Chapter 5—WHAT PART OF SCOTLAND

In the Great Hall of Varg Drake’s Stronghold. It is where he set up on his throne and another chair. Thor, God of Thunder, had provided the seat for Lyra Luhr as the said God stood between the two chairs. Thor wanted to make sure that Varg would respect Lyra and not do anything before the wedding day. There was also another person within the Great Hall: Varg’s grandfather, Carriage. He was there to help with the negotiations for the marriage to take place.

Thor had started speaking as his thunderous voice echoed in the large building. “I want my daughter to be married within these walls. I also want to prevent any other ruler from knowing that she is here and that she is unmarried!” He seemed to have a glare within his eyes that had a fire within. If no one listened to him, he may cause some damage.

“I also want your outer gates to be locked until the day after the wedding to ensure the safety and to safeguard that no other but you will marry Lyra!”

The woman in question felt a little uneasy as Thor and the other men spoke, for she was not used to things like this. Sure, she has heard people talking about other cultures around the world doing this. But she had no idea that it would have happened to her.

Carriage smiled, just like any grandfather would. “That can be done. But what will we tell those that wish to visit my Grandson?”

With an air of indifference, Thor answered the elder, “Tell them that he is ill and that his kingdom is in lockdown for the moment!”

Varg had laughed; there were days that he had thought of doing something like that. “That can be done.” Then, he got upon his feet and walked towards the front of the Great Hall, where a door was. He opened it and called out, “Captain! I need my Captain!”

Once he heard that the call was making its way to the front gates, he turned around and walked back to his throne and sat down, where he waited for his captain to show up.

After a few minutes had passed by, a man came running through the door, all clad in his armor. “You called, my Lord?”

Varg smiled wickedly as he answered the man before him, “I want you to close and lock the gates. I don’t want them to be open for anyone, not until you have heard from me to do otherwise.” The ruler of the land waved his hand towards the woman near him. “This is Lyra, Daughter of Thor. She is the one I will be marrying within these walls, and I do not want the gates open until the day after my wedding. Do I make myself clear?”

The Captain of the Guard understood his message. “As you wish, my Lord." Then, the Captain turned and ran out of the Great Hall, heading back towards his post and do what he was told to do.

The young ruler turned towards the other ruler within the room. “Anything else, Thor?”

The reddish-haired Viking thought for a moment. He had his arms crossed and had one of his hands upon his chin, petting his beard as he was thinking. “Yes there is, Varg. I was going to stay here until after the wedding. I want my daughter happy.” The Thunder God gave the mortal man one of his best glares. “And I’m going to make sure that it happens.”

This caused the Wolf-Dragon to worry about the whole marriage, but before he could say anything, Carriage sighed. “You know that Lyra will be taken well care of, don’t you?” The elder had a questioning look within his eyes as he asked, “Who else upon this green rock would be able to do so?”

Lyra turned her head towards Thor, where she saw that he had a sparkle in his eyes, like someone who was full of mischief. She had almost thought that he was Loki.

Thor said, “I can think of a few who would want to marry her. But they would only hurt her more than anything because I am her father.” This caused a look of pain to pass through his face. “And they would use her to get to and I would have to do what they would want me to do, in order for her to be safe.”

Lyra shivered. She really did not want to face those kinds of men; she would not live for much longer if she had to go through that. She really hated men who would use women for their own personal gain. Like the power over people; slaves. She whispered, “I would rather not be alive if that were to happen to me.”

The three men that were in the room had heard her but chose not to add to anything to it. They could tell that the talking was getting to her and should try to find cheerful things to say.

“Shall we have the wedding planned in two days or make it sooner for you? Because you are acting like I don’t want her, but I do,” stated Varg. He had sounded very angry with the Thunder God, like he believed that he would be changing his mind in a matter of moments.

Lyra glared at her father. “You better not be changing your mind. Not after the way that you have sent me here, and there is no way that you are ripping me across time again.” She huffed as she turned away from him. “It is so not happening.”

Thor had given her a questioning look, like he could barely understand what she was saying. “What language do people use in your time is beyond me. As for me changing my mind, as you have put it—not happening. You and Varg will marry. But I was hoping that it would happen a little sooner than planned. I have a feeling that someone will be traveling here soon.” He gave a sheepish look upon his face.

Lyra turned around, which almost gave her a whiplash. With her eyes opened wide in shock, she exclaimed in a raised voice, “Sooner!” Her voice was becoming hoarse. “How much sooner?!”

