“BLOODSONG AND FREEDOM?” King Nidhug frowned at the young slave woman enchained upon the Skull. “It is time to make you scream.”
Terrified but determined, Jalna Audsdaughter glared defiantly down at him. I won’t tell him anything but false plans, she thought. I need to think of something that he will believe!
“After your contamination by Bloodsong’s insanity, torturing you could be almost as satisfying as torturing her.”
“Monster!” She spit at him but missed. “Filth! Gelding!”
“Please feel free to express yourself. I value your opinion.” He winked at her.
“Hel take you!”
“Not today.” He intoned a runic phrase. There was a flash of purple light, a soft popping sound, and suddenly, floating before him was a thin black wand that glistened as if wet. Its tip glowed with a vile, green light.
Jalna stared at the glowing tip of the floating wand. Bloodsong’s memories brought fresh panic. She tensed in her chains.
“From your expression, you recognize the Venom Wand.”
I must think of false plans! Now!
Nidhug chanted Runes and gestured upward.
Jalna’s dark eyes widened with fear as she watched the wand ascend and float nearer. Bloodsong’s memories told her its touch was horrible, but she did not know exactly what kind of pain it caused. I must think of something that will stop him! Think!
Nidhug hovered the tip of the wand halfway between her hip and her knee above her left thigh. She felt an unpleasant tingling and echoing tingles in her wrists, as if her body connected the wand to the Skull. She assumed her ankles would have felt it, too, before what happened in the tunnel. Bloodsong’s memories of the Venom Wand cleared further and she suddenly knew that if the wand touched her, the chains would bring extra pain into her body from the Skull! Sweat broke out on her face.
Nidhug moved the hovering tip slightly closer. The tingling changed to burning.
Jalna gritted her teeth and clenched her fists and kept silent. Her wrists felt on the verge of burning, too. And she saw that her left thigh, immediately below the hovering tip, was turning red. Defying the icy air, a sheen of sweat now covered her.
He moved the tip still closer.
She stoically endured the burning pain in silence, making as few movements as possible. From Bloodsong, she knew this teasing was nothing compared to what would follow, unless she invented false plans to satisfy him. But pain and fear kept muddying her thoughts. In the flickering torchlight and the pulsing purple glow of the Skull, her body now glistened with sweat from head to toe. The cavern’s frigid air reacted with her sweat and made her shiver.
“I am surprised, slave. You do not even whimper, yet. Bloodsong did. Are you tougher than her? Let’s find out. I will start touching you now, unless you give me Bloodsong’s secrets.”
I have to think of false plans! But I need more time! “Wait!”
“Are you ready to cooperate?”
“I—” she hesitated, stalling, desperately trying to think, “I might be—”
He made a slight gesture with his fingers and the glowing tip of the wand lightly tapped her left thigh.
She barked a shout of surprise as the brief touch burned like a hot iron and brought a burst of searing energy down the chains into her body. Her muscles from head to toe spasmed with shock. Even worse, the ghostly tentacles from within the Skull momentarily returned to burn inside her.
She sobbed at the lingering pain. I cannot stand this! she suddenly realized. I thought I could, but I can’t! Not even for Bloodsong. It’s worse than I imagined! Shamed by her cowardice, she opened her mouth to tell him she would talk, just as he positioned the wand over her right thigh. “No! Wait! Not again! I want to—”
The wand tapped her right thigh.
She screamed and convulsed in her chains.
And she heard him laugh!
Muscles quivering from the second touch, she felt anger erupt. That is the same laugh I heard the night he killed my mother! She growled low in her throat like a beast. “You—” she gasped, “must die!”
“What?” His face showed surprise. “For a couple of taps? I’ve hardly started!”
“For—” she sobbed, “my mother! And—”
“Very well! Come down here and kill me! But wait. Oh, dear. You are chained. Naked. Helpless. And you are being, what was it? Oh yes, now I remember, tortured!”
Her face had become a hate-strong mask. “I cannot—” she panted, “kill you, but Bloodsong will!”
He looked around the cavern then back at her. “Where is she? You have me worried now.” Then he laughed again.
She spit at him again and missed him again.
He floated the wand near her stomach and positioned the tip just below her navel. “Bloodsong passed out after the first two taps. But you have withstood them. Can you also shrug off a longer touch?” The glowing tip touched her stomach and stayed touching her.
She shook with agony and screamed brokenly, again and again, until at last, unconsciousness silenced her.
