The nine einherjar, one Valkyrie, and one aldnari raced across the meadow, the green flames feasting on Meilikki rising behind them, the faint sounds of a battle coming from the other side of the city near where Modi's camp was located. Although Jorid was nowhere to be seen, Blader knew where he had gone: the forest.

So that's where the einherjar headed.

Nyyri had given up protesting after the first ten minutes of her warnings falling on deaf ears. Now she just ran with them through the rustling grass, her face hard. Blader had told her she needn't come with them, but she had refused to leave the group. The burning flames of Meilikki behind them seemed only to incentivize her. Despite her caution, Nyyri wanted revenge as much as Blader did, and he respected her for that.

Adrenaline pumped through Blader's heart and veins, filling him with much-needed energy. For a year, they had always been chasing the tails of Jorid and Domar Tros, and now they had finally been able to confront one of them face to face. He was not going to let Jorid get away that easily. No, it was time for him to pay for his crimes.

The grass whipped at the einherjar's legs as they ran, seeming to whisper as they moved through it. The trees of the forest loomed ahead of them, towering into the sky in an intimidating fashion. Briefly, Blader wondered what it was about the forest Nyyri and Sampo feared. If there really was something to fear about the forest, shouldn't Jorid have to fear it as well?

Unless whatever it is sides with Jorid.

"Halt," Sig called once they came within a hundred paces of the trees. The einherjar skidded to a halt, Blader turning to the Valkyrie for an explanation.

"We need a game plan," she said in response to his look. "That forest is where the rekkr have their camp; we're entering Racarl's territory now. We need to think this through, Thrym." She added that last part in a low voice.

"Agreed," Blader told her. "Everyone, partner up, in case of a battle. We fight in teams of two and we watch each other's backs."

There was a moment of shuffling and then the groups resolved into Wolfsted and Sodull, Skalfi and Vandri, Yngvild and Raena, Ohrein and Klora, leaving Nyyri alone. Blader waved her up to join him and Sig. "Stick with your partner at all times, no matter what, and follow my lead. Nyyri, any idea what we'll be facing in there?"

Nyyri pressed her lips together firmly. "This forest is all the home of Ilmarinen, but he particularly dwells in the ravine where the rekkr have made their camp. We fear Ilmarinen more than we fear the sorcerers; they will pass, but he will remain."

"Who or what is Ilmarinen?" Sig asked, furrowing her brow.

"Ilmarinen was alfr," Nyyri said in a low voice, glancing apprehensively toward the forest. "Second of the Laufsblad tribe, to Kullerva. But he grew bitter when the Laufsblad tribe opened negotiations with a splinter group that had broken off to dwell in the forest, led by Kullerva's former second, Vaino. Kullerva and Vaino were considering reuniting the tribes and inhabiting both the grasslands and the forest.

"But Ilmarinen despised the idea of losing his position and his mate, so he –"

"Mate?" Wolfsted interrupted. His confusion was echoed in the faces of the other einherjar and even Sig looked perplexed.

Nyyri nodded, giving them all a strange look. "Yes, Kullerva was Ilmarinen's mate. The second is always the mate of the first."

"So you're Sampo's mate?" Sodull checked.

Nyyri nodded again. "Yes, I am."

"That explains a lot," Raena muttered as Nyyri continued, choosing to ignore her.

"As I was saying, Ilmarinen grew resentful and determined to ruin the negotiations. Through the use of his magic, he planned to disrupt the last meeting of the negotiations, when Kullerva would accept Vaino back as her second. Traditionally, Ilmarinen would have stepped down in respect to his first. It is what would have been best, and not only was it honorable, it was for the greater good. But he refused to. Instead, Ilmarinen struck out at Vaino in jealousy, which so consumed him that not only did he murder the new second, he killed Kullerva as well.

