Chapter 7

Dahlia was instrumental in providing a solution to win this battle. Twenty or so black armored women, riding winged mounts descended around the enemy camp. Just above the tree tops small seed like things were scattered almost forming a huge circle. In modern times it would be called an envelopment. As night fell several things happened, first what was to be the time of a full moon did not happen, a strong wind came up, not an ordinary wind since it seemed to blow from the edges of that circle towards the center.

Joining the wind was rain, sleet then a light snow. From the muddy earth, man like forms emerged, armor clad forms. Through the armor, bones, skeletons of who once were men could be seen. Skeletal horses next appeared. These were like demons from Hell, black as the night with long flowing manes and large red eyes.

Upon a rise stood three very large forms. All appeared over seven feet tall. The one in the center had the appearance of a masked face, His countenance might best be described as looking like the personification of Death. He now raised his hand into the air. Several thousand men mounted those steeds, grasped sabers from some unknown place in thin air and sat ramrod straight up without even saddles. Simultaneously a drumming sound could be heard. It started out very slow then reaching an ever increasing volume of a ‘crack, crack, crack’ sound.

What followed was a dull, thud, thud sound inter-spaced with a clanging of metal on metal. What could not be seen by most was the tearing away of flesh by those inhuman forms as they closed up the open spaces of the circle. As if by some magical command they all stopped their progress towards the center. That drumming sound started up again.

Those enemy who remained were now tightly herded together within the circle. Nothing was said nor requested of them and each effort for parlay was met with headless messengers returning to camp. Rain, sleet and now began again to the tempo of the drumming sound. Any who attempted to break through that circle were either killed or turned back. Sleep was near impossible mainly because of the drumming sound and that of the wind and rain falling.

All this continued through the night. The enemy welcomed the reprieve, no attack allowed their hope to rise up for reinforcements from their allies which had been sent for. The extra time was what they needed to reach them. That, however, was exactly why further attacks ceased. The additional enemy troops to be killed were much welcome.

As the relief columns drew near, Diana this time called forth her sisters, the Valkyrie. They again dispersed the seeds of destruction forming an even wider circle trapping both forces inside them. Wind, rain, sleet and snow again grew fierce, more dead rose up, those horses too and upon the second raised hand of the general on the hill, a slaughter began. Death came quickly to the enemy. Three, only three, were allowed to escape to tell the tale of what happened.

In that telling and retelling none could believe it. That more than 29,000 armed and armored men might just disappear gave credence to the tale however. The minds and imagination of those hearing the story made what had happened seem impossible. Which is exactly the hoped for reaction the girls planned for; after all, this was only one battle, they had many more on their makeshift list to accomplish, didn’t they?

What were their casualties? Come on man, their troops were all dead already. The tale created fear in any who would oppose them in the future. Was it psychological warfare back then? Maybe! It certainly made people think before opposing them. It made no matter though.

The past had shown any left alive would soon become the opposition again. Men, women and children would have to pay the price for such a reputation.

Looking on from Valhalla, Odin now began to realize he has made a mistake and a powerful enemy perhaps. Dahlia, Sigrid, Ingrid and Diana were not gods, Freya, however was and there were many more; not all of which would see things his way. No longer receiving half of those killed in battle had not seemed much of an issue. Observing 1,200 grow to 29,000 with more to come was unbearable for him to think about. There is a saying today that it would only be ‘the tip of the iceberg’! Time was running out, with Ragnarok soon approaching he could no longer ignore this, He had to do something about it; but what?

Odin had much to consider. All the things he might do would possibly have been successful 1,000 years before; but no longer. The thought that he could not understand the world as it was vexed his thinking. His misunderstandings were compounded because this problem was one with women, not a god or another man. Even more so that a human was involved also. He could only guess what to do now and even his guesses were not very good.