AN: Hello everyone! Back again for another chapter. Much like A Misadventure with Drakki, this short story has 5 chapters, so we're half way done! Thank you for sticking with the Blood and Ink series so far, as you can guess, this is mainly a Ink fic, so sorry to those who came for Deadpool. But don't worry, I'm working on an Age of Ultron tie in, which will include Deadpool adding his shenanigans to the madness which is Ultron! Also, thank you Lupe55 for being my first reviewer!
Chapter three
I sat next to Bonecrusher in the stable of Ice Beasts. I was here for a mission, but so far I had only accomplished at delaying it. There was a story I had to hear apparently, but I wasn't sure if I could sit still long enough to hear it. I needed to get all of my supplies ready for the very long flight to the North Mountains.
A hush had fallen over the stables. The five Frost Giants sat with their Ice Beasts, each of the creatures were gorgeous in their own way, all with the same colouration as Bonecrusher. I had already been introduced to Banshee, Icder's Sonic Scream. The others, I hadn't met and was still a bit jumpy around.
Hefmir sat with an Ice Beast similar in size and shape to Banshee. His legs were a little shorter, and his chest was more broad and flat than the Sonic Scream. He also had two huge horns pointing out, like a bull's but bigger, and two more along his jaw line. His wings were huge, almost as long as his body. Long spines travelled down his back and under his wings, and ended in a large mace like end on his tail. He was just as intimidating as his owner. The Ice Beast yawned, showing off the mouth full of jagged and sharp dagger like teeth that filled it.
Rimir sat with an Ice Beast with a long neck and tail. It was so long that the Ice Beast's body was still in its pen, whilst its head lay in Rimir's lap. From what I could see of the Ice Beast, it had long spines running down its neck and spine, with large frills along its jaw line and large horns just behind its eyes. The strangest thing about this Ice Beast was that his scales were all coloured red, and had blue markings, the inverse of the other Ice Beasts. It was strange because the Ice Beasts were coloured blue to hind within the Jotunheim landscape and sky.
Nirym sat with a beautiful Ice Beast. It was gorgeous, with layered wings and delicate fins and frills in a crown around its head. Its neck was short, but unlike the others, it didn't have spins that ran down its back. It had a small pair of fins under its wings, and another pair at the curve of its tail. Again it walked on four legs, low to the floor, with a long tail curled around its owner. Its markings were bright and striking. Its keen eyes were always trained on its surroundings, looking out for its owner.
Finally, Isar sat with a bird-like Ice Beast, in that it had two long legs and stood like a flamingo, but it was there where the similarities stopped. Its scales were more like plated armour, with shard like spines running along its back and curling around its tail. It seemed to have three eyes on either side of its head, but it looked like only two peered out at the room, and the others were sensors, like that of a snake's. Although it stood calmly, its head twitched and looked around, seeming to take interest in nothing and everything.
It was when everyone was settled that Nirym started to speak. Her voice echoes throughout the room and the restless Ice Beasts clamed and stopped, listening to the strong yet quiet voice of Nirym. Despite the calm, I shifted. I had to leave and get this quest finished as long as possible. I wanted to get home already. I almost missed the constant sound of Wade's chatter in my ear. Almost.
"Long ago, Ice Beasts were strange and savage creatures, attacking anything that came across their way, raiding villages, leaving them as ash. Those who kept us safe from the ravaging Ice Beasts were trappers, skilled in the art of catching and subduing Ice Beasts.
"Once a Valkyrie fell in love with an Ice Beast trapper, although uncommon, it was not unexpected. The trappers close work with death had led him in to the Valkyrie's path more than a few times. She admired his bravery, and he loved her fierceness in battle.
"As a token of his love, the trapper promised to hunt down the most beautiful Ice Beast, and make a cloak out of its hide. But alas, her trapper did not return.
"He had been slain, by the very same Ice Beast that he'd sought to kill. The Valkyrie had carried his own spirit to Valhalla.
