6 The Hunt Begins

Conversations ceased when the horn blew, signaling the start of the ceremony, and Hela smiled as confidently as she could at her two friends, "Good luck."

"Best of luck, princess." ... "Happy hunting, Hela!"

Tyrkir's glare at Ornulf was the last thing she saw before a wave of seidr transported them all into different sections of the forest, and Hela suddenly found herself standing in a wide clearing with none of her fellow competitors in sight.

She giggled to herself, knowing that Ornulf was just trying to calm Tyrkir. She hadn't known them long, but she felt as if they were the best friends she never had from back then.

She had always been somewhat of a loner, and usually only focused on her studies and her job. Any friends she had had slowly forgotten about her, occupied as they were with their own lives. But with Tyrkir and Ornulf, it's like they clicked instantly upon meeting each other, and now she can't imagine living in Asgard without people who can ground her like they do. They make her stay sane whenever her mind was full of her studies and duties, and she loves them for it.

She could only hope they do well today.

…

Odin stared silently at the last spot he saw his daughter, and felt the slightest hint of guilt. He had seen her expression when she realized that she only had a training sword and no real weapons. It was all he could do not to flinch back as a hand gripped his arm tightly, perfect nails digging into flesh.

"Is there something you are not telling me, my King?" Frigga's perfectly composed tone was ruined by the harsh grip on his arm, "Perhaps, a reason why Hela is absent of any weapon?" 

This time, Odin winced minutely. Not easily noticeable by anyone, but obvious to the one currently holding his arm in a death grip. "I had planned on giving Hela a weapon when we went down to the Weapon's Vault that day," He gritted his teeth as the nails dug deeper. "But it appears to have slipped my mind."

"Slipped your mind?" Frigga rounded on him, and Odin could see a few people nearby glancing at them in confusion, and a certain former mentor who was glaring at him openly, and who obviously knew what happened. "How in the Nine did you forget to give Hela a weapon? Especially the one you've been commissioning the Dwarves to make for the past several years for her eighteenth born day?!"

"Frigga." The warning tone was enough for his wife to fall silent, but not before sending him a glare so harsh he could feel it all the way to his bones. Combined with Vor's glare, and Odin could feel the coldness of Nornheim rip through his very core.

He shivered.

Frigga looked satisfied.

Vor looked anything but.

"How will she fight without a trusted weapon?" Frigga whispered worriedly, "That weapon was meant for her to wield today. You are meant to present it to her today, in fact, and it somehow slipped your mind." The words were like venom coming from her lips, and Odin repressed the urge to shiver again. "And now she is left with nothing but a training sword who might as well be a stick and a few conjured weapons." Frigga turned to him yet again, her eyes blazing with fury, "Tell me why I shouldn't be mad."

Odin thought fast, "I have faith in my daughter's abilities, Frigga. She is far more resourceful and cunning than you think."

Frigga was too dignified to snort, but she looked like she very much wanted to. "Cunning and resourcefulness are nothing without a proper tool to channel them with, Odin."

He had nothing to say to that.

Instead, he turned to his two ravens, Huginn and Muninn and whispered a simple command. "Watch over her."

…

A few hours later, and Hela found herself still keeping a steady pace through the forest, her conjured weapons making clanking noises by her back and hips with each step. The humid air had made her hair stick to the back of her neck unpleasantly, and she can't count how many bugs she had already smacked in every part of her body. All that and still, she can't find a single beast.

Her hands had already started to sweat as her eyes scanned hard for any sign of life through the bushes and trees. She couldn't help but admit that she's a bit nervous. Though if she was worried, then her friends must be too. Last she could recall, Tyrkir and Ornulf had been visibly nervous; the former pale as sheet and the latter wearing a smile so fixed she's surprised it didn't become permanently carved into his face. She believes in them, though. Tyrkir may be weaker than the typical Asgardian, but he's very smart. He'll surely think of a way to get himself out of any predicament. Ornulf, on the other hand, was a ball of endless energy. He'll probably outlast any animal or monster out here. Besides that, Ornulf was also the best archer she's ever known, both in this life and her last. He could handle himself.

