Sleep did not come easily to Dipper or Fenris that night in Erik the Blue's former abode—if, in fact, it even was night. The time of day was hard to gauge with no clocks, and a complete whiteout blocking the sky outside. What little sleep the two young gods got consisted of tossing and turning fitfully in the sleeping bags Dipper had conjured, as the wind whistled shrilly through the cracks in the tiny cabin's walls.

After several hours of this so-called 'sleep,' Dipper opened his eyes, and sat up with a grunt.

"Mornin' sunshine," Fenris said, without much enthusiasm. He was sitting on his sleeping bag, across the fire pit from Dipper, poking at the glowing coals to stir up a small flame.

"Ain't nothin' good about it," Dipper mumbled. "I know as gods we don't need sleep to live—it would be nice if we also didn't get tired." He stretched his arms above his head, and let out a jaw-cracking yawn.

Fenris mirrored Dipper's yawn. "What's weird is when I'm in my wolf or even grown dog form, I rarely get tired. But as a puppy or human, my body feels like it needs sleep… it wants to sleep." He paused, then continued quietly. "But I definitely don't sleep as well without Mabel next to me."

Dipper glanced up at his friend's face. Even though he was currently in his human form, Fenris was so forlorn that he resembled a sad puppy. He looked how Dipper felt. He missed his sister too, but especially Wendy. Then he shook his head to try and clear it. This would not do—sitting around, moping about how much they missed their friends and family. The only way to get back to them was to get Ragnarok under way, which meant they needed to be doing things.

"So," Dipper said abruptly and loudly enough to startle Fenris into flinching. "You told me about old wise-head last night, and said we had to get into Asgard to be able to steal...or kidnap? Him. So what's the plan? How're we getting in?"

Fenris stood up, his knees cracking. He trudged over to a small pile of kindling next to the door, and added a few pieces to the fire. Finally he said, "I think Bifrost is the only way in."

Dipper arched a single eyebrow. "Beg pardon, what is the only way in?"

"Bifrost."

"...Beef Roast?" Dipper shook his head incredulously. "That's, um, a unique name. So what exactly is...Beef Roast?" His lips were twitching in his effort to not laugh.

"Bifrost is the rainbow bridge between Midgard and Asgard," said Fenris, frowning slightly. He wasn't sure what Dipper found so amusing about it.

Dipper blinked. "You. You have a bridge made of rainbows. And you call it Beef Roast."

Fenris nodded, although his eyebrows were knit together in confusion. "Yes," he said slowly. "Loosely translated to your tongue, it means 'shimmering path.'" He narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Why are you laughing?"

Dipper snorted and held up a finger, until he could get his giggles under control. "I'm sorry dude. I'm not making fun of you. I just—what do you guys call roast beef, then?" he asked, still chuckling softly. "Or is Norse roast beef made of rainbows?"

It finally clicked. Fenris let out a sharp laugh that sounded like a bark, and shook his head at Dipper. "I thought you were just pronouncing it wrong, but you really heard it wrong, huh? I mean, it sounds similar..." he trailed off and snickered. "No, Dipper. Not Beef Roast. It's more like 'bif-roast.' So no, our rainbow bridge is not made of roast beef, nor is our roast beef made of rainbows." He grinned and shook his head again. "Dumbass."

"Hey now," Dipper said, holding a hand to his heart in mock-indignation. "It's not my fault that Old Norse is weird. Maybe it would be easier for both of us if, when you use an Old Norse word or name, you also give me at least a vague idea of it's translation. Or something."

Fenris rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Yeah, I suppose that's fair."

"Right," Dipper said, with a quick nod. "So where were we? You said the uh, rainbow bridge, is the only way into Asgard. So I guess that's how we're going. But that sounds too easy. Just cross a bridge and they let us in? I mean, they might not recognize you, but I'm a satyr, and satyrs aren't really a thing in Norse mythology, are they?"

