8. NIDAVELLIR.
The horse carrying both Sam and Jamie sped on through the woods, with a small troop of dark elf knights still pursuing it. Jamie clung frantically to Sam's back, his eyes closed tight. Actually, because of how often he was jostled against both Sam and the horse, quite often it was a small number of Jamies clutching hold of the older mutant boy.
At last, he managed to develop the courage to open his eyes, turn around, and look back. "Sam!" he cried in alarm. "They're catching up with us! What're we going to do?"
"I don't know," Sam replied. "But I think that we'll have to leave the horse."
"What?" cried Jamie, incredulously. "But we can't outrun them on foot!"
"And the horse can't outrace theirs with this many people on top of it," said Sam. "Face it, Jamie, you're way too good at overburdening it every time that you jiggle against something."
"I know!" cried Jamie. "But I can't do anything about it! It just - happens!"
"I know," said Sam, nodding. "Don't worry, though. I've got an idea."
The horse was already beginning to tire beneath them, while the dark elf knights were drawing closer. They were beginning to hem them in, preparing to surround them. "Now for it!" cried Sam. "Hold on tight, Jamie!"
With that, he jumped off the horse, onto a nearby rock. Jamie clung tightly to him, his eyes shut even tighter.
The dark elf horsemen spurred forward, swords drawn, preparing to surround the two boys. "Take them!" shouted the leader.
"See you later!" called Sam back to them. And with that, he launched himself straight off the rock with a mighty leap, Jamie still holding onto him. He shot forward through the ranks of the dark elves before them, who scattered in astonishment and alarm before Sam's impetus, as surely as if he had been a literal cannon ball. Jamie let out a loud, long-drawn-out cry as they rushed past their would-be captors, somewhere between a "Yiiiiii!" and a "Wheeee!"
The dark elves halted, and stared after them in silence, too taken aback for the moment by Sam's feat to continue. At last one of them spoke.
"So what do we do now, Edric?"
"This does not bode well for us," said the leader of the dark elves, frowning. "I know these parts well. The dwarf-lands are close at hand. If those two find sanctuary in Nidavellir -"
"Then we must see to it that they do not, in that case," said the first dark elf.
"Indeed," said Edric. He galloped forward, the other knights following.
* * *
Jamie at last dared to open his eyes and stare ahead. Sam was still rushing forward, propelled by his mutant ability. They were out of the woods now, and hurtling straight towards a high stone cliff, that stood stark and bare before them.
"Sam!" he screamed. "Cliff!"
"What?" cried Sam, having not quite heard him.
"Cliff!" screamed Jamie. "Stop, Sam!"
But it was too late. Jamie closed his eyes as Sam rammed into the rock wall before them. Fortunately, he was protected by the small force field that also protected the Kentucky youth, and thus escaped injury. The cliff itself was not quite so fortunate.
Jamie opened his eyes, after being almost deafened by the loud crash made by Sam being propelled through the wall, just in time to hit the ground with Sam in a loud thud. Sam picked himself up, to notice several Jamies scattered about him, all looking equally dazed and bewildered. The multitude of young mutants then looked about them.
They were in what looked like a great subterranean chamber, with a high, arched roof. A few lanterns hung upon the walls, shedding an eerie blue light. Straight ahead, a wood-framed tunnel led out of sight, into shadows.
"What is this place?" a Jamie asked.
"It looks like a room in a mine," said Sam, looking about him.
"You're sure?" Jamie asked.
"Kid, I come from a family of coal miners," said Sam. "I know a mine when I see one."
"And what business have you in our domain, surface-dwellers?" asked a harsh voice from behind them.
Sam and Jamie (by now, just one Jamie again) spun around at once, and stared in disbelief at the sight now before them. A small group of short, stocky men, only slightly taller than Jamie, was standing at the mouth of the tunnel, staring suspiciously at the two boys. They wore chainmail shirts, heavy earth-colored breeches, and thick visored-helmets, which covered the upper parts of their faces. They had long beards, reaching their belts, and bore sharp-looking battle-axes and round wooden shields in their hands.
"Um, hi," said Sam. "We hope that you don't mind us intruding. We were just -"
"Are you responsible for that?" asked the leader of the dwarves (for such they clearly were). He pointed at the gaping hole in the wall.
