"At least six, maybe ten. Beyond those trees, see the smoke?" asked Kara.
"What smoke?" asked Olaf.
Kara Grabbed Olaf's head and forcefully pulled it in the direction she wanted.
"There!!!" she said.
Soon the whole group of Norgardians could see the outline of five or six small buildings lined by pine trees. In the center of the camp a smoldering fire made it obvious the camp was inhabited.
"An ambush?" asked Sigurd.
"Of course!" said Aesa.
"Indeed, those stupid pujke have fallen right into our trap!" said Magnus.
His kin knew well enough that they only had moments to formulate a plan before Magnus would lose control and attack.
"Olaf, you set up on that ridge and fire arrows at any pukje that try to escape. Isgerd and I will approach from the east and attempt to flank them. Aesa you blend in better than the rest of us, see if you can get onto one of those roof tops and surprise them. Magnus and Kara...Magnus and Kara..."said Sigurd
Magnus and Kara were rumbling full speed down the valley trail screaming blood oaths and chewing on their shields.
Aesa patted Sigurd on the arm.
"Nice plan Sigurd. We will do our best to follow it." said Aesa.
The rest of the Norgardians rushed to get into positions as described by Sigurd.
A lone pukje stood at the entrance to the camp with his arms held out to the sides in a non-threatening gesture. A little over four foot tall, he was hideous, with orange skin and muddy eyes.
"Hviltnig borka vin soogna." it said.
Its eyes widened as its head struck the snow. There would be no parley.
Magnus smiled at his work and pointed at more pukje. Kara nodded and the two of them headed toward a band of four pukje. When they were a spear's throw away, Magnus approached them his arms out to the sides.
"Hroth bika vin snooga." he said.
The pukje cackled. "You surrender? Okay den, drop yer sword. Dah girl too." it said.
Kara threw her spear with all her might. Rage strengthened her throw. The pukje who spoke was impaled against a tree.
Two of the remaining pukje fired arrows at Magnus. He blocked them with his shield and moved forward. The third pukje chanted. Magnus felt like his legs had gotten very heavy. He shook with rage but could not move forward. Two pulses of orange energy struck Kara square in the shoulder and her shield fell into the snow. Both Kara and Magnus were stuck with arrows coming from a nearby building.
Aesa jumped off of the roof of a hut onto the chanting pukje. She struck him in the groin with her cudgel. The other two pukje followed her. Aesa was fast...too fast for those stupid ole pukje. She led them on a chase, staying just close enough so they thought they could catch her. She noticed that two of the huts were very close to the fire. Circling around, the pukje lost track of her. She ducked inside one of the huts.
"Hmm what's this?" she said. She had noticed a small vat of cooking grease. Ignoring the distraction, she fired a hand crossbow with a thin line of wire attached to the bolt between the two huts at ankle's height. Testing the line, she secured it in place. Aesa then stepped out of the hut and waved at the pukje.
"Hey boys, miss me?" said Aesa.
With puzzled looks the pukje renewed their pursuit as fast as they could run. Aesa sidestepped the tripwire just as the pukje were about to catch her. They both flew into the fire. Reaching down she grabbed the pot of grease and tossed it onto the fire. The flames roared, partially drowning out the pukje screams.
Magnus looked at Kara. She could not move either. The pukje who had been chanting was regaining his footing. He looked at Magnus and Kara like a hungry man looks at a free meal. Magnus was very angry. His hand shook and his face was red. He heard a voice. It was Olaf. He was too far away to get a good shot at the pukje but he was singing something.
"Kara and Magnus hear me say,
We smite pukje night and day,
The spell that trapped you is no more
Your might in battle is the stuff of lore"
The pukje sorcerer's expression changed from glee to fear as he realized Magnus and Kara were free of his enchantment. He paid for his mistake and was returned to Hel, his mortal form painting the snow with his black blood.
