Page 23 of Wolf of the Nordic Seas (Valiant Vikings #2)
The ?le de Sein
“As a male, this is as far as I can go.” Lugh’s luminous face and radiant eyes glowed like a beacon in the dark tunnel. “When you exit this portal, you’ll be facing west. Cross the island to the opposite eastern shore, and head north until you come to a sheltered inlet. The entrance to the hidden sea cave of the Gallizenae is tucked inside the curved shore.” His dazzling smile revealed perfect, pearlescent teeth. “In three days, when your training is complete, come back to this portal and play your flute. The music will summon me from álfheim , and I shall escort you safely back to étretat.” Lugh lowered his silvery blond head to kiss Elfi’s trembling hand. “You will be safe here. The entire island is enshrouded with sjóv?ttir magic and protected by the Sea Goddess Rán. In this otherworldly realm, you will learn about your mother, Dúva. And discover how to wield your inherited power. Farewell, Elfi. May the gods bless you until we meet again.” Tucking his arm across his broad chest and ducking his clean shaven chin, Lugh bent at the waist in a gallant bow. With a swoop of his long green cape, he turned away from Elfi and disappeared into the dark portal.
Pulse pounding, legs shaking, Elfi emerged from the tunnel into a cave which opened onto a rocky beach. Thunderous waves crashed against the craggy shore, sending salt spray and sea foam high into the cloud covered sky. As if recognizing her sjóv?ttir spirit, la Mer de l’ Ouest —the savage Western Sea — called to her very soul.
The strident squawks of gulls, gannets, and guillemots sliced through the salt-laden wind, their black and white wings soaring in the bleak, overcast sky. Perched along the edge of a rocky clifftop, a group of puffins, their bright orange beaks in sharp contrast to the grey stone of the craggy bluff, dove skillfully into the turbulent waters in search of fresh fish.
Elfi inhaled the salty spray of the sea, the cool mist nipping her cheeks as the harsh wind slapped her skin and whipped strands of long brown hair across her face. The pungent tang of seaweed—scattered across the slick, slimy stones—tickled her nose as she glimpsed in the distance a colony of seals gathered on a large outcropping which extended from the rocky coast. Remembering Lugh’s instructions to cross the island and head north, Elfi left the biting winds and stinging spray behind and headed toward the eastern shore.
Here, on the sheltered side of the ?le de Sein , the sea was calm, with sandpipers, herons, and oystercatchers searching for shellfish in the shallow coves along the sandy beach. Fragrant wildflowers and hedges, some with plentiful fruit, grew on the cliffside among mosses, lichens, and grasses near a bubbling stream which flowed from an underground spring. Elfi recognized the wild roses which the Norman French called églantines, the familiar pink and purple blooms of heather, and the bright yellow blossoms of poppy and gorse. There were juniper shrubs and blackthorn hedges, bursting with dark blue berries, as well as small trees which Elfi had never seen before, filled with tiny, bright orange fruit. In the soft white sand along the shore, she spotted pink scallop shells, the purple and white hulls of discarded oysters, and several species of crabs in crevices and small puddles among the rocks.
As she headed north along the sandy shoreline, the rocky ledge beside her steadily sloped upward in increasing height, forming an elevated cliff which curved protectively around a sheltered inlet. Standing on the soft white sand at the base of the bluff, she peered up to the promontory high above her head. A vibrant thrum pulsed in her veins, singing to her dormant magic. Like iron drawn to a lodestone, Elfi was inexorably pulled toward the open mouth of an astonishing sea cave tucked inside the curve of the crystalline cove.
A sandy path extended from the shore into a vast, open cavern. Along the left wall, a flat rocky ledge burrowed into the cliff, permitting Elfi to walk along the side of the cave. Below her, beneath the elevated ledge, the turquoise waters of the sea entered from the sheltered inlet. Foamy waves flowed along the right side of the cave, forming a deep ocean pool in the center just beyond where she now stood.
Morning sunlight broke through the clouds, entering the east-facing cave from behind her. Brilliant rays reflected off the lush limestone walls like lustrous pearls, illuminating the emerald, jade, and sapphire hues of the sea like the gems which glittered and pulsed with power around Elfi’s parched throat.
