Loki (28 page)

Tyr reached out a hand and took it carefully. He was surprised by its weight, and he examined it closer.

“
The Allfather said little about it?”

“
Only that I would need it and that I should keep it close.”

Tyr continued examining its length. “The dwarfs are indeed masterful craftsmen. It is slight, but brimming with power. I would not want to be bound with that slender ribbon.”

“
Nor I, but I wish that my father would be more forthcoming. Why does he not tell us what he knows?”

Tyr handed Gleipnir back. “To him, we are like children. One does not reveal all he knows to children.”

“
It is not the same. I am not some mewling brat who pisses himself. Are we not Aesir?”

“
Even gods are not all-powerful, Balder. None but the Allfather has seen what is yet to be. Neither of us even existed when he pierced his side with Gungnir and hung on Yggdrasil. And we cannot know what it is like to see what is yet to be.”

Balder was not satisfied with the answer. “That explanation is—”

He was cut off by a breathless servant. “My lord! I beg your forgiveness!”

“
What is it?” Balder asked.

“
Something is amiss at Lord Tyr's hall! The doors have been broken down, and Einherjar collect outside but will not enter!”

Tyr started from the room. Balder caught his arm.

“
I will go with you.”

He nodded, and the two gods sped from the room and through the main hall of Balder's keep.

The gathered throng of Einherjar outside of Tyr's hall was uneasy. They made way for the two gods as Balder and Tyr strode quickly to the splintered doors. Tyr grabbed one of the warriors nearby.

“
What has happened here?”

The warrior stared back at him, glassy-eyed, and said two words that explained the entire situation for Tyr: “The wolf.”

Tyr turned to Balder. “It is Fenrir.” He turned back to the warrior. “Why have you not engaged him? Why do you stand out here milling about when one of the halls of the Aesir has been attacked?”

The warrior's face had a perplexed look on it, as though he did not understand the question. After an interminable amount of time in which Tyr felt tempted to throttle him, he said, “He will kill them.”

Tyr let the warrior's arm loose. He and Balder drew their swords and walked to the entrance to his hall.

The doors were broken and splintered, but still partially attached to the frame. They could see little as they peered in, save that there was a group gathered in the middle of the hall. They looked at each other once before walking through the shattered doorway.

Their eyes adjusted quickly to the low light of the hall. In the middle of the large room a tight semi-circle of servants knelt on the stone floor, some whimpering with heads in hands, others quietly sobbing, still more silent and frozen with fear. Balder and Tyr could see the tall man-wolf just behind the protective throng, within easy striking distance of any of the poor souls who knelt in front of him.

Standing directly in front of Fenrir was another servant, one whose face he remembered. It was the boy who had brought out the meat for Fenrir, the one who had needed comforting. Tyr felt bile rise. The wolf had his hand clasped over one of the boy's shoulders, the long nails trailing down. It was a mock-protective gesture that held menace for the boy, even while virtually daring the two gods to move forward.

They stood their ground. The smile on Fenrir's face told Tyr what would happen if they came too close.

Tyr addressed Unn. “Are you harmed?”

“
Tyr,” Fenrir growled. “I have not harmed the man-child. I would not harm such a defenseless creature.”

“
What is it that you want?”

Fenrir brought his mouth down to Unn's ear and whispered something. Unn spoke, his voice wavering. “My lord, he wishes me to tell you that all servants in the castle have been brought here.”

Tyr could see that it was true. There were dozens of them around the wolf, some close enough to feel his hot breath on their necks. “What do you want?”

There was a low growl. Tyr could feel it pass through him.

Unn said, “He wishes to know where he came from, my lord. He wishes to know the answers to the questions he has posed you.” His voice shook, but he maintained a steadiness that Tyr admired, especially in one who was no warrior.

Tyr and Balder exchanged brief glances. Both knew that this would not go well. Fenrir was far closer to the servants than they were. If either of them moved forward, Fenrir could kill a score of them before they even reached him. This was not a situation that could be solved with steel. Tyr found himself wishing that Loki was there. He thought how the Sly One would have a way to trick the wolf, but then he realized whose spawn it was that he faced.

