PRESENT

It had been in the dead of night that Aegis Greshield was summoned before the crown. The blizzards that churned and roared in the darkness were blinding, but thus was life on the Icy Shores; blinding, harsh, and exhilarating. She spurred her steed on; a muscled, black aurochs, with fur so thick and wooly that she aught not even use reigns to ride, but simply grip the beasts wild mane. The animals breath steamed in the air, hoofs beating against the frosted earth brightened by the moon rising from the ocean. There had been a time, years back, when that moon had shone red in the sky, and painted the snow the color of blood. But that was time long left behind, a time when Aegis had been a young girl wet behind the ears and not even yet a woman. But now, she rode on with a fire burning in her chest. For her to be called upon by the Protector of The Realm in the black of night could mean only one thing.

The great bull rode past the Marble Borders; guards towers standing between the tundra and inner city. Raiders were commonplace among the Frigid Outskirts of the Winter Isle. Beyond the borders, the people governed themselves with axe and dagger, and as an Outrider, Aegis and her sisters in arms were tasked with putting such mongrels to the sword. But that would change. The life of slaying bandits in the snow would end for her. Aegis knew something greater awaited in the city. And she wouldn't miss The Icy Shores one bit.

"Hail! State your business, outlander."

A watchman called down the her, and in response, she raised her badge of office. Of course, the watchman was suspicious. It hadn't been particularly uncommon for raiders to strip the loot from a frozen Blade and come waltzing in undeterred. But alas, the weathered man seemed satisfied, and with torch in hand, pointed the way to the city.

The frost it at her reddened cheeks as she past under the Coldscape, great glaciers that encased the sleeping body of the goddess that raised the Winter Isle from the frozen oceans. Aegis stopped her mount, slipping of its saddle and kneeling before the monument of her kingdom's birth. From the outside, one could not see the sleeping mother within, but she could be felt, her heart beating through the ice. Warmth radiating from the shrines erected on the snow. And some who were one with the land were said to be able to hear her voice; one such listener being the advisor of the Protector.

Aegis prayed, hands clasped and eyes closed. She prayed in thanks, for favor, and finally for safe travels.

Her bull groaned, snorting with impatience. Aegis chuckled, tucking herself into her furs and sweeping the fiery hair from her eyes. She looked back on the land stretching into the horizon, and even farther out to the frozen seas. It could very well be the last time she tasted the breath of the wilds. No longer would she kill her own food, or build her own fires. Life would be warm.

She kicked her steed into full charge, horns cutting through the thick storm cloak and heading in a spearline to the heart of the Winter Isle.

* * *

The City of Fire lived up to it's title. As soon as she rode through the gates into Valkrya, the ice seemed to melt from her bones. Warmth filled her cheeks and skin, and the smells of the fresh roasted meat and breads wafted through the streets.

She rested her bull in the stables, stepping almost haphazardly through the wide roads and beneath arches and towers. Another name for Valkrya had been City of Bridges, as high above, platforms and catwalks stretched from tower to tower like spiders webs. It had been a nearly three decades since she had last visited the capital, and in all that time, nothing had changed. Children still played down the roads. The marketplace still bustled without stop, and as it had been for seven-thousand years, the Great Fire Muspel still remained burning bright on The Golden Torch; high atop the Hall of Aurochs - home to the Protector, aswell Aegis' destination.

She didn't stop to reminisce, and without tarry, made for the great hall.

It was written in the old text that the Hall had been built by the first people of the Winter Isle thousands of years before; sustained only by the Muspel that filled the ancient wood with life and staved off the bite of time and cold. It was there that Aegis stood, beneath the banners of the Einherji - sigil depicting the broken horn of the mighty Auroch, bull of the North. Torches burned hot against the walls, yet the wood did not set alight. Great adamantine pillars held the many walkways up above, and many a noble mingled within the great hall. A deep black carpet of sewn wolf pets stretched across the marbled floors, and at the end, sat the seat of the Protector. Only, the ivory throne was empty.

"They say the Ants sail for the Dark Continent. Fools are too brazen, I say."

Aegis listened to the crowd around her. The Ants, warriors of Duran'dul - the Summer Isle - had been known for their military power once, but that had been generations long passed, and now, the great kingdom to the south was but a tourist attraction. Land of theatre, bloodsport, jesters, and drunks.

