“You’ve seen their backs then? Describe it.”
Erik let go of his pretense of casual conversation, realizing there might be information he could get from the smith. “The shimmering wings, right? I couldn’t see them very well. Tried to grab them. Split my hand into a thousand pieces, give or take.”
“You were bare-handed?” Völundr stood suddenly.
“Yeah, I—”
The smith’s rough hands grabbed Erik’s arms, feeling them and checking the fingers one by one. He did the same to Erik’s neck and face, looking intently at his eyes for longer than he’d inspected the rest. Völundr turned around, pacing the room.
“Is that weird? There was this guy, Haki, he—”
“Go sleep.”
Erik was confused, taken aback by the sudden command. “Are you not coming?”
Völundr walked over to him, smiling. His eyes were almost twinkling when he placed thick hands onto Erik’s face “Go. Sleep.” Völundr pulled Erik up and walked him out the door. “Tell Göll not to bother me. And not to leave until I come out.”
“What should I do?”
Völundr laughed. “Keep playfighting with your valkyrie.”
The door to the shop closed and Erik heard the rattle of metal inside. As he was walking across the yard, smoke started coming out from the stacks. Erik showed himself back inside, not nearly as tired as he had been when Völundr had woken him up. Göll came walking to him as he made it back into the house.
“What did he want?”
Erik looked over his shoulder before closing the door. “Help with some rings.”
Göll shook her head. “Still, that ring.” Her eyes scanned over his face. “That was all?”
“Yeah, we talked a bit. About magic swords. That sort of thing. He told me to go sleep.”
Göll nodded her agreement with the last statement. “You should. We will be training in the morning.”
“We?”
“You.”
He put a hand on her shoulder as he walked by, not thinking anything of it. She twitched when his hand landed on her. Erik realized it was the first time they’d touched that didn’t involve a weapon.
“Good night, Göll.”
She hesitated, not responding until he was near the door to the bedroom. He barely heard her. “Good night, Erik.”
The morning came and Erik rose to the sound of an argument in the main room. He left Völundr’s bedroom and found Tove and Göll having a heated discussion. Tove was holding a practice sword.
“I’m better than him with a blade and you know as much!”
Göll noticed Erik before she could manage a response to Tove.
“Outside, Erik. It’s time we got to work.”
Erik groaned, the girls’ meaningless fight resulting in another morning with no breakfast. Völundr hadn’t returned to sleep the night before, so it was just as well.
When they entered the yard, Tove was sticking close to Erik’s back. Wisps of smoke were floating out of the stacks in the shop. He could hear the sound of a hammer working metal. Tove left Erik’s back and stood beside the house with her training sword. Göll retrieved the two from the previous morning and handed Erik his. The training began with Tove watching as Göll began her charges. For the bulk of the morning, it was just watching but before long Tove was mock guarding against the valkyrie’s attacks on Erik.
A few hours passed before Göll lost her patience with it.
“You’re not meant to be practicing! Stop what you’re doing!”
Tove pointed the sword at Göll. “No! I’ll learn it however I can and you won’t stop me!”
“I won’t have you waving around cheap mockeries of the things I instruct Erik to do.”
“Instruct, hah! You barely tell him a thing. Just abuse him constantly.”
“His body will learn faster than his mind!”
Erik was happy for the break, but the arguments weren’t relaxing ambiance. “Both of you lighten up.”
“Perhaps you should take things less lightly,” Göll snapped. “The girl is better than you with a sword by far.”
“Well, maybe you should train her then.” He wanted to laugh, but he was fairly certain Göll would push the blunt sword through his face if he did.
Göll huffed and took her place in the yard. Erik readied himself and the training went on, Tove continuing to fight with shadows. Lunch came and went with no break except for water. It was punishment, Erik was sure of that but he wouldn’t complain. It was a frustrating bunch of work. The edge of that power in his mind was no closer to his reach no matter how many times she ran at him. His eyes were slowly getting used to her movement and he was starting to catch up. He’d even caught the edge of Göll’s sword a time or two, but there was nothing behind it, not like when he’d fought Hrist and Mist. It was worrying, enough that he wanted to ask how long it might take until he reached whatever was inside, but the arguments had left Göll in a sour mood.
Dusk came and Göll finally called an end to the practice, heading inside without saying anything to either of them. Tove walked over to Erik, sweating profusely. She pulled on her shirt, fanning herself in the cool air.
“She said I was better with a sword than you.”
Erik frowned, tossing the practice sword into the grass a few feet away. “Well, you cheated.”
“How have I managed that?”
“You’re older than me.”
She shoved him, smiling, and trotted into the house. Erik followed her in. Göll was waiting in the kitchen with Tove at the table.
Erik looked at them both and then over to the workshop. “Wonder how long he’s going to work. I’m starving.” He looked at Tove. “Why don’t you cook us something?”
Tove scoffed. “I’m no housewife.”
“Hey! You cooked in the woods!”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“No house.”
Erik rolled his eyes hard enough that he nearly pulled something. It was a point he couldn’t argue. The smug satisfaction Tove was beaming in his direction made him frustrated at his lack of a response.
“Well, I burn things. That’s all I know how to do.”
Göll’s voice unexpectedly entered the conversation. “I
