Mimir's Well (The Oracles of Kurnugi Book 3) (13 page)

CHAPTER 26

            
 
H
enry and Andromeda were the last ones out of the tent. As she neared the flap, he grabbed her arm.

              "Hold on a second. What's going on?"

              "Henry, we don't really have time for this right now."

              "You keep using that excuse. It may not get any less busy in the next couple of days, so I want you to tell me now. Why don't they remember you're their daughter? Why didn't you want them to know that King Budli is your father here?"

              "Henry please." Unshed tears welled in her eyes, and suddenly, he felt like an enormous jerk.

              "Sorry," he said. "I'll drop the subject." He looked after the departing kings. "You've lost more than I have."

              She shook her head. "No, that's not it. I'll tell you, just not now. I really need to not think about this right now."

              Henry nodded once and mentally resolved not to bring it up again. He held open the tent flap and followed her out. King Frederick raised an eyebrow, but Henry just smiled and gestured with his hand.

              "Lead the way."

              The whispers Henry had become all too familiar with followed them, though this time, the focus of their attention wasn't Henry himself. It was the eight legged horse who trailed him. The name of Odin drifted from the men of Argath and of Greece, in addition to the dwarves, though Henry suspected only the latter group truly knew who the one-eyed god was. Valin made a curt gesture, and a dozen soldiers fell in around them.

              The flaming hammer banner appeared over the sea of men a few minutes before the men holding it did. Andromeda missed a step when she saw it but recovered before anyone but Henry noticed. The guards parted, and a huge man wearing a gold circlet stood before them. He looked slightly smaller than a mountain. He had pale skin, though callouses covered his hands. A long handled axe hung from his belt, and a leather hilt showed over his shoulder, though the sword itself was covered by a heavy fur cloak. He scanned each of the people in Henry's party with a stony gaze. He cracked a smile when he saw Andromeda, but the color drained from his face when his eyes fell on Pegasus.

              "Is that..." Words failed him.

              "Odin's horse," Henry said.

              "Then, the Allfather fights for you?"

              "Not exactly," Henry said. "Let's just say he's not against us. I take it Andromeda was right, and you're not here to fight?"

              Budli shook his head but never took his eyes from the horse. "The gods have sent elves and dwarves against us." He glanced at Fjalar.

              "High King Hreidmar has made his position known," Fjalar said. "Those who went against that are traitors."

              Budli nodded. "I heard there was an army moving against Asgard. I gathered every man able to hold a sword and brought them here to join forces." The three leaders with Henry looked at him, and Budli frowned. "They said nothing of a boy leading them though."

              Andromeda spoke up. "King Budli, surely you must have heard of Henry Alexander Gideon."

              Budli gave a slow nod. He looked Henry up and down, his eyes lingering on the sword at Henry's belt. He looked Henry in the eyes, and Henry had to resist the urge to shift on his feet. Budli took in the army of men and dwarves. A few men were nodding.

              "Henry Alexander Gideon. I thought you were a myth."

              The ridiculousness of that statement struck him, and Henry erupted in laughter. Andromeda quirked a smile, but the others just stared at him.

              "I'm sorry," he said. "It would take too long to explain why that's funny. King Budli, we welcome you and your men to this fight."

              Henry extended a hand, and the king took it. One by one, Budli clasped hands with each of the rulers there before turning to Andromeda.

              "Andromeda, it is good to see you," he said, "though I must admit, I never thought to find you in the middle of a war."

              "We go where we're needed." Her voice cracked. "And we are who we need to be."

              "Very true." Budli nodded. "Still, do you know anything of war?"

              Andromeda nodded. "My father taught me."

              No instant of recognition flashed across his face. He simply nodded. The other kings just shrugged off what she said. Andromeda brought her hand to her face to wipe away a single tear, but even this went unnoticed by them.

              "And I take it your father was a great warrior?"

              "One of the best," Andromeda said, keeping her eyes lowered. Her voice was quiet, almost consumed by the noise of the camp. Budli, still oblivious to her distress, simply shrugged.

              "You know, in all the time I've known you, I don't think we've ever discussed your parents."

              Henry thought he should say something to stop the conversation, but without any idea of what was going on, he worried he'd only make this worse. Finally, Andromeda shook her head. "It's not important. If you'll excuse me, I'm suddenly not feeling well."

              Frederick nodded at one of the guards who bore the snowflake crest of Argath. "Of course. Brand here will arrange a tent for you."

              "Thank you, Fa...Frederick. King Frederick. I'm sorry. I forgot myself."

              The king waved off the apology. "You've been through more than most. I can hardly blame you for a little slip of the tongue."

              "Thank you," she said again before turning to Henry. "If you wouldn't mind walking with me?"

              "Of course," Henry said with a slight bow.

              "Tell me, Brand," Andromeda said once they'd walked a little ways. "How does Argath fare?"

              "As well as can be expected," he said. "The witch Zuab tried to take over our kingdom and would've succeeded if not for Master Henry here. Now, the threat of Neustad is gone forever, and our alliance with the Nordi Mountains is stronger than ever. The only thing that concerns us is the lack of an heir."