Basking in the exquisite natural beauty of the opalescent cave, Elfi peered from the elevated granite shelf, her awestruck gaze finally resting upon three large rocks which protruded from the deep ocean pool.
“ Bonjour , Elfi of étretat. Welcome to la Grotte des Sirènes, the Mermaid Cave of the ?le de Sein. At long last, we meet the daughter of Dúva. The siren with the sea goddess eyes.” A stunning sea creature with long, pale aqua hair arose from the ocean pool to recline upon one of the trio of jutting stones. Her sparkling eyes were a deep bluish green, like the shimmering scales on the lower half of her mermaid body, where a long fishtail divided into two softly flowing fins which fluttered in the jade ocean below the rock. The alabaster skin of her bare human torso glowed like a moonstone or rare, precious pearl. The lilting voice of the Gallizenae washed over Elfi like gentle waves of the sea, summoning the sjóv?ttir spirit from the depths of her mermaid soul.
Two other sirènes emerged from the pool to stretch upon the adjacent stones. One mermaid had long waves of midnight blue hair, shimmery silver scales and dark sapphire eyes, the other with cascading curls of fiery red, with emerald eyes and a mint green tail.
“You have come to the ?le de Sein, seeking the divine knowledge of the Gallizenae .” As the mermaid with pale turquoise hair and a liquid, lyrical voice spoke to Elfi, six other sea creatures swam from the hidden recesses of the cave toward the trio of rocks in the center. Ephemeral, ethereal, and evanescent, they radiated otherworldly oceanic beauty as they lingered in the crystal clear water, their slender arms draped across the rocks, tail fins floating in the brilliant aqua pool. Each mermaid had long, wavy hair and scales of different colors, ranging from light aquamarine blue to lavender grey, amethyst purple, and dark emerald green.
Stunned by the dazzling display of aquatic colors in the luscious, wavy locks and shimmering tailfins of the mermaids, Elfi’s legs shook under her long blue gown.
The exquisite sea creatures drew themselves up out of the water and onto the enormous stones, tailfins floating in the deep ocean pool. Nine mermaids now faced Elfi as she stood on the rocky ledge above, a rippling current of energy surging through her like the cresting waves which crashed against her beloved white chalk cliffs.
The siren with midnight blue hair and silver scales spoke in a melodious, limpid tone which flowed over Elfi like the cool waters of the Mermaid Cove. “You are the daughter of Dúva, one of the nine billow maiden mermaids who control the sea. Now that you have come to the ?le de Sein— and into the divine realm of the Sea Goddess Rán—we shall awaken your dormant, inherited power.”
Golden sunlight gilded the coppery hair of the mermaid with the pale green tail. “Like us, Elfi of étretat, you possess the innate ability to shift into a mermaid. Or summon the strength of the sea.” Eyes ablaze with verdant fire, the mermaid’s virid gaze sizzled into Elfi’s very soul. “Your mother was one of us. A sea spirit sjóv?ttir . For we—the nine mermaids of the Gallizenae —are the billow maiden daughters of the Sea Goddess Rán. ”
As Elfi processed this startling revelation, a mermaid with dark purple hair and light pearlescent scales—the same colors as the oyster shells Elfi had glimpsed along the shore— swam over, floating in the water just beneath her. “Remove your Ljósálfar dagger and dragonscale sheath. Place them inside your leather satchel. Take off your clothing, and wrap your t rollkors talisman and necklace inside your gown. Leave everything upon the rocky shelf where you now stand, and slip into the water with me.”
Elfi’s limbs quivered as she quickly shed her garments, white wolf weapons, and enchanted jewels, securing them safely inside her leather satchel, which she laid against the wall of the cave atop the rocky ledge. The salty spray of the sea kissed her bare skin, sending shivers of exhilaration and anticipation into her trembling body. When she sat at the edge of the granite shelf, dipping her feet into the surface of the ocean pool below, the oyster-hued mermaid looked up at her with expectant eyes revealing the amethyst light of dawn. “When you were a little girl, you imagined that you were a mermaid when you swam in the sheltered cove near the waterfall cave.” Her radiant smile was a luminous as Lugh’s. “Recapture that feeling. But this time, instead of pretending to be a mermaid…reach into every recess of your sjóv?ttir spirit. Call forth the sea from your soul. And become one.”
