Far off in the wilderness lay a river. This river is named the Rhine and in it play three sisters. Flosshilde, the eldest with fair hair and eyes as blue as the sky above her, swam with her two younger sisters, Woglinde and Wellgunde. Woglinde wore hair as red as the fire in their souls. The youngest, Wellgunde, had hair that matched the darkness that hide their treasure. Tasked with its protection once again by the gods. This time, they would not let it go as easily.
Centuries ago, the three were tasked with guarding gold. This gold was stolen from them by the wretched Alberich, a dwarf who stole the gold when scorned by their teasing, forever rebuking the notion of love. this gold was turned into a ring, giving the wearer power. After much sacrifice by most involved, and the destruction of the gods, the ring was returned to the river where the maidens drowned all who dared swim there, warry of the ring being stolen once again.
Flosshilde sat on a rock in the middle of the river Rhine, her torso out of the water, enjoying the warmth of the sun, while her legs lay hidden in the water. Her blonde hair shown bright like the gold they hid. Her sisters played around the rock, splashing each other and laughing. Their laughter echoed through the fjord around them.
"Stop it you two," Flosshilde whined after water splashed her warmed skin, "I want to enjoy the sun!"
"Oh, you can enjoy it and still be wet." Wellgunde countered, splashing her sister again who scowled and kicked water at her sister. Wellgunde giggled and dove backwards into the water.
"You really are such a spoil sport." Woglinde said as she rested her arms on the rock where her sister lay. "You should try to relax."
"We have a duty to fulfill, we cannot always be idle." Flosshilde reminded her sister. Woglinde's smile fell and she looked away.
"The god's are dead." She answered, "We alone guard the ring, yes. But anyone who would know of it is long dead."
"It is better to prepare than be caught off guard." Flosshilde answered. Woglinde nodded and the two were startled when their youngest screamed. They looked near the shore where shw stood half out of the water, pointing at a small man.
"What hideous beast are you?" She shrieked at the man and swam backwards to her sisters who met her halfway.
"A simple man, wanting to look upon the beauty that haunts these waters." He answered, bowing low.
"Speak your name, creature." Woglinde ordered, rising so she was half out of the water.
"Gethen, son of Hagen." He said and bowed again, almost mockingly. Something about the name seemed familiar to Flosshilde, a memory nagged at her brain and her guard went up.
"Sisters," She spoke lowly, masked to Gethen by the water, "his father's name brings a sense of familiarity. Be cautious."
"What brings you here, creature?"Woglinde asked, not bothering using his name wich visibly irked him.
"I have watched you three for three days, separately admiring your beauty for each day." He explained, his hoarse voice echoing over the water. The sisters could feel a darkness creeping through the fjord. Something was wrong. "I have come to confess my love for you three." The three decided to do what they do to each man foolish enough to try to woo them.
"HA!" Woglinde asked as her two other sisters separated from her and each other. They neared the shore as she spoke, them swimming, her walking. "Such a creature as yourself could hardly win the love of one. Why do you assume you could win the love of three?" She taunted as she walked closer, and Gethen looked at her bare skin, glistening from the water.
"Don't be so cruel, sister." Flosshilde said lightly, "Come, little man, from this distance you don't appear too hideous, come." She beckoned, "come and swim with me." He slowly waded over to her but once she was within arms reach, she screeched and laughed, diving backwards into the water. She rose again, laughing. "Ugly beast, your heart is darker oil. I see your soul, anger and hatred."
"But, sister," Wellgunde mocked as she swam near him, "Perhaps the love of three maidens could heal his dark heart." She jested as she neared him. But as he reached out to her, she too dove away from him and rose laughing. "Oh, creature, you lie to us. What is it you seek from us? You see our beauty but yet you do not love us as you claim. Vengence is in your eyes." The two other sisters crept closer. What their sister spoke was true and each were weary.
"Ah, maidens, you speak truth." He spoke as he began to draw his sword. "I come for what you keep hidden." He said and his voice rose to a shout. "And if I must kill you, then so be it!" HE shouted and swung his sword down towards Wellgunde who dove out of the way. Flosshilde and Woglinde dove at him, pulling him under the water. He struggled as they bit and scratched him. With his sword he struck Woglinde who released him, shrieking in pain at the wound in her side. Flosshilde used the current of the river to rip the sword from his grasp as she pulled him further into the river. He kicked and struggled before breaking free and rose to the surface where he took in air, only to be grabbed by the blonde once more. He took a knife from his belt and stabbed her shoulder several times until she was forced to release him. He broke the surface once more and swam to the rock in the middle of the river. He had one foot on it before Woglinde grabbed his ankle and pulled him back, making him fall and hit his head. She began beating him and tried to pull him back into the water but he overcame her and pinned her to the rock. With his hands around her throat he smashed her head against the rock until her red hair was darkened with blood and her eyes closed.
"No!" Flosshilde shrieked in a fury and advanced on him. Once more he was pulled into the water. They struggled but Gethen took his knife and drove it into her stomach three times, twisting and pulling it out. Blood spilled out of her stomach as the current pulled her away to safety, fearing the loss of its guardians.
Gethen resurfaced once more, breathing deeply before diving again. He swam to the bottom near the rocks. He looked and looked for the ring, resurfacing every so often for the ring. He had forgotten about the third sister, who hid among the rocks, her hair and the shadows keeping her hidden as she held the ring in her hands. While she was the weakest fighter of the sisters, she was the fastest swimmer. She watched and while his back was turned, she began to swim away from him, towards the shore. He would not expect her to hide there.
Wellgunde swam near the shore where a tree had its trunks submerged in the water. There she would hide the ring. As she reached it, Gethen caught her and pushed her against the sand, burying her face, suffocating her. She was able to push him off. The water was shallow and she stood to run back to the deeper part of the Rhine but he grabbed her dark hair and pulled her out of the river. She screamed and fought but to no avail. On the shore, in the sand, his hands wrapped around her throat as he strangled her until her cries ceased and her eyes closed. She stopped moving and he released her, snatching the ring from her hand and laughing with glee.
"I told you father! I told you I would get it back!" He laughed and placed it on his finger. "The ring of my father and his father, the ring of the Niebelung!"
The river carried Flosshilde miles away. She couldn't move, couldn't return to her sisters. She prayed they would be alright. She prayed they would drown the man. Never before had one man been able to defeat them. No man had the strength to fight them off and her fears were confirmed. He was no man, but a descendent of the dwarf who had stolen the gold from them centuries ago. She had feared this day.
As the Rhine brought her to the shore, her ears were filled with the cries of a raven. Flosshilde rolled over, one hand on her wounds as she crawled out of the water, looking for the raven.
"Munnin! Munnin!" She called out and a raven landed near her outstretched hand, nipping at her fingers softly, letting her know it was there and listening. "Munnin, help us, the ring was stolen." She whispered before her eyes unfocused and her breath left her. Her blood stained the sand beneath her and her once bright blue eyes were glazed and faded with death. Munnin cried out three times before taking off, flying towards the king of the gods.