Logi : The Ruler Of Fire
Chapter 6
A Plea For Help
Eric Björnsson, the King of Sweden, sat with his wife Sigríð Storråda, who was known to some as "The Haughty ", and contemplated what to do about the problem that was coming ever closer to his kingdom. Messengers had been coming to his great hall near Lake Malaren for weeks with reports of great fires being spread throughout Norway by Fire Giants. At first Eric, who was called by his people " The Victorious " for his many victories in battle, thought these to be mere stories invented by folk with active imaginations, but when these " reported " fires crossed over into his kingdom he began to take them much more seriously. And now, with the flames clearly blackening the skies of his realm with smoke, and ash falling like rain over his great hall, he could no longer deny these stories, or brush them off as falsehoods. Eric the Victorious, however, was not quite sure what it was that he could do to stop the destruction of his kingdom.
" How can I fight Fire Giants and defeat them ? " he asked Sigríð.
His wife, in her usual bold manner, rose up off of her high- seat and hovered over her husband like a hawk over its prey.
" I see only one option for you to take, my husband. You must ask for the help of the Gods as you did before you fought your nephew Styrbjörn the Strong at the battle of Fyrisvellr. Odin gave you the strength to defeat Styrbjörn and become sole ruler of the Swedes. I am certain that if you pour out a libation, and sacrifice to the Gods once more, they will help you to stop the Fire Giants. " she told her husband as if she was lecturing him.
Eric thought for a moment before rising up off of his high-seat. He kissed Sigríð on the forehead, and nodded in agreement.
" Yes ! I will travel to Uppsala and ask the Gods for their assistance. " he replied before turning to the leader of his guard.
" Hring ! " the king shouted.
A large warrior walked towards the high-seats at a brisk pace. He stopped a few steps in front of the king and queen and bowed.
" Yes ! What does my lord wish of me ? " he asked.
Eric pointed to the door.
" Gather up nine oxen for me to take to Uppsala. " he commanded.
Hring bowed to the royal couple.
" Yes, my lord ! I will make them ready to travel as fast as possible ! " he replied before turning and exiting the hall.
Eric turned to his wife and grinned.
" With the help of our Gods these Fire Giants will discover why I am now called Eric the Victorious ! " he told her with great bravado.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Eric and Sigríð led their strange little army towards the great temple at Uppsala. Behind them were thirty mounted warriors followed by fifty foot soldiers. In the rear of their column were nine oxen, which were being helped along by an additional twenty of the king's warriors. As they approached the temple, the sight of which was partially blocked by a huge tree where sacrifices were made, the great golden chain that surrounded the structure glinted in the early morning sun like stars in the heavens.
When they reached the well in the temple's courtyard Eric and his warriors tied the nine oxen to the tree, and then proceeded to the massive front door of the Gods' house. Hring opened the door for his king and queen, and then posted two guards outside the temple. He entered the temple with the royal couple, but remained at the door while the king and queen proceeded to the three great thrones at the far end of the temple.
When they came to the statues of Thor, Odin, and Freyr, both Eric and Sigríð kneeled down and bowed their heads to the Gods. Sigríð, though she tried not to be obvious about it, stared for a long moment at Freyr's huge penis. The sight of Freyr's Godhood made her feel both weak and warm inside at the same time.
Sigríð's fantasies were interrupted when a small man approached and handed both her and her husband goblets. Despite the individual wearing a hooded cloak she recognized the man as Bifurr the Godi of the temple. As he nodded to the queen he began to fill her cup with ale. When her cup was full Bifurr turned to Eric and filled his as well. Then the Godi stepped back and allowed them to honor the Gods with toasts.
For nine days and nights King Eric the Victorious, and Sigríð the Haughty, honored the Gods. Each night, by the sacred ever green tree, they sacrificed one of the oxen. And each night the orange glow of the fires, that lit up the black skies, came closer and closer to the town of Sigtuna, and ultimately to Uppsala itself. On the ninth night the warriors began to become restless, and wondered if the Gods would indeed come to save them.
On the morning of the tenth day Hring ran to the king's tent and burst in unannounced.
" King Eric,.... Queen Sigríð,.... the forest in the distance is ablaze, and the sun does not shine this morning ! " he blurted out.
