Rating: M | Multi-Chapter | Paced Publishing
► Enjoy, my loves. We pull on more Scandinavian mythology here…
Chapter Ten
"Are we there yet?"
Jim gritted his teeth against a curse and kept up his steady pace, trudging with some difficulty through the ankle-deep ice and snow. Claire was shivering by his side, despite wearing a thick faux fur coat, fleece lined leggings, and heavy snow boots. A water repelling spell kept them dry, but it did nothing to protect them against the chilling winds and the sharp bite of ice in their lungs with each breath they took.
"Because I sincerely thought that we would be there by now."
"Okay," Not Enrique spoke up, poking his head up out of the neck of Claire's jacket. The imp looked up at Jim almost pleadingly. "Just say the word, and the wizard gets a dirty diaper down the back of his armor."
"I'll consider it," Jim replied, smirking in amusement.
"Get back down," Claire shivered, pulling her arms into her sleeves and tugging the little troll back down into her coat. "You're keeping Pumpkin warm."
Jim heard NotEnrique laugh from inside his sister's thick coat, followed by a faint purring sound. Jim half wished he could trade places with his brother-in-law. The imp had a pretty cozy ride, tucked in a cocoon of warmth, curled up on the peak of Claire's swollen belly. At 6 months pregnant, his mate's condition was now plainly obvious to anyone who looked at her — a fact that Jim took more pride in then he cared to admit aloud. Travel over the last few months had been rough, but thankfully uneventful. Jim's mother and Strickler visited every week or two, mostly so Barbara could monitor Claire, who had had few problems aside from her intense morning sickness, and that had thankfully passed two months prior. Their friends visited less often, but they spoke with Toby almost every night, and he would portal to them without a thought, if they asked him to. Claire's father had called her and Jim a handful of times since the disastrous revelation of their baby to her parents, and while Javier had taken to the news rather well, his wife was another story; despite his mother's attempts to get through to Ophelia, the woman had stubbornly refused to speak to or visit them. Claire's anger with her mother was almost tangible, but Jim could also feel her sadness; she was mourning the loss of her mother's love and support. Dagny, who had taken them under her wing, was a wonderful mother-figure and mentor, but he knew from experience that nothing could fill in the hole that was left from a parent's rejection.
"I thought you said that we were close."
"Merlin," Jim growled, shooting the wizard a hard glare, which the old man ignored with frustrating ease. He tightened his arm around Claire's waist when she shivered again. "We are close — close to the state. Keep in mind that we have no idea exactly where the Heartstone is, so even if we miraculously get to New Jersey within the next day — which is definitely not going to happen — we still have to find the thing, and that could take weeks."
Silence greeted Jim's ears, and he sighed in short-lived relief.
"…I don't understand how we can be close, but not close."
"Merlin!" several voices groaned out in exasperation, and the wizard looked around at Jim, Claire, and the surrounding trolls with a look of affront.
"We'll get there when we get there and not a second sooner!" Blinky interjected into the conversation, his voice hard as he grabbed the petulant wizard by the ear. "So, unless you have some spell that will take us directly where we need to go — which you've assured us a thousand times is not the case — then, please, shut your trap."
"…well, how close is 'clo—"
"Quiet!" Jim hissed, his ears twitching as he came to a sudden halt. The heavy crunch of packed snow and crushed ice echoed around them, trampled by hundreds of feet, but it was the odd creaking sound in the distance that had caught his attention.
"Mi amor?"
"Get behind me, and stay quiet," Jim whispered, using the arm already around her waist to push Claire behind his own body.
Jim crouched slightly in a defensive position, murmuring the Amulet's incantation under his breath. In an instant, his silver and blue armor materialized on his body, Daylight forming in his hands. The surge of magic and the familiar blue glow of the Trollhunter gear caught the attention of the other trolls, and they came to a halt, looking around nervously.
"What is it, my boy?" Blinky whispered, sniffing the air. "I don't smell anything."
"It's downwind," Jim said, his voice and body tense. "Listen. Something's moving out there."
As if on cue, there was more creaking noises and the heavy crunch of snow and ice. There was a snapping sound, so loud that it echoed like a gunshot through the trees. They all jumped when a tall pine in the distance snapped at an unnatural angle and crashed heavily into the ground. A second later, several more trees broke and fell, all of them increasingly closer to their location. A slight movement, a discoloration against the dark wood and green needles, caught Jim's eye just before he saw sharp icicles form in midair about 50 feet in front of them.
"Get down!" Jim shouted, just as the huge white creature flung its icicles like darts in their direction. He summoned his shield, and turned and grabbed Claire, shielding her body with his while he covered the both of them with his shield a second before the icicles struck.