Elfi’s pulse pounded in her parched throat. Energy surged thought her, like a violent storm churning the tumultuous sea. She thought of Njord, meeting the lupine brothers of his úlfhéenar pack and learning to shift into a wolf at will. Like my mate, I am a shapeshifter. A mermaid who can summon the sea!
Succumbing to the overwhelming wave which inundated her with sjóv?ttir magic, Elfi slid from the elevated limestone ledge of the cave.
Into the aquatic realm of Rán.
As she plunged into the icy water, every pore in her body leapt to life, as if revived from a sluggish slumber. She swirled and twirled in the frosty, foamy waves, rejuvenated and revitalized as the strong current carried her down to the depths below. Envisioning her lower body as a powerful fin, Elfi was delighted to see that her legs had transformed into a mermaid tail, with shimmery scales in the same trio of colors as the necklace Njord had given her for a bridal gift.
Light turquoise, like the gentle waters of the Mermaid Cove.
Deep emerald green, like the aquatic plants of the Narrow Sea.
Dark lapis lazuli blue, like the dangerous depths of la Mer de l’ Ouest .
Elfi panicked at the realization that she desperately needed to breathe. Whipping her tail frantically to propel herself upward, she rose to the surface, gasping for air.
“As a mermaid, you may breathe water. Try it and see.” The soothing voice of a sirène with hair the color of a summer sky and scales like soft grey clouds slowed Elfi’s racing heart.
Elfi dove under the water, swishing her tail as she swam. To her utter astonishment and sheer delight, she discovered that she could indeed breathe like a fish. But since she couldn’t talk underwater, and there were many questions she was anxious to ask, she rose to the surface again, heartened by the smiling faces of the mermaids who watched her with wise, otherworldly eyes.
“Now, rise up onto this rock. Recall your human legs. And walk once again.” The mermaid with pale aqua hair and emerald green scales—who had first welcomed Elfi to la Grotte des Sirènes — flashed her an encouraging grin.
Elfi swam to the protruding rock, hauled herself up out of the sea, and envisioned the long, strong legs of her shieldmaiden self. With her virile Viking Njord firmly embedded between them. As a wave of desire flooded her with warmth and pooled in her loins, she stretched to her full height, flexed her feet, and stood proudly on her two human legs.
“ Bien fait ! Well done, Elfi. Now do it again. Several times in succession. Until shifting becomes as natural as breathing.” Sapphire eyes dark as lapis lazuli, the Gallizenae with silver scales and midnight blue hair watched as Elfi complied .
“You have inherited your mother’s ability to shift into a mermaid. But you needed to come here—into the realm of Rán—for it to be awakened.” A mermaid with lavender hair and cerulean scales smiled warmly at Elfi. “And now that your power has emerged, you can shift at will for the rest of your life.” The mermaid raised her otherworldly gaze to the opening of the cave behind Elfi.
Treading water in the ocean pool, Elfi turned around to see what had caught the Gallizenae’s eye. To her astonishment, one of the mermaids—who had assumed human form and was now dressed in a long blue dress with billowy, diaphanous sleeves—had entered the cave and had walked up onto the rocky ledge above them. “Come up here to don your gown,” she said, offering a swath of soft linen as a drying cloth when Elfi arose from the icy water. “Fetch your belongings and follow me. The rest of my sjóv?ttir sisters will join us at the cottage.”
While Elfi quickly dried off, pulled on her clothes, and fastened the necklace and trollkors talisman around her neck, she observed the mermaid in human form from the corner of her eye.
Pale blonde hair cascaded to her hips like a frosty waterfall. Tall, lean, and lithe, her slender limbs floated like waves within the fluid sleeves of her gossamer gown.. “I am Himingl?va , the oldest of the nine daughters of Rán .”