Jalna drifted in darkness, then an image arose of a woman. She had long blond hair and was garbed in a black cloak trimmed in silver. She smiled and spoke in Jalna’s thoughts. Courage! I am Halta Ingasdaughter. I once hung where you now hang! But as I died—
Nidhug used sorcery to force Jalna awake.
For a moment, the dream-like image of the blond woman lingered, but waves of throbbing pain quickly wiped it away. Jalna heard the pitiful sounds of a woman sobbing and whimpering. She slowly realized it was her. She forced herself to be silent. Jalna’s vision was blurry. She blinked several times and her sight began to clear. She saw Nidhug smiling up at her.
“Aren’t they attractive? Your new beauty marks? Are they as fetching on you as you remember from Bloodsong?”
Panting with pain, she looked down at herself. The places where the tip had touched showed angry red patches of swollen skin with white blisters in the center. The one on her stomach was the largest and most painful. Exactly like Bloodsong! she realized. Which meant, if the pattern held, he would next make the tip brighter and more painful then touch her in worse places.
He intoned Runes. The tip of the hovering wand glowed brighter. ”I am afraid it will hurt much worse, being brighter. But you must know that.”
She remembered how Bloodsong’s body had looked after what came next and imagined looking that way, too. I can’t betray Bloodsong now, not to the monster I vowed to kill. I must think of false plans! Think!
“I hope you will not feel too cheated, having Bloodsong’s memories as you do, if I leave some interesting spots where I touched her untouched on you. I need to know what you learned as soon as possible, so we must move on to more serious matters. Or, you could shake off Bloodsong’s bad influence and cooperate.”
She said nothing and tried to replace the fear that was building with hatred.
“Very well. I understand. If you talk now, you will never find out how Bloodsong felt when the tip turned her flesh to a blood-slimed liquid and made it boil.”
He moved the brightened tip closer to the blister on her stomach. With the tip brighter, the tingling changed to burning while the tip was still a hand’s breadth away.
She closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
The brightened tip of the Venom Wand touched the stomach blister and stayed there.
Jalna opened her mouth to scream but the pain was so vast that for a moment all her muscles were locked stiff and rigid and she could not draw air into her lungs. The tip burned and sizzling blue energy from the Skull shocked agony down her arms and up her legs as the spectral tentacles from within the Skull burrowed beneath her flesh to burn deep inside, until she finally gasped a breath and did scream. But the tip stayed against her no matter how violently she jerked from side to side and twisted and turned, and the pain went on and she smelled her flesh cooking and screamed again and again until unconsciousness ended her suffering once more.
In the darkness, Jalna saw the image of the woman return. Yes, I, Halta Ingasdaughter, hung where you now hang, but Hel spoke to me as I died, and later, I agreed to secretly watch for Her here. I reported your courage. She found you worthy! Call on Hel!
Skadi is my Goddess! Jalna responded.
And because Skadi is Hel’s enemy, Hel cannot come to you until you forsake Skadi. That is why I came instead of Hel. Call on Hel!
I cannot!
Nidhug’s sorcery again cut into Jalna’s unconsciousness and dragged her awake.
Jalna tried to remember the strange dream she’d just seen, but the pain again crowded out everything else. She made herself look at her stomach. She sobbed with horror.
“Tell me all you learned about Bloodsong.”
Jalna shook her head.
“Is that a no?”
She cried helpless tears.
He shrugged and intoned a runic phrase. The tip glowed brighter.
Jalna moaned then gritted her teeth and cut the sound off.
With a gesture, he made the brightened tip touch her stomach wound again.
Jalna screamed and heaved and tried to dislodge the tip but it followed her every move. When she passed out again, the dream-woman continued her appeal.
Trust Hel to tell you what to do and say, Jalna Audsdaughter.
But when I die, I do not want my soul to go to Helheim!
Hel will love and heal you. Trust me. Trust Hel.
I can’t!
Then trust Hel’s hate for Nidhug. If you would mislead Nidhug and help Bloodsong, call on Hel.
Hel is a monster!
Would Bloodsong ride in Hel’s name if Hel were a monster?
I don’t know. I—
Nidhug forced Jalna out of darkness again.
“From Bloodsong, you know where this torture leads.” He brightened the tip another degree. “And because time is short, we are there.”
Jalna’s heart jumped and stuttered at the news.
“I will now make the wand touch you until either you break or the burning eats away too much of you and you die. Pass out and I will leave it burning while I wake you up. But if you die, I will bring you back to life, heal you, and start over.”
He gestured with his fingers and positioned the tip. “You are no hero, wretched woman! You are just a miserable slave, contaminated by contact with the mind of an insane traitor. Tell me Bloodsong’s secrets!”