"Great Gronka Morica!" Blinky shouted as the icicles made clanging and scraping noises when they hit their targets. There were several grunts and screams, but Jim didn't smell any blood, so he knew those who might have been hit were more surprised than hurt. "It's a Hrimthurs!"
"A what?" Jim gasped, peeking over his shield. The landscape was white; movement caught his eye again, and his mouth fell open in shock as he finally saw what had attacked them.
The creature was huge, almost twice the height of an elephant, with the mass to match. It was covered in pure white fur that blended in perfectly with the snowy landscape, and atop its head were two branched horns that flawlessly imitated the look and texture of the surrounding pine branches. Two black eyes glared down at the group as the creature held its hands together, magically forming more deadly icicles out of thin air.
"A Frost Giant!" Claire exclaimed, breathlessly. Jim could feel her fear and the magic rising around her, and hurried to diffuse the situation.
"Wait, wait!" Jim stood to face the giant, allowing Daylight and his shield to dissipate from his grasp and bind back with his soul. He stretched his arms out at his sides, his palms face up, and he ducked his head submissively. "We don't mean any harm. We're just passing through."
Jim watched the creature's feet, tense. He was ready to react at a moment's notice, despite trying to appear non-threatening. After a thick moment of apprehension, Jim felt the Frost Giant's magic fading, and he chanced a glance up only to see the thing now looking down on them with a curious expression.
"…No threat?" it grunted, and Jim relaxed, feeling Claire's own magic fading with a sense of relief.
"No," Jim assured the giant, stepping forward slowly, raising his head while keeping his arms low and open. "My pack and I are seeking a new home on the East Coast, as ours was destroyed. We've come a long way, and we only wish to pass through here to reach our destination."
"Destroyed?" the giant echoed, crouching down to sit like a gorilla, its knuckles pressed to the ground in front of it. It cocked its head curiously at Jim, its eyes roving over the Trollhunter curiously. "Then you are the one who put an end to Gunmar."
"Yes," Jim breathed, though he was wary about saying too much without knowing the giant's own allegiances.
"And the witch, Morgana?"
Jim tensed again, shifting slightly to keep Claire behind him. "My mate banished her from this world."
The giant grunted, studying the entire group of tense and nervous trolls and magical beings in front of it, and then twisted its mouth into an awkward smile, showing off rows of sharp teeth, like that of a shark's.
"Then you and your pack are welcome here," the giant finally said, and there was a audible sigh of relief from the entire group, the snow crunching beneath them as they began to shift their bodies again.
"Thank you," Jim said in a soft voice, bowing low to the giant.
"However," the giant continued, and Jim tensed again, lifting his head to look up at the giant. "I would invite you to take refuge with my own pack for a few days."
"We are in a bit of a hurry, my large friend," Merlin said arrogantly, stepping forward.
"Stop! What are you—"
"You may go on, if you wish," the giant chuckled, eyeing the wizard with dismissive amusement. "But the weather is about to take a nasty turn; a blizzard is on the way."
"Oh, really now," Merlin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "A little snow—"
Several trolls grabbed Merlin from behind, dragging him back into the group, offering the giant nervous and apologetic smiles. Merlin struggled in their grasps, but one of them had a hand over the old man's mouth, stemming his loud complaints.
The giant chuckled again, his black gaze shifting back to Jim, who shrugged apologetically.
"As I said," the giant spoke softly, its own body relaxed to show that it didn't offer any threats. "You are more than welcome to continue on… but my concern lies with your breeding female. A human will be unlikely to withstand the forces of the coming cold; our elders have predicted the blizzard to be of the likes not seen in nigh on a hundred years."
Jim looked toward Claire, noting her shivering body once again, and then caught Blinky's gaze. The older troll nodded briefly and Jim stepped back, bowing his head again as he differed to his foster father.
"We would be most grateful to partake in your invitation, my friend," Blinky said, bowing to the giant. "Even the hardier denizens of our group would welcome the opportunity to find some warmth and rest, if you are willing to lend it."
The giant nodded, smiling. Despite the frightening look of the sharp teeth in its mouth, Jim could sense the kindness in the giant's smile. The giant stood to its feet again and then shook itself, like a dog shaking water from its fur. There was a ripple across its body, and they watched in amazement as the giant's white fur shifted to a bright and deep blue, easily distinguishable from the snowy landscape around them.
"Follow me."
The giant kept a steady pace for them to follow, and they shuffled along behind it, taking advantage of the path in the snow that its huge feet cleared ahead of them. They walked through the snowy woods for 3 or 4 miles before the giant stopped at the edge of the tree line bordering an empty, snow covered field. Jim watched as the giant pulled something out from within its fur and turned to face a particularly large oak tree to their right. The object that the giant was holding looked almost exactly like a Horngazel, Jim noted, except that — instead of orange Heartstone — the crystal held shades of blue and white, making it look like a chunk of ice.