Elfi considered the meaning of the mermaid’s name. Sky shining upon the ocean . With eyes as blue as a summer sky and hair like wispy silver clouds, she is aptly named. “I am honored to meet you. Thank you for welcoming me to the ?le de Sein .” She remembered the vibrant colors of the sea among the hair, tailfins, and eyes of the nine sjóv?ttir mermaids. None had been blonde. “Does your hair color change when you assume human form?”
The crystalline notes of Himingl?va’s laughter were as pure as a cool, clear stream. “Indeed it does, though the human shade is similar.” She waited while Elfi strapped the dragonscale sheath and úlfblad dagger around her hips. slinging the leather satchel over her shoulder. “Let me take you to the stone cottage where we shelter women who come here seeking knowledge. My sisters have assumed human form so that we may help you. We shall gather driftwood for a fire, harvest berries and edible plants, and catch fresh fish for dinner. Come, it’s not far from this sea cave.”
They exited the grotto and headed north, plodding along the soft white sand. The late September sun was warm upon Elfi’s face, and the sweet floral aroma of wild thyme, sea lavender, and heather mingled with the saline scent of the sea. In the distance up ahead, she spotted a small stone cottage with a steep, thatched roof, surrounded by elderberry trees filled with small, dark berries and blackthorn hedges full of deep purple fruit. The mermaids—who had all assumed human form—were gathering driftwood, plucking berries and leafy greens, and harvesting clams and scallops in the shallow waters and mudflats near the shoreline. Elfi noticed that their hair color varied from palest blonde with shimmers of silver to deepest black with shades of midnight blue, streaked by the late summer sun.
“Come inside and see where you’ll sleep. We have rustic furniture—tables, benches, and wooden chests—which we’ve salvaged from shipwrecks. Indeed, we have amassed quite a collection of goods, which we trade when we interact with humans.” Himingl?va led Elfi into the rustic stone cottage, lifting a thick sealskin which served as a waterproof door.
In one corner of the large rectangular room, a bed had been created from wooden planks—perhaps from a ship, Elfi mused. Heaps of straw were piled on the wood, with woolen blankets, furs, and animal hides for a mattress. On the dirt floor strewn with sweet smelling rushes was a wooden chest, and a small table topped with a candle stood beside the bed. Inside the hearth at the rear of the cottage, a fire crackled, the smoke exiting the cottage through a small hole in the thatched roof. A long oak table was placed near the fireplace, with wooden benches for seating on either side. Two small windows—simple openings in the stone walls on opposite sides of the cottage—allowed the cleansing ocean breeze to flow through the hut. Leather hides, pulled back to enjoy today’s sunshine, could easily be secured by leather straps to shut out harsh rain or wind when the weather turned foul. The tantalizing aroma of fresh fish—seasoned with wild garlic, rosemary, and sage—simmered in an iron cauldron suspended over the flickering flames. Elfi’s mouth watered at the inviting, appetizing scent.
The mermaid with jet black hair gleaming with midnight blue was outside the cottage near the water’s edge, cleaning the scallops and clams she had harvested. She scraped the tender morsels of meat into a wooden bucket, tossing the discarded shells onto the shore. A frantic flock of screeching sea gulls swarmed around her, swooping down to pick at the scattered remains. The sapphire streaked brunette entered the hut, poured the contents of her pail into the steaming pot over the hearth, and grinned at Elfi. “Seafood stew. With fresh herbs and root vegetables from the garden.” Her task complete, she took the bucket outside and rinsed it in the freshwater stream which flowed from the nearby spring.
“That’s Kólga,” Himingl?va informed her with a sly grin. “Cold wave. She controls the ice and fury of the Nordic Seas.”
At the mention of the name, Njord’s bearded, beloved face flashed into Elfi’s mind.
She watched in fascination as the Gallizenae functioned as an efficient team, working together to set the table and prepare a hearty, impromptu meal. While one mermaid scooped ladles of steaming seafood into pewter bowls, placing them on the table beside tin spoons, another poured wine from a ceramic vase into pewter mugs which she fetched from wooden shelves standing against the wall. When everything was ready, Himingl?va gestured to the oak table, inviting Elfi to partake of the sumptuous seafood feast. “Please, join us as our honored guest. Welcome to the ?le de Sein .”
