by Mary Coffin
Loki woke to find her mother’s bed empty. She listened but couldn’t hear any voices. She stood and quickly dressed. Trying to ward off the chill from the cold stone house, she rubbed her hands briskly together and blew her warm breath into them as she walked to the front door.
A mixture of excited murmurs erupted from the ‘tweenlings and Loki felt them twirling nearby, like agitated vortices of energy. Something’s up. She spun around thinking that maybe someone was in the house after all, perhaps sitting in the main room or at the table, but she was alone. Then she opened the front door.
To her surprise, an elderly man stood outside and gazed down the canyon. Though the early morning sun was in the sky, most of the canyon itself was still in shade, which added to the chill. She heard the ‘tweenlings hushed words, It be him, miss. Him come talk to you.
Loki wondered why on earth this man would come to talk to her. His long, scraggly hair, which contained shades of gray and white, was tied in a pony tail. He raised his wrinkled bony hand and waved to someone down the canyon. She poked her head through the doorway and looked in that direction, only to see her mother and Adele, on horseback, riding away.
Loki turned back to the man and was met with stark blue eyes that bore right through her. For a moment, it felt like he was inside her mind and she felt exposed but then his smile quickly softened the intensity of his gaze.
“Good morning,” he said.
She would have guessed him to be ninety years old by the look of his wrinkled skin. When he spoke, she expected to hear a raspy voice that matched his aged, frail-looking body but his voice was clear and strong, almost melodious.
“Hello,” replied Loki and then she snuck another glance down the canyon, wondering if her mother was returning yet.
“I’m Morten.” Then, as if to ease her apprehension at his sudden appearance, he added, “I’ve known your mother for a very long time.”
“Oh,” Loki said as she studied his face. “I’m Loki.”
His smile broadened. “Yes, I know.” He watched as she glanced, again, to where she last saw her mother and Adele. They were no longer in sight. “They’ll be back by afternoon. Would you care to accompany an old man on a walk?”
Looking toward the alcove where the horses were kept Loki noticed that, from where she stood, she could see behind the trees. Her horse was tethered but the other two were gone. She returned her gaze to Morten.
“Where is your horse?”
He appeared to be amused by her observation. “I didn’t come by horse.”
“Then you must live near here.”
“Not far,” he sang and then motioned up the canyon. “Please, join me. These old bones would welcome the feel of the sun.”
Farther up the canyon, Loki saw where it widened and the first bit of morning sun had just touched a patch of ground beside the stream. She stepped out of the house and began walking to accommodate what she thought would be his slow pace. Much to her surprise, he was agile and walked brusquely, causing her to quicken her step. Morten walked with his hands clasped behind his back and took in a deep breath.
“The air is refreshing, is it not?”
“Uh huh.” Loki was never good at small talk and this time was no different. She glanced sideways and watched him briefly.
“I’m sorry to hear about your father.”
His comment caught her off guard. She looked down and stammered to find the right words. “Oh…um…thanks.”
“Were you close to him?”
“Uh, no. Not really.” She was silent for a moment, and then decided to qualify her comment. “He wasn’t a very nice man.”
Morten didn’t say anything but gave an imperceptible nod to acknowledge her comment.
“I think your mother was younger than you are now when I met her. You must be, how old, fifteen?”
“Sixteen.”
He nodded slowly, the tip of his beard following the movement of his chin. “Ah, such a ripe time to be considering the life ahead of you.” He studied her momentarily through the corner of his eye before proceeding. “Have you given much thought to that, Loki?”
Loki tensed in anticipation of where this conversation might be headed. Her thoughts drifted to conversations she had with her father…rather, the one-sided lectures given by her father, as he pressured her to learn the dark arts and to join the Brethren of Darkness. Amazing how her father was dead but the reaction within her, the ripple of anxiety tightening in her gut, was still very much alive.