Fenris shook his head, and chewed absently on his thumbnail while he thought. "You're right. Plus Heimdallr (that's just his name, sorry, no translation), judges everyone who attempts to cross the bridge, and decides whether or not they're worthy to enter Asgard. He's kind of a snob, and I doubt he'd judge us to be worthy. Plus, he supposedly has the gift of foresight, so he might actually know who I am before we step foot on the bridge. He's uh, not fond of my father, so I doubt he'd extend any kindness to me. He and Loki are prophesied to kill each other during Ragnarok."

"Hmm, that does make things a bit more difficult. And you're sure Him-dollar's Beef Roast is the only way into or out of Asgard? That doesn't seem safe. Like, shouldn't there be fire exits or something?" Dipper said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I mean, Loki's obviously gotten into Asgard plenty of times, meaning he's somehow able circumnavigate Him-Dollar's fancy Beef Bridge."

"Well, he's able to shapeshift into a bird," Fenris said with a shrug, "so I guess he always just flies up."

"I don't know… it just seems like a single bridge as the only entry and exit point isn't really practical." Dipper tap his fingers together absently, lost in thought. "Wait. Earlier you said that Beef Roast is a bridge between Midgard and Asgard. But wouldn't there be a way to get to Asgard from one of the other mutliple 'gards or 'heims, or whatever your realms are called? I mean, how does one get to those other places, anyway?"

Fenris's eyes widened. "Dipper, you're a genius. Yggdrasil."

"Thank you, and… bless you? I guess?" Dipper said with a tilt of his head. "That was a hell of a weird sneeze, though."

"Sorry, the translation thing, right," Fenris said quickly. "Yggdrasil is also known as the Tree of Life, or the World Tree. And it connects all nine Norse worlds."

Dipper's eyebrows rose, and a slow smile spread across his face. "My, my, that's awfully convenient, isn't it?"

Fenris grabbed the heavy wool cloak that Loki had conjured him, and wrapped it around his shoulders, clasping it at the neck. "Yes. Yes it is," he said, grinning. "C'mon, goat boy, let's head for the World Tree."

Dipper saluted Fenris as he stood and donned his own cloak. It was good to see his friend smiling once again, happy to have a plan, even if it was somewhat vague. Dipper shrugged. They'd figure it out along the way.

/

After overhearing Wendy vent about her and Fenris, and the impromptu second meeting with Morrigan, Mabel spent the afternoon locked in her room in the attic of the Mystery Shack. When Ford came by to resume her schoolwork, Mabel begged off for the day, saying she wasn't quite feeling up to it, and wanted to just rest. Wendy called several times, but Mabel ignored her calls and deleted the voicemails she left without listening to them. After her calls went unanswered, Wendy resorted to texting, and Mabel read them with a cold smile on her face, although she didn't respond.

At 4:30:

Hey Mabel, sorry I didn't stop by this morning like I said I would. My mom actually let me sleep in for once, and by the time I was up and ready, we were due for our shift.

At 4:45:

Is everything okay? I can see you've read my previous text.

At 4:54:

If you're upset about Fenris and Dipper being gone, I can come over and talk. I'm here if you need me.

Mabel laughed out loud at this particular text

At 5:03:

I'll leave you alone now, since you don't want to talk. If you change your mind, I'll be here.

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Finally she gets it," she muttered.

She swiped away from her texts and back to the video tutorial she'd been watching. Earlier in the day she'd decided to add some pizzazz to her plain, black leather body armor by bedazzling it. After overhearing Wendy's conversation with Beithe, and her second conversation with Morrigan, she changed her mind. She was going to teach herself how to etch leather, and engrave a large, simplified line drawing of a wolf's face on the back of her cuirass—a reminder of what was most important to her, as well as her own personal little jab at Wendy, for her unkind remarks about Fenris.

