They watched me, expectantly. No bullshit this time, Sarah. "They took Katie," I said. "I need some gear."

"Who took Katie? Melanie?" Stuart asked.

"No, not Melanie." I paused a moment. I'd known these guys for years. "It's a long story," I said finally. "Armageddon Rag, gentlemen. The real deal."

I'd thought about this on the way over. How could I convince them without looking like a total freaking idiot? But then, I'd been worried about how others perceived me for a long damn time, and that's served me so well.

I thought back to those long nights of wishful thinking, of planning for the end of the world, or dreaming of a life where one lived by wits and skills alone. A time when a single man, or woman, with a sword could right the wrongs. They'd be skeptical, but deep down, they needed to believe.

"Remember all those nights we talked," I paced in front of them, waving my hand, "the game we played about what if? Like if the world was different. If we had to live by our wits and our swords?"

Stuart laughed. "You been drinking?"

I punched him in the leg, eliciting a hurt cry. "Not joking, you ass. One of you go wake up Jimmy. I'm going in to get my chain."

Gunther and Stuart looked at one another and laughed.

That was it, I wasn't getting through to them. I shoved the bales of hay, and the two men tumbled to the ground. "Either help, or get the hell out of the way," I shouted, storming past them and into the barn.

I stood in the center of the barn, considering how best to proceed, when Stuart and Gunther came stumbling in. Gunther stormed right up to me, pissed off, and grabbed my arm. "What the hell was that about?"

I spun around, shoving him. "I told you. They took Katie. And likely Julie. Or . . ." I choked. "Or she's dead."

Stuart came up with Rolph behind him. "I think she's serious."

"Quite," Rolph said. Both men turned to look at him. "There is a dragon who has taken the form of a man to hide his true self."

"He wants Gram," I said. "I need to go rescue Katie. Are you going to help, or laugh more?"

Stuart started to smile, but looked at me, cocked his head to the side, and a look of dawning comprehension crossed his face. "Gram . . . ," he said. "You called the sword Gram."

"Yes."

"Fafnir's Bane," Gunther said, looking back at Rolph for the first time.

"Rolph," I said, "these two geniuses are my friends Gunther and Stuart."

All three nodded, in that territorial way men have, and I turned to the lockers.

"Rolph's a dwarf, boys. I know you're familiar with the stories."

"Jesus and Mary," Stuart said, crossing himself. "You ain't fooling?"

I didn't even answer. I opened my locker and pulled out my chain mail. The stitched cotton underarmor smelled musty as I pulled it over my head, but it would keep the chain from cutting into me, I hoped.

The chain was a bit trickier, but as I was laying it out on the bench, to try and get it over my head just right, Gunther stepped up and helped.

"You'll need a scabbard for that pigsticker," he said. "I think Stuart has something you can use."

"Yeah," Stuart said from across the barn. "Look in locker six. I'll run up to the house and wake Jimmy."

"Thanks," I said, looking back at Rolph. "Helps when you have friends," I said.

He looked back, his face impassive.

Once the chain was in place, and the cinches were tightened correctly, I could move with only a small amount of restriction. "Decent armor," I said, brushing my hands down the chain. The links were done with skill. "One day, I should try making some armor." I thought how lovely that would be if only we all lived through this nightmare. And Katie. Dear God, I had to not think about what she might be going through at the moment or I would fall apart.

Gunther grunted and began fishing through locker six. He came out with two belts and a scabbard.

"Not sure which of these fits better," he said. "You want the sword over your shoulder, or at the waist?"

"I think I'd like a belt to hold the hammers," I said. "And a shoulder mount for the sword."

"Can do," Gunther said, digging into the locker again. "We can make this work."

I had the scabbard in place and the hammers on my belt by the time Jimmy came jogging into the barn.

"What's going on, Sarah?" he grumbled. He had on a pair of workout pants with half-moons helter-skelter across the legs, and a T-shirt that read: ONCE A KING ALWAYS A KING, BUT ONCE A KNIGHT IS ENOUGH.

Scruffy and torqued as he was, he still gave me the warm fuzzy I always got around him. Jimmy's was a safe place. I hated to disappoint him. "They took Katie." I fished her cell phone out of my back pocket and handed it to him.

He took the phone, opened it, and looked through the files. "It's Katie's," he said, motioning to a table. "Sit down and tell me what the hell is going on."

I wanted to leave, to get to Frederick, but I needed Jimmy on this. That had come clear to me during the fight with the giants. Kith and kin, that's what made this worth anything.

So I told him. Granted, it was the quick version, but I tried to include as many details as I could remember. He poked and prodded with questions, but didn't tell me I was a liar, or a fool.

Even though I glossed over it, I could tell he knew about my drunken night. That explained the strained look on his face.

"This homeless guy," he said. "Joe?"

"Yes," I said.

"Woden," Rolph added for the first time.

Gunther and Stuart exchanged a look, but did not interrupt.

"Woden, right," Jimmy said. "So, you fought a pair of giants, which don't look like giants unless you are holding the sword, right?"

"Yes," I said. His level of reasonableness was a bit maddening.

"So, these giants were beating on a guy who your friend here thinks is Woden."

