Warrior

• Lara Hodge, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2022

Anja was only young when she was kidnapped from the human world, her parents were killed in battle when she was only six years old. The Viking pack brought Anja back to their world and changed her life as she knew it. She was built to be a machine. At the age of seven she watched the Ogre Games while washing her blood covered dagger, at the age of eight she chose her weapon - her axes - and at age nine she finally learnt how to properly use her axes and was granted access to join the Viking Training Camp.

One day Anja was practicing her aim with Ray (her coach) when she felt a slight tingle in her tummy, so she ran up to her cabin, glugged down a great bottle of sling and ran back out to the training centre - but this time the Great Lawn was shaking. It was a herd of ogres! The Viking pack had evacuated and left without her. She sprinted towards the supply room where she quickly stuffed her bag with supplies, double checked she packed her axes and set off towards the Forbidden Forest.

When Anja was one mile into the forest she stopped and glared at a group of trees which were moulded into a crescent. There were peculiar markings carved on the tree trunks that reminded her of a past memory from the Human World. In the corner of Anja’s eye she noticed the silhouette of a bulging creature passing through the trees. The creature was lurking towards her, his raging eyes staring her in the face, his temper building up. Before Anja had any idea of what creature it was her instincts kicked in. Anja was in fierce warrior mode and made the first move. Her axes drawn she leaped towards the colossal beast. With one mighty roar and flick of his wrist Anja got pushed back against the tree trunks and the carvings filled with golden, magic threads. Suddenly the tree trunk opened and Anja fell through.

The cold, thick air filled her with dread, she could feel icy shredded snow falling into her palms. Anja knew she was not in the Forbidden Forest anymore. On one side of her she could hear the village markets and on the other she could smell smoke, strong and crispy, coming from a bonfire. Screaming sounded from the direction of the markets. She gripped her axes tightly, she was ready for battle.