by Ayer, T. G.
Yggdrasil certainly looked out of place in this barren, dark land. Its branches hung heavily laden with leaves. I gasped as I took in the size of its trunk. I was certain it would take hours for anyone to make one revolution of the tree's enormous trunk.
The roots were just as impressive. They snaked out from the base of the trunk, lifting and surging as if they rode invisible waves. Many of the roots were larger than a commercial airplane, although there were plenty that were only the size of a passenger train. No normal sized roots here at all.
I looked at Sigrun, who smiled back at me. "We are here, Bryn."
Thanks, Captain Obvious. I gave Sigrun an affectionate glance. Hugin cawed high above us, as if in agreement.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Aimee. "Let’s go explore this amazing tree."
We hurried toward Yggdrasil, eager to get there as quickly as possible. Which was easier said than done as we'd misconstrued the size of the tree and the distance we had to walk to get to it. Soon we slowed to an easier pace.
"This tree is incredible," said Joshua, his voice filled with awe.
"Yggdrasil is the Tree of Life. It spans all nine realms and holds them all together, connecting them into one living universe. And not only that, the roots of the tree give rise to all the rivers of all the nine realms," said Sigrun.
"Wow," Aimee said in almost a whisper.
"And we find the Norns beneath the roots of the tree?" I asked.
"Yes. Their existence is entwined with the tree and its roots and the universe that Yggdrasil holds together. None can survive without the other," Hugin intoned, his deep, soul-singer voice at odds with the sobriety of the words he uttered.
We drew closer to the tree, Hugin making another pass above us. Suddenly he cawed aloud again, the sound so unnaturally loud and desperate we all stopped in our tracks. Hugin flew straight at me and turned at the very last moment to land on my shoulder.
"What happened?"
"There is something wrong with the tree," Hugin said. "Though the boughs are heavy with leaves, there are a great number that are dead or dying. I fear that the tree itself may be ill or may even be dying."
When I repeated Hugin's words to Sigrun she gasped. "Hugin, how can you say such a thing?" She stared at the bird, horrified.
"I am sorry," Hugin said looking at me then at Sigrun. "I am not jesting. It is quite true. Much of the leaves are dying and that must mean the tree is also ill. We will need to find out what is wrong."
"Then let's not waste any more time," I said and hurried toward the tree again. What was happening to the Tree of Life? And what did that mean for the worlds it fed? "Sigrun, if the roots of Yggdrasil are the origin of all the rivers of all the worlds, does that also mean that should the tree die, then the worlds would run out of water?" And although I asked her the question, I already knew the answer before she said yes.
The ground beneath our feet changed from smooth soil to lumpy, bumpy and uneven terrain as we reached the root system. Here and there, roots popped out of the soil only to make a loop as big as a house, and snake back into the ground, leaving us to walk beneath the arches they made.
I stopped to inspect a pile of something solid and white covering a small area of one of the bared roots. I flagged Sigrun down. "Do you know what this is?"
"Oh yes, that is the mud the Norns make using the water from the well of Urd. Urd is a holy well with the purest water in all of the realms. The Norns take care of the tree, and they use the mud to repair any damage and to help the tree to live longer." Sigrun sighed. "It is said the tree itself has always been dying very slowly, but that the process will take centuries to complete."
I felt a bit sad to know the tree of the universe was dying. Aimee echoed my thoughts with her question. "But, if the tree is dying, what does that mean for all the worlds?"
"Everything has a cycle. Everything must come to an end and the same goes for the tree. It's like anything else in the universe. A time of birth, a time of life, and a time of death. And then it all happens again," Sigrun said sadly.
"So the end of the world is coming?" asked Joshua.
"Ragnarok is the end of the world and it is inevitable."
"Isn't Ragnarok the battle that Odin is supposed to die in?"
"That is what has been foretold." Sigrun nodded. "But sometimes a foretelling is not always correct."
"Is that why Fenrir was able to change his mind and pledge himself to Odin?" asked Aimee.