"Uh, yes, actually," said Sam. "Sorry about that. It's just that we -"
"You have much to answer for," said the dwarf grimly. "Trespassing in our lands, and bringing damage to them. And what led you to perform these acts? You have come to despoil us of our wealth, as likely as not."
"No, no, we haven't," said Sam at once. "We didn't even know that you guys were living here when we came here."
"That will do," said the dwarf. "You will come with us, both of you. King Eitri will decide what is to be done with you."
He turned to his followers. "Skafith, Aurvang, tell the stonewrights about the damage that these intruders have caused. We must have that hole repaired before any of our foes learn of this. Nyrath, Rathsvith, keep guard at the breach. See that no one enters Nidavellir by it before we can have it sealed up. The rest of you shall escort our prisoners with me to the king."
The dwarves crowded around Sam and Jamie, and nudged them. Sam sighed, and held up his hands in the traditional gesture of surrender, Jamie following suit. "Okay, you guys," he said. "You win. We're coming."
Their captors surrounding them on all sides, they walked down the tunnel, without a further word.
The tunnel sloped downwards, dim and shadowy, lit only by an occasional lantern hanging upon a bracket on the wall. The footsteps of the two boys and their guards struck the ground, echoing dully. Far ahead, the sound of distant tapping reached their ears, tapping from a multitude of hammers and picks.
After a couple of minutes, Jamie tried breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Um, any of you guys feel like a song?" he asked. And without waiting for a reply, he broke into a rendition of "Heigh-ho, heigh-ho." The dwarves simply stared at him, however, in a stiff, disapproving silence. Jamie broke off the song hurriedly, and turned to Sam. "I thought that they'd go for it."
"I don't think that these are the kind of dwarves that know anything about Snow White," said Sam.
"What do you think they're gonna do to us?" asked Jamie, sounding very nervous now.
"I don't know," said Sam. "Other than what they said about taking us to their king. I'll try talking to him, though, explain to him why we're here. Maybe he can help us. I mean, he's got to be a reasonable kind of guy."
The dwarf captain turned and glanced sharply at them. He said nothing, but his meaning was clear enough. Both boys quickly fell silent, and said nothing further.
They proceeded on down the tunnel, until it widened out before them. Suddenly, they found themselves walking down a broad stone-paved avenue, through what appeared to be nothing less than an underground city, within an enormous cavern. Great shafts were sunk high up in the walls and the vaulted ceiling overhead, admitting air, while the avenue was lined periodically with blue-lit lanterns atop high poles, providing illumination, if of a dim and rather spooky-looking kind. Squat stone houses, with intricate carvings on the walls, lined the avenue on both sides.
And there were people looking out at the dwarves and their prisoners from the doors and windows of the houses. More dwarves, short and stocky of build. Most of them were women and children, although there were a few male dwarves as well. All of them were staring at Sam and Jamie as they walked past.
"What manner of prisoners have you, Ginnar?" asked one dwarf, to the captain.
"A couple of strangers from the surface," replied the captain. "We are bringing them to the king, so that he may decide what is to be done with them."
"They look like Midgard-folk," said the dwarf thoughtfully. "At least, like the Midgard-folk that the legends tell of. But what has brought them to Nidavellir?"
"I do not know, Onar," answered Ginnar. "But no doubt the king will learn the answer to that question. We are taking them to meet him. Onward!" he added, gesturing to the dwarves behind him to nudge Sam and Jamie on their way, when they started to linger.
They continued on, through the dwarf-city. The road gradually began to climb, until it reached a pair of double doors set in a great wall. Two dwarves in chainmail, bearing great axes and shields, stood at the gates, one on each side, as door-wards. Ginnar strode up to them and spoke.
"Ginnar Bivarsson," he said, in a commanding voice. "I wish to speak with King Eitri. I have two prisoners to present to him."
The guards nodded, and one of them struck upon the doors with the shaft of his axe. At once, the doors swung open, and Ginnar and his followers led Sam and Jamie inside.
They entered a great hall, its vaulted ceiling arching high over their heads. At the far end was a dais, upon which an old dwarf, dressed in dark red robes and wearing a crown, sat upon a golden throne. His white beard fell past his belt and was plaited. More dwarf guards stood about him, stiff and at attention, as well as a few dwarves in more civilian garb, presumably courtiers. One of them, bearing a small white wand in his hand, strode towards Ginnar, descending from the dais to meet him.
