As Billy left the hotel room, Andrew sighed.   God Billy was smarmy... He was totally checking Stephanie out - and I think she liked it.  Crap... does she like him better?  He was pretty handsome.  His indecision and self doubt nagged at him for a while, until Stephanie called out.

 

“You okay, Roo?   You look like you swallowed a bug.”  Steph came up and put her arms around Andrew - but due to his size, she couldn’t reach all the way round.  

 

“Yeah.  I guess.”  He said.  “He was totally checking you out.”

 

“I know!”  She said, obviously pleased with it more than a little.  “Weird.  That’s never happened to me before today.  It was kind of nice, you know.”  She smiled up at him.  “It made me feel a lot like a girl, and it was nice.  Why - you jealous of Billy?”

 

“Maybe a bit.”  Andrew said.  “He’s strong, handsome, healthy, and looks like a freaking movie star.  And you liked him looking at your butt.  Of course I’m jealous.”  Andrew hugged Stephanie back.  “He’s perfect and I’m just me.  How can I compare, let alone compete?”

 

“Oh Roo... I love you.  Sure he’s cute, but you know how I feel about you.  We’ve been through so damn much together - 14 years of friendship; my sister Susan’s funeral; the transition.  I love you because you’re the one who was with me, and stood by me all through this.  Not him.  You.”  She touched his nose with her index finger.  “So please don’t make this into what it isn’t.  I thought he was cute, and I thought it was nice he thought I was nice enough to check out.  And that’s all, okay?”

 

Andrew relaxed a bit. Maybe it would be okay after all.  Why the hell is she picking me over him?  He wondered.  I don’t deserve to have her - and she chose me.  What did I do to get her?   I find out I’m the son of a goddess, and I’m so damn insecure it’s ridiculous.  I hope confidence is one of the super-powers I get if I survive.  There were other thoughts roiling around in the mix of his worries, but he shelved them for now.  Deal with them later, he thought.

 

“So what’s our next move, love?”  He said instead.  “What now.”  Andrew looked tired.

 

“I... I guess I’m done with mom and dad for the foreseeable future - so unless I’m arrested by tomorrow afternoon, I guess if we’re going to do this quest, we should get started on it.  Any idea how much tickets to Germany or Norway cost?”  Steph looked tired too.  It had been a monster of a day.  

 

“I’ll try my Google-Fu and get some prices.  Do we have enough on credit to buy them online?”  He asked.

 

“Hell no.  I burnt the last of my Visa buying the wine we left at Moms.  Nothing there till payday - which I guess is my last paycheck for a while.”  Steph said.  “I guess we’ll have to pay cash.  Geez – that’s not suspicious at all, nowadays.”

 

“Heh... so we’re on a watch list for a while.  Nobody actually reads those anyway, right?   It’s not like we’re drug dealers.”  Andrew joked.  “And if they search us they’ll find a bag of seeds - which might be bad - and a weird key.  That’s not a big deal, right?  We’ll be fine.”

 

“Okay.  So where do we go first - Germany or Norway?”  Steph asked.

 

“I dunno.”  Andrew said.  “Any ideas, guys?”

 

“Well, what are you supposed to fight, master?”  Said Stump in his deep voice.  “It might help if we knew.”

 

“Yeah.”  Petal said in her breathy voice.  “We need to know.”

 

Andrew sighed.  “My quest is to go to Biederbach, Germany - apparently it’s near Freiburg, wherever that is - and kill a giant wolf called Grayfang.   Steph’s quest is to go to a cave in Trondheim, Norway and kill an unknown monster inside a cave. I’m not sure which is worse.”

 

The sprites conferred quietly together for some moments.  Thorn stood up, and spoke for the others.  “I think you should think about the wolf first, Master Andrew.  An unknown monster is an unknown quantity, and a wolf, no matter how big it is, is unlikely to have dangerous magical powers.   At least, any wolf your mother would send you after as you are now.   There are powerful magical wolves, master - but you need experience and power to face them.  I’m sure your mother didn’t pick one of these for you to face.  We expect it will be a physical challenge - but one you can handle.”

 

“Hrmm.”  Andrew muttered.  “What do you think, Steph?”

