Thorgil woke up for the third time that night. Finally deciding not to sleep, she stumbled toward the training arena. In the training arena, Thorgil splashed some water onto her face and shivered. Nothing like the cold Montanna water. Bonecruher snaked his head into the training arena. He gave a snort, and Thorgil whirled. Seeing her friend, Thorgil relaxed and swung herself onto Bonecrusher's back. Bonecrusher squeezed through the doors and launched himself into the starry night sky. They circled over camp, and Thorgil stared at Layne's cabin, wishing that he would emerge. Once at the right height, Bonecrusher sped off toward the mountain, a golden object glitering at its peak. At the peak of the mountain, Thorgil dismounted Bonecrusher and crunched through the snow to the golden harp. Bonecrusher settled next to a rock then waited for Thorgil to begin. Slipping off her gloves, Thorgil began to strum the strings of the magical harp. Bonecrusher closed his eyes and drifted off, and the winds quieted as well. The only sound heard on the mountaintop was the sound of the magical harp. Thorgil lost herself, drifting off into daydreams while she expertly fingered the strings. Clouds obscured the mountain, and for this Thorgil was glad. No one must know anout this weakness. Though with the magical powers of the harp, it can hardly be considered a weakness.Thorgil allowed herself a small smile. Layne wondered about Petra. He hadn't actually felt her pulse-was there a possibility that she wasn't dead? But after seeing what Skoll-that monster-had done to her...there was no way. Thorgil lingered longer than usual, and only emerged from her thoughts when she noticed the pink tinge of the clouds and the harp disappearing in her hands. Sunset!Thorgil said a few choice words, then tapped Bonecrusher on the snout and mounted him. Together they glided down from the mountain, taking advantage of the thinning cloud cover. By the time they had landed, the sun was already up.
Layne was waiting outside Thorgil's cabin. "Where you been?" he asked, a sly smile playing his lips.
Thorgil dismounted Bonecrusher and scratched behind his ear. Bonecrusher closed his eyes for a second then launched back into the air. Thorgil then took her own sweet time answering Layne. "Oh, off in the air, somewhere. Hence the dragon, duh."
Layne laughed, and then his eye caught on something behind Thorgil, behind the dragon. A figure, covered in tattered black robes, stumbling toward the cabins...
Could it be?
Layne began running.
Thorgil whirled and drew her axe, the blade glimmering wickedly in the light of dawn. Seeing the figure, Thorgil's eyebrows knit together in confusion.That looks like...She began striding toward the figure, axe still drawn.
Layne turned, telling Thorgil to put her sword away.
The figure stumbled, collapsing on the ground. Layne got to her first...it was Petra.
No.
Thorgil sheathed her massive axe and ran to help Layne with the figure. Seeing Petra, Thorgil recoiled. It can't be...
"Thorgil," Layne said, as Petra groaned. "Help me."
Thorgil sighed in defeat. Ugh. Of all the days to have to be a good person...But she lifted Petra up anyways, then carried her to the infirmary.
Layne sat in a spare chair, wondering what this meant.
But if she's here...?
What the Hel is going on?Thorgil thought, laying Petra in a spare bed and sitting down next to Layne.
"Thanks" Layne muttered.
Thorgil didn't respond, but was lost in a sea of thoughts as turbulent as the oceans she used to sail across with her father.
Thorgil refocused and looked at Layne. "What does this all mean? I-Petra, I thought she was, y'know, dead." Thorgil stared at Petra's gaunt face as if it held all the answers. Maybe it does... Thorgil shook her head. Impossible. We've just got to figure this out the hard way...
"So...so did I."
Petra groaned in her sleep and rolled, so her right wrist faced the ceiling.
"Do you see that?"
It was a black mark on the inside of her wrist. (|-\)
"I'm not blind!" Thorgil exclaimed, grabbing Petra's wrist to better inspect the mark. This better not be what I think it is...
"Her...her mark," Layne said almost inaudibly.
