Laugavegur, A Hinterland Journey

Chapter 23 - The Aerie

"Where is he taking us?" asked Tokki as the reindeer continued at a slow pace across the plateau.

"I am not fully sure."

The view from the reindeer's back was striking. To the south rose the enormous ice-covered flanks of Island Mountain and the ever-larger Miredale Mountain to the east. From the pass between the peaks poured out rivers of molten rock, cascading down the slopes and disappearing into the canyons below where gouts of steam rose from where the lava met water and ice. Occasional explosions on the pass would send up curtains of fire. The steam and smoke mingled about the mountains and blew off to the south, leaving the night sky above the Bottomlands clear and throbbing with starlight. The moon remained relegated beneath the horizon, but the sky was filled with the eerie green light that flowed like ripples in a stream. Many times, Anja had seen the green lights that came from the north, but the starkness of the landscape magnified their intensity. Her heart slowed and she felt as though she was seeing the world for the first time; through new eyes.

"Anja?" Tokki said removing a hand from around her waist and touching the braid of hair she had hanging down the center of her back."

"Mmm?"

"You have green hair. I mean not all of it or anything, but you have a bunch of green strands mixed in with your braid."

"Don't be silly, it is probably just the green of the night lights tinting my hair that color. It is just an illusion."

"Maybe..." said Tokki skeptically. "We are Huldu after all."

Anja laughed, but pulled her braid around for inspection. She couldn't be sure but maybe there was one green hair in the braid.

"Is my hair green?" Tokki asked hopefully, taking off his hat. Anja looked, but his curls were the same blond as always.

"Oh, maybe right there by the roots," she lied. "Yeah maybe a few hairs right down at the base." She grabbed hold of a hair and plucked it out.

"Ouch!" Tokki rubbed his head.

"No that wasn't the one," said Anja letting the breeze take the hair away. She reached towards his head to grab a second, but Tokki scowled and tugged his hat back on. He punched her in the shoulder.

The reindeer continued to march to the far side of the plateau where the ground fell away precipitously. As they approached the edge, they could hear a river, deep and swift. The deer came to a stop and they peered down into a great chasm with a bold and frothy river churning away at its heart. Anja was about to dismount when the deer started moving toward the edge.

"Woah!" Anja cried. "Woah boy!" But the deer was deaf to her commands and over the edge he went onto a tiny sheep path. Tokki squeezed Anja tight as they began to pick their way down into the canyon along thin ledges and slopes of scree. More than once, Anja felt vertigo take over and her weight shifting, but the reindeer was remarkably sure-footed and compensated, keeping them upright and on the canyon wall.

When they were about halfway down, a Dragorhraun flew across the top of the canyon. They froze in place, willing the beast to continue its journey and to take no notice. Happily, the red wyvern banked to the south and disappeared beyond the far rim. Anja did not want to think of what it meant for the Bottomlands if the Dragorhraun were leaving in so casual a manner. Had everyone been killed? What of Skari? Prox? The great dragon hunters? All defeated?

Her question was answered on one account as soon as they reached the bottom of the trail. On the shoreline of the river was the hairy armor vendor that Skari had been speaking with earlier in the day. He was busily tying crates and packages to a large wooden raft that tugged insistently against its tether as the current attempted to drag it away. The reindeer snorted and lowered his head, indicating it was time for Anja and Tokki to dismount. The man heard the scrabble of their feet on the shoreline gravel as they dismounted and looked up. His lip bulged where he was sucking on a poultice of bog myrtle. He spit a stream a milky white fluid.