She had to borrow some tools from Ford's lab, and it took her all evening, but by the time she finally climbed into bed after midnight, Mabel had completed her wolf etching. She was proud of her work, and began to think about what she wanted to etch onto her other pieces of armor. As her eyes grew heavy, her thoughts turned to Fenris. He and Dipper had only been gone two days, but with everything that had happened earlier in the day, it felt longer. She missed them both terribly, but she especially missed being able to curl up in bed with Fenris every night. She tried to remember the feel of his strong arms around her, the faint, musky, earthy smell that clung to his skin. The touch of his lips to her own, and the feeling of electricity that that simple touch sent shooting up her spine.

She rolled onto her side, and pressed her nose into the pillow, hoping to catch a whiff of his scent. It was there, barely. She let out a shuddering sigh, her hand clutching the pillowcase tightly. She wasn't going to cry. She was done crying. She was going to train with Morrigan, learn magic, prove herself a worthy protector of the Gravnemeta, and do Fenris proud—no matter what anyone else thought.

Mabel smiled into her pillow, as she began to drift off to sleep.

"Goodnight, Fenris," she murmured. "I love you."

/

The sun was merely a thought in the deep gray sky when Wendy awoke. Beithe had let Wendy sleep in yesterday, but today she shook her daughter awake at the usual ungodly hour.

"Morning, sweetie," Beithe said, as Wendy sat up in bed and blinked blearily. "Hurry and get ready. I'll make you some coffee and waffles after we do our meditation."

Wendy grunted and flapped a hand a her mom. She would love to just roll over and go back to sleep, but the only reason she'd begun practicing meditation with Beithe was so she could master the spell to prevent conception, and finally be with Dipper, in every sense of the word. That thought set butterflies to flapping up a storm in her stomach, and sent a wave of warmth through her body. Time to get up and meditate.

She sat up and unplugged her cell phone, as was her habit, but when she glanced at the screen, her pleasant feelings quickly faded, to be replaced with the hollow feeling of guilt. Mabel had never responded last night. That wasn't like her. Yeah, Wendy hadn't been able to stop by and see Mabel yesterday morning like she said she would, but Mabel didn't usually hold grudges about stuff like that. This was worrisome. Wendy wondered what was really going on with Mabel.

After their morning meditations and a quick breakfast, Beithe and Wendy were due at the Gravnemeta to relieve Soos and the Stans, who had shared the overnight shift. Mabel was supposed to have morning shift with them as well, as it was the first day she was cleared by Sirona to be on guard duty, and participate in training.

"Ready to blip over to the Gravnemeta?" Beithe asked, as Wendy rose from the table and sat her breakfast dishes in the sink.

Wendy shook her head. "Actually, I was going to blip to the Mystery Shack so I can walk over with Mabel, if that's okay."

Beithe cocked an eyebrow at her daughter. "You're not going to rant at her about how, as a mortal, she shouldn't be the Protector, are you?"

Wendy blushed. "I was just venting yesterday, and you know it. I worry about her. What I said about Dipper sticking me with babysitting duty was harsh, but it kind of feels like it. I just—I feel like he'll hold me responsible, and hate me if anything happens to her while he's gone. It's kind of stressing me out."

Beithe crossed her arms. "Hmm. So, you're worried he'll hold you responsible if anything bad happens—the same way you said you hold Fenris responsible for everything bad that's happened since you got back from the Green?"

Wendy's blush deepened. "I didn't mean—he's not," she stammered, then sighed. "Point taken, mom. But again, I was just venting to you… I may be a goddess, but I'm also still a teenage girl. I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said those things—and I would never say them to Mabel, Dipper, or Fenris. I'm just angry at the situation, and was looking for someone to blame. I know none of this is really Fenris's fault. He's a really sweet guy. He didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Beithe smiled and patted Wendy on the cheek. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I could tell you were just speaking out of a place of frustration and anger, which is why I didn't chastise you yesterday for your rant. Just please, think before you speak, and be considerate of others. Mabel is hurting right now, just as much as you are."