The giant stepped toward the oak and pushed the crystal into a knot in the trunk and gave it a slight twist to the left. A pulse of magic washed over them, and then the atmosphere in front of them shifted, the air rippling like heat waves in summer. Less than a second later, gargantuan stone and wood buildings stood scattered about the once-empty field, lined and patterned in ways that made pseudo streets through the landscape and buildings. Torches lit up the paths in front of them, illuminating the village — almost a small city, Jim thought — around them. Other Frost Giants were traversing the paths, some blue and some white; some were even taller than their guide, while others were much smaller. The giants chatted with each other, pulling carts of goods along the paths, only stopping to stare at their group in curiosity as their guide led them through the city, directly toward the biggest building Jim had ever seen. It was like a castle or fortress, with wooden doors so tall and wide that it made the giant leading them look like a toddler in comparison.
Claire was shivering against Jim's side, and he hugged her closer to himself, rubbing her arm to create some friction. The wind had stopped blowing as soon as they had entered the magically sheltered city, but it was still bitterly cold, no doubt due to the chill that the giants themselves exuded.
"Come," their guide said, gesturing with a beckoning arm as he pushed the heavy door open with his shoulder. "Our guests stay here, as our elder leaders do as well. You will settle your pack and then the Trollhunter will meet with Koenraad, our Head Elder."
Jim bowed his head, accepting the terms set before him as they filed inside. The entryway itself could have housed 50 Frost Giants of their guide's size, easily. Even with all of his pack (nearly 150 trolls of varying sizes altogether) now safely inside the building, their smaller statures took up only the barest fraction of space available around them. A fire roaring away in a gigantic hearth across the room warmed the area considerably, and Jim felt Claire relax, her shivering easing a little.
"I'm sorry," Jim said to the giant as he led them toward another set of huge doors to the left of the room. "I didn't ask your name. I'm Jim."
"I am known as Aksel," the giant said, glancing down to give Jim a fond smile. "I am pleased to meet you, Jim, Defeater of Gunmar."
"Thanks for, you know," Jim laughed lightly, slightly nervous. "Not killing us."
Aksel chuckled, pushing the second set of doors open to reveal a long hallway lit with torches braced against the walls. More huge doors lined the hallway on either side, but Jim noticed that these doors had much smaller openings built into their bases; doors within doors that were small enough for the members of their group to navigate by themselves.
"I am charged with patrolling the western forest at night," Aksel said. "Many threats outside of tricky weather are present at times. I apologize for the fright I must have given you; as you have seen, despite our concealing magic, our home is rather out in the open."
"I understand," Jim replied, nodding. "You were protecting your family. I would do the same."
Aksel patted Jim lightly on the head, causing his knees to buckle a little under the weight. The giant chuckled again and then gestured down the hall. "Please make your pack comfortable using these rooms; you may use as many as you wish. Trollhunter, you and your mate may stay here."
Aksel gestured to the closest door on their right, and Jim noticed that it held different decorative carvings than the other doors, the etchings lined with phosphorescent moss that glowed in moving pastel colors. Following the arching rim of the smaller door were a combination of Trollish and Elven runes. In the center, glowing a soft purple and blue color, was a carving that resembled two hands pressed palm to palm. One hand was larger and bore 4 fingers that were tipped with claw-like nails, clearly a troll of some kind, while the other was significantly smaller and consisted of 5 fingers.
"A human?" Claire asked, stepping forward to lightly run her fingers over the carving. She jumped back as the moss shifted colors under her touch and the door unlatched and eased open on its own.
"Yes and no," Aksel said, smiling down at Claire. "Each room is dedicated to one of our legends, but this room is quite special, as it bears the tale of Rhetta the Small One and Aiden the Halfling Archer."
Their pack was dispersing, splitting into three smaller groups and wandering off toward the closest doors. Jim hesitated briefly, his gaze flicking between the room that Aksel was now pushing the larger door open to and Blinky. His foster father gave him a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder before stepping away to follow one of the groups into the room right next to theirs.
"H-halfling?" Jim asked, turning his attention back toward Aksel. Claire grabbed Jim's hand in hers and tugged him forward excitedly, eager to explore their — warm and cozy — room.
"Indeed," Aksel laughed, watching as they gazed in amazement around them. "Though not the same as you."
The room was only half as big as the entryway, but was still huge. Another gigantic hearth stood at one end of the room, it's large fire warming the room to a cozy temperature. Jim felt like he had been shrunk in the Fergulator again as he looked up at the huge furniture around them. He was sure that the bed alone could sleep 5 Blinkys and 2 AAARRRGGHH!s, so there was more than enough room for 1 Jim, 1.5 Claire, and 1 NotEnrique. Thankfully, there was a carved set of stairs that lead to a platform at the foot of the bed that he and Claire could easily scale. Different types of bows and arrows were mounted on the walls, some crude while others were more sophisticated, most of them sized for a giant's hands. One bow, however, was different in size and decoration. It looked to be made of bone or antler, Elven runes carved into the material, and it was small enough for Jim or a human to wield. The same glowing moss from the door was rubbed into the etchings on the bow, and the string pulsed with a familiar blue-white glow.