"Who are these strange folk, Ginnar?" he asked. "And what has led you to bring them into our king's presence?"
"These two youths broke into one of the northwest chambers, Hlevang," said Ginnar. "They appear to be Midgarders."
"Midgarders?" said Hlevang, looking indeed astonished. "It's been almost a thousand years since we had any dealings with Midgarders! Not since Odin All-Father forbade the Aesir to interfere with humans any further, indeed! What brought them hither?"
"We do not know, as yet," said Ginnar. "But we deemed it best to present them to the king."
"As you wish," said Hlevang. He stepped to one side, while Ginnar and his guards nudged Sam and Jamie forward. The dwarves bowed low before the king, motioning to the boys to do the same. Sam and Jamie hurriedly joined them in their obeisances.
"Hail, King Eitri!" said Ginnar, rising again. "We bring before you two intruders, both Midgard-folk!"
King Eitri gazed down at the boys. "Midgard-folk, eh?" he said, a look of keen interest in his eyes. "Well, that is something new indeed. As Hlevang my chancellor here has said, it has been a thousand years since any of your kind have been seen in these parts. Tell me, what are your names, and what do you here?"
"My name's Sam Guthrie," said Sam.
"Your Highness," prompted Ginnar sharply,
"Sorry," said Sam, quickly. "Your Highness. And this is Jamie Madrox. And we didn't mean to intrude, really. It's just that we were being chased by these crazy knights, and we had to find some place to hide from them. And I'm afraid that we accidentally smashed through one of your walls while getting away from them."
"You were pursued by knights?" asked the king. "Describe these knights, young Midgarder."
"Well, they were all on horses, and wearing armor," said Sam. "And they had these weird faces. Kind of long and angular, like aliens."
"Dark elves," said King Eitri, frowning. "None of those marauders from Svartalfheim have come anywhere near Nidavellir for over a hundred years. But it seems that the truce with them is at an end now. That does not bode well for us. But why were they pursuing you two?"
"We don't know," said Sam. "But that's just what they were doing. They kidnapped a friend of ours, too."
"Another Midgarder?" the dwarf king asked.
Sam nodded. "Her name's Amara," he said. "She's not really all that bad, either - once you get past the snootiness. She's a princess, after all - and she's not likely to let us forget it."
"I see," said King Eitri. "Perhaps we should hear this story from the beginning."
"All right," said Sam. "Well, it all began when Bobby wanted to find out just what Forge and the Professor were up to in the laboratory -"
"I do not understand," said the king. "Who are these other folk that you speak of?"
"I guess that this is gonna take a lot longer than I was expecting," said Sam, in a lower voice to Jamie.
* * *
Some minutes later, Sam had finished giving his account to the king and his court about the New Mutants' adventures after passing through Forge's portal and how, in particular, he and Jamie had come to Nidavellir. It had taken some time to unfold, since the dwarves had asked him several questions, particularly about the world on the other side of the portal. "It would appear, from what you have told us, that Midgard has changed greatly since last we heard any tidings from it," Eitri had commented.
When Sam at last concluded his tale, the king spoke. "Your story is a strange one," he commented. "But one thing I can tell. I very much suspect that this Ivar Hakonson has been leading you astray. The two of you were wise not to accompany him - although it seems that many of your companions were less perceptive."
"What do you mean?" asked Sam. "How do you know - Your Highness?" he added, as he saw more than one of the dwarves eyeing him sharply.
"You say that he spoke of these lands being ruled by a cruel and unjust tyrant named Alfadur," said King Eitri. "And that is a falsehood. For, while Nidavellir does owe homage, ultimately, to he whom Ivar named Alfadur, he is no tyrant. Nor does he hold sway over much of the surface world in these parts. Rather, it is the giants who rule above. You had wandered into their realm of Jotunheim before coming here. It always was an uncomfortable neighbor to us."
"And those guys who were after us weren't working for Alfadur, either?" Sam asked.
"Far from it," said King Eitri. "The dark elves are his enemies, in fact. And his true name is not Alfadur, anyway - although some call him that - but Odin, King of Asgard and ruler over the Aesir."