The rich flavors of cod, scallops, and clams blended beautifully with fresh herbs and chunks of root vegetables. Elfi tasted wild carrots, turnips, leeks, and sea kale, seasoned with garlic, rosemary, and thyme. As she savored every delicious bite, Himingl?va introduced her to the sisterhood of the sjóv?ttir.
Blóeughadda, the flame-haired mermaid, was a fiery red head whose name meant blood hair. “For the blood of sailors whose ships venture too close to our shores and wreck upon its treacherous rocks.”
Hefring, Unnor, and Bylgja had long, luxurious hair in various shades of brown, with glimmering eyes of blue, grey, or green. Bára, like Kolga, had long black hair, but with eyes of palest blue, evoking the imagery of a foam flecked wave. Hronn was a golden blonde, in contrast to the pale silver shimmer of Himingl?va’s heavenly locks. And Drofn-- the youngest of the nine billow maiden mermaids--had been born when Elfi’s mother Dúva died.
“There must always be nine Gallizenae .” Blóeughadda swallowed a mouthful of seafood stew. “Drofn assumed Dúva’s responsibilities for protecting the realm of Rán.”
“And you, Dúva’s daughter, inherited your mother’s sjóv?ttir magic.” Himingl?va transfixed Elfi with an omniscient, otherworldly gaze. “Which has remained dormant until your arrival here at the ?le de Sein.”
Pensive, Elfi sipped from her pewter goblet, savoring the heady aroma and earthy flavor of the rich red wine. She longed to learn more about her mother. “If men are not allowed to come to the ?le de Sein , how did my parents meet?”
“We Gallizenae often interact with humans…” Bára began, but was interrupted by her raven-haired sister.
“And we love to mate with mortal men.” A corner of Kólga’s full lips curled up into a sultry smile.
Bára smirked, and continued her explanation to Elfi. “As humans, we frequently attend festivals in Bretagne or Normandy. We trade goods in thriving markets—such as the one in Quimper—and rejoice at the many Celtic or Nordic fairs.” Her radiant smile illuminated the porcelain skin of her lovely oval face. “Your mother met Thorfinn at la Foire de Saint-Jean, the Celtic fertility festival to celebrate the summer solstice. ”
Elfi flushed at the thought of her parents meeting at a pagan fertility festival. She imagined meeting Njord there, clad in his white wolfskin cloak, lust blazing across his fierce, feral face. A warm wave of desire washed over her at the tantalizing thought.
“Your father had just become the Count of étretat . Richard the Fearless had granted him the noble title—and the clifftop castle of Chateau Blanc —to reward Thorfinn for helping him defend Normandy in a decisive battle against the Franks.” Nostalgia shone in Himingl?va’s sorrowful gaze. “With her incomparable beauty, your mother caught Thorfinn’s eye. They danced around the summer solstice bonfires and celebrated the entire week-long festival together. She told him she was an orphan, that her parents had perished in a shipwreck, and that she resided in the Abbey of Saint-Romain in Rouen. He would often visit her there, but we Gallizenae can only remain in human form for nine days, at which time we must return to the sea. This made it very difficult for Dúva to spend time with Thorfinn. Although she would stay at the abbey, where he wooed her, she had to make frequent excuses and routinely disappear.”
Hronn reached for the ceramic pitcher and refilled Elfi’s goblet of wine. “Thorfinn took her to many festivities at the castles of Norman nobles throughout the Pays de Caux , including the Viking wedding of Richard the Fearless and his pagan wife Gunnor.” She flicked a long blonde lock over her shoulder and smiled softly at Elfi. “Dúva would often go to the secluded inlet of étretat and watch Thorfinn swim in the Mermaid Cove. She desperately longed to become human, for he had asked her to marry him. She wanted more than anything to follow her mermaid heart. Marry the man she loved. And become a mother, something we as mermaids can never do.”
