The Journey to Find Mimir

Due to Unforeseen Circumstances Our New Plan is, Like, 15x More Dangerous

A couple hours later, and the kitchen was filled with warmth and laughter. Soft light filtered through the windows. The smell of fresh coffee and hash browns wafted through the air as Brokkr scrambled eggs. The two of us laughed as Fár told a story about the time her friend Darri first visited Folkvanger and was pulled into a conga line of fallen warriors. Hearthstone sat bleary-eyed at the kitchen table, wrapped in a blanket and nursing a cup of tea, a piece of untouched toast in front of him. The only evidence of my morning conversation with Brokkr was when I catch him watching me out the corner of my eye. 

After breakfast, Hearthstone corners me with the notepad. 

The fall equinox is getting closer. We need to leave today.

I hesitate, then take the pen.

Before we go, you have to make it through a meal without falling asleep. 

I do not fall asleep at meals. I am awake.

Hearthstone. Your head is on the table and your eyes are closed. 

I do not sleep. I am just resting my eyes. Everything is fine. I can leave tonight. 

He crossed his arms, looking defiant. I look at the patch of jam on the side of his forehead and wondered what to do. 

If it were up to me, I would keep Hearthstone at Brokkr's place until he was fully healed up. But Hearthstone was right. Our two run-ins with giants had extended our journey. With the fall equinox deadline fast approaching, time was running out.  

Thankfully, we couldn't have been in a better place to plan a trip to across Jotunheim. Between Fár's intel as a Journal reporter and Brokkr's maps from the archives, we had a wealth of information. 

Our briefing began after lunch. Fár took her place, standing at the head of the kitchen table. Planning seemed to energize Fár, who threw herself into this new "mission" with great enthusiasm. Her posture radiated confidence and importance. I could clearly see her at the front of a newsroom, leading an important meeting about the end of the world. Her belly poked out from behind her Jörmungandr sweater.

Once we settled in the chair, she clapped her hands once.

"Let's get to it," she said, all business. "First, I need to inform you that there is a change in your plans."

I bit back a remark. "I already talked to Brokkr. You can't stop us. Hearthstone and I have to go to Mi-"

"It's not that. It's about how you get there." She turned to her husband. "Brokkr, can you grab a map?"

Brokkr's smile radiated light.

"Oh good! I was hoping you would say that!"

As Brokkr rushed to the bookshelf in the living room, Fár dropped the bombshell. 

"First, you'll take a quick shortcut through Midguard; it will shave a couple days off of your travel time. The detour will take you straight to Utgard-Loki's castle, which is right over the entrance to Mimir's well."

For a moment, everything was still. Then, my mouth dropped open. Hearthstone's eyes flashed to me. He wore a confused, slightly panicked look that said, Am I reading her lips correctly?

I wrote "shortcut through Midgard" and "go to Utgard-Loki's castle" and watched his eyes widen. I turned to her.

"Excuse me, Fár," I said. "But what?"

"I promise it all makes sense." She launched into a speech. 

"Yggdrasil has three major roots, and each root has a well or spring underneath," she began. "The spring is Hvergelmir, which is where Nidhoggr lives -- that's the dragon that gnaws on the roots of the World Tree.