I woke up in Andren's bed with a fever. I looked to my left and saw Andren sitting next to me, soaking a cloth in a bowl filled with water.
"Andren, what-"
"Shhh. Don't talk, you'll feel worse." She brushed the hair from my face and placed the cool cloth on my forehead.
"What happened?"
"You must have had quite a vision. You came out of there-" she gestured to the Mirror, "pretty beat. You've been like this since regaining consciousness."
"My head is killing me. When did I get out of there?"
"Sometime around eleven. I'll get you something to eat." She stood up and walked to the doorway. "Juliette, can you take over Erik while I run to the hall? He needs to eat so he can train. If you can't, I'll get Emily to."

A beautiful girl of sixteen, with dark brown curly hair and chocolate eyes looked up from her book. The girl sitting to her right, who was doing something with her fingers and wool yarn, also looked at Andren. Juliette tapped Emily's shoulder, and she entered the other room, bringing her yarn and continuing to work until Andren returned carrying a tray laden with food. After helping me into a sitting position, she placed the tray on my lap.
"What's all this?" The food looked like the kind of stuff you would be served at a medieval reenactment museum.

"Barley porridge, berry pancakes, an apple and a cup of mead." I ate all of it.
"What's she doing?" I asked with my mouth full, pointing to Emily, who said nothing but carried on with her work.
"Nålebinding or knotless knitting. It's the process we use to make socks and mittens." She shooed the girl, and she and her friend left the house for the camp outside. I wore my black button-up shirt, silver bracelet, blue jeans and black Converse. The blonde led me out of her house and away from the ring of identical houses.

"These are our houses, there are eighteen total. Each is dedicated to a particular god or goddess, and the one next to or across from it is, in most cases, used by that deity's spouse's children." She pointed to a dwelling at the top of the circle, "That belongs to the children of Odin. The one to the right is for his wife Frigg's offspring."
"Who are your parents?"
"You'll find out in eight days. But for now, follow me to the training center."

'Center' was a misnomer, it was a field filled with kids using sharp weapons on hung pigs or one another. I thought 'Gøra megin optar', and my bracelet became Ulfsbíta.
"Show me what you know and we'll go from there." Andren sat in a high-backed chair on the sidelines. I charged at the pig in front of me, rising my sword and slashing as blade met shoulder. The action sliced the skin, exposing vein and muscle that Ulfrbíta easily severed. Blood splattered my face, staining my dark chocolate hair. I pulled the steel out of the boar and stood before Andren, breathing hard as a mist of sweat built upon my brow. I noticed that the lifeblood had touched Andren's cheek, where it stuck out like dirt on the first snowfall of winter.
"You did very well, Erik. I expected you to go for the heart or the ribs, but for you to attack the shoulder like that...it was unexpected. This is your first time picking up a blade in such a situation..."
With every word the blood traveled down her cheek, until it threatened to fall and stain her jeans.
She stood and called for silence, then spoke in a sonorous voice loud enough to ring off the distant mountains.
"Do you see the wound Erik has given this creature? It may be proof to you that he is a member of the Einherjar, but I am not so easily satisfied. If he can beat me in a duel, then will I believe in his great destiny. However, if he cannot best me, he shall be sacrificed in eight days. So says Atli!" Everyone cheered at the idea of seeing a fight.

"When will it be held?" Grimm asked.
"On laugardagr, Saturday." Andren sat and crossed her legs, her hands folded on her stomach.
"You have three days to prepare." She told me. With that, everything went back to normal.

