Naruto: Valkyrie

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Norse Mythology

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

It's been a long time. Here is chapter 7. Enjoy!

Last Time:

Choji came in with a rolled-up parchment. The General smiled and asked, "Something from our messengers my son?"

"I wish it was." replied Choji. "I found this wanted poster while I was patrolling in Bamble. The Court Magician Audhild has a large bounty out on Lord Naruto's head."

Choza raised his eyebrows as he unrolled the parchment:

Wanted: 500 Gold Pieces for Death

Naruto the Trickster, Pretender to the Throne

Bring the Ring on his finger as proof of death

Report Directly to Audhild of Bamble

A drawing of Naruto was below the writing.

"By the Gods; that's a fortune!" exclaimed the General.

Choji nodded. "It also means that Lord Naruto is alive and has the ring of Vestmar… or at least Audhild thinks so."

Choza sighed. "No doubt that's where Captain Asuma and his men were sent."

"What should we do Father?" asked Choji.

"We sent out the scouts." replied his Father. "If Lord Naruto is alive we need to save him at all costs."

Chapter 7

The Land of Vestmar

Choji went from his Father Choza's tent to the tent of his good friend Kiba whose family specialized in scouting and dog breeding. Kiba's clan was easily recognizable by the red 'fang' tattoos they had on their faces. They were so attuned to their canine partners it was said that they understood the speech of their dogs. Given how close Kiba and his partner Akamaru were; Choji would believe it. The big boned officer ruffled on the tent flap and called, "Kiba, are you in there?"

Kiba poked his head out of the tent and said, "Chioji! It's been a while. What brings you by my friend? Are we finally going to leave this Gods forsaken Land of Vestmar?"

"I wish." replied Choji. "I need you and your sister Hana to do some long-range scouting for a missing person."

The dog lover grinned and said, "You've come to the right place then. Hana is taking care of the animals for the cavalry but she'll be back soon. Do we have a runaway soldier again?"

Choji handed Kiba a copy of the wanted poster. "Actually, we're looking for a missing Lord. Father says we must protect him at all costs."

Kiba looked confused. "Forgive me Choji but isn't Naruto of Vestmar dead? I mean; the Valkyries took his corpse right before General Choza's eyes and all."

"That's what we thought." replied Choji. "Audhild of Bamble obviously disagrees. She thinks he's alive and has the Ring of Vestmar."

"So Captain Asuma and his men headed north to find Lord Naruto." said the scout.

"That's what Father and I are betting on." said Choji. "Do you think you can find Lord Naruto.?"

"We'll track Captain Asuma first and follow the trail from there." answered Kiba confidently. "It will take time but if Lord Naruto is alive we'll find him…"

Styrifell

In the meantime, Naruto and Hinata were discussing things with Captain Asuma who had his cavalrymen and their company repairing the damage to Styrifell. Though they were bewitched at the time, they were still to blame and Naruto wanted his men to make amends somehow.

"I'm sure Lord Danzo will be relieved to know there will be no more marauders regardless." said Asuma with a sweat drop. "We should restore our colors and head south to the Land of Halogaland and follow the western coast down towards home."

Naruto cleared his throat. "Captain Asuma; going back to Vestmar where Menma of Bamble holds sway is the last thing I want to do. I have a mission to accomplish before I can return home."

"What kind of mission sire?" asked Asuma. "Surely my men and I can assist you."

The blonde said, "I need you to serve General Choza as a mercenary Cavalry Unit for now. Tell him that your forces were bewitched by Audhild of Bamble and went on a wild goose chase up here in the north. Make no mention of me but state you serve the Lord that holds the ring of Vestmar. Serve Choza only as mercenaries. I will come for you when the time is right."

"But what of you, my Lord?" questioned the bearded man. "Others will surely come looking for you."

The young Lord of Vestmar said, "I walk a twisted path set before me by the Gods themselves. I will not risk good men on such a treacherous journey. You have your orders, Captain Asuma. Do not fail me."

The next morning Asuma and his men departed after reaffirming their loyalty to Naruto alone. "Fair the well my Lord." said the captain. "Fair the well Battle Maiden Hinata; please continue to watch over our Lord."