"Odin?" asked Sam. "You mean, the Odin? The head of the Norse gods?"
"I see that you still remember him in Midgard," said Eitri, nodding.
"Well, kind of," said Sam. "But we thought that he was just a myth, and nothing more than that. Does this mean that we're going to run into the other Norse gods while we're here? Like Thor?"
Eitri shook his head. "If you had hopes of encountering the Thunderer, then you must abandon them," he said. "Odin has banished Thor from Asgard - the news has reached us even here. In fact, he has been sent to Midgard - or so the rumors have it - to live there as one of your kind. He's not likely to be returning soon.
"But since Ivar lied to you concerning Odin, it is clear enough that he is one of Odin's enemies. And his identity seems more than likely. I am only surmising now, but I would not be greatly surprised if Ivar's true identity was that of Loki."
"Loki?" repeated Sam.
"Aye," said King Eitri, grimly. "Loki Laufeyson, the master trickster and Father of Lies. He's long sown discord and havoc wherever he goes, bringing nothing but trouble for the Aesir. Even we in Nidavellir know him. My brother Brokk once bested him in a wager, at the time that I forged Thor's hammer, and it was my people who fashioned the chain that now holds his son the Fenris-wolf in check. The last that we heard, he had left Asgard, and now, it seems, he is plotting something against Odin. Almost certainly, those of your friends whom he had recruited have been lured into his cause. He may well intend to use them to wage war upon the Aesir themselves."
"So what can we do about it?" Sam asked.
"Very little, I fear," said Eitri. "My people are smiths, miners, craftsmen, but not - for the most part - warriors. Our skill lies in forging weapons, not in wielding them. Oh, we have some ability to defend our halls, if need be, but our might is not equal to take on Loki and his hosts. It seems clear from your tale that he has allied himself with the dark elves, and I would not be greatly surprised if the frost giants and the trolls have not also rallied to his banner. We cannot fight against them all."
"Well, do you know anybody who can?" asked Sam.
"Odin and his people in Asgard can," said Eitri. "But Thor was their greatest warrior, and with him gone, their defenses have been weakened. They can withstand an assault upon their walls, but I doubt that they could make a successful counter-attack. And doing so would be dangerous - it could lead to the prophesied Ragnarok, in fact. Although that dark hour is not likely to take place during Thor's exile."
"Well, never mind defeating Loki for now," said Sam. "What can we do about my friends?"
"Very little, I fear," said King Eitri. "If we had some way of sending word to the Aesir - but they always come to us, rather than we to them. And unless one of them decides to visit us soon, we have no way of alerting them."
"What about Rahne?" asked Jamie. "I mean, we got separated from her. Could you help us find her?"
"That depends," said King Eitri. "Which direction did she flee in, when the dark elves attacked you?"
"Off east, I think," said Sam. "Though it's hard to tell, without a compass."
"The forest of Jarnvith lies in those parts," said Eitri. "If she reaches it, then she will at least be safe from the dark elves there. They dare not enter the Iron Wood. Iron is poison to all elves, light and dark alike."
"So she'll be all right?" asked Jamie.
"I am not so certain," said the dwarf king. "The dark elves cannot enter Jarnvith, but that same stricture does not apply to the giants or the trolls. Loki could send some of them into the Iron Wood after her. But that is not all. Jarnvith is a haunt of wolves. Wolves that exceed the wolves that you would know in Midgard almost as surely as the Aesir exceed your race. The very wolves that pursue the sun and moon constantly in the heavens sprang from their kind."
"Well, she'll be okay with them, won't she?" asked Jamie, sounding relieved. "I mean, she can turn into a wolf."
"For her sake, I hope that they would welcome her then," said King Eitri. "But I do not know. We have had no dealings with the wolves of Jarnvith; they are unchancy beasts. For all that I know, they would welcome her with fang and claw."
He sighed. "Well, in the meantime, we must attend to your case," he went on. "You did intrude upon our home, but it appears that you did so without intending harm to us. And you are clearly in peril from Loki, whom we have no reason to love. So we shall treat you as guests rather than prisoners - at least for now. But in light of your tidings, we have much to discuss."
He arose and addressed the other dwarves in the hall. "Let send to all the clan leaders in Nidavellir, and bid them assemble in the council chamber two hours from now. Then we shall decide what course to take concerning these new events."
