Announcement
BANG!
A rush of wind directly in front of his face with the accompanying sound startled Nigel out of his reverie – where it transpired that he had been staring at the blank wall of his office for the better part of the past half-hour.
Blinking rapidly – the image of his boss and best friend, Sydney Fox, swam into view. Looking down, he realised that she had just slammed an old book onto the desk in front of him.
"I've just discovered the existence of another relic that most people overlook," she announced.
Nigel read the title of the book and then looked bemusedly back up at her.
"Syd, it's just an old book on Norse mythology – what's that got to do with any relic?"
"Nigel, what conclusions have we reached as a result of all our trips? Don't tell me you're THAT dense…ALL myths and legends have a basis in fact." The slight smirk on her face coupled with the light-hearted tone of her voice indicated that she was only teasing him.
"Sorry, Syd…I remember now – there are many artefacts used by people in myths, including Norse mythology…" Nigel then listed 20-odd artefacts before Sydney cut him off in the middle of his recital…
"THIS one is known as the bone of Ullr"
"Isn't Ullr a prehistoric Norse GOD?"
"Yes – it was used by him."
"BY HIM! Don't you mean it was used in a ritual of some sort?"
"No – it was used by Ullr himself. Here, read that, there…" Sydney opened the book to the relevant page and pointed at a paragraph.
They read…
'In Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, where gods appear euhemerized as powerful humans, Ullr, under the name Ollerus, is described as a cunning wizard, having magical means of transportation. The story goes that he was such a cunning wizard that he used a certain bone, which he had marked with awful spells, wherewith to cross the seas, instead of a vessel; and that by this bone he passed over the waters that barred his way as quickly as by rowing. — Elton's translation. When Odin was exiled, Ollerus was chosen to take his place. Ollerus ruled under the name Odin for ten years until the true Odin was called back, whereupon Ollerus retired to Sweden where he was slain by Danes.'
It was then that Claudia leaned over…
"Sydney, I've finished booking two plane tickets to Sweden." She announced. "Hope you have a nice trip – don't forget to dress warmly, it's gonna be cold there. You won't have any problems finding suitable clothes though, furry jackets are all the rage this season."
Nigel shuddered. He had decided to mostly stay indoors due to the cold autumn weather outside. Due to the irony otherwise known as life, he now had to transfer himself from one cold place to another.
Sydney, on the other hand, was almost jumping up and down on the spot with excitement. For once, a hunt initiated by herself, following her own intuition – her mind drifting over a wilderness of snow-capped mountains, awe-inspiring cliff faces and majestic medieval stone castles.