Tyr saw nothing to do but give Fenrir what he wanted.

“
You wish to know where you came from? How you came to be here?”

Fenrir growled, “Yes.”

“
And you will release them,” he gestured to the servants with his sword, “once I reveal the answers?”

“
Yes.”

He paused to gather his thoughts before beginning.

“
You were taken from your mother when you were an infant and brought here.”

Fenrir whispered again to Unn. “My lord, he says he knows this. He desires to know the full tale.”

“
There is little more to tell.”

Fenrir's hand shot out, and he dug his claws into the shoulder of the closest kneeling servant. The woman was pulled to him, but did not have time to register any complaint before Fenrir leaned his head down and tore out the side of her neck. Bloody and twitching, he dropped her body to the ground at his feet, the whimpers and sobs of the remaining hostages increasing to a frantic pace.

Tyr moved forward, rage on his face, but was held back by Balder's tight grip on his arm.

“
He will only kill more,” he whispered. “We cannot win this way. You must tell him what he wants to know.”

Tyr could only barely contain the fury he felt while staring at Fenrir's bloody smirk. The thought that he could have prevented that senseless death was like a dagger in his gut.

“
Tell me all, Tyr.”

“
You will pay for that, beast,” he mumbled under his breath. His knuckles were white on his sword hilt as he fought down his anger.

He told all he knew: traveling to Jotunheim to take the three children, the death of the infant, killing Angrboda, the stealing away of Fenrir and his brother, the casting of the one into the sea and the other into the forest. He only changed one thing. He claimed responsibility for killing the infant himself. When he was finished, Fenrir stared at him with plain loathing on his face.

“
The exiled one is my father?”

“
Yes.”

“
Where is he?”

“
It is not known.”

Fenrir stared at him, but said nothing.

“
You know all. Now set my servants free.”

“
Tyr, you took all from me.”

Tyr did not answer.

Fenrir smiled a toothy grin made the more insidious by the blood coating his fangs. Tyr did not like the look, but realized an instant too late what it meant.

“
Release my servants,” Tyr said, taking one step forward.

Fenrir nodded slowly. He turned his head toward Unn and leaned in closer, as if to whisper something in his ear, as he had done before. Instead, as his face drew closer, his jaws opened wide, and he sank his teeth into the side of Unn's head.

Unn's hands flew up to his face in a reflexive gesture, but even if it had not been too late, he would have still been unable to counter the wolf's power. There was an audible crunch as Unn's skull was cracked, followed by the rending of meat as his head was torn in half. The boy dropped to the ground at Fenrir's feet.

Tyr's eyes went wide and he screamed out, “No!”

He charged, his sword flashing in the dull light of the hall, his eyes fixed on Fenrir. Balder was just behind him. But both were too far to prevent Fenrir from lashing out, eviscerating those servants who were closest to him. A few got to their feet and ran, escaping with their lives, but most were frozen in stark terror while the wolf gutted and slew those nearest him.

In the few seconds it took Tyr to reach Fenrir, the body parts of nearly a dozen servants lay scattered in front of the wolf. Tyr did not bother to slow his assault or level an attack with his sword, but instead plowed headlong into Fenrir. The two crashed to the ground, their limbs a flurry of movement.

Tyr smashed his sword hilt again and again into Fenrir's face as the two struggled on the stone floor. What his attacks lacked in precision, they made up for in brute strength, and Fenrir roared in fury while he attempted to throw the god off.

Balder herded the servants out of the way as a stream of Einherjar came in through the front doors.

“
Get them away!” he screamed at the Einherjar. “Leave the wolf!” He held his sword out like a barrier, and the warriors scrambled to lead those servants who could still walk out of the hall. Those that lay bloodied at Balder's feet were carried out. Some might survive, but most that Fenrir had attacked were already beyond help.