The horse carrying both Sam and Jamie sped on through the woods, with a small troop of dark elf knights still pursuing it. Jamie clung frantically to Sam's back, his eyes closed tight. Actually, because of how often he was jostled against both Sam and the horse, quite often it was a small number of Jamies clutching hold of the older mutant boy.
At last, he managed to develop the courage to open his eyes, turn around, and look back. "Sam!" he cried in alarm. "They're catching up with us! What're we going to do?"
"I don't know," Sam replied. "But I think that we'll have to leave the horse."
"What?" cried Jamie, incredulously. "But we can't outrun them on foot!"
"And the horse can't outrace theirs with this many people on top of it," said Sam. "Face it, Jamie, you're way too good at overburdening it every time that you jiggle against something."
"I know!" cried Jamie. "But I can't do anything about it! It just - happens!"
"I know," said Sam, nodding. "Don't worry, though. I've got an idea."
The horse was already beginning to tire beneath them, while the dark elf knights were drawing closer. They were beginning to hem them in, preparing to surround them. "Now for it!" cried Sam. "Hold on tight, Jamie!"
With that, he jumped off the horse, onto a nearby rock. Jamie clung tightly to him, his eyes shut even tighter.
The dark elf horsemen spurred forward, swords drawn, preparing to surround the two boys. "Take them!" shouted the leader.
"See you later!" called Sam back to them. And with that, he launched himself straight off the rock with a mighty leap, Jamie still holding onto him. He shot forward through the ranks of the dark elves before them, who scattered in astonishment and alarm before Sam's impetus, as surely as if he had been a literal cannon ball. Jamie let out a loud, long-drawn-out cry as they rushed past their would-be captors, somewhere between a "Yiiiiii!" and a "Wheeee!"
The dark elves halted, and stared after them in silence, too taken aback for the moment by Sam's feat to continue. At last one of them spoke.
"So what do we do now, Edric?"
"This does not bode well for us," said the leader of the dark elves, frowning. "I know these parts well. The dwarf-lands are close at hand. If those two find sanctuary in Nidavellir -"
"Then we must see to it that they do not, in that case," said the first dark elf.
"Indeed," said Edric. He galloped forward, the other knights following.
* * *
Jamie at last dared to open his eyes and stare ahead. Sam was still rushing forward, propelled by his mutant ability. They were out of the woods now, and hurtling straight towards a high stone cliff, that stood stark and bare before them.
"Sam!" he screamed. "Cliff!"
"What?" cried Sam, having not quite heard him.
"Cliff!" screamed Jamie. "Stop, Sam!"
But it was too late. Jamie closed his eyes as Sam rammed into the rock wall before them. Fortunately, he was protected by the small force field that also protected the Kentucky youth, and thus escaped injury. The cliff itself was not quite so fortunate.
Jamie opened his eyes, after being almost deafened by the loud crash made by Sam being propelled through the wall, just in time to hit the ground with Sam in a loud thud. Sam picked himself up, to notice several Jamies scattered about him, all looking equally dazed and bewildered. The multitude of young mutants then looked about them.
They were in what looked like a great subterranean chamber, with a high, arched roof. A few lanterns hung upon the walls, shedding an eerie blue light. Straight ahead, a wood-framed tunnel led out of sight, into shadows.
"What is this place?" a Jamie asked.
"It looks like a room in a mine," said Sam, looking about him.
"You're sure?" Jamie asked.
"Kid, I come from a family of coal miners," said Sam. "I know a mine when I see one."
"And what business have you in our domain, surface-dwellers?" asked a harsh voice from behind them.
Sam and Jamie (by now, just one Jamie again) spun around at once, and stared in disbelief at the sight now before them. A small group of short, stocky men, only slightly taller than Jamie, was standing at the mouth of the tunnel, staring suspiciously at the two boys. They wore chainmail shirts, heavy earth-colored breeches, and thick visored-helmets, which covered the upper parts of their faces. They had long beards, reaching their belts, and bore sharp-looking battle-axes and round wooden shields in their hands.
"Um, hi," said Sam. "We hope that you don't mind us intruding. We were just -"
"Are you responsible for that?" asked the leader of the dwarves (for such they clearly were). He pointed at the gaping hole in the wall.