Wendy nodded, mutely. The hollow feeling of guilt in her chest had intensified tenfold. This was the first time she'd really been reprimanded by her mother since before Beithe had disappeared so long ago. It didn't feel good.

"Okay, I'm off to the Gravnemeta," Beithe chirped brightly. "See you when you get there!" She immediately disappeared from the kitchen.

Wendy took a deep breath, concentrated on the Mystery Shack, and closed her eyes.

"Whoa!"

Wendy opened her eyes, and found herself in the kitchen of the Mystery Shack. Melody sat at the table, clutching her chest.

"I am never going to get used to they way you godly types just… appear." She shook her head as she lifted a mug of coffee to her lips. "Scared the bejesus out of me," she muttered, before taking a sip.

Wendy cringed. "Sorry, Mel, I didn't mean to scare you. Is Mabel not up yet? She's got duty with me and mom this morning."

Melody sat the mug down with a thunk. "Sorry, hon, you missed her by like fifteen minutes. She took off into the woods at a run, all done up in her armor and everything."

"Oh," Wendy said. "Okay, I guess I'll meet her at the Gravnemeta. Bye, Melody."

Before Melody had a chance to respond, Wendy closed her eyes, and opened them to see her mom and Ford having a discussion under the giant oak tree.

Beithe spotted her first, and waved her over. "I thought you were going to walk over with Mabel?"

Wendy shrugged as she trudged over toward them. "Melody said I just missed her. She'll probably be here soon. Apparently she's running here."

Ford frowned. "Now that's strange. I was just telling your mom here that Mabel told me she wasn't even up to doing schoolwork yesterday. Said she needed more rest. I thought you ought to know to take it easy on her during training. But if she's running… did she lie to me? That's not like her."

Wendy shifted her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Speaking of her not acting like herself… I called her several times yesterday afternoon, and she never answered or called back. Then I texted her, and I could see that she read my messages, but she never responded."

Beithe looked from her daughter to Ford. "I don't know Mabel as well as you two, so if you say this behavior is out of character for her, I believe you. She's certainly had a rough time lately, with her injuries, and Arden's death—and the boys have only been gone two full days. Perhaps she's not as okay as she's led us to believe."

"When she gets here I'll try to figure out what's going on with her," Wendy said. "I mean, if she'll even talk to me."

Ford nodded. "I'll stick around until she arrives. I'd like to talk to her as well."

Beithe smiled and shook her head. "Stanford, you've been up all night. Go home and get some sleep. We'll talk with Mabel and figure out what's going on."

Ford opened his mouth to protest, but yawned instead. "Fine," he huffed. "But if after talking to Mabel you think Stan or I may be of some comfort to her, please don't hesitate to call."

Beithe nodded, and Wendy shot finger guns at Ford. "You got it, Nerdy Stan."

Ford rolled his eyes, then turned on his heel and walked toward the edge of the Gravnemeta, pausing to wave at the two goddesses before disappearing into the treeline.

Beithe and Wendy began to stretch in anticipation of training once Mabel arrived. However, an hour passed, with no Mabel. Then an hour and a half.

"Okay," Wendy said, her stomach churning anxiously, "even if she had walked the whole way, Mabel should definitely have been here by now. I'm really starting to worry, mom."

Beithe took hold of Wendy's hand and squeezed. "I am too, sweetie. I am too."

/

Fenris pulled his cloak more tightly around himself, his head bowed against the force of the wind, as he plodded his way through heavy snow drifts. He glanced over at Dipper. The satyr's lips were blue, and frost had begun to form on his paper-white cheeks. His eyes were barely visible, as he squinted hard against the constant barrage of icy wind and snow. He looked absolutely miserable.

Fenris bit the inside of his cheek until it bled, his optimism from earlier thoroughly stanched by the power of fimbulwinter. His best friend was suffering because of him, and what was worse, there was a very real chance that his best friend would die trying to protect him.

