When Sigrdrífa left to rescue Jacob she left Isobel saddled with several unfortunate duties. One such duty involved having to explain to Jacob’s parents what happened to their son. That talk went about as well as one would expect with telling two parents that their only child was kidnapped by a cabal of monsters. What made it even worse was explaining to them that since they cannot afford to risk another attempt like this Jacob will not be making a return to Everguard.

Isobel was told by Sigrdrífa that she would attempt to bring him back the same day however the priestess knew better. Having been taught tactics by the Valkyrie herself she knew there was too much of a security risk with having Jacob stay in Everguard. The fact that even Sigrdrífa’s own wards were bypassed was enough proof of this and Isobel refuses to lie to these people.

For one it would serve no purpose than to give them a false sense of hope which would shatter the moment they realized their son wasn’t returning. It was better to deal with it now plus there was also the matter of Isobel needing Jacob’s belongings. She wanted to pack up everything she needed by tonight and ride out at first dawn.

Of course delivering this news had the unfortunate effect of having to deal with two very angry, fearful and near grieving parents. Luckily her patience and empathy were well trained and she was suited to dealing with such people. In the end Isobel managed to receive Jacob’s belongings which were thankfully already packed as well as a letter they wrote for him.

Jacob’s parents were not the only ones to receive this bit of news and the next person Isobel told was Commander Elias and only him. Despite her initial thoughts Elias was far from the coward she thought he was in that first encounter with the Demon. The priestess actually felt a bit embarrassed by how she reacted to his retreat from the battle as it only made sense since there was nothing he or his men could do in such a fight. She was so used to seeing warriors of the Order charge towards monsters with an indomitable will that she forgot that these men were not trained paladins or Heroes blessed by the Goddess.

They were ordinary men whose first prerogative was protecting the populace they were put in charge of as defenders. And she wanted them to fight knowing there was an unconscious boy on the field. Not that their presence would have made a difference in the fight other than to hinder Lady Sigrdrífa. Not even Isobel made a difference until the Demon was weakened and even then her performance was poor to say the least.

In any case following this personal blunder and after actually working with the man, as far Isobel was concerned Elias had earned her respect. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for most of the men under his command. Besides the fact that some of them were responsible for Lady Sigrdrífa’s identity being spread around Everguard but she was very aware how some of them would look at her. The less said about her personal thoughts on the matter the better.

As for Commander Elias’ reaction to the news she managed to steer him away from informing his men and putting out an alert. He didn’t take her word for it that Sigrdrífa would take care of the issue. He also figured out that Jacob was important to them beyond him being targeted by the Demon. Luckily as Isobel made him aware of Jacob’s parents’ knowledge and the assurance that Lady Sigrdrífa will save him he did not press for more information.

With that settled Isobel’s preparations went smoothly for a time. In truth she could have left that same day however despite the slim chance of Sigrdrífa actually returning the Valkyrie only ordered her to leave after a day has passed and so that is what she planned to do. Isobel was not expecting anymore complications on her part which was why it came as a surprise to her when in the evening she was sought out by one of the servants for an urgent matter.

~O~

“Miss Isobel!”

The priestess, having completed her preparations for the journey had decided to stay in the chapel which was naturally the most frequently visited area in the manor for her. The one who called for her was a maid by the name of Ellie, one of the dozen servants left to take care of the Brimsey manor.

“What is it? Has Lady Sigrdrífa returned?”

She was a bit hopeful for that however said hope was dashed as the maid shook her head.

“Your presence is requested inside.”

“By whom?”

“Sir Hamlin Wilks, a knight under the employ of Lord Brimsey.”

Isobel’s frown became more pronounced “take me to him.”

The maid escorted Isobel inside the manor where awaiting them was a group of 12 men dressed in high quality armor. One of them came forward, a man with short cut brown hair, dark eyes and a trimmed goatee.

“Milady” he inclined his head to her respectfully “I am Sir Hamlin Wilks.”

Isobel returned the gesture “my name is Isobel and I am not of nobility so there is no need for titles.”

“Understood Miss Isobel” he nodded then frowned “is the Lady Valkyrie here?”

“May I ask what business you have with Lady Sigrdrífa?”