"Yes, exactly. He said his future is not set in stone. He felt he could change his part in Odin's death by being a loyal follower and not allowing himself to be in any position to endanger the All-Father’s life."
Before anyone else could ask any more questions, a large shadow passed over us. A shadow dark enough to draw goose bumps to our skin. I looked up and shuddered. An eagle, easily the size of a hang-glider, swooped down, heading straight for us. Its silence was eerie and frightening. I could hear the rush of feathers as the bird flapped its wings, increasing its speed as it aimed for us.
I remained frozen to the ground until I could see the sharpness of its yellow beak and a reflection of Aidan and myself in the vicious bird’s eyes.
***
Chapter 20
Aidan slammed against me, shoving me onto the ground so hard my shoulder throbbed. For a moment I was sure it was dislocated. But before I could yell at him for the overkill, he set his anger on me. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He growled and we both writhed on the ground rolling beneath the safety of a crop of twisted roots.
"Nothing's wrong with me," I bit back. "I was just—"
"Just what? Just wanting to get yourself ripped to shreds by an oversized, maniac eagle? Why the hell didn't you duck?" The bird cawed up above, as if agreeing with Aidan.
"I—" My words were cut off by a low growl, the sound reverberating around us, distorted by misshapen roots and the thick, heavy air. A dog or a wolf lurked somewhere out there, and from the sound of its growl, he had us in his sights.
Before the bird attacked I’d seen everyone run for cover. I just hope they were still okay.
The wolf growled again, closer this time, and my gaze darted this way and that. I worried where the wolf would come from, worried if the rest of the team had their own wolves attacking them, and worried if the bird was about to return. The sea of intricate rising and twisting tree roots around us made it hard to see anything. A quick scan of the sky confirmed it was bird-free for now. Aidan grabbed my arm, pulled me to my feet, and pushed me behind him, but I shrugged him off and drew my sword. Aidan followed suit, drawing his own quietly from its scabbard and rising to his feet.
I listened hard for the sound of paws or claws on the ground. For the susurration of breath as the wolf breathed our scent.
There.
I nudged Aidan and pointed to our right, only a second before the wolf charged at us. One moment he wasn’t there; the next, he appeared over-large and too frightening. The wolf slammed against Aidan's side, throwing him a few feet away, then continuing on to me in one smooth stride.
Bring it on, Dogsbreath.
I crouched down, praying I'd timed it well. Watched and waited as the wolf launched itself into the air, hackles rising, pink tongue flailing, saliva spitting. He rose in the air then fell toward me, a neat semicircle of movement that would have worked more for him than me. I waited, counting the milliseconds as he drew closer. Close enough I could feel the heat of his body through his fur, close enough I could smell the pungent odor of his fetid breath.
I lifted both my legs and kicked him in the abdomen, using his momentum to fling him over me to land somewhere within the twisted roots behind me with a sickening thud and a pain-filled whine.
Aidan and I scrambled to our feet as the sounds of scrabbling filtered through to us. The wolf wasted no time in getting back up onto his spindly legs. His muzzle and head appeared a few feet away as he sniffed and searched us out.
The great brute bounded up, using th
e roots to surge forward and gain ground, reaching us within seconds. It landed in front of Aidan, snarling, lifting its lips and revealing gigantic canines. Aidan drew his sword, sank into his stance, and waited. But he made a big mistake. He stepped away from me, and in a moment, the wolf stood between us, cutting me off from Aidan. He tried to circle back, but it was as if the creature had planned it.
The wolf launched at Aidan, growling so loud it brought goose bumps to my skin. Aidan lifted his sword, swiping a wide arc at the beast as it fell on him, but nothing happened. The wolf just kept going, landing his full weight onto Aidan's chest. The animal bore down, teeth bared, going for his neck.
And I screamed.
Loud enough to gain the beast’s attention.
