Valkyrie (Kate O'Hearn) - By Kate O'Hearn Page 0,1
the others you have seen.’
‘But what if I don’t want to?’
‘You are a Valkyrie. Reaping is what we are born to do. You have no choice – it is your destiny.’
Freya looked at her sister and sighed. Maya was beautiful. All four of her sisters were, but Maya was the most enchanting. She was tall and lean with long flaxen hair. The skin on her sculpted face was unblemished and she had the palest pearl-grey eyes in all of Asgard. Her wings were fine-boned with elegant white feathers lying neatly over each other. She was everything a Valkyrie should be, which was why most of the reaped warriors fell instantly in love with her.
Compared to Maya, Freya, the youngest of the five sisters, felt like a plough horse. She wasn’t as tall, beautiful or graceful. Her wings were large and stocky. Their raven-black feathers always looked as if they could use a good grooming. Instead of pearl-grey eyes, Freya’s were dark blue. And although she was the fastest flyer in Asgard, it was always Maya who attracted attention.
But for all their differences, Freya adored her older sister. Many times Freya had watched Maya with envy as she confidently approached the battlefields. Without a trace of hesitation, she reaped the warriors she was assigned to and escorted them back to Valhalla.
‘Don’t you ever question what we do?’
Maya shook her head. ‘We do as we are intended to do. As Odin tells us to.’
‘And if we don’t want to do it?’
Maya put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side. ‘Sometimes I wonder if you are even my sister. How can you not want to be a Valkyrie?’
Sitting on her shoulder, Orus whispered in her ear. ‘Stop arguing. Maya cannot understand. Don’t condemn her for that.’
Freya looked into the dark eyes of the raven on her shoulder. Orus was right. No one in Asgard could understand how she felt. At times she didn’t even understand it.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said finally. ‘I guess I’m nervous for today.’
Maya nodded and combed her fine fingers through Freya’s wild, unkempt hair. ‘I understand. Now come, let’s get you prepared for the ceremony – before Odin sends out a Dark Searcher to find us.’
Freya and Orus followed Maya and her raven back to Valhalla. Beneath them, the Great Heavenly Hall was being prepared for her First Day Ceremony. This was to be the final ceremony for some time as there were no Valkyries younger than Freya. Everyone in Asgard wanted this ceremony to be the best ever – everyone except Freya.
In the fields surrounding Valhalla, the reaped warriors who had chosen to remain in Asgard did what they were always doing. Fighting. The clanging sounds of sword upon sword rose up in the air as fighters spent all day battling against each other until night fell. Then they would enter Valhalla and drink and sing – preparing for the next day’s battle.
To Freya, it all seemed so pointless. There were so many other things to see and do. Why these warriors should choose to fight, day in, day out, was something she couldn’t comprehend.
They veered away from Valhalla and flew over the beautiful buildings that made up the main city of Asgard and back to their home. It was a magnificent mansion standing alone on a hill, surrounded by gardens that turned into dense forests.
The Valkyries lived in the most extravagant palaces, and as Freya’s mother was Senior Valkyrie, she had the biggest, most opulent – second only in size and beauty to Odin’s palace.
Landing on the main balcony, they found their mother pacing the large reception room. Shields and weapons of battles throughout the ages adorned the walls and the floor was lined with sheepskin rugs.
Their mother was dressed in her shining silver armour. The feathers on her wings were groomed and bejewelled and her ceremonial dagger was at her waist. Her winged helmet was cast on a chair.
‘Freya!’ she shouted as she charged over. Her ice-blue eyes blazed and her white wings were half open in fury. ‘Where have you been? Do you realize the time? You will be late for your own First Day Ceremony! Odin will be in a rage.’
‘Mother, it’s all right,’ Maya said calmly. ‘Freya and Orus went out for a quick flight and lost track of time. Odin need never know. If you tell him we’re on our way, we’ll be there shortly.’
‘It will take an age to get her prepared,’ her mother ranted. ‘Just look