“I come bearing an invitation from Lord Brimsey. He has heard tales of her vanquishing a Demon that had infiltrated his lands and wishes to personally thank her.”

Isobel internally sighed, this right here is the reason why Sigrdrífa has taken to not announcing herself as a Valkyrie when travelling to Kingdoms or towns with a highborn presence.

“I am afraid Lady Sigrdrífa is no longer here.”

“Then where is she? And when will she return?”

“You misunderstand Sir Hamlin, Lady Sigrdrífa has moved on from Everguard and will not be returning.”

Hamlin’s brows furrowed as he frowned. Isobel noted some consternation on the faces of his men as well as disappointment. She could sympathize with their plight somewhat. They seem to have traveled a long way and it turns out that it was all for nothing.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Hamlin “that is unfortunate” he paused “and what of you? What will you do now?”

“I will be returning to Eristora.”

“Then allow us to accompany you.”

Isobel frowned “that is not necessary.”

“Nonsense, allow us the honor of escorting you to Wenia’s borders.”

Isobel understood the sentiment however it was not appreciated “I can take care of myself.”

She felt a small amount of satisfaction when Hamlin swallowed a bit at her tone of voice. She had put some intent behind her words, something she learned from Lady Sigrdrífa herself. It helps with dealing with men, particularly when they underestimate her because she is a priestess...or a woman.

Hamlin swallowed a bit “I am not denying this however what kind of knights would we be if we allowed a priestess of the Holy Order to travel alone?”

If she were Lady Sigrdrífa then she would have turned them down with extreme prejudice. However no matter how much she idolized the Valkyrie Isobel cannot find it in herself to be so callous.

“Very well, you may escort me to the town of Freyberg. This is as far as I am willing to inconvenience you.”

“It is no inconvenience Miss Isobel.”

Isobel returned his smile with one of her own before excusing herself while the servants attended to the knights who were all weary from travel.

As she walked Isobel called Ellie to her side “do you know how to ride a horse?”

The maid startled at the sudden question could only blink before nodding “yes ma’am.”

“Change out of your uniform and meet me in the stables. Also wear a cloak.”

Ellie had questions however upon seeing Isobel’s expression (and knowing better than to question her) the maid nodded and walked off in a different direction to comply with the priestess’ command. As for Isobel she went and retrieved Jacob’s belongings and wrote a letter before going to the stables herself. She dismissed the stable boy with a gentle smile that had the young man blushing and stammering as he left.

Once alone her attention was directed to a particular horse “Torren”

The brown and white steed perked up, its eyes shined with an intelligence unseen in any of the others present. This horse was Lady Sigrdrífa’s mount, bred as a warhorse in Eristora Torren was picked by the Valkyrie who would further train and enhance it through passive sharing of her mana and minor enchantments. The result was a stronger, faster and more intelligent animal with a few unforeseen tricks.

She leads him out the stable door “there has been a change of plans, you will be leaving out first.”

As if understanding her words (because he did) the horse voices his displeasure and confusion with a huff.

Isobel began securing Jacob’s luggage long with the letter to the saddle “go straight to Lady Sigrdrífa, if she is already in a town then you will wait out of sight until she comes to you, am I understood?”

The horse chuffs with a shake of his head.

“Good” she produced several apples and fed them to him as she led him to the stable doors.

Moments later Ellie arrived wearing a tunic, trousers and boots while holding a folded cloak in her hands. Isobel actually paused a bit at her choice of attire but decided not to comment on it. Instead she handed her the reigns and gave her instructions.

“His name is Torren and he is Lady Sigrdrífa’s mount. Take him outside of Everguard and set him loose.”

Ellie was rightfully perplexed by this order “set him loose miss?”

“Yes do it just out of sight” at seeing the young maid’s apprehensive look Isobel added “he is trained to seek out and return to his master.”

Ellie nodded in understanding though now that she knew the true origin of this horse she felt intimidated. The fact that Torren was looking her square in the eye as if taking her measure didn’t make it any better. After a few moments of silence the horse lowered itself a bit allowing Ellie to have a easier time mounting it and with a curt nod from Isobel they rode off.

