Tolana

I got the inspiration for this story from a game I play called Game Of Sultans. I liked the character so I created my own backstory. Enjoy

The Tale of Tolana- The Silent Warrior

Tolana found herself, at a very young age, living as a servant in Jotunheim.  If you’re familiar with Norse Mythology you’ll know this is the land of the giants.  It’s rumored that Tolana’s family sold her into servitude to pay off debts owed to the giants. Other rumors suggest that Tolana’s father believed his wife to be an adultress and that due to her height, Tolana was indeed the child of a giant.  Whichever rumor is true, Tolana grew up amongst the giants.  She served a family of jotnar, who ran a small fishing business. She tended the boats, cleaned the fish that was to be served to the family, did their cooking and cleaning. While it wasn’t a happy environment, Tolana found happiness where she could. She always knew she was not free, but she found her freedom in her imagination, in learning to enjoy some of the tasks that she was given. In making friends with the other human servants she encountered. And mostly, she found her freedom in singing.  Tolana had a beautiful voice. She sang while she did her chores mostly.  Sometimes she’d perform for others, but mostly she sang for herself.  It kept her grounded.  It was the one freedom she cherished the most.   

Soon after Tolana started showing signs of womanhood, the family she served found themselves indebted to Skymir.  Skymir was one of the most infamous jotnar. He had a terrible reputation of killing anyone who stood in his way, he was very unkind and unfair to all.  One night Skymir came to the fishing village to collect his due.  The family gave Skymir all of their possessions, right down to the clothes on their backs. He even took their servants, including Tolana.  

Tolana was whisked away to tend to the halls of Skymir. Where her previous family was amiable, Skymir and his servants were stern, cold and demanding.  Tolana tried to find ways to make her new situation bearable.  Tried to find that contentment she’d had with her previous family.  But Tolana was being abused. Physically, mentially, sexually and emotionally. She was broken.  She had not sung in weeks. 

One day, the main house was buzzing with news of the Gods visiting Skymir. While the other servants seemed excited, Tolana couldn’t care less.  She’d decided to end her life. She couldn’t bear this life anymore. She was going through the motions of cleaning fish and preparing lunch for Skymir when the kitchen master, Fode, told Tolana that Skymir would be having guests that evening. That the goddesses Eir, Frigg and Freyja were to attend a gathering in the main hall.  That Skymir had decreed that Tolana would sing at this gathering later in the evening.  That gave Tolana pause, she had nothing to sing for, but the thought of being able to sing freely and to put all of her emotion in her song thrilled her. 

Fode sent Tolana off to get dressed and prepare for the evening. She felt alive after so long. She hummed and sang as she dressed in the simple white dress she was given.  She delighted in the flowers in her hair and hummed old tunes of love lost and freedom gained.  She finished dressing and was on her way from the servant quarters to the main hall when she was approached by a cloaked figure.  The figure told Tolana that she could get her freedom if she just did one thing, sing a specific song during dinner. The song request was The Path to Valhalla. Tolana agreed immediately.  She’d sing anything if it meant she would be free.  Tolana knew this was going to be her last night of potential happiness, and even if she didn’t get free, she’d take her own life anyway. The figure told Tolana that she’d come for her payment after Tolana was free.  Tolana agreed to pay anything, except her freedom, and her body. Those were two things that Tolana would never give.  The figure nodded and floated away.  Tolana didn’t know if she’d been speaking with a ghost or if that was real.  Either way, she’d sing the song that night as if her life depended on it. To Tolana, it did. 

Tolana made it to the main hall where Skymir was entertaining the gods and other guests.  She stood in front of the blazing fire and began to sing a tale of sorrow and dismay.  All chatter in the room stopped.  There had to be at least thirty or so guests there. All rapt by Tolana’s voice. By the second verse a flutist joined Tolana.  By the second song, a song of love, a lyrest joined them. A lutest joined them also, when Tolana sang a song of Jotunheim’s conquests. All of the giants sang along, merrily.  Dinner was served, and Tolana was allowed a break to eat and drink.  She did so greedily, back in the servants eating space. 

By the time she finished, it was time to sing again.  She sang several more songs, before she noticed the cloak that the figure was wearing.  It was on the back of a chair, the chair of the goddess Eir. 

