Cold Hospitality

I find myself in a clearing in a very dense forest. It’s winter. Everything is snowed over and iced up. The only thing not a color of snow, is me. And now that the snow has started falling, that’s likely to change.

My first awareness is that I am kneeling on the ground, and it looks like I haven’t been here that long. I don’t know how I got here. There are no footprints around me. The cold wind blows through feather cloak and thin clothes. At once I start shivering uncontrollably. I need shelter.

I know I’m in the Nine Worlds, but I’m not sure where. First things, first. I need warmth. My plan was to call a small ball of fire to carry, until I can find a place where a camp fire can be had. But as I life my hands, the Isa rune burns coldly on my left hand. Fuck. There’s only one place where this would happen. I’m in Skadhi’s forest. Without permission, it would seem. The rune shows brightly through the thin glove. Instinctively, I pull it under the cloak to hide it, but I know that’s useless. If the rune is glowing, it means Skadhi knows I’m here. There is no place I can hide from her in her Winter Forest.

Isa was carved on my left hand sometime ago when I was learning the runes in the Waking and in the Dreaming. I was sent to Skadhi to learn the heart of Isa. After having the shit knocked out of me for being Loki’s thrall at the time, followed up by the threat of hunting me down as prey, she relented and taught me. With a catch. (There’s always a catch.) I’m not to enter her forest without permission, instead coming to the border of her territories and calling out for permission there. And I’m not to use any rune magic while I’m in her Winter Forest, as it is a preserve of sorts. I get the feeling there is quite the backstory that led up to that edict, but I’m not in position to pry.

But never mind the twists of the past. I’m in the Winter Forest now. Shivering. And I can’t use Kenaz, Naudhiz, or Sowilo to warm myself. Fuck.

I lean forward and pull the cloak tightly around me. I have to get to my feet and find shelter. The background noise suddenly has a gap. Something has moved between me and the distance. I’m being watched. I look all around me, but I can’t see in the heavy snowfall. There are wolves in the Winter Forest. I consider if running into them would be better than running into an angry Skadhi. While I am looking to my left, my ears tell me something large has moved on my right. I turn quickly, but only see the shadow of something disappearing into the treeline.

Something large and dense suddenly looms over me. I look up and see Skadhi smiling down at me in amusement. “Have you forgotten your thurse form, Weaver? It’s too cold for humans. Certainly for humans relying on flight feathers for warmth.”

“I didn’t want to offend you. I haven’t forgotten the terms.” It was difficult to speak, and I realize I can’t feel my lower legs. She offers her hand. I take it and am pulled to my feet at once. Now standing, I shift to the svartalf form. At once, I stop shivering. The frigid winter feels more like a balmy spring day. “Ah. Much better. I didn’t mean to come here unasked for.”

“You didn’t, Weaver. I called for you.” She hands me a pair of snowshoes. “Tie these on, and come with me. There are things I want to speak of.” She waits as I tie them securely. “I haven’t forgotten the terms either. However, I would never begrudge the Thrice Carved Elm her other forms. You have earned each one, and I do not have the right to forbid them. Besides, I can’t exactly hold a conversation with a frozen solid human.” She smirked at me a bit, then set off towards her cabin.

She set off at a fierce pace, but in my svartalf form, I’m able to follow with ease. Knowing her to be the vigilant hunter, I did my best to limit the additional noise that I made. I stepped in her footprints, and at a cadence that matched hers. If any were to hear us, they would think it was one person striding in the woods, not two. When she paused, I stopped at once. When she put a hand on a weapon, I crouched so not to block her line of sight. She noted my behavior, but said nothing.

The cabin seemed quite small. I thought it was one of her satellite hovels that a hunter would use through the year. She asked if it would be large enough. “That depends. Is Njord around today?” She laughed oddly and told me to enter. The cabin was a circular room with a pointed roof. A low burning hearthfire in the center, with a tripod ready to hold a pot over it. Skins of liquid hung from the walls. A pallet of bedding and furs. A basic table with a solitary chair. Nothing spectacular or flashy. Nothing extraneous or for display purposes only. Everything had a purpose. Even the hidden runes above the doorway.

