Chapter 9
The first snow came early and while the rest of the kids were bundled up against the cold.
Freya still wore only a long sleeve plaid shirt over a short sleeved top and was perfectly comfortable in the thirty degree weather.
Her only concessions to the weather were a long scarf around her neck and her waterproof boots instead of the usual scuffed up sneakers.
Her friend Lorna Yamada saw her walking through the snow in her usual light attire and commented, "Damn, don't you EVER get cold? I'm freezing just looking at you!"
Freya smirked and blithely replied , " Thes Is'na cold, Ah'll tell ya when it's cold!"
Lorna just snuggled deeper into her big jacket and muttered, "Crazy Jotuns, don't know when to come in out of the weather!"
The school hallway seasonal decorations had changed to a wintery theme with all the usual elements in place.
Winter break was fast approaching and many of the kids discussed what they wanted for Christmas.
When she saw the date for Christmas on the school's calendar, Freya smiled happily and exclaimed, "Winter solstice is right aboot 'at date! Ah'll ask Roger tae help me mak' a guid mid winter feast fur us!"
Lorna, who had pointed out the date on the calendar, looked at her curiously and asked, "Don't you guys celebrate Christmas? Your people, I mean."
"Ne'er heard ay it." replied Freya without batting a lash.
"We celebrate winter solstice as it marks th' day when th' nights wull get shorter an' th' days will grow langer. It means th' time ay th' darkness is endin' an' suin th' crops wull grow again an' th' hunger wull end."
Lorna puffed out her cheeks and said, "Woah, that sounds kinda primitive. How do you celebrate a winter solstice?"
"Th' families get taegaither an' mak' a feest. We set up lang tables an' build a great fire in th' middle fur warmth an' light tae eat by. Uir eldest woman represents th' crone an' she reads frae th' ancient scrolls ay uir hist'ry, tae remind us ay uir homelain in Jotunheim. One ay th' mothers wull represent th' mother an' the present time. A young girl-child will set beside 'er tae remind us ay spring's return an' life's noo beginnin'."
Freya smiled wistfully and remarked quietly, "This'll be me first time away from home durin' solstice and helpin' me mom an' dad wit' makin' th' food."
Lorna smiled at her towering friend and said cheerfully, "Let me know if I can help, I think it'll be fun! My family is Buddhist and we don't really celebrate Christmas like the Christians do. Oh, we'll give each other presents and things like that, but that whole midnight mass scene isn't our thing."
Freya grinned at her friend and said happily, "That woods be verra nice! Ah'll start workin' oan Roger, Ah thenk he'll loch th' idea!"
Freya's question came out of the blue, "Roger?"
"Hmmm?"
"Whit did ye dae fur Christmas, when ye were a lad?"
Roger looked up from his typing and thought for a few moments before he replied, "I never really celebrated Christmas while growing up."
At Freya's puzzled expression he elaborated, "I came from a broken home, my father died in prison when I was about five and my mother simply left me with child welfare and vanished. They found my grandfather and I lived with my him until he died, after that I grew up either in foster homes or juvenile hall until I joined the Marines at seventeen. So Christmas was not something I enjoyed."
He looked at her glum expression and said apologetically, "Sorry for the gloomy personal history report, my dear."
Freya's bright blue eyes misted over, then she came over to him and wrapped her arms around him in a lingering embrace.
He heard and felt her sniffing as she held back her tears, Roger grasped her arms where they wrapped in front of him and said softly, "It's okay baby girl, it was a long time ago and things have gotten much better. I have you, don't I?" he finished with a big grin as he squeezed her back.
Freya smiled at him through her tears and she asked in earnest, "Can we celebrate Christmas?"
"Do you guys celebrate Christmas? Induna never mentioned it to me." he asked his young companion.
"Nae, we celebrate mid winter's night wi' a feast!"
"Well then, why don't we do that instead?" asked Roger with a smile.
Her big grin was his reply, that and the big hug she gave him.
The next day it was his turn to ask a question."Okay, so how do we do this?" asked Roger, "What all is involved here, what sort of foods do we eat and how are they prepared?"