Magnus and Kara could hear shouting at the edge of the camp. They ran toward the commotion at once. On the edge of the camp Olaf was in single combat with a fat pukje. The main battle took place near a hut in the opposite direction from where Olaf was battling. Sigurd and Isgerd were in a pitched battle against ten pukje and a few Norsemen. Magnus recognized one short man with a long beard. It was Wulfgar the Troll. He had almost been outlawed last summer for setting fire to one of the wharves in Norgard.
Before they could arrive to help Sigurd and Isgerd, Aesa jumped off the roof of the hut and launched herself at Wulfgar. A pukje wearing a turban pointed a wand at her. A beam of bright light struck her and she fell flat on her face in front of Wulfgar. He struck her with the pummel of his sword on the back of the head and knocked her unconscious.
Enraged, Magnus and Kara tore into the group. Two pukje chanted and then pointed their fingers at the pair. Magnus and Kara were struck with flames that came from the hands of the two Pukje. Both managed to block the seid magic with their shields. Sigurd was wounded in several places but continued battling. Isgerd looked exhausted. Magnus bull-rushed the pukje line of attack and tackled four of them. He pummeled one pukje senseless with his helmet, headbutting the monster until it no longer breathed. The tackled pukje bit Magnus. Kara took advantage of Magnus' tactic and fell upon the Norse fighters. Wulfgar backed away from the onrush. This gave Sigurd time to fell another pukje. The pukje sorcerers chanted. Orange pulses of seid magic stuck Magnus. He rose from the pile of dead pukje and gave a fierce look to the spell-casters, froth rolling down his beard. The pukje could stomach no more of the battle and turned to run. Aesa awakened in time to kill one of the pukje sorcerers with a quick toss of a dagger. Sigurd killed one of the Norsemen with Isgerd's help. Wulfgar had donned skis and was escaping.
"Trolls never did have the stomach to fight." said Magnus.
"You will not survive to call me a troll again." said Wulfgar.
Isgerd pointed at Wulfgar while praying to Odin for assistance. Wulfgar's clothes and pack fell to the ground. He did not stop to retrieve them.
"He will not survive the night in this cold." said Isgerd.
"If he does, we will bring him before the lawrock and have him outlawed for brigandry." said Sigurd.
Aesa went over and retrieved Wulfgar's belongings. The rest of the band turned at the sound of a fierce combat raging. Olaf and the fat Pukje were locked in battle as if Thor and the Midgard serpent. Both of them look completely winded and had suffered a series of minor wounds. Kara threw her spear ending the epic battle. There would be no glory for Olaf today.
"Thanks...Kara...I had it...under control." said Olaf.
"Kin look out for each other." she said.
"This was no minor raid. Pukje can't stand each other enough to form large groups." said Sigurd.
"I did not know they were sorcerers." said Magnus.
"Who is injured?" asked Isgerd.
"I am." said Olaf.
"Who has bleeding wounds?" asked Isgerd. She was staring at Magnus and Kara for they were covered head to toe in a series of serious wounds.
"It is nothing. Tend to Olaf." said Magnus.
"I will tend to each of you." said Isgerd. She pulled out her medicine bag and began dressing wounds and applying bandages to the worst of the wounds on each of her kin.
While the others were distracted, Aesa rummaged through the pack. She discovered some red-gold coins, a few silver bracelets, a few semi-precious gemstones, a familiar looking dagger, and a scroll-case. Aesa pocketed the gemstones and pulled out the scroll-case. She shouldered the pack and clothing and headed back to a hut to see what was inside the scroll-case. When she found a seat in a hut, she rolled out the scroll and gasped. It was the map that was missing! There was also a note. It was written in Thorsen runes. She read it.
Wulfgar,
Do not get tripped by your incompetence. Much depends on you getting this map out of Norgard. The key to Thor's tomb must be found and destroyed. A hunting party will follow the pukje from Norgard to get revenge for Thrain's death. They are untested in battle. When the pukje have weakened them, finish them off. Take Smid's dagger and bury it in the leader of the group. Make it obvious that Smid the Swimmer was involved. Get the map to me! Do not attempt to find the key yourself! Your reward will be handsome. You may have the women, but kill them when you tire of them. I do NOT want any witnesses.