~O~

Ellie completed the task given to her without anyone else the wiser though this would be the only thing that would go without complications that day. Just a little over an hour after sending Ellie off one of the town guards would arrive with an urgent message from Commander Elias for a meeting. When she arrived at the man’s office in the barracks it was to find a consternated commander along with a certain knight.

“Sir Hamlin?”

“Miss Isobel” the knight retained his courteousness though his voice was lined with something just under the surface.

“What is going on?”

The question was directed more to the commander who answered “Sir Hamlin has taken it upon himself to follow up and confirm the reports of the incident with the Demon.”

“I assume that the commander’s reports are up to standards.”

“Ah yes, Commander Elias was very thorough regarding the incident” Hamlin commended “really the only reason why I am bothering with this is because I am man who won’t be at ease until I hear the truth from the horse’s mouth so to speak. Also I have questions of my own.”

“I see…” Isobel frowned feeling annoyed at being blindsided like this. It was inconvenient but she would not disparage competence “what questions do you have?”

“Who is Jacob and why is he important to the Demon?”

‘Why does it feel like Lady Sigrdrífa took away all her blessings of luck when she left?’

Isobel didn’t answer immediately, her mind raced with thoughts of what to do next. On the one hand it was a unanimous consensus that maintaining Jacob’s relative anonymity was the best course of action. Neither the boy nor his family needed that kind of scrutiny, especially from the kingdom of Wenia. She could lie, misdirect or just choose not to answer that question but doing this (especially the two former) felt like crossing a line she was not willing to.

On the other hand ‘is it wrong to keep this from him?’

So far Hamlin has shown himself to be competent if not trustworthy but then there is always that danger of traitors.

‘…I can do that.’

” with that thought Isobel clasped her hands intoning a prayer and sending a spark of energy to the door.

The action alerted the two men with Hamlin voicing their thoughts “what was that?”

“A ward for any eavesdroppers” she informed “now before I answer your question Sir Hamlin, are you willing to subject yourself to a test?”

The straightened his weariness as apparent as his hand twitching towards his sheathed weapon.

“What kind of test?”

“A test of loyalty, you see the Demon has spent a long time in Wenia, too long to not have coerced anyone into her servitude for her own ends. Lady Sigrdrífa has assured that the people of Everguard are pure however the same cannot be said for those outside its borders.”

“You think that I-”

The knight cut himself off glancing back and forth between her and the commander whom at some point has gathered his own weapon. Though it remains sheathed the fact that it was in view and available to be drawn at a moment’s notice spoke volumes.

Finally he calmed down “no, I understand. Do what you must.”

Isobel nodded and went to work casting a spell. She will ascertain whether or not Hamlin was an agent of the Demon (willingly or not) and depending on the outcome he will either be duly informed of the full picture or be made an example of to the other traitors.

~O~

“Jacob, wake up”

The sounds of a woman spoke as he felt himself being nudged ever so slightly.

“Mother?”

Because what other woman would be waking him up gently in the morning?

Then the voice replied “I am not your mother.”

Jacob blinked at the words finally getting a look at who the voice belonged to. He found Sigrdrífa hovering over his bed, deep blue eyes looking down and full lips pursed in a frown. Upon seeing this Jacob jolted away from her, scrambling to a sitting position on the bed and hitting the back of his head on the wall.

“Ow!” he rubbed the back of his head but kept his eyes on the Valkyrie who only raised an eyebrow at his reaction.

‘I’m not at home anymore’ he remembered.

He got kidnapped then rescued by Sigrdrífa.

“Get up and get dressed” she ordered softly before heading towards the door “your training begins now.”

Jacob blinked, unsure if he heard that correctly “right now?”

Sigrdrífa paused at the door to look over her soldiers. Deep blue eyes met his brown ones with an expression he did not recognize.

“Right now” she confirmed “meet me outside.”

And then she left, shutting the door leaving Jacob to his own devices. Immediately his eyes drifted to the window where he noted the lack of sunlight shining through. A look outside confirmed his suspicions that the sun has only just begun to rise. After getting dressed he met with Sigrdrífa who was leaning outside by the door.

