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' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 11 : A Decision Too Hard To Make

7/31/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer


​


Chapter 11



A Decision Too Hard To Make
​

Naddoður and Alva did not stay by the Great Hall that night, for the screams and shrieks of agony and desperation of the Draugr were too horrible to endure. Instead they camped down by the stream, and slept there. When Sunna rose in the morning sky her great power and glory both awakened the village and swept away the mist that housed the Draugr. Naddoður had chosen the stream as their campsite for another reason as well. And that reason was now heading straight towards him.

Nokkvi had a blank stare in his eyes as he slowly undressed and immersed himself in the stream. As he symbolically
washed  the nightmare of the Draugr out of him, he was joined by Naddoður. This time, however, it was Nokkvi who initiated the conversation. 

King Vigsterkr had us looking for you most of yesterday. " he told the Shaman.

​Naddoður grinned as he splashed some cold water over his face.  

" Yes ! I know ! I hid from his warriors so I could to speak to the Draugr. " he explained.

Nokkvi stopped bathing for a moment and gave the Shaman a stern look. 

" It was strange. The king almost acted as if he were as afraid of you speaking to the Draugr, as the Draugr themselves. I tried to explain that you simply wanted to help us by contacting them, but he would have none of it. " he told Naddoður. 

Then, as if he had just remembered something of great importance Nokkvi asked :

" Did you learn anything useful from the Draugr ? "

Naddoður nodded. 

" Yes ! It appears that your king sent them off to die in a useless attack, so that he could make a cowardly retreat. The Draugr want King Vigsterkr to walk to the land of the dead with them. It sounds like poetic justice to me " he explained. 

Nokkvi grimaced. 

" And I suppose they wish to drag the rest of our warriors to Helheim as well ? " the warrior asked dejectedly. 

Naddoður shook his head. 

Incredibly,... no ! They only want the soul of the one who condemned them to death. " he assured Nokkvi. 

Nokkvi laughed bitterly. 

" And you believe those wretched decaying pieces of meat ! How can you be sure that they will not turn their vengeance on all of us ? " he asked.

Naddoður shrugged his shoulders as he answered. 

" There are no guarantees, my friend. But understand this. The Draugr have lost everything, and therefore no longer have any reason to lie. " he explained to the worried warrior.

Nokkvi walked out of the stream and slowly began to dry himself off. Naddoður quickly joined the warrior on the bank. It was then that the Shaman heard a familiar buzzing in his ear.

" Do you think that Nokkvi believes you ? " Alva asked with a hopeful grin as her eyes slowly made their way up and down the Shaman's naked body.

Naddoður quickly covered himself with a large drying cloth, and gave the fairy, that only he could see, a cross look. 

" Not now ! " he whispered. 

Nokkvi gave the Shaman a strange look when he realized that Naddoður had covered himself. 

" What ! ? " he asked before adding. " Why are you so shy this morning ? " 

Naddoður thought quickly before answering. 

" I said nothing, ..... I am just a little cold this morning. " he lied. 

As Alva giggled at his modesty Naddoður asked the warrior a most important question. 

" Can you get me back into the Great Hall tonight ? "

Nokkvi thought for a moment before responding.

" I believe that I can,... but you must tell the king that you did not speak to the Draugr ! " he told the Shaman in no uncertain terms.   

Naddoður nodded. 

" Agreed ! " he told the warrior happily. 

The king was not happy to see the Shaman return to his great hall, but he was satisfied when Naddoður explained that the Draugr would not speak to him.

" How can you hope to speak to those who moan and wail in the mist. " he told the Shaman.

Naddoður was more than happy to agree with the king to alleviate any doubts he had about him.

" That is why I will be leaving your kingdom tomorrow morning. For I can do nothing to help you. " he informed the king .

As the day wore on, and the prospect of night loomed on the horizon like the Black Plague, the mood in the Great Hall changed from one of nervous laughter, to silent fear. Those who did speak, spoke in a low whisper as if talking loudly might somehow offend the dead spirits. And as dusk fell upon Numadalr the doors were barred, and everyone moved away from the locked entrance that protected the hall. Everyone that is except Naddoður and Nokkvi who sat on the last two seats nearest the doors whispering back and forth.

" I do not know if I can open the doors for the Draugr. I wish that I could be certain that these walking corpses only wanted to carry the soul of King Vigsterkr back to the land of the dead. " Nokkvi told the Shaman. 

Naddoður nibbled on a piece of bread as he studied the face of the warrior, who seemed to be losing his nerve as darkness fell over Numadalr.

" Thorvin has assured me that only King Vigsterkr's soul is necessary to break the curse that keeps them locked between the world of the living and the world of the dead. " the Shaman replied calmly.

Nokkvi pounded his fist lightly on the table, which in the silence sounded quite loud and drew the attention of many in the hall. 

" He is dead ! The Draugr have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by tricking us into opening the door. " he replied as quietly as possible. 

Naddoður ignored the outburst.

" The Draugr want to leave this land as much as you want them to go. Understand, my friend, they are the ones who are cursed and not you ! " he shot back.    

Nokkvi shook his head violently from side to side. 

" I just don't know. If only there was a way to be sure. If I open the doors and you are wrong hundreds of deaths will be on my head ! " he reiterated.

Naddoður pointed to the wisp of mist that was coming up from the narrow crack under the door. 

" You will simply have to go on faith this time, my friend. " he replied with a small grin.

The moaning and the shrieking began almost immediately after Naddoður's last word, and the pounding of fists upon the iron doors came moments later. Naddoður glanced over at the king, who was sitting on his high - seat balled up like a little baby, with his hands covering his ears, before turning back to Nokkvi. 

" It is time my friend. " Naddoður said calmly as he pointed to the door.

At first Nokkvi did not move, but after a moment longer to reflect, he stood up on shaky legs. He was about to walk toward the doors when he heard a lone voice among the angry shrieks outside begin to repeat over and over :

" Shaman,.... Shaman,.... help us Shaman ! " it screamed in agony.

As Nokkvi sat back down Naddoður heard a muffled voice say : 

" He has lost his nerve ! He will not free the Draugr ! " the little voice told him.          

Naddoður looked down, and nodded to the little fairy, who had poked her head out of his pocket. 

" I am afraid that you are right. " he whispered.

Naddoður rose up off of his bench, grabbed his staff, and began to walk over to the secured doors. He had only taken several steps when he heard a sword being removed from it's scabbard, and a bench being kicked over.

​" Stay away from that door Shaman ! " Nokkvi screamed loudly.   

His words reverberated through the hall like an earthquake alerting everyone to what was about to happen. Even the king, who had been immersed in his own private misery, awoke from his nightmare and pointed to the doors.

" Stop Him ! " Don't let him open the doors !! " the king screamed.

Nokkvi swung his sword at the Shaman, but because he did not want to kill him his effort was half hearted, and easily blocked by Naddoður's staff. A split second later he felt the full force of the Shaman's staff upon his forehead, which knocked him to the floor.

Now there was no one close enough to stop Naddoður, and most of the warriors recoiled in horror as the Shaman grabbed hold of the iron bar. Naddoður quickly lifted the heavy piece of iron that ran across both doors and secured them to the main structure of the hall. As the bar rose above it's slot the doors flew open from the great weight of the Draugr pushing against them. Naddoður, pushed sideways by the force, turned and threw the bar at those warriors who would have tried to stop him if they had been given more time.

As the Draugr streamed by him Naddoður saw that their leader Thorvin had not deceived him. For they pushed past the warriors, despite being attacked by them, and made their way up to the far end of the hall, where the king could be heard even above all the chaos screaming in a high - pitched tone.

After the Draugr had entered the hall and passed him, Naddoður put his head down, and left the great stone structure that no longer served it's purpose. He did not look back to see what was transpiring because he knew all too well that justice was often harsh. A few steps from the hall he saw a shadow in the mist coming towards him. It stopped a few feet in front of him.

" Thank you for freeing us ! " Thorvin told the Shaman gratefully.

Naddoður nodded. 

" I did only that which was right. " he replied. 

Alva shot out of Naddoður's pocket and flew over to Thorvin, who was not afraid of her this time. 

" What will you do now ? " she asked. 

As he answered Thovin began to transform from a decaying corpse into the proud warrior he had been before he was cursed by the cowardly act of King Vigsterkr. 

" We are now free to leave the world of the living, and can journey to the land of the dead. " he told her. 

Alva smiled at the man for a moment before pointing toward the sky. 

" That is not where proud warriors who die in battle reside my friend. " Alva told Thorvin. 

Naddoður was the next to see them, and his jaw hung open in awe at the sight. Thorvin, who had to turn to see what the others had already seen, stood transfixed by what seemed impossible. 

The Valkyries landed their horses one by one and pulled the warriors up onto their saddles. It took a while for every warrior to be carried away to Valhalla, but Naddoður and Alva watched and waved to each as they left, while the Numadalr warriors cowered in their hall.

Only one dead warrior who left the hall was ignored by the Valkyries, and as Naddoður and Alva left the courtyard they caught sight of King Vigsterkr as he trudged upon the long road to Niflheim. As they watched the king disappear into the distance Alva buzzed around Naddoður's head.

" Do you feel sorry for the king ? "  she asked. 