"Jealousy like what Ilmarinen felt is a powerful, consuming emotion. It is detrimental to everyone, including the one bearing it. And so it transformed Ilmarinen into a creature of the underworld, a drakkar, which fled away from the others of the Laufsblad tribe into this forest, there to dwell and bemoan his fate. Ever since, Ilmarinen has developed a hatred for Laufsblad, particularly those of any standing within the tribe. They say he waits in his ravine, where he can be close to the underworld he now feels longing for, where before, he longed for trees, and he devours any alfr who happens to disturb his forest."

There was a moment of silence as the einherjar absorbed the story. "So, will Ilmarinen not attack us because we're human?" Wolfsted asked, looking a bit hopeful. They had faced a drakkar, the archaic form of dragon, in the Reenactment and no one wanted to fight one again anytime soon.

"Ilmarinen will attack trespassers, alfr or human," Nyyri answered. "It matters not who you are, just that you are there. We are all in danger should we cross the boundaries of the forest."

"Then why can the rekkr and Racarl stay in there?" Sodull asked, furrowing his brow thoughtfully. "Shouldn't Ilmarinen be upset by their entering? It doesn't sound like he's going to care about what side they fight on."

"He should be upset," Nyyri agreed. "I do not know why Ilmarinen leaves them alone. He doesn't differentiate between good or bad, as you said." She stared at the trees looming before them, her eyes growing distant. "No Laufsblad enters that forest. Not if they want to live."

"If you don't want to come, Nyyri, then you don't have to," Blader said. "We'll understand."

Raena rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath. Blader rounded on her. "You got something to say to me, einherjar?"

Hard-faced, Raena stared back at him. "This is war, Commander. No one gets a choice about fighting here."

"I am only in command of this squad," Blader said, eyes blazing, but he kept his voice steady and calm. Beside him, he could feel Sig tensing but hoped she stayed out of it. He needed to win this battle himself. "I am not in command of the aldnari. Nyyri serves under Sampo's orders, and he certainly did not order her to go into the forest."

"But I was ordered to accompany you," Nyyri said softly, looking at Blader. "And that sorcerer burned down my city and has killed my people. I will enter, if only for the chance to bring about Jorid Racarl's death before Ilmarinen brings about my own."

"Then it's settled," Blader said grimly. "Into the forest we go."

They strode the last hundred paces into the forest, the dark shade cast by the branches blocking out most of the light. A stifling silence settled over them as Blader, Sig, and Nyyri led the way, the others arranged behind them.

"Which direction?" Blader asked Nyyri, halting for a moment as he glanced at the alfr. The dim gloom was eerie and made it difficult to see very far ahead of them. There were no trails, only endless clumps of low-growing foliage among the tall, thick trees.

She hesitated for a moment, then lifted her hand, pointing northwest. "The ravine where the rekkr are camped lies that way. But so does Ilmarinen."

"Then that is where we go," Blader said grimly. "Move out, squad."

Branches grabbed at the einherjar and vines attempted to ensnare their legs as they walked, swords drawn and senses alert. But the silence that had greeted them remained intact, not a single forest creature making a noise. No wind stirred the trees, no insects hummed, and no birds called out to each other.

The only sound was caused by the einherjar themselves.

"The trees," Nyyri murmured after about half an hour of walking. "There is something very wrong here."

"What is it?" Sig asked, glancing at her.

Nyyri extended her hands to the sides, the multitude of rings on her fingers glowing in various shades of green. "They feel...afraid."

"Well, this is Ilmarinen's forest," Vandri said, glancing up at the dark branches shadowing them. "Shouldn't they be afraid?"

The aldnari shook her head. "They do not fear him. He is the guardian of this forest, not its enemy. They have no reason to fear him. No, they are afraid of something else. Their energy is muted – they are waiting."

"What are they afraid of?" Blader asked her. "Racarl?"

"No," Nyyri said, her eyes large as she gazed around, turning a slow circle as her fingers continued to glow. "They are angry with Racarl and his rekkr. They do not disguise that; their hatred is palpable. No, they fear something else, something...this fear they hold close to their bark. They are waiting." She stepped toward a tree, laying her fingers against the bark. A shudder ran up the tree at her touch, rippling into the branches and leaves, the rustling noise breaking the silence like glass shattering on the floor. "Something horrid has happened here. Something they never expected to see, and these trees saw the rise and fall of many."