Hela, on the other hand, tried not to dwell on the fact that if she failed, she'll be the laughingstock of Asgard for the next several centuries to come.

Hela scowled. If she had her seidr, she could probably create an illusion of bait for the animals, or even fire for the long night ahead. She cursed and kicked a rock in frustration, letting herself act like the child she currently was and finally letting go of the formal speech. After all, the nosy eyes and ears were all back at the palace. She watched irritated as the rock sailed through the air and landed in a hole in the tree trunk. 

A faint rustle, and something suddenly smacked right into her chest and she staggered back, stunned. "W-Wha–?"

She paused and stared as the same rock she kicked earlier rested innocently at her feet. Her gaze then proceeded to lock on huge beady black eyes peering at her from just inside the hole in the tree. Hela backed away slowly, her grip resting on the hilt of her sword. This was her first creature, and she prayed it was big enough to end this ceremony immediately. "…Hello?"

The beady eyes narrowed, and suddenly, it leaped from the hole and towards her at frightening speeds. She cried out in surprise and ducked, the creature sailing above her head before landing on its four paws with a snarl. Hela's eyes widened as she beheld the sheer size of the thing. 

It's unfortunate then, that squirrels are nowhere near the 'dangerous' category. "You're not big or dangerous enough to hunt." She remarked sadly, and watched as the huge squirrel tittered angrily. "You can go back to your hole now."

However, it seemed the thing was furious about the rock, and brandished it threateningly. Only in Asgard can a squirrel be considered smart and terrifying. She quickly pulled her sword from its sheath and held it readily, just in case. "Please put that down, and you won't get hurt."

And only Hela could reason with a squirrel without feeling weird in the slightest. She suspects Heimdall might be laughing at her attempts though, since the guy had a terrible sense of humor. 

The rock was thrown, and Hela calmly sidestepped and held her hands up. Well, as much as she could with a sword in one of them. "I'm not looking for you, so you can go back now. Unless you somehow know where a large and really dangerous beast is hiding? Because I would really appreciate that." She asked hopefully, internally wondering if she had just gone insane and asked a squirrel for directions.

To her surprise, the squirrel paused and suddenly looked thoughtfully at her, if squirrels could even look like that. This one certainly did a good job. Hela watched in bewilderment as the squirrel (who was obviously smarter than she gave it credit for) stood on its hind legs and pointed in the general direction of the mountains. Hela stared at it, incredulous and highly certain she was dreaming. "Are you serious?"

The squirrel rolled its eyes before pointing again at the mountains, before proceeding to dive back in its hole with a thump! Hela was left gaping at the tree. Did she just talk to a squirrel who somehow understood her and even gave directions? "Heimdall, tell me that just happened."

There was no response, but Hela could somehow hear the man chuckling at her situation and see him nodding in her head, which was definitely a confirmation. "Norns help me, I've gone crazy."

Since she doesn't have a better idea, Hela trudged towards the general direction of the mountains in the outskirts of the forest, certain that she's the only one willing to go that far and not remain in the general safety of the forests. After all, Odin never said they should only hunt in the forest.

Come to think of it, she wasn't exactly surprised that even Asgard's animals were smarter and even more evolved than the animals on Earth. And the squirrel certainly looked like it knew what it's doing while pointing at the mountains, so there's definitely something in there.

'Thank you, insanely smart squirrel creature.' Hela chuckled. It's nice to hear herself talk so casually again. She missed talking like this, without the heavy pleasantries and authoritative tone. The only one who could hear her right now was Heimdall and possibly Odin, and the former was so used to her quirks by now that this won't be anything out of the ordinary. 

Hela eyed the mountain; silently steeling herself for the long climb.

Watch me closely, father.