There was no signet ring or leader's mark to indicate who wrote the letter. Aesa began to give the hut a careful inspection when her kin arrived.
"We had feared you might have been slain." said Sigurd.
"What are you doing?" asked Magnus.
"I am going through Wulfgar's belongings." She dumped his coins and silver bracelets on the table for all to see.
"To be distributed equally!" said Aesa.
"What are you reading?" asked Olaf.
Aesa showed them the note and the map.
"Smid could still be involved in this!" said Magnus.
"I know." said Aesa.
"Who else is involved?" asked Sigurd
"That is what we need to find out." said Aesa.
"What now?" asked Kara.
"I've been studying this hut and some of the others. Pukje did not design these. Wulfgar could not have been here very long. He was seen in Norgard just before the Aegir ceremony. This place was inhabited by outlaws. From the looks of it a few men and women lived here. One of them may have been a witch." said Aesa
"A witch!? How do you know that?" asked Magnus.
"See these bags? They are filled with expensive sands, insects, fine filaments, herbs. They are for making potions. The witch probably made money selling love potions to the ignorant farmers and fishermen of Norgard." said Aesa.
"If there were witches here, they were probably killed and eaten by these loathsome pukje." said Olaf.
"Good!" said Magnus.
"Use that big skull of yours for something other than a battering ram Magnus! Do you know any witches?" asked Aesa.
"...Yes...my cousin Hildagunn was outlawed for practicing witchcraft in the Fall." said Magnus.
"She was helping a woman with childbirth. The child was born with a beard. That does not make her a witch!" said Isgerd.
"You were present at the sentencing Isgerd." said Magnus.
"Sometimes the law is unfair. It favors the men." said Isgerd.
A sharp look from Isgerd told Magnus to remain silent. He decided to go outside and watch for any more pujke that might wander into camp.
"We can't go back to Norgard! Not yet. We haven't recovered Thrain's goods. It is clear from the tracks that a much larger group of pukje headed from this camp a few days ago into the hills. Studying the map leads me to believe they are using the place where the key is safeguarded as a base. If they found the key, we will lose glory and all of the Norse may be in danger." said Aesa.
"Shouldn't we try to find out who set up this trap?" asked Sigurd.
"I do not believe whoever sent Wulfgar out here controls all the pukje. Pukje are lawless. They do what serves their current needs. You can train them like wolves, but if a squirrel crosses their path, they will forget what they were expected to do and follow their instincts." said Aesa.
"It is settled then. We must find the key. I think it is wise to rest up and leave in the morning. " said Sigurd.
"Agreed!" said the others.
"Who is hungry? I brought bacon!" said Olaf.
"Did you bring mead?" asked Aesa.
"Of course!" said Olaf.
The kin dragged the pukje into the woods; breakfast for ravens. The outlaws were burned on the camp fire. When dinner was served the fire was extinguished. There was no desire to attract the many dangers of the night with an obvious beacon. Watches were set to protect the others who slept. When day broke the camp was abandoned and the Norgardians skied toward the hills, following the pukje tracks.
After a few hours, the tracks were lost in snow drifts. Relying on the map, they continued into the hills. Aesa guided her kin the rest of the way using the map. The woods cleared in front of an ice covered pond at the base of a large hill.
"This has to be it!" said Aesa.
"What does?" asked Kara.
"This has to be where the key is kept!" said Aesa
The group surveyed the horizon. There were no signs of smoke or steam. There were no sign of tracks. There were no signs of caves.
"Perhaps the key is meant to be lost." said Olaf.
"No! Let me think! I will find the key. It is fated." said Aesa.
The others looked less convinced as the snow started to intensify and winds made it hard to see.