She offered me the chair while she stoked the hearthfire to a warm blaze. I turn the chair so the back was against the wall, facing the entryway. “You mistrust me, Weaver?”

“No, Skadhi, just taking an Old Man’s advice.” She laughed, a little brighter this time.

“You can drop the thurse form in here. I’ve made it comfortable for your birth form.” I note she didn’t have to, but I did return to my human self. “I invited you, remember? The onus is on me to make you comfortable. I may be Jötunn, and you may be Human, but hospitality is still the basic law of many lands.” She hands me a horn filled with a warm, sweet liquid. “You’re still chilled. I will not allow that. I have many questions to ask you, but chattering teeth adds a horrid accent to all languages.” I have to admit. She has a point. I’ll drink to that.

Mmm. Sweet. Warm. Thick. Honey? “Honey mead?” She nods, encouraging me to drink more. “I have a high alcohol tolerance, I must warn you. To get me drunk will take more than this.” She laughs again.

“I have no desire to see you… drunk. Just… warm. I want to see your skin glow. It’s a beautiful color. You should bare it more often.” Wait. What did I just hear her say?

I mean to put the horn down, but miss the table. Only now, do I detect an undertone to the taste. Sharp, bitter, and medicinal. Skadhi catches the horn before I spill the rest and places it in the holder. “Um. Um.” The room is spinning, despite me holding on to the chair to hold it still. “Dirty pool, Skadhi.”

“You should listen to the Old Man, more often. He speaks from experience. I didn’t bring you here for harm, Weaver. Just to… talk. Now be nice and accept my hospitality.” Well, fuck. It’s not like I could just get up and walk out right now, could I. I concede defeat, and just raise my hands in surrender. She gloats for a few minutes, then our conjoined laughter filled the room.

It’s a struggle to remain upright, but I find my mind is quite sharp and clear. “I take it, I won’t be able to hold back any answers.” She only smiles. “I take it, I won’t be able to willfully lie, either.” Her smile widens. “I take it, those two conditions will only happen, if that’s what I believe will happen.” Her smile freezes. “I know how truth serums work, Skadhi. It’s all a mind game. I’m drugged, but not incapacitated. If you were to apply such kind of magic on me, that would have such effect… Well… That would just be down right inhospitable, now wouldn’t it.” She furrows her brow. “So now, my tongue has been loosened considerably. I’m already a talker as it is. When drunk, I don’t stop with the word noises. The game here, is to tell you as little as you want to know, in as many words as possible.” I smile at my clever self, and nearly tip over.

“Something like that.” She leans close to me. “I’ve never chased a prey that was sitting still. This will be fun. This will be fun, indeed.” She sniffs me, just so, that I am reminded at once that despite her humanoid, Amazonian appearance, she is a jötunn, and would probably skip the Chianti and go straight to munching on my bones.

“I hear stories of your exploits, Weaver. Something about a new blade in your arsenal. But no more about the bow? I think the bow suits you more than any blade. Why no more of the bow?” She starts off with a good question. Truth be told, I haven’t had to use the bow. It’s a long distance weapon, and most of my troubles lately has been quite upfront and in my face. While there are other occasions to use the bow, that is more a spellcasting component, than a world walking weapon.

She listens to my explanation and tells me how to use Isa with the bow and arrow. She chides me for not taking advantage of my roguish tendencies. She thinks I would make a great hunter, and encourages me to stop focusing on what’s in front of me, and start looking further along.

The conversation turned to Loki. I didn’t want to answer her questions, but I couldn’t hold the words back. Seems there was some truth to the truth serum after all. She asked about how I found my freedom, and of the way I found myself bound to him in the first place. She asked about my attitude afterward, and why I was willing to defend some of his actions even after what he had put me through. Some answers she accepted calmly, some she disagreed with, some gave her much mirth. “I am glad to see you are your own, Weaver. But you still have unlawful chains on you. I would to see those broken as well.” I wondered what ‘unlawful’ chains she referred to.

