Though Tyr was expecting the feasting hall to be big, He found himself in shock as to its size. Tyr could not even see the ceiling or the corners of the room clearly, only the occasional glint from the shields that he assumed would be hanging up there, and the nine tables were so long and wide that one could have a chariot race from one end to the other. However, as Tyr soon realized walking past them, they were not for the Aesir but the einherjar, the fallen warriors who dwelled in Valhalla after death. The Aesir, more accurately the nobility of the Aesir, sat upon special carved seats and for twelve there were golden thrones. Tyr stared at them and noticed that one had his rune on it, so he went closer to inspect it.

“Ah Tyr, that is not yours.”

Tyr turned to look at the speaker, who was Baldur. Baldur stood around Odin’s height and was, though Tyr felt awkward saying this about a man, quite beautiful. His face had a slight feminine quality to it, though it also had a man’s features, and his golden eyes looked as though they could never bare any ill will to a soul.

“What do you mean Baldur?”

“That is not your throne, that is my son, Forseti’s, throne.”

“But it has my rune upon it.”

Odin walked forward a little and cleared his throat.

“It was your throne originally Tyr. However, you were gone so long that we thought you had died, and as such, your belongings were distributed among the people of Asgard, sold and resold to this point I do not know where it all might be. During those distributions, it was decided that since Forseti is also a keeper of justice that he would take your throne.”

“I… see. So then, my items were distributed to those I willed then.”

“Willed?”

“A document saying would get upon my death.”

“There… there was no such document.”

“Had I sworn an oath to individuals saying that they may get those items upon my demise?”

“Oh uh… no.”

“Allfather, since Tyr has returned to Asgard, let us allow him to have his throne back.”

Tyr looked at the speaker, a man of barely eighteen. His golden eyes told Tyr that this was likely to be Forseti, yet whereas Baldur’s eyes had a kindness, Forseti’s had a haughtiness to them, with his presentation of returning the throne as though he was making some great personal sacrifice not altogether willing.

That is the attitude of the Aesir who settles court dispute?

“Thank you Forseti. That is very…proper of you.”

Wait, why did I say proper? I wanted to say something like “nice” or “kind”.

Most of those around looked at Tyr in surprise, but Forseti had already turned waving a hand half-graciously, as though he wanted to say, “Think nothing of it you poor wretch.” but too polite to do so and sat down in an elaborately gilded chair of fine oak.

Though I have never seen either, something about Forseti reminds me of a peacock strutting around its hens.

Tyr then sat down and watched the others as the hall began to fill. The first to come into the hall were the einherjar, who filled the long tables. They were in all shapes and size, yet all gave of the feeling as being a fighter. Old and young were alike amongst them, some so much so that Tyr wondered how they were even able to wield the weapons needed to fight in a battle. As the table began to fill, Tyr noticed two things about the einherjar. First, that there were apparent two groups of them: one that was wearing simple wool gambeson, dome helmets, black shields and only silver looking sticks about twice the length of their hands worn as weapons, and the other having more proper weapons and armor though many still had the same shields and carried the sticks as well. The second thing Tyr noticed was the lack of women, as there appeared to be perhaps one woman for every ten thousand men. Leaning closer to Thor who was just across from him, Tyr said “Thor, could you perhaps remind me why there are so few shieldmaidens among the einherjar?”

“Because most female warriors and volva choose to become Valkyrie when they die in battle.”

Tyr nodded at this, told Thor thanks, and leaned back in his throne when the Valkyries came in after the einherjar. Wearing silver armor robes made from feathers, they were all beautiful and powerful to behold. They did not sit as the einherjar did but walked single file along the walls with perfect unison. When they had reached their positions, Odin stepped forward, growing to the size of Tyr, and held up a silver goblet.

“Warriors of Valhalla, my proud einherjars and Valkyries, today, we feast again. Not merely for the celebration of the bravery of the einherjar, but for the miraculous return of Tyr, a mighty son of Aesir, jarl of Asgard, an honorable warrior whose sacrifice to bind the great wolf Fenrir is never forgotten. And with his return, a strengthening to our forces, come the day of Ragnarök. To the glory of Valhalla!”

“To the glory of Valhalla!” roared the hall.

“Now, Varin, son of Rikiwulf, son of Hjorr, step forward.”

One of the einherjar came forward, clothed in chainmail tunic, and kneeled before Odin.

“For your success in the field of battle today, you are rewarded. To the one who gives much on the field of battle, much is given in return.”

Odin then materialized a box, opened it to show that there was gold inside, and handed it to Varin.

