Page 11 of Thor

But the project in front of her was Thor's hammer, or whoever's hammer it was, and the site where they'd found it. Which wasn't actually that far outside their camp boundaries...

Besides, it wasn't even full dark yet. The days were getting longer, and the sun had only just set. There was still plenty of light in the sky. If she wandered over to the site now and just had a quick look before the meltwater froze over, then she'd know for sure if there was anything else to be found. Anything still under the ice could stay there, but if they'd missed something while they were extracting the hammer, she'd never forgive herself if it got damaged between now and later in the season.

Nobody knew safety procedures better than she did – a product of mostly working at sites sponsored by mining companies back in Western Australia. She'd done so many Take 5 checks before starting work, she could probably get a job as a safety officer on a mine site back home, if archaeology wouldn't pay the bills.

Then again, the best way to pay the bills was to find something to write plenty of papers on, to show the world she really did deserve the Harald Medal, and more besides.

She'd just be taking a walk, to help her think, Sibyl told herself. If Karl caught her, she'd just say she'd been lost in thought, and not realised she'd walked outside the camp boundaries on her way back from the bathroom tent.

Now she wished she'd kept her boots on, instead of changing into her camp slippers for dinner. If she detoured via her tent, she might have time to swap shoes...

Not if she wanted to use the remaining daylight.

Sibyl nodded. Yes, she was sure now. Tacey would tell her to do her best work on what was in front of her. Which meant one last check of the hammer site, just to make sure.

Without looking back, she marched off into the sunset.

TEN

HELP. Thor, help me.

Thor reached for his hammer before his eyes were even fully open.

That call. That voice. He had to help her. He'd sworn to serve, and serve he would.

Just...needed...hammer...

He would fight to defend her with his last breath. No matter what the cost, or who the foe was. Maybe even the wolf man...

Just...needed...his hammer...

Thor reached for it, where he knew it would be.

Where it should be.

Only to grasp at empty air...

ELEVEN

Sibyl swore as the stubbed her toe for the third time. Even with a headtorch in the dusky light, it was hard to see where she was going, and every rock looked the same. She really should have stopped to grab her boots. But now she was here, she might as well take a look at the hammer site.

Just one problem: finding it in the dark.

Even leaning on the cairn – which she was almost certain was the right one – she wasn't sure which way she'd been facing when she found the hammer. It'd help if she could see the outlines of the mountains around her, but it was way too dark for that now, and her headlamp beam definitely didn't go that far.

If only all the bloody rocks didn't look the same...

Well, they hadn't earlier, but the sun had been out then, whereas now...

She had a crazy thought. Tried to dismiss it, but it wouldn't go away. Well, if nothing else worked...

Everyone else had called the weapon Thor's hammer. The Vikings had believed in him, invoked him at every turn and wore amulets with his hammer on them. If anyone could help her...

"Thor? If you even exist, I could really use your help right now. Help finding the place where I found what everyone's calling your hammer." Oh, this was stupid. The Norse gods didn't exist. They never had. "Help. Thor, please help me."

Something moved behind her, like a stone kicked loose by a clumsy foot, clattering against its fellows until it found a new place to settle.

Sibyl spun around, lighting up the area with the beam of her torch. Nothing. No one.

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