King Eric did not bother to dress. He jumped out of bed, ran to the entrance of his tent and pulled back the flap. As he looked out into the distance he saw the forest burning only a few miles away. More disturbing to the king, however, was the lack of sunlight.
" Has the smoke completely blocked out the morning sun ? " he asked out loud to no one in particular.
Hring did not reply. Instead he stared at his king with a look of shock etched upon his face.
" What is it Hring ! Speak up ! " the king insisted.
Hring turned his attention back to the burning forest and pointed.
" My lord ! There are three very large beings off in the distance, .... and one of them is coming this way ! " he informed the king as he drew his sword.
As King Eric squinted his eyes he could see two huge figures silhouetted against the glow of the burning fires. And Hring was quite correct ! One of these creatures was coming towards them !
Sigríð, who had joined Hring and her husband at the tent entrance, was the first to see the glowing eyes, and the sparks that flew off of the chin of the large being. She began to shake uncontrollably when she realized what it was that was approaching.
It took the God only a few large steps to reach the tent, and then all three mortals could see that it was the great and powerful Thor who stood before them in all his glory ! As the God of Thunder bent down to speak to the three children of Odin they stepped slightly backward.
" Do not fear me ! My father and I , along with Freyr, have heard your call and have come to help you fight the Fire Giants. Be unafraid of the darkness, for Odin has borrowed the great sun shield Svalinn to deflect the fires, and Sunna has agreed not to reflect her great heat and sunlight down upon these lands until we have defeated these Jotuns and can put the shield back in place. Stay here and you will be safe. For I, with Freyr's help, will summon mighty storms to douse these flames. " Thor explained before turning and heading back to the fight.
Sigríð tried not to tremble with fear, but she could not help herself. Her whole life she had been strong and defiant in the face of those who opposed her, but the sight of an actual God unnerved her to the point where she ran back into the tent and lay down upon her bed. Though it would provide no protection from Giants, or Gods, Sigríð threw a blanket over her and placed her head upon a pillow. As she lay there shaking from fear she heard the thunder in the distance, and saw the flashes of lightning through the material of the tent. And then she noticed a sound that made her trembling stop. It began as an occasional tap upon the outside of the tent, but it soon turned into a loud staccato of sharp poundings upon the roof of the cloth structure. Thor had promised rain, and the droplets fell from the sky like a blessing from the heavens !
- End Chapter 6
- Next : Chapter 7 : Lightning Versus Fire !
- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.
" How can I fight Fire Giants and defeat them ? " he asked Sigríð.
His wife, in her usual bold manner, rose up off of her high- seat and hovered over her husband like a hawk over its prey.
" I see only one option for you to take, my husband. You must ask for the help of the Gods as you did before you fought your nephew Styrbjörn the Strong at the battle of Fyrisvellr. Odin gave you the strength to defeat Styrbjörn and become sole ruler of the Swedes. I am certain that if you pour out a libation, and sacrifice to the Gods once more, they will help you to stop the Fire Giants. " she told her husband as if she was lecturing him.
Eric thought for a moment before rising up off of his high-seat. He kissed Sigríð on the forehead, and nodded in agreement.
" Yes ! I will travel to Uppsala and ask the Gods for their assistance. " he replied before turning to the leader of his guard.
" Hring ! " the king shouted.
A large warrior walked towards the high-seats at a brisk pace. He stopped a few steps in front of the king and queen and bowed.
" Yes ! What does my lord wish of me ? " he asked.
Eric pointed to the door.
" Gather up nine oxen for me to take to Uppsala. " he commanded.
Hring bowed to the royal couple.
" Yes, my lord ! I will make them ready to travel as fast as possible ! " he replied before turning and exiting the hall.
Eric turned to his wife and grinned.
" With the help of our Gods these Fire Giants will discover why I am now called Eric the Victorious ! " he told her with great bravado.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Eric and Sigríð led their strange little army towards the great temple at Uppsala. Behind them were thirty mounted warriors followed by fifty foot soldiers. In the rear of their column were nine oxen, which were being helped along by an additional twenty of the king's warriors. As they approached the temple, the sight of which was partially blocked by a huge tree where sacrifices were made, the great golden chain that surrounded the structure glinted in the early morning sun like stars in the heavens.
