As the fiddler plunged Ailia into the freezing water, she vividly remembered her maredream about being drowned underneath the ice. She panicked and started kicking and squirming to get out of the clutch of the shapeshifter who had quickly become her nemesis.
Who is this being? Is he truly the dreaded Nukkern Uncle Brander had warned me so fervently about? Ailia’s fight was futile, for his grasp was too strong to escape. As she tried to wrestle her way out, he drew her deeper and deeper into the lake, a lake that appeared shallow and small on the surface, but now felt like a bottomless ocean. The freezing water numbed her body, making it painful and difficult to move. Her heart let as if it would tear out of her chest, it was beating so fiercely. Soon she started to feel the need to take a breath. But she must not.
She looked up toward the top of the lake and saw sunrays glittering through the broken ice. It was so far away, and with each passing second, the distance grew further still.
All of a sudden, a body dove into the water. Soren! Right as his eyes connected with hers, he started swimming toward her. If I can only last a while longer, I will be safe and back in Soren’s care, she thought.
Soren swam aggressively downward. Right when he reached them, he grabbed the Nukkern by the shoulder, looked him in the eyes and blurted something incomprehensible.
The Nukkern’s eyes glowed fiery red as he strengthened his suffocating grip around Ailia, squeezing out the last bit of air of her burning lungs.
Soren blurted out something again and punched the shapeshifter in the face. Suddenly, the Nukkern let go of her and swam at lightning speed into the deep, dark chasm. Soren grabbed Ailia by the hand and headed upwards to her salvation, swimming toward the surface.
Ailia was so cold that she could barely move a muscle, but she still tried to assist him in their ascent by kicking her wilting feet. The instant she broke through the water’s surface, she sucked in several breaths of air.
“Grab on,” the Sami woman said, offering her bare hand to Ailia. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties and was stalky with a muscular build. Thick brown leggings covered her legs, and her calves and feet were bound in red and white wool fabric. On her feet, she wore white and brown reindeer fur boots decorated with white, red and green trim that came up to a swirly point at the toe.
Ailia slowly lifted her hand up. It was shaking violently. So cold, so cold.
The Sami woman pulled her out of the water, and immediately wrapped her into first a wool blanket and then a reindeer fur she grabbed off her horse. “You will be just fine, just fine,” she said, rubbing Ailia’s back briskly.
Soren placed his hands on the ice and pushed himself up out of the water. He grabbed a fur off Volomite and wrapped himself in it. Both Soren and the Sami woman lifted Ailia onto Volomite’s back and then they made their way across the rest of the ice-covered lake. When they arrived at the cabin, Soren lifted Ailia off Volomite and barged in the door.
“What happened?” Hannah asked startled. She rose to her feet from her chair, dropping the cup of tea she was drinking from.
“The Nukkern!” Soren yelled. “You should have warned Ailia about him!” He carried her over to the hearth.
“What do you mean? There is no Nukkern around here,” Hannah replied defensively. “I would have warned her if I knew.”
“Well, he is here now!” Soren said, his voice seething. He laid Ailia on the floor close to the fire. “Bring me hot water. We need to warm Ailia up or she will freeze to death.”
“Right away, sorry, sorry,” Hannah said, moving frantically to get it done.
Ailia started to shiver even more violently, but was it because she was cold or because she was so afraid? She closed her eyes and tried to relax.
Soren started ripping off her wet, cold clothes. “I need more blankets, Silya,” he ordered the Sami woman. Silya gathered all the blankets and furs she could find and brought them to Soren.
“Horses, get the horses,” Soren said as he took the blankets.
Silya immediately left the cabin to tend to the horses.
Soren covered Ailia’s body with a blanket before he took off her last undergarment. He then proceeded to undress himself, leaving only his undergarments on and slipped underneath the blanket. Embracing Ailia’s cold, quivering body, he pressed it up against his. He felt firm against her and warmth flowed from him as she embraced him back. She thought he seemed unusually warm to just have come out of the same frozen lake as her. Perhaps he had some special power since he was a Sentinor.
This was the first time Ailia had been pressed up against a man in this way—wet skin, bare bodies. It was difficult to say if she enjoyed it so much simply because he was a man or because it was Soren.
Hannah came over with a bucket of hot water and a cup of herbal tea for Ailia. She soaked a cloth in the bucket and laid it on Ailia’s forehead and then handed the tea to Soren.
“What happened?” Hannah asked concerned, kneeling down next to them.
“The Nukkern got hold of her somehow and dragged her under the water with him.” Soren stopped for a moment. “Did you not hear her screams?”
“I… am sorry, but I’m deaf in my left ear and I have limited hearin’ in the other, so the main way I listen is by readin’ lips,” Hannah said. “I wish I could have heard her. I never would have imagined that something like this could happen here.”
Ailia’s shivering had nearly ceased and the warmth had returned to her body and even to her hands and feet. In fact, she was almost back to normal physically, although she still felt shaken from the incident. She hated water for a reason, and this experience only made her more afraid.
