Chapter 5

"Hogun you young fool! Where are you?" Bellowed the newcomer. "Do you know what you've stirred up now?"

The person speaking was about 3 feet tall and very definitely female. She looked about 90 years older than God and was wearing an odd looking fur cloak held by a copper brooch at her throat. And that was all she wore.

Hogun scrambled to his feet and gave her a low bow. "Grandmother, I was only trying to get away with my life when this outlander appeared to save me."

The old woman spun around to face me. Her eyes narrowed when she saw me standing beside the door holding the axe. Before I could react she reached out and took the axe out of my grip. "Now what would you be intending to do with this then?" she asked with a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

"Um, I was about to go chop some firewood?" I said with a small grin.

"Good answer," she said and tossed the axe back to me. "Now go chop that wood and let me speak to my grandson."

I bowed to her and left the cabin. I had no idea who or what the short old woman was, but I was glad to be out of the direct line of her ire.

It was just starting to snow again, but strangely I didn't feel cold at all. I shouldered the axe and headed for the tree line.

Once among the trees It was silent except for the creaking and cracking of the tree branches under their load of snow and my own footsteps. The scene was deceptively peaceful. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. I could see footprints in the fresh snow, lots of footprints.

I kept moving but more cautiously. I couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean that someone wasn't hiding behind every tree or bush.

My paranoia was justified when a woman stepped out from behind a large oak with the spear she was carrying leveled at my gut.

I stopped where I was and lifted the axe off my shoulder and held it loosely in my left hand. My right hand was empty and I raised it palm out. "Greetings."

The woman had the same butterscotch colored skin and raven hair of Wife's people and she wore the black leather armor of Loki/Coyote's followers. "Save your greetings for Hel," she snarled and thrust her spear at my belly.

I deflected the thrust with the axe as I stepped to the side. "Such hostility is not becoming in one so lovely."

If anything this made her madder than ever.

Before she could resume her attack I heard snow crunching behind me and to both sides.

Just what I need, more folks to the party I thought sourly.

I had been hoping to get out of this without having to harm the pretty woman with the spear, but with multiple opponents I might not have the luxury of being merciful.

I side-stepped and swiveled so that I could catch a glimpse of the new arrivals. All were young looking women who bore a superficial resemblance to Wife and her sisters.

Oh boy, this wasn't going to be easy.

Then an all too familiar voice came from directly behind me. "There he stands." Coyote said, "The man who enslaved your kin and slew the others."

I turned around to face him. "As always, you couldn't tell the truth if your life depended on it." I spit on the ground at his feet. "And as always you are too cowardly to do your own fighting. Tell me Loki, do you always hide behind women when fighting time comes around?"

His face darkened with anger. "Do not listen to his lies. He is the one who enslaved Winter Dawn and her sisters and slew dozens of others of the clan."

"I don't have my bowie knife along this time," I taunted him. "Why don't you just come along with that poisoned knife of yours and let's dance."

I tossed the axe to the side and slipped the nunchaku out of my belt. "Let us settle this right here and now coward."

I risked a glance over my shoulder at the women now standing in a semi circle behind me. "Winter Dawn is my wife, and Night Glow is now the wife of my best friend and comrade in arms. Moon Mist I have adopted as my daughter."

"He lies!" Cried Coyote, but it sounded a little lame even to me.

"Hogun is in the cabin in the clearing along with some woman that he called 'Grandmother'. Why don't you go ask him about how Coyote's men were trying to feed him to Fenris?" I continued as if he had not spoken.

"Now puppy," I snarled. "Are you going to just stand there and be spanked or will you defend yourself?"

But Coyote had recovered his composure. "Ah, but I would not cheat these ladies out of their vengeance," he replied smoothly. "After all it is they whom you have wronged."

"Not this time you chickenshit!" and I took a step toward him and lashed out with the nunchaku.

Like most folks who have not seen nunchaku in action he underestimated the extra reach they give. He took a step back, just far enough that the end of the stick caught him alongside the chin. Coyote spun around and dropped to his knees. I jumped for him and landed astride his back. I took the ends both of the nunchaku sticks in my hands and caught him across the throat with the horsehair cord. He tried to throw me off by rolling onto his side but I wrapped my legs around his body and used the leverage of the nunchaku to pull the cord tight around his throat until it choked off his wind.

The gathered women didn't move a muscle to help him.

Loki/Coyote struggled mightily, but between my legs crushing his body just below his ribs and the nunchaku cutting off his breath he soon went limp. I didn't trust his sudden capitulation, so I kept the pressure on for a few more minutes, then released him and moved away.

After a moment I heard him take a ragged breath. I took the knife from his belt and used it to cut his leathers into strips, which I promptly used to bind him securely.

Knowing how tricky the bastard could be, I used his knife to cut the rest of his clothing from him and tossed them aside.

When I was finished I stood and faced the semi circle of women. "What now ladies?" I asked. "Do we find some civilized way to deal with this or are you going to make Coyote's claims about my killing the women of your clan come true?"

Finally one of the women, a bit older and more statuesque stepped forward. "You will accompany us to the cabin. If Hogun confirms your story we will consider letting you live."

"Better make the first try count," I told her. "You won't get a second chance."

(Me and my big mouth.)

The woman grinned. "I won't need more than one try."

I picked up the axe and then grabbed Loki by the bindings that held his ankles together. "Then let us be off to the cabin, I am in the mood for some food."

The women fell in behind me except for the one I had been speaking with. She walked beside me moving with a catlike grace.

"Why do you not simply slay Coyote now and be done with it?" she asked as we emerged into the clearing.

"Because I promised Moon Mist that I would not kill him if I could find a way to bind him from crossing into my world," I answered. "Besides, I'm not all that certain that he would stay dead even if I chopped him into little pieces and burned each part separately."

I winked at her. "By the way, Moon Mist is now named Treasure. She said that she didn't want her old name, so I gave her a new one."

We walked up to the cabin and I knocked on the door. The little old lady answered. She took one look at the women following me and the rather irate Loki/Coyote that I was dragging by the ankles and then she stepped aside to let us inside.

I dragged my prisoner into the cabin and dropped him next to the wall by the table. Of course he started struggling again so I kicked him in the head and sent him back to dreamland.

Hogun stared openmouthed at Loki, then closed his mouth with an almost audible snap. "How?" he asked and gestured at the unconscious figure.