Tyr and Fenrir rolled on the ground, and Balder could see that Fenrir had reverted to his wolf form, his slavering jaws snatching at Tyr's face while they struggled. Balder drew closer, ready to charge in with his blade. The two flailed so wildly that he feared he would skewer Tyr in an effort to stab the wolf.

Tyr had his arms around Fenrir's neck and was attempting to wrestle the wolf to the floor. Straining with the visible effort, he called out to Balder, “The fetter! Ready it!”

Balder cursed himself for not remembering it. His father had said to be ready, and even though he had it on his person, he had still forgotten about it. He sheathed his sword and pulled out Gleipnir just as Tyr lost his footing and was thrown to the stone floor.

Balder leaped at Fenrir, but the wolf was faster than he had anticipated. He ducked down underneath the attack and sunk his teeth into Balder's thigh. The god yelled in pain, but the cry was silenced as Fenrir whipped his neck and shoulder muscles and slammed Balder to the ground. He released his hold on Balder's leg and pounced onto his chest, bringing his jaws to Balder's throat.

He was able to grab the wolf's throat with one hand and stop the muzzle from getting any closer, but he could feel the hot breath and spittle on his face, could see the rows of teeth as the wolf snapped at him. The beast was strong, far stronger than he had thought, and he was not entirely sure that he could continue holding him off. Gleipnir was clutched in his other fist, all but useless as he felt the steady, crushing pressure of Fenrir's attack.

Tyr was suddenly there, grabbing the wolf's muzzle and wrenching him off Balder. He flipped Fenrir onto his back and pressed one knee down onto the beast's throat while the wolf scraped at him with four claw-tipped paws. He was gouged in multiple places, each claw drawing a long cut across his chest, but he leveraged his body onto the wolf and managed to avoid most of the worst attacks.

“
Bind him! Now!” he yelled at Balder.

Balder tackled the lower half of the wolf, immobilizing his rear legs, and began wrapping Gleipnir around them. Fenrir's fury increased. He curled his body up and then flexed out with his rear paws, tossing Balder from him. Tyr shifted his body to keep the beast still, but his moved position gave Fenrir an opening. He twisted suddenly and Tyr lost his hold.

Fenrir turned back and lunged at Tyr. His jaws snapped in front of the god's face, but fell short as he was grabbed from behind. He turned back to see Balder holding onto his tail with both hands. He jerked it loose and sent Balder stumbling, before launching himself at the unprotected side of the young god.

Tyr saw that Balder was about to be gutted by the wolf. He charged in and grabbed for the snout once more. He clamped his hands around the muzzle and prepared to flip the wolf onto his back, as he had done before.

Fenrir pulled his head back quickly, and Tyr lost his grip for the briefest of seconds. It was long enough, however, for Fenrir to sink his teeth into the meaty flesh of Tyr's right arm. The jaws clamped down, Tyr's entire hand stuck inside the wolf's mouth.

Fenrir wrenched his head away from Tyr violently, the arm still clenched in his teeth. There was a tearing sound and then a snap, barely audible over Tyr's gasp of pain. And then the god was on the ground, his severed hand now in the wolf's mouth.

Fenrir turned back to Tyr and smiled before choking down the hand. But his momentary gloating gave Balder an opening. He brought his fists down on top of Fenrir's head with all the strength he could muster. Caught unprepared, Fenrir bore the entire brunt of the god's attack on his skull. He crashed down to the floor, dazed.

Balder did not hesitate. He began wrapping Gleipnir around the wolf quickly, binding neck and then front legs first. Fenrir was quick to recover, and he shrugged Balder off, although Gleipnir remained loosely coiled around him.

Nearby Einherjar joined the fray. Fenrir attacked them wildly, but was less effective now that Balder had him partially tied. His jaws closed onto some of the Einherjar, but others continued to grab and hold him. They slowed him down enough for Balder to wrap Gleipnir around him several more times, bringing him gasping to his forepaws. Balder continued to bind him with Gleipnir, the fetter almost taking on a life of its own as each loop confined Fenrir's movements more and more.