Naddoður shook his head. 

" No ! It is better to die in battle with pride and courage, than to live a life of fear and regret as a coward ! " he told her.


- End Chapter 11


- Next : Chapter 12 : The Nightmare



- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.  

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​Naddoður

' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 10 : " We Must Give Them What They Want "

7/31/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer


​


Chapter 10



" We Must Give Them What They Want " 
​

Naddoður had seen and heard many horrible things in his fifty eight years of his life, but never had he heard anything as terrifying as what he had experienced the night before. The sheer force with which these Draugr tried to get into the Great Hall was horrifying, and their desperate cries and shrieks were enough to make any sane human being go mad. He now fully understood why the Great Hall had been built of stone. If it had been made from timber, and nails, it surely would not have survived the night.

As the morning light shone in from a small opening at the bottom of the doors a collective sigh of relief rose up from all those inside. Logic told Naddoður that those left outside the Great Hall should have been killed during the night, and yet when the great iron doors were opened the village itself, along with all of it's inhabitants, had escaped the wrath of the Draugr unscathed.   

Naddoður needed answers, and as he discovered the night before he would not get them from King Vigsterkr. The king seemed to understand the situation even less than he did himself. And yet the Shaman felt that the king knew much more than he was telling him. Instead of relying on the king for information, which he seemed unwilling to share, Naddoður decided to question his new friend Nokkvi. 

With Alva sleeping peacefully in his pocket, Naddoður followed Nokkvi down to a stream to bathe. As they undressed Naddoður could sense that the warrior was still suffering from a form of shock brought on by the night of terror. Only when the cold mountain water hit Nokkvi's naked body did he seem to be able to shake his fears. And as he bathed it was almost as if Naddoður was watching him wash away everything that had happened the night before. 

Naddoður waited until they left the water, and were drying themselves off, before asking the warrior any questions. 

" If I am to help you I need to know more about these Draugr. " he told the warrior. 

Nokkvi finished drying his hair before responding to the Shaman. 

" I am not sure what I can tell you other that what you have already seen and heard. " he replied. 

Naddoður pulled on his pants as he asked his first question. 

" When did the Draugr first arrive here in Numadalr ? " he inquired.

Nokkvi thought for a moment before answering. 

" It was five years ago. We had just suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of King Ostarki of Hringariki. Shortly after we returned to Numadalr they began to haunt us every night,... and not all at once. In the beginning there were only a few and then more and more came in the mist. " he explained.

Naddoður allowed a moment to pass before he asked his next question.

" And why do you think the Draugr do not destroy the village or harm your folk ? "

Nokkvi's face turned to stone for a moment as all emotion bled out of his face. 

" Because they want what is in the Great Hall, not what lives in the village itself. The king, early on, thought that these walking dead wanted to reside in the hall. So one night he mounted his warriors in the courtyard, and left the old hall's doors open. But they didn't go into the hall at all ! They chased us all through the night until Sunna rose in the sky, and they vanished. If we were not on horseback they would have killed us all ! " he explained to the Shaman.

Naddoður looked puzzled for a moment before asking : 

" Is that how you built the new stone hall ? By riding away each night and building it by day ? "

Nokkvi took a deep breath. 

" We had no choice. As the number of Draugr grew they came closer every night to breaking into the old hall. It took us four years to build what to us has become a prison every night. " he explained.

Naddoður stroked his chin several times. 

" That is very interesting. " he replied. 

Nokkvi finished dressing and then turned to the Shaman.

" If you wish to know more ask the king . I am going to bed ! "  he told Naddoður. 

The Shaman grinned.

" No, my friend ! Tonight I will ask the Draugr instead. " he told the warrior.

Nokkvi shook his head. 

" Then you will be dead by morning. For you stayed in the hall, and the Draugr will sense that you are a warrior also and they will kill you ! " he informed the Shaman without emotion.             

After the warrior walked away Alva poked her head out of Naddoður's pocket. 

" Are you really going to try and speak to the Draugr tonight ? " she asked.

Naddoður laughed. 

" Why ? Are you afraid of them ? " he asked in return. 

Alva pretended to be hurt by the insinuation. 

" No ! But the king may not allow you to stay outside of the Great Hall . " she speculated.

Naddoður nodded. 

" Point well taken, my little friend. I think tonight we shall hide out in the forest until darkness brings the mist back to Numadalr, and the dead once again roam this land. " he told her with a wink. 

Naddoður found a suitable place to hide about a mile from town in a small cave. Really it was nothing more than a deep crevice in the rock, but it served the purpose he needed, and it hid him from the warriors that King Vigsterkr sent out to find him. And there he lay in wait until Sunna rode her chariot over the distant mountains. As daylight turned into twilight the Shaman, with his little companion, crawled out of his hiding place, and began to walk back to the village.

By the time they reached the the center of the village, where the Great Stone Hall stood like a great memorial to death, the mist had begun to cover the ground, and he could hear the first cries of the Draugr off in the distance. When it reached the height of a man Naddoður began to see shadows moving within the mist.

For a moment Naddoður held his breath. He was fairly sure, but by no means certain, that the Draugr would ignore him. As they passed him, however, the walking dead did not even turn to look at him with their dead black eyes. The Shaman could see that these restless souls were single - minded in purpose, which was further confirmed by the vicious way they attacked the doors of the Great Hall. Naddoður watched them for several moments, placing in his memory how incredibly determined they were to get into the hall. When he had seen enough, he walked a little closer, and shouted above their agonizing shrieks.

" Who among you leads these Draugr ? " he asked. 

He received no response the first time, so he tried again.

" My name in Naddoður. I am a Shaman and I wish to help you end your misery. Will not one of you speak to me ? " he asked. 

Slowly, and at first imperceptibly, one of the dead broke away from the others and stomped over to where Naddoður stood. For a moment the two looked at one another. The dead eyes of the Draugr stared deeply into the blue eyes of the living with a look of menace seldom seen in Midgard. Naddoður feared that the Draugr might attack him when suddenly the creature stumbled backward a few steps. Out of the corner of his eye Naddoður saw the reason.

" Your wing seems to be healed. " he said calmly to the fairy.

Alva flew around the Draugr like a fly pestering a cow. The decaying human spirit swatted at her several times but was too slow to hit her. 

" My friend Naddoður would like to ask you a few questions. If you answer them truthfully he might be able to unchain you from this world, and allow you and the other lost souls to continue your journey to the afterlife that was meant for you . " Alva told the dead man with a pleasant smile.

Naddoður did not know what to expect next, but he surely was not anticipating the Draugr to begin speaking in a voice that was easily understandable.

" I was once known as the warrior Thorvin. I, along with all of my fellow comrades, were sacrificed by the cowardly King Vigsterkr in a hopeless attack to gain him time to escape the Hringariki army. We were betrayed, and left to be slaughtered by our enemy, so that our cowardly king could live. Now we have come back to bring King Vigsterkr to the land of the dead where he belongs. And we will not leave until he is with us once again. " he told Naddoður. 

Alva fluttered up in front of the dead man's face and looked deep into his soul. She saw nothing but darkness. 

" Do you want all the warriors in the Great Hall, or only King Vigsterkr ? " the little fairy asked. 

Thorvin looked past the fairy, as if he were looking into the future.

" We have no quarrel with our living comrades in arms. They did not betray us. We want only King Vigsterkr. " he explained. 

Alva flew over to Naddoður, and gave him a little grin. 

" To set them free,  we must give them what they want ! " she told him.


- End Chapter 10


- Next : Chapter 11 : A Decision Too Hard To Make



​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.                             

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' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 9 : Dead Men Are The Tale

7/29/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer



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Chapter 9



Dead Men Are The Tale
​

" Where are we going ? " Alva asked as she peered out of Naddoður's pocket.

The Shaman glanced down and smiled at the little little face that looked up at him. 

" I follow the pull of the spiritual forces, ... and right now they are drawing me deeper into Numadalr. " he explained to his little friend. 

As they slowly journeyed southward the injured little Elf, and the human Shaman, spoke of many things. Alva told Naddoður how she had once lived in Ljosalfheim with others of her kind. Unlike the other Light Elves, however, she was not content with being confined to her own realm. She wanted to explore other worlds, and meet new beings and creatures. Her adventurous spirit was not looked upon kindly by the other Light Elves, who quickly banished her for what they called her, " evil thoughts and actions ".

After many years of exploring the hundreds of inhabited worlds in the cosmos she had decided to make Midgard her home. She told Naddoður that she did this not because it was the most peaceful world, but because, to the contrary, it was a world where the human inhabitants lived lives of contradiction. These humans, who did as many evil deeds as they did good ones, were fascinating to her.       

And when Alva told the Shaman her age he was astonished ! 

" You look very well for a being entering it's second millennium ! " he told her only half jokingly. 

When Alva asked Naddoður how he had become a Shaman his smile disappeared. 

" As a child I was like many of the other boys in the village. I rough - housed, played games, and practiced my skills with various weapons. " he began, then suddenly paused.

After taking a deep breath he continued :

" But when I entered my teenage years something in me changed,...and it was then that the dreams began. " 

Alva looked up at the human, who she secretly loved, and asked : 

" Dreams ? " 

Naddoður stopped and put his hands on his hips. He took another deep breath to clear his mind, and then answered the little Elf who was recuperating in his pocket. 

