and explained about the feast, and the various gifts he got for helping Thor.
"Thor's was a very thoughtful gift," Hestia said. "However, I'm very happy to see that Lord Odin gave you a gift to protect you on your adventures," she added. "Can I see this 'mail shirt?'"
"Sure," Harry said, pulling his shirt up to reveal the chainmail underneath.
Zoë let out an impressed whistle despite herself. At the same time, both Hestia and Artie had come closer and were examining the item carefully.
"Harry, when you said 'mail shirt', were those the words Lord Odin used to describe it?" Hestia asked, looking at him.
"No," Harry said. "He called it… what did he call it again? Silver Steel, I think, and it had a second name… ehm… mithril? I think?"
"Right," Artie said, grinning widely and nodding her head.
"Well, it's a very thoughtful gift," Hestia said before Artie could complete her statement. "I'm sure it'll protect you quite nicely."
"I think so too," Harry said, smiling widely. "I tried to stab it with Godslayer, but it wasn't damaged at all. It'll definitely keep me safe from people trying to stab or cut me. It's light, too, so it doesn't bother me and I can wear it on a daily basis."
Hestia and Artie shared a telling look, but said nothing. Harry was about to ask what the matter was, when Hestia turned back to him. "And you were named a Friend of Asgard, that is a nice thing, too."
Harry nodded, willing to let the strange look go. "Lord Odin said that, because I saved Thor because of friendship, then he could do nothing less than accept that friendship."
Hestia smiled proudly. "I am glad to hear that you keep following the lessons I gave you," she said. "And you may not want to say 'Lord Odin' where Zeus can hear you, considering you're calling him 'Mister Zeus'."
"It did come with an attachment, though," Harry explained to his listeners, ignoring the comment about Zeus entirely. If Zeus wanted Harry to call him 'Lord Zeus', then he'd better do something Lordly first. "Basically, Lord Odin assigned a Valkyrie to me."
Hestia froze. Artie, on the other hand, had a very different reaction. "Why that sneaky, underhanded, bastard!"
"Artemis! Language!" Hestia scolded. Harry had to fight to keep a grin off his lips, it was funny to see someone else get scolded for their language, for a change.
Meanwhile, the Goddess of the Home turned to him. "Harry, Odin basically reassigned your afterlife. Rather than going to the Underworld with Hades when you die, his Valkyrie will take you to Valhalla."
"If I die with a blade in my hand," Harry said. "You don't get to go to Valhalla unless you die in battle or something," he added. "And wouldn't I get a choice?"
Hestia and Artemis shared a significant look. "I am not sure," the Goddess of the Home finally admitted. "I don't think it has ever come up before."
Harry nodded, he could understand that. "Besides, Roshilde is cool," he expanded. "Intense, but cool. Apparently, a Valkyrie's standing depends on their charges, so she wants me to be strong and fast and stuff. Like I said, she's a bit intense. On the other hand, when Lord Odin said I needed a Valkyrie, they all immediately started brawling. Roshilde snuck around and introduced herself in a friendly manner, I liked that."
"Only you, Harry. Only you could get invited to a poker party, find someone missing, and end up as Friend of Asgard, with kingly gifts, and a changed afterlife," Hestia said, shaking her head.
Harry shuffled shyly. "Ehm… oops?" he offered.
The two goddesses and one lieutenant laughed at him.
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