A/N: This chapter is filled to the brim with sacrifice, both animal and human, which is described in detail. There is also underage drug use. Read at your own discretion.

I awoke on Thursday morning only to find a baby moose in my cabin.
"Greetings, I am Maynard," The mooseling had a surprisingly deep voice. "I bring a message from Andren." He cleared his throat. "You'll find the clothes you'll need for today in your dresser. Get changed and if you get lost, call for Grimm." With that, the little moose left.

I quickly dressed in a black wool shirt, the same pants from my duel, nålbound socks, and black leather shoes. I fastened a black cloak around my shoulders, and found a silver Tiwaz pendant, with my father's name in runes, which I placed around my neck. My armring was the last addition to my outfit.

I left my cabin, and saw the whole camp before me, everyone in groups according to their godly parent. They were all walking in the same direction. I looked around, and saw that I was the only one not in line. I began to follow everyone, wherever they were going.

We walked for a long time through the woods, until we came to a treeless, flat-topped hill. On this hill stood a wooden building, and outside of this building stood Andren. She wore a long-sleeved white linen dress with a sky blue wool apron over it; the apron was held together by two golden, ovular brooches above her breasts. Two strings of beads connected the brooches to each other, and around her waist a length of tablet woven band was tied, from which a leather purse hung. Over all of this she wore a long, sleeveless, royal blue coat, trimmed with silvery-grey fur; it was shorter than the apron, which was the same length as the underdress. The underdress had a slit from the throat to the beginning of the apron, this was held closed at the beginning of the slit by a silver penannular brooch. Her hair was elaborately braided, there was thick black eyeliner around her eyes, and she wore a pair of flat-soled leather shoes, and carried a wooden distaff carved with runes. On her right wrist she wore a silver spiral bracelet.

"Don't you think that's a bit much?" I stood by her side, looking her up and down. "Hardly, this is what I wear when I come up here. Look around you." Andren gestured to the others; everyone wore similar clothing. "Look at yourself. Anyway, it shows-" "Ranulf mac Kerr Gunn, what are you wearing?!" Andren shouted at a kilt-clad male with flowing black hair.

"It's traditional! How can you expect me not to wear it?" The male's voice carried a thick Scottish burr. She shook her head and turned back to me. "Ranulf's Norwegian-Scotch, half Norwegian and half Scottish. He's a Gunn, one of the oldest clans in Scotland, directly descended from Norwegian colonizers during the Viking Age. He's a son of Skadi, and was born on Orkney. Enough about Ranulf. You must see the temple."

She lead me to the wooden building, which looked like a smaller version of a stave church, but was adorned only with carved Urnes dragons. A large stone step lead to the door, which Andren opened as she stepped onto the stone, then closed once we were inside. The interior was lit by two rows of candles that sat on wooden shelves near the ceiling, a row on either of the side walls. Around the room were eighteen small square tables, each big enough for a carving of a deity, a few candles, and one or two small offerings. Each altar corresponded with the position of that deity's house at camp. I saw that Tyr's altar already had a wooden carving of my father with his hand in Fenrir's mouth, a candle on either side of the carving. I felt foolish and ashamed; I hadn't brought anything to offer. But Andren pressed a cup made of horn into my hand, and filled it with mead; I placed this in front of the carving.

Andren changed into a white underdress, dissolving her old attire into thin air. Andren then took a bowl, called hlautbolli or sacrificial bowl, filled it with hlaut or blood of a sacrifice, and dipped hlautteinn or a sacrificial twig into the substance. She then said: "Hail to the Aesir and the Vanir. Hail to the gods and goddesses. Hail to Odin, Thor, and Frey. Hail to Vali, Sif, and Heimdall. Hail to Balder, Bragi, and Eir. Hail to Freja, Loki, and Frigg. Hail to Hlín, Lofn, and Mimir. Hail to Njord, Ran, and Tyr. Hail to Odin's spear, Thor's hammer. Hail to the mighty fecund earth. All hail." After saying this, she splattered me with blood, and I responded with "All hail." She stood in the doorway, called up groups by parent, performed the ritual on each person, and let them worship their parent in the temple.