"Uh, yes, actually," said Sam. "Sorry about that. It's just that we -"
"You have much to answer for," said the dwarf grimly. "Trespassing in our lands, and bringing damage to them. And what led you to perform these acts? You have come to despoil us of our wealth, as likely as not."
"No, no, we haven't," said Sam at once. "We didn't even know that you guys were living here when we came here."
"That will do," said the dwarf. "You will come with us, both of you. King Eitri will decide what is to be done with you."
He turned to his followers. "Skafith, Aurvang, tell the stonewrights about the damage that these intruders have caused. We must have that hole repaired before any of our foes learn of this. Nyrath, Rathsvith, keep guard at the breach. See that no one enters Nidavellir by it before we can have it sealed up. The rest of you shall escort our prisoners with me to the king."
The dwarves crowded around Sam and Jamie, and nudged them. Sam sighed, and held up his hands in the traditional gesture of surrender, Jamie following suit. "Okay, you guys," he said. "You win. We're coming."
Their captors surrounding them on all sides, they walked down the tunnel, without a further word.
The tunnel sloped downwards, dim and shadowy, lit only by an occasional lantern hanging upon a bracket on the wall. The footsteps of the two boys and their guards struck the ground, echoing dully. Far ahead, the sound of distant tapping reached their ears, tapping from a multitude of hammers and picks.
After a couple of minutes, Jamie tried breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Um, any of you guys feel like a song?" he asked. And without waiting for a reply, he broke into a rendition of "Heigh-ho, heigh-ho." The dwarves simply stared at him, however, in a stiff, disapproving silence. Jamie broke off the song hurriedly, and turned to Sam. "I thought that they'd go for it."
"I don't think that these are the kind of dwarves that know anything about Snow White," said Sam.
"What do you think they're gonna do to us?" asked Jamie, sounding very nervous now.
"I don't know," said Sam. "Other than what they said about taking us to their king. I'll try talking to him, though, explain to him why we're here. Maybe he can help us. I mean, he's got to be a reasonable kind of guy."
The dwarf captain turned and glanced sharply at them. He said nothing, but his meaning was clear enough. Both boys quickly fell silent, and said nothing further.
They proceeded on down the tunnel, until it widened out before them. Suddenly, they found themselves walking down a broad stone-paved avenue, through what appeared to be nothing less than an underground city, within an enormous cavern. Great shafts were sunk high up in the walls and the vaulted ceiling overhead, admitting air, while the avenue was lined periodically with blue-lit lanterns atop high poles, providing illumination, if of a dim and rather spooky-looking kind. Squat stone houses, with intricate carvings on the walls, lined the avenue on both sides.
And there were people looking out at the dwarves and their prisoners from the doors and windows of the houses. More dwarves, short and stocky of build. Most of them were women and children, although there were a few male dwarves as well. All of them were staring at Sam and Jamie as they walked past.
"What manner of prisoners have you, Ginnar?" asked one dwarf, to the captain.
"A couple of strangers from the surface," replied the captain. "We are bringing them to the king, so that he may decide what is to be done with them."
"They look like Midgard-folk," said the dwarf thoughtfully. "At least, like the Midgard-folk that the legends tell of. But what has brought them to Nidavellir?"
"I do not know, Onar," answered Ginnar. "But no doubt the king will learn the answer to that question. We are taking them to meet him. Onward!" he added, gesturing to the dwarves behind him to nudge Sam and Jamie on their way, when they started to linger.
They continued on, through the dwarf-city. The road gradually began to climb, until it reached a pair of double doors set in a great wall. Two dwarves in chainmail, bearing great axes and shields, stood at the gates, one on each side, as door-wards. Ginnar strode up to them and spoke.
"Ginnar Bivarsson," he said, in a commanding voice. "I wish to speak with King Eitri. I have two prisoners to present to him."
The guards nodded, and one of them struck upon the doors with the shaft of his axe. At once, the doors swung open, and Ginnar and his followers led Sam and Jamie inside.
They entered a great hall, its vaulted ceiling arching high over their heads. At the far end was a dais, upon which an old dwarf, dressed in dark red robes and wearing a crown, sat upon a golden throne. His white beard fell past his belt and was plaited. More dwarf guards stood about him, stiff and at attention, as well as a few dwarves in more civilian garb, presumably courtiers. One of them, bearing a small white wand in his hand, strode towards Ginnar, descending from the dais to meet him.