…

Several yards away from Hela's position, Tyrkir found himself frozen above the trees, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. He tried breathing deeply, knowing that this was no time for hesitation or nervousness. The goal was to bring back the largest and most dangerous animal you could; bringing back anything less than that and he will be considered an embarrassment.

Some people he talked to said that it's very difficult trying to find game in Asgard's forests, as most of the creatures were used to the ceremony by now and have learned to hide. He figured that he'll have a hard time and brought enough bait to last a lifetime.

This was why he can't figure out if he's lucky or not when immediately after he landed, he found himself face-to-face with an enormous wild boar, the latter of whom looked surprised at his sudden appearance but ready to charge.

And this was why he was currently stuck above the trees, panting heavily from the run and climb up. He eyed the beast warily, watching as it circled the tree's base, snorting and stomping the whole time. Tyrkir suddenly found himself envious of Ornulf's arrows, knowing that hunting will be easier with it.

How foolish of him.

He couldn't get down, the boar looked like it was satisfied eating tree barks and will be down there for a long time. He had read that creatures in Asgard were smarter and larger as opposed to Vanaheim's gentle grazing herds or Midgard's giant lizards. The boar likely saw the lack of arrows in his back and decided to make him its meal instead of the opposite.

Tyrkir contemplated his predicament; throwing anything at it will no doubt only make it angrier; and getting down and making a run for it was altogether stupid and irresponsible. Worst of all, there were no nearby trees to jump to so he's well and utterly stuck.

"Just my luck…" He muttered. If the boar left sometime in the afternoon then he'll have the chance to get down and hunt for other game until time was up, but if somehow he spent the night here and by morning, the boar still hadn't left then he will be made an embarrassment to his entire family. He can already imagine the disappointed looks his father will give him, and this knowledge filled him with determination. He couldn't let his father down!

Tyrkir eyed the ground, calculating how high he was and if he'll make the jump, as well as memorized the boar's patterns of circling the tree. His body tensed as the boar made its fourth pass and readied himself for the leap of faith, when he suddenly heard something whistling, and before he knew it, the boar grunted and squealed in pain.

Dumbfounded, Tyrkir stared at the arrow suddenly protruding from the base of the thrashing boar's ear before gazing up amongst the trees, where a smirking Ornulf held his bow loosely in his hands, grinning from ear-to-ear.

He gaped.

Ornulf started to laugh at his expression, before jumping down and landing lightly on his feet, bow and arrow at the ready just in case. The boar continued to thrash, but Ornulf stood confidently, aimed, and fired.

Tyrkir could only stare and marvel at Ornulf's accuracy. He's always been the best in their archery lessons. The blond-haired boy may seem like an over-energized kid most of the time, but give him a bow, arrow, and a target and he'll shoot faster than you could blink. Even now, every one of his shots hit the exact spot of his previous arrows, further showing his expertise and precision.

With that in mind, Ornulf managed about four more shots – blood spurting and spilling everywhere with each hit – before the boar finally fell with a sickening thud! and moved no more.

There was a beat of silence, before Tyrkir finally noticed his gaping jaw and closed it with a snap.

"Greetings fellow hunter!" Ornulf snickered, before smirking up at him. "Planning on spending the night up there, Tyrkir? Shall I get you more pillows and blankets?"

He reddened and quickly leapt down, "Shut up."

Ornulf laughed, before poking the boar with the tip of his spare sword. After ensuring its demise, he carefully looked over Tykir's body, a hint of concern in his blue eyes. "Are you alright?"

Tyrkir nodded silently, internally disappointed and angry at himself for failing to kill the boar. Compared to other animals out here, the boar was probably one of the tamest, and still he failed. "I am fine."

"No, you're not." Ornulf frowned worriedly, "Is it because I killed your game?"

"No," Yes. Immediately, Tyrkir felt bad for thinking that. They both knew he was stuck earlier. He should be grateful for Ornulf's help. "Thank you." He said.

