Prey in the High Hall

Prey in the High Hall was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.

Description

Eivor and Wulfhilda continue their investigation on the beast of East Anglia.

Dialogue

Wulfhilda directed Eivor towards a section of the woods.

• Wulfhilda: Should be up there in the trees ahead. Can you smell it? It stinks of death and evil.
• Eivor: I know that scent well. Carrion and death. Loki's reek.

Near the carcasses the abbess wanted to show Eivor was the old farmer Eivor had interrogated earlier surrounded by a pack of wolves.

• Anglo-Saxon Woman: Saints save me!
• Wulfhilda: The maulings have drawn in a starving wolf pack.

Eivor killed the wolves and talked to the woman.

Eivor speaking to the elderly woman

• Eivor: Did the wolves get a bite of you?
• Anglo-Saxon Woman: No, I am unhurt. Thank you, Dane. I... misjudged you.
• Eivor: No need. But tell me what happened.
• Anglo-Saxon Woman: These beasts came scavenging for fresh meat.
• Eivor: I meant, why are you out here with the dead cattle again?
• Anglo-Saxon Woman: I'm searching for my best milch-cow. She's missing.
• Eivor: And you found her?
• Anglo-Saxon Woman: No, but I found a Danish axe. It belongs to Hrothgar, leader of their war-band.
• Eivor: You know for a fact this axe is his?
• Anglo-Saxon Woman: Yes! He brandishes it about the village, demanding ale.
• Eivor: I will speak to this Hrothgar and his war-band.

Eivor approached Wulfhilda.

• Eivor: That woman is certain a nearby band of warriors caused these maulings. We have no other clues.
• Wulfhilda: I know the men she means. They're staying at the church near Brisleah Farm. Come, meet them. Their leader, Hrothgar, is a great man ... for a heathen. He is no cattle killer.

Eivor and Wulfhilda approaching the village, passing by a trail of corpses

They started to walk towards the church.

• Eivor: You have curious opinions, Wulfhilda. And an uncommonly opened mind.
• Wulfhilda: I should say the same of you. Most heathens would point to witchcraft or monsters, but you seek an earthly cause.
• Eivor: I have seen many strange things, but the answers are usually close at hand, if only hidden.
• Wulfhilda: True, yet in this case, the Church has tasked me to explain the unexplainable. That at time introduces... unholy ideas.
• Eivor: And your Church accepts your... unholy ideas?
• Wulfhilda: They tolerate it. Lucifer is a deceiver and God Himself works in mysterious ways. So, I too must remain open to all possibilities, mundane and otherworldly.
• Eivor: Which is why you tolerate a heathen like me.
• Wulfhilda: Perhaps. Or perhaps all of us, heathen and Christian, stand within the folds of a greater mystery.

As they approached Brisleah Farm, dismal scenes came into focus, with dead people and burnt patches of grass and buildings leading to the church.

• Wulfhilda: Something's off, Eivor. Hrothgar's men are rowdy sorts, but the air is far too still.
• Eivor: Stand back, priestess. This is war-work.

Eivor and Wulfhilda investigating the church

They entered the church and found dead Danes.

• Wulfhilda: Hrothgar and his men, they... they were good to me.
• Eivor: Have a care, Wulfhilda. The killer may yet linger here.
• Wulfhilda: Their leader, Hrothgar. I do not see him among the dead.
• Eivor: I shall find him.

Eivor noticed some mold on a body near the altar.

• Eivor: See, more fresh mold. Same as in the fields, on the cows.
• Wulfhilda: The villagers say it is the Devil's Mark. What do you say, Eivor?
• Eivor: I say find the mold and we find our killer.

She inspected other bodies.

• Eivor: The same marks as before. Bite marks, a mauling. These are not weapon wounds.
• Wulfhilda: What manner of demon can fell so many well-armed warriors?

They noticed a pool of blood near a stained glass window.

• Wulfhilda: Eivor, look up. More blood.
• Eivor: Someone crawled into the loft. Or dragged a body up there.

Having completed her investigation of the chapel floor, Eivor turned to Wulfhilda.

• Wulfhilda: Hrothgar sometimes slept in the loft. Have you looked up there?

Eivor released the ladder leading up and climbed into the loft, finding an injured Hrothgar.

• Hrothgar: Back, you! Back, I say. I can still draw blood.

Eivor approached the man.

Eivor finding a mortally wounded Hrothgar on the second floor

• Eivor: You are Hrothgar, leader of this war-band?
• Hrothgar: I am. A Finnmark raider, and proud of it. For the little time I have left.
• Eivor: I bear ill news. Your warriors have fallen. Who or what did this awful thing?
• Hrothgar: The monster did this thing. It killed us while laughing. Laughing. It broke my axe and gouged me. I... I crawled up here to die.
• Eivor: What was it? Did you see?
• Hrothgar: A foul Jotun... a night-goer from the world's rim... it spoke, named itself Grendel... said it would return.
• Eivor: Good. We shall wait for it to come back, you and I.
• Hrothgar: Not I, my wounds are too great and my spirit takes ship. Send them to Helheim ... for me.
• Eivor: Ride with the winged women, friend. I will handle this Grendel, whatever manner of monster it may be.
• Hrothgar: Wait, warrior. There were... two...

Hrothgar died and Wulfhilda joined Eivor in the loft. Wulfhilda made the sign of the cross at Hrothgar's passing.

• Wulfhilda: Best hide to not scare the demon off when it returns.
• Eivor: We'll wait up here for it to show itself again.
• Wulfhilda: Get your rest, warrior. I'll stand vigil with prayer.

While Wulfhilda kept watch, Eivor meditated, until a noise came from the church below.

• Eivor: Wulfhilda, be still. Something stirs.

A massive man covered in moss and mold lumbered into the chapel. He began nudging the bodies of the slain Vikings.

• Grendel: Wake. Play. Wake. Play.

Eivor leapt from the loft and engaged the giant man.

• Eivor: Beast! Today you die!
• Grendel: No kill! Play! I play!

Eivor inflicted grievous wounds on Grendel.

• Grendel: Mother! It hurts! Mother, help! It hurts me, Mother!

Grendel dying from his wounds

Grendel slumped back against the column, succumbing to his wounds.

• Grendel: Play. Grendel only want to play. You make Grendel hurt. Mama. I want to go home.

He reached out a hand, then closed his eyes and passed away. After a moment, Wulfhilda approached.

• Wulfhilda: By all that is holy and bright. What manner of monster is that thing?
• Eivor: Not a monster, but a man. Strange to behold, but this Grendel is... was... a man.
• Wulfhilda: But where did it come from?
• Eivor: All men have mothers. This one called out for his, in the end.

Wulfhilda giving Grendel his last rites

• Wulfhilda: And all of us, even the most hideous, have souls. O Lord, forgive this... man... his sins and grant unto him your grace and everlasting love.

Eivor looked around at the various corpses.

• Eivor: Mold, everywhere. Stay here, Wulfhilda. I'll follow this trail...

The abbess kept praying.

• Wulfhilda: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May all these souls rest in peace.

Outcome

Eivor killed Grendel and decided to follow his trail to where he came from.

Gallery

• 
  Eivor following the abbess into the woods
• 
  Eivor protecting the elderly woman from the wolves
• 
  Eivor and Wulfhilda noticing a figure below

References

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Legend of Beowulf