Freya's eyes briefly took on a faraway look, then she replied, "We ate mostly preserved foods, smoked meats, dried veg'tables an' root veg'tables loch p'taters ur turnips. We'd put them in a big pot an' mak' a stew out ay them. If'n a hunter got lucky an' got an elk, we dug a pit an' roasted the meat in a big pot buried in th' coals."
She grinned toothily and said merrily, "An' me great uncle Old Harald always mad' th' mead!"
Roger chuckled softly and remarked gently, "I hate to be 'that guy' but, this is Portland, if it was just you and me I'd have no problem with you having a cup of mead, you're used to it. Your friends might not be used to it and serving alcohol to minors is taboo down here." "Awww! Nae fair!" Grumped Freya.
"Sorry." replied Roger with a shrug, "I have to be responsible for you down here. If this was your folk's place, I 'd say 'let's pour a drink!' and worry about the hangover in the morning."
Over the next few days while Freya was in school, Roger prowled around in several antique and junk shops looking for a large cast iron cauldron or a Dutch oven.
He found the Dutch oven at an Army Surplus store and lucked out at a yard sale by scoring a ten gallon stew pot and a wrought iron tripod to hold it over a fire with.
After a thorough cleaning and seasoning, they were ready for the main event.
They spent some time at the market looking for the right ingredients and picked up a nice ten pound roast along with potatoes and the other ingredients Freya had mentioned.
In a nod to tradition, Roger picked up a bottle of mead for them to share.
December 20th dawned brightly, for the last two days there had been a snowfall and the Portland area was blanketed in fresh clean snow.
After a light breakfast, the two of them went outside and began preparing for the feast.
The snow was cleared away and a shallow pit about four feet across was dug for the bonfire, a second deeper pit was dug for the stew pot and Dutch oven.
Roger was grateful for Freya's youthful energy and strength as she eagerly wielded the digging bar they used to break up the frozen ground near the patio.
That night Lorna Yamada came over and helped prepare the food.
She'd brought with her ingredients for a traditional Japanese chirinabe fish stew and she promptly commandeered a couple of the smaller stew pots to make it in, saying cheerfully as she glommed them, "My family's gonna help us eat all of this, so I need these pots!"
"Yes ma'am!" replied Roger witha big grin.
He enjoyed seeing the two girls interacting together, they had become fast friends and Freya was regularly invited over for dinner by Lorna's parents.
As it was winter break, Lorna was staying over to help prepare the food while Roger set up the fire pits and the heavy pots.
In a break from Jotun tradition, lanterns were hung from the eaves and tree branches near the picnic tables while a patio heater would take away the worst of the chilly night air.
When Freya muttered about 'traditions', it was Lorna who pointed out to her that not everyone could stand the cold like she could.
Freya could only smile slightly and reply a bit sheepishly, "Ah dae forgit 'at sometimes!"
The day of the feast was cold, very cold and the air itself seemed brittle with the cold. Roger remarked about how while he worked on the fire pits, his breath would turn into snow crystals and fall to the cold, hard ground.
Freya was in her element and she was grinning like one gone balmy as she declared to her friend Lorna, "Ah tauld ye Ah woods let ye know when it was cold, thes, is, almost cold!"
And she danced a little jig in the newly fallen snow.
Roger handed her a push broom and muttered through his scarf, "Here! Put some of that energy of yours to work, sweep the patio off while I get the fires going."
Freya grinned happily and set to work sweeping the fresh snow off the tables and the patio in general.
Lorna simply shook her head at Freyas antics and went back inside to cut up the fish into bite sized chunks.
Roger soon had a small blaze going and as it grew larger, he glanced up at the afternoon sky. There was not a cloud in sight, which meant it would get very cold that night with no cloud cover to trap any residual heat from the sun's efforts at warming the landscape.
With the cooking fire well established, he lit the smaller charcoal braziers for the chirinabe hot pots at the tables.
Setting up the wrought iron tripod over the smaller fire, Roger hung the big iron cauldron and called out, "Freya! Th' fire's ready!"
Freya soon emerged from the back door with a bucket of water while Lorna lugged a tray of cut up meats and vegetables.
