The Journey to Find Mimir

Chapter Forty-Four: The Knot

CW: Blood, Violence, Death

For a moment, I thought Utgard-Loki was going to charge Hearthstone. I found myself getting ready to put myself between the giant and my elf when the world around us disappeared.

In a blink of an eye the snowy scenery of Jotunheim was gone. A thick forest of twisted trees replaced the snow-covered garden. Blinding sunshine blazed down. The light should have petrified me instantly, but I remained mobile. 

I scanned the little clearing we now stood in. It was roughly the size of Náinn's little house that overlooked the cemetery. The ground was hard-packed dirt speckled with rocks of various sizes. The surrounding forest was so thick, I couldn't tell if we were the edge of the woods or hundreds of miles from civilization. 

The only landmark that remained from our original location was the old well. It had jumped to the middle of the clearing. The edges were made of different types of rocks. It was no longer covered in frost. 

Utgard-Loki moved to the edge of the little clearing. He looked smug.

"Let's see how this plays out a second time around," he called over his shoulder to Hearthstone. 

Confused, I turned to look at Hearthstone. My heart jolted.

Hearthstone had frozen in place. His face was twisted in shock and horror. The apple of Idun dropped from his hands. He walked towards the well, as if in a trance. 

"Hey!" I picked up the apple and ran after him. "Where are you going?" 

I forgot he couldn't hear me, so I caught up to him and grabbed his wrist. He smacked me away, which made me freeze in my tracks. Without a backwards glance, he made his way to the edge of the well. His trembling hands hesitated, then grabbed tightly to its rocky sides. He looked down into the dark and empty abyss. 

A rustling noise came from behind me. I turned around, expecting the worst, when two elf boys emerged from the brambles. Both were skinny and pale. With similar features and matching smiles, it was clear they were brothers. 

The taller of the two made a funny face, followed by a series of dramatic signs in ASL. The younger boy laughed at the joke, then playfully poked his brother in the ribs. Soon the two of them were rough housing in the clearing. Neither boy seemed to notice me, Hearthstone, or Utgard-Loki.

I looked back to Hearthstone, who was still hunched over the well. It almost looked like he was going to be sick. Frustration and panic fluttered in my chest. What was about to happen? I knew we were in some sort of illusion, but where were we?

"Confused, Blitzen?" Utgard-Loki laughed. "Enjoy the ignorance of your bliss. Soon, you will wish for this feeling back."

Ignoring him, I continued to watch the boys. They stopped rough housing and began playing with some of the scattered rocks in the clearing. The older elf stacked stones in a neat row, like he was making a castle, while the younger one collected more rocks. Maybe Hearthstone knew them? I tapped Hearthstone on the shoulder and pointed at them.

Hearthstone's eyes landed on the boys, then widened with panic. 

Before I could ask what was wrong, Hearthstone stumbled and fell to his knees. Watery green tears sprung to his eyes and ran down his cheeks. Shock and surprise shot through my bloodstream. Something was clearly wrong, but I didn't know what to say, or what to do.

"Hearthstone?" I asked. 

Without a glance, Hearthstone yanked the golden apple from my hands. He ran to Utgard-Loki, signing frantically and pointing at the younger of the two boys. I realized that my understanding of ASL was gone, but even as I tried to focus, I could not understand his fast and desperate signs. Hearthstone tried to give Utgard-Loki the apple, but the old giant refused to put out his hands.