The Mercenary's Valkyrie: Book One

Dark Energy

"She wears strength and darkness equally well, the girl has always been half goddess, half hell."
- Nikita Gill

I had always tended not to dwell on the past. Always strove to remain as present as possible, as able to adapt––but gods this much spare time would be the death of me.

John, Kaden and myself had always found ourselves busy with our endless pursuit of coin or ale or lovers... filling that dull void that most called a span. I spun the makeshift dagger I had made out of glass and wood in my hand. It glinted back in wicked imperfection. It would, by no means make a clean kill on the victim...

"Footwork!" The Valkyrie had shouted in the forest clearing.

"This is hardly the time for your ballroom dancing lessons, immortal." I retorted as I had stepped under a quick jab aimed for my face.

"Oh? Experienced such formalities have we?" She quipped with a brow raise. "I was under the impression you would sooner have your partner on the floor rather than in step."

I threw a kick at her waist and a cross for her jaw. Both were dismissed with a simple sidestep and an elbow.

"What's wrong with having one on the floor!" John called out to be met with cackling from the edge of the tree line.

I smirked over at the men, "Not sure why you laugh Kaden. You would need to have one first!"

John started coughing out his laughter while Kaden jumped to his feet––the process scared a few birds from their trees.

"Speak up, little girl, before I give you a lesson really worth learning!" He threatened, playfully cracking a fist and squaring his stubbled jaw.

The Valkyrie paused before me and let out a short puff of frustration. She walked swiftly to me in a few steps and dropped her mouth to my ear. I had remembered the effect it had taken. The first time I had noticed that pure smell of pinewood and otherness. The strand of gold that fell loose and grazed my cheek.

"Put the buffoon in his place, before I put him in a grave." She promised in a murmur.

I chuckled and withdrew to face her––my own but inches from her.

"Don't offend me by making it sound like a challenge." I murmured back.

She drew her black hood up in response and walked backwards, "Let your actions speak louder." Then turned her back on me and  moved with that otherworldly grace to the opposite tree line.

I felt the ground moving before I heard the heavy steps of a human boulder coming head first for me. "No weapons!" was all he called before ducking low and making to grab me by the waist.

Honestly. It was almost cute.

I rolled out from under his grasp and kicked off my landing foot to engage his unprotected back. But a swing even from behind would not stop him. No, he needed to be worked a little. So I kicked him square in the hind to provoke him.

John hooted from the side. "A woman going for his ass first? Truly all has been seen on this realm."

Kaden swung a wild arm around his back that would unseat any soldier from horseback. But I was no soldier following the book. I dropped to my knees letting it sail over and sent two quick jabs to his abdomen catching the air from his lungs.

He still sent a front kick into me which clipped my side as I danced away. But I was grinning at him now. "No shame in calling quits, friend."