The herbs in the mead continue having their way with me, and I start shivering with sudden chill. She smiles with satisfaction and starts to pull on my shirt. “Can’t have my guest uncomfortable.” Damn, this woman is All Predator, ain’t she. She strips me and takes my weakened body to bed. She strips herself and is soon under the covers with me. She is delighting with the tones of my skin, from my mocha brown arms, to the creamed chocolate abdomen. I know from her actions what she means to do if unchecked. Somehow, I manage to ask her not to continue. “I’m drugged, and effectively helpless. How do you think I’m going to take this when sober? I know what you mean to do, and normally I would be consenting. But this is going to fuck with me long after I leave. Please don’t betray your hospitality.” She studies my face for a moment. I’m trying very hard not to panic. She suddenly smiles warmly again. “Then I won’t. But I do need to keep you warm.” She cuddles against me, promises not to harm me, physically or emotionally, and tells me to go to sleep. With such a warm soft body half draped over mine, she didn’t need to tell me to sleep.

The cabin is dark. The hearth fire is low. A noise wakes me. Someone is in here but Skadhi is still in bed with me. In human form, I can’t see in the dark that well. I move as if shifting weight and find only my left arm is fully free. I look as best as I can, but all is varying shades of grey. A sudden movement betrays the lurker’s position. Since my left arm is free, I call my bow and let loose an arrow as I cry out “Intruder!”. I forget my manners and call the hearth fire back to life with my shout, hoping to catch sight of the burglar.

“Ah!” The intruder cries out for he has been caught by the arrow. Before my shout has faded, Skadhi is on her feet with a dagger in her hand. (Though a dagger to her, is a short sword to me.) I hear a string of expletives, and answer it by notching another arrow. Only to look at the intruder and suffer the remorse of not aiming true.

Loki was pinned to the far wall of the cabin by his sleeve. He was trying to pull the arrow out to keep from ripping the cloth.

Skadhi was not amused to see him. “Did you know it was him, Weaver? Is that why you didn’t aim for his heart?”

I was giving him my own stink-eye, and wondering if I could lay a malocchio on him. “I didn’t know because my human form can’t see in the dark, and I was going off the sounds of movement.” She answered with, “Fair enough.”.

He is ignoring us both, and is concentrating on pulling the arrow from the wall. He does so, setting his arm free. I watch him discard the arrow and it dissolves in midair.

Skadhi suddenly smiles. “Weaver. Remember what we spoke of?” Oh yea. I remember. Loki straightens his cloak, and finally looks at us. When he realizes her and I are both naked, an adolescent smile warms his face.

“Ladies! How nice to see you… two… buxom and bounteous… um… what are you doing?” I’m notching another arrow, but adding Isa to it. “Hey, wait, I have a message for you!” I pause. Only now do I realize he’s not wearing the usual gear I see him with. He has the cloak of a courier, but I’m not sure who he is running a message for, nor to who.

Skadhi’s patience officially ran out. “Weaver. He’s warming up and stinking up my cabin. See if you can cool him off, please.”

Loki laughs at her until he realizes I’ve pulled back the bowstring and am now aiming for his chest. “Weaver! Keri! You wouldn’t harm me! Not after all we’ve gone through together, right?” I lower the bow slowly. He smiles smugly at Skadhi, who is ready to gut him where he stood. ~twang~ ~thunk~ He squeaks in pain, then falls over gasping for air.

She looks back at me oddly. “Where did you…?” I’m too busy giggling myself into fits to answer. She comes over to him and looks at where the frozen arrow is slowly melting. Her laughter fills the cabin and makes the walls shake. She dresses and tells me to do the same. As I do, she drags the wounded man out of the cabin and tosses him into the relentless ice storm that has kicked up outside.

“Blue balls, Weaver?” I shrug. She laughs again. “I can tell you still have a soft spot for him. But I don’t have to worry about that being taken advantage of, at least.”

“Ice, ice, baby!” I saw she didn’t get the reference, and decided against filling her in. “What about his message?”

“His message can wait. He dared to enter my forest, and my cabin, without permission? No, Weaver. Go home. I have nothing left for you. His discomfort is only beginning.”

Still wobbly on my feet from the effects of the spiked mead, I make my way to the door. I open the cabin door, and find I’m opening the door to my room. I look over my shoulder at the jötunn, and thank Skadhi for her hospitality. Stepping through the door, I exit one world, and enter another.

~~~

Make of that, what you may.