“May this donation be used to strengthen yourself as a warrior.”

“For the glory of Valhalla.” responded Varin. Odin nodded and Varin returned to his seat.

“Now then, let us not keep these hungry souls waiting any longer. Let the feast begin!”

With a clap of Odin’s hands, a tray the size of a longship was levitated down from above, and upon it was roasted hog that was nearly as big as the tray itself. As Odin seated himself on his throne that he shared with Frigg, the Valkyries began to fly up to the tray, cutting off chunks of meat and taking them to the various einherjar. Some, after making two or three trips, went and began to bring horn tankards and goblets in front of the einherjar, then going to get large pitchers, they simply hovered above the feasters, waiting to be called to fill an empty drink. When one of the Valkyries brought Tyr his share, he bowed his head slightly and thanked her to which she gave a small smile as she turned away. The meat was not only delicious and juicy, but also well-seasoned, as Tyr found the flavors dancing on his tongue long after he swallowed his bite. Tyr also watched the others around him: Baldur chatting away with the people on both sides of him, Thor ripping the meat apart with his teeth one moment and drinking a barrel that the Valkyries had placed beside him the next. His wife Sif was on his other side, and while she succeeded in being the less messy of the too, she had a barrel beside her as well which she regularly dipped her tankard in. Frigg was eating a bit here and there while speaking to a woman standing near, perhaps Volla, one of her handmaidens. Indeed. the hall was filled with people chatting, laughing, shouting, and eating noisily save for five individuals.

Odin was one, watching the whole thing from his chair, drinking rather than eating like the others were, with two ravens on his shoulders near his ears. Loki was another, sitting on the steps by the door that everyone came in from, and he too was only drinking, his eyes concealed by the hood he wore. Two more, a man and a woman, sat separate from the others, yet the Valkyries paid special attention to them, particularly the woman. The last was Tyr himself, as those around him were deep in conversation with one another and he did not think it would be polite to interrupt them.

Tyr let out a quiet sigh and took a drink from his tankard. It took a small amount of willpower to keep himself from spitting it out. He had expected the drink to be ale and remembered that it was favored by most Aesir, and while he did not remember ever drinking ale before, he was sure that the taste of warm sour milk was not what it was supposed to be. The ale was also giving him an unpleasant buzz as it lay on his tongue, and swallowing brought greater thirst than the drink itself. Though he had had wine with Castor, it was too weak for Tyr to notice any effects, and this ale was not to his liking. Resigning himself in hopes that he may (re)learn to love it, Tyr downed the hole drink in one coughing draft and fought back the headache he immediately got from it.

“More ale, jarl Tyr?” asked a Valkyrie that came down to check on him.

“No, no thank you.” coughed Tyr. “Perhaps some… some mead instead.”

“As you wish, jarl Tyr.”

When the Valkyrie returned with the mead, Tyr nodded thanks, took a cautious sip, and stared at his drink in surprise.

This is just like the sweetened water I drank at Thoth’s dwelling! Could he have been offering me mead?

Tyr drank and ate until he had had his fill and watched as his fellow diners began to quiet down. Most of them were passed out drunk, falling off or laying on the benches and tables. Those that were not drunk to the world were either stumbling out of the hall, probably to go to their rooms, or hitting on a woman. The einherjar steered clear of the area that Tyr and the other “jarls” of the Aesir were, and the few female einherjar and Valkyries took it in good humor, with a few even leaving with the einherjar or selecting some to leave with. One Valkyrie went down to a passed out einherjar and cradled his head while he slept on the floor.

“Her husband when they were alive.” Sif had said to Tyr when she saw him staring, to which Tyr smiled.

Between the oaths mortals make between themselves, there is none higher than the oath of marriage, and the love that is welded by and through it.

Tyr soon got up and saw that many of the others were leaving as well. Baldur and his wife were walking away shoulder to shoulder with Forseti following a few steps behind, the children of Thor and Sif keeping their parents upright as they made their way to the nearest exit with Thor whispering something in Sif’s ear that made her giggle, even Loki took the hand of a woman and quietly lead her out of the hall.

I wonder if I have a wife? I guess not, since she would have been amongst the first to greet me, as well as inherit any items I owned. But maybe I will one day. I hope so.

Tyr then turned to Odin, who was leaving with Frigg, and called softly to him.

“Ah, Odin, is there any place that I can go to sleep till morning?”

“The only place available right now would be the courtyard behind Valhalla, where Laerad grows to Yggdrasil.”

Tyr watched Odin and Frigg leave, then went to find out how to get to the back courtyard.