"Who are these strange folk, Ginnar?" he asked. "And what has led you to bring them into our king's presence?"
"These two youths broke into one of the northwest chambers, Hlevang," said Ginnar. "They appear to be Midgarders."
"Midgarders?" said Hlevang, looking indeed astonished. "It's been almost a thousand years since we had any dealings with Midgarders! Not since Odin All-Father forbade the Aesir to interfere with humans any further, indeed! What brought them hither?"
"We do not know, as yet," said Ginnar. "But we deemed it best to present them to the king."
"As you wish," said Hlevang. He stepped to one side, while Ginnar and his guards nudged Sam and Jamie forward. The dwarves bowed low before the king, motioning to the boys to do the same. Sam and Jamie hurriedly joined them in their obeisances.
"Hail, King Eitri!" said Ginnar, rising again. "We bring before you two intruders, both Midgard-folk!"
King Eitri gazed down at the boys. "Midgard-folk, eh?" he said, a look of keen interest in his eyes. "Well, that is something new indeed. As Hlevang my chancellor here has said, it has been a thousand years since any of your kind have been seen in these parts. Tell me, what are your names, and what do you here?"
"My name's Sam Guthrie," said Sam.
"Your Highness," prompted Ginnar sharply,
"Sorry," said Sam, quickly. "Your Highness. And this is Jamie Madrox. And we didn't mean to intrude, really. It's just that we were being chased by these crazy knights, and we had to find some place to hide from them. And I'm afraid that we accidentally smashed through one of your walls while getting away from them."
"You were pursued by knights?" asked the king. "Describe these knights, young Midgarder."
"Well, they were all on horses, and wearing armor," said Sam. "And they had these weird faces. Kind of long and angular, like aliens."
"Dark elves," said King Eitri, frowning. "None of those marauders from Svartalfheim have come anywhere near Nidavellir for over a hundred years. But it seems that the truce with them is at an end now. That does not bode well for us. But why were they pursuing you two?"
"We don't know," said Sam. "But that's just what they were doing. They kidnapped a friend of ours, too."
"Another Midgarder?" the dwarf king asked.
Sam nodded. "Her name's Amara," he said. "She's not really all that bad, either - once you get past the snootiness. She's a princess, after all - and she's not likely to let us forget it."
"I see," said King Eitri. "Perhaps we should hear this story from the beginning."
"All right," said Sam. "Well, it all began when Bobby wanted to find out just what Forge and the Professor were up to in the laboratory -"
"I do not understand," said the king. "Who are these other folk that you speak of?"
"I guess that this is gonna take a lot longer than I was expecting," said Sam, in a lower voice to Jamie.
* * *
Some minutes later, Sam had finished giving his account to the king and his court about the New Mutants' adventures after passing through Forge's portal and how, in particular, he and Jamie had come to Nidavellir. It had taken some time to unfold, since the dwarves had asked him several questions, particularly about the world on the other side of the portal. "It would appear, from what you have told us, that Midgard has changed greatly since last we heard any tidings from it," Eitri had commented.
When Sam at last concluded his tale, the king spoke. "Your story is a strange one," he commented. "But one thing I can tell. I very much suspect that this Ivar Hakonson has been leading you astray. The two of you were wise not to accompany him - although it seems that many of your companions were less perceptive."
"What do you mean?" asked Sam. "How do you know - Your Highness?" he added, as he saw more than one of the dwarves eyeing him sharply.
"You say that he spoke of these lands being ruled by a cruel and unjust tyrant named Alfadur," said King Eitri. "And that is a falsehood. For, while Nidavellir does owe homage, ultimately, to he whom Ivar named Alfadur, he is no tyrant. Nor does he hold sway over much of the surface world in these parts. Rather, it is the giants who rule above. You had wandered into their realm of Jotunheim before coming here. It always was an uncomfortable neighbor to us."
"And those guys who were after us weren't working for Alfadur, either?" Sam asked.
"Far from it," said King Eitri. "The dark elves are his enemies, in fact. And his true name is not Alfadur, anyway - although some call him that - but Odin, King of Asgard and ruler over the Aesir."
"Odin?" asked Sam. "You mean, the Odin? The head of the Norse gods?"