When we left the temple, Andren called Grimm and three others to her, and the five of them sang a song. When it ended, Grimm and the others stood with their siblings as Andren called up a boy named Fig, who offered a prayer to his father, Odin. After the prayer, animals were brought out, nine of every kind. The first animals were nine ravens, and Andren placed them-one by one-on a large slab of stone, slit their throats, and caught the blood in a bowl. It went on like this until she had sacrificed the ninth ram to Heimdall. The skin of one of the sacrificed horses was placed on the branches of a tree, so everyone could see the offering Andren had made. One bull and one goat were saved, they would be sacrificed in a different manner.

Nine individuals broke away from the group and replaced Fig.
"These nine have been chosen as offerings to the gods." Andren and a boy walked to a tree that stood by the temple. Andren seized him by the throat and lifted him a few inches off the ground. The boy spasmed and struggled but finally died. "May Odin welcome his son home." Another boy was pushed into a well, as a sacrifice to his father, Freyr. One of Loki's sons was torn apart by wolves as a son of Frigg was ripped to pieces by dogs. A poisonous snake bit a son of Skadi and he died. A son of Heimdall was butted to death by a ram, and a son of Ran was drowned. The last two boys were a son of Freya and a son of Hel. The son of Freya removed his shirt, and lay on the stone alter. Andren slit his fhroat quickly, and he was suspended from the same tree that the son of Odin was killed at, thick blood dripping onto the ground. Last came the chosen son of Hel, who placed his head on a tree stump with a funnel made from a stubby branch that grew from the stump.

Andren swapped a knife for an axe, and spoke these words: "In the presence of the gods, and in their honor, I offer this sacrifice." She swung the axe down, and decapitated the boy. The blood spilled down the funnel and into Andren's bowl, which was now filled with blood from nearly every sacrifice. Andren dipped her index and middle fingers in the bowl and painted a line on each cheek. The final bull was brought out and placed between Andren and the rest of us. Again, Andren dipped her fingers in the blood-filled bowl, this time to paint sigils on the bull's hide. By the bovine was a thick disk of wood, with a circle cut into it, and a long notch with a wide and deep bowl at the end of it. Four males carried elongated wooden bowls, which were placed behind the bull. Andren stood on one side of the bull, pointing her distaff at the animal. I translated in my head as she spoke: 'Freyr, god of plenty, shining Freyr, we summon you. We offer you this sacrifice. Freyr, son of Njord, you who decides when the sun rises or the rain comes down, bring forth the fruitfulness of the earth. With the blood of this sacrifice, nourish and make fecund mother earth. With your phallus, fill her womb for the increase of the earth. Now is the time.'

Andren switched her distaff for the same axe, and decapitated the bull. Thick blood filled the disk and traveled into the bowl at the end of the notch. The bull's head fell to the earth. Four others took up the bowls and filled them with blood; one of them presented a bowl to Andren, who dipped her fingers in it and placed them on her chin below her lips, then traveled down her neck to end between her breasts. While she did that, two other bowl bearers stood by her, and when she finished they poured blood on her, the one on her right starting first and the one on her left beginning shortly after the first. Afterwards, Andren and the three took the bowls and walked around the temple, scooping up handfuls of blood and throwing them onto the ground.

After the bull came the goat. When she returned from throwing blood on the ground, Andren said a prayer: "Hail Thor. Hallower. Child of Odin, lover of Sif. You who dwell in Bilskírnir, you who retrieved Mjolnir from Thrym, got Ægir his cauldron, and fished for Jörmangandr. Come swiftly to aid me as I sacrifice this day." She cut the goat's throat and held the animal over a deep wooden bowl to collect the blood. When the goat was dead she laid it down and dipped her fingers in it's blood, then placed them on the right side of her forehead near the hairline, and swept quickly across and down to her cheekbone. The blood of both the bull and the goat was mixed with the rest of the blood. Andren removed her bracelet and placed it in the bowl, then removed it and sprinkled some blood on the altar stone. After each sacrifice, Grimm cut the heart from every offering and placed it in a large wooden bowl. This was mixed with all the blood and taken into the temple.