Fenris took a deep breath, the air so cold it felt like he was inhaling knives, and shook his head. No. This wasn't because of him. If it were up to him, neither he, nor Dipper, would be here at all. They'd be back in Gravity Falls, Dipper probably getting carried away and making goat-tree babies with Wendy.

And Fenris—he would be with Mabel. He adored her with every fiber of his being, and hoped some day, eventually, to be able to love her physically, with his whole, human body. He trembled, just thinking about the spark of energy that tore through him whenever Mabel pressed her lips to his, when she ran her fingers lightly across his skin, or even when she laid her head on his shoulder, and he felt her warm breath on his neck. Feeling Mabel innocently snuggled up against him every night as they slept was blissful enough. What must if feel like, then, to actively and purposefully give each other physical pleasure?

An oddly pleasant feeling of tension coiled itself tightly in Fenris's core, and his cheeks felt hot. In fact, he came to the sudden realization that he was no longer cold at all. He stopped in his tracks, and stared down at his hands. His skin was steaming.

Dipper noticed too.

"Um, Fen, buddy?" he said hesitantly. "You're, uh-you appear to be glowing."

Fenris swallowed as he turned to face Dipper, hoping the satyr wouldn't be able to somehow guess what he'd been thinking about. This was the first time he'd ever allowed his mind to fully wander into that territory. He'd had no idea that thoughts of Mabel's body could arouse such a strong physical reaction in him.

Instead of glaring at him knowingly, Dipper closed his eyes and smiled, stepping closer to Fenris. "Okay, I'm not sure why you're suddenly glowing, but I honestly don't care. You're like a space heater, dude." He opened his eyes and looked down. "You're even melting the snow around us."

Fenris blinked, unsure of how to respond. "You're...welcome?"

Dipper grinned and moved as if to clap Fenris on the shoulder, then thought better of it. "Well, whatever you're doing to get all hot, keep doing it buddy. How far do you think we are from your World Tree?"

Fenris tried to talk, but it came out in a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Not too far, now, if I'm doing Antler's little trick correctly. The World Tree should be the most magically powerful thing in all of Midgard, so that's what I'm aiming us for. It feels close."

Dipper nodded. "Good, good. Let's keep moving then. Oh, and make sure you focus on whatever made you go all burning man, dude. Your warm is becoming less so."

"Right. I'll-I'll do that." The corners of Fenris's lips twitched, and he quickly turned and began walking again, so as not to have to make eye contact with Dipper. Then he let his mind wander back to Mabel, and all the physical experiences he hoped to share with her in the future.

"Whew, okay, maybe dial it back a notch," Dipper said, breaking into Fenris's thoughts. "You're actually getting a little too hot."

/

Mabel slowed to a stop as she entered the clearing in which she'd met Morrigan yesterday. She glanced at her watch, which doubled as a heart rate monitor, and smiled, pleased at the time she had made. Her smile faded somewhat as she looked around the clearing, which was decidedly empty of the dark goddess and her murder of crows.

She shrugged, and unstrapped the glaive from her back, pulling on the ribbon that held the red felt in place over the wickedly sharp blade. It dropped away, and Mabel kicked it to the side as she swung the glaive up into the starting position of one of the most challenging drills Arden had taught her. Morrigan would show up eventually. In the meantime, Mabel intended to continue to train her muscle memory, until using the glaive became as effortless as breathing.

After about an hour of nonstop training, Mabel turned on her heel to begin the next movement of her drill, and let out a yelp. Morrigan stood regally in front of her, the early morning sunlight casting a luminous glow on the goddess's flawless, pale skin, and bringing forth a lustrous shine from her silken, black hair. Her crimson lips formed a lazy smile.

"My, but aren't you an early riser, little Magpie?" She nodded to the glaive still clutched in Mabel's hands. "And such discipline. I am happy you intend to keep your body conditioned to the level it was under Arden's tutelage, but please have a care not to wear yourself out, my dear. Magic requires a great deal of mental discipline, which is hard to achieve if you are physically exhausted."