Hinata nodded. "I will see him though this journey."

"Until we meet again, Captain." said Naruto.

As Asuma and his men departed, Naruto grinned at Hinata and said, "I think it is time to find the Dwarf Alfrigg. We should set out for Blar Kastili where Lord Danzo is in charge."

Hinata was actually glad Asuma and his men were gone but asked, "Do you think that it was wise to send Captain Asuma and his men away Naruto? They might have been a help."

Naruto shook his head, "Against the likes of bog lurkers and Lord Garmr? They would have been slaughtered like lambs. Besides, I'm no leader. The people of Vestmar are dead. I'm like a curse crawling this land."

Hinata said, "You still blame yourself for the deaths of the people of Vestmar. The Allfather himself welcomed them to Valhalla. Believe me they are happy there. Once this riddle has been solved and the treachery undone you will be a legend. I know it."

The blonde shook his head. "You are the only reason I made it this far." Then he beamed at her and said, "The joy is in the journey my Lady. Let us indulge ourselves in wanderlust once again on our way to Blar Kastili." He held out his hand to her.

She smiled and clasped hands with him. "Yes, let's."

The Ruins of the Kingdom of Alta

Sasuke of Grenland was on the trail of ruins to the far north were the Kingdom of Alta once stood. Following the Altaelva River he eventually came to the Sautso Canyon and found the collapsed ruins of the grand castle that once stood there. His red eyes shined with madness and he bellowed, "Dreyrugr, I have come for you!"

He heard a strange metallic voice that cackled, "Who is it that calls my name? Are you one worthy to wield me or just another fool?"

Sasuke growled, "I am the one who will bring you to heel cursed sword. For I will use you to slay the wicked goddess Sif who accursed my family!"

Dreyrugr said, "Ye would use me to slay a goddess?! Though art either a fool or the greatest among mortal men."

"I am Sasuke of Grenland!" roared the madman. "I am a slayer of gods and the Master of Dreyrugr! Keep talking so I may unbury you oh devilish sword."

"Come hither then my new Master." said Dreyrugr gleefully. "To slay the goddess Sif is your wish and my command."

Sasuke really wasn't listening to the sword's promises of glorious battle or anything else it had to say. He simply wanted to keep the hunk of metal to keep talking to him in order to find it.

Hours later Sasuke's hands were bleeding as he moved the last stone that had the Dreyrugr trapped. The Lord of Grenland saw the crushed, skeletal hand of Gaara the Just still gripping the Dreyrugr in death and pried the boney fingers loose from the hilt.

As Sasuke picked up the blade his three tomoed eyes spun until they formed a wicked star in each. "This is the power I've been seeking!" he said as he held the evil blade in his bloodied hands. "Nothing and no one can stand in my way now!"

Sasuke and Dreyrugr laughed insanely and the cacophony echoed throughout the ruins…

Blar Kastili

Naruto and Hinata took their time travelling to the small keep of Blar Kastili where Lord Danzo was ruler. There they saw the damage being repaired by the locals that Asuma and his men caused the week before. They were allowed to enter the Keep as they word of them had already reached Lord Danzo from Styrifell.

Danzo was an imposing old man with many scars showing he'd seen many a battle. Oddly, he had a blind eye replaced by a ruby that he claimed could see the unseen. Naruto kneeled as appropriate when meeting a Lord. He was about to give a proper greeting when Lord Danzo said, "Hail and well met, Lord Naruto of Vestmar." Then Danzo added, "…And it is a glorious joy to welcome Hinata of the Moonlight eyes. The rumors of your beauty do not do you justice."

The young pair was a bit stunned they'd been identified so easily but Danzo tapped his ruby eye and said, "I was told of your coming by a messenger Raven of the Allfather himself. What a shock when the great raven identified himself a Hugin and said that you were coming. He told me the tale of you stopping those marauders that nearly laid waste to my keep. To think they were bewitched. Come join me in a meal. I have little to offer but what 's mine is yours."

Hinata smiled and curtsied before saying, "Thank you for your warm welcome Lord Danzo."

