The Journey to Find Mimir

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Key to a Different Life (If We Make It Back Alive)

I was awake. Brokkr was awake. Hearthstone was awake. 

Fár? 

Not awake. 

"The baby was moving around a lot of last night," Brokkr explained. He looked tired. "Fár wants to see you off, but when I tried to get her up, she was out."

"Give her our best," I said. "And thank her for everything."

Hearthstone gave a nod. He looked much better after sleeping for seventeen hours straight. His cheeks didn't have their usual rosy sheen, like they did after sleeping in my tanning bed, but he looked more alert. The candy cane scarf around his shoulders was back in its rightful place. I handed it to him after breakfast, and Hearthstone had put it on immediately. He even wore it at the breakfast table. Secretly, I was pleased.

"Do you know where you are going?" Brokkr asked. 

"Go to the bottom of the hill. Find the pine tree with the 'X' carved on it. Enter through the brush. Walk into, uh Midgard." My voice shook. I steadied it, taking a deep breath. "First, Williams Grove. Then, go past the town called Myer Flats. Finally enter through the big sign called 'Robinson Grove'." 

Brokkr grinned. "Excellent! You're all ready to go."

He wrapped me in a big hug. 

"Thank you for everything," I whispered in his ear.

"Of course," he said. 

Next was Hearthstone's hug, which he tried to dodge. 

No! signed Brokkr. A marriage of B-L-I-T-Z-E-M is a marriage of mine!

Hearthstone nodded very seriously, accepting the hug while I tried not to laugh. How he mixed up "friend" and "marriage", I don't know. Brokkr looked proud of himself. 

"Fár has been showing me some ASL," he said excitedly. "She said I needed some more practice, but I just had to try."

You are even better than me, signed Hearthstone. 

"What did he say?" Brokkr asked.

Don't lie, I signed to Hearthstone, who smirked.

"That we better be on our way," I lied. 

Hearthstone's smirk turned to a smug grin as I gave Brokkr one last hug. 

"Goodbye!" I called as Hearthstone tugged on my sleeve.

Do not lie, he signed, looking very serious.

I rolled my eyes. I was about to counter back, when I heard a voice.

"Wait!" 

I turned.

"Blitzen! Hold up a minute!" 

Fár was outside in the snow, in boots and pajamas, trekking after us.

"Love? Not a great idea?" called Brokkr, but she ignored him.

"Fár!" I said. "You didn't have to come all the way out here to say goodbye!"

She cut me off.

"That's not why I waddled my huge belly out here in the snow," she said. Her dark eyes were full of concern. "I needed to warn you about Utgard-Loki."

"But you said he usually let's people call hospitality," I said, looking to Hearthstone. "I think Hearthstone and I will be fine."

"It's not that," Fár turned to Hearthstone. "Do you mind if we have a minute?"