Varg asked with surprise and hopeful look upon his face, “Tonight?” He was so hoping for that night, and then he knew that his perfect bride was not going to leave or be taken away from him. He did not want any of those to happen, not after knowing that she was not afraid of his other form.

Thor chuckled; he enjoyed seeing reactions from people. “No. Tomorrow at sunset that way, I know that no one will take my daughter away, from the man that I would like to have for a son.”

He loved seeing people sweat for a bit. Thor noticed that Varg was doing, as the Thunder God saw the Wolf-Dragon’s hands became wet. Thor smirked hidden. Knowing that he had all the cards in his hands, and he was gaining a son that would bring new blood into the family. Plus, Varg would be a good man to protect his daughter. From all things that walk, crawl, and everything in between upon the earth.

Lyra knew not to add her two cents to the negotiations. Because it was a man’s world, and she had no say in it. It was one of the things that she hated about the time that she was in. But if she were to meet Varg in her time; her mother would not have been happy.

“Lyra, what do you think about tomorrow?” asked Varg, who looked very hopeful.

She looked at him with questions within her eyes. She had no idea of what to think about the whole wedding thing. Because she did not know if he had wanted her more than just a warm body. She asked, “Why do you want to marry me, Varg?”

He glanced into her eyes. “When I had first seen you, I had thought you were a Heavenly being that was sent to be with me. You were the only woman who has not run away from me because of my other form.” He took a breath as he looked at her with deeper meaning within his eyes. “So, to answer your question, it’s because you are different that I want to be with you. You make me feel like a man—a real man, and not just some beast that you happen to be living with.”

Lyra gave him a shy smile. “I’m glad to hear that, Varg. So when are we to marry?”

Varg sighed. He sounded like he was disappointed for her to hear what was going on. “Tomorrow at sunset, just like your father was saying.”

“We can do that.” But a thought had come into her brain as she asked, “But why so soon, though?”

Varg smiled wickedly. “It’s because I don’t want to lose you to some other ruler upon this land. Plus, you are too precious to lose to the likes of them.” He then glanced away as he spoke some more, “I also want you to have my children before we are too told to do so.”

His voice nearly purred into Lyra’s ears. “You have the right size of hips to give me many children.” She gave a look that looked like she could choke on her own air from the words that he had spoken. Varg seeing that his words were causing her to stop breathing. He went on to say, “Hopefully not all at once and not too soon, either.” This caused Lyra to calm down.

Thor walked closer to her and wrapped an arm around Lyra’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Lyra. I know that you will be a good mother to your children.” He was giving her a proud father look. “You have a good man who will be a loving father to those children.” She gave him a small smile. Thor then went on to say, “I have heard from Carriage that you want to learn the ways of a healer. Is this true?”

Lyra nodded. “Yes, that is true, Father.” Then, she saw the hurt look on the powerful looking man within the room. “Why do you ask?”

He gave a small smile. “I knew that you could do great things, even if it’s not all dealing with swords, axes, and other weapons. But at least it is something to help heal your own husband when he needs it.” It was then that Lyra knew what was upsetting the Great Thor: she was not following his footsteps for war. “So tell me, why do you want to learn about healing?”

She knew that he was trying to understand her. She smiled. “It’s just something new to learn, and I enjoy learning. You know that.”

Thor chuckled. “Yes, I do.” He was starting to show a joyful look upon his face. “You enjoy learning, but I must warn you that healing can take your energy away from you. So be careful and understand that you may not be able to heal all things.”

“I understand, Father,” Lyra stated with a faraway look upon her face, as if she were looking into the future. “But I would like to try, at least.”

Varg sighed in sadness and frustration. He knew that having his grandfather as a healer was one thing, but to have his wife-to-be to become one as well. He was going to be worried that she would limit him from doing things. Like doing some warm-up fights with his men.

He enjoyed warming up with his weapons. Exploring the limits of his own body, as he hears his weapon sings through the open air. It was one of the few reasons that Varg had strong muscles. The other reason was that he was a shapeshifter and a Great War Leader.

Lyra was starting to get agitated with the whole wedding talk and needed to get some fresh air. She turned her neck to where her lips were near Thor’s ear and whispered, “I’m going for a walk by the lake, Father.”

Thor gave her a thoughtful look. “Why, Daughter?”

“I need some air,” stated Lyra.

