The Hermit Herbalist

Chapter 18 - Threats Are Made

When the first contact was made, Clint and Loki were in the village for the autumn equinox.  Clint sat at a table with many of his friends and watched as Loki danced with Gyda and several other village girls.  She twirled about, waving her hands and singing in the Nornish dialect.  Golden lilies were in her hair and she was a vision in a dress of silvery-grey.  She jumped and her legs rose up, making a perfect split.  "She is a wondrous dancer," Ragnar complimented.  Clint nodded his head and hummed an affirmation.  "She with child yet?"  Clint huffed and glared at all his guy friends.

"No!  She is not, and I'm honestly tired of answering this question," Clint responded, glancing around the semi-circle.  "We're going with Midgardian Family Planning.  A little thing we humans like to do: is wait!  Babies will come.  Ikol's still young and I'm hale and hearty yet."  The Norn men all gave him a look and he shook his head.  "You're all ridiculous!"

"You humans are ridiculous!  It is a husband's greatest honor to get his wife with child," Lanh informed Clint.  

"So I have been told," Clint drawled.  He stepped away and raised his hands.  "Look, it's not meant as an insult to your culture or customs.  Loki has tried to convince me several times-"

"As a good wife should," Healer Ogen commented as he walked up.  He raised his arm, silently indicating that he wanted Clint to walk with him.  Clint was rather glad for the escape from the hunters and swiftly joined the healer in walking around the dancing grounds.  "You are getting tired of people asking you that particular question, aren't you?"

"You have no idea!" Clint answered in an exasperated tone.  Ogen chuckled before he put his arm around Clint's shoulders and pulled him closer.

"I used that as a decoy to get you away from them.  There is something different I want to talk to you about," Ogen whispered.  Clint nodded, wondering if was just trying to have a quiet continuation of the conversation he had just escaped.  

"Go on," Clint responded.  

"You do know who your wife is, right?" Ogen posed and Clint felt his heart skip a beat.  Surely he did not mean...?

"My wife?" Clint fired back and Ogen slapped him in the back of the head.  

"You know what I meant.  I know who she is," Ogen answered.  Clint paled and he felt a quickness of breath.  Ogen waved his hand and continued, "Don't worry.  I won't tell anyone.  My deceased wife was a soothsayer, and on her deathbed, she foretold that I would play mentor to a god.  Or, a reincarnated one."

"So, you knew this entire time she is Loki, God of Mischief?" Clint queried. 

"Was Loki, God of Mischief.  In this life, in this body, she is simply Ikol Nomansdottir, now, wife of Clinton Barton.  She has no other life but this one.  However, Loki was despised throughout the Nine Realms in his previous life because people called him Silvertongue, Liesmith, the Bringer of Ragnarok.  I know that anybody found out who our Ikol really was, they would undoubtedly kill her, thinking they would be preventing the end of everything.  Instead, they would be murdering an innocent woman, who has been a great help to our village."

"So, you would protect her?" Clint asked.  Ogen nodded his head.

"I would give my own life to save hers.  Gyda is very loyal to her as well, even though she doesn't know who she was.  I know Gyda will never turn on her," Ogen informed him.

"I'm glad to hear that.  I would hate to see her be harmed by any of these people.  I've come to call you all friends, and I would hate to have to harm you in defense of her," Clint said and Ogen smiled at the young man.  Suddenly, childish cries and womanly screams were heard, and Clint pulled out a knife that was strapped across his chest.  He was going to throw it, but his arms were full of a frightened Loki.  She hid herself behind him, and he shielded her with his arm.  Ogen took Gyda as she came to him.  Shouts and wild hollers from ruffians on horseback, and they rode onto the festival grounds.  All the hunters gathered the women and children behind a line they had formed, and they had their bows and spears out.  The horsemen rode up to the line and looked down at them.

"Who are you and what is your business with us?" Ragnar challenged.  One of the horsemen separated himself and grinned as he looked down at the villagers.  

"Which of you is the mortal?" he asked.  Clint stiffened at this, and everyone looked at him.  He tried to step out, but Loki held his wrist so tightly that she pulled him back.  The raider, however, noticed the movement and he nudged his horse in that direction.  Soon, he was standing in front of them.  "Are you the mortal?"

"My name's Clint Barton.  It's not mortal," he retorted.  The raider frowned a little, but that was when he saw Loki desperately trying to tug Clint back.

"And that must be the herbalist!" he declared and Loki froze.  "We have heard many fine things about you!"

"That wouldn't be from a sniveling coward called Kael, would it?" Clint said, stepping in between them and shielding Loki from sight.  

"Her beauty and charm is known far and wide."

"By whom?  The squirrels?" Clint countered in a dry tone of voice.  There was a ripple of chuckles from those present, with the exception of the raiders.  They growled and the man reached for his sword.

"Just try it, stranger.  You'll get an arrow through your throat before your sword's cleared its sheath," Nanook said as he pointed his great bow at the man.  The renegade lowered his hand from the hilt and glared at Clint.  

"We issue your village this warning!  Give us the herbalist and surrender the mortal, or your homes will be raised to the ground!" he cried.  Everyone remained silent as this ultimatum was given.  Ogen stepped forward at this, putting Clint behind him.

"You can tell Kael that we will not surrender either.  They are our people; Ikol and Clint are our people and we will protect them from him.  If he wants them, he'll have to take them!" the old healer said.  The villagers all agreed, shouting their own threats at the marauders and telling them to go away.  The men started to backpedal their horses but the leader had to get the last word in somehow.

"We will be back to take what we want!  You will regret this!" he shouted as they rode away.  As they disappeared from sight, the villagers all turned to Ogen.  

"Everyone!  We have to prepare!  We must fortify our village and make ready for an attack any day," he announced.  The women started collecting the children, ushering them away.  The hunters split up, some going to form a perimeter around the village, and others going to begin gathering wagons, carts, and other things they could use to form a barrier around them.  Ogen turned back to Clint and Loki and gave them a sad look.  "I'm afraid we can't let you leave."