Eir noticed Tolana and nodded at her, signaling that it was time to sing The Path to Valhalla. What Tolana didn’t understand is that Skymir would never make it to Valhalla. The story says that Skymir was badly injured in a battle years ago, and the Valkyrie were on the field, determining who would live and who would go on to Valhalla in a glorious death.  Skymir wanted to die, he wanted to be welcomed into the halls of Valhalla.  But the valkyrie told him that it was not his time.  Skymir, being an undignified giant, cursed and screamed and tried to strike the valkyrie.  He believed he deserved the halls.  And he was not being given his due.  This did not endear him to the valkyrie. He was henceforth banned from the halls of Valhalla forever. He may die in battle, but he’d never enter the halls in his afterlife. This was decreed to him as he lay dying.  He has since healed, and spent some years to get back to strength.  But he was still bitter about the decision to not allow him in.  It had been agreed, no one would mention Valhalla around Skymir.  Even as he met with the goddesses, on an unrelated matter, they would not mention Valhalla either. 

This late in the evening, chatter picked up while Tolana sang.  She provided the background music to the party.  The initial awe had worn off.  Tolana concluded the Song of Fire and Ice and started The Path to Valhalla.  This room went quiet.  This time the silence was almost deafening.  The tension was thick as worried glances went from Tolana then to Skymir and back again.  Some of the guests openly gaped at Tolana.  She sang anyway, nervous as the makeshift band behind her stopped playing and backed away. Tolana’s voice never wavered.  She sang and put all of her emotion in the song.  She thought she saw Frigg wipe a tear from eye.  Before she could finish Skymir bellowed “YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME IN MY OWN HOME, IN FRONT OF GUESTS!!??!!” Tolana stopped.  She swallowed and stepped back. Right into the arms of two of Skymir’s human guards.  They seized her by the arms and propelled her forward.  “You shall never meet the Halls either! Throw her to the fire!” Skymir exclaimed.  The guards grabbed her by the arms and tossed her toward the fireplace she’d been singing in front of.  The descent into the flames felt like an eternity and a second at the same time.  The flames sparked high and Tolana tried to brace herself against falling face first into the fire. This meant that her arms were the first into the blaze.  The searing pain forced an ear piercing scream from Tolana.  She felt her skirts alight and she cried out for help before she could stop herself.  She knew she wanted to take her own life, but not like this. Before the fire made it through her skirts and to her legs she was pulled from the flames by Frigg.  “Now now, Skymir.  Can’t you think of a more imaginative punishment for such disrespect?” Skymir growled. “You should let me have her, perhaps my father Njord could use her? Or maybe as a bedwench to Thor as his punishment? She isn’t very pretty, especially now that she’s half burned.” Frigg and Frejya looked as if they were the same person, but were in fact two different goddesses, Freyja being the mother of Thor, scowled at Frigg, who just shrugged.  Skymir liked taking a dig at Thor and agreed that the now burned and battered Tolana could leave with the goddesses.  

Tolana was gathered up and placed in a wagon, bundled under blankets to shield her from the cold.  The pain was so excruciating that she dropped in and out of consciousness.  She thought she heard the goddesses whispering about her condition on the ride to her new home. She dreamt of death. She longed for it. She wanted the pain to stop.  The pain lessened and lessened on their journey.  She thought her dream came true and she’d died.  That was the only way the pain would go away. The wagon stopped, and it was noticeably warmer.  Tolana had been too afraid to leave the veneer of safety the blankets offered her.   She heard her name being called. “Tolana, we know you are not asleep, come on out child.” She couldn’t anymore. She came out of the wagon, to face the land of the dead, head on.  

What she found was a beautiful garden, with a large castle behind it.  ‘You have not died, child.  Though you longed for it, it is not your time.” Freyja said.  “Eir healed your burns, but you will still carry the scars, as it is the least she could do since you sang at her behest.” “We will not discuss this in front of the mortal.” Eir said.  “Once you pay your price you are free, child.” Tolana’s eyes widened as she took in the sight directly behind Eir.  The Valkyrie’s were there., in their winged glory.  Battling each other. Training. Tolana decided then and there that life was going to stop happening to her, and that she’d take control of what life she had left.  Eir turned to see where Tolana was looking.  “Fierce warriors they are.  They don’t have to fight much anymore, but they forever keep their skills sharp.”  Eir continued “Your price, Tolana, for your freedom.” Tolana met her eyes and squared her shoulders.  Eir smiled a sad smile.  “Your singing voice. That is your price for your freedom. Since that is such a high price, in return,   you may train with the Valkyrie. You cannot become one, but you can learn at their knee.”

At the age of twelve, a now, and forever, silent Tolana began to train with the fiercest warriors known to mankind. The Valkyrie.