“She will—” she panted, “destroy you!” Her voice was so hoarse from screaming, it hardly seemed her own.
“Believe me, slave, you do not want me to do this next thing! With the tip this bright, the burning and boiling will spread rapidly in all directions, up and down your torso and legs, and that is just on the surface. It will also burn into your guts! It might even boil and burn all the way through a slender thing like you and separate your upper body from your lower. Think about that. But even then I can bring you back to life, and you will eventually tell me what I need to know.”
A growl started low in Jalna’s throat and built into a wordless roar as she jerked and heaved back and forth in a berserking rage against her bonds.
“Please, little slave, cooperate with me so that I can heal you and make you pretty again. You are already so ugly it turns my stomach. Cooperate!”
I must think of lies to fool him! Quickly! Without calling on— The words had come unbidden into her mind. Calling on whom? Then it all came flooding back. Was that real? Can I really call on Hel for help? Dare I? Do I have any choice but to try?
“You just ran out of time, slave.”
“No! Wait!”
“Are you ready to talk?”
Oh Gods! I can’t stand any more! Skadi forgive me! Hel! I call on the Goddess Hel! Help me! Stop him! Help—
Jalna’s consciousness shifted. Though still awake, ghostly figures arose in her mind.
She saw a woman on a throne, half alive, half dead. A young girl with dark hair and brooding eyes stood nearby. And a woman with long blond hair—Halta! Jalna recognized Hel’s messenger. And Queen Hel. But the child? Then from Bloodsong’s memories she knew. Bloodsong’s daughter! Guthrun!
Trust me, courageous one, said Hel, touching Jalna’s thoughts. I will tell you what to do and give you words to mislead Nidhug. But I know well his mind. To be certain he believes my lies, you must promise to wait until he has hurt you just a little bit more.
What? No! Give me the words to stop him!
You better do what She says! the child warned, frowning, then, fighting tears, Guthrun added, Please! Help my mother!
I can’t stand any more!
Your soul is stronger than you know, Daughter of Aud, Hel told her. I will trust you. Receive now my words!
Jalna heard a multitude of undecipherable whispers fill her mind. Then they stopped. Her thoughts cleared. Focused. And she realized Hel had done what She had promised. I have the words! False plans! Everything! I can stop him!
Nidhug moved the tip closer. Tendrils of smoke rose from Jalna’s skin.
“I’ll tell!”
He smiled. “Very well. Begin!”
“Move the tip—” she gasped, “back!”
He moved it closer, instead. “Talk!”
“Yes!” She panted. “Bloodsong plans to—”
No! she stopped herself. Don’t be the coward you’ve always been! Do what Hel asked! Bloodsong would! Let him start! Then stop him quick!!
“Monster! I won’t tell! Bloodsong and freedom!”
He shrugged and made the tip touch her.
She screamed and immediately cried, “I’ll tell you!”
The wand stayed in place.
She screamed and jerked and spasmed and struggled to stay conscious. “Stop!”
“Not quite yet.”
“Stop!” Must remember Hel’s words! Hel’s words! Then she heard Nidhug. He was again laughing at her suffering! Her hatred for him erupted beyond anything she’d ever imagined she could feel.
“It needs to be brighter.”
“No!” She panted and fought and gasped for air.
He began a runic phrase—
“Let me tell!”
He finished the phrase.
The pain consuming her unbelievably increased and the destruction of her flesh accelerated.
Consciousness slipping, she fought back. Her pounding heart faltered but recovered and raced even faster. Smoke rose from her manacles as the flesh of her wrists and ankles burned.
“But when Bloodsong broke, it was one degree brighter.”
“No!” She screamed. “No!” She gasped and sobbed, “I beg you!” Oh Gods! I begged! Just like Bloodsong! No!
“Ah! You begged!” He laughed loudly. Then he brightened the tip.
Incoherent screams echoed in the cavern’s icy air as Jalna’s burning body thrashed and spasmed out of control.
“Only one degree brighter to go!” He shouted to be heard over her constant screams.
She shook her head No! but could only keep screaming. She fought through the pain and smoke just to breathe. Remember the words! Her vision blurred. Must stay awake. Her vision darkened. Don’t pass out! Stay awake! Don’t let him win! Remember the words!
He brightened the tip to its maximum.
Agony exploded.
The burning spread quickly. The heat overwhelmed her eyes and her vision went dark. She arched rigid in her chains and shook with constant spasms. Unconsciousness clawed at her. But then she heard him laughing again and screamed in rage and fought back and endured and found a way to brokenly shout, “Let! Me! Tell!”
