The Shieldmaiden

A shieldmaiden sits alone on a black sand beach in ancient Norway. She hangs her head in silence while lost in thought. The sky is dark & overcast. Drizzling rain falls to the ground & impacts with stinging force. Sea salt carries on the wind & covers everything it touches with a light coating. The maiden shivers as frigid gusts create large whitecaps on the tidewater. Surging waves crash against the rocky coast & roar like thunder. I appear in my chosen immortal form & approach the young woman from behind.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” I say, with softness.

The maiden lifts her head then turns to face me. A gentle smile appears on her gorgeous visage. She shakes her head no at me before speaking.

“I was just thinking about you; truth be told.”

I smile back at her. “Oh já? What about?”

Her face brightens as I draw closer. “I was thinking about how nice it would be to speak with you in person & wondering to myself when I might have an opportunity to do so.”

I sit down beside her. “It looks like an opportunity has presented itself.”

She laughs at my comment & beams at me while nodding her head.

“What made you decide to venture out here,” I ask.

“I needed to get away from everyone. I could sense trouble on the rise & knew it wouldn’t be wise for me to linger amongst them.”

“The betrayal.”

She nods at me.

“You made the right decision.”

She lowers her head & frowns at the ground. “I feel like what I did was an act of cowardice.”

I tilt my head at her. “Why do you say that?”

“Because I didn’t remain in my village to defend it.”

“Were there others whom you could have protected?”

She shakes her head at me. “It was a small village, and I was often treated with resentment by both the men & women.”

“So what would you have gained by remaining there?”

“I could have died in battle & ascended to Valhalla. Now I worry that I’ve jeopardized my fate.”

I give her a serious look. “What value would there be in throwing your life away?”

She scoffs at my question. “That’s easy for you to say. I could have stood my ground against tyranny.”

“And you would have lost in a vain display against those who would desecrate your corpse & besmirched your memory. Does that sound like a deserved fate for a Valkyrie?”

She furrows her brow. “No, but running from a fight is not what a shieldmaiden should do.”

I sniff the air & scan my surroundings then look at my companion again. “Being a warrior means knowing when it's time to fight & when it is not. Did it occurred to you that your decision to abscond from your village might take you down a more glorious path?”

She shakes her head at me. “I snuck out during the night & didn’t stop to rest until I reached this place.”

I set my hand on her shoulder & give her a comforting squeeze. “There are other women out there who are in need of someone like you. Maybe the reason you left your village was so the Norns could direct you to where you could make the most significant difference.”

She chortles under her breath. “I hadn’t thought about that. I’ve just been thinking about how I acted like a coward.”

“I don’t think you’re a coward, Aelfleda. I think you made the right decision. Would we be having this conversation if you had stayed?”

She shakes her head at me but continues to stare at the sand.

“I understand how you feel. I viewed myself as a coward for avoiding a fight too.”

She looks up at me with surprise. “You?”

I nod at her. “I questioned my bravery afterwards as well.”

“What made you change your opinion about yourself?”

“I thought about what good would have come from me exposing myself to a fight that I was set up to lose. It’s important to remember that our enemies do not share our sense of honor. They’ll use our sentiments to harm us, if given an opportunity. That’s why a wise & virtuous warrior picks & chooses when it's the correct time to fight or not. You may have avoided a battle in your old village but you’ve been dealing with internal conflict ever since you left.”

She chortles at my last comment. “That’s the truth.”

“Dying alone to betrayal in a village that wouldn’t honor your sacrifice is not a worthy death for a shieldmaiden. You’re meant for greater things, Aelfleda.”

She looks at me with a tender smile. “Thank you, Lucifer.”

I smile back at her & give her a supportive shake on her shoulder. “You’re welcome, hun. What do you say we find someplace warm & dry to rest?”

She nods at me. “I don’t know if there’s anywhere nearby. I wandered off the beaten path until I stopped here.”

I flash a warmhearted grin. “Not to worry. I know the perfect place to take you.”

A portalway opens in front of us. We stand up and prepare to embark to our new location. Aelfleda looks up at me & smiles.

“I’m glad I chose to pray to you.”

I smile back at her. “I won’t abandon a shieldmaiden.”

We step through the portal & make our way to Aelfleda’s appropriate destination.