The Journey to Find Mimir

Chapter Sixteen: Last Item on the List: Awkward Conversation. Check!

Hearthstone's Jotunheimen wardrobe was my final task. When I asked what color he wanted his winter clothes to be, he was adamant about the color palette. 

Black, he wrote.

"Both the coat and the pants?" I asked. "What about the clothes underneath?"

Black, he wrote.

I scratched my head, confused.

What? he signed.

"I would have thought you were going to say white," I said. "You were wearing that nice white three-piece suit when you fell out of the sky."

Hearthstone's perpetually blank mask cracked into a small frown. He picked up the pen.

Alfheim is a world of light, and white is regarded as the highest of colors. Father made us wear white suits every day. I have dozens in my closet at home. I am not fond of them.

I looked at the paper. Father made us wear white suits?

"Us?" I asked, pointing at the word.

Hearthstone froze.

He crossed out "us" and wrote "me".

I nodded.

"Okay, no white," I said. I gave Hearthstone a mischievous smile. "Let's make something your father wouldn't like you to wear."

Hearthstone's mouth quirked up ever so slightly. He picked up the pen.

Father hated leather jackets. He said it made people look like "unkempt".

I smiled back.

"I don't think leather would be too helpful in Jotunheim," I replied, "but noted."

That evening at the store I bought lots and lots of black fabric. My eyes wandered to the yarn section. I saw two balls of soft yarn, one red and one white. The gears in my brain began to whir, designing something in my head. I added them to my purchase and hid them when I got home. Hearthstone was pleased when I finished his all-black pants and black thermal shirt, but I kept my white and red project a secret. I finished it alongside Hearthstone's coat.

Finally, it was almost time. We would leave early the next morning. All of our winter clothes were finished (complete with some black-market snow boots from Midguard). The backpacks and hand-sewn sleeping bags were packed and ready to go. Hearthstone's bag was a little big, but rather too big than too small. I loved my outfit: a powder blue winter coat, matching pants, a white turtleneck, and gray gloves. 

I brought out Hearthstone's winter coat last. Every inch of the coat was black, with the deepest black fabric I could find at the store. I felt that familiar flick of pride when he put it on. It looked perfect. I had definitely gotten the dimensions right. I watched Hearthstone run a hand over the waterproof material, then feel the soft, inner lining of the coat. He moved to the sleeves, to the zippered pockets, to the hood. I liked how he was going over every inch of what I had made. My heart soared, but only temporarily.

Hearthstone blinked out of existence. Suddenly, my dad was in his place. The green birthday cloak draped magnificently over his shoulders. He ran a hand over the fabric, grinning. 

I love it, Blitzen. This is some of your best work yet! What a wonderful birthday gift. 

I closed my eyes tight, pushing him away.

I opened them. Hearthstone was back. He was examining the inner pocket I had sewn for his runestone pouch. I swallowed hard. 

Think of something else, I said to myself. Anything. Don't cry. 

 Suddenly, I remembered his surprise. My mouth jumped open. 

"Before we go," I blurted out, "I have something for you."

Hearthstone's eyes flicked from my lips to my eyes.

What? he signed.

I went to the back bedroom and pulled out my secret project, something I had knit for Hearthstone. The red and white, candy cane striped scarf was longer than anything I had ever knit. Most importantly, the wool was spun from Jotunheim sheep; their thick coats were designed to insulate in the freezing landscape. It would keep Hearthstone warm as we moved through the land of giants.

I returned to the living room, suddenly feeling giddy with nerves.

"For you," I said, handing it to him.

Hearthstone held the scarf but did not move to put it on. Self-consciousness jumped onto me. I began to sweat.

"Do you like it?" I asked, trying not to look worried.

He didn't say anything. I started rambling. 

"I noticed you liked candy canes. I saw they were gone from the pantry and figured you ate them. So, I saw red and white at the store and was like, you know what clothes Hearthstone might like? Candy canes! But on clothes. Uh, this is for you." I was out of breath. My face was on fire. Why in the Nine Worlds was I making this such a big deal? 

I swallowed hard. "Is it alright?"

Hearthstone hesitated, then went to the kitchen to get his pen and notepad. My heart sank as he began to write. I leaned over his shoulder to read.

Thank you so much for this. It is very beautiful. However, I think it is much too big to be a belt.

I laughed, expecting him to join in. He looked ever more confused, which confused me. Was this not a joke?

"You know this is a scarf, right?"

He shook his head. I took the pen and paper and wrote "scarf" in my neatest writing.

"You know? For the cold?"

Hearthstone shook his head again.

It is not cold in Alfheim. The sun hardly sets.

"Oh!" I exclaimed.

I took the scarf and wrapped it around my own neck. "See? In Jotunheim it will be freezing. This will keep your neck from getting too cold. Also-"

I pushed a small, red button on the bottom corner of side of the scarf. The red yarn began to heat up, toasting my neck.

"This button activates the yarn," I explained. "It will make it like a heater."

I took off the scarf and held it out to Hearthstone. I expected him to put it on himself, but he surprised me -- he leaned over so I could put it on him.

I gently circled it around his neck. I wrapped it a few different ways before landing on a style I liked. I brought him over to the mirror so he could see himself.

"See? All you needed was a splash of color. With your white skin and black outfit, the scarf does its job."

Hearthstone's eyes flicked from my lips to his reflection in the mirror. He touched the scarf lightly, fingering the material. I had picked the softest yarn I could find at the store.

Finally, he walked over to the notepad.

Thank you. I love it.

The thoughtful look on his face would have been enough for me. This was so kind of him to write. I grinned.

"Excellent."

I deactivated the yarn.

"Better save the power," I said. "We have a long journey ahead of us."