When they reached the well in the temple's courtyard Eric and his warriors tied the nine oxen to the tree, and then proceeded to the massive front door of the Gods' house. Hring opened the door for his king and queen, and then posted two guards outside the temple. He entered the temple with the royal couple, but remained at the door while the king and queen proceeded to the three great thrones at the far end of the temple.
When they came to the statues of Thor, Odin, and Freyr, both Eric and Sigríð kneeled down and bowed their heads to the Gods. Sigríð, though she tried not to be obvious about it, stared for a long moment at Freyr's huge penis. The sight of Freyr's Godhood made her feel both weak and warm inside at the same time.
Sigríð's fantasies were interrupted when a small man approached and handed both her and her husband goblets. Despite the individual wearing a hooded cloak she recognized the man as Bifurr the Godi of the temple. As he nodded to the queen he began to fill her cup with ale. When her cup was full Bifurr turned to Eric and filled his as well. Then the Godi stepped back and allowed them to honor the Gods with toasts.
For nine days and nights King Eric the Victorious, and Sigríð the Haughty, honored the Gods. Each night, by the sacred ever green tree, they sacrificed one of the oxen. And each night the orange glow of the fires, that lit up the black skies, came closer and closer to the town of Sigtuna, and ultimately to Uppsala itself. On the ninth night the warriors began to become restless, and wondered if the Gods would indeed come to save them.
On the morning of the tenth day Hring ran to the king's tent and burst in unannounced.
" King Eric,.... Queen Sigríð,.... the forest in the distance is ablaze, and the sun does not shine this morning ! " he blurted out.
King Eric did not bother to dress. He jumped out of bed, ran to the entrance of his tent and pulled back the flap. As he looked out into the distance he saw the forest burning only a few miles away. More disturbing to the king, however, was the lack of sunlight.
" Has the smoke completely blocked out the morning sun ? " he asked out loud to no one in particular.
Hring did not reply. Instead he stared at his king with a look of shock etched upon his face.
" What is it Hring ! Speak up ! " the king insisted.
Hring turned his attention back to the burning forest and pointed.
" My lord ! There are three very large beings off in the distance, .... and one of them is coming this way ! " he informed the king as he drew his sword.
As King Eric squinted his eyes he could see two huge figures silhouetted against the glow of the burning fires. And Hring was quite correct ! One of these creatures was coming towards them !
Sigríð, who had joined Hring and her husband at the tent entrance, was the first to see the glowing eyes, and the sparks that flew off of the chin of the large being. She began to shake uncontrollably when she realized what it was that was approaching.
It took the God only a few large steps to reach the tent, and then all three mortals could see that it was the great and powerful Thor who stood before them in all his glory ! As the God of Thunder bent down to speak to the three children of Odin they stepped slightly backward.
" Do not fear me ! My father and I , along with Freyr, have heard your call and have come to help you fight the Fire Giants. Be unafraid of the darkness, for Odin has borrowed the great sun shield Svalinn to deflect the fires, and Sunna has agreed not to reflect her great heat and sunlight down upon these lands until we have defeated these Jotuns and can put the shield back in place. Stay here and you will be safe. For I, with Freyr's help, will summon mighty storms to douse these flames. " Thor explained before turning and heading back to the fight.
Sigríð tried not to tremble with fear, but she could not help herself. Her whole life she had been strong and defiant in the face of those who opposed her, but the sight of an actual God unnerved her to the point where she ran back into the tent and lay down upon her bed. Though it would provide no protection from Giants, or Gods, Sigríð threw a blanket over her and placed her head upon a pillow. As she lay there shaking from fear she heard the thunder in the distance, and saw the flashes of lightning through the material of the tent. And then she noticed a sound that made her trembling stop. It began as an occasional tap upon the outside of the tent, but it soon turned into a loud staccato of sharp poundings upon the roof of the cloth structure. Thor had promised rain, and the droplets fell from the sky like a blessing from the heavens !
- End Chapter 6
- Next : Chapter 7 : Lightning Versus Fire !
- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.
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