Naruto added, "Hail and well met Lord Danzo. It has been a long journey."

Danzo said, "Come; let us talk over a meal."

After a huge meal Naruto and Hinata regaled Lord Danzo with the (partial) tales of their journey and the old Lord was captivated by their stories. Finally, they were excused to sleep in a luxurious bedroom that was clearly for honored guests.

Seeing there was only one large bed (Danzo assumed they were lovers) Hinata and Naruto each took a hot bath before falling asleep on the soft bed…

The next morning Naruto awoke in Hinata's warm embrace with his head snuggled into her magnificent bosom. He felt so comfortable and safe that he wondered if this was why babies slept so well. He heard her whisper his name so softly that he was hypnotized.

Hinata gently ran her fingers through his blonde hair subconsciously as she mused about the young Lord in her arms. She found herself feeling warmth deep inside she'd never felt before. 'I wonder if he feels the same.' the Valkyrie wondered.

The sun had yet to fully rise but the room was filled with a warm red-gold light. Hinata tilted Naruto's head back and looked into his blue eyes with her pearl like ones. The two were totally enraptured as their lips met for the first time in a searing kiss.

They both felt so much fire that neither could tell where one ended and the other began. Somewhere in the process they rolled over where Naruto was atop her and she'd wrapped her long legs around his waist. He started kissing her neck and she moaned in passion as the two began to touch each other in the most intimate of ways.

Hinata made more and more noise as he stroked her womanhood until she let out a deep and throaty moan when her first climax ever hit her like a meteor impact. "Oh gods…" she whispered. Then she rolled over on top of him and undid her nightshirt before shedding it entirely. His eyes looked upon her like a goddess as she smiled down hungrily at him.

Hinata whispered, "I love you, my Lord Naruto. I am yours and you are mine." The she leaned down and kissed him with all her passion. Naruto slid up inside her wet heat as she straddled him and engulfed him to his very hilt. She felt herself getting hotter by the second as their bodies joined again and again.

Finally, Naruto couldn't take any more and released deep inside her wanting womb. She felt his heat shoot into her body and clenched his manhood tightly as she went over the edge with him. The pair made love again and again throughout the morning until their strength was gone…

…Hours later the two lovers awoke in each other's arms and smiled happily as they looked into one another's eyes. Naruto said softly, "I love you sweet Hinata, my Valkyrie."

"And I love you, my Lord Naruto." she whispered sweetly. The two held each other for a while before cleansing themselves with an early bath and getting dressed. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions and emotions as she'd never been in love before.

Naruto was no better. He'd never felt any sort of love in his life and was completely stunned that the beauteous Valkyrie had brought him such joy. After they dressed the pair held each other for a bit before silently agreeing they would discuss things at a later time.

They had an early lunch before bidding Lord Danzo farewell. He informed them that the Dwarf Alfrigg was in the southern section of the keep working at the forge. When Hinata and Naruto found Alfrigg they quickly explained their unusual set of circumstances and that his friend Dvalin had sent them to him because he thought Hinata's neckless was Alfrigg's work.

Alfrigg sat back after hearing their tale and said, "The fates are weaving a twisted web to bring this necklace back to me. I forged that trinket long ago for a warrior clan's princess that had your same name Hinata. It holds many a holy enchantment to ward off evil and sharpen one's skill with the blade. Sadly, the princess died of illness before she received the gift. Her Father was said to have died of grief a short time later. It was a tragic tale."

Hinata asked, "Do you remember the Father's name?"

Alfrigg thought a while and said, "Hiashi was the Lord's name, I'm almost positive. It was a long time ago."

Hinata felt herself tearing up and said, "Thank you Master smith. It seems this necklace was meant for me all along. My Father's name was Hiashi."

Alfrigg nodded, "Then where it proudly chooser of the slain. For it is a token of your Father's love for you."

Hinata uttered an ancient prayer to the gods that Naruto did not understand because the tongue was so old. Then she held on to Naruto until she got her emotions back in check.