"It's me you want, isn't it, you great big brute? Well, why don't you come and get me?" I snarled at the animal, putting as much force and challenge into my voice as I could. From the corner of my eye, I could see the streaks of blood on Aidan’s chest from the wolf's vicious claws. He was completely helpless. His sword lay near his left hand just out of reach.
The wolf turned and faced me, eyes burning ember as he stared me down. I stared back, terrified. Terrified for me, for Aidan, and for the rest of the team if I didn't finish this beast off now. I didn't want to think about how easy it would be for this creature to pick them all off one by one.
The wolf took a step toward me.
And from nowhere, an arrow zipped through the air and bounced off the shoulder of the wolf. A good plan, but not when the animal seemed to have an armor-plated hide.
I shivered, reminding myself that showing fear was a very, very bad idea. But I couldn't get my heartbeat under control. It thumped so hard against my ribs I could barely hear myself think. The wolf growled, then took another step toward me. I backpedalled a few paces until I felt an outcrop of roots.
Looks like there's no way out through the back door.
"Come and get me, you great big coward," I yelled and ran forward.
As the same time, the wolf sprang toward me, rising in the air as I jumped at him. I'd forgotten I didn't have my wings to propel me farther into the air. But I had to just work with what I had. I slammed the dagger at the wolf just as gravity began to pull me back to the ground. The creature yelped, then fell with me. It hit the ground with a tremendous thud and tumbled away.
I fell into a quick roll, landing on my haunches, watching the wolf as it lay still a few feet away. The beast didn't move, didn't breathe.
I stepped forward, careful, fearful the animal would rise and lunge at me any moment. But nothing happened. I circled the wolf and heaved a sigh of relief. The animal lay dead with the hilt of my sword protruding from between his jaws.
My knees turned into jelly and I sank to the ground, energy rushing from my body now that the fight was over. The rest of the team appeared and Aimee and Sigrun hurried to check on Aidan. I swallowed a sad smile as I watched him brush them off, his pride always his biggest hurdle.
Sigrun ignored him and dug in her satchel. She withdrew a leather bag I assumed contained Mead and offered it to Aidan, who accepted it without a word of thanks.
In a rush of feathers, Hugin landed beside me. I glared at him. "What the hell was that?"
The bird cocked his head, his gleaming black eyes staring at me. "That is most likely one of the animals who protect the tree from unsavory visitors."
"Most likely? Don't you know for sure?"
"No. I cannot be certain. I just know that he is not one of Odin's wolves."
"Odin's wolves?"
"Yes, Geri and Freki are Odin's companions. They accompany the All-Father on all his travels. They are also often at his side."
"How come I haven't seen them before?"
"The wolves sometimes turn invisible when confronted with gatherings of people. Perhaps that is why you have not seen them."
"Okay, so can you tell me this wolf is the last of our attackers?" I asked, giving the sky a quick inspection for random, gigantic birds.
"I do believe so. And we do not have far to go."
"Okay. Let's get moving, everyone," I said, standing and dusting myself off. I looked over at Aidan, who now sat on a root, inspecting his chest. "Aidan, are you okay to move?"
He nodded, then buttoned up his tattered shirt and pulled on his jacket. The group set off in silence, and a few minutes later, we drew to a stop as we finally reached the trunk of the tree.
"We will go inside the tree, and follow the path down to get to the Hall of Urd," said Sigrun as she led the way through a twisting arch of roots and into the base of the tree.
"What's the Hall of Urd?" I asked, following her into the darkness, feeling around me for something to hold onto. I bent my head back and spoke to Aimee behind me. "Careful, it’s dark here."
Sigrun moved a few steps down and waited for me to come stand beside her. "The Hall of Urd or the Hall of Fate is the dwelling of the Norns."
"Okay," I said. I rolled my shoulder, fatigue weighing down on me.
"The Well of Fate is also located within the Hall. To drink from the Well of Fate is to be given the power to see one’s own future," Sigrun continued.
"Oh." I said, recalling my promise to Mimir to return with a goblet of the water from the well. I made a mental note not to forget that promise.
