Kendra Sorenson

Photo courtesy Brandon Dorman

Advantages

Kissed by the fairies - "fairykind" now
Can see in the dark
Immune to distracting spells
Can speak all fairy languages
Possesses the sword of Light and Dark


Disadvantages

Young
Affected by "magical fear"

Thorgil

Photo courtesy Kelli Strom

Advantages

She's a berserker and shield maiden
Tough-as-nails
Ruthless fighter with a mouth
Possesses a Rune of Protection



Disadvantages

Young
Has a useless silver hand
Hates being insulted. Makes her rash

How we think the fight might go...




Thorgil stomped through the forest, lost again. It didn’t look like Jouhoutin* or the forest of the cave of the hobgoblins, but she wasn’t taking her chances. Knife out and axe at the ready she stormed through the trees, daring any non-normal Viking thing to attack her. Then, in the middle of a clearing, she saw the strangest thing: a bowl filled with milk.

“What in Jouhoutin*…” she said, moving closer. Looking around, she knelt and dipped her finger in it. A little warm, but it smelled fresh. She tasted it. It was sweeter than the goat’s milk in her village and creamier, too.

“What are you doing?” a girl’s voice asked. Thorgil spun around, her knife out in front of her. This girl was dressed in the strangest clothes she had ever seen. A shirt that only came to her waist and pants made of a blue fabric she had never seen before. But she carried a sheathed sword in her hand.

“Who are you?” Thorgil demanded.

“I’m Kendra. Kendra Sorenson.”

“Are you a thrall?”

“A what?” The girl blinked and shook her head. “Nevermind. I hope you didn’t drink that. That’s the fairies milk.”

“Fairies?” Thorgil spat, trying to get it out.

“It’s not going to hurt you,” Kendra said, stepping forward. “You’ll just be able to see them now.”

Thorgil’s face shot to hers. “What?!” she shrieked and spat harder.

“They’re not bad,” Kendra tried again.

“They’re horrible. Elves and hobgoblins and trolls. I don’t want to see another one of them as long as I live,” she said.

“These fairies are nice.”

“They’re all the same,” Thorgil said, petulant.

“No, they aren’t.”

“Yes, they are.”

“Nuh huh,”

“They are!”

“Well, you’re stupid,” Kendra said. “And a thrall too, whatever that is.”

Thorgil screamed and ran at her. No one called her a thrall. Kendra’s eyes widened. She whistled.

“Help! In the name of the Fairy Queen!” Dozens of little shapes flew out of the trees at Thorgil. Fairies, she realized. They were different and beautiful, but fierce. She never thought fairies would be warriors, but she had seen stranger things.

Thorgil swatted at them but never able to his them. They circled Kendra, creating a barrier. Swirling around her, they forced her to the ground. But none of them could touch her. The rune, she realized. It had saved her in the elven forest and it was keeping the fairies from her now. She stood, taking her axe from her side. Kendra’s watched her, her mouth open. Then she unsheathed her sword.

“This sword has a special name. It can defeat you,” she said.

“Try me,” Thorgil said, swinger her axe.

They fought. Kendra was better than she expected. With her axe and her knife, she was able to hold off the longer sword blows, but just barely. It didn’t help with all the flashing and darting of the fairies, trying to distract her. She rolled her eyes. Another ability she really didn’t need.

Kendra was good, but she had been practicing since she could hold an axe. In a final blow, she knocked her to the ground.

“Yield,” Thorgil said, her blade at arm’s length. Kendra put the sword down slowly.

“Now apologize.”

“For what?"

Thorgil grit her teeth. “For calling me a thrall.”

“Okay okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

She withdrew her blade. “Good,” she said, smiling, and helped her up. She walked away, these woods still creeped her out. Kendra’s voice called behind her.

“Hey, do you want some cookies? The house isn’t very far. And Seth would probably think you’re the coolest thing ever.”

Thorgil stopped, and turned.

“What’s a cookie?”



Predicted winner: Thorgil

Kendra Sorenson is from Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series and Thorgil is from Nancy Farmer's Sea of Trolls trilogy.

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