 

“I think the sprites are right... But I’d like to ask Billy his opinion too.”  She looked at the sprites who had sour looks on their faces, especially Thorn.  “Hey!  I know you and he got off on the wrong foot - but answer me this: Are the Einherjar skilled warriors, whose advice we should heed?”

 

Thorn paused a moment.  “Aye, ma’am.  We should heed his advice, even if this particular Einherjar is a giant tool.”

 

Andrew laughed.  “I guess that’s the best were going to get out the sprites tonight, love.”

 

“Yeah, I guess so too.  Thanks Thorn, guys.”   She turned to Andrew.  “Letting them stay out again tonight?”

 

“Yeah - why not?   They’ve been really good.”

 

“Cool.  I kind of like having them around.”  Steph said.

 

“Well I hope you don’t want Billy to hang around...  The beds only big enough for two.”  Andrew joked.

 

“True.”  Steph joked back.  “I suppose we could get a cot brought in, though.  He doesn’t seem eager to go back to Valhalla.”

 

“Maybe.  He’s going to have to though - I don’t think we can afford a plane ticket for him as well as us.”

 

“I guess we’ll see.”  Steph answered.  “Let’s find prices to Freiburg and Trondheim, and figure out if we can afford any of this.”

 

It wasn’t long before they found their choices were pretty much limited to Finnish airways, or British airways to get where they needed to go - which was the city of Stuttgart.  They would have to take a train or rent a car to get the rest of the way to Biederbach.  Apparently international flights didn’t go to Freiburg - but maybe Danu didn’t usually fly via plane, so she might not have known?   Prices were much the same - hovering between 575$ and 650$ per person.  There were way more choices to get to Norway, but the tickets were 200$-300$ more expensive per person.

 

“At least we’ll get some rest.  It’s an 18 hour flight.”  Andrew said.

 

“My butt is sore already just thinking of it.”  Steph laughed.  “Better charge up your tablet.  Sounds like you’ll need it.” 

 

“Yeah.  Maybe the tickets to Norway will be cheaper from Stuttgart.”

 

“Maybe love.  Have you considered that we could take the train?  Europe is famous for its trains, and it would be more relaxing if we’re not in a rush to get killed.”  Stephanie suggested.  She’d always liked travelling on trains, the few times she had.  They were relaxing - they were slower than flying - but the quality of the trip was often better.

 

“Sure thing hon, if that’s what you want.  Let’s decide later.  Do we get Billy a ticket?”  Andrew looked curious.

 

“If he can tell us what we need to know during the flight, I say it’s worth the cost.  I know we could talk to your sprites, but they can’t be out in the plane - people would freak out.”

 

“True.”  Andrew answered.  “You guys okay with going in the pouch for a day or so?”

 

“Sure.”  Rose said.  “We really like how you’ve been so kind to let us stay out as much as you have.  Most masters keep us tied up in a cardboard box or a jar or something till they need us.  It’s frustrating.”

 

“You’re welcome Rose.  Do other people put sprites in boxes and jars?”  Andrew asked.

 

The sprites chorused back “Yes!” - even shy Thistle.  

 

“Well that isn’t going to happen here, unless someone is really bad.”  Andrew stated.  “I’m not like that.”

 

“Thanks master Andrew!”  The little voices chorused back...  They seemed genuinely happy about his decision.  He was glad they were fitting in so well with himself and Stephanie... Now if only Billy and the rest of us could make friends wed be doing great...  Hey and why not wish to win the lottery while we’re at it too?

 

“I’m hungry.”  Andrew said as his stomach growled fiercely.  “I hope Billy gets back soon.”

 

“Me too.  Wanna throw the TV on for a bit?”

 

“Sure.”  Andrew moved over to the couch, and got the sprites to climb up on him.  Petal and Thistle liked sitting in his hair, while Stump and Thorn and Rose preferred his shoulders.   When he turned on the TV the sprites all gasped, oohing and aaahing. 

 

“What’s that, master Andrew?”  Thistle asked.  It looks wonderful.  

 

The TV was currently showing something on the Animal Planet channel - a documentary on tropical fish.  “This is Television, guys.  It’s like plays you can watch whenever you want.  Sort of like a crystal ball, without magic.”

 

“Coooool!”  Rose crooned.  “I love it already.”

