To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations; to rule them with an iron rod, as when clay pots are shattered—even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star.
Revelation 2:26-28
The Iron Rod is the third in a series of seven stories about the town of Soledge. In the future, after an environmental cataclysm called the Freezing, the spirits have awakened in the woods, and learned how to call certain women in the town to share in the power of the wild magic. The first story, The White Stone, and the second story, The Tree of Life, were published on this site previously.
The Iron Rod and its companion stories all take inspiration from the book of Revelation and Norse mythology. In this third installment, we hear from the men what they think of being cut off from the wild magic.
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The Iron Rod: Chapter One
Astrid stirred her finger around the pool that the rain had left in the road. The water swirled with dirt as her finger glided through it. Her youngest brother, Asmund, watched her closely. He dipped his finger into the pool as well, imitating her movements. Astrid smiled at him, but thought it best not to
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The Iron Rod: Chapter Two
Sigmund watched the flowing water of the stream, thinking only of Magnhild’s revelation to him. Freya—the Bairn who scared him most—had done a reading for her. She would mother three boys. They would be his boys, he knew. When he asked Astrid to read the runes for him two nights ago, he had had Magnhild
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The Iron Rod: Chapter Three
Astrid closed her eyes that night, wanting for sleep, but the spirits were restless. They were arguing. The spirits never wholly agreed on anything. For every spirit who encouraged, there was one who tried to convince you otherwise. For every wise voice in the chaos, there was one who was always irrational. Then there were
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The Iron Rod: Chapter Four
Astrid watched the crowd from afar, mingling and celebrating with Sigmund and Magnhild on the green beside the goat pen and the barn. When her mother had come home from her talks with Ranog a week ago, her father had wasted no time before he visited the black smith. The chain Leif had made
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The Iron Rod: Chapter Five
Sigmund lay awake in the dark, fingering the chain around his neck. The sun would come up soon; the sky was already lightening, the first pale light of dawn peeking through the curtain. He and Magnhild would stay on the farm. It was unusual for the man to take the woman into his family
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The Iron Rod: Chapter Six
When Astrid woke, she was in the grove. Her body was cool and stiff. She sat up, trailing her hand across the dew gathered on her skirt. Mist rolled over the ground. The Skuld was not with her. She had come to the grove after Lodvik stormed away from her. It pulled her
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The Iron Rod: Chapter Seven
She knew it was a dream when she saw the Skuld smile—a pretty smile, not her typical sad, boney smile, stiff and sugared with regret. No, this smile she was given was one of pride, without any accompanying guilt or grief. A warm smile. A smile that illuminated all her dark places. “You did
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The Iron Rod: Epilogue
Astrid watched from the shadows near the house as her father and Sigmund stacked the wood for the bonfire. Aelric’s chain flashed in the fire light of the torch she held. Ljót was at his side, her arms snaked around his waist. Astrid smiled to herself. It was a good match. He would be happy
The Quick and the Dead 