She opened her eyes and fully realized she was lying next to a nearly naked man. She watched as the fur covering them rose and fell with each breath. There was a slight gap between them, where Ailia could see his chest. It was firm and tan, and the indent at the center of it ran deep. His shoulders spanned wide and were muscular, and his arms wrapped around her were strong.
She opened her mouth to catch a breath and looked up into Soren’s eyes. He looked down at her, an intense, yet impassive stare, and suddenly there was no air left in the room. The muscles in his jaw clenched shut, and as he offered a conflicted look, his breathing shallowed. She leaned her head to rest on his bare chest. She felt so safe there nestled in his care.
“Where did you go? I wasn’t sure if you had left for good, or if you were even coming back,” she said.
Soren slowly wriggled away and stood up. Watching him move, bare wet skin, a strong body, Ailia had a difficult time averting her eyes. She wanted to memorize every valley and every peak of him, not only with her eyes, but also with her hands. When he looked straight at her, a wave of blood heated her cheeks and she looked away.
“Your temperature is stabilizing rapidly, so you will be fine now. Something has come up and I need to leave, so I brought Silya here to help you get home,” he said coolly.
“Oh,” Ailia said dispirited, trying to read his face for any clues of his sudden change of plans.
“Silya knows the land and she is a very skilled hunter and traveler. She will be good company and help you with anything you might need.” He pulled his blue tunic on, secured the belt around his waist, walked over to Ailia and knelt beside her. Gently stroking her forehead, he said, “Make sure you stay warm for a while longer and stay close to Silya.” He looked into her eyes and exhaled. “You need to be more careful. It is a miracle that you did not die. What happened out there?”
“I heard music and—” Ailia huffed. “I’ll be more careful.” She was embarrassed that she had to be rescued by him yet again. She sat up and tried not to seem too upset that he was leaving her. Which made her ask herself: why was she upset? She had only just met him. In addition, he was a Sentinor and was betrothed to Princess Lucia.
He walked over to her foot and lifted the blankets. “I saw that your wound had re-opened. I will need to stitch it back together before I leave.” He fetched his bag and pulled out a
few instruments. “This will hurt,” he said, looking her in the eyes. “Hannah, do you have a stick Ailia can bite down on for the pain?” He then refocused on Ailia. “Try to think about something other than the pain.”
Hannah brought a wooden spoon and inserted it into Ailia’s mouth. She bit down hard.
“Ready?” he said and looked into Ailia’s eyes.
She nodded, not really knowing if she would be able to handle it.
He started sewing and Ailia felt the needle every time it punctured her skin. She breathed erratically and bit down hard as she strained to not scream in agony.
“Just a few more stitches,” Soren informed sympathetically. “You are very brave, you know, so very brave.”
Ailia decided to focus on Soren’s face to help keep her calm. She noticed the pain lessen as she focused on him, on his deep, calming, narrow eyes. Her breathing became more stable and the pain more manageable, the more she immersed herself into him.
“All done,” Soren said, exhaling a long breath. He walked over and crouched down by her side. “I wish you well on your travels and hope you find the answers to what you are seeking.”
“Thank you again, Soren, for all you have done for me. I’m glad our paths crossed, even if only briefly. I…” She was about to say, “I will miss you,” but those words were too forward between two who had just met. Instead, she said, “I hope your travels are safe as well, wherever they may lead.”
He paused and looked at her in silence. All else seemed to fade away except for the oneness that connected them then and there. “Thank you,” he said, almost whispering.
She reached for his hand, but he pulled away. He stood up and started cleaning the bloodied instruments, placing them in his bag when he finished.
Hannah walked over to him and handed him some food she had prepared for his trip. “Thank you for your generosity,” she said. “Perhaps I will purchase a new horse and travel a bit.”
“You are young. You should. Thank you for your hospitality.” Soren opened the door and joined Silya outside.
Ailia could hear them talking.
“Please make sure she gets home safely. I might come see you after I have been to see the empress,” Soren said.
Ailia’s blood froze. The empress? Why would he visit the empress? Is he a secret scout after all? Ailia’s heart dropped as she kept listening in on their conversation. And she was now terrified that Soren might travel to the empress and reveal all that she had shared with him. Maybe that’s why he needed to leave so suddenly.
“Have a safe trip, Soren,” Silya said, hugging him warmly.
“Thank you.” Soren stepped back inside again and looked at Ailia as if he were trying to engrave the image of her face in his mind. Was he trying to memorize her features in case he needed to find her again for Eiess? She looked away.
He took a breath and opened his mouth to say something, but quieted his voice instead. He then turned around, stepped outside, closed the door behind him, and mounted Volomite. He grabbed the reigns and made a clicking noise twice. Volomite neighed and took off.
Ailia closed her eyes as she heard Volomite’s hoofs disappear.