"Distraught, she hunted the Beast down, and she slew it. Only after did she see how truly beautiful such a creature it was. After, she wept for her lost lover and the slaughter of such a lovely thing. Although she wept for the one Ice Beast, she hated the rest.
"She found that every time she wept, ugly cries and keening that echoed out into the landscape, an Ice Beast came looking. Whether through its interest in an easy meal, or its unperceived gentle nature, the Valkyrie didn't care. She killed every Ice Beast she came across.
"Then, years later after she had lost her love, Loki came across the Valkyrie. He saw the trap she made, weeping into her hands and waiting for an Ice Beast and at her savagery at when she killed it.
"Being the trickster god he is, Loki turned the Valkyrie into an Ice Beast, they very thing she hated, but not just any Ice Beast, but the beautiful and deadly one that had killed her trapper.
"After all those years of hunting Ice Beasts, the Valkyrie had turned into a Beast herself. Now that she embodied one, she became even more so, and no longer does she pray on Ice Beasts, but anything whether Jotun or otherwise, that crosses her path." Nirym finished her story, but for a moment after, everyone stayed silent.
"Did I not tell you that Nirym was the best at telling stories?" Asked Rimir proudly.
"She is," with as much bravado as I could muster; which wasn't much. I rubbed my arms, trying to get rid of the Goosebumps that had appeared at several parts of the story.
"How does it feel, knowing that your father had a part in this?" Icder asked sharply. I almost gave her the satisfaction of flinching. Almost.
"Icder," Hefmir warned, his low and threatening voice echoing throughout the room. It was unsettling to that everything about this Giant, right down to his voice, was intimidating. But I didn't judge him for it. He had just defended me anyway.
"No, that's okay," I said to him. I turned to Icder. This one had a right chip on her shoulder. "I don't expect any less of him, Loki that is. And besides, he's not really my father. I never had a father. I grew up as an orphan, which isn't so bad on Midgard, but it's bad enough. As far as I'm concerned, Loki isn't my father, despite his biological relation to me. He didn't even send a lousy child care check." I explained. It was the truth. I didn't care about Loki being in this legend. I was more worried about the Ice Beast being a real Valkyrie. Years of fighting and battling did not disappear after a blink of an eye, even f you were a different species.
"Thank you, Nirym." I said to her. She nodded in acceptance. I stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare for my trip."
Bonecrusher unfurled himself, opening his wings slightly, but there wasn't much room. The Giants stood also, and guided their Beasts back into their pens. I busied myself, I brushed down Bonecrusher, found a satchel and slipped the book Icder had showed me inside of it. Although the legend had been somewhat helpful, it didn't tell me exactly what this Ice Beast was capable of.
As I got things ready, the Giants left, but Hefmir lingered. I tried to ignore him best I could, but he was so massive he was in my eye line everywhere I looked.
"Ink," he said. I stopped and looked, and hoped I didn't look as worried as I felt. "Be careful around Icder." He warned me. "She lost much on the day our chieftain and heir failed to return. We all did. She has just decided to blame the wrong person." He said it with serenity.
"Thank you," I said, unsure what to do with this information.
"Ink, so you know, Tritan was our friend." He said.
I turned away from him and frowned, just a small crease at my eye brows. He left, sensing that I needed to be on my own.
We were in the air not even an hour later, cutting through the skies like a boat cuts through the sea. I loved flying with Bonecrusher, I always had. The surety of his wing beats, the sheer size of him too. It was glorious.
Although the Ice Beasts and their riders didn't have saddles, they had saddle bags, and I found the right sized ones in the stable. Bonecrusher didn't like having them on. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was because it reminded him of the metal helmet he used to have to wear. But when I explained that we needed to carry things like food and water, he calmed down. Or maybe it was just the tone of voice I had used. I wasn't sure but either way, he was now carrying supplies. We could find wood for a fire on our journey. I spied the great amount of snow covered forest below. I thought it was strange, because it seemed to cold here for plants to grow.