              Henry offered Andromeda an arm to steady herself. "An heir?"

              "Yes, Master Henry. The king is not a young man."

              "He's hardly old and grey," Andromeda said.

              "Of course not, milady, but after his disastrous marriage to Zuab, many are afraid he'll balk at finding a new wife."

              Andromeda closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "He won't."

              "I certainly hope not."

              "Realm before king," Andromeda quoted. "Isn't that what he always says?"

              The guard nodded. "As you say."

              Andromeda started slowing down. The guard gave Henry a questioning look, but Henry waved him on and Brand moved forward to give them a measure of privacy. Andromeda started to speak half a dozen times, but she always stumbled after a word or two.

              "You really don't have to tell me," Henry said.

              "How many times have you saved my life?" she asked. "How many times have you saved my family and my kingdom?"

             
Apparently none
, he thought.
Not if those men aren't your father.
"That doesn't matter."

              "It's the price the Oracle demanded," she said, making his blood run cold. "In order to drink from it, I had to surrender who I was. I am no longer the princess, and so Kurnugi's influence no longer clouds my memories."

              A lump formed in Henry's throat. The Oracle had demanded the same thing of both of them. Only Andromeda had dared pay that price.

              "But why?" he asked. "The whole reason you came with me was to save your people. Now..."

              "They are still my people," she said "I remember Aetheopia, Argath, and Gothia, and so many more. From the shining halls of Camelot, to a world inhabited by human mushrooms where my hero is a plumber. You can't imagine the number of worlds I have existed in. I did what I did for them. If Idun wins, they'll all fall, but Henry, I didn't come with you for them. I came for you."

              Henry's heart caught in his throat. "Andromeda..."

              "You don't have to say anything. One of the first things I looked at was your past. I couldn't see after you were marked, but I know what came before. I understand, Henry. I know where you came from. I suppose you know I dreamed of us being together." She laughed, but a tear glimmered on her cheek. "That's how the story is supposed to go, isn't it? The hero saves the princess, and then they live happily ever after. I'm not even sure I had a choice, but you did, didn't you? You're not of Kurnugi. You may be the hero, but you can choose to do whatever you want."

              "I'm sorry," he said. The words sounded poor and inadequate. "I should've drunk from the well, not you. I should've been the one to surrender who I am."

              Andromeda shook her head. "What you're doing is a lot more important than anything I've given up. I'm not sure you could have gone on with this fight if you had been the one to drink. It would've taken too much. It's for the best, even if I do cease to exist when this is done."

              "What do you mean?"

              She smiled, but it was the fake sort of smile people give when they're trying not to cry. "This is a story, and I don't have a role here anymore. Not apart from being your companion. I'm not sure I can exist without you here."

              "But..."

              Andromeda waved off his concern. "When I drank, whatever had been preventing me from remembering the different worlds vanished. I've lived a long time, Henry. Many lifetimes. Maybe more than anyone has a right to."

              "We'll go back to the Oracle," Henry said. "Odin said you can give back the knowledge. That should make you the princess again."

              "I don't think it works that way." Ahead, Brand had stopped and was ordering men to set up a tent. Henry and Andromeda stopped a little ways away. "I knew what I was doing when I drank from the well. I've accepted it."

              Henry didn't know how to respond to that, and they waited mutely while the tent rose up. Andromeda gave a sad smile before disappearing inside.

CHAPTER 27

            
 
T
he three days it took to reach the mountain range passed without incident. The kings didn't really need his help in planning their attack, so Henry had no reason to go see them. Andromeda had been trained in warfare in at least one of her lives, but being around the men who had been her fathers was painful for her. As a result, they spent much of their time walking through the army. Though none of the men recognized Andromeda, all stood a little straighter when Henry walked by. Once, when Henry saw Captain Sholtz, a man who'd been like an uncle to Andromeda in Argath, Henry turned Andromeda away to spare her seeing someone else she'd loved who wouldn't remember her. He wasn't entirely sure he'd succeeded, but if Andromeda noticed the old soldier, she gave no sign. She did find one source of comfort though when they made their way to the picketed horses.

              "Oakash!"

              The chocolate brown mare whinnied when Andromeda approached. She threw her arms around the horse's neck, and Oakash nuzzled at her shoulder. Henry had no idea if the horse actually remembered her, or if it only responded to her attitude, but he didn't care. Andromeda laughed out loud, and it warmed Henry's heart to see her happy. A stable boy retrieved her saddle, and they rode for the rest of the day. After that, it seemed like some of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

              The mountains grew in the distance until their army had reached the base. They split into groups of a hundred, each led by a company of dwarves. Valin's men, better suited for mountain travel than any of the humans, guided them through a series of passes and switchbacks. The smaller groups allowed them to make good time, and in spite of the fact that their ranks had been swelled by King Budli's men, they made it to the top in the two days that Valin had originally estimated. Bifrost glowed brightly, one end anchored to a ledge on a peak about half a mile away. Its shimmering colors, from red so deep it could've been blood to bright violet that reminded Henry of wildflowers, cast colored lights on the surrounding mountains as well as the valley below. Henry's breath caught in his throat. The valley, presumably the same one they'd crossed before, was swarming with men. They were so far below, he couldn't make out individuals, but the mass stretched out farther than he could see even from the high vantage point. For all he knew, they reached all the way to Asgard.