I noticed Andren raise and stand opposite Daggry, right hands on left hips, round wooden shields on left arms. In one motion, they drew swords and ran at each other, then attacked using sidesteps and a block-and-swing method. Andren struck Daggry on the thigh, turning her sword as it plunged into the girl's leg, and rising the bloody weapon to slash at the huldra's ribs and shoulders. Daggry kept fighting, despite the blood that flowed like many rivers from her open wounds. Andren spun in a tight circle and cut Daggry, leaving a trail of blood on her cheek. They went back and forth until Daggry collapsed in a pool of blood. Andren raised her sanguine blade above her head and fell to her knees, her lips moving as she dipped her fingers in her enemy's life essence and smeared it on her face. Her blonde hair had become soaked with that ruddy substance that seemed to cover every inch of her body. She sheathed her sword, lifted her hands above her head, and spoke in a voice equal to that one used before.
"Hail to my father! May he watch over and protect us." She lowered her head, pausing for a moment. When she lifted her head, tears traveled down her bloodstained face.
"Hear me, Father. Am I worthy? If so, may I find your favor this day...see my heart, and not just my hand." With that, the völva got up and ran back to the cabins. I chased her until I heard splashing water, and saw Andren kneeling with a wooden basin, her back to me, washing her face. Once finished, she unsheathed her sword.

"Isn't he beautiful? His name is Sverrir. It means wild, swinging, spinning. See this?" Andren displayed the decorative three part hilt. The top was gold and looked like an eagle's eyes and fat beak. The handle itself was made of dark wood carved with many thick, curved lines. The bottom, which joined the steel, was gold and resembled the butt of a hammer.
"It resembles depictions of my father's weapon, only his has a short handle."
"You don't care, do you?" She turned and stared at me.
"You killed Daggry, and you don't have a care in Midgard."
"I do care. She's immortal, like me, all huldras are. I just wanted to show you how we really fight." I knew it would take time to forgive her, but I still stood next to her.
"Tell me more about your father's weapon. I'm curious now."
"It's short handle was an intentional manufacturing error caused by Loki."
She told me the tale of the creation of her father's weapon, and of her own. Both were made by Sindri and Brokkr, dwarf brothers who created many other gifts for the gods.
When she finished, she walked back to the Field with me, and offered to help me train for the upcoming duel.
"You would do that?"
"Of course. I may be ruthless, but I'm not heartless." I narrowed my eyes.

"Why should I trust you?"
"Because I am a goddess of magic and prophecy and I have seen your fate. You can't bet luck alone will help you beat a seasoned shieldmaiden."
For over an hour, Andren taught me how to hold my sword depending on the situation and my opponent, how to attack, how to block, and what to do when someone's ambidextrous. Then she tested my skills in a mock-duel, and, seeing that I had improved, walked with me back to camp.

By now it was dark, and we had walked into the woods, away from the Field and cabins. I told her my story along the way; how I had never known my father and how my mother always protected me from things I could never see. Andren was silent for a moment before a tear slipped from her eye.
"What's wrong?" I pulled her into a tight hug.
"I know your pain." Her arms wrapped around my neck as tears cascaded down her perfect cheeks. I kissed them away, up to her eyes. Her stormy blue orbs met my dark brown ones as our lips touched. She tasted of apples and cinnamon and something I couldn't describe all wrapped up in one. Andren finally broke the kiss as thunder boomed and a flash of lightning seemed to separate us.
"Oh no." Rain poured as we ran into a huge building for shelter.

"You two missed dinner." Grimm sat on a long bench, his plate on a long table. We stood blinking at him.
"Everyone else is in their cabins, except the huldras, they ran to the borderline woods as soon as they could." He took a long drink from his cup. Andren let go of my hand, which she had been holding to guide me through the trees, and walked to the end of the building; where two long steps were covered in pelts and a magnificent throne stood.

As soon as she sat on the throne, everything outside became silent. The doors opened, and Daggry came in, soaking wet and looking miserable. She approached the throne, leaving a trail of wet footprints. Falling to her knees before Andren, Daggry produced a hilt and a shattered sword, pieces falling all around her.
"Give them to me." Daggry gathered and handed the pieces to Andren. After looking them over, Andren spoke again.
"This is Laufgrœnn, your Ulfberht, correct?" Daggry nodded.
"Yes, that's Leafgreen."
"I can fix it, but it won't bend like it did before." She ran her left hand down the pieces, which clicked back together. The sword was given back to Daggry, who thanked the goddess before going back out into the night.