Eternity | T.J.

The Older York ( Spoiler: The Two Cities Have Practically Nothing In Common)

     A few days later, we arrived in the English city of York, famous for... maybe a cathedral and a chocolate place? I wasn't really sure. And, to make it all better, almost as soon as we reached England in general, Halfborn started complaining about being there.

     And he was still complaining when we reached York." No self-respecting Viking city should be so far from the sea. I don't know why Ivar the Boneless even bothered with this place. We wasted all morning sailing here, about twenty-five miles up the River Ouse!"

     " The River Ooze?" Magnus repeated ( completely mispronouncing it).

     " Ouse," T.J. corrected." It rhymes with moose. I read about it in a travel guide!"

     Magnus shivered, before glancing over the edge of the ship.

     " You sense them, don't you?" Halfborn asked him." The vatnavettir."

     " What are they?"

     " And do they have more pronounceable names?" Alex asked.

     " They're nature spirits," Mallory Keen explained." We have similar legends in Ireland. We call them each-uisce, water horses."

     " You Irish have similar legends because you got them from the Norse," Halfborn accused.

     " Lies. The Celts were in Ireland long before you louts invaded."

     Great. They were back to arguing.

     " Louts!? The Viking kingdom of Dublin was the only power worth mentioning on your miserable island!"

     " Anyway," Sam interrupted before things got violent." Why are these water horses dangerous?"

     " Well, they can form a herd and, if they get riled up, stampede and destroy our ship," Halfborn explained." I imagine they've only held off this long because they're not sure what to make of us being bright yellow. Also, if anyone is foolish enough to touch them-"

     " They'll adhere to your skin, drag you under the water, and drown you." Mallory finished.

     " Well, then," Alex Fierro said, throwing her arms around Mallory and Halfborn." It sounds like you two are the water-horse experts. You should stay on board and defend the Big Banana while the rest of us go giant hunting!"

     " Actually, we could all disembark and Magnus could just turn the ship into a handkerchief," I pointed out." It would probably be both safer and much simpler."

     " Oh, no!" Halfborn quickly said." I have no desire to set foot in Jorvik again. I wouldn't be of any use to you, anyway. Place has changed a bit in twelve hundred years. I'll stay on the ship, but I don't need Mallory's help defending it."

     " You think not?" Mallory asked with a glare." Do you know any Gaelic songs for calming water horses? I'm not leaving this ship in your care."

     " Well, I'm not leaving it in your care!"

     " Guys!" Sam interjected for a second time." If you both insist on staying aboard, I'll stay too. I'm good with horses, I can fly if I get in trouble, and in a pinch-" at this, she flicked her wrist, her 'spear of light' appearing in one hand-" I can blast anything that attacks us. Or I can blast the two of you if you don't behave."

     " You heard the lady," Alex declared." The landing party will consist of me, T.J., Willow, and Blond Guy."

     " Excellent!" T.J. said, rubbing his hands together." I can't wait to thank the British!"