Bonus Chapter
Skaei’s Vengeance
F our young children sat at the shoreline’s edge, oblivious to the adults that observed from farther away. They looked out at the fading sun that reflected off the rushing waters of the Klar?lven River. Lovisa curled her bare toes against the pebbles on the beach.
“Who knows a good story?” she asked.
“I do,” the young blond-haired boy replied.
“No more about the Volsungs , Aeron.” The girl beside them rolled her copper eyes. “If I hear one more story about Sigurd, I’ll drown myself in that river.”
“No need for such drastic measures, Anara,” the dark-haired boy added. He nudged Lovisa’s shoulder. “I know of one.”
Lovisa smiled at Darien. Behind him, Anara and Aeron glanced at each other from the sides of their eyes.
Darien fiddled with a pebble in his hand, then looked back out to the river and beyond at the snow capped mountains.
“There once was a lovely giantess named Skaei, born to the Jotnar family. They were proud and strong, but also selfish and self-seeking. Skaei’s father, the giant Thjazi, was loved by his daughter, but not by the neighboring AEsir gods.
Thjazi was envious of the AEsir ’s garden of golden fruit that was cultivated by the ever-youthful Ieunn.
Thjazi would often sneak into the AEsir ’s land to stare at Ieunn as she plucked the fruit for the AEsir to eat.
This fruit was special; it gave the AEsir everlasting youth and beauty.
“One day, Thjazi sent the trickster god, Loki, to steal not only the fruit, but Ieunn as well, and to bring them both back to him. Without Ieunn, the remaining fruit would wither, and the AEsir would die. Thjazi ate the fruit for himself and returned to his homeland with Ieunn. When the AEsir discovered her absence, they were outraged. Finding the trickster, the AEsir threatened to kill him unless he returned Ieunn to them. And so the trickster had no choice but to go and rescue the very maiden he had stolen. This trickster had galdr of his own and changed himself into a great hawk to enter into the Jotunn’s mountains unseen.
When the trickster found Ieunn, he transformed her into a nut so that he could carry her in his talons and escape.
“When Thjazi returned to his home to find his prize gone and the hawk flying away in the distance, he transformed himself into an eagle so that he might recapture his prey. Thjazi followed the trickster all the way back to the home of the AEsir , but, so focused on his prize, he did not see the trap the AEsir had set. The oldest and wisest of the AEsir , known as óeinn, emerged and struck Thjazi down with fire. All rejoiced at the return of Ieunn and their golden fruit. All rejoiced, except, of course, for Thjazi’s daughter Skaei.
“Skaei mourned his death. Not wanting to bring dishonor to his memory, she traveled across the high and snowy mountains to the land of the AEsir . Skaei demanded an audience with óeinn and requested that the AEsir make amends for her father’s death.
Although óeinn knew that it would be well within his rights to turn her away, he saw the opportunity for what it was.
It was a chance to unite the AEsir and the Jotnar and to prevent further fighting.
So óeinn offered Skaei the option to take for herself a husband from any of the AEsir as a sign of good faith between the families.
He also gifted Thjazi’s body to her so that she might return him to their homelands.
Before Skaei took the body, óeinn took Thjazi’s eyes and planted them in the sky.
It was both to honor his memory and to signal an end of the fighting between the Jotnar and the AEsir .
That is why, every winter, when the twin stars shine brightest in the sky, we celebrate how Skaei’s loyalty and bravery put an end to further death and destruction. ”
Lovisa nudged Darien’s shoulder with a small smile. “I liked the story, but you should have included more about Skaei’s wedding.”
Anara rolled her eyes. “Loki was the best character, if you ask me.
“Sure.” Aeron threw a pebble into the waters. “But the Volsungs are still better.”
“That’s ’cause you want to be the hero some day, don’t you Aeron?” Anara asked.
He looked out over the water. “The Norn will decide.”