"You hear about that vagabond from the outskirts? Madman spouting some nonsense about prophecies and the like."

"It's the ice talking. Froze his brain solid, I'd wager."

Prophecy? Aegis thought with a chill. Her fingers twitched on the pommel of her blade in anxiousness, but she kept her composure. Why had the Protector of The Realm summoned her if only not to appear?

Then from behind her, the oaken doors flew open with a crash. All eyes turned to the clanking of armor that stormed into the halls, guardsmen with a wiry prisoner in their grasp. They tossed the man forward, sprawled out on the floor and scrambling to stand. Aegis tensed, for she knew the criminal just by their attire. Dark furs, chained mail, and a thick beard half frozen and grey. The man was a raider, probably caught trying to cross the Marble Borders.

The people gathered about her spoke in hushed tones, but went absolutely silent the moment the guardsmen parted.

Aegis' eyes grew wide, and without hesitation, she took the knee, head bowed in reverence. The others hadn't caught, but Aegis could care less. The Protector was not only her ruler, but her hero.

The woman strode in, locks as red and fiery as the Muspel above. Blazing gold armor adorned her tall form, blue and red rubies and sapphires embedded into the carved breastplate. She removed the single-horned half helm from her head, allowing her squire to place the royal crown upon her head. Now, she stood over the raider, eyes as sharp as steel. Aegis shared the same tempered eyes, just as they both shared the same blood.

Queen Ancilla Greshield stood with regal authority, chin high and back straight.

"Look upon this raider from the frigid wastes, now," She spoke, "he who speaks of vile prophecies and sick intimations!" Disgust rippled through the crowd, shouts ringing through the halls and the sound of many weapons sliding from scabbards. "Stay your blades! You shall not dirty your steel with the blood of a waste-dwelling heathen."

The raider knitted his brow, spitting a black glob onto the polished floors. Rage boiled in Aegis' gut, but she swallowed it back.

"Call me what ye' will, blue blood. But seen it I have. The words from the Coldscape like knives scraping across my skull. If you send your little knights across the ocean, the Dark Continent will swallow you up like a hungry shadow; bones and all."

"Kill the heretic!" Someone screamed.

"Off with the bastards head!" Another roared. Then all around the halls, men and woman screeched and chanted, banging weapons against the pillars and stamping feet. From somewhere, a shiny gold goblet spun through the air, striking the raider in the scalp and drawing blood.

Aegis watched the roiling crowd unmoving, cups and silverware flying. She clenched her jaw in disgust. As much as the raider infuriated her, she stayed her rage. In the wilds of Einherjar, self-control was about the only control one had. The winds would not heed to a man's cries, nor would the frost that crept up their bones. But if they could control themselves, then they could keep the ice at bay. Thus was the mantra of the Outriders and law of the Frigid Outskirts - and it applied to the Hall of Aurochs as well.

Ancilla raised a hand, and the rioting crowd fell quiet.

"You shall have blood, for the gods have not mercy for those who would harken to the words of the Corruptor." The crowd cheered, all while the raider's expression remained as hard as grey stone.

"Here me now, foolish 'protector'. The gods have no sway over the Dark Continent. You may slay me here, but know this - once your ships sail, once you cast your knights and vessels across the waters, your fate is sealed. The Dark Continent is a place misplaced by time. A land where men listen to voices in little boxes, capture lightning in glass orbs, and wield weapons that - in a flash - will take life in a bloody eruption. Seen it all, I have. In my dreams." His voice shook with maddened terror, eyes milky and bleak. "Our ancestors feared the beasts, and their ancestors feared the darkness. But mark my words - what this world has faced in the past are but jests compared to the horrors that roam the Land That Should Not Be. Our Goddess in Ice spoke to me, and her prophecies do not lie."

"Only the Corrupter spews prophecies, raider. You can speak of fever dreams with him in the void." The raider said nothing. "But I will not stain my blade with cursed blood, either." Ancilla ran her eyes across the crowd, until finally, they met the only denizen who'd the clarity of mind to hold their tongue and blade.

Ancilla smiled, setting down her helm and raising her hands. "Ah, so the raven had made it to the Icy Shores after all. Blood of my blood, rise now, for your Protector would now beseech you."

