The Exile of Borghild Brynlaging
A Norse myth-themed short story by Anne Beeche.
It is in the form of a journal by Borghild Brynlaging, a Danish Valkyrja, who abducts a legendary (albeit young) king who she knew personally and escapes with him into 21st century Copenhagen. Hilarity Ensues as Borghild tries unsuccessfully to interact with the "false Danes", but meanwhile, the poor young king is confused about his situation and wishes to go home, and keeps asking questions which Borghild refuses to answer.
The story can be read in its entirety here [dead link].
Tropes used in The Exile of Borghild Brynlaging include:
- Action Girl: Borghild and the unnamed Valkyrja.
- Buy Them Off: Borghild refers to the concept of wergild, and pays the full estimated price of said wergild at the end of the story.
- Cannot Dream: Scyld and Borghild. See Our Souls Are Different below.
- Fish Out of Temporal Water: 4th century Danes in 21st century Denmark.
- Horny Vikings: 4th century is actually way too early for Vikings, but they're referred to as such by Alaric anyway.
- Also horned helms are averted and discussed. The historical re-inactors have a few helms with horns on them and Borghild finds this, understandably, weird.
- Our Souls Are Different: According to The Exile of Borghild Brynlaging, your soul is a second body that exists beyond the physical plane, which you enter when you are dreaming. When you die, your soul takes over as the main body.
- Rape as Drama
- Rape Is Okay When Its Female On Male: Averted. Hard.
- Though Borghild's opinion on the matter probably plays the trope straight.
- Royal Brat: Scyld acts like this a lot.
- Time Travel Escape: Kind of inverted, as Borghild kills Scyld, and escapes with his soul into the future before a Valkyrja can recover him properly.
- Valkyries: Obviously.