Nevertheless, the wildlife on Jotunheim never ceased to amaze me.
I wasn't sure how long I was going to travel for, but I had a plan. My birthday was in three days, the big 22, I had to get back to earth at least on the third day to celebrate it with Wade the next day. He would kill me if I missed it, and I would hate to disappoint him.
Three days, two nights. That's how long I had to do this quest. Today was the first day. Already most of it had gone. It was well past noon, and the North Mountains were still an awful long way off. I had to reach them by the second day, so I had long time enough to stop the Ice Beast, an Amberjaw, according to Icder's book, and on the third day I had to make it back to the ice castle for a ride home. Easier said than done.
For hours we soared, high above the frozen grounds, in the arms of the frozen sky. Despite the seemingly unending cold, the scenery was truly beautiful.
I passed over a field of ice, or maybe it had been a lake in some point in time. All I knew that it sprayed fractures of light splintering in the ice and shining in all sorts of colours and brightness.
We reached the North Mountains by sundown. It was very good timing. I had pushed Bonecrusher all day, something I wasn't proud of, but I wanted this finished as soon as. We circled around the mountains, looking for a suitable place to land when a blizzard split the sky, cutting us off from anywhere else. I could barely see Bonecrusher, a warm weight beneath me, let alone a landing site.
Wind blew and screamed in my ear. That quickly a white out happened. It had been clear most of the day, almost no sign that there would be a blizzard the next minute. A low an ominous rumble reverberated through the air before lightning split the sky and thunder boomed. We needed to get out of the sky, now. I had never seen lighting in a snow storm before but I knew it wasn't good, I couldn't have time to admire it.
Bonecrusher landed after only a few minutes, a cliff leading into a small cave, but big enough to fit both me and Bonecrusher.
I jumped off his back and sighed. I didn't know how long this snow storm would last. The best outcome was that it would have vanished by morning, leaving snow so the Amber jaw could leave tracks in it. The worst outcome was that it lasted longer than a day, maybe two, possibly even three. A week long snow storm wasn't out of the question either.
I had only brought food for two days, having eaten before we left an wanting to travel light meant I had only brought the basics; a couple skins of water, bread and cheese. I was hoping that there would have been a chance to hunt, both because I would've liked to eat something a little more appetizing than cheese, and so Bonecrusher didn't have to go hungry.
"I'm sorry, Crush," I said, testing out his new nickname. "I'm afraid it's going to be a rather uncomfortable night."
Bonecrusher huffed, but settled himself down in the cave. He took up most of it, but there, underneath his two sets of wings, and inside the curl of his tail, he'd left a little space for me.
Carefully, I treated over to him. Sitting down I realised that he had given me shelter from the wind blowing inside of the cave.
"Thanks," I said. I rubbed his head, which he had lain down beside me. I had a thought. "I wonder what Wade's doing." I said aloud.
Bonecrusher huffed again. He didn't know who Wade was.
"Oh, right, you don't know. I'd like for you two to meet one day, I'm not sure what you'd make of him, he's a bit crazy." I said. "If you're anything like Drakki, and you kind of are, then I don't think you'd like him." I sighed. "I can't believe I left him in charge of Hiss and Drakki, most of the time I can't even control them. And they don't like Wade. Which is a shame, 'cause I like Wade. A lot. He's a really good friend." I said getting up and started poking around in the saddle bags, I got out my measly dinner and some freezing cold water. "He saved me, you know, well he saved me more than once actually. It's quite funny as the first time we met he was trying to kill me." I explained.
So, in the darkness of the cave, a snow storm blowing, raising the dead with its loud screeching, I told the very strange story of how Deadpool and I became friends.
The snow storm whited out everything. Perfect for the hunt. The Ice Beast Valkyrie opened her red eyes. There were intruders in her lands. Frost Giant and Ice Beast. She could smell them. She roared, though the sound was drowned out by the storm, unfurled her wings and began to hunt.