Andren picked up her distaff and followed Grimm, and everyone else followed her. I stayed behind. I felt dizzy and lightheaded; I had never seen that much death and blood in my life. Daggry exited the hof and came up next to me.
"Erik are you alright?" She wore a white underdress with a green wool apron, bronze brooches, and similar flat-soled leather shoes as Andren's.
"I think I'm going to be sick." And I was. When I finished, Daggry lead me to the well and got me some water.
"Isn't this sacrifice water?" I questioned Daggry.
"Well yes-" I vomited again. Daggry gave me some ginger tea she had brought with her.
"Come on, let's get you inside, or you'll miss the fun."
"Fun?" I asked as the huldra helped me to my feet.

We entered the temple and went directly to the back of the building. There, Daggry pushed open a door that I hadn't noticed before. It opened to a room light by a large hearth fire on the left wall. Andren sat on a chair that was placed on a raised platform in the center of the room. She had changed back into her former clothing. Grimm handed her a bowl, and Andren made a brass fork appear in her hand and began to eat whatever was in the bowl. I soon deduced that she was eating the hearts of the sacrifices and slurping their blood. After this sanguine meal, the door flew open and someone entered the room. They were of average height with long black hair and black eyes, and light coloring. They were completely covered in red ochre, and their hair was worn straight except for a few strands in the back that were braided and decorated with feathers from various birds. They wore a coat made of several reindeer skins sewn together to form one large piece, this was thrown over their shoulders, wrapped around their body, and held in place by a belt. They also wore leather leggings, and moccasins that had a small projection at the heel. They were followed by a boy who dressed in fur and carried a flat drum. The two stood on either side of Andren, as if awaiting her instruction. Andren gave the bowl and fork to Grimm and stood.
"These are my assistants," she gestured to her left. "This is Who-ish-me osweet, a Beothuk child that I timekept until recently. Their name means laughing deer."

"Timekeeping is where Andren travels back in time, often to save demigods or important people. She stops the person from aging and brings them to us in the modern day. That's how Fig got here." Daggry explained to me.
"But how does she do it?"
"You've heard of the 'fabric of time and space'. Well with Andren, it's literally fabric. She can manipulate it anyway she likes, but it's very draining. She can only do it once every five hundred years, which is why Fig and Who-ish-me are the only ones who have been timekept."
"How old is Andren?"
"She was born in 900."
Andren spoke again, this time pointing to her right.
"Irján, a Sami joiking boy who will assist Who-ish-me and I." The doors opened again and a girl walked in, wearing a replica Finnish Viking Age dress known as the Mikkelin dress.
"Ah, Taika, how nice of you to join us."
"Sorry, I couldn't find my brooches."
"Well, you're just in time for the fun. Come, take your place." The girl stood behind Andren. Grimm placed leaves and seeds in the fire, which made the room darken and fill with smoke. Andren threw something on the ground. When she spoke her voice filled the room entirely.

"The runes have spoken. If Odin willed that Erik should die, Thor's hammer would sound his death knell. But the sky is silent. The curse of Odin waits on him who kills the boy." Then Who-ish-me began to chant. It was low and deep, and awakened something within me. "Algiz. Algiz. Algiz." They chanted the rune over and over again, falling into a trance. "Algiz. Algiz. Algiz." They continued in this way for three minutes, after which stopped. Irján began to joik, singing a Sami folk song. When this finished, Taika sang a Faroese song, Irján beat his drum, and Who-ish-me covered the guttural grunting Taika couldn't do. After the song ended, Taika transferred to singing Finnish rune chants and charms. She was singing the last chant when Andren cried "Enough!" As she opened her mouth again, the words she spoke were said in a voice that sounded far from where we were. "Thrice to thine and thrice to mine and thrice again, to make up nine."
"Why is she quoting Shakespeare?" I asked Daggry.
"Shakespeare may be the son of a Greek god, but Andren can spot magically powerful phrases when she sees them. Macbeth happens to be one of Shakespeare's most magical plays." Andren's voice became loud again.
"The wolf and the dog do not play together. Heed these words, Eiríkr Tyrson." The fire went out, and Grimm relit it. When the light was restored, Who-ish-me, Taika, and Irján were gone, as was Andren. Others began to leave, filing through the door and exiting the temple. Daggry and I left, leaving Grimm to extinguish the fire. Everyone was spread all over the hill. Daggry found her sisters and went to help them prepare dinner, for it was now dark. The huldras and Andren worked to prepare the animal oblations and turn the meat into delicious food.