Naruto placed some gold on the table for Alfrigg and stated, "Thank you kind smith; I believe you have done my Lady a great service this day. The pair bid Alfrigg farewell before going out to camp to have some privacy that evening.

Hinata was emotionally exhausted and held on to Naruto until she fell asleep in his arms beside the campfire. Naruto kept watch over her as she slept in his arms. She was obviously dreaming when Naruto's sharp ears heard something in the black of night.

There in the darkness he saw a mara*① creeping up towards Hinata as stealthily as possible when Naruto lashed out at the evil spirit and impaled it with one of his daggers. Hinata awoke at the sound of the creature dying with a ghastly shriek. Her moonlight eyes snapped open and she saw they were surrounded by maras.

Taking her phantasm form, Hinata growled, "Die, little fiends! We are no prey of yours!" Then she lashed out so fast in the darkness that the creatures were dead before they hit the ground.

She returned to her normal self and Naruto pointed and said, "Wait, I sense another."

Hinata turned and faced the direction Naruto was pointing and saw a mare witch travelling towards her at incredible speed. It was too late to block when the creature hit her but the mare witch rebounded back as if burned. "Aaaagh!" snarled the witch. "What are you girl? I should have entered your dream!"

Hinata turned back into her phantasm form and said, "Vile witch, I am a chooser of the slain. There will be no dream feast for you tonight or ever! There is glory in the slaughter!"

The witch hissed, "That should not have stopped me, I- that necklace, it burns me!"

Hinata smiled wickedly. "It seems a Father's love for his daughter is powerful indeed. See your own nightmares witch." Hinata raised her right index finger and unleashed a powerful enchantment that made the witch scream like the damned before she curled up in a ball and died in the fetal position. Then Hinata smiled at Naruto and vanished with the witch's corrupted soul to Niflheim. The Valkyrie reappeared a few minutes later in a much happier mood. She hugged Naruto and said, "Thank you for watching over me while I slept."

Naruto gently wrapped his arms around her and said, "Anything for you Hinata. I love you."

The two lovers held each other close until the dawn…

The Land of Halogaland

Several days passed as Kiba and his canine companion Akamaru entered the southern end of Halogaland following the trail of Captain Asuma and his cavalrymen. Then the scout saw a line of Cavalry coming back towards him at a slow pace. They were battered and slightly diminished in numbers, but it was obviously Asuma's troupe since their captain wore a (replacement) elk horned helm.

Kiba flagged them down and said, "Hail Captain Asuma of Vestmar. I am Kiba; a scout of General Choza's Army. He sent me here to find you."

Asuma held up a hand that brought his men to a halt. "Hail scout Kiba. We are returning to Vestmar now. Why did General Choza send you to find us?"

"There is a Bounty on Lord Naruto's head saying he is a pretender as Lord of Vestmar. General Choza sent me to try to find Lord Naruto and protect him." He then showed the wanted parchment to Asuma.

The bearded Captain shook his head. "We were bewitched by Audhild of Bamble and have been up here in the north traipsing around for absolutely nothing. If anyone is a pretender, it is Menma of Bamble. Tell your General Choza that Captain Asuma and his Cavalry will serve him as mercenaries until the will of the true Lord of Vestmar's will is made known."

"Then you did not find Lord Naruto?" asked Kiba.

"Ghosts are hard to find." replied Asuma. "We are travelling back to Vestmar now. If you seek the ghost of Lord Minato's son, then good luck scout Kiba. I'd try Niflheim personally. If you want to head south again then follow us."

Kiba was a bit shocked at the captain's words. "Would Valhalla not be a better place for Lord Naruto?"

The bearded man looked disgusted. "It would have been if he hadn't been murdered treacherously by one of your own army."

Kiba was crestfallen. "Did the Valkyries themselves not take his body?"

"So I was told." said Asuma. "I was in Grenland at the time fighting for my life."

"Audhild of Bamble believes Lord Naruto is alive." stated Kiba.

"She is also an evil sorceress." stated the captain. "You would do well not to believe the words of a deceiver such as her. It will only lead to a premature death."

Kiba winced and said, "Then I will not tarry long up here. How far north did you go?"