Thor had given her a nod. He had dropped his arm, which he still had around her shoulders. Lyra Luhr was able to get up on her feet and walk towards the back of the Great Hall, where she had exited out of the back door. From a short distance, she walked down towards the ridge line to the loch’s shore. It was then she noticed that a nice cool breeze was playing with her long auburn hair as the sun shined down upon her.

Lyra walked the sandy yet rocky beach, where she took her shoes off to allow her feet to enjoy the feel of the soft and rough sand beneath her feet. There was a time in her life that she had always wanted to come to Scotland. To experience life that was far different from what she had known in North America. But she had not expected, for her to travel through time. To a time before the castles had made their way upon the land. She was walking, a way upon the beach, which was causing her to move away from the Viking village.

After a moment of walking. She was starting to hear a sound that was coming from a hundred or so feet away from the shoreline. Coming nearer to where she was walking. Lyra stopped her movements and looked around. Even though it was still in the daytime hours, it was hard for her to see with the bright sun glaring upon the water.

SWISH…Splash…SWISH…Splash…

She was hearing something exceptionally large within the water. Something much bigger than an average boat. From what she knew about her own experiences with lake shores back home. A small vision of a shark came within her mind, at that moment. It was enough to cause Lyra to shake her head from side to side. Hoping that her knowledge of monsters from movies, would not come to pass.

After a short time after hearing a big splash; something had come out of the water. Something that Lyra had thought she would never have ever seen in all her life. The thing was a creature that had a very long neck that looked to be about ten or so feet long. Besides the long neck. Lyra had also seen two bumps within the water, behind the creature’s neck. It was when she knew right away where she was.

Lyra saw that the creature before her was a plesiosaur and there was only one. One within the whole Earth that she knew. From what reports she had heard about, and that creature was living at Loch Ness of Scotland.

As panic trying to rise within the woman’s body. She slowly turned around. Where she was able to look at the Viking village and knew where they had placed their town.

The village happened to be where Urquhart Castle of Loch Ness, Scotland would have been stationed at. She then turned back around, towards Nessie. The one monster that eluded men for centuries.

Lyra thought, ‘The reports were true. There is a monster living within Loch Ness, why hasn’t anyone from 2003 had never found it?’ The bookworm within her had woken up. Causing her to hardly think about the danger that she was facing.

A part of the woman’s brain had gotten a hold of her feet. Making her step backwards, slowly as she can. Making her move away from the monster and trying to make as little noise as possible. Another sound had caused Lyra to stop moving altogether. It was something that caused cold chill making their way, down her spine.

It was a sound of a village woman, making her way down the pathway to the lake’s shore. With buckets being carried upon a long stick that was upon her shoulders and neck. When the woman had gotten close to the water’s edge. Still further away from where Lyra was standing, she glanced up and found the monster looking at her. After a moment of silence, the woman screamed very loudly. Enough that it had echoed through the area.

Lyra sighed as she closed her eyes. ‘I hate it when women do things like this.’ She had seen many women in movies and television shows. Enough to know that a woman would either faint or scream from these kinds of encounters. And each one of them would end up the same way.

Nessie had turned its head towards the village woman and moved towards her. The woman seemed to be standing still. As the creature was closing in on her while the woman was still by the water’s edge. It had taken a moment, but the monster had picked up the woman with its mouth and bitten down with its teeth.

CRUNCH!…Crunch!…Crunch…crunch…

This caused Lyra to glance up. Where she saw blood, leaking out of Nessie’s mouth and down its chin and onto the ground, below. It was enough to cause Lyra to become queasy with her stomach. From the smell of blood; fresh, copper and lead smelling. There was so much blood that it had caused her to glance away from the ordeal. Thanks to the woman’s scream; before her untimely demised. The village had heard it. All the Vikings were making their way out of their huts or Great Hall, to see what was going on.

“LYRA!” This caused the said woman to take a chance and glanced over towards the gathering villagers, where she was able to see Varg, who was yelling out to her. “I WILL SAVE YOU!”

A part of her knew that it was an egotistical statement. But she really needed someone to come and take care of the monster that was before her. She had no way of doing it herself. Lyra did not have the strength or the knowledge to overcome such a creature that could easily kill with its teeth and the strength of its jaws. She was doomed.

“Don’t worry, Lyra.” She was able to hear Thor’s voice through the fog of her disembodied visions. “We’ll have everything in control.” He almost sounded too joyful for what was going on.

‘Then why do I have a bad feeling about this?’ thought Lyra—just as she watched the creature before her start to shift.