He spoke Runes. The wand vanished.
Jalna’s burning spread no farther, but each breath was a struggle and, now blind, lost in darkness, the slightest movement brought fresh agony. She fought to retain Hel’s words. She feared she would die before she could deliver the false plans. She worried that if she died and he brought her back, her memory of the words might be gone.
Nidhug waved away smoke and looked up at her. “What you just did is not possible. You took more punishment than Bloodsong without passing out! Or dying! And now, though burned raw, you are still awake and aware. It is simply not possible. Oh, you looked like nothing but a pretty slave, but that was just a disguise. What are you?”
“Wh—” she gagged, almost coughed, managed not to, “What?”
“Who are you?”
She fought to breathe. “I—” she sobbed. Her heart fluttered unsteadily, “I am—” a gasp, “Jalna Auds—”
“I don’t mean your name. I want to know who you used to be.”
“Who?”
“Your soul! You are beginning to remind me of someone from long ago. I must remember who.”
“I—” she whimpered weakly, “am dying! Let me tell!” She abandoned herself to a long wail of agony and horror. “If I die and—” she coughed, screamed, “you bring me back,” she hurried the words and gasped another breath, “I might forget.”
“You might be a reincarnated enemy. If so, my sorcery can use undying hatred such as an old enemy would feel. But we will investigate those mysteries later.”
A desperate idea flashed in her mind. “Heal me!” she pleaded. “Just enough—” she gasped, “to live!” She sobbed. “Don’t risk my dying—” another gasp, “and forgetting Bloodsong’s—” she coughed, screamed, “secrets!”
“Actually, you are correct. I should not risk your forgetting. Your inhuman endurance distracted me. Is that your purpose? To distract me? Are you working against me, even now?
She heard him chanting Runes, Not having sight, she did not know the Venom Wand had vanished. She feared he had lied about its having been its brightest and was brightening the tip again. She stiffened at a sudden stab of deep pain, in her heart. But a moment later, her heart began beating normally. Its unsteadiness was gone. And then, into her eyes light came in a hazy patch, and as the sorcerer continued to chant Runes, her vision returned! He is healing me! she realized. Praise Goddess! But which One, now? she wondered. Hel?
She looked down in horror at the raw and ruined flesh of her body but then watched in amazement as her burned skin rapidly healed and returned to normal. The deep agony radiating out from her guts stopped hurting as the flesh of her stomach again became whole.
“There, slave, or whoever you really are. You are healed inside and out, except for your deadened legs. So! Tell me Bloodsong’s secrets. If you get stubborn again, however, or if I don’t believe what you tell me, I can conjure a return of the Venom Wand and start over. Now, talk.”
Later, hanging in her chains, Jalna was careful to conceal her pride. She had won! Nidhug had accepted Hel’s words. But he still did not know everything, nor that Bloodsong had Witch-powers.
“Thanks to your information, slave, Bloodsong will soon be here with us, hanging in your place, brought hence by sky-demons. And then you can watch as I do things to her that make what you have suffered seem the foreplay of a lover. But I will not take you down just yet. If your information proves faulty, I will punish you, of course, perhaps call back the Venom Wand.”
Oh Gods! Jalna thought. I hadn’t considered that!
He strode away.
As he left, she tried to quell new panic. Then she noticed that blood, fluids, and sweat from her torture, pooled on the floor beneath her, were attracting rats and insects. She wondered if they could climb the Skull to get at her. Certainly the insects could. She sobbed with new horror.
Peace, child, Hel’s thoughts returned. In her mind, Jalna saw the ghostly images of the Queen of the Dead, Halta Ingasdaughter, and Guthrun.
“Goddess? Oh, Goddess! Free me before he returns!”
Thank you, brave warrior, said Guthrun, for helping my mother. She raised a small fist in salute.
Jalna shook her head. “I am no warrior.”
Yes you are, said Hel. And would that I could free you, but the traitor Nidhug must not guess I intervened. And to that end, all memory of my help I now remove from your mind.
Jalna was suddenly afraid she had failed Bloodsong. What did I tell him? She fought to remember. Did I give him false plans? Or cause Bloodsong’s defeat? And that strange dream. I saw death! Hel Herself came to me! Oh! Sweet Skadi! Am I going to die?
Alone on the Skull, Jalna wept.
Sleep, child. Sleep.
She raised her head and looked around the cavern. Who had spoken? Or had she imagined it? Then she suddenly remembered snuggling in her mother’s warm bed on cold winter nights. The memory was so strong, so real—
Jalna sighed with contentment.
Jalna slept.