"That's Daylight!" Jim exclaimed in shock, his armor giving a corresponding pulse of its own as if to greet its kin.
"Close," Aksel said, gesturing between the bow and Jim. "It's Moonlight, the very bow wielded by Aiden."
"He was Elven, wasn't he?" Claire asked, bringing her hand up to touch Jim's Amulet while studying the bow on the wall.
"Indeed… and half human, as well," Aksel said, seating himself in a large chair carved of stone, folding his hands in front of him as he spoke.
Jim helped Claire remove her coat as he allowed his armor to dissipate. Once freed, NotEnrique jumped down from Claire's belly and quickly scaled the bed to curl up on the edge closest the fire, though his eyes remained wide and wary. After removing their winter clothes and kicking off their shoes, Jim lead Claire up the stairs at the foot of the bed, and they ascended to the top platform. Aksel watched with an amused look on his face as they stepped down onto the mattress, only to find it soft and squishy beneath them. After months of sleeping on hard and cold ground with nothing but a layer of blankets under them, Jim knew a godsend when he saw one. He smiled at the immense feeling of relief and comfort rolling off of his mate as she gratefully sunk into the soft material below them, her hands gently rubbing her rounded belly. Jim chuckled and sat beside her, his left hand reaching across their bodies to join hers, rubbing softly, and he smiled at the fluttering movement that came from within.
"Rhetta and Aiden met as children in the very woods you travelled through," Aksel continued after allowing Jim and Claire a moment to settle themselves. "Aiden had been cast aside by his human and Elven families after the sudden death of his parents and was struggling for life in the snow when Rhetta found him. She was the smallest Hrimthurs ever known; only a head taller than you, Trullhunter, when she was fully grown. Though Rhetta was the same age as Aiden when they met, she was no bigger than a half grown wild piglet; but that did not stop her from pulling the boy across her back and making the long trek back to Niflheim, the village you now find yourselves in."
"Isn't Niflheim one of the Nine Worlds in Norse legend?" Claire asked, leaning against Jim, relaxed and sleepy.
"Indeed, young human," Aksel beamed, tilting his head in an affirmative. "Our ancestors brought the legends with them when they crossed the Great Land Bridges, long before human settlers from the East even thought of crossing the seas. Our great city was named after the legendary world that is said to be the birthplace of ice and cold."
Jim shivered, laughing. "Which would feel like home to your People."
"Exactly," the giant laughed, grinning. "Though we enjoy the warmth and comfort of a fire just as much as your little friend there."
"We been marchin' through snow for days," Not Enrique grumbled, scurrying back over to Jim and Claire and jumping up on Jim's head to settle between his horns. "Even a yeti would be chilled to their bones after that!"
Aksel laughed again, nodding to the Changeling. "Indeed."
"So, what happened with Rhetta and Aiden?" Jim asked, now invested in the story like a child listening to their favorite bedtime tale.
"Ah, well, Rhetta took Aiden back to her home and hid him under her bed," the giant told them.
"Under her bed?" Claire laughed, lifting her head to give Aksel a weird look.
"Yes," he said, his voice light and amused. "As you can see, our furniture is quite a bit bigger than yourself, and therefore, quite a bit bigger than little Rhetta and Aiden." He paused for a moment to allow them to absorb what he was saying, and then continued with the story. "She hid him under her bed and nursed him back to health over several weeks. They became good friends, despite being creatures that were so drastically different from one another. They shared stories of their kinds, and from those stories, Aiden told Rhetta of the archer magics he had learned from his father. When his father was felled, Aiden should have inherited his bow, but it was destroyed — by someone you may know."
Jim cocked his head curiously, barely catching NotEnrique as he slipped at the movement. The imp didn't complain, but jumped over to curl up on his sister's belly again. "Someone I know?"
"Bular the Vicious," Aksel said, his tone grim, and Jim's heart seized in terror as the image of the giant, blood-thirsty troll swam in front of his mind's eye. He may have slain the beast, but he'd had enough nightmares before and since to know that his fear was never going to leave him. He was beyond grateful that Claire had never met the monster. "Indeed, young Trollhunter; Bular's reign in this world may have been in the shadows, but his evil touch affected far too many throughout the centuries."
"So, Bular murdered Aiden's parents?" Claire asked, cuddling NotEnrique in her arms as the little troll purred atop her belly.