“It is a cold day today,” Silya said, entering the room with a huff, her full cheeks rosy from the cold.
Ailia slightly resented Silya being there in Soren’s stead. She didn’t want to be escorted home by a stranger, even if Soren had recommended her. “I forgot to ask Soren before he left: what did he say that made the Nukkern leave?”
“Probably his name. If you know the Nukkern’s name and speak it out loud, he has to leave,” Silya said.
“Oh?” Ailia said.
Silya rubbed her hands briskly together above the flames in the hearth. “Years ago, the Nukkern was one of Eiess’ followers in Vanaheim and he descended with her to Midgard to gain power over mortals. They were also followed by many other creatures of darkness.”
“Like who?” Ailia asked, slightly frightened to know the answer.
“Have you heard of the huldras or darkelves?” Silya asked, her alert eyes narrowing.
“Yes…” Ailia said. “They cannot possibly be real?” she added disbelievingly. It was one of the reasons she had chosen to convert to Christianity. She found it ridiculous to believe in such supernatural beings.
“Did you believe in the Nukkern before today?” Silya asked.
“Well, no—?” But just moments ago, he had shape-shifted before her eyes and dragged her to the depths of the lake with him. The reality of that could not be explained away. But huldras? Darkelves? “Why haven’t I ever seen them before?”
“In the past they have not associated too much with mere mortals,” Silya said.
“Oh,” Ailia said, feeling being a mere mortal was something a little too average.
“Recently, though, and especially since Eiess took over the Northlandic Throne, they have started interacting with humans and have even started regularly threatening human existence,” Silya said.
“Just like the Nukkern?”
“Well… the Nukkern is a little different. Soren captured the Nukkern long ago and was going to kill him. Instead, Soren made a pact with him that he could keep his life as long as he remained anonymous and would do a certain amount of work for Soren. Part of the agreement was that if anyone found out the Nukkern’s name, the Nukkern would lose his life.”
“So, his real name is not Nukkern, then?” Ailia asked.
“No. However, no one except Soren knows his real name,” Silya said.
“So, do any of these other shape-shifters have agreements with Soren?”
“I do not think so, but I will be the first to admit that I do not know everything.” Silya sat down by Ailia. “How are you feeling?” she asked and smiled, revealing pearly white teeth.
“Much better.” Ailia felt strong enough that she could start traveling back to Bergendal. “When can we leave?” She preferred to not stay here any longer than necessary; this sinister forest wasn’t the most welcoming place.
“As soon as we have prepared the supplies and your clothes have dried, we can go. Are you feeling well enough to travel, though? We could wait until tomorrow,” Silya said.
“I feel great. I’m ready to get going,” Ailia assured, a little too eagerly perhaps.
“Great. Hannah?”
“Yes,” she said, coming out from the back room.
“Will you be so kind and help us pack our things? Let us put Ailia’s clothes by the hearth so they’ll dry quicker,” Silya said.
“Yes, dear,” Hannah replied.
They started to pack the blankets and supplies for the trip. Hannah prepared a generous portion of dried horse meat, fish and water in leather skins, and once Ailia’s clothes were dry, they were ready to go.
“Soren told me to give you this before we left,” Silya said, handing Hannah another bag of coins.
“No, I couldn’t,” Hannah said, shaking her head. “He already gave me enough to last my whole lifetime!”
“He insisted, so here you go,” Silya said and placed the bag of money on Hannah’s table. “We should be going, so we can utilize the few daylight hours we have. Ailia, Soren told me that you shouldn’t put any pressure on your foot for at least two days, so if you would hop on one foot out to the horse with my support, I can lift you up onto Miika.”
“Sure,” Ailia replied. She stood up with Silya’s help and they both hopped through the cabin, out into the snow and stood next to Miika.
“On three,” Silya instructed, grabbing Ailia around her waist. “One, two, three.” She hoisted Ailia up onto the horse, straining a little bit. Miika was not as tall as Volomite but was extremely thick and stalky and probably weighed the same, if not more.
Soren certainly picked a sturdy woman to escort me back home. “Thank you for your generosity, Hannah,” Ailia said when Hannah walked out the front door.
“If you ever travel through these parts again, please come visit,” she said, placing her hand
s on her heart. “If I am here, that is.” She smiled a little.
“I most certainly will,” Ailia said.
Silya signaled to Miika to start walking and they were on their way.
Ailia waved to Hannah until they reached beyond the first hill. Poor woman. She hated leaving her all alone in these wretched woods, especially since knowing the Nukkern was close by. She hoped that wretched shape-shifter had left after what Soren had done to him, left and would never return.
After they had traveled for a while, Ailia’s mind wandered back to thinking about Soren. He had promised he would help her find out why there was a connection between Eiess and her, and Ailia had believed him. I’m a fool to have believed him, Ailia thought. For now, he had just abandoned her without warning to fend for herself against the most powerful and evil being that walked Midgard.
Who can I trust anymore?
17
The Four Sentinors