"I don't like the sound of that," Skalfi muttered. "If it's not Racarl, and it's not Ilmarinen, what could it possibly be?"

"Only one way to find out," Wolfsted said grimly, stepping forward. "Commander, do you concur?"

"I don't see any other way," Blader returned. "Move out."

The squad began walking again, following Nyyri's precise sense of direction. Despite the wood looking the same no matter where one looked, it never confused the alfr. Her rings continued to reflect the green glow of her magic as she stepped through the foliage, her movements silent despite brushing against leaves. The einherjar and Sig did their best to remain quiet, but compared to Nyyri, they were as loud as a herd of startled cattle rushing through the grove back on the Thrym family farm.

Blader felt the forest's grim sense of foreboding settling over his heart, tightening its cords around him. He was leading his squad into certain danger, from Ilmarinen as well as from Jorid. The sorcerer had shown his prowess back in Meilikki, how swords meant nothing against his blood magic, and that had been one against eleven. If he had rekkr accompanying him, or the dragon, the fight would tilt even further in his favor.

We are on his ground now. Jorid already has the advantage.

Blader tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Jorid may have the upper hand, but it didn't mean he couldn't be brought down.

There has to be a way to bring him down.

Another hour passed before Nyyri held up her hand, wisps of green light seeping up from her fingers. "The ravine lies just ahead," she said quietly, pointing.

"Merki, Vekja, with me," Blader ordered in a low voice. "Koping, Leid, Nidr, and Akafi, spread out behind us. Kyll and Trautt, bring up the rear."

Wolfsted started at the order and looked about to protest, but then he clamped his mouth shut, eyes stony. Sodull glanced at the Aldrian with a raised eyebrow and then looked to Blader, nodding grimly. Both of them knew that with Wolfsted's injured leg, he shouldn't be in the front lines. Blader had noticed him favoring it the past thirty minutes or so, doing his best not to show his discomfort.

"Follow my lead," Blader ordered, drawing his sword with a slight rasp. The others copied him, all shifting their shields on their arms. Sig nodded to Blader, Nyyri drew one of her daggers, and then the squad moved swiftly forward.

The trees thinned ahead of them and Blader saw the wide ravine gaping in the forest floor, surrounding by dark, earthen walls, gnarled roots reaching out through the dirt from the mass of trees lining the other side. There was no sign of any rekkr scouts.

They approached the ravine and Blader silently ordered the einherjar to halt before getting too close. Moving forward with Sig beside him, he crawled to the lip of the sloping cliff face and peered down into the ravine.

There was no camp, no sign of any rekkr, only disturbances along the ground to show they had been there before.

"They must have all moved out to attack Modi," Sig whispered. "They're probably planning to move on Tuisto after destroying Meilikki."

Blader gestured for the other einherjar and Nyyri to join them as he and Sig cautiously reared back off the ground. "No rekkr, no sign of Racarl, no drakkar," the Valkyrie murmured, eyes studying the ravine. "Wait."

She pointed to a mound, lying a bit down the ravine. "I don't believe that's earth or rock."

"It's not," Nyyri said softly, her face paler than normal.

"Let's go," Blader said grimly.

He and Sig slid down the side of the ravine, landing with a slight stumble on the ground. Nyyri jumped down lightly, then the other einherjar descended in their pairs, a scowling Wolfsted and Sodull bringing up the rear. Together, they advanced on the mound, weapons held in defensive positions.

As they approached the mound and it became clearer, Blader made out the figure of a being crouching beside it. He lifted his sword up as the figure stood, looking at the approaching einherjar. But it didn't startle, just waited for them to approach.

"I found him like this," the man said as they stopped ten feet away, assuming a battle stance. He gestured to the mound, his own stance casual. "I certainly could have killed him, but they got him before I did."

Blader took one look at the mound and his eyes widened. Like Sig and Nyyri said, it wasn't earth or rock.

It was the body of a dragon.