" Most think that dreams are memories of moments that once were, or things that may yet happen, but sometimes they are visions of the creatures, demons and spirits calling to you from the great beyond. I can often hear their desperate cries for help,.... and I can feel the pain that is locked up in their souls,.... and they are waiting,.. waiting,.. WAITING,... for me to release them from their misery and anger ! " he told her with a frustration in his voice.

Alva looked up at Naddoður with a pleasant little smile on her face. 

" And you seek them out to relieve their pain and suffering. " she replied proudly. 

Naddoður nodded. 

" Yes ! It is not only the living that suffer, but the dead, and those caught in between worlds as well ! " he confided.

Alva pointed her tiny finger out of his pocket. 

" And that is why we are heading south ? " she asked. 

Naddoður nodded again. 

" I feel that there is much suffering where we are going . " he informed her. 


________________________________________________________________________________________________________


On the fifth day of their journey they came to a village just as dusk was falling. The village seemed much like many others they had passed through, or near, on their way south with one exception. The Great Hall, located in the center of the settlement, was constructed not of timber, turf, and thatch, but of thick stone. And the doors which were usually fashioned from pine or oak were made from thick steel.    

As Naddoður examined the structure he could not help but notice that the inhabitants were scurrying to and fro like scared mice. He watched them for several moments before catching a woman by the arm to ask why everyone was in such a hurry. 

" You must be a stranger to these parts to ask such a question ! You must get inside,... we all must get inside before they come back ! " she shouted at him before wriggling out of his grasp and running away. 

The Shaman looked down at his pocket and muttered under his breath. 

" We should try to see the king and find out what it is that is happening here ! " he told the little fairy Elf.

​" I agree ! " Alva shouted up to her human friend. 

Naddoður was about to knock on the door of the Great Hall when three warriors ran up and began to bang furiously on the doors.

" Let us in ! Let us in !! " they shouted through the door. 

Naddoður placed his hand on the shoulder of the warrior closest to him, and spun him around. As he did, the warrior fell backward into his comrades, who grabbed hold of him so he would not fall to the ground. The terrified look on the warrior's face told Naddoður all he needed to know. 

" I wish to see your king immediately !  " he began. " I am a Shaman and might be able to help you with your problem. " he explained.

Before the warrior could answer the doors swung wide open, and the warriors quickly ran inside. As the last one entered he shouted over his shoulder :

" Hurry ! Come in ! For soon death will rule the night ! "

Naddoður did not need to be told twice and hurried into the hall. The moment the doors were closed behind them great iron bars were put in place to secure them. Then, and only then, did the warrior Naddoður had grabbed hold of relax and speak to him.

" My name is Nokkvi, and if you truly are a Shaman your help is sorely needed here ! " he told the stranger.

Naddoður smiled at the warrior and reached out his hand to him. 

" I am Naddoður, a Warrior Shaman. " he told Nokkvi as they shook hands.  

As their hands parted he added : 

" If you introduce me to your king I will try to help rid your kingdom of whatever is terrorizing it. " he assured Nokkvi.

The warrior turned and pointed to the far side of the hall where a dark shadowy figure sat among the flickering light of the torches.

" My Lord sits waiting, as he does every night, for death to arrive at his doors. His name is King Vigsterkr, and If you follow me I will introduce you to him. " he told the Shaman.

As they walked up the main aisle toward the raised platform, where the high - seat was situated, Naddoður could not help but notice that every warrior he passed was not looking at Nokkvi and himself, but were in fact staring at the great iron doors. In their terrified eyes he could almost imagine the horror that would soon visit the king's great hall.     

" My king ! May I present the Warrior Shaman Naddoður. He has offered to hep us in our time of greatest need. " he explained.

King Vigsterkr fidgeted in his high - seat like a child who had to pee. While looking Naddoður over thoroughly he peeked over at the doors to his hall more than once. The king nervously rung his hands several times before addressing his visitor.

" A Shaman ! ? I am not sure that the Almighty Gods of Asgard and Vanaheim together could rid my kingdom of the horror that visits us night after night ! " the king told the Shaman.

Naddoður smiled pleasantly at the king before calmly asking :

" And what exactly is it that haunts your kingdom, my Lord ? " 

The king looked at him with crazy eyes as he pointed to the doors. 

" Soon the mist will come, and within it's evil white cloak will be hidden the most hideous and vile creatures known here in Midgard . " he replied in an unsteady voice.

Naddoður shrugged his shoulders slightly as he asked again : 

" And what do you believe these creatures to be ? "

King Vigsterkr quickly stood up and looked down at him as though he were about to cry. 

" They are evil spirits that roam the night. They are dead, but they still have the will of the living. This horror will be here at any moment,.... and this plague upon my kingdom has a name ! They are called Draugr ! " he exclaimed through trembling lips.    

The king had barely uttered his last word when a great pounding shattered the silence of the hall. The king sunk to his knees and placed his hands over his ears.

" They are here ! Make them stop ! MAKE THEM GO AWAY !! " he screamed.


- End Chapter 9


- Next : Chapter 10 : " We Must Give Them What They Want "



​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.   
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​Naddoður

' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 8 : Two Is Too Many !

7/28/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer



​

Chapter 8



Two Is Too Many !
​

​Naddoður sipped his mead as he stared into the flickering flames of his campfire. It did not take him long to admit to himself that he knew how his Vardøgr had been created. Whenever he contacted the spiritual world he had to disconnect himself from the real world to enter that other realm. Obviously, while he was in one of these other worlds, his real self had moved on. The problem now was that he had to find a way to reunite his phantom self with his real self.

​Alva, who had flown onto his drinking horn, laughed when she heard ​Naddoður's hypothesis of how he had split himself in two. 

" You are not the spiritual ​Naddoður ! The one who proceeds you is the phantom ! " she corrected the Shaman. 

" Then how did my spiritual self get out in front of me ? " he asked.

Alva fluttered her wings to balance herself as ​Naddoður moved the horn slightly, and then replied.

" What is it that you do after contacting the spirits in their world ? " she asked.

​Naddoður shrugged his shoulders. 

" Nothing ! I am usually to spent by the process, and have to sleep afterwards. " he replied.

Alva smiled. 

" Exactly ! Your spiritual self more than likely did not re- connect with your body, and while you slept it moved on. " she explained.

​Naddoður had to admit that there was a certain logic to her thinking. As he brought the horn up to his lips Alva stared at him from the edge of the drinking vessel.

" Do you know how to re - connect us ? " he asked. 

Alva jumped off the horn and flew around to his ear. 

" There are two ways to re - unite your body with your spiritual self. You can either pass yourself in time, or you can make your spiritual self see your real self which will make it realize that it is not real, and it should disappear. " she told him.

​Naddoður nodded that he understood and agreed. 

​" Then at first light we must journey fast and hard to catch up with my Vardøgr ! " he told her. 

Naddoður was up long before Sunna lit up the eastern horizon with her wonderful glow. He packed his things, rolled them in his blanket, and tied the ends together. As he extinguished what was left of his campfire he noticed that Alva was still sleeping peacefully on a leaf near the fire.

" Time to get up my little fairy friend ! " he said softly as he gently rocked the leaf. 

Alva rolled over and ignored him. 

Naddoður laughed at her stubbornness.

" Well ! If you are going to be difficult then I will have to take matters into my own hands. " he explained to the tired Elf.

With gentle hands he picked the leaf up by both ends, and placed it into his pocket. At first Alva protested, but the pocket was warm, and she soon fell back asleep. Naddoður, with his friend now along for the ride, threw his bed roll over his shoulder, and headed toward the distant horizon to find his other self. 

By noon Sunna's rays had made Naddoður's pocket a humid sweat box for the tiny Elf, and she was soon asking to be let out. With one hand he opened his pocket and the little fairy flew out into the fresh air and sunshine. 

Alva looked all around her. 

" Where are we ? " Have we traveled far ? " she asked in rapid succession. 

Naddoður pointed to a farmhouse that they were fast approaching as he answered her question. 

" I have been walking twice as fast as I normally do. So I hope that I have made up at least half of the distance between myself and my Vardøgr. I am going to call upon the inhabitants of this farm to inquire if they had seen me pass this way yesterday. " he explained to Alva.

The farmer, who was called Ambi, seemed to be surprised to see Naddoður as he walked up the path to speak to him . Then to the Shaman's surprise the farmer drew an axe from his belt, and held it up in a threatening manner.

" Why have you come back ? You were in such a hurry yesterday ! Do you wish to rob me ? Is that why you visited me yesterday,... so you could find out that I am all alone here on my farm ? " he asked nervously. 

Naddoður stepped backward and placed his hands up in the air.

" I assure you I mean you no harm ! I simply want to know what time I visited you yesterday ? " the Shaman asked.

Ambi looked at the visitor strangely. 

" What ?! " he asked, not understanding why he would want to know such a silly thing.

Naddoður repeated the question. 

" About the same time as today. " the farmer replied as he checked the position of the sun in the sky. 

Naddoður thanked the farmer, then turned and walked back to the forest road. 