Pouring the water into the big cauldron, Freya began by adding the meats first and after a few minutes, she added the vegetables and some spices she'd found in the kitchen.
Roger added some more wood to the fire and taking up the long poker, he carefully arranged the burning chunks of wood for the best cooking heat.
Lorna had returned to the house and brought out the smaller stew pots to place on the braziers.
She added water to them and said cheerfully, "By the time everyone gets here, the water will be nice and hot for making a hot pot!"
Lastly, Roger fired up the patio heaters to the accompaniment of Freya's mutterings about traditions.
Lorna's family arrived first, bringing her grandmother with them.
The tiny woman was all bundled up and sat in the chair set up for her, her aged face wreathed with smiles for she was going to represent the crone aspect of the White Goddess.
Her son was Lorna's father and he waited on his mother hand and foot.
Lorna's mom was going to represent the matron aspect and Freya was going to represent the maiden aspect, thus completing the three aspects of the White Goddess.
Youth, maturity and old age.
First, the food had to finish cooking, the great cauldron of thick stew made from the preserved meats and vegetables was nearly ready and Roger carefully arranged some of the glowing coals to keep it warm.
Lorna handled the hot pots and soon the aroma of hot fish stew was tantalizing their noses as she stirred in the many ingredients.
Tamara Johnson and her older brother Rayshawn arrived and after a brief round of introductions, found themselves seats.
Dierdre Shannon was the last to arrive and she also said hello to the group and took her seat. Tamara and Dierdre were also fairly tall and frequently played basketball with Freya and Lorna.
Tamara had skin like polished ebony with her inky black hair kept in tight braids and a lithe, athletic body while Dierdre had fair skin, green eyes and an untamed medusa of fiery red hair.
With all the guests now seated, Roger lit the big fire and tended to it while Freya stood before them, smiled happily and said, "Mony thanks tae ye all fur camin' tae me winter solstice feest. It's nae quite loch haem as we added heaters tae warm th' place a mite."
She gestured to the simmering cauldron and the tabletop hot pots, "Th' food is ready, sae feel free tae serve cauldron holds whit we mak' back haem, a stew mad' ay preserved meats an' root veg'tables as 'at is whit we eat durin' th' winter. Th' hot pots are Lorna's doin' an' are traditional winter foods in Japan...Sae dig in an' enjoy!"
Lorna's dad served her grandmother from the hot pot while the others all dug into both cauldron and hot pots.
Roger brought out a big pot of hot mulled cider and filled the mugs on the table with the spice scented beverage.
The adults each got a small cup of the mead Roger had bought, much to Freya's dismay until he placed a cup in front of her and winked at her.
Everyone enjoyed the experience of sitting outside on wooden benches while all bundled up to keep out the cold and eating their fill.
When they were all finished eating and had freshly filled mugs of hot spiced cider.
Freya got out the goddess robes she had made for the occasion, she draped the black and white one over Lorna's grandmother's shoulders, next she draped the green and brown one over her mother's shoulders.
Finally, she stepped inside the house only to reemerge a few minutes later, wearing the white robes of the goddess of youth.
Her friends realized with a start that Freya had nothing on beneath the fine, white linen she wore and her feet were bare.
She stood facing them, smiled and said in a clear voice, "Ah represent th' comin' spring an' th' rebirth ay life after th' stillness an' death ay winter's cold."
She gestured to Lorna's grandmother and said softly, "She represents th' stillness an' death ay winter. Her colors ur black an' white tae represent th' stillness ay th' lain."
She gestured at Lorna's mother and said, "She represents th' seasons ay growth an' th' harvest, she is motherhuid an' fertility, she is th' matron an' mother goddess."
Placing her hands over her own bosom Freya said, "Ah represent th' return ay spring an' th' future ay life."
She knelt in front of Lorna's grandmother while taking her hands in her own, she bowed her head to her and spoke softly in an unknown language as the tiny woman smiled at her.
Freya then knelt in front of Lorna's mother and again, took her hands in her own while bowing her head and speaking softly.
Straightening up again, Freya stood facing them, with her long red-gold hair unbraided for the occasion and cascading nearly to her slender hips.