Aegis shot up without word, dipping her head low and placing a fist against her bosom. All eyes watched her, some glowing with jealousy and others in fascination. Aegis only saw her queen, and the raider who dared spout evil words in her court.

"Come forward, blood of my blood. And raise your head." Aegis did as commanded, standing before the wiry raider. Her fingers drummed against the pommel of her sword in anxious excitement. Ancilla Gresheild looked at her relative, their appearances the same, but different. Where one stood a headsman in the tundra, the other stood queen over the Aurochs, Blade of The Warrior goddess Armina, and Protector of Einherjar. To be sworn to the goddess of battle was to have the favor of all of humanity, and to stand before such a woman was nearly to stand before Armina herself.

"I ask you now, Aegis Gresheild, daughter of Wyne Gresheild, descendant of Rune The Dragoness! My dutiful Outrider, and blood of my blood - fell this heathen now, in the name of our true queen and almighty protector, Armina!"

That was all the command she needed. Her fingers had already wrapped around her sword before Ancilla had finished her sentence. To the sound of her weapon unsheathing, the sword rose into the air, long, bright steel with an edge half-ruined from the cold and fighting. But it was enough that a single strike might take the raiders head. Wordlessly, Aegis rose the long blade over the crouched mongrels neck, eyes steely and absolute.

The raider met his executioners eyes with - not fear - but closer akin to grim disappointment. "You do me a service, girl. Rotting in the voids is a kinder fate than what will befall this land. So make it quick and--"

Aegis did not hear the raiders last words, for the deed had been dealt before he even had a moment to blink. May the gods have mercy on rapers and bandits, because frankly, Aegis Gresheild of the Icy Shore had none to spare.

* * *

After the mess was cleaned from the marble court, and the body was carted away to be tossed to the wastes, Aegis met alone with Queen Ancilla in her chambers. It took great effort to shoe away her loyal guards, but once they had gone it was just her and her cousin.

Ancilla paced the room, regal composure dropped. She bit her knuckles, studying the intricate carvings on the wood in restlessness.

A great fur bed sat against the far while; thick pelt blankets messy and hanging halfway off the mattress. Expensive perfumes, incense, fragrances, herbs and bangles littered the dresser tops, and opulent robes and dresses lay strung out on the floor. Even Aegis, in her black-stone barrack, had taken better care of her quarters.

"M-my queen--"

"Aegis! Ah, please, don't mind me." She stopped pacing, setting both hands on Aegis' shoulders and smiling with tired strain. "It's been a long night, sis. I'm afraid court intrigue and all this talk of prophecy is running me ragged."

Aegis watched her queen with pained silence. Many a year ago, Ancilla had taken the crown as ordained by Goddess Armina after Secace Saberfell, the former queen, died in the Battle at Brave Mountain. Ancilla had only just been sworn into the Outriders before being summoned to the city for her Ordeal. She was but a young woman all that time ago, and the last Aegis had seen of her, she'd been spry, hearty, and gallant. But that was many a year passed, and now the cousin Aegis looked up to from her mother's ankles was tired, but not yet defeated. Her eyes were still as sharp as tempered adamantine.

"I owe you an explanation, don't I, sis?"

Aegis didn't rush her. She knew she'd been summoned for a reason, and knew the reason would become apparent in due time. Aegis, if not anything, was patient.

Ancilla nodded to herself, striding to the out of sight and behind a hefty wooden armoire. She returned moments later with a long, white sheet, metal clinking underneath. Her heart quickened not unlike a child receiving gifts on their birthday. She swallowed hard, trying to hold down her excitement, but her lips curling up at the sides betrayed her stoic front. Ancilla smiled. "No need to be earnest, sis. Do you know why I asked you to dirty your steel with that heathens blood?"

"No, your grace."

Ancilla removed the white cloak, revealing the lustrous craft beneath. "It was because I'd ask you to toss away that tainted steel, and take up the stone of Einherjar."

It was a spear, long and glittering. With a wood handle crafted with a silver finish, to the stark white and gold long-bladed spike at the end, so fine and sharp that she was afraid even looking at it would cut her.