"Yes, and the bow was lost to Aiden," Aksel confirmed. "But from the tales he told, Rhetta took it upon herself to craft a new bow for her friend — the Moonlight Bow."
"Where did she learn how to imbue such strong magics?" Jim asked, knowing that the casting of Daylight had taken Merlin years to devise.
"Ah, that is the special part," the giant went on with a smile. "Rhetta built the bow, even teaching herself the written Elven language to carve into the bone, but the magic was imbued by both Rhetta and Aiden. The combination of their different elemental magics made it possible to imbue the string — woven from Rhetta's own fur — with the summoned power of the Moon. Hrimthurs fur is absorbent to certain elemental magics, which means that the bow is not only imbued with Moonlight, but that it absorbs it as well. When Aiden was fully healed, he left the village with no one the wiser to his having been there in the first place. Aiden took up sentry around the village, protecting his friend and her family as way of repaying her for her kindness. He and Rhetta met in secret for years, and their friendship grew and blossomed into a deep love for each other."
Jim smiled when Claire sighed dreamily, turning her head to nuzzle his neck, and he tilted his own head to lightly nuzzle the top of her head, pressing a soft kiss into her hair.
"But on the very night that they had decided to preform a Soul Bond," Aksel continued in an ominous voice. "Bular the Vicious returned to the area with many followers; their intent was to take Niflheim as a Gumm-Gumm base. Rhetta rallied her kinsmen, and Aiden revealed himself to fight bravely by their side. Together, they were able to decimate Bular's forces, but Bular himself remained. Aiden faced the monster, as his father before him had. The Moonlight Bow struck true, landing a crippling blow against Gunmar's heir; however, Bular was far from dead, as you well know, though Aiden had thought the creature slain. Rhetta saw the beast rise and throw his blade toward her lover's turned back and flung herself before the blade. Despite Rhetta's sacrifice, the blade was too strong, impaling both Rhetta and Aiden. They died in each other's arms, their blood spilling to mix together, such as the way their souls were meant to."
"That's awful!" Claire gasped, and Jim tightened his arm around her comfortingly.
"Yes, but," Aksel said, holding up a hand of reassurance. "The blow Aiden struck against Bular with the Moonlight Bow — while not enough to slay him — was enough to cause Bular to retreat. Niflheim was saved and Bular dared not strike against us again. To honor their love and their sacrifice, we have inscribed their story on these very walls and display the Moonlight Bow to our most honored guests."
Jim tightened his arm around Claire again, his thumb brushing the side of her belly. Though he still suffered nightmares of both Bular and Gunmar, it made him feel a thousand times better that he had unknowingly avenged the brave Rhetta and Aiden. "So… even a small blow can be enough?"
"That does seem to be the moral of the story," Aksel chuckled, his voice light. With a grunt, the giant lifted himself from the stone chair and stood, his height still towering over them despite their higher position on top of the bed. "Defeater of Morgana—"
"My name is Claire," Claire said, offering the giant a hand to shake. Aksel chuckled and gave her his finger to shake.
"Claire, then," the giant said quietly. "Are you hungry?"
As if on cue, Claire's stomach grumbled loudly, and Jim laughed when he saw the indent of a little foot kick out against the side of her lower belly. Rubbing the spot with a mock glare, Claire responded, "I guess we both are. But…"
Jim felt her hesitation and apprehension, and came to her rescue. "Do you have any human food? I could go out and hunt her som—"
"Indeed," Aksel laughed, smiling warmly at them. Jim never would have thought he would have described a mouth full of shark teeth as 'warm,' but a lot had changed in the past year and a half. "We have venison and some root vegetables that I believe humans find palatable. The young ones of our kind prefer the taste of such foods as well. I can send someone to bring you a stew?"
Claire's stomach rumbled again, and she laughed. "That sounds really good."
"Then it is done," Aksel declared, bowing slightly to Jim's mate. Turning to Jim, he continued, "I can take you to Koenraad now; he will be very anxious to speak with you, Trollhunter."
"I would be glad to speak with him," Jim said, standing to his feet. He leant down to press a soft kiss to Claire's lips, which she returned happily, and then jumped down to the floor, landing in his natural crouch. "But Blinky is our Lead Elder, if he wants to speak to someone in charge."
"We shall see," the giant said, scooping Jim up in his huge hands and depositing the slightly terrified Trollhunter on his shoulder. Jim frantically grabbed onto Aksel's fur to steady himself as the giant began walking. "For now, I believe Koenraad will be interested in meeting you. The tales of your heroics travelled faster than your physical body."
"Uh…" Jim wobbled on the giant's shoulder with each step he took, and his heart pounded fiercely in his chest. His trollish body allowed him far more balance and sense of self awareness than his human body ever had, but being surrounded by a completely unfamiliar place and unfamiliar creatures had a tendency to put one on his toes. "Uh… well, I wouldn't exactly call it 'heroics;' I just wanted to keep everyone I loved safe. I just did what I had to do."