"We went to a keep called Blar Kastili and raided the place while we were under Audhild's enchantments." said Asuma. "Do not mention us there if you wish to keep your head." He motioned to his men to move out. "We are headed back to Vestmar. Until we meet again scout Kiba."

Kiba bid them farewell and looked at his map showing where Blar Kastili was. "By the Gods, it is north of Halogaland! This is going to take some time…"

Dvergr-Heima

Naruto and Hinata took the trails from Blar Kastili back to Dvergr-Heima where the Dwarf Master smith Dvalin was busily crafting a new saber fit for the gods for Hinata. He'd been so enthused with his work that he hadn't bothered with the accursed arrow that struck Naruto down. His shop was open but the help informed them that Dvalin was busy and to give him a couple of days.

Hinata was very excited about her new saber however, so the two travelers decided to stay in town for the time being. When they stopped in tavern for lunch, the pair heard stories of a lindorm*② eating the dead from the cemeteries.

Hinata said, "Such fell beasts usually raid cattle. This one must be particularly vile to raid graveyards."

Naruto looked at the bounties on the wall and saw that the lindorm's head would fetch a hefty 100 gold pieces. He motioned towards the parchment on the board and said to Hinata, "The creature must have shown up when we were away. I wonder if it would be a good test for our new weapon's mettle."

The Valkyrie smiled. "I wonder if it wasn't sent to test your mettle Naruto. Lindorms can be mighty foes but… I would not be averse to looking into it."

"Njal the Strong has already gone after it with his men." said a barmaid dreamily. "There is no need to even worry about it."

Now Naruto was a bit curious. "Who is this Njal fellow? I am not from here so I do not know him."

The barmaid replied "Really? You must live far from here to not have heard of Njal the Strong."

"I am from far south of here." replied the blonde.

"Njal claims to have god's blood running in his veins." giggled the barmaid. "All the women want him and all the men want to be him… Well, except Bjorn the Blunt Bard. He kind of plays for the other team, you know?"

The blonde cringed. "Yes, I've crossed paths with Bjorn…"

The barmaid blinked. "I thought you looked familiar You were the good-looking blonde that got serenaded by Bjorn last week and decked him. You seem pretty strong, I'd bet Njal would hire you if you want part of that gold. Maybe you could buy some new clothes and chainmail. The stuff that you are wearing is shot."

Naruto got a flat look and Hinata covered her mouth to hide her amusement. The blonde Lord said, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"Anytime!" chirped the barmaid as she got back to work.

"I know of some very nice blue and gold trimmed clothing that was gifted to you." proposed Hinata. "I believe a certain someone would look quite handsome in it."

Naruto grumped, "I believe we have enough problems without me painting a large target on my back."

The Valkyrie smirked at his disgruntled tone. "It was just a suggestion." she chortled.

Naruto smiled a Hinata's amusement when a young boy ran into the tavern and said excitedly, "Njal and his men are fighting the lindorm in the graveyard to the north!"

"We should go and see Njal fight!" exclaimed one of the locals. After a chorus of affirmatives, several people left to go see the spectacle.

"Idiots…" grumbled Hinata. "This is why a Valkyrie's job is never done. Naruto, if you decide to get involved, make sure you slay that lindorm instead of gawking like everyone else." Then she vanished to do her work…

Naruto was left to his own thoughts on the matter…

Northern Graveyard

Hinata stepped outside hidden under glamour magics from mortal eyes and saw some of her fellow battle maidens already at work. Summoning her steed, she climbed up above the battlefield and saw the lindorm was engaged in an orgy of destruction. Men were running like cowards from its venomous breath and those foolish enough to stay and fight it head on were dropping like flies.

Then she saw the Valkyries taking the souls of the dead away as they dived from the sky. One of the Valkyries was looking up at her and ascended to where Hinata was. "Hinata of the Moonlight Eyes!" yelled the sandy blonde Valkyrie Captain, "Come join us sister, this will be an all-day affair."

"Aye, Captain Temari!" said Hinata. "I did not wish to intervene without your permission."

"Many will die today, so let us glory in the slaughter!" roared Temari.