Could this be why the ‘tweenlings said he wanted to speak with her, to talk her into joining one of those orders? Just then, she felt their energy brush against her skin. She heard them whisper but couldn’t make out words or the meaning behind the murmurs. She didn’t realize she had gotten caught up in her own thoughts until Morten broke the silence.
“I understand that you have a sibling that joined the Guardians of Light and one that joined the Brethren of Darkness.”
She nodded. “My brother, Tannis, is with the Guardians and, Elwyn, my sister, is with the Brethren. I haven’t seen them in awhile. Tannis used to come home regularly to visit but the last time, he and my father argued. Tannis thinks he knows what is best for everyone – for the whole world, for that matter. Elwyn tries to manipulate and gain power over others, just like…like my father did. I wasn’t sure whether she did it for his approval or whether she really wanted to but it’s a moot point now.” Loki shrugged.
“Do you have an interest in joining either one of them? Those orders, I mean.”
She stared at Morten for a moment but, when he met her gaze, she looked ahead. “Are you here to ask me to join one of those orders?”
Now it was Morten’s turn to be caught off guard. He let out a chortle and stopped walking. “I take it that you don’t like either of those choices?”
Loki stopped and faced the canyon wall as she glanced sideways at him. She was uncertain how to interpret his chuckle but the twinkle in his eye gave her the impression that he was teasing her.
“Well…no, not really. I mean, it’s just that...there must be...” She struggled to find the words to express her feelings on the matter. She sighed and stared at the rock wall for a moment. “Those choices seem limited. Do you know what I mean?” She looked at Morten, hoping for a sign that he understood so she wouldn’t have to further explain her feelings on the matter, but his face was rather blank.
He motioned for them to proceed with their walk and then clasped his hands behind his back again as he gazed farther up the canyon.
Loki gave in to further explanation but took her time, searching for a tactful response. “There are pieces of each order that interest me but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be fully satisfied with either.”
Morten dropped his gaze to the ground and nodded his head slightly. Loki wasn’t sure whether he was conveying his understanding or his agreement but, for some reason, it gave her the courage to say more and she realized she was revealing more of her thoughts to Morten than she had with her own mother. Perhaps it was easier because he was a stranger.
“Choosing one or the other feels like having to chose black or white. There is no middle ground.” Loki paused. “If I could choose pieces from each order’s teachings, I suppose that might interest me some but...” She fell silent.
“But?” Morten raised his gaze from the ground and stared straight ahead. They were almost to the sunny patch and Loki was ready to feel the warmth on her body.
“I just can’t help but think that there is something more...but I don’t know what it is.” She paused. “Maybe I just want there to be something else.”
Morten beamed at her, as though she had just given the perfect answer. “I’m sure you see the value in each order. Together they provide balance to the world, would you agree?”
His stark eyes bore into her once more and she had to look away to ponder her answer. She thought the two orders, together, did provide some k
ind of balance – if pieces from each could be blended together. She cleared her throat. “Yes, I can see that.”
“The powers of light and darkness will always be part of this world. It appears, from time to time, as though one dominates but it is only briefly.”
They reached the sunny spot where an old tree had fallen, its bark long since decomposed into mulch on the ground. Termite tracks could be seen in the smooth gray log, creating a maze-like design that never really started or ended anywhere. Morten sat on the log and raised his face toward the sun, with his eyes closed, and sighed. Loki sat near him and looked down the canyon from where they came, wondering where her mother and Adele went.
Breaking the silence as though he just recalled something else he wanted to say, Morten spoke.
“There are times, however, when it is necessary to intervene with these two powers. Some things in this world should never be found. There are objects that could cause disaster should they fall into the hands of either force; objects that contain so much power that the Brethren or the Guardians could ruin our world as we know it. Not to mention the other beings that could be destroyed. It is necessary to – mmm – watch over things to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
Morten went silent, to let Loki ponder his words, as he continued to soak in the sun’s warmth.