Fugitive From Hel
Chapter 15
Thor's Trick
The door to the hut flew open startling the older couple inside. When he recovered from the initial shock Dofri ran to the table and drew his sword from its scabbard. His wife Hlifa stopped cutting the deer meat for the stew and rose up from her chair with the knife held out in front of her ready to strike.
" What is the meaning of this invasion of our home ! " Dofri shouted angrily.
The large red haired being had to bend down to make his way through the doorway. When he stood upright again it seemed to the old couple as though he filled the entire room. He was quickly followed by a female of equal if not greater size. Dofri lowered his sword. Neither seemed to be armed, and they seemed large enough to kill both he and his wife with their bare hands if they so chose.
" Get out ! " the red bearded male shouted with a slight smile.
Dofri walked over to Hlifa, took the knife out of her hand, and pulled her back to the far wall.
Skadhi shook her head from side to side in disgust.
" Is this the way you protect the humans here on MIdgard ? " she asked.
Thor frowned in confusion.
" They must leave ! " he answered while shrugging his shoulders.
Skadhi shook her head a second time.
" You are scaring them to death ! " she explained to the bewildered God.
Skadhi stepped over to the frightened couple, and bent down slightly to speak to them.
" We require your dwelling to capture a very dangerous fugitive. If you would be so kind as to hide in the woods until he is in our custody we would be most grateful. " Skadhi told the husband and wife in a calm voice.
Dofri and Hlifa looked at one another and then headed for the door to their hut. As they did they held fast to the far wall as they went. They stopped before exiting because the big man with the red hair was partially blocking the way out. Now it was time for Thor to shake his head. With a bowing gesture he moved aside and pointed to the doorway to reassure the Midgardians that he meant them no harm.
Thor glanced over at Skadhi and shrugged his shoulders again.
" I think my way would have been quicker. " he told her sarcastically.
Thor then spotted a woman's shawl draped over the chair by the fire. Hunched over, he walked over to it, picked it up and showed it to Skadhi.
Skadhi nodded.
" Yes ! It is cold outside. She should have put it on to keep warm, but I am sure she was too frightened to think of it ! " Skadhi told him.
Thor grinned, and evil grin.
" I have a better use for this human garment ! " he told Skadhi as he wrapped it over his head and shoulders.
Skadhi laughed.
" Are you serious ? " she asked in a confused tone.
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Serkr hid behind a large oak tree within sight of the hut. He watched carefully as a large woman exited the dwelling, and walked to the side of the building. He noticed that in her hand she held a bucket that appeared to be empty by the way it was swinging back and forth.
" Not a pretty woman for sure, but if I cover her face I will not have to look at her while I take her. " he whispered to himself with a smile.
Serkr pulled out the knife that Loki had given him, and slowly crept out of the woods after the big female. As the woman turned around the corner of the hut, towards the rear of the dwelling, Serkr ran over to the front door, which the woman had left partially open. Slowly and carefully he peered inside. He smiled when he saw that it was empty.
" All alone are we !? " Serkr exclaimed in a whisper.
" I am going to have a lot of fun with you ! " he told himself with a little giggle.
He slowly followed the woman around the dwelling. Near the rear of the hut he saw the woman bend down at a spring to fill her bucket. This was his chance ! Serkr quickly came up from behind the woman and placed his knife to the back of her neck, which was covered by a shawl.
" Get up really slow, and you may live a little longer ! " he warned the helpless woman.
Suddenly, the woman jumped up and quickly spun around backhanding him across the side of his head. The force of the blow was so powerful that it knocked him against the wall of the hut where he fell.
" You bitch ! " Serkr shouted as he rose up and drew his sword.
Then, without warning, he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, and was knocked up against the outer wall of the hut. As Serkr looked down at his shoulder he saw a very large arrow sticking out from just beneath the shoulder blade. Then another pain struck him in the left shoulder, and through blurry eyes he caught sight of another arrow protruding out of him. In rapid succession he felt four more arrows hit him in the chest, stomach and each leg.
In sheer agony Serkr shouted.
" You cannot kill me ! I am already dead !! "
Thor watched in amazement at the accuracy and speed at which Skadhi was able to place her arrows into the draugr. The arrows had hit the human corpse with such force that he was now nailed to the back of the hut like a piece of wood to a wall !
Thor strode over to the draugr, and with his eyes burning bright with anger, screamed in the human's face.
" We are not here to kill you. We are here to stop your reign of terror and bring you back to Asgard to face justice in the court of Great Odin himself ! "
Serkr laughed.
" What can Odin do to me that is worse than the torment that I suffered from that beast Nidhoggr in Nastrond ? " he asked sarcastically.
Thor picked up the corpse by his neck and ripped him off of the wall. Serkr screamed in pain as each of the arrows ripped through his already tender flesh.
" My father is the wisest of the wise. He will find a punishment that will suit your many hideous crimes ! " Thor screamed at the corpse.
It was then that Serkr realized that he was in the hands of the Mighty Thor ! "
- End Chapter 15
- Next : Chapter 16 : Final Judgement
- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016.