As he left the farmer behind the Shaman looked at his shoulder where Alva was perched, and said in a disgusted tone :

" I have walked as fast as I can all morning and apparently have not made up any of the distance between myself and my Vardøgr. " 

Alva smiled at her human friend. 

" Nor will you ! " she told him.

Naddoður stopped, picked up the little Elf between his fingers, and placed her in front of his face. 

" What do you mean ? " he asked. 

Alva narrowed her eyes at the rough treatment she was receiving.

" Let me go and I will tell you ! " she said angrily. 

Naddoður, who had not realized he was hurting Alva, released her immediately. As she flew in front of him she explained.

​" Your Vardøgr is your mirror. If you walk fast so does it. And if you run, then it too will run ! " she explained to him. 

Naddoður's shoulders slumped. 

" Then I will never be able to catch up to my spiritual self. " he replied dejectedly. 

Alva grinned as she buzzed over and gently hit him on the nose. 

​" But there is one thing that your Vardøgr cannot do,... and that is fly ! " she informed her human friend. 

Naddoður frowned. 

" Well, ... neither can I ! " he responded angrily. 

The tiny fairy laughed as she began to grow in size. When Alva reached a point where she was twice as large as he was she fluttered her huge wings for him to see. 

" No ! But I can ! " she told him as she picked him up and got a running start to fly. 

Carrying Naddoður was an arduous task for Alva in flight. All the more so because she was exerting every last bit of energy with every wing beat to go as fast as she could to help the human that she had grown so very fond of. She was even willing to die for him if necessary.

Naddoður could not help but notice that Alva was struggling greatly to fly with him in her arms. As her face turned red, sweat began to pour from her brow, and run down her face like tears. When her wings began to make an odd sound he became extremely concerned.

" Put me down ! You are going to hurt yourself ! " he cautioned her. 

His concern for her made Alva push ahead even harder. 

" If we do not catch up to him by nightfall he may be lost to us forever ! " she warned the Shaman.

Naddoður's eyes widened. 

" How so ? " he demanded to know. 

Alva looked straight ahead as she answered. 

​" A Vardøgr mimics, in the future, the footfalls of it's follower. Because you have not been on foot for most of the day it will now find it's own way in the world. " she told him. 

​Naddoður looked ahead to the far horizon. 

" It may already be too late ! " he said as he pointed to the darkening horizon up ahead.

Just then Alva screamed out in joy and agony. 

" There it is ! " 

​Naddoður saw a silhouette in the distance. 

" Are you sure ? " he asked.

Alva replied quickly. 

" Yes ! But I will not reach him in time carrying you ! " she replied as she let go of him. 

​By the time the Shaman hit the ground Alva had almost reached the Vardøgr, but she knew that she would not make it to him before the sun set. She had to make it turn around and see it's double. But how ? ! Then it suddenly came to her. What would make a lonely traveler turn around. 

" Naddoður ! I love you !! " she shouted as loud as she could at the phantom. 

​As the Vardøgr turned she veered off to the right, and crashed hard into the ground, leaving a clear sight path to the real Naddoður. Injured, and in pain, Alva watched as the phantom saw itself. In a puff of spiritual smoke the Vardøgr understood  that it was not real and disappeared.  

Naddoður witnessed it all ! For years it was he, the wandering Shaman, who saved those in need, but now he was once again being saved by another. Despite his age, Naddoður got up and ran as fast as he could to where Alva lay in a heap on the other side of the field. 

When he reached her he was appalled by her condition. Her hair was a mess, her face was bruised badly, and her left wing was crumpled underneath her. As he knelt down he carefully hugged her close and kissed her on the cheek. 

" Please tell me you are alright ! " he whispered to her as he gently kissed her on the forehead.

Alva looked up at him through fluttering eyes, and forced a small smile onto her face.

" Oh my ! That really hurt " was all she could manage before she fell unconscious.


- End Chapter 8


Next : Chapter 9 : Dead Men Are The Tale !    



- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.    
​         

    
    

​

' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 7 : The Vardøgr

7/27/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer




Chapter 7


The Vardøgr
​

​Naddoður awoke early and dressed. The Shaman hated goodbyes, and was hoping to leave before Regnaldr woke up. However, like most farmers, he was up at the break of dawn. With his next destination being well to the south, in Numadalr, ​Naddoður wanted to get an early start, but Regnaldr insisted on serving the Shaman, who had helped him free the restless spirit, a hearty breakfast before he left. 

After an uncomfortably long farewell ​Naddoður went out to the fields to tell Alva that he was leaving. As awkward as the goodbye with Ragnaldr had been, the parting with the little Elf fairy seemed even stranger to him. Although she appeared to him without having called her, and despite her eagerness to help him rid the farm of the Deildegast named Magnbjorn, she did not seem to care if he stayed or left.

" I hope that your journey is an easy one, and that you find happiness wherever you go ." was all she told him before flying away.

As he walked southward, his staff firmly in hand, he pondered the different attitudes shown towards him when he left. Regnaldr was truly sorry to see him go, and would have let him stay as long as he wished, while the Elf, who had helped him so very much, seemed ambivalent to his leaving. Like a ghost it haunted him all through the day, and remained with him as he set up his camp and started his fire that night.

​Naddoður had chosen an ideal spot to make his camp. A brook with crystal clear mountain water was less than thirty feet from the site, and the area around the camp was flat and filled with tall evergreens with thick canopies that would act as a roof should it rain during the night. It was so cozy in fact that ​Naddoður fell asleep not long after he finished his supper. 

Dreams can take you away to either a place you remember, or to worlds where you have never been. No matter how deep the dream, however, the real world can interrupt the magical journey to the world's of your fantasy, and bring you back to the reality of the moment.

​Naddoður stirred slightly, rolling over from side to side. Before he could return to his sleep he was startled awake by what sounded like a man singing a beautiful melody down by the brook. As he sat up to listen more carefully he pulled his blanket off of him, and reached out for his boots. It was then that he heard a familiar buzzing in his ear.

" I would not go down to the brook if I were you. " a familiar voice whispered in his ear. 

​Naddoður tried not to look too happy as he turned his head to see his little fairy friend. 

" Alva ! " ​Naddoður whispered joyfully. 

Alva ignored his surprise, and waggled her tiny finger at him.

" Cover your ears, for the Nøkken sings a deadly song. " she told the human.

​Naddoður gave her a puzzled look but covered his ears anyway. 

" I will make him go away ! " she told him despite his inability to hear her.

Fearing for the tiny fairy's life ​Naddoður quickly put on his boots, and jumped up ready to go after her. Before he could take even one step he heard loud splashes coming from out of the darkness in the direction of where the brook flowed. And then there was only silence. For the first time in his life he froze and stood listening instead of acting.

​Naddoður's mind went through a multitude of possibilities. None of them very good for Alva ! When the fear that gripped him eased he ran over to the tree where he had left his walking staff, and grabbed hold of it tightly. As he turned to run down to the brook he suddenly fell backwards from the shock of seeing something only inches from his face.

" Were you coming to rescue me ? " Alva asked with a huge smile as she flew above him.            

For some reason, unknown to him at the time, the Shaman blushed as he answered the little fairy. 

" I,... I thought you might be in trouble and need help. " he replied nervously. 

Alva smiled even wider as she flew up to his cheek and kissed him gently.

" You do not have to worry anymore. I am here to protect you. " she assured him.

​Naddoður frowned and pointed towards the brook.

" But what about the Nøkken ? " he asked. 

Alva's smile disappeared.

" The Nøkken is gone ! He will bother no one tonight. " she told him sternly.

Then just as quickly as her smile had vanished, it returned.

" Now take off your boots, and go back to sleep. I will protect you tonight. " she told him the way a mother would speak to her child.

Perplexed by what had just happened it took ​Naddoður a little while to fall back asleep. When he did, however, he saw in his dreams what had happened to the Nøkken. As he stood overlooking the brook he watched as roots, pond lily flowers and a red mud floated by, all of which had once made up the Water Spirit's body. The image startled the Shaman back to the real world, and he lay there for a few moments waiting for the waking fear to pass. When he calmed down he realized that he was not sleeping alone !

​Naddoður slowly lifted his head off of his canvas bag that acted as a pillow. A female human, and a naked one at that, was sleeping up against him with her back toward him. The Shaman slowly took his hand off of her waist and pulled back her gold - yellow hair to see her face. As he did he caught sight of of the pointy tips on each ear.

​" Alva ! " his mind shouted.        

As the Elf, who was not so tiny now, began to rouse herself from sleep, ​Naddoður quickly placed his head back on his pillow, put his hand down at his side, and closed his eyes as if he were sleeping. A moment later he heard the familiar buzzing of the Elf's wings in fairy form, and opened his eyes.

" Well ! Good morning sleepy one ! " Alva told the human.

​Naddoður looked up at the little shining fairy that hovered above him, and smiled.       

" Good morning, little one ! Did you sleep well ? " he asked, already knowing the answer. 

Alva put her hands on her hips and gave him a cross look.

" How could I sleep ? I was protecting you all night ! " she said proudly. 

​Naddoður had to force himself not to laugh. 

" Oh ! That is right. You watched over me all night. " he agreed with a grin. 

​The Shaman quickly put out the camp fire and rolled his things in his blanket. Naddoður wanted to fill up his water container in the brook before they headed south into Numadalr, but Alva would not let him go near the brook. 