"Who is Woden?" I asked, looking around.

"Do you never read?" Stuart asked. "Woden . . . Odin . . . the All-Father. King of the gods."

"Not king," Rolph said. "He is their jarl."

"Works out the same," Stuart said, disgruntled.

"More chieftain," Rolph said. "King would be Konungr."

Jimmy and I looked at them for a moment, and they stopped talking, chagrined. "Continue," Jimmy said.

So I described arriving at the burning smithy, how I saw Katie's car, and where I found the cell. I especially impressed on him the point that the fire was pretty fierce.

"Dragon fire," Jimmy said, nodding. He turned to look at the others. "Stuart, your buddy still work over with the Redmond Fire Department?"

He nodded. "Yeah, EMT."

"Okay, get on the horn and see what he knows. If this story holds water," he looked back at me, "and I assume it will, give him a clue that there could be some nontraditional flammables there, and that they may want to back off and just work on containment."

Rolph nodded and Stuart hightailed it out of the barn.

"Show him the runes," Rolph added from the back.

Jimmy looked at me, raising one hand toward me, giving me the stage.

"During the battle with the giants, one of them pulled a street-light out of the pavement and began swinging it around. I was holding my own, but could see a short end coming, when Ernie-that's the nice one-clipped the power lines above the street, and managed to catch both himself and Bert with a substantial shock."

"Lucky break," Gunther said.

"Nay," Rolph said. " 'Twas Woden, calling the lightning."

Jimmy looked over his shoulder. "Wasn't Thor the one to call lightning?"

Rolph shrugged. "Woden is the most powerful, his powers are legion."

They argued among themselves for a bit, Odin versus Zeus, and the traditional roles of gods and beggars. It ran on for a few minutes before I could get a word in edgewise. Luckily, they had to breathe sometime.

"Anyway," I said.

They all turned back toward me.

"I went to check if Joe was going to be okay, and he brushed the hair out of my eyes." I pulled my hair back, exposing the line of runes just inside my hairline.

Jimmy leaned forward, pushing my hand out of the way, and moving the hair to see each rune separately. "Did it hurt?"

I didn't hesitate. "Like fire. But more a cleansing fire than a destructive one, you know?"

All of them nodded. It was cute, like bobbleheads.

Stuart came running back in. "They are all set," he said, a little winded. "Deidre's making coffee, started the calling chain."

"What?" I asked. "Calling chain?"

"If someone has Katie, we are going to mobilize the troops," Jimmy said. "Standard procedure. We'd do it with any one of us."

I sat back and looked at him. He didn't seem to be fazed by any of this.

He smiled and patted me on the leg. "Go on, Sarah. Finish your story."

He had the strangest look in his eyes. Creeped me out. He should've called me a liar, or crazy, or something. But he just looked at me, with patience and . . . understanding, perhaps.

"When the fire flashed through my mind, much of the fog lifted." I paused a moment, considering. "I've been a mess lately, if you haven't noticed."

"Since mending Gram," Rolph added. "You were fighting the geas of the blade, ignoring the purpose for which it was originally forged."

"I just can't kill an investment banker from Portland, or anywhere," I said, raising my voice. "Even with everything that's happened, with the things I've seen. That is just murder."

No one spoke for a moment, and Gunther was the first.

"Sarah, if the president of the United States can invade another country based on a suspicion, I think you can move out on probable cause here."

"He's right," Rolph said, barely able to contain his glee. "You have no idea of the deprivation this beast has caused."

"Before we send her out killing folks, I want to hear about the rest of the fight, and the significance of these runes," Jimmy said, turning back toward me and focusing things.

I explained about the runes on my calf, and how Joe had infused me with some power. "He cried out 'Wodiz,' or something." I stood and pulled up the legs of my jeans. Couldn't get them high enough to show all the runes, but I wasn't dropping trou with this crowd.

"Ah," Rolph said. "Woden of the one eye has many gifts: first among them is the gift of prowess in battle. Those who are favored by the All-Father are unmatched in combat. They become an army of one, feared by friend and foe alike."

"Berserker," Stuart said, the awe apparent in his voice. "Great, Beauhall. I'll never take you in sparring again."

I laughed at that, and the mood lightened a bit.

"Okay, final bit," Jimmy said. "I'd like to see the sword."

I looked over at Rolph, who watched intently.

"It's in the car," I said, rising.

"I can get it," Gunther said.

"NO!" Rolph bellowed.

Everyone stopped and stared at him. Gunther looked ready to fight, and Jimmy had on his I'm-the-boss face.

"It is hers to bear," Rolph continued. "Hers to wield."

"I'll just go get it," I said, jogging past everyone. "I'll be okay."

I left them in the barn. As soon as I was through the door, I could hear them talking excitedly.

I pulled the sword from the hatchback and slid it into the sheath over my shoulder. It fit perfectly. I had a feeling that no matter what container I put it in, it would be an excellent fit.

Deidre opened the door, carrying a tray with a large thermos of coffee and several mugs. I helped, grabbing a tray with sugar and milk, and walked with her back to the barn in silence. When we got in, the men stood around one of the workbenches, and Jimmy was pulling topo maps out of the cupboard.