Page 57 of The Last Valkyrie

Chapter 19

Arne

MY FOCUS HAD SHIFTEDonce again. The difference this time was I had no control over it. My hand had been forced after I saw that Leper fighting with one of our Huscarls during the battle at the Selfsky Plains. The same Leper who fled and caused the Huscarl’s death when a draug jumped on him.

It had been appalling to witness. To see how far my old family had fallen.

In the past, I made the conscious decision to focus my energy away from Frida and the Lepers Who Leapt. I could no longer help them, they were causing me too much grief and heartache. The magicless band of rebels fighting against Vikingrune Academy had become spiteful, envious, and dangerous. Crazed and cultish, even, under the tutelage of my younger sister.

More than that, I had no agency or control over them any longer. My words didn’t matter, because I was no longer part of them—I was simply a part of the problem, the rune-imbued folk they were fighting against.

It was a strange position to be in, fighting on the side of the Lepers’ oppressors, in their eyes. The ones who kept them down, exiled them, and forced them to leap from thoseWraithships into the icy waters and brave death in order to claw their way back.

I would never stoprespectingthe Lepers Who Leapt. But I couldn’t, in good faith, support them any longer. Not after what I’d seen.

More than anything, I changed my focus after falling in love with Ravinica, telling myself I was willing to do anything to keep her safe and our love bound. I groveled, I begged, and I received my forgiveness. Now I would make sure I never lost sight of our love again.

Which meant refocusing on the Lepers for a final time, just when I thought I was free of them for good. Trying to find a solution that benefited us and them, to bring them on our side so we could avoid unnecessary bloodshed at the hands of the dark elves and jotnar.

Though the draug were monstrous creatures born from the depths of Hel itself, they were not my greatest concern. I knew without someone controlling them, the undead army would fall. We needed to cut the head off the snake to have any chance at victory for the Isle and humanity.

The Lepers were being led astray. I needed to know more, learn more, to really understand their end goal and what they hoped to accomplish by subjugating themselves to the wicked Dokkalfar.

After the mass burial ceremony, I tossed and turned that night with fitful sleep, recalling all the horrid events from the battle. Losing Rolf Blisdan had broken my heart, as I’d spoken about in my eulogy. I had been the one to bring him here from our village.And what did he die for? Why did we even find ourselves on those plains?Rolf had been made a shining example of the ruthlessness and violence of the jotnar, with their huge mythical beasts and otherworldly magic.

I was angry and frustrated. Worse than that, I felt helpless. I needed to do something to change the trajectory of this war, whatever little thing it may be.

I knew other students at Vikingrune felt the same way. Men and women I didn’t even know, initiates and cadets and soldiers alike, would be querying their own connections in and outside the academy to try and lend assistance to our survival.

I had to do my part.

Early next morning, I made sure to take a long shower in the community quarters and eat a hearty morning meal before starting to pack my things. I planned on traveling light, forgoing my ostentatious and flamboyant attire for muted colors that would hide me in the trees, light trail rations, and a few daggers along with my cloak, sword, and shield.

I looked the part of a warrior—something I had never considered myself until the recent battle with the jotnar.

Ravinica found me staring at myself in a mirror with a scowl across my face. My scowl broke and I smirked at her when she showed behind my shoulder in the reflection.

She walked up beside me and hugged around my middle, her touch lighting a fire inside me as she rested her chin adoringly on my shoulder to stare at us in the mirror. “Don’t go changing on me, Arne Gornhodr. I like you just how you are.”

I chuckled, petting the side of her face as we stared at each other in the reflection. “I have to at least look serious to my former comrades, lass. Can’t be your hunky twink forever.”

She laughed, open-mouthed, her cheeks flaming at my self-deprecation. I was used to poking fun at myself, and she loved it.

A few seconds passed in perfection, then a somber look overtook her features. “Be safe, Arne, and don’t be ashamed or scared to retreat at the first sign of trouble. Promise me.”

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