> The Valkyrie critter at the gate certainly is a tough bird to dispatch. I can envision battling Val forever without hints for help. Talk about exhaustion! Whew! And then some.

Is this a request for hints, or merely a comment? I'm not sure, but in case that's a request for a hint, here's one:

By trial and error, you've probably figured out a certain "cycle" to the battle. You have to go through the cycle before you can get free of her long enough to make a sensible move. Use this moment to try to get some kind of attack in. Whether it works or not, you'll probably be put back at the beginning of the cycle again. Work your way through it and try another move.

To beat her, you have to perform a particular "finishing" move, which only works after you've weakened her with a few other attacking moves.