" There is a wonderful source of clean fresh water just over the border in Numadalr. " she assured him before they left.

By noon they had crossed over a clear mountain stream, just as she had predicted, where he stopped and filled his containers. From here they entered into a beautiful valley of streams, waterfalls, and small farms. Along the way they passed by a farmer who was planting his fields. From a distance the Shaman called out to him.

" What is this place stranger ? " he asked. 

The farmer looked at him oddly before answering.

" It is I Olnir ! Do you not remember me ​Naddoður ? " he asked in return.

The hairs on the back of the Shaman's neck stood straight up when he heard the man's words. He had never been to Numadalr, so how could he know this man ? 

" And how did he know my name ! ? " shot through ​Naddoður's head like a bolt of lightning.      

With his curiosity up, the Shaman walked up a path that led to where the farmer was planting wheat. 

" Have we met before, sir ? " ​Naddoður asked. 

The farmer scratched his head. 

" My friend it was just yesterday that you passed this way. You asked my name, and inquired what this land was called. " he told the Shaman. 

Then Olnir quickly added :

" Do you not remember ? " he asked in a befuddled tone. 

​Naddoður shook his head. 

" And what did you tell me the name of this place was ? " he asked the farmer.

The farmer put his hands on his hips and frowned deeply. 

" Fossdalr ! " he replied, a little annoyed about being asked again.

​Naddoður nodded and tried to hide his concern behind a smile. 

" And is there a farm market nearby where I can buy some provisions for my journey ? " he asked. 

The farmer seemed to be getting rather upset with him as he replied : 

" As I told you yesterday  the farm market is on the other side of the valley. It is run by the widow Ranka. " 

​Naddoður tipped his hat to the farmer before leaving. 

" Many thanks ! " he shouted back to Olrin. 

As he walked through the valley everyone he passed greeted him as though they knew him. And when he reached the market stand the woman who could only be Ranka greeted him just as strangely. 

" Decided to come back already ? It is a very beautiful valley isn't it ​Naddoður ? " she asked in rapid succession.

The Shaman carefully told the woman what he needed, but instead of filling his order immediately, she stood and stared at him for a moment.

" This is exactly what you asked for yesterday. Did you eat it all in one day ? " she asked. 

​Naddoður, who was beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable, quickly made up a story.

" Yes ! I met some friends along the way and shared it with them. " he lied to her. 

When Ranka had filled a sack with his provisions and handed it to him, she smiled at the Shaman. 

" I hope that you make it to your destination this time ​Naddoður. " she told him. 

​Naddoður quickly paid the woman and hurried out of Fossdalr. Once he was outside of the village the Shaman looked over his shoulder at the fairy that only he could see and asked :

" Do you understand what is going on here ? " 

Alva buzzed around in front of him. 

" Yes ! Unfortunately you have been proceeded here by a Vardøgr.    

Naddoður nodded. 

" That is my thinking also. The inhabitants of Finnmark call it a Etiainen, but here in Norway they call it a Vardøgr . We must find out how this happened, and stop my double from continuing to proceed me wherever I go ! " he told the fairy with a concerned look upon his face. 


- End Chapter 7


- Next : Chapter 8 : Two Is Too Many ! 



​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017. 



   


' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 6 : Alva : The Shaman's Assistant

7/25/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer




Chapter 6



Alva : The Shaman's Assistant

​

 At first Regnaldr would not open his door, but after a little coaxing he relented and slowly stuck his head out of the doorway to talk to Naddoður.

" What was all that weirdness out in my fields ? You looked as though you were having some sort of convulsions ! " Regnaldr wanted to know before he left the safety of his home.

Naddoður gave the nervous farmer a reassuring smile as he replied. 

" You should not have been concerned. I, nor you, were in any real danger. I was merely seeking to reach out to the creature who is tormenting you. " he told Regnaldr.

The farmer raised his eyebrows hopefully as he opened the door a little further.

" And did you contact the creature ? " he asked. 

Naddoður gave a short chuckle. 

" Yes,.... and no ! " he replied. 

Regnaldr frowned at the Shaman's response.

" What does that mean exactly ? " he inquired. 

Naddoður patted the farmer on the shoulder and looked him right in the eye. 

" I did not contact the Deildegast that is haunting your property, but I have reached someone,... or something, that advised me on how to eradicate your problem. " the Shaman explained.

Ragnaldr looked at the Shaman suspiciously and asked yet another question.

" Deildegast ! ? " 

" Yes ! " Naddoður answered with an air of excitement. 

" It seems that a man named Magnbjorn, a long time ago, cheated his neighbors by moving his border stones and enlarging his property. This evil act cursed his soul, and imprisoned him within the false boundaries that he set up. " he told the farmer. 

Ragnaldr laughed. 

" A prison of his own making ! " he interjected. 

Naddoður nodded. 

​" A very good analogy my friend ! " the Shaman agreed.       

Ragnaldr scratched his chin and became more serious. 

" But how do we get rid of this imprisoned soul ? " he asked. 

Naddoður grinned. 

" Well ! It seems that the Deildegast cannot put the stones back where they belong on his own,... so with Alva acting as an intermediary, we shall put them back in their original locations for him. " he explained to the nervous farmer.

Ragnaldr once again gave the Shaman a puzzled look. 

" Alva ? " he asked. 

Naddoður rolled his eyes before replying. 

" She is the little flying,..... thing,.... that came to me when I was searching for the Deildegast. She is willing to help us to get rid of the trapped soul. " he explained hesitantly to Ragnaldr. 

The farmer did not quite know what to say. 

" Alright,... when do we start ? " he asked.

Naddoður pointed to the border of the farmer's property. 

" Now is always the best time to get rid of evil spirits. " he told Ragnaldr. 

When they reached the current position of the property line, Alva appeared as if out of nowhere. Naddoður was not surprised that the farmer could not see the little fairy as it buzzed around the two of them. For only someone who believed in such things could allow their minds to accept the spiritual world. The farmer did, however, become a little nervous when he began to speak to no one in particular.

" Oh I see ! " the Shaman said to the air. " So the inner tree line was the old boundary marker between the properties."

Ragnaldr shrugged his shoulders. 

" So what do we do ? " he asked. 

Naddoður pointed to the inner tree line that lay fifty feet to the left of the current border wall.

" We have to move all the stones in that wall to the tree line. That is where Alva tells me the original boundary was between the two properties. " he explained.

The farmer gave the Shaman a funny grin. 

" Well,... alright,.... as long as Alva told you that. " the farmer responded.

Naddoður and Ragnaldr immediately went to work on moving the stones. As the work slowly progressed Ragnaldr became convinced that the Shaman was not actually talking to anyone, but was merely putting on a show for his sake. From time to time he would even tell Naddoður to ask the fairy a question, for which he received an immediate response from the Shaman. The back and forth banter made the hard work of moving the stone wall more fun, but as the sun fell and the moon rose in the sky it became evident that it would take several days before they could move every stone to it's new location.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________


On the evening of the fifth day Ragnaldr put the last stone in place, wiped his sweaty brow, and then asked the Shaman the only question that was left to ask :

" Well ! What happens now ? "

Naddoður shrugged his shoulders.

" Alva tells me that we have to wait. " he told the farmer as he sat down on the wall.

Ragnaldr joined the Shaman on the wall and waited impatiently for thunder, lightning, or anything that would indicate that the Deildegast had left. But there was nothing. When the sun completely set behind the hills, and Mani began to glow overhead, he began to wonder why they had labored so hard over the past few days.

As evening turned into the dead of night Ragnaldr, who was exhausted from moving the stones, and becoming very annoyed with Naddoður's constant conversations with himself, decided to go back to his house and rest. As he hopped off of the wall, however, Naddoður stopped him. 

" I do not think that you will want to miss what will happen next ! " he assured the farmer, who reluctantly sat back down. 

When Mani was directly overhead, and the new day was about to begin, a strange mist slowly rose up out of the dew that had formed on the grass. When the mist reached approximately seven or eight feet high on the property it began to glow. Naddoður was the first to spot the specter and quickly pointed it out to the farmer.

Ragnaldr could not believe what he was seeing. A man, dressed in clothing from a bygone era, stood on the inside of the new border looking out over the wall. He glanced over to the two living beings, making eye contact with both before climbing on top of the low border wall. The ghost stood there for a moment seemingly not knowing what to do next. Then, like a person testing the temperature of pond water with his toe, he placed his foot gently on the ground on the far side.

Both Naddoður and Ragnaldr could not help but see the look of shock on the spirit's face as his foot touched the ground. With one foot still on the wall and the other on the ground he once again looked over at the living. When Naddoður nodded to the ghost he carefully took his foot off of the wall and placed it on the soil next to the other one. 

The one who was once called Magnbjorn, according to Alva, paused for a moment before taking a few tentative steps forward. The glowing figure then stopped one last time and waved to the two humans, and the Elf, who had broken the curse, before walking to freedom. The last thing that Naddoður and Ragnaldr heard was what sounded like the man weeping as he disappeared into the distance.

Naddoður patted Ragnaldr on the back nearly knocking him off of the wall. 

" Magnbjorn is free, .... and now you too are free from the curse that bound him to this property ! " he explained to the farmer.          