Aksel chuckled as he strode quickly across the entryway, only stopping for a moment to speak with another giant to request Claire's food. Continuing on to the other side of the entryway, another set of gargantuan doors stood open to a huge room that greatly resembled Blinky's library back in Trollmarket. From floor to ceiling, there were thousands of books and artifacts stacked and scattered in the stone carved shelves. The books looked ancient, both small and large in size. A table in the center of the room hosted a myriad of books, potions, and crystals. Behind the table sat another Hrimthurs, this one a giant's head shorter than Aksel. Its back was hunched over, and its tree branch horns looked like they had seen better days. Its fur was a muted blue, almost gray, and instead of black eyes, two stormy gray eyes glared back at him from an aged face. The creature's wrinkles were obvious, the fur having grown sparse over its nose and cheeks.
"Koenraad," Aksel greeted the older giant with a slight bow. Jim tightened his grip in Aksel's fur to keep from slipping off, but followed his guide's lead, tilting his head in a bow.
"Ah, so you are the human Trollhunter," Koenraad spoke, standing from his stone chair to shuffle around the table and give Jim a once over. The elder was just tall enough to have his face be level with Jim, and he tried not to show how weirded out he was to be scrutinized by a face that was nearly as tall as his body. "Though not so human anymore."
"N-no, sir," Jim confirmed nervously. "I, uh… I chose to give up most of my humanity for the ability to protect the innocent."
"Hmm…" Koenraad eyed him closely and Jim fought the urge to cringe back under the soul searching gaze. He had made his choice, knowing that there was no way to go back. He'd long since accepted his new reality, and he had no regrets over his choice. "Interesting. In all of my 700 years, I have never before seen such transformative magics."
"A wizard and a sorceress travel with them, Koenraad," Aksel informed the elder.
"Casters?" Koenraad asked, his voice astonished as he glanced from Jim to Aksel and back again. "Are they responsible for your transformation?"
"The wizard is Merlin," Jim explained, trying to quell the nervousness rising in him. He could feel Claire's answering emotions along their bond, and he could feel the concern coming from her as she sensed his uneasiness. "He created the spell that changed me."
"And the sorceress?" the old giant questioned, and there was an undertone of apprehension in the elder's voice.
"She's my mate," Jim said breathlessly, his speech quick. "She had no part in—"
"Casters are dangerous beings," Koenraad said, his expression thoughtful and concerned.
"Please," Jim begged, his heart beginning to pound again. "I admit, Merlin is a pain in the butt, but he means well. Claire is new to sorcery, and she has never used her magic to cause harm." Possessions not withstanding, of course.
Koenraad hummed to himself again, then turned back to Aksel and began speaking in a different tongue. Jim recognized it as similar to Trollish, but it was as if it were a different dialect than the one he knew. Some words sounded like ones he knew, but they were all jumbled together in a context that he didn't understand. He watched the two closely, hoping their gestures might give him some clue as to what was being said, but they moved very little. The only comfort he had was in the fact that their voices did not seem angry or agitated. Jim caught the word 'ungabarn' in something Aksel was saying to Koenraad, and he recognized it immediately as the Trollish word for 'infant.' He tensed and watched the elder's reaction carefully, as the old giant had gone silent and wide-eyed at whatever Aksel had said.
"Please…" Jim begged again, the silence in the room deafening.
"Be calm, Trollhunter," Aksel reassured him, giving a light chuckle. "No harm will come to any in your pack."
"Such magics…" Koenraad murmured quietly, eyeing Jim again. This time, Jim stood his ground, held his head high, and showed no submissiveness in front of the elder. "With such magics at play… your child will be unique. A powerful Caster in its own right, I imagine. Unique… and dangerous."
"No," Jim declared, his tone hard. "Mine and Claire's children will be unique, but never dangerous. Even if they develop strong magical abilities, we'll teach them to use those magics responsibly."
"Good intentions do not predict the future, Trollhunter," the elder giant spoke in a sage voice, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"And neither do uninformed speculations," he replied, glaring the elder down. He felt the Amulet starting to react in his pocket, but he pushed the power back and stood his ground in front of the giant's studying gaze.
"Hmm…" the elder giant tugged thoughtfully at the fur on his chin, and then gave a light chuckle. Jim faltered, his glare breaking at the unexpected sound. "Stand down, Defeater of Gunmar. Your mate and offspring are safe here."
Jim hesitated, eyeing the elder warily, "I am grateful for your hospitality, but I won't hesitate to react if my family is threatened or put at risk."
Koenraad nodded as if he had expected Jim's answer, while Aksel's shoulders shook as he laughed again. "We would expect no less from an honorable man."