 

“What else can it show?”  Thorn asked.  Even he was more than mildly curious, although he hid it better than the others.

 

“Lots of stuff.  If you want, when Stephanie and I go to bed, you guys can watch it as long as you keep the volume down low, okay?”

 

“Yay!”  Cried the sprites.  They all settled in to watch the wonderful moving picture box until Billy arrived with dinner.  

 

Stephanie smiled.  “They’re like children in their joy...” she thought.  “Dangerous tiny children with swords, but still children.”

 

*              *              *

 

Billy sat in the burger place picking at his french fries.  At first the greasy and salty snack had tasted like ashes, after his phone call with his father.  Now they had gone cold and tasted worse.   Maybe the sprites will want them?  He wondered.   “I guess I should get back.”  He said to himself.  “They’ll be worried about me or something.”

 

He got up and turfed what was left of his meal in the garbage.  The burger had been great, but the fries... just ew.   He got in line behind what looked like a family of four, and waited his turn, then ordered food for Andrew and Stephanie.  He’d waited until now so they got it hot, not cold.   Hey, he thought. I might be a jerk sometimes, but I’m not a complete jerk.

 

He hadn’t been lying to Stephanie before either.  A few of his good friends in the army were transgendered.  Both were female to male, and although their actual problems were different, he knew enough to know there were more similarities that there were differences.  Samantha decided it was better to give up her career to be the person she wanted to be...  Joanne didn’t and got caught and got a medical discharge.  It’s pretty bad that the government of a civilized nation like Canada can consider being transgendered a mental illness serious enough to disqualify you from military service.  Seriously – it’s fucked up.   Two great soldiers, whose careers were ruined due to backward thinking.  He did know one thing... For Stephanie to have come this far - obviously without support from her family - she was either very brave, or had a good friend or friends supporting her.  Maybe both, he thought, thinking of Andrew.  I wonder what she sees in him?

 

Billy got the food he ordered, and took the take-out bag with him and began to walk back to the hotel.   While he did, he mused about his other problems... The two newbie scions in the hotel who obviously didn’t have a freaking clue how much danger they were in.

 

Andrew was obviously horribly out of shape - and he moved like he had a serious leg injury.  I’ll have a rough time teaching him to fight if I’m asked, he thought. I’ll have to do it like boot camp, probably - but that might not work with him.  I dunno – I’ll figure something out.  It didn’t look like Stephanie had gone to the gym much either - oh she wasn’t flabby or fat, just soft and un-muscled.  Both could use a kick in the butt if they intend to start hunting monsters.  I guess I’m the kicker, and they’re the kickee’s, Billy thought.

 

I’d better start teaching her about her duties and powers and Norse culture too - or her mom will have my balls on a platter.  Sif is awesome, but any of the Aesir are bad to have as enemies if you annoy them too much.  Even if she wasn’t a warrior goddess, all the Aesir could fight - all of them, down to the last serf and slave.

 

Billy arrived back at the hotel, and knocked.  Andrew let him in, and smiled. 

 

“Food!  Awesome!  Thanks Billy!  Did you have a good dinner?”  Andrew exclaimed.

 

“Yeah.”  Billy said.  “It was good but I had a lot on my mind.   I haven’t been back to the mortal world since I died.  It was a bit much to take in.”

 

“Would you rather go back to Valhalla tonight then, Billy?”  Steph asked.  “Or should we get a cot brought in?”

 

“I’d rather have the cot ma’am.  Even breathing the air down here makes me feel like I’m alive again.”

 

“Okay.”  Steph said.  “I’ll call the front desk while you get the food unpacked, Andrew.”

 

Soon, the food was eaten, although the sprites balked at the idea of eating a salad.  Stephanie had the salad, and gave the sprites the sour cream from her potato, and everyone was happy.  A cot was brought upstairs to their room, and everyone - including Billy - was settling down to sleep.  

 

“Goodnight guys.”  Andrew said to the sprites.

 

“Goodnight master Andrew,” they chorused.

 

“Goodnight, love.”  Steph said to Andrew

 

“Goodnight John-Boy.”  Billy said to no one.

 

Steph groaned.  “Billy... Please, please Shut up.  And get some sleep.  Tomorrow is going to be hard enough.”

 

With that, they drifted off to sleep, watched over by alert wood-sprites.