I understand the passion my mother must have felt. Like her, I would be desperate to marry Njord.. Elfi gulped her wine, swallowing the lump of emotion down her constricted throat. “But she did marry my father. And bore him two children—my brother Dag and me. How was she able to remain human?”
“She begged our mother—the Sea Goddess Rán—who finally relented and allowed Dúva to sacrifice her immortality. But as a mortal, your mother was susceptible to human weaknesses. When she died giving birth to a daughter, you inherited her sjóv?ttir magic. And Rán allowed Dúva’s hámr— her protective maternal spirit --to remain near you in the Mermaid Cove of the waterfall cave. Until you came to the ?le de Sein , for your dormant power to be awakened.”
Just as Brokk sent his hámr— in the form of the sacred white wolf— to protect his son Njord in the forest of Norway. Similar pasts have entwined our fates. And now Njord and I face the future together as mates.
While Elfi sat in quiet contemplation, several of the Gallizenae arose from the table, gathering the pewter bowls, spoons, and mugs. “We’ll take these outside and wash them in the stream,” Bára announced, ducking under the sealskin flap and exiting through the open door.
“Did my father know that my mother was one of the sjóv?ttir ?” Elfi’s gaze darted between Himingl?va and Kólga, the two Gallizenae still seated with her at the table.
“No, she never told him, for fear that the truth would drive him away.” Kólga’s dark eyes glimmered like sapphires in the golden rays of the setting sun.
Elfi thought of her stubborn father and his narrow views of women. He would indeed have been horrified if his wife were a shapeshifting mermaid. Sorrow squeezed her heart, and Elfi sighed, longing for the mother she never knew.
“Before we leave you for the night, there is another aspect of your magic we must awaken. Please come with us to the shoreline.” Himingl?va rose to her feet, as did Kólga. Both waited expectantly at the door for Elfi.
A ripple of exhilaration surged through Elfi’s shaking body. I have learned to become a mermaid. And now, more of my magic will be awakened. Blessed Freyja, grant me strength!
They led her outside, to a late summer sky streaked with mauve, pink, and lavender hues of a glorious sunset. As the saline scent of the sea wafted on the soft breeze, Elfi followed Himingl?va and Kólga to the edge of the shore, where the remaining Gallizenae were now gathered as mermaids in the turquoise waters of the sheltered cove, their aquatic hair, sparkling eyes, and shimmery tailfins reflecting all the vibrant colors of the sea. Amidst the gentle waves of the inlet, they had formed a circle, as if to perform a sacred ritual. While Elfi watched in wide-eyed wonder, Himingl?va and Kólga removed their gowns, stored them in a wooden chest near the entrance to the cottage, and shifted into mermaids, gliding out to join their seven sisters.
At the sight of all nine sjóv?ttir — long hair whipped by the salty wind, gleaming tailfins billowing in the waves, mermaid eyes aglow with preternatural vision—Elfi’s heart raced, her limbs quivering with nearly unbearable anticipation.
“We shall now evoke your latent magic, sjósongr. The song of the sea.” Himingl?va extended a hand, beckoning Elfi. “Shed your clothing, shift into a mermaid, and swim to us.”
Elfi carefully wrapped her trollkors amulet, three-tiered necklace, and úlfblad dagger in its dragonscale sheath inside her dark blue gown. She laid the precious parcel on top of the oak trunk near the sealskin door of the hut, crossing the beach to immerse her feet in the gentle waves which lapped at the soft white sand.
With her toes touching the crystal waters of the sheltered cove, she drew the essence of the sea into her sjóv?ttir soul.
And shifted into mermaid form.
Her light brown human hair, streaked with golden blonde, was now the deep jade of ocean jasper, flecked with seafoam green. Shimmery scales of pale turquoise, rich emerald, and dark lapis lazuli blue—the same trio of gems as her bridal necklace—glistened like jewels in the gloaming.
The last rays of the setting sun set Blóeughadda’s blood red hair aflame. “Swim to the center of the circle, daughter of Dúva. So that we may awaken your sjóv?ttir magic.”
Heart aflutter like the wispy tendrils of her tailfin floating in the foamy waves, Elfi obeyed.