Thorgil stared at Layne in disbelief. "Then she shouldn't have come back. I mean, if she was dead, then she would've stayed dead. What's she doing here?" she asked. As usual, Thorgil had all the bluntness of a mace and didn't care to remedy it. Thorgil leaned back into her chair and let her thoughts wander. She couldn't get over how much her life was like the songs by her favorite band, Switchfoot. I've made my mistakes,she silently sang, I've seen others' hearts cave in, I've got my scars, Petra's been to Hel and back again.
What could it mean, Petra coming back.
The Norns have something for us.
He never would've thought this, but now that he had...
"I need to think," he said, excusing himself from the situation.
All Thorgil had left to do was stare at Petra's body, wishing that something would happen.
Thorgil stared at Petra some more, then started to shake her shoulders, getting more and more impatient. "Wake up!"
Petra heard a hushed, yet urgent, "Wake up."
No, she thought. I want to sleep in.
And that's when she realized she wasn't dead anymore.
Because dead people don't sleep. Or think.
Her eyes flew open.
Thorgil sat back, feeling satisfied. I guess I should call Layne back...but I have some information to get first. "Welcome back among the living," Thorgil said, staring into Petra's fierce eyes.
"I...I'm back?" Petra's eyebrows raised suspiciously. It hurt to talk, but she had to keep going. "How do I know this isn't just another one of her tricks." She flinched as she said 'her'.
"Yeah, you're back." Thorgil said in her best "Duh" voice. "What, was I in Hel too?" She laughed at her little joke, but sobered quickly and glared at Petra, daring her to say yes.
"Never mind," Petra said, putting a hand to her head. "Is...is Antonio around?"
"Nah, he went back to his cabin." Thorgil leaned forward in her chair. "So how'd you die? Was it painful? Did you die honorably? Or did you just sit there like a stupid thrall while some monster mowed you down?" Thorgil was showing her usual interest in death: she wanted to know all the details and how to get into Valhalla instead of Hel.
Petra stared uncomprehendingly at Thorgil. "I...I don't remember."
She paused before saying. "I don't remember anything before entering Hel."
Thorgil layed back, obviously disappointed. "Then what was Hel like?"
"Boring."
"As I expected." Thorgil sighed, then handed Petra a glass of water. "Drink it. It has healing powers."
Petra hoped Thorgil couldn't tell she'd been lying about the boring part. Hel was torturous, seeing the future, the past, all your friends dying.
The water had healing powers, and it also had calming powers. Petra had begun to hype up (help please) on terrifying visions of the future, and she sighed audibly as she drank.
"Thanks."
Petra could feel herself nodding off, but she had one more request.
"Antonio."
"Yeah, yeah." Thorgil said, getting up. "Just don't die while I'm gone." Thorgil left the room and quietly closed the door behind her, silently thanking the gods that Petra hadn't noticed the absence of magical powers in the water. But a little Montanna water always calmed everybody down: it was just one of the perks of the location. Thorgil left the infirmiry and walked over to Layne's cabin, her dogs leaping at her heels.
Layne wondered if Petra had woken up yet. He spent most of his time lately thinking of her, a fact which would not have made Thorgil happy.
Speak of the devil...
He caught a glimpse of said girl walking over. Well, it was less of a walk than a storm.
Thorgil felt the presence of a cackling, energy-filled being as she STORMed toward Layne's cabin. A faint voice asked, Whatnow?Thorgil whirled, searching for the source of the voice. Finding none, she knocked on Layne's cabin door, then opened it. Ignoring the outbursts from Layne's cabinmates, Thorgil grabbed said boy and pulled him up the hill to the infirmiry, dogs still leaping around her.
"Hey," Layne protested. "Hey, watch where you-HEY! Where are we going!"
He wrenched his arm out of Thorgil's incredibly strong grip, an experience he didn't want repeated. "What's going on?"
Thorgil whirled and gave Layne her deluxe Why-did-you-do-that-oh-well-now-I-just-might-kill-you-for-your-insolencestare. "Petra's awake. Why else would I enter your mess of a cabin and drag your sorry butt around?"
That instantly got Layne moving. "Let's go," he called. "Keep up."
Thorgil gave an exhasperated groan as she sprinted after Layne. Naturally, her dogs beat them to the infirmiry, but Thorgil bid them to stay outside as she and Layne entered the building.