Ragnaldr was shocked by all that he had seen that night, and did not know quite what to say.

" Now that the spirit is at rest. I think we too should get some rest. " he told Naddoður as he pointed to the house. 

When they reached the front door of his home Ragnaldr stopped, turned, and looked back at the wall they had moved. 

" That really did happen,..... didn't it ? ! " he asked.

Naddoður grinned. 

" Yes ! Magnbjorn's spirit is as real as my assistant Alva ! " he replied as he pointed at the air over his shoulder. 

Ragnaldr rolled his eyes. 

" Ah,... yes,..., Alva, your little flying fairy. " he said in a whimsical tone that made them both laugh.


- End Chapter 6


- Next : Chapter 7 : The Vardøgr    



- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.    

            
​  

' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 5 : " A Deildegast !? "

7/24/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer



Chapter 5



" A Deildegast !? " 
​

​Naddoður crossed the little stream, which barely rose above his ankles, and scrambled up the muddy far bank. When he reached the top he brushed himself off and looked back at the land called Sygnafylke with disdain. He had used his abilities as a Shaman, along with the help of his comrades Eyvaldr and Thorkel, to kill the fierce Brunnmigi, and yet his reward did not match the danger involved in his deed. He had been paid only five gold coins, while his assistants received only three gold coins each for risking their lives. In the future, he decided, he would ask for twice as much,.... and half in advance !

The Shaman shook his head with disgust before turning and heading off into Haddingjadalr.

" I will put the past behind me, and look forward to new adventures. " he whispered to himself.

​Naddoður found a well worn path that led east, and followed it where it would take him. By noon the ' path ' had become much more pronounced, and he could see that it was often used by carts and wagons, therefore indicating that he was close to an inhabited area. And as the day turned to dusk the Shaman noticed a wisp of smoke off in the distance, and changed direction to investigate.

" A hot cooked meal, and a warm place by the fire, is the responsibility of every householder in the Northway. I will call upon this residence, and as a wanderer ask for hospitality. " he told himself with a hopeful smile.

​Naddoður knocked upon the door of the modest farmhouse, but received no answer. Using his staff he pounded upon the door with much more authority hoping for a better result.

" Go away evil spirit ! You shall not gain entrance into my home ! " a voice shouted from the other side of the door. 

The response puzzled and angered ​Naddoður. 

​" I am but a weary traveler in search of the hospitality of a stranger. " the Shaman shot back.         

" How do I know that you are not the evil spirit that haunts my land ? " the voice asked suspiciously.

​Naddoður frowned at the entranceway as though it were the face behind the door.

" My name is ​Naddoður, and I am a Shaman. If you need help ridding yourself of a haunting creature, then maybe I can help you,.... but not if I cannot speak to you in person. " he replied. 

The door slowly creaked open, and a middle - aged man poked his head through the doorway.

" Hmm ! You look real enough ! " the owner said, still not convinced of the stranger's identity.

" Are you telling the truth about being a Shaman ? " he quickly added.

​Naddoður nodded. 

" Yes ! I am a Warrior Shaman, and for a hot meal, and a warm place to bed down by your fire, I will be more than willing to discuss your spirit problem. " he told the nervous man.

As the door opened halfway, the man's eyes darted left and right, as if he might miss something important if he did not try and see everything all at once. The man then gave ​Naddoður a quick look over before grabbing his arm, and quickly pulling him inside. When he was safe within the confines of the farmhouse the man closed the door and latched it tightly. 

" My name is Regnaldr, and I was just sitting down to my supper when you came calling. Have yourself a seat at my table and I will get you a bowl of venison stew, and a cold drink of ale ! " he told the Shaman.         

Before ​Naddoður could taste even one spoonful of the hot stew the scared little man began to tell him all about the creature that was terrorizing his property. 

" I should have known that something was wrong when I bought this property. It was twice as large as most of the other farms I had looked at, and it was only half the price. But,.... it seemed such a bargain that I could not pass it up. " he told the Shaman before pausing.

" Unfortunately this property is haunted by a creature that walks only within the boundaries of my land. I can actually hear it's footsteps outside of my house on quiet nights. It scares my chickens, making them unable to lay eggs, and it frightens my cow so much it will not produce milk.  And when the moon is full, I can see it's shimmering image in the mist,... and it,... it,.... almost looks human ! " he explained.

​Naddoður swallowed what was in his mouth, and smiled at his host.

" Well ! There is a moon tonight, so why don't we take a walk around your property after we finish our supper. " he suggested to the farmer.

Ragnaldr, emboldened by ​Naddoður's company, took the Shaman out to his fields. For several hours they walked around his farm searching for the specter. The creature, however, was nowhere to be found. Finally, tired of walking all around the man's property, ​Naddoður halted the farmer and asked : 

" Where do you see this apparition most often ? " 

Ragnaldr thought for only a moment before answering :

" At the border with my neighbor's property to the east. " he replied.        

​Naddoður followed Regnaldr over to the property line and looked around, but he saw nothing of any significance. Tired of searching in the real world the Shaman decided it was time to look for this demon in the other world.

" I am going to try and contact this evil wight through the use of this potion that helps me to see and speak with those from the spirit world. " he informed Ragnaldr.

As ​Naddoður drank the elixir Ragnaldr stepped back as though he might explode. And when the Shaman knelt down and began to moan and gyrate it was more than the simple farmer could take. Without saying a word Ragnaldr ran back to his house and bolted the door shut behind him.

​Naddoður reached out with his mind to any and all creatures residing on the property. He was answered by nothing more than the chirping of crickets, and the other various sounds that fill the night. Just when he began to think that the landowner was imagining the ghost, he heard a strange buzzing in his ear. As a Shaman ​Naddoður knew better than to swat at the creature until he was sure that it was simply an annoying insect. Instead he slowly turned his head to see if it were an insect or a wight. What he saw was neither ! 

Flying near his face, on silvery wings, was a beautiful human looking creature with elongated ears, and the most beautiful golden hair he had ever seen. For a moment he stared at the little creature before he remembered why he was here in the first place.

" Are you the creature that is haunting this land ? " he asked in a pleasant, non- threatening tone.

A scowl came upon the tiny creatures face as it stared deeply into his eyes. 

" I am not a,.... " creature ",....  I am Alva ! " she answered as if she were hurt by the question.

​Naddoður looked at the tiny winged thing, and despite trying not to laugh, chuckled anyway. 

" And what is an Alva ? " he inquired.

The tiny creature frowned, and pouted her lips.

" I am Alva, as you are ​Naddoður. It is my name. " she corrected him. 

Then she quickly asked : 

" What is a haunting ? " 

Now it was ​Naddoður's turn to frown. 

" Are you the one who is tormenting the owner of this land ? " he asked instead of answering her question. 

Alva's entire body glowed brighter as she answered. 

" It is not I who is tormenting this landowner. It is a Deildegast. " she explained happily. 

" A Deildegast ? ! " ​Naddoður exclaimed. 

​Naddoður's interest excited the little winged fairy.

" Yes ! His name in Magnbjorn, and when he owned this property many years ago he moved his border stones to enlarge his property without his neighbor's permission. When he died his evil deed imprisoned his spirit to this land until the border stones are brought back to their original positions. " she informed the Shaman.

​Naddoður nodded that he understood. 

" I see ! But why doesn't the Deildegast simply move the stones back himself ? " he asked. 

The little fairy giggled. 

" You are silly, one called ​Naddoður. He is a spirit now and has no substance. When he tries to lift the stones they slip right through his fingers. That is why he constantly moans in agony. " she told him.

​Naddoður thought for a moment. 

" Can you communicate with this Deildegast ? " he asked. 

Alva gave him an impish grin. 

" Of course I can ! " she replied happily. 

​Naddoður placed his hands on his hips and looked around the property. 

" Then together we will release this Deildegast, named Magnbjorn, from his imprisonment . " he told her confidently. 

​

- End Chapter 5


- Next : Chapter 6 : Alva : The Shaman's Assistant


- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart), © Copyright, 2017.     

 

        

​

' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 4 : " How To Kill A Brunnmigi "

7/17/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer




Chapter 4



" How To Kill A Brunnmigi "
​

Eyvaldr was the first to awaken. He had not slept well the night before because he could not believe that they had allowed the Brunnmigi to get away, despite it being close enough to kill. And not only had the creature gotten away, but it had poisoned another well before it left. Despite his exhaustion Eyvaldr could not close his eyes again as he considered how angry his Chieftain Valtar would be if they did not vanquish the Brunnmigi.

Unable to keep his fears to himself, Evaldr rolled over, and placed his hand on Thorkel's shoulder. As he gently shook the farmer, Eyvaldr whispered loudly :

" Thorkel ! Thorkel ! Wake up ! I need to speak to you ! Thorkel !! " he repeated several times.

Thorkel had trouble getting to sleep the night before as well, and was not particularly happy with being awakened at such an early hour.   

" Eyvaldr ! For the sake of the Gods let me sleep until Sunna has risen. ! " he told his friend before he rolled over and faced the other direction.

Not to be discouraged Eyvaldr got up on his knees and shook Thorkel again.

" I am sorry, but we need to talk ! " he told him again, this time with a sense of urgency.

