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Valkyrie dead for a thousand years, and used to create a deadly black goop that killed the warriors of Valhalla. Yup, nothing special.
    At last, naked, I walked toward the bath, not in the least bit embarrassed only because I had my wings. They curved around me, covering my bare skin like a large soft towel.
    I padded to the water's edge and watched as Nita removed a glass bottle from the air in front of her. Neat trick. I planned on asking her more about it later. For now I watched as she pulled a stopper from the bottle contained a bright green liquid, and tipped three drops into the bubbling water.
    "What is that?" I asked, merely curious. I wasn't about to protest even if she said it was concentrated goat pee. Right now, I needed to slip into that water so desperately that very little could stop me.
    "It is a special herb, I do not believe it has a human equivalent name." She gave me an apologetic smile then swirled her hand over the surface of the water, mixing the liquid around with only the motion of her hand. "There is also a drop of liquid sunshine mixed in. Both ingredients work a lot like the waters of Asgard's bathing pools, but the regeneration properties are much more concentrated. It does not last long so you need to get in immediately." She dusted her hands off and took a step away from the pool before descending the stairs. I stepped into the water. My toes feeling the superb heat first. Nita seated herself on a nearby ledge and watched as I slipped deeper into the pool.
    I'd never felt anything so wonderful, and I had a well-known obsession with hot water. "Wow, this feels amazing." I sighed and relaxed, leaning my head against the edge of the pool and closing my eyes. "Why does it not last?" I asked suddenly.
    Nita tipped an eyebrow. "Have you ever seen sunlight care how you want it to behave?" she asked with a grin.
    "No, I can't say that I have." I kept a straight face. "Stubborn and very hard to control, sunlight."
    We both laughed as I slid deeper into the water, soaking the slice in my neck in the healing waters. I traced a finger along the jagged edge of the wound, ripped open by the blade of an icy frost giant fingernail.
    I was glad I couldn't see the wound.
    Glad that I wouldn't see what type of horrible scarring this new injury would leave. From the moment I'd begun my life within Asgard I'd been injured both in training sessions and in actual battle. The magical waters of the palaces bathing pools had served well so far, soothing aches and pains and encouraging healing. Nita's liquid sunshine and herbs would do the same for me.
    I sighed again and felt the heat make its way deep into my muscles, warming and releasing the tension. Nita laughed. "Through the ages a hot bath has always been a tincture for the soul."
    I grinned and flexed my muscles beneath the surface. When I opened my eyes a glow caught my attention immediately. The entire surface of the pool shone like some kind of bio-luminescent life-form. The pale green light shivered, floating along the top of the water and as I shifted I could see that deeper within the water, the shining blobs danced as they slowly dropped to the bottom.
    "Wow," I said. "What is that?"
    "It's a substance released from the herb I mentioned. It gives off a healing energy and shines in the darkness. It is a beautiful sight." Nita's clothing shirred as she rose and moved up the steps toward my head. "Lean back. I must check the healing."
    I obeyed, setting my head on the side of the pool and turning to give Nita access to my neck. Her fingers traveled along the edge of the wound as she inspected the healing.
    "Did it work?" I asked holding my breath.
    "You haven't died yet, so I'm assuming yes," she said dryly, then rose and dusted her wet fingers into the water.
    I snorted then lifted my hand to do the same thing the elf had. I gasped as my fingers met smooth, unbroken skin.
    Healing? What sort of healing is this?
    "Yes. It's quite magical," said Nita as she