"Are...are you okay?" Layne asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"I...I think so," Petra said, dazed. "Why am I here?"
Layne shot Thorgil a look, clearly saying, You can handle this one.
"Gee, thanks Layne!" Thorgil said, clearly not giving a dragon's behind that Petra would probably be confused and possibly offended. "Well, Petra, I was kinda hoping that you would tell us. But the Norns must have something in mind, so help me." Thorgil looked to Layne. "Your turn." she said with a sickly-sweet smile.
"Oh, for the love of Verdandi! Truth is, Petra, we have no idea."
"Thanks for the help," Petra said, not meaning for it to be taken sarcastically.
"Yeah, we're just innocently trying to explain something to you, but you choose to be sarcastic." Thorgil exclaimed, "Great. Just peachy. I'm outta here." Thorgil started STORMing toward the door. What do you want?asked the voice impatiently, and Thorgil whirled. "What did you say?"
"Me?" Layne was slightly confused. "I didn't say anything."
Thorgil shrugged. It is not honorable to pick a fight with your love or a wounded "friend," so she spun on her heel and left the room.
Petra noticed Layne's eyes rolling. "Something's going on between you," she guessed.
He put his hand to his head. "I forgot how good you were at reading people."
"You knew me before?" she asked, her voice betraying her feeling of excitement. "What was I like?"
"Y-you have no idea?"
Petra would've answered that no, she had no clue, but she saw the hurt in Layne's eyes. She kept silent, but even that seemed to tip him off.
Thorgil made sure that she was seen leaving, then doubled back, hiding beneath the window of Petra's room. Thorgil made sure to give a sharp glare to anyone who looked at her funny.
"No?"
Petra turned away. "They wipe the memories of the dead. They think it makes them cooperate more. But even the dead know that...that they're being tortured."
Thorgil stiffened, immediately knowing that Petra had lied to her. She then growled like Shreddie when he first met Bonecrusher. But silently.
"Tortured?" There was a note of protectiveness in Layne's voice. "What was going on?"
Petra shook her head, refusing to say more. Then she cracked.
"Just...just GO AWAY!" she screamed, half in terror, half enraged. "LEAVE ME ALONE! My life would've been better...WITHOUT YOU!"
Thorgil flinched. Geez, that girl's shattered mind has got to be lying strewn around in Hel or something. She shouldn't have come back.
"SOMEONE! HELP!" Layne was screaming too, now.
Thorgil groaned, then stood up, brushed off her jeans, and vaulted herself through the open window. She shot a glance at Layne. "Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies."
"Just help me," Layne said, shaking his head, eyes wide with fear.
Thorgil almost laughed at how much he looked like a frightened goat. Eyes all big-she shook her head to clear it, then asked, "I await your orders." Enjoy it while you can, because this will not last,she thought.
"I...I don't know what to do," he admitted. There, I said it, he thought. It'll be the last time, too.
"Gah. I have to do everything myself." Thorgil exclaimed, filling a glass of Montanna water. "Hold her down."
Layne tried to gently push her arms down.
Thorgil rolled her eyes. "Um, a little faster with that, Layne. She didjust tell you to go away, so let's try not to be to sentimental whilst saving her, shall we not?" Thorgil started slowly pouring a bit of water down Petra's throat, gently making her swallow it. ((Contrary to her reprimand)) She hoped the water would help knit Petra's shattered mind back together...bit...by...bit...
Gray. That's what Petra saw first. Just...gray. She began to panic. This was what it was like in Hel. What if she was here for good? What if this never stopped? What if...?
Slowly, Thorgil's face came into focus. Okay, not what she would've preferred, but better than nothing.
Thorgil gave Petra a grim smile, then shoved the glass of water into her hands. "Drink."
Petra gulped it down, taking shaky breaths every once in a while.
"You back?" Thorgil asked, settling back into a chair. "Not gonna freak out, scream at anybody, do any of that crap?"
Petra popped her neck. "Sorry," she said.
"Eh." Thorgil waved the apology away, then looked at Layne, her eyes asking, Are you okay?
What? Other than someone I've thought was dead for three years coming back, I'd say I was just great.