With the rest of the team gathered and ready to go, Sigrun moved on, leading the way. I couldn’t ask her anymore questions as the route down proved difficult. We couldn’t trust our footing. As we descended, the steps were sometimes so slippery we could barely stand. Thankfully, hundreds of smaller roots ran along the carved out wall, and we used them as handles as we moved into the depths beneath the tree.
A little over an hour later, we finally came to a stop at the bottom. White mud covered the ground, the same substance the Norns used on the roots of the tree. Here, the mud had turned into an almost solid, stone-like pathway. Small torchlights lit the way, the light flickering against smoother white-washed walls.
Ahead of us, a large archway beckoned, carved with the continuous, intricately woven pattern of intersecting branches. Something I'd seen all over the different realms. Or at least the ones I'd been to so far.
We walked into a circular hall, the ceiling rounded like the Sistine Chapel, intricate branch-like carvings reaching all the way into the high ceiling and meeting in its center. Right here at the Tree of Life, it made perfect sense that the use of the beautiful, continuous branch patterns was so common. A half dozen archways led off the room while in the center sat a circular pool of water. It sat still as glass, rimmed by a ring of marble tiling.
Nobody said a word.
Until I spoke. "Sigrun?"
"Yes, Bryn?" she answered in a hushed whisper.
"Are we there yet?"
Someone snorted; probably Joshua.
"Yes, Bryn. This is the Hall of Fate."
"Now what do we do?" I asked.
"I am not too sure."
A flutter of feathers and Hugin landed on my shoulder. "We will wait until the Norns come to see us. And there is only one rule. Do not touch the water."
"Thanks, Hugin." I grinned at the bird, partly grateful and partly shocked that he was volunteering information that would help us. I repeated Hugin’s words to the rest of the team and joined them to settle down on the ground to await the Norns.
Moments later, Hugin’s words hit me. How was I meant to take Mimir a goblet of water from a pool I wasn’t allowed to touch? I’d even brought a skin to fill, having decided against carrying an open-mouthed goblet all the way home.
I shed my fur coat and spread it on the floor. Taking a place between Sigrun and Joshua, I admitted to myself I was consciously avoiding Aidan. No doubt by now he was regretting his offer to join us — whatever his reasons had been. We rested in almost silence, listening to the drip-drip of water we couldn’t see dripping. The pool in center of the room remained still and unmoving — a sheet of dark glass.
Hunger soon prodded o
ur bellies, and since the Norns hadn't showed up, food seemed like a good idea. We handed out meat pies and fruit and biscuits, following it with water from our bottles. Even Hugin descended for bread and water.
"Sorry, Blackbird, that’s all I have for you. If you want grubs and bugs, you'll have to go find them yourself."
Hugin didn't bother to respond. He just consumed his bread, drank the water, and flew back to one of the arches where a random root jutted right out of the wall, providing him a comfortable perch.
Hunger sated, we leaned against the wall, not daring to talk in case the Norns turned up.
Joshua and I sat almost plastered against each other, the backs of our hands touching, sharing heat and sparks. Sparks I tried to ignore.
And when I snuck a glance up at Joshua's face, I knew he felt the same. He smiled, his eyes dark and intense. I looked away, didn't want to risk Aidan watching us in this round room with nowhere to hide. Especially when I myself wasn't entirely sure what was going on.
We waited and waited until each of us dropped of to sleep one by one.
I struggled to keep my eyes open but it was a losing battle.
***
Chapter 21
The flutter of feathers and the swish of skirts against the mud floor awakened me. Beside me, Sigrun stirred too. I scraped the sleep from my eyes and rose to my feet, my heart thudding as I got a good look at the three women standing in front of me.
The three Norns towered high before us.
They were Jotunns.
I wanted to ask Sigrun why she'd never mentioned the Norns were frost giants, but I kept my mouth shut. The last thing I needed was to offend them. Behind us the rest of the team scrambled to their feet and remained in a similar awed silence.