Dinner consisted of skause, a hearty soup made from vegetables and boiled meat. In the skause was beef, mutton, boar, goat, pork, horse, raven, chicken, and goose. A separate cauldron of skause was made with deer, elk, and hare, for those who didn't want the meat made by mactation. Both cauldrons contained purple carrots, turnips, peas, leeks, and onions. Hazelnuts and walnuts were provided, so were apples, blackberries, and strawberries. Dairy products were butter, skyr, and cheese. Skyr is a thick creamy yogurt native to Iceland. Our choices of drink were mead, ale, milk, buttermilk, and water. All of this was eaten with leiv, a flatbread. After this great feast, the real fun began.

Alcohol was served in great abundance, and Grimm offered me some mushrooms, telling me they'd change my life. I popped the small brown fungi in my mouth and didn't have to wait long for the drugs to take effect. I could smell the forest, saw every tiny detail on the temple, and could still taste every part of the skause I had eaten. The trees were all melting into rainbow puddles, and the temple was rippling. When people moved, they left a trail of light behind them. As I walked I noticed my footsteps and breathing became louder. After what felt like five hours, I stumbled into the woods, tripped over a tree root, and landed by a small pool of water. I curled up and closed my eyes, hoping to sleep off the drug.

When I woke up, I found that the drug had indeed worn off. I looked around and saw a hut I had not seen the pervious night. Deciding to check it out, I walked to it and opened the door. Light came from a lot hearth on the far wall. Bones and pieces of stained glass hung from the ceiling, and a large square of linen was laid on the ground. On the linen sat a leather pouch, and behind the pouch sat Andren.

She had changed once again; her underdress was cream colored, a dark red apron with gold brooches was worn over it, and on her shoulders was a magnificent golden yellow shawl with fringed edges, embroidered with mythological scenes.
"Sit Erik." Her voice was calm and soft. I sat in front of the pouch.
"Did you like Grimm's liberty cap?"
"They were quite good."
"Gøra megin optar."
"Hey! That's my-" The bracelet became the sword.
"Have you ever studied your sword before, Erik?" I admitted that I hadn't.
"Look at it now." I did so. I saw that the pommel had three bumps, and there was a bindrune of stacked Tiwaz down the center of the blade.
"That sword will aid you."
"What?"
"Your sword will aid you in your quest." She handed back Ulfsbíta and I turned it back into an armring.
"What quest?"
Andren opened the pouch, reached inside, removed her hand, and threw a handful of bones onto the linen. She mulled over them, and at length spoke.
"Four beasts have arisen, either from death or boredom. Fafnir, Níðhöggr, Beowulf's dragon, and Ragnar's lindworm. They threaten our world, wanting to find and kill you, for it has said that you shall be the one to kill them if they are ever to rise. You must find and kill them before they do the same to you. I would begin searching in Spokane, Washington. Leave after the huldra song. Grimm and Daggry will accompany you. There are færings in the river near the camp, take one to get to Washington. I will meet you there." I thanked Andren and left the hut to sleep by the pool once more.

A/N: The songs I had in mind when writing this chapter are 'Rotlaust tre fell' by Wardruna and 'Trøllabundin' by Eivør Pálsdóttir. I used lines from various episodes of History Channel's show Vikings, as well as a line from the 1958 movie The Vikings, and all rights to those lines go to those who hold the copyright. I would love feedback on this chapter, please tell me what you liked/didn't like about it, what could be changed, if this chapter should be scrapped altogether, etc.