Jim relaxed as he sensed the truth in the elder's words. "Thank you."
The elder hummed to himself again and turned back to Aksel, saying something else in their strange dialect. This time, Aksel hesitated, glancing toward Jim out of the corner of his eye. When he responded to Koenraad, Jim picked up on the reluctance and slight agitation in the giant's voice.
"What is it?" Jim interrupted, anxiety causing his heart to start pounding again. If he weren't part troll, he probably would have had a heart attack by now. "If you want to ask me something, then just ask."
"Koenraad—" Aksel started, clear disapproval in his voice.
"Is it true that the Trollhunter must answer every request?" Koenraad interrupted, holding up a hand to stem Aksel's protest.
Jim swallowed back his anxiety and held his head high. "Yes."
Koenraad nodded, clearly having expected that answer. "Trollhunter… do you know what a Nøkken is?"
"A water dweller of some kind, I think," Jim replied, trying to recall the lessons he had barely had the patience to sit through as a human and hadn't had time to revisit since becoming part troll. "…a …a freshwater shapeshifting creature… right?"
"Correct," the elder confirmed with a small smile. The smile faded as he continued, "We are close to the body of water you humans call 'Erie,' wherein such a creature calls home."
"It's been causing trouble?" Jim deduced, feeling the Amulet in his pocket beginning to react again.
"A bit more than just 'trouble,'" Koenraad said, his frown deepening. "It's always been rather… territorial; however, the night before last, Henrik's eldest daughter went out to gather willow bark and has yet to return."
"And there's no chance she's meeting a secret lover?" Jim asked hopefully. Aksel jerked his shoulder and Jim stumbled, barely managing to hang on to the giant's fur as he slipped and fell on his butt. "Okay, okay, I'll look into it — but I'm not going to kill anything without proof that it's the culprit."
The elder clearly did not approve of Jim's vow. "Trollhunter, Nøkkens are not creatures that even possess the trait of innocence. They are born evil, they live evil, and they die evil; such creatures must be exterminated without question or hesitation."
"Look," Jim said, his voice firm as he glared back at the elder. "I'm not going to pretend I know everything about all the mythical creatures in the world, but I do know that Nøkkens are sentient beings, and that means they have the ability to choose their actions. I won't kill something for a crime it might not have committed."
"Hmm..." Koenraad hummed to himself once more, and Jim felt the temperature drop a few degrees. After a tense moment, the elder continued. "You clearly did not give up enough of your humanity."
Jim couldn't help the growl that rose up in his chest at the insult, but Aksel jerked his shoulder again. His anger broken by the movement, he managed to bite back the words that would summon his armor.
"Koenroad," Aksel spoke, his voice slow and soothing. "Let us not forget that the Trollhunter defeated both Bular the Vicious and Gunmar the Skullcrusher. His ways may be different than previous Trollhunters, but I believe we should trust his judgement in this."
Koenraad grunted, his angry gaze switching to Aksel, and the temperature dropped a few more degrees. "And you have lost sight of the greater picture, Aksel. One look at a breeding female, and you lose all sense of priority, seeing only your loss and not the preventable loss of others."
"With all due respect, Koenraad," Aksel replied in a harsh voice that had Jim mentally cringing. "It's the 'loss of others' that I'm worried about here. If you insist on sending the Trollhunter out into a blizzard to hunt down a creature capable of gutting a Stalkling, then I shall accompany him to make sure he comes back to his family."
Jim looked between the two angry giants nervously. "What—?"
Koenraad huffed angrily and turned his back on them, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "Do what you will."
Jim opened his mouth to speak, his uneasiness increasing at the cold tension in the room, but Aksel lifted his arm and scooped Jim up in his huge hand. A little rougher than the giant had probably intended, Jim was deposited on the floor and shoved, stumbling, in the direction of the door.
"Go back to your mate, Trollhunter," Aksel said in a hard voice as he stood back to his full height, glaring at the back of his elder. "I will join you shortly."
Jim didn't argue, too rattled by what had just transpired, and hurried out of the room and back toward his own. A few more Frost Giants were congregated in the entryway than before, but they paid him no mind as he ran and leapt across the room. In less than 10 seconds, he was back in front of the mini door engraved with the hands of Rhetta and Aiden. Before he could push the door open, it was flung back from the other side, and then his mate was in his arms, her own arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Claire demanded, and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back as best he could with her belly in the way.
"Nothing," Jim said, cringing slightly at the disbelieving glare she shot him. He stepped back from her embrace, keeping one arm around her waist as he guided her back into their room. He smelled the scent of meat and vegetables in the air and looked over to see NotEnrique seated on the floor a few feet in front of the hearth, scarfing down bowl after bowl of stew. Across from him sat a another bowl full of stew, untouched. "I thought you were hungry?"