Hinata saw how Temari corralled her troops and followed her in. While she appreciated her own Captain Shizuka's style of command, Hinata quickly learned why Temari was respected as 'The Tactician.' Temari was incredibly efficient and had superb situational awareness. She had disciplined her troops to be the same.

'It is going to be a bloody day.' thought Hinata. She grinned wickedly in excitement and wondered, 'This lindorm is far mightier than most and clever too. Will I reap its soul this day...?'

Down below the small army led by Njal the Strong was beginning to buckle as the fifty-foot lindorm rampaged through them spewing poison wherever it could. When the fell beast waylaid Njal and sent him flying unconscious, his men broke ranks and fled back towards the town of Dvergr-Heima and the men, women and children there…

Dvergr-Heima Tavern

Naruto heard the battle go bad from within the tavern when he heard the cheers and yelling of the spectators turn to screams and cries of terror. He sighed. 'I thought this Njal character was supposed to be unbeatable, but I guess not.' The blonde quickly went over to Dvalin's forge and saw the Dwarf smith's help was cowering behind the counter.

Staying calm, Naruto asked, "Is Dvalin here? I need to speak to him."

"H-he's in the b-back." said the man hiding behind the counter.

Naruto showed himself in and saw Dvalin looking worried. The dwarf thought aloud "If that moron Njal can't stop it the whole town could be destroyed!"

"Sounds like you aren't too confident in him Dvalin." stated the blonde.

The Dwarven smith nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Naruto's voice. Then he said, "Lord Naruto, I-"

The young Lord cut him off and said, "Njal really doesn't have a God's blood in him, does he?"

Dvalin shook his head 'no' and explained, "He just has an incredible set of armor so he claims he's invincible."

Naruto face palmed. "I need a tool."

"Lady Hinata's saber isn't finished yet!" cried the dwarf. "Besides, it isn't balanced for you!"

"I said I need a tool, not a weapon dwarf!" roared Naruto at the frightened smith.

Dvalin asked, "What do you need?"

"I need a mask or something to keep the poison out of my lungs and eyes." Naruto told the dwarf.

The Master smith asked, "You mean to fight the lindorm?"

The blonde muttered, "I don't see any other why to save this town."

Dvalin ran into the back and said, "Wait right there!" There was a sound of rummaging before the dwarf said, "Here it is!" and came running out with an all-black facemask that looked like something a fencer would wear. "Try it on and I'll adjust it." said the smith.

Naruto put the mesh mask on and saw that his vision and breathing weren't impaired at all. Dvalin adjusted it slightly and said, "That should work perfectly. Now all you need is something that will slice the lindorm's thick hide. It's an old one so even its softer underbelly is like armor. If only I had the other fangs of the bog lurker completed."

"..." was all Naruto could say to that comment.

Dvalin sighed in defeat and said, "I guess I'll give it one last try before I throw it away."

The blonde sweat dropped as the dwarf forlornly opened the cased and pulled out a glittering sword with a "Not For Sale -Display Only" sign on it. It looked like it was made of glass or the like. Dvalin said "Behold, my biggest failure, Shatter. It is the sharpest blade I've ever created and also the most brittle. It will cut that Lindorm's hide but anything but a perfect cut and it will shatter into shards."

The dwarf swung the blade at a piece of wood and it cut in total silence. The wood fell in half with polished edges the cut was so clean. Naruto was awed. He was about to say something when Dvalin held up his hand in a 'stop' motion. The dwarf said. "That was a perfectly straight cut, something that cannot be achieved in combat. Now behold a normal swing."

The blade cut into the wood as before but then it shattered when it was halfway in. Dvalin said "Shatter!" and the shards of the blade pulled out of the wood and reformed into a perfect blade again.

"May I try it once?" asked Naruto. Dvalin nodded and handed Naruto the heavy blade. Naruto cut jaggedly into the wood and the blade broke into massive shards, then he said. "Shatter." And the shards broke loose and returned to form a perfect blade again.

"I can make this work." said the blonde.

"How?" asked Dvalin. "You cut more like a butcher than a swordsman."

