Chapter Ten
Obedience came hard to Sif, especially when her man was in danger, but she was determined to prove to Hakon that her submission was genuine. “Whatever else you are, you’re no oath-breaker,” she muttered to herself as she marched through the forest with the column.
“Troubles?” Baedi’s question broke in on Sif’s thoughts.
Sif regarded her fellow witch. Baedi’s name literally meant “both,” and it was apt, for Baedi possessed the characteristics of both male and female.
Sif knew that this had caused controversy among the Ironwood witches, and that hot tempers and ill-chosen words had driven Baedi from the Ironwood for a long time.
However, all of that had been before Sif’s arrival, and so the bitterness of that rift had not touched the friendship between Baedi and Sif.
Rather, Sif looked upon Baedi as a mentor, and a treasure trove of priceless lore about the art of spellsinging.
“Nothing that you don’t already know,” Sif said finally.
“I love Hakon. I have promised myself to him and sworn to obey him. It’s just that…
well, Loki’s blood, Baedi, it’s so damned hard sometimes!
I can’t decide if I want to kiss him until the world goes away or hit him repeatedly with a very large rock! ”
Baedi laughed. “And you think this is unusual? Any relationship is a challenge, Sif. Choosing a path of submitting to your mate is that much harder. If it’s any consolation, I don’t think either you or Hakon had a choice. Dominance and submission are written into your very natures.”
Sif frowned. “How do you mean? And how could you possibly tell such a thing anyway?”
The Elder witch put a hand on Sif’s shoulder and gave her a companionable squeeze.
“Sif, I have seen many winters, and with them many, many people trying to learn how to live with each other. Also, lots of time alone in my mountain library, but that’s not the point.
” Baedi smiled. “The connection that exists between you and Hakon is real and undeniable. It’s obvious to anyone who sees the two of you together.
What is also as clear as purest ice is that despite the fact that you are a young woman of great determination and power, that you have a need to submit to the will of this young man. ”
Sif nodded her head slowly, and Baedi continued.
“It’s not that you are submissive by nature, Sif.
It’s that you’re submissive to him. There is something about the dynamic between you and Hakon…
you resist him, but you want him, you need him to win.
You need him to be strong enough to take you in hand.
By exercising that strength, Hakon proves to you that he is strong enough to take care of and protect you, and therefore you can let go and be vulnerable with him. ”
Sif stared at Baedi as they walked. She could feel, in her heart, the pure rightness of Baedi’s observation. “Great goddesses, Baedi. I think you cast right to the heart of the matter. How in the Nine Worlds did you know?”
Baedi gave a laugh. “When you finally learn to know and accept yourself, you can learn a lot about others. If you pay attention.” The Elder witch suddenly stopped, and looked upwards.
“What is it?” asked Sif.
“I’m not sure,” said Baedi slowly. “It feels like something is gathering.”
Suddenly, there was a deep, subterranean boom, and the earth beneath them shook as if it had been struck by a massive hammer.
“Sacred Freyja!” gasped Baedi. “Gunhilde, did you feel that?” she called.
The grey-haired witch came running as fast as she was able. “Baedi! Sif! You must ready protections! There is something with the Skraelings that is not of our world!”
A powerful wind blew through the trees, and the sky overhead turned dark with a gathering of thick black clouds. All along the column of witches, there were cries of dismay and people gathered more closely together.
Sif, came Baedi’s voice into the young witch’s head, we must work together very quickly to accomplish something very powerful. Please follow my guidance without question, and let me direct your strength.
I’m ready, replied Sif.
Baedi began a song of weaving, showing Sif where to place the interlocking threads of raw power into a fabric of magical energy.
Together, the two of them swiftly raised a dome, crackling with green witchfire that first surrounded the spellsinging pair and then rapidly expanded, spreading through the forest and into the sky until it covered the entire column of witches.
Take a deep breath, warned Baedi, and channel all the power you can from the earth into the sky when I tell you.
Sif breathed in, and it felt as if her feet had developed roots that were tunnelling into the ground, sucking energy from the very soil below. Her eyes widened as she felt the strength of the charge building within her.
Now!