"How could I eat when you're that agitated?" Claire exclaimed, allowing him to guide her back toward her food. "Tell me what's wrong."
"The elder just asked me to look into an issue while we're here, that's all," Jim sighed. They sat on the floor, the fire warm and comforting, and he picked up the bowl of still warm stew and pressed it into his wife's hands. "Mmm... smells good, doesn't it?"
Claire took the bowl, but didn't eat yet, raising an eyebrow at him instead. "What kind of issue?"
Jim heaved a sigh, unable to hide his continued anxiousness. Even if she couldn't feel it through their bond, he had never been good at masking his expressions. "A girl went missing, and they think one of the local creepy crawlies are responsible, so they asked me to go look for her."
Claire put the bowl down on the floor and made to stand up again. "I'll get my coat. We need to find her before the storm—"
"You think Jimmy Jam is gonna let ya outta here in yer condition, Sis?" NotEnrique laughed, slurping down another bowl of stew.
"I'm pregnant, not invalid," Claire snapped, growling in a weak imitation of Jim's, no doubt trying to intimidate her little brother. It didn't work and NotEnrique just broke out into giggles, rolling around on the floor.
"Uh..." Jim grasped Claire's hands in his before she could make it to her feet and pulled her down into his lap. "He's right."
"Jim..." Claire said, her voice warning. He could feel the anger and worry building up in her, and he struggled to remain calm. "You are not going out there alone!"
"I won't be," he assured her, nuzzling the side of her neck. He felt her relax a little and moved their hands up to cradle her belly together. "Aksel is going with me; but you have to stay here, where it's safe. I'll be fine."
"You're not going without me!" Claire replied, her voice firm. Jim felt his own anger and frustration spark, and it did nothing to dissuade her own.
"And I'm not dragging my breeding mate into a blizzard to hunt down a creature that might have killed a giantess!" Jim snarled. As gently as he could, he pushed Claire off of him and bounded across the room, practically seeing red as he tried to calm himself. Most of the time, their soul bond was beautiful, but with both of them so angry...
"I can still help you, Jim!" Claire said, running across the room to catch up to him. She was far from graceful, her balance thrown completely off by the baby's weight, and Jim leapt to her side just as she tripped over her own feet and almost face-planted into the wooden floor before he caught her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, easing her back to her feet. They were both still angry, but his worry cleared his head a bit.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice still hard. "And I'll be fine; I'm going with you."
Jim growled, and an agonizing idea hit him. Both of their anger was building and it was being passed back and forth between them, making the situation all that much worse; however, with that anger came the ability to mask his primary emotions under a haze of negative feelings.
"I don't want you to come with me," Jim said, gritting his teeth and glaring into her eyes. Please don't argue...
"Well, tough cookies, mister!" Claire responded, crossing her arms in front of her chest and glaring back at him. "I'm—"
"You're not going!" Jim shouted, concentrating on his anger and not the agonizing heartbreak trying to eat its way through his chest. "I don't want you to come. I... I don't want you."
"...what?"
Jim breathed heavily, trying to keep up his furious expression. The disgust with himself translated well onto his face, and he knew that it likely looked like he was disgusted with her. He could feel the shock and heartache coming from her, as well as confusion.
"I..." Jim choked on his words, and he could feel a hot sensation building behind his eyes. Again he concentrated on the lingering anger in their bond and swallowed back the anguished whine that was trying to force itself from his chest. "I wish I'd never let us get this far."
Claire shook her head, stunned confusion building in her. She reached out for him, and he stepped back like he was disgusted by her. "Jim, what are you—"
"You think I actually love you?" Jim shouted, stepping back again. The pain emanating from her was so overwhelming that he knew she wouldn't be able to tell that his heart was breaking just as much with each lie he spoke. "I — I'm not the Jim you knew. I'm not some innocent human boy who's head over heels for the girl he crushed on for years. You were there and willing, and I knew all I had to do was say the right words, and you would let me have you."
NotEnrique had scurried over to them and was standing on the floor behind Claire, watching Jim's retreating form with a stunned expression. The changeling shook his head, clearly seeing what it was that Jim was doing. He kept his eyes on Claire as he continued to back away, but when the first sob wrenched from her throat, he turned his back on her and leapt for the door. When the door slammed shut behind him, he had to physically grab his chest with one hand and cover his mouth with the other to keep from crying out. Jim's armor summoned itself after a moment, and he took a deep breath. He felt like he was drowning, dying, falling into a pit of nothing, but he stood tall and sheathed his sword across his back. The sound of Claire's sobbing lessened with each step he took away from their room, but the pain building in them both grew in severity.
It was only later, when he and Aksel left behind the safety of Niflheim's magic barrier, that Jim realized that he was in his Eclipse armor.
To be continued…
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