Thorgil's eyes narrowed, but before she could say anything, Jackson burst into the room. "How can I help?" he asked, taking in Layne, Petra, and Thorgil. "I'm too late, aren't I?"
But Petra had noticed. He had been in her Visions, but she had never met him. Who was he? She wanted to ask Layne, but didn't dare trust Thorgil. At least not yet. But she shot Jackson a glance through the window.
"Well, she's not dead," Layne said. He could hear Thorgil snickering even before she did.
Jackson's face turned an unmanly shade of pink, then Thorgil outright laughed. "Nice try, Jackson," she said, clapping him on the back. "A valliant effort, but FAIL!"
"Oh, I-okay." Jackson stammered, turning to leave. He did this slowly, silently pleading for someone to call him back.
"Wait," Petra said. "Do..do I know you?"
Jackson turned, relieved, then stammered, "I-I don't know...maybe." He had seen her in a dream, but didn't want to reveal anything to personal within earshot of Thorgil, who would surely gun him down. So he relied on his eyes to get the message across, I have seen you.
She didn't get the whole message, but she knew he was trying to say something. "Oh." She turned back, staring at her knees, as if they could tell her the secrets of the universe.
Thorgil let out a noisy breath. "Well, I'm going to go get some lunch. Welcome back, Petra, and hello Jackson." She looked at Layne. "You coming?"
Layne shrugged like it wasn't a bad idea. "Petra? Can we get you something?"
"No, it's okay."
Layne left reluctantly, following Thorgil.
"So...you wanted to tell me something?" Petra started.
"I saw you in a dream." Jackson began. "I...don't know, but you were burning...I reached out to help, but I got burned and the connection was severed." Jackson held out his left hand and pulled off the black leather blove, showing angry red skin underneath. "Worse than a dragon, eh?" he tried to joke.
Petra gave a small smile, but then returned to subject. "Burning? You sure it was burning?" Her voice was a little louder than usual.
Jackson shuddered. "Yeah, it was burning. There was a wispy-solid coal-black dragon breathing fire on you. Actually, there was a ring of them. All had black eyes, bottomless..." He trailed off and sat down, shivering. "You...you were screaming. You were screaming bloody murder, actually. The way you fought it...they should've put you in Vallhalla to begin with..." Jackson inspected Petra's gaunt face, his eyes filled with permanent respect.
Her eyes narrowed. "Black dragons," she repeated in a voice so low, it was almost a whisper. "How many?" Louder this time.
"Six." Jackson whispered, lost in the horror of the dream.
Petra visibly deflated. "Six..." She began to shake her head violently. "No, no, no..."
Several lines appeared in her head.
Six dragons of black, two come back
To the home they had before.
One stays there, one forgotten care,
And four attacked by the boar.
Jackson was totally clueless. All he knew was that Petra was in pain, terrified pain. He sat down on the bed and put a protective arm around Petra, as if he could protect her from her pain. "What is it?" he asked softly.
Her lips tightened. "I...I'm sorry, I can't tell." She didn't look at him, she refused to look him in the eye, she wouldn't look...
Of course, as soon as she made eye contact, she only found comfort there.
Jackson looked her in the eyes, those sad grey eyes, and wished he could take some of that sadness away. "Alright." Jackson knew better than to try to get a girl to talk when she wasn't ready. He'd had plenty of experience with that. "I'll always be here, but you don't ever have to tell me if you don't want to."
"You know what?" Petra said. "If I knew your name, I would think you're pretty cool."
Jackson laughed, then face-palmed. "I didn't even tell you my name! Geez, I cannot believe how forgetful I am sometimes." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Jackson."
"Petra," she said, shaking his hand.
"Well, Petra, pleased to meet you." Jackson said, ever-so-smooth.
"Yeah, same here," Petra said. "Well...you gonna go get dinner or something?"
Awkward. This is one form of torture Hel needs to pick up on.
"Oh. Oh, yeah, I guess." Jackson replied, disappointed that he had to leave. He got up and left, waving as he passed the window from outside.
Petra smiled, then returned to her own mind. The vision with the dragons weighed on her—she couldn't get it out of her head. What does it mean?