At Baedi’s command, Sif hurled all of the energy and power that she had gathered, sending it through the lattices of the magical dome she had woven with Baedi.
The protective dome was supercharged, briefly turning the black-clouded sky as bright as a sunny day.
Just as she did so, coruscating spears of lightning thrust down from the clouds, struck the glowing dome, and exploded.
The blast knocked the trees flat in a wide radius, and everyone in the column was knocked to the ground, stunned.
Sif opened her eyes and turned her head to look around. The very ground was smoking. She felt as if she had fallen flat on her back from a great height. There was a moan to her right, and as Sif sat up, she saw Baedi getting up on one elbow.
“By Skadi’s mountain,” breathed Sif, “Baedi, what was that?”
Baedi sat up fully. “I’m not sure, but nothing good, that’s for certain.
Still, not something we’re likely to face again soon.
The earth and sky will not bear such an expenditure of power for a goodly while.
You did well, Sif.” Baedi smiled weakly at the young witch.
“Without you, we would have faced a terrible burning.”
“We may still,” interjected Gunhilde grimly. The Elder witch gestured to the forest ahead of them. Sif gasped in dismay.
Although the dome she and Baedi had woven had protected the column from harm, the explosion had set sections of the forest alight. In the direction of the Ironwood was a raging wall of flame.
“Goddesses!” cried Sif. “Will it burn the Ironwood?”
Gunhilde shook her head. “The Ironwood is safe,” she said, “but we are not. That fire sits directly in our path, and the best we can hope for is to find a way round it. We must head south, out of the forest and towards the coast. With luck, the fire will end at the forest border, and we will be able to circle around the fire and get to the Ironwood, and safety.”
Sif got herself shakily to her feet. “I could try a rain, like I did at Visby…” she began.
Baedi placed a restraining hand upon Sif’s arm. “Too much magic has been wrought this day,” said the witch kindly. “Neither land nor sky could bear it. This place will not respond to magic for quite some time.”
“No,” said Baedi, “we must be on our way, and pray to Freyja that we can find a way around this cursed fire.”
***
No sooner had Hakon and Gunnar began their desperate run when the very sky twisted, and a massive explosion hurled both men from their feet. “Gods!” cried Gunnar, regaining his footing. “What was that? Was that the column?”
Hakon sprang once more to his feet and resumed running. “Impossible,” he said with certainty. “If Sif was gone, I would know it. That was like when a great war hammer strikes a metal shield. I think my woman had been working great magic once again.”
“Remind me not to anger her,” said Gunnar as they reached the dell where the others of their group were hidden.
“Are you hurt? What on Midgard was all that magic? I felt it shake my very bones!” cried Uwe.
“We need to rejoin the column now,” said Hakon. “I will tell you all once we are on the move.”
“The Magni and I will not be joining you,” announced Magnus sadly.
There were tears in the corners of his eyes.
“Terrible damage is being wrought on my beloved forest, and the creatures within it need our aid. I fear that the dark power behind events has revealed itself, and my sons and I have a duty to our land.”
“Of course you do,” said Hakon. He knew he would miss the fierce gnomes, but he could not fault them for wishing to protect what was theirs.
After all, it was exactly what he was doing.
“Fare thee well, Magnus,” he said, clasping the gnome’s leathery hand.
“I will tell my family of your brave deeds and prodigious family as well.”
The diminutive creature pulled with surprising strength, forcing Hakon to the gnome’s eye level.
“Make sure you get home safely so that you may do so. I know that your parents would be proud to see the leader their son has become,” Magnus said softly.
He then smacked Gunnar hard on the thigh.
“Don’t be so concerned with watching your brother’s back that you forget to mind your own,” the gnome admonished Gunnar.
“That’s my brother’s job!” answered Gunnar cheerfully. “Fare thee well, master gnome. I will miss your company. Take care of your forest so that we can visit you sometime.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” said Magnus, rubbing at his eye. Then he turned and called, “Magni, with me!” and soon had disappeared into the undergrowth, as did his sons.
“I’m going to miss that little fellow,” said Gunnar. He paused then suddenly straightened. “Hakon, do you smell smoke?”
Hakon sniffed. “Gods above and below,” he murmured. “Alright everyone, we have to move!”