The cavern was dark and dank, the sound of water dripping coming from an unknown source, accompanied by the sound of heavily booted feet. Heather held her lantern up as she navigated the tunnel, turning down bends like she was walking down memory lane. She'd been down in this place many times in the past, but this was the first time on her own. After receiving news that her Grandmother had vanished, she knew that there was only one place she could be.

Reaching a door, she opened the latch on her lantern and blew out the candle inside it, knocking in a particular way on the wood. There was silence for a minute before the door opened, her lips quirking into a wicked smile as she saw green eyes gleaming brightly in the darkness. "Hello, Grandmother."

Excellinor opened the door wider, reaching out with iron tipped fingers to cup Heather's hands in hers. "Ah, Heather. Welcome home, my dear. Come in, come in!" She shuffled to let the young girl pass, letting go of her hands and looking around to make sure nobody had followed her before shutting the door after her granddaughter and following her deeper into the cave. "I apologize for not being there when you came back, dearie..."

"Let's cut the act, okay, Grandmother?" Heather turned around and placed a hand on her hip, the other coming up to brush along her braid as if it were a pet. "You know you don't have to keep up the kindly old woman act around me."

Almost in an instant, Excellinor's entire demeanor changed, her expression twisting as writhered old lips quirked into a smirk. "Straight to the facts as always, Heather. I see two years on the mainland hasn't changed you at all." She clasped her hands behind her back, walking closer to the hearth in the center of the room, using a walking stick to poke and prod at the coals. "I can only presume you've seen the changes your brother has brought to the Outcast tribe."

Heather's lips curled into a sneer, her nose scrunching up at the mention of Hiccup. "Is it true that he killed father?"

"As his destiny foretold." Excellinor spooned two helpings of hot water out of a soup pot, watching the tea leaves float in the water before she passed it to her granddaughter. Heather took it, cupping both her hands around it as she watched her serve up her own cup before beckoning her to a couple of rocks situated around the hearth. "There is no reason for you to be upset, my dear. It was simply Alvin's time."

"He could at the very least have waited for my return." She scowled at her tea before taking a sip, closing her eyes and letting a small sigh leave her. "I wanted to see father again."

"So tell me, my dear, how was your sabbatical with the coven?"

Heather's green eyes brightened, her lips paused over her cup before she pulled it away, using one of her hands to emphasize her enthusiasm. "It was wonderful, Grandmother! I learned so much from my fellow brethren I felt like my head would explode from the knowledge they bestowed upon me! The magic I've learned, the witches I met." She cupped her hand back around her teacup, taking another sip. "I'm sure everything I've learned will be useful to you."

Excellinor gave a smile that split her lips, yellowed teeth and gaps in her gums showing. "Excellent, excellent. That's wonderful to hear." She closed her eyes, taking a sip from her own cup as she let her shoulders relax, old bones creaking before she sighed. "I'm afraid I must stay down here for the time being. It was bad timing on my part, I'm afraid I got a little over eager to rid ourselves of Freyja's chosen."

Heather's brow furrowed, her lips pursing around the rim of her teacup before she spoke. "Freyja's...surely you can't mean that girl?"

"She bears her mark just as your brother bears the mark of Loki. Just as you bear the mark of Hel, my dear girl." Excellinor's upper lip curled into a snarl, gnarled fingers clenching around her teacup. "It's because of her that my hold on him has weakened. Day by day I can feel my link over his mind shatter a bit more as he becomes more self aware. We must do something before she breaks it completely."

"Why do we need him to fulfill the prophecy anyway?" Heather's lips pressed into a thin line of disgust. "I'm just as capable, and Hel was one of Loki's children! I could do it if we just..."

"No." The elderly witch shook her head sternly, scowling at her granddaughter which caused her to close her mouth. "It must be done by Loki's champion and Loki's champion alone. There is no loopholes that we can jump through. You know the last line. The Queen of War will seduce the King of Evil. This is merely destiny taking place."

"Destiny sucks." Heather pouted behind her teacup and swallowed the last of her tea, holding the cup upright as the tea leaves settled. She peered into it, humming as she sat back against her rock. "A rat, a snake, a scythe..." Her brow furrowed as she looked up at the older woman, eyes narrowing slightly. "And an upside down triangle."

"As I said, my dear. Destiny."