"That was intentional." replied the young Lord. "I will turn this sword's greatest weakness into its greatest strength."

Northern Graveyard

The Lindorm had polished off the last of Njal's men and was looking perplexed at the downed Njal. He was still alive and breathing but the Lindorm had done everything it to crush, spindle, foil, mutilate and maul the man. Finally tiring of playing human hacky-sack with Njal; the massive lindorm decided to feast on the corpses of Njal's dead militia.

That's when it saw Naruto coming at it at a trot. The beast tried to whip Naruto with it's tail but the blonde dodged it easily. Finding that particular tactic didn't work, the lindorm spewed out a cloud of poisonous gas and hit the Lord of Vestmar head on. Seeing no movement, the beast came down hard and fast to bite Naruto in half…

…Then the creature felt the jagged shards of the blade stabbed deeply into the tough scales at the base of its throat. It hurt and even caused a little bleeding, but the damage was cosmetic. As the lindorm tried to pluck the jagged shards out of its neck; it completely lost track of Naruto.

While the snake like beast was occupied by its stinging injuries, the blonde trickster had run up the monster's tail and spine unto the top of it's head. Then he roared "SHATTER!" at the top of his lungs. The jagged shards in the base of the lindorm's throat traveled through the soft palate, hard palate, brain and skull and returned to the hilt in Naruto's waiting hand.

The fell beast let out an unholy scream as it convulsed in agony. As it thrashed about, Naruto hopped off the dying lindorm as it hemorrhaged its remaining life away. Finally, it let out one last groan before it looked skywards and fell over on its side, dead.

Naruto stared at the lindorm until there was no signs of breath or heartbeat. When he was absolutely positive there was nothing let alive, he saw a glimpse of Hinata for a split second smiling at him as she took the lindorm's soul to Lady Hel in Niflheim.

The poison in the graveyard was still strong and only Naruto and Njal (thanks to his armor) survived the ordeal. Aside of needing to be thoroughly washed of the poison, the blonde was fine as his unnatural healing ability cured him of any poisons before they could set in.

As for Njal he was a walking bruise from being dribbled repeatedly by a fifty-foot monster. He also lost a lot of face and had to admit that all he had was some incredible armor. The pretender was fortunate that the armor was acid and poison proofed so after several weeks of healing he would make a full recovery…

Niflheim.

Lady Hel was speaking to Hinata about the lindorm. "It seems your man has once again sent me a prize."

The beautiful Valkyrie blushed slightly and said, "I do not believe he is 'my man' Lady Hel."

Garmr says Naruto's scent is all over you." stated the Death Goddess. "You are fortunate to find such a lover Valkyrie."

Hinata looked down and said, "Lord Odin will never let me stay with a mere mortal My Lady. The Allfather will surely punish me severely for my actions."

"He would not punish you for taking a godling as your mate though Valkyrie." said Hel.

"A godling?" asked Hinata in shock.

Lady Hel chuckled. "Ask the three Norns. "They have much knowledge to share… Now away with you child; we both have our appointed tasks."

Dvergr-Heima Inn

Naruto was lying awake in bed. He was beginning to worry for Hinata's safety in spite of the fact she was a Valkyrie and very capable of taking care of herself. That's when she appeared and said, "I'm sorry I took so long Naruto, I was held up in Niflheim."

Naruto smiled at her and said, "Join me?"

"As soon as I finish my bath my love, I think you deserve something special tonight for slaying that lindorm alone,"

The two lovers would get little sleep that night…

,,,

POSTSCRIPT:

*①: A mara or nightmare is an evil spirit or goblin that rides on people's chests while they sleep, bringing on bad dreams or 'nightmares.'

*②: A Lindorm generally appears as wingless with a serpentine body, dragons 's head, scaled skin and two clawed forelimbs. Depictions imply lindorms do not walk on their two limbs like a wyvern but move like a mole lizard: they slither like a snake and use their arms for traction.

Ah, a nice change of pace. I've been writing so much Star Wars stuff with Maelstrom that I'd nearly forgotten my older stuff. See you next time, Blue out. 3/31/22