              "How many is that?" he asked, not caring who answered.

              "I don't know," Cepheus said. "Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions. That army could swallow us whole and not even realize they'd done it."

              Henry turned to Hermes. "You wouldn't still happen to have Medusa's head, would you?"

              Hermes shook his head. "I told you that had to stay in Greece."

              "Because that would've been too easy." Henry looked out over the army. "What is that?"

              Valin squinted until he saw what Henry was talking about. Giant serpent like creatures moved among the army.

              "Lindworms," the dwarf said.

              "What?"

              "Wingless dragons with a poisonous bite."

              "Oh, is that what they are?" Hermes asked. "They attacked Delphi."

              "What? When?" Henry asked.

              "It was a while ago, before the Moira sent me to you. I always wondered what they were."

              "I guess it makes sense that they came from here," Henry said. "So what do we do now?"

              "They outnumber us many times over," Frederick said.              "I know that," Valin said.

              "What are you going to do about it?" he asked

              Valin shrugged. "The same thing we did against Zuab, I suppose."

              "You don't happen to have an army of ghosts at your disposal, would you?"

              "I think you're on the wrong side for that." When Henry cocked his head, Valin glanced at the gathered army. "You said Odin wouldn't oppose Idun directly. If she commanded it, do you think he would fight?"

              "Probably," Henry admitted.

              Valin glanced back at the army. When he spoke, his voice had gone somber. "They say Odin keeps the souls of the greatest warriors for the battle at the end of time. If this doesn't qualify, I don't know what does."

              Henry sighed. "We won't just be fighting an army of elves and dwarves, then. We'll be fighting dead Vikings too. We have our work cut out for us."

              Hermes laughed and Henry turned to glare at him. The messenger god smiled. "Henry after everything you've been through, why would you think this was going to be easy?"

              "I didn't-"

              "Hammer," Hermes said.

              "What?"

              An electric blue light coming from the army caught Henry's attention. He turned and just barely caught sight of the hammer surrounded by a nimbus of light before it smashed into the rock below him. The sound tore through him and blinding light filled the air. His bones felt like they turned to jelly, and he thought his head would explode from the pain. His eyes burned, and he didn't even realize he'd fallen off the ledge until he was halfway down. The first hint of a scream escaped his lips when Pegasus was there. The stallion galloped through the air with all the speed he'd ever shown as a winged horse. He matched Henry's speed but didn't stop once Henry had landed on him. Pegasus dove down. As Henry's vision began to clear, he saw Valin falling a few feet away. They neared the ground, and Henry screamed, but at the last second, Pegasus veered, catching the dwarven commander. They landed softly on the ground, with Pegasus running a few feet before launching himself into the air again. Henry's stomach twisted has half a dozen other men crashed into the ground with a sickening crunch. Pegasus' hooves thundered on the air until they reached the ledge the group had been standing on.

              Henry's jaw dropped. The ledge was gone. Jagged stone teeth showed where it had broken off. Henry looked down, but didn't see any sign of it. It hadn't broken off. It had been reduced to dust. A few, Frederick, Budli, and Cepheus among them, had been thrown clear and were picking themselves off the rock, but most had fallen to their deaths. Andromeda looked up from the mountain, relief painting her face. Pegasus came to a landing next to her, and he got off.

              "What happened?" she asked.

              Valin hopped off the horse and dusted himself off. "I believe we were just attacked by Thor."

              "Where?" Hephaestus said as he forced his way through the crowd until he could see the gathered army.

              Henry scanned the area until he caught sight of a lone figure standing at the base of the rainbow bridge. It had to be huge to be visible from so far. He pointed.

              "There."

              In the same instant, a blue light flickered from the figure. It grew rapidly until it resolved itself as the hammer. Henry tried to back up, but there were too many people. He lifted his shield, unsure if even Hephaestus' magic could defend against such a terrible weapon. A heartbeat before it struck, Hephaestus swung his own hammer, catching Thor's weapon from below. The ring that filled the air reverberated through Henry's flesh and shook some loose rocks free. The attacking weapon flew into the air. Up above, thunder crashed. Hephaestus let out a high-pitched whistle, and a horse cried out from the sky.               Henry looked up and for a second, he forgot to breathe. It wasn't a horse, at least not exactly. Silvery metal gleamed instead of fur, and steel wings resembled Pegasus' original form. Fire burned in its eyes. Henry was fairly certain a metal winged horse should weigh too much to fly, but that didn't seem to matter. It landed so heavily that stone cracked under its weight. Its artificial muscles moved so fluidly they may as well have been flesh instead of metal. Pegasus sized up his counterpart. The stallion huffed and looked away, which made Henry laugh. Hephaestus climbed on with more grace than Henry would've suspected the maimed god was capable of. The sight of the smile on his pock marked face sent chills down Henry's spine. Then, the metal horse reared as its wings carried it into the air.