philtucker

Chapter 69: Berserker

“I can’t wait.” Skadi stood up to stare Rauðbjorn directly in the eyes. “In fact, you could say I’ve been looking forward to getting this over with.”

“Over with?” Rauðbjorn ...

Chapter 68: Fordæða

“Hit me, you craven piece of shit!” Rauðbjorn strode toward Aurnir with his arms still spread. “Hit me!”

Aurnir complied.

The punch would have driven a hole in the longhouse’...

Chapter 67: Aurnir fight

It began to rain as evening fell. A soft rain at first that drizzled down from the gray sky, but which hour by hour grew in intensity until by dusk it was pounding down in extended needles that set...

Chapter 66: The Crown Is Always Right

They spent a desultory hour on the docks, speaking with fisherman and older folks, but nobody was eager to strike a deal. Many simply shook their heads and refused to speak, or if cajoled into conv...

Chapter 65: We’re not leaving

Walking beneath the corpse canopy was the eeriest experience of Skadi’s life. The bodies swayed above her, just out of reach, and the dirt crunched beneath her boots as if suffused with crimson h...

Chapter 64: Djúprvik

They descended in the late morning to Djúprvik, reasoning that to arrive too close to dawn would be suspicious. They found the mountain road below, and the eerie familiarity of the trail that woun...

Chapter 63: War Plans

Djúprvik came into view at the close of the sixth day. The mountain road rose over a ridge, for a while disappeared on the rough gray ledge that ran like a scar across the face of the mountain, an...

Chapter 62: Confrontation

The journey north proved surprisingly enjoyable. Skadi had focused so intently on the dangers of Djúprvik that she’d never considered how pleasant an extended, hard hike through the mountains in...

Chapter 61: Setting Forth

Moonday arrived and the fjord remained empty of dragon ships. Skadi stood upon the docks and watched the dawn break over the mountains, and when the dark waters remained unruffled by any prow, she ...

Chapter 60: A Worthy Spell

The ritual took hours, though by the end of it Skadi had lost the ability to track time. Incense burned from countless sticks set in clay cups about the temple, and beeswax candles gave off such a ...

Chapter 59: A Change of Heart

They were engaged in stone work the following morning when Sif came running, shouting wildly for Skadi.

Alarmed, Skadi unhitched the yoke from her shoulders, allowed both large buckets of roc...

Chapter 58: Exacting Oaths

The last days of Sólmánuður drew to a close.

Skadi resolutely refused to watch the mouth of the fjord, that great bend where the water curved into view from the North Sea. To squint and st...

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Chapter 57: What Wonder

The weeks passed. Skerpla became Sólmánuður, and the month was true to its name, with the sunlight bright and bold and bountiful.

The hird became restive. They followed Jarl Kvedulf to plu...

Chapter 56: The Right Decision

Dawn broke softly across the eastern peaks, the sky lightening by the slowest of degrees, gradating from cobalt blue to iron to robin’s egg and then finally limning the jagged edges with tracerie...

Chapter 55: Guests

Skadi found Kvedulf in his hall entertaining guests.

The stench of the rotting frost giant was masked by the piles of fragrant hickory and apple wood that were thrown onto the fire pits, so t...

Chapter 54: Choosing Spells

For a moment Skadi felt light-headed. “I can choose any power?”

Ásfríðr smiled and sipped from her cup. Her amusement and lack of urgency were bewildering to Skadi. “Not quite. Galdr...

Chapter 53: On the Nature of Power

It took two weeks to finish the Raven’s Gate, as that was deemed Kráka’s greatest priority. Ásfríðr spent three days carving the new waring runes into the broad planks and filling the groov...

Chapter 52: Everything Is A Weapon

With the muddy square behind the longhouse claimed for construction, Marbjörn met them in the grass sward just outside the Raven’s Gate. He had a bundle of weapons wrapped in a blanket under one...

Chapter 51: Getting Strong Now

Life in Kráka became busy.

The sun shone brightly and the calves and lambs grew large enough to pasture alone. The sweet spring grass thickened and darkened, and the mountain melt swelled th...

Chapter 50: Cattle Die, Kinsmen Die

They found Marbjörn seated in the morning sun, slumped in a great chair furnished from beams, near large enough for Aurnir to sit in. The great warrior slumbered, boots up on a stool, his broad, s...

Chapter 49: The mountain road

Begga had Aurnir hauling an ancient stump out of the bleak yard behind their home when Skadi returned. She’d intertwined a stout rope between the roots and was now encouraging Aurnir to pull. The...

Chapter 48: A Gift

“Wake up,” someone commanded and kicked Skadi’s boot.

She blinked and palmed her eye, restraining a groan. She wanted nothing more than to remain lost in the depths of sleep. Her head s...

Chapter 47: An Offer

The hall listened, enraptured, as Kvedulf spoke of their climb to the utmost peaks of the Draugr Mountains. Listened as he captured them with his charisma, potent and amused. Cloak flung back, hand...

Chapter 46: Seiðr Craft

They returned to Kráka with great fanfare.

Lookouts had been placed a half-mile outside of town, and upon sighting their return party raced back home. By the time the patched-up Raven’s Ga...

Chapter 45: Hunt well, Skadi Styrbjörnsdóttir

Blood pumped from the stump of the ice queen’s neck.

Skadi staggered back. Natthrafn fell from her fingers. The throne room spun about her. She pressed the base of her palm to her brow and ...

Chapter 44: It is done

Skadi felt obliterated. Overwhelmed. Nauseated.

And then she felt nothing but the purest hate.

Heaving for breath she clenched the hilt of Natthrafn so tightly the leather creaked and r...

Questions about Royal Road & Patreon

Hey everyone, 

As most of you probably know, I'm a complete novice when it comes to web novels on Royal Road and Patreon. And despite hitting the Rising Stars list (unexpectedly awesome)...

Chapter 43: Fate goes ever as fate must

“The jarl is enchanted,” Skadi said firmly. “We must defeat those who have ensorcelled his wits.”

“I shall focus on the Snærún,” called Ásfríðr.

Marbjörn hefted his ax...

Chapter 42: The Queen

They entered the palace.

The halls were large enough for giants. The ceiling was lost to the darkness. Illumination came from their foul torches, but also from the frost-light that burned alo...