Hallowed

I woke to noise. Not something I was expecting in a secluded cave part ways up a small mountain mind you, so it kind of caught me by surprise.

“What the hell is that?” Chris groaned out from across the cave.

Helen slapped his chest, “You’re imagining it. Stop moving and go back to sleep.”

Jimmy sat up and looked towards the mouth of the cave. “No. I don’t think he is. I hear it too.”

I got up and walked with the others outside the cave. I noticed on the way out that Ulrich and Cass hadn’t found their way back yet. I didn’t think too much into what they did all night.

When we got outside, we saw a mob of people I assumed were from the village nearby crowded close together on the thin mountain pass. Each person was holding something different. Some had fur, some had bowls of food, and some even had what looked like pottery.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they are here to give us stuff,” Jimmy whispered to us.

“Lords,” an old man spoke from the front of the crowd. He had a golden bangle in his hands. “We are here to give tribute for saving our village.”

“Oh that’s not good,” Helen mumbled. She looked to the crowd, “Can you give us a minute?”

“Of course, my lady,” the old man said with a bow.

“Right,” Helen replied and pushed us all back into the cave. “What the hell?” she said suddenly.

Jimmy laughed, which I thought was messed up. “They think we’re gods,” he said in between laughs.

Chris punched his arm, “They also think we went to their village on purpose.”

“We need to send them away,” I told them. “Explain that we…”

“We aren’t gods?” Helen cut me off. “We just happen to be able to do things no one else can.”

Jimmy joined in with her. “Back then, if people could do we can, they were either worshipped or strung up and burned. I prefer not dying.”

“I second that,” Chris muttered.

“Ulrich would agree with me. So would Cass,” I replied.

Helen looked at me. “Ulrich isn’t here. And Cass is with him. We have to handle this.” She paused and thought about it. “Somehow.”

We stepped back outside in silence. We didn’t have any plan at all about dealing with these people. They wanted to give us gifts because they thought we were there to protect their village. We weren’t. We kind of landed their by accident, as far as we can tell.

The old man was still there up front when we met up with the group again. I started to think he was the village leader or something. “I have for you a…” he started, holding the bangle up.

“Please,” Helen cut him off, “We do not wish to take any tribute for stopping the Vikings. Truth is…”

I could see she wasn’t going to be able to finish that. The truth hurt. These people thought gods were protecting them. If they found anything different, who knows how they might react.

“The truth is,” I heard Ulrich yell out from somewhere in the crowd. He had good timing. I looked passed the old man and saw the crowd parting around Ulrich and Cass, who had their fingers laced together. “We arrived at your village by mistake, and we,” he stepped out of the crowd to join our group, “are not the gods you think we are.”

“But Loki’s magic,” the old man stammered, “Your lightning, Lord Thor.”

“We don’t know where we got these abilities,” Cass broke in. “We are trying to figure that out ourselves. We are sorry, but we are not your gods.”

Everyone from the village looked broken, like the only hope they had was gone. I couldn’t imagine what that was like. Thinking your only protection from those monsters a fluke.

Out of pity for them, I stepped forward and said, “But we will watch your village as long as we are here.” The others gave me a funny look. “We will not let innocent people get hurt for no reason. Right?”

Ulrich smirked and confirmed, “Right.” Everyone else nodded.

My little speech seemed to cheer the villagers up. After we denied the gifts again, they all started leaving with eyes filled with hope. When all else left, only the old man remained.

“Thank you, Lady Hel. You do not know what kind of joy you have brought to us,” he said to me with a smile. “Here.”

He offered me the gold bangle once more, and as always, I refused. “No. I can’t. It’s not right for me to take something so valuable.”

“It is not a tribute, my lady,” the old man continued, “It is a gift for a friend.”

I smiled and took the bangle. Watching the man leave, I slipped the jewelry on my wrist and looked at it. The gold metal shimmered beautifully in the sunlight. Small emeralds and rubies were inserted around the edges and illuminated an etched drawing of the ocean and the sun. It was beautiful.

“Cool jewelry,” Jimmy said, eyeing the bangle.

“The old man insisted,” I admitted.

Jimmy smiled and walked off. Leaving me to my own company. It’s been one hell of a week.