Reluctantly, Thorkel rolled back over and raised himself up on one arm.

" What is so important that it cannot wait until morning ! " he replied in a very annoyed tone. 

Realizing that he had finally gotten Thorkel's attention Eyvaldr sat down and crossed his legs beneath him. 

" Don't you think that we should have killed the Brunnmigi last night ? " Eyvaldr asked.

Thorkel took a long deep breath, and rubbed his eyes, before responding. 

" I personally would rather have taken care of the situation last night. But neither I, nor you, know how to kill such a vile creature. " he replied with a yawn.

Both men froze as they suddenly realized that they were not alone. Somehow, without making a sound, Naddoður had gotten up, and now stood over them.

" So ! You would like to know how to kill a Brunnmigi ? " Naddoður asked in response to their concerns.   

Eyvaldr arched his head straight back to look up at Naddoður.

" Well,.... we were both wondering how it could be done. " he replied. 

Naddoður sat down in between the two men, and crossed his legs under him in a fashion that made both Eyvaldr and Thorkel cringe. The Shaman smiled when he saw their reactions.

" It is actually quite a comfortable and soothing position. " he informed both men.

Naddoður's smile changed to a much more serious look as he began to tell the two men a story. 

" I learned how to kill a Brunnmigi from King Hjorleif of Hordaland. It seems, the way the king told the story, that Hjorleif set his ship's anchors one night in the Gjardey Gulf. While his men made a huge bonfire on the shore two of his warriors went to a nearby brook to get some fresh water that trickled past an outcropping of rocks. A moment later the two warriors came back with their buckets empty and quite a story to tell. They had seen a Brunnmigi and asked their Lord what it was that they should do. King Hjorleif immediately took matters into his own hands. He placed two long spears into the blazing bonfire. When they glowed as red and hot as Sunna's fiery glow, he took them out and ran down to the brook. The king then shouted at the creature : ' Leave the water ! Do not wind me up. Go home you Thrall, you pathetic thing ! Hey, wretched creature, I'll send a singeing spear, that will wet your whiskers with blood ! '  The king then threw the first spear, but missed when the troll - like creature jumped up onto the outcropping of rock. Hjorleif then took careful aim with the second spear, and hit the Brunnmigi in the eye, knocking it off of the rocks to it's death. " Naddoður told his comrades.                  
Eyvaldr nodded that he understood. 

" Then we must travel to the next well to the east, heat our spears in a blazing fire, and kill the Brunnmigi before it can defile any more wells. " he said confidently.

Naddoður smiled, and pointed to the brightening sky. 

" Yes ! But we must get there early and make everything ready. For we may only get one chance at this ! " he explained to his comrades. 

The journey was a short one, as the next spring was only a few miles away from their camp of the night before. They arrived at the well just as Sunna reached her highest point in the heavens. While Eyvaldr and Thorkel unpacked their gear, Naddoður walked the entire area around the well, which was actually nothing more than an underground aquifer that bubbled up to the surface. As he studied the lay of the land it did not take the Shaman long to come up with a plan.

" Eyvaldr ! Thorkel ! Come here please ! " he called to his assistants.

The two men eagerly ran over with their spears in hand.

" Have you devised a plan ? " Eyvaldr asked. 

" Yes ! Tell us ! Tell us ! " Thorkel chimed in excitedly. 

Naddoður smiled as he described what they would do to kill the creature. 

" If the Brunnmigi sees only one human chasing him he may turn on that person and attack. From what I have been told of this creature it is very strong, and can easily kill a human. With two warriors coming after it, however, I think it will flee in the direction we force it to go, and it is there that I will be waiting to kill it. " he told his eager assistants.

Thorkel patted Naddoður on the shoulder. 

" Then that, my friend, is how we will kill this awful creature ! " Thorkel told the Shaman. 

Naddoður had them make a small fire behind some rocks far enough away from the spring that the smoke would not be detected, and yet close enough for them to make their attack. It was there that they heated the tips of their spears in the fire, and waited for their prey.

It had just become dark when the crickets stopped chirping and there came a rustling sound from the woods just behind the spring. While Thorkel and Eyvaldr watched the brush, Naddoður pulled his spear from the fire and began to run through the brush, and around the clearing, to where the Brunnmigi would both emerge, and try to escape. 

When the bushes behind the well began to shake Eyvaldr, and Thorkel grabbed their spears and waited. A moment later the Brunnmigi slowly lumbered through the brush and made it's way to the spring. Thorkel wanted to wait for it to reach the spring before running after the creature, but Eyvaldr did not want the Brunnmigi to spoil another water source.

The creature had just reached the spring, and looked about ready to lift it's leg, when it was startled by a loud noise coming towards it, which made the great beast put it's leg down, and take on a defensive posture. Naddoður had just reached his position when he saw the Brunnmigi lower it's leg, rear up on it's hind legs, and roar menacingly at his two companions. And then to his surprise and horror the great beast took off after his comrades. 

Naddoður, already winded from his run around the clearing, jumped through the bushes, and ran after the creature as fast as he could. Eyvaldr and Thorkel, however, who had expected, as Naddoður had told them, that the creature would turn and run away from them, stopped dead in their tracks.   

" Oh,.... this is not good ! " Thorkel nervously commented. 

Eyvaldr gave his friend an angry look before shouting :

" Throw your spear ! " 

Thorkel, with hands trembling badly, threw his spear, but he missed the creature completely. Eyvaldr, who was not quite as scared as his friend, aimed carefully at the great beast that was bearing down on them, and let his spear fly as well. To his great disappointment the spear hit the creature in the shoulder, which slowed it down a little, but did not kill it. There was little left for them to do.  Both men drew their swords and awaited death.

Naddoður was surprised that at his age he could still run as fast as he was right now. The Shaman felt sorry for his comrades who had begun to scream as the great beast hovered over them ready to rip them to shreds with it's sharp claws. As horrible as their screams were, they allowed Naddoður to run right up behind the creature without being detected. With all his remaining might the old Shaman jumped high into the air, and using both hands drove the spear through the back of the creature's head. The Brunnmigi remained upright for only a moment longer before tumbling over to the ground.     

Eyvaldr and Thorkel expected to soon be covered in blood, but they had thought it would be their own. As Thorkel scraped blood, fur, and what looked to him to be one of the creature's eyes off of his chest he could no longer keep from vomiting. Eyvaldr soon followed his friend's lead.

Naddoður cringed when he saw the two men retching, and turned away from the disgusting sight. With his back turned he spoke to his two comrades.

" Well ! It did not go exactly as planned, but the result was a good one. The Well Pisser is dead, and the rest of the wells and springs in Sygnafylke are now safe ! " he told his assistants proudly.

Thorkel vomited one last time before he finally managed : 

" I want to go home ! " 

Naddoður could not help but smile as he whispered to himself : 

" Men who have no stomach for such work should stay home ! "           


- End Chapter 4


- Next Chapter 5 : " A Deildegast ! " 


​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017. 

      

​    

  

' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 3 : The Brunnmigi

7/16/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer

​


Chapter 3


The Brunnmigi
​


" And what may I ask is a Brunnmigi ? " the king sarcastically demanded to know. 

​Naddoður grinned as he shook his head up and down . 

" It is said to come in many forms,... a shape - shifter,... if you prefer that term. It has come to some as a Troll, to others as a deformed fox, and some say it is nothing more than an evil creature of the night that likes to cause mischief throughout the northern lands. " he explained to the chieftain.

Valtar could not help but grimace over the descriptions of the creature by the Shaman. 

" And you, .... what do you think this beast is ? " he asked. 

Naddoður smiled. 

" I simply know it as a Brunnmigi,... a well - pisser. " he replied.    

Naddoður then decided it was time to get down to the business at hand. 

" I will need someone to take me out to these wells. Preferably someone who knows this area like the back of his hand. " he explained to the chieftain.

Valtar clapped his hands together, and gestured for a man from the back of his hall to come forward. 

" I have already arranged for that ! " he told Naddoður. 

As the man approached he bowed to both men before being introduced by the chieftain.

" This is Eyvaldr, a nearby landowner, who knows every parcel of land in this section of Sygnafylke. He will take you anywhere you wish to go, and show you whatever you need to see. " the chieftain told the Shaman.

Naddoður, satisfied with the choice, nodded his approval. 

" Then we will leave first thing in the morning. " he informed the chieftain.

Valtar, who had been very kind and calm till now, suddenly jumped up off of his high - seat, and pointed his finger at Naddoður.

" You will leave at once Shaman ! " the king quickly corrected him.       

" I will not have any more pure water sources in my land poisoned by this thing you call a Brunnmigi ! " he told the Shaman angrily.

Naddoður did not react to the chieftain's sudden bluster. He simply nodded, turned, and with his guide in tow, headed for the doors.

" As you wish ! " he replied without turning back to face the angry chieftain. 


________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Valtar had made available to Eyvaldr and Naddoður two of his strongest and fastest horses, on which they mounted themselves, and quickly headed out to the farmsteads where the wells had been defiled by the creature. They reached the first well just as the sun was disappearing behind the far hills. Eyvaldr introduced the Shaman to Thorkel, the owner of the land, who then took them both out to his well.

