Prologue

The street was silent and eerie, bathed in the half-light of approaching dawn. The residents of the modest houses lining both sides of the street appeared to be fast asleep, as was the case within most homes in Asgard, at this hour. Suddenly, one of the doors was flung open and a tall woman wearing pale blue robes and carrying a bulky brown bag walked out briskly. She was followed closely by a second woman who was practically running to keep up with her. The first woman stopped a short distance away from the threshold of the house and turned back to the young woman behind her.

The older woman spoke in a firm and reassuring voice, "Go and inform Hendi. Then go home, there is nothing left for us to do here." The young woman nodded and set off towards the northernmost part of the city, while the first woman went in the opposite direction, making her way towards the Vyalli River which flowed nearby.

The narrow twisting streets led to a wider main road; the Vyalli River flowed parallel to the road, dividing the capital city in half. She walked along the main road that was mostly empty at this early hour, until she came to a bridge that crossed over the river into the southern half of the city. But instead of crossing, she walked down a narrow set of steps right next to the bridge and found herself on the banks of the Vyalli.

She stood there for a while gazing at the clear, calm waters of the river. Then she placed her bag on a convenient rock and walked steadily into the river till the water level reached just below her neck. She took a deep breath then submerged her head below the surface. She emerged from the river a few minutes later, shivering slightly; the river had not yet been warmed by the sun. She collected her bag and climbed back up onto the main road.

The city was now coming alive; the early risers of Asgard were trickling onto the road, some hurrying to their place of work, others enjoying a morning stroll. Many of them stared at her as she crossed the bridge; the tall, aloof royal healer walked quickly through the crowds. The citizens of Asgard gave her a wide berth as she made her way towards the royal palace.

Eir could see the curious looks on their faces. "Who has died? ", they asked one another in lowered voices as she walked past them. They would not question her and she would not stop to answer. Their curiosity would be satisfied soon enough. Old Hendi would turn up at the death house in a while, dressed in his ceremonial white robes. The kind old man would handle the grief of the inhabitants and take charge of all the practical aspects of death. He would register the death in his books, provide counsel to the bereaved, and make the funeral arrangements. That was Hendi's job – to deal with the aftermath of death. "It was my job to prevent it", Eir thought bitterly.

She was outside the palace gates where a few guards were chatting and laughing boisterously. The guards fell silent in respect when they saw Eir and took in her appearance. They bowed their heads and allowed her entry into the palace grounds. She walked the familiar path to the medical center, which was located in a corner of the vast grounds. She entered her quarters and looked out through the windows at the magnificent structure right in the middle of the grounds. The palace gleamed like gold in the morning light; the glorious blue sky of a perfect summer day in Asgard hung overhead.