The moment he closed the door behind him she placed a hand on his shoulder and in the next moment there was a flash of golden light. In the next instance he blinked back a few spots feeling disoriented and a bit cold from the sudden temperature drop. Sigrdrífa backed away and it was then revealed that they were no longer at the inn.

“Where are we?”

“Somewhere outside of Freyberg” gesturing to the forest clearing “this place will suit our purposes for now.”

Right, the training, Jacob swallowed a bit “what will you have me do?”

“For now I will test your physical strength and endurance to see what I will be working with.”

Well that didn’t sound too bad.

Two Hours Later…

“That’s enough” the Valkyrie called out and Jacob fell on his hands and knees on the grass.

The boy was drenched in sweat, ached all over and it felt like his lungs were trying to kill him. When Sigrdrífa said she was going to test his strength and endurance what she really meant was that she was going to see how far she could push him and for how long he could keep it up. To that end she had him complete a ridiculous amount of training exercises and the result was the mess of a boy currently panting on the floor and wondering where he went wrong in life to deserve this.

Sigrdrífa looked down at the boy from her position with a critical eye ‘his overall fitness isn’t bad.’

Not at all impressive by her standards but for an untrained human, a teenage boy at that, they were remarkable.

‘As expected of one who bears the Heroic Bloodline’ she frowned ‘though it would be better if he received the Goddess blessing.’

As a Valkyrie placed in charge of mentoring one with the Heroic Bloodline of course Sigrdrífa has the ability to grant the Goddess’ blessing onto Jacob. There were pros to doing this too as not only would it grant him a physical and magical boost but it would also unlock the hidden capabilities that were specific to his bloodline.

‘No, he’s not ready’ she decided.

Make no mistake Jacob will be given the blessing and ascend to becoming a proper Hero. It wasn’t a matter of if she could but when she should and in this instance as his mentor Sigrdrífa decided that his ascension would be at her discretion. One may question the reasoning behind this decision but Sigrdrífa didn’t want Jacob to be just another Hero she has seen some of the so-called Heroes raised by mortals and found them wanting. No, what Sigrdrífa wanted was to make Jacob a proper Hero, one fit to join the ranks of Heaven itself and for that to happen Jacob would need to earn it.

Jacob’s overall reaction to being chosen by the Goddess has been lackluster to say the least. Despite being given one of the highest honors a mortal could hope to be given Jacob showed no excitement, eagerness or general ambition. So far all she has seen of him were hesitance, unwillingness and defiance.

‘If he continues like this then even if he is subjected to the training and teachings he will never realize his full potential.’

And the reason for this was because Jacob does not want to become a Hero and this mindset, if continued, will negatively impact his progress. So it was up to Sigrdrífa to make him actually want to be a Hero which very much annoyed her. She shouldn’t have to try and convince someone to become a divine warrior under the Goddess. It wasn’t as if she was expecting this to be easy but she at least would have liked it to be enjoyable.

Now the question is ‘how do I go about this?’

The problem with Jacob’s hesitance stems from his way of life. His home Everguard was a peaceful place far removed from the wars and saw little if any kind of troubles within its borders. As far as she knew Everguard had been experiencing several decades of uninterrupted peace until the Demon arrived. Intellectually she understood why he would not be enthused to leave that peace to fight in a war even if it was on behalf of the Goddess.

This fact is only exacerbated with his lack of devotion to the Goddess itself. Now it is not to say that Jacob was a non believer however Sigrdrífa could tell that his worship of Erestia and keeping of the core tenets of her faith was somewhat insincere. It was something he did because everyone was doing it but if left to his own devices then he would not do it. And since Jacob could not grasp the true magnitude of his role, he could not appreciate it for what it was.

And if that wasn’t bad enough the monsters that kidnapped him put even more doubts into his mind with their drivel. Luckily he is smart enough not to take them at their word however she could see that it was affecting him all the same.

Sigrdrífa mentally sighed at the difficult predicament she found herself in.

“That’s enough resting for now.”

Taking a few more gulps of air Jacob climbed to his feet looking at her wearily.

“Now that the warm ups are done, we can start the real training.”

The look of horror on his face as she says this brought a genuine smile to her face. That was the same look her recruits would give her back when she was an instructor in Heaven.

~To Be Continued~