The first thing that Naddoður noticed as they approached the well was how close the woods were on three of the four sides of the water source. Hidden by the dark cover of tall trees, that covered it's approach and escape, it was an ideal target for a mischievous Brunnmigi who wanted to cause trouble for humans. The well also had a stone wall around it which made it easy for either a male or female Brunnmigi to defile the well. The final piece of evidence was provided when Thorkel brought up a bucket of water from the well. The unmistakable stench of urine emanated from the contents of the bucket confirming that a large animal had poisoned the well.

As darkness settled over Sygnafylke, Thorkel invited Naddoður and Eyvaldr back to his house for a meal and to spend the night. Over a hot meal, and much refreshing mead, the three discussed at great length the events that had been taking place over the past year or so. Most of the information that Thorkell and Eyvaldr told him did little to shed light on the whereabouts of the Brunnmigi, but when Naddoður asked to be shown, using the table as a map, the locations of all the wells that were known to have been spoiled, a clear pattern began to emerge. 

" The Brunnmigi is traveling east ! " Naddoður told his colleagues. 

Eyvaldr nodded and pointed to a spot on the table just past the last known poisoned well. 

" Then we should head here in the morning ? " he asked.

Naddoður shook his head negatively.

" No ! We should go here instead ! " he answered, as he placed his finger one spot further than where Eyvaldr had indicated.                 

Thorkell nodded in agreement. 

" We will leave at first light ! " he told the other men before draining his horn.

The next morning, tired but very eager, Eyvaldr and Thorkel mounted their horses and joined Naddoður as he headed eastward in search of the Brunnmigi. It was late in the afternoon when they came to the well that the Shaman had pointed to on the imaginary map back at Thorkel's home. And no one was more disappointed or surprised than Naddoður when they found that this well too was spoiled ! 

" Is there time to make it to the next well before it becomes too dark to ride ? " Naddoður asked impatiently. 

Thorkel thought for a moment before answering. 

" Yes ! If we skip our midday meal we should reach there just as Sunna is about to ride behind the mountains. " he informed the Shaman.  

Eyvaldr ran over to his horse, placed his foot in the stirrup, and hauled himself up onto his mount. 

" Then we should not dawdle here ! Let us ride like the wind ! " he told them before galloping off into the distance.

Naddoður and Thorkel quickly mounted their horses as well and took off after him.

Thorkel had been wrong in his estimation of how long it would take them to reach the next well, but it was a lucky mistake, for Sunna was still riding just above the distant white capped mountains. 

Once again Thorkel examined the well carefully, and this time he found that the water was fresh, and without contamination. The Shaman then pointed to a patch of thick brush off in the distance.

" We will make our camp there, and watch the well all night. We appear to be fortunate, for Mani is beginning to rise as Sunna falls, and The Grey God of the Night is showing us his full face tonight, which will provide us with good light to observe the creature.

As Mani slowly crossed the sky and began to descend on the other side, the three men, without a fire, or food to eat, waited for the creature. Just as Thorkel and Eyvaldr began to get restless, Naddoður pointed off towards the forest, and cautioned them to be quiet. The Shaman had seen something in the distance. A mere shadow at first, but soon all three men could make out the silhouette of a misshapen animal in Mani's diffused glow. The creature sniffed the air as it lumbered towards the well. Naddoður watched with great fascination as the creature lifted it's huge leg over the edge of the well and began to urinate. The Shaman knew now that it was a male Brunnmigi, though that made little difference when it came to getting rid of it.  Eyvaldr and Thorkel wanted to jump out and kill the beast right then and there, but Naddoður held them back with his staff and would not let them leave the safety of the brush.

As he shook his head back and forth to indicate not to leave, in an almost inaudible whisper he told them why :

" We are not prepared. And if we don't kill it with our first attempt, the creature may get away, and could go into hiding. And then we may never find it again ! " he told his comrades.

Then he added with a grin : 

" Tomorrow is another day,.... a better day to kill the Brunnmigi ! " 


- End Chapter 3


- Next : Chapter 4 : " How To Kill A Brunnmigi "


- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.              

     

​   

' The Spirit Tamer ' : Chapter 2 : The Warrior Shaman

7/12/2017

 

The Spirit Tamer




Chapter 2


The Warrior Shaman
​

Naddoður was walking alone down a narrow path, aided by his trusted staff, when he heard hoof - beats off in the distance. Being a Shaman his mind tended to be more delicately tuned than others to his surroundings, and he listened carefully as the horses approached.

" Two horses,.... heavily laden down with warriors in full battle armor " he surmised to himself in a whisper. 

" They are riding hard,... therefore they are either seeking something, or someone, and are in a hurry to do so ! " he added to his thought. 

As the hoof - beats slowed he answered his own question.

" Seeking ! " 

The two riders came up to him at a quick trot and then slowly reined in their horses directly in front of him. 

" You there ! What is your name, and where do you hail from ?! " the bolder of the two demanded to know.

Naddoður looked up at the warrior without fear. 

" And by who's authority do you question who I am, and where I call home ? " he asked in return. 

The quieter warrior pointed his finger at him, and grinned. 

" Out here we are the law ! " he rudely explained to the stranger.

Naddoður smiled, planted his staff firmly into the soft ground and began to walk away without saying another word. He had only taken a few steps when he heard both warriors dismount , and come after him. The Shaman grinned when he heard their swords being pulled from their scabbards.

" I don't think you heard me,......" the second warrior started to say.

Naddoður abruptly stopped, went down on one knee, spun around, and with the head of his staff aimed at both men's knees. The head of his walking stick, which was twice as heavy as the rest of the staff combined, made a cracking sound as it hit the warrior's knees. Like a hammer hitting an anvil, he struck the warriors hard one right after the other. As the men dropped their swords, and fell moaning to the ground in agony, the Shaman stood over them like a tree over tiny ground squirrels .

" Now we shall begin again ! " Naddoður scolded the two injured men.

" What are your names, and where do you hail from ? ! " the Shaman demanded to know.

The bolder man looked up at the stranger, and through gritted teeth answered the older man who had so easily taken them down. 

" I am Fastmundr, and that is Karkr. We were sent by the Chieftain Valtar to find a Shaman who was due to arrive here two weeks ago. " he explained. 

Naddoður relaxed his position. 

" I am the Warrior Shaman Naddoður, who Valtar has been waiting for. If you will lead the way I will follow you to Sygnafylke to meet with your chieftain. " he told the moaning warriors. 

Fastmundr rubbed his knee, and tried to stand, but fell flat on his ass from the intense pain. As he rubbed his knee several more times he looked up at the Shaman. 

" You may have to give us a few moments to recover. " he told Naddoður with a painful grimace.               

Naddoður would have preferred to walk, but because Valtar wanted to see him at once the warriors insisted that he ride with one of them back to Sygnafylke. The journey was long and hard, and by the time they reached Valtar's great hall, Naddoður's ass and inner thighs hurt almost as much as the warrior's knees ! 

Valtar sat upon his high - seat listening to another complaint from a landowner about how their well had been defiled by some sort of monster. For months now farmers from throughout Sygnafylke had been coming to his court to ask why he had not done anything as of yet to protect their property from this vile creature. Valtar was explaining, to an especially angry farmer, that he had sent his warriors out across the countryside to find and kill this monster, when the doors of the hall opened and the chieftain saw three men walk in.

The Chieftain of Sygnafylke quickly corrected himself. The three men, two of which were his warriors, were limping towards him more than they were walking. As they approached his high - seat Valtar thought it rather odd that the stranger seemed to be leading the warriors into the hall instead of the other way round.

" Fastmundr ! Who is this man, and why have you barged into my court ! " he demanded to know.          

As they stopped in front of Valtar, Fastmundr gave Karkr a look of shame before answering. 

" We have found the Shaman, and brought him to your court as you commanded, my Lord ! " Fastmundr replied.

Valtar closely looked over all three men before asking : 

" And what happened to put you in such poor condition ? " 

Karkr rolled his eyes as Fastmundr answered. 

" We did not realize that this man was a Warrior Shaman, my Lord,..... there was a ,.... small misunderstanding . "  he explained. 

Valtar's eyes opened wide with anger. 

" You beat the Shaman I sent for !! " the chieftain yelled at his subordinate. 

Karkr rolled his eyes again, but this time he replied : 

" Not exactly, my Lord. " he told Valtar reluctantly.

Naddoður who wished for nothing more than to soak his chaffed thighs in some cool water finished the thought. 

" I had no choice but to injure them. They drew their swords in a threatening manner, and I defended myself as best I could. " he told the chieftain.

Valtar's eyes narrowed. 

" Really ?! " he replied as he gave his warriors a cold stare.

Naddoður was exhausted from his arduous ride through Sygnafylke, and did not really care about who bested who. He therefore interrupted the chieftain with a question of his own.   

" I was summoned here on an urgent matter. What may I ask is the reason for my being here in Sygnafylke ? " he asked.

Valtar stared at his warriors for a moment longer before answering the Shaman's question.

" We have a creature that is roaming the countryside defiling our wells with urine. Have you ever heard of such a vile monster ? " the chieftain asked.

The Shaman nodded.

" It sounds as if you are being plagued by a Brunnmigi ! " he replied. 


- End Chapter 2


- Next : Chapter 3 : The Brunnmigi


​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2017.   
​     
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