To his dismay, Ornulf didn't let it go and only looked at him knowingly, "I am right, aren't I?"

He slumped in defeat, "Yes."

"I'm sorry," Ornulf said sincerely, "But I saw you have no way out, and worst of all, you were planning on jumping– don't give me that look, I saw you–! so I took the initiative."

He's right.

"I'm grateful," He told him, "It's just, one of the King's rules stated that we are forbidden from helping each other."

Ornulf shrugged, "You're the one with the Minister of Law as a father. I'm sure you can think of something."

He's right again. Tyrkir thought hard, before smirking. "It was never my game. I never did anything to claim it as my own. You saw the boar and killed it, and so it's yours. You didn't help me because it's all yours for the taking."

Ornulf had smiled while he spoke, and by the end of it, he was grinning so wide Tyrkir was afraid he would split his face in two. He thumped his back so hard he almost fell over, "Atta boy, Tyrkir! See this young lad? An utter genius, I'd say!" He addressed the downed boar as if it could hear him, and Tyrkir almost burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. Though now that Ornulf's here, it's only the princess they're missing, and he can't help but be worried.

He just hopes she's alright.

Ornulf again eyed him knowingly, "She'll be fine. Hela's tough, and she's 'hela' smart. I'm sure she'll be alright." He quickly dodged his swipe and held his hands up, cackling like a maniac. "Fine, fine, I'll stop!"

"That's terrible." Tyrkir groaned.

"I live to serve, future Minister." Ornulf swept into a bow before grinning, "Now, since my game is taken care of, it's time to find yours." He thumped his back one more time, before winking. "No need to worry, we just met by chance when we suddenly encountered a creature I definitely did not help to find."

This time, Tyrkir joined him and laughed hard.

…

This was not fun.

Hela felt absolutely miserable. Her feet were tired from all the walking, and she was drenched in sweat. For the hundredth time, she wondered why she's going through all sorts of lengths just to prove her father wrong. Was she really that petty?

"This better be worth it." Hela gritted her teeth before hauling herself up the cliffs, eyes scanning the mountains for any caves a large creature may hide itself. Unfortunately, the squirrel can't speak, so she's stuck to finding the beast herself, which had taken the better part of the day.

Deciding to rest for a bit, Hela plopped to the ground and reached for her canteen of water. She also stretched for a bit, readying herself for further climbing. That's when she saw a certain squirrel standing just among the rocks; the huge creature tilting its head and looking like it's laughing at her.

"What are you looking at?" She huffed, no longer surprised. This was Asgard; a magical realm full of gods, goddesses, huge creatures, and rainbow bridges located on a flat rock suspended in space. Strange things were bound to happen. Even so, this was bordering on bizarre. "How did you even get up here?"

The squirrel didn't respond – of course it didn't – but it did proceed to look in a seemingly random direction. Hela reluctantly followed its gaze, weary of more climbing, before quickly doing a double take.

There was something amongst the cliffs, almost hidden by the rocks. But now that she's staring at it, she could just see the well-hidden opening of a cave.

Now the squirrel looked so smug, and Hela wanted nothing more than to roll her eyes. Though seeing as it helped her, she refrained. "Why are you helping me?" She asked, suspicious. Hey, if she was going in a strange cave that was possibly the home of a deadly creature and face her death, then she deserved to know why.

She never expected it to actually respond.

'Because dear old Fenris deserves a friend.' It cackled.

As if on cue, a deafening howl suddenly pierced through the quiet air. The horrifying sound sent a chill all the way down Hela's bones and succeeded in sending a flock of panicked birds to take off in a frenzy from the whole forest. The air had gone eerily still as the very ground trembled, sending her stumbling back in shock, her wide eyes staring straight at the cave's entrance...

The cave where the sound had come from.

With a last cackle echoing in her head, the mischievous squirrel proceeded on climbing up the mountaintop and promptly disappearing into the sky, leaving Hela frozen and completely shaken to the core.

...