Mabel was thrown off, unsure whether Morrigan was chastising or praising her. "Um, sorry if I'm here too early," she said. "Arden demanded I be at the Gravnemeta for training when the sun was barely over the horizon. I just got used to it, I guess."

Morrigan nodded. "I see. Well, my training methods differ quite a bit from those of your former mentor. For one, I am decidedly not a 'morning person,' as it were. I didn't think to tell you that yesterday, because you mentioned that you were to resume your guard duties at the Gravnemeta this morning. I assumed that you would come to train with me once your shift was complete. Why aren't you there?"

Mabel frowned down at her feet, then opened her mouth.

"It is no use lying to me, little bird," Morrigan interrupted. "I will know it. Let me be clear—I expect, no, demand the truth. Any questions I put to you, you must answer as truthfully and honestly as possible. I am going to be sharing dark secrets with you, the wisdom of the ages. My craft has been passed on through the sisterhood for millennia. You, my lucky little Magpie, have the honor of learning the secrets of the Phantom Queen straight from the source. Therefore, I must be sure I can trust you with them. The kind of power I offer isn't to be taken for granted."

Mabel unconsciously backed a few steps away from Morrigan as the goddess spoke. Arden had been a strict disciplinarian, yes, but Morrigan was absolutely intimidating.

"My dear," Morrigan said softly, noticing Mabel's sudden unease. "Please do not misunderstand me. I am not evil, and never intentionally cruel (unless given a reason, that is). I do not mean to scare you. I say all this simply to stress the importance I place upon your honesty. By training you in my craft, sharing my secrets with you, I am trusting you. I do not trust easily. All I ask is that you never give me a reason to cease trusting you."

She stepped toward Mabel, and caressed the girl's cheek with her cool, alabaster fingers. "Now, I will ask you once again, sweet Magpie: Why did you not go to the Gravnemeta for guard duty this morning?"

Mabel looked up into Morrigan's eyes, and felt a sense of vertigo, like she was falling into their dark depths. She swayed on her feet, slightly dizzy. "I-I don't want to be around Wendy. She's the one I told you about yesterday, who I thought was my friend, until I overheard her saying things about me and Fenris that a true friend wouldn't say."

"I see," murmured Morrigan. "I am happy that you seem to have heeded my advice to not just 'get over it,' like you said you would. However, you must still continue with your duties at the Gravnemeta, because, as I told you yesterday, I'd prefer my brethren not be made aware, quite yet, that I am training you. That does not mean that you have to be friendly with this Wendy, however."

Mabel nodded. "Good. When do you want to train me, then?"

"Late afternoon or evening is best," answered Morrigan. "Just make sure that you continue to keep the morning shift at the Gravnemeta. In fact, you'd best hurry over there. They have surely noted your absence by now. I can blip you, to get you there more quickly, if you'd like."

"Okay," said Mabel. She knelt to tie the red felt back over the sharp end of her glaive, and then took Morrigan's proffered hand.

Before Mabel realized it was happening, she was standing next to Morrigan in the forest at the edge of the Gravnemeta. She started forward, but Morrigan tugged at her hand. She turned to her new mentor expectantly, and jerked back when she saw a large crow perched on Morrigan's shoulder.

"This is Vale," Morrigan said, tilting her head toward the bird. "He will be here with you, even if you don't see him. If something should happen at the Gravnemeta that you and the two goddesses with you cannot handle, he will come fetch me."

"Nice to meet you, Vale." Mabel smiled at the crow, and was delighted when he dipped his head toward her in a sort of modified bow.

"Now go," Morrigan said. "I will see you for training tonight."

Mabel turned and strode into the Gravnemeta, a grim smile etched on her face. She couldn't wait to see what Morrigan was going to teach her.