"I see that you still remember him in Midgard," said Eitri, nodding.
"Well, kind of," said Sam. "But we thought that he was just a myth, and nothing more than that. Does this mean that we're going to run into the other Norse gods while we're here? Like Thor?"
Eitri shook his head. "If you had hopes of encountering the Thunderer, then you must abandon them," he said. "Odin has banished Thor from Asgard - the news has reached us even here. In fact, he has been sent to Midgard - or so the rumors have it - to live there as one of your kind. He's not likely to be returning soon.
"But since Ivar lied to you concerning Odin, it is clear enough that he is one of Odin's enemies. And his identity seems more than likely. I am only surmising now, but I would not be greatly surprised if Ivar's true identity was that of Loki."
"Loki?" repeated Sam.
"Aye," said King Eitri, grimly. "Loki Laufeyson, the master trickster and Father of Lies. He's long sown discord and havoc wherever he goes, bringing nothing but trouble for the Aesir. Even we in Nidavellir know him. My brother Brokk once bested him in a wager, at the time that I forged Thor's hammer, and it was my people who fashioned the chain that now holds his son the Fenris-wolf in check. The last that we heard, he had left Asgard, and now, it seems, he is plotting something against Odin. Almost certainly, those of your friends whom he had recruited have been lured into his cause. He may well intend to use them to wage war upon the Aesir themselves."
"So what can we do about it?" Sam asked.
"Very little, I fear," said Eitri. "My people are smiths, miners, craftsmen, but not - for the most part - warriors. Our skill lies in forging weapons, not in wielding them. Oh, we have some ability to defend our halls, if need be, but our might is not equal to take on Loki and his hosts. It seems clear from your tale that he has allied himself with the dark elves, and I would not be greatly surprised if the frost giants and the trolls have not also rallied to his banner. We cannot fight against them all."
"Well, do you know anybody who can?" asked Sam.
"Odin and his people in Asgard can," said Eitri. "But Thor was their greatest warrior, and with him gone, their defenses have been weakened. They can withstand an assault upon their walls, but I doubt that they could make a successful counter-attack. And doing so would be dangerous - it could lead to the prophesied Ragnarok, in fact. Although that dark hour is not likely to take place during Thor's exile."
"Well, never mind defeating Loki for now," said Sam. "What can we do about my friends?"
"Very little, I fear," said King Eitri. "If we had some way of sending word to the Aesir - but they always come to us, rather than we to them. And unless one of them decides to visit us soon, we have no way of alerting them."
"What about Rahne?" asked Jamie. "I mean, we got separated from her. Could you help us find her?"
"That depends," said King Eitri. "Which direction did she flee in, when the dark elves attacked you?"
"Off east, I think," said Sam. "Though it's hard to tell, without a compass."
"The forest of Jarnvith lies in those parts," said Eitri. "If she reaches it, then she will at least be safe from the dark elves there. They dare not enter the Iron Wood. Iron is poison to all elves, light and dark alike."
"So she'll be all right?" asked Jamie.
"I am not so certain," said the dwarf king. "The dark elves cannot enter Jarnvith, but that same stricture does not apply to the giants or the trolls. Loki could send some of them into the Iron Wood after her. But that is not all. Jarnvith is a haunt of wolves. Wolves that exceed the wolves that you would know in Midgard almost as surely as the Aesir exceed your race. The very wolves that pursue the sun and moon constantly in the heavens sprang from their kind."
"Well, she'll be okay with them, won't she?" asked Jamie, sounding relieved. "I mean, she can turn into a wolf."
"For her sake, I hope that they would welcome her then," said King Eitri. "But I do not know. We have had no dealings with the wolves of Jarnvith; they are unchancy beasts. For all that I know, they would welcome her with fang and claw."
He sighed. "Well, in the meantime, we must attend to your case," he went on. "You did intrude upon our home, but it appears that you did so without intending harm to us. And you are clearly in peril from Loki, whom we have no reason to love. So we shall treat you as guests rather than prisoners - at least for now. But in light of your tidings, we have much to discuss."
He arose and addressed the other dwarves in the hall. "Let send to all the clan leaders in Nidavellir, and bid them assemble in the council chamber two hours from now. Then we shall decide what course to take concerning these new events."