Her shaking fingers moved on their own, sliding across the metal surface with such delicatesy one would have thought she were handling an infant. "This. . .this is pure adamantine."

"The strongest stone in all of Auriem. Forged in the fires of Muspel and cooled in the ice of Coldscape. It's name is Brontide - The Distant Thunder That Shakes The Earth. Kneel, so that I may bestow upon you Armina's blessing."

Without hesitation, she took the knee, head bowed as low as she could go. Her breaths quickened in excitement; heart fluttering in disbelief. She'd dreamed of rising the ranks, casting of the cold of snow to take on the fires of Muspel - The Valkyries.

"Blood of my blood, and descendant of Rune The Dragoness - smiter of beasts, and first of Armina's valkyrie - I stand in witness, as you take oath. Do you vow to serve Einherjar, the Land of Winter?"

"I swear."

"Do you vow to honor your sheild-sisters, and ride with them into battle? No matter how dour the situation. To die in battle with dignity, honor, and a weapon in your grasp?"

"I do."

"And when the time comes that your life in this realm is concluded and your earthly vessel is burned in the Fire Muspel, do you give yourself to the Armina? To follow her forevermore in the next life, and to follow her still when she rides from the heavens at the End Times, to fell the vile Corruptor once and for all?"

"I do!"

"Then, rise, noble valkyrie! And take up arms! Once, you were a child. Then, you were a warrior. Now, you are a knight. By the will of Armina, and crown of the Dragoness - I dub thee, Aegis Greshield - Valkyrie!" Ancilla performed the rites, and as if the Warrior Goddess herself came down and lifted her from the ground, Aegis rose, high and tall, eye to eye with her heroine. She took Brontide from her hands, squeezing the wooden handle in white knuckles. She set her jaw and hardened her eyes. She was a valkyrie now. A warrior of Armina, and when she died, she'd serve her still. She must be strong. She must put everything her mother had taught her to use. And even if she should fight with the fires of Muspel at her back, the law of the Outskirts still rang through. Sound of mind, body and spirit. One could not control the world, but one could control themselves. No matter how much her weapon hand may tremble, or her spirit may waver, she'd harken back on those words, and find solace. On that, she swore on.

Ancilla squeezed her cousin's shoulders, pride bright in her steely eyes. "Little Aegis - no - you are not the petite little thing that clung to your mother's ankles anymore. You aren't like the others. Where they taunt and boast, you stay silent. Your blade speaks for you. Your actions - battle cries. That, sis, is why I want you to captain the voyage to the new world."

A silence fell over the bedroom, so sudden and halting that Aegis forget for a moment who she was speaking to. "T-the new world!? Annie-- my queen -- you can't possibly mean for me to lead!"

"Oh, but I do, sis. I hear of how you command your Outriders against the raider bands. How you keep those rambunctious fire-hearts in line. You've the will of fire, with a composure as cool as ice. You were born to lead."

She did not argue with her queen, for her pride silenced her voice. She bit back tears. A valkyrie does not cry. She set her eyes on Brontide, and shook her head resolutely.

"Let me see mother," Aegis requested.

"By all means. And on your return, your sisters shall be waiting. Go easy on them. Newbloods they are, but fierce fighters all the same." She clasped Aegis' cheeks, and kissed her on the forehead. "Now go, else Morgelai will undoubtedly give me an earful!" She chuckled heartedly, ushering Aegis from her chambers in a haste. Just as Ancilla had predicted, little Morgelai, advisor of the crown and Listener, stood at the end of the hall, lips tight and cheeks hot. Aegis gave her a cursory glance before milling into the throne halls and out into the bustling city. Everything was a blur, and the cool air on her cheeks helped to clear her head.

"I-I'm a bloody Valkyrie. I'm a bloody Valkyrie!" She roared into the night, chuckling and rubbing the tears from her eyes. Aegis Greshield of the Icy Shores rarely allowed herself grand pleasure. But that night, she ate as much as her belly would hold, and drank as much as her consciousness would allow. For it would be a while until she returned to her beloved country. The kingdoms all across Auriem were setting sail, and it hadn't been long until Einherjar joined in the grand voyages. As Aegis nursed her ale, she stared into the churning cup, imagining they were the breaking waves upon the open seas. A woman grown she may have been, but the child in here still longed to see the world.