In the Giant's Shadow, Chapter 11

The Völva's Magic

Inside Hedda’s longhouse, the air was heavy and stagnant. A foul odor lingered all around them, one that Gaiur noticed even before the old woman opened the door so they could step inside. Damp and musty, the moldy reek was interwoven with a blend of smells which she’d recently become very familiar with: the metallic bite of blood, the choking stench of …