She was a vision of youthful beauty and purity clad all in white.
Seemingly immune to the biting cold, she smiled at them and sang in a ringing, clear voice.
The language she sang in sounded strangely familiar to Roger, as if he had heard it in a past lifetime.
Her strong voice carried into the cold night air, conveying her message to her ancestors.
Falling silent again, she looked at all of her friends who had joined her and she said, "'Twill be midnight verra soon an' Ah wull be soonding th' death knell ay the lang nights ay winter then Ah wull ring in th' noo year tae welcome th' camin' ay spring. Thenk ye all again fur joining me oan thes longest ay nights!"
Roger quickly set up the small bell he had scrounged up and handed the wooden striker to her.
Freya stood silently, gazing up at the night sky, her bright blue eyes fixed on a spot in the starry firmament above them.
Roger stole a glance at his phone, it was nearly midnight with only seconds to go.
Moments later, Freya struck the small bell three times in carefully timed strokes of the striker.
It was midnight exactly.
Freya remained standing still until a few moments after the stroke of twelve when she struck the small bell three more times, the ringing of the bell shattering the silence of the moment.
Lorna stepped over to a small object resembling a stubby tube fixed to a block of wood, striking a match, she touched the flaring match to a short cord sticking out from the top of the tube, it began fizzling and sparking.
The sparking became a brilliant shower of white sparks shooting up from the tube, the glare dazzling their eyes and bringing smiles to their faces while a collective 'ahhh' was heard, it lasted only a short while, but it was enough.
The new year had been properly welcomed.
When it was dark again Freya smiled at her guests and said happily, "Th' lang nights wull get shorter an' spring is comin' suin. Mah mony thanks tae ye fur comin' an' helpin' me tae send out th' auld year an' welcome in th' new!"
As Freya stepped away from the bell, Lorna shivered and muttered grimly, "Now, will you please put on some real clothes? I'm freezing to death just looking at you!"
Freya just grinned at her friend and cheerfully replied, "It's nae cold tae me, it's cold when th' sap freezes in th' trees an' they explode. It's nae cold enaw doon haur fur 'at tae happen!"
Tamara commented frankly, "It may not be cold to you, girl, but I'm freezing and your outfit makes me feel even colder!"
With that, the winter solstice feast ended and after Freya had changed back into her usual attire, she helped Lorna with her grandmother out to their minivan.
She smiled sleepily as they eased her into the van and buckled her in.
She laid a delicate, finely veined hand on Freya's arm and said softly, "Thank you so much for inviting us, I had so much fun being a goddess, if only for a little while!"
Freya blushed and replied shyly, "It was mah pleasure ma'am, Ah'm glad ye all coods make it!"
A few days later when Roger came home from the museum where he had been doing research.
He found to his surprise, a Christmas tree with all the trimmings and a few gaily wrapped presents stashed beneath its spreading branches.
Freya and her friends Lorna, Tamara and Dierdre were still decorating everything when they realized he was standing there with a silly grin on his rugged face.
Lorna came out of the kitchen and wonderful cooking smells wafted along behind her, she gaped at him and cried, "You're early!"
Roger laughed and said cheerfully, "Sorry, I didn't get the memo about staying away until you guys were done!"
Freya came bouncing up and threw her arms around him in a big hug.
As she was now a bit taller than him, it was memorable to say the least.
She smiled at him and said gaily, "Ah wanted ye tae hae a Christmas tae remember!"
Roger's eyes misted over and he held her closely for a few moments before he said softly, "Thank you, I will always treasure this!"
After they separated, he grinned at her friends and said cheerfully, "You guys really are something, y'know that? I don't know what to say other than, thank you very much!"
The girls all grinned at him and it was Tamara that said merrily, "You're welcome, we had a lot of fun the other night, freezing our butts off, eating all this food, drinking hot cider and mead and learning about Freya's culture while wondering if she was gonna freeze to death!" Roger laughed and replied with a grin, "Yeah, I kinda thought the same thing myself."
Freya stuck out her tongue and made a razzing noise at all of them.
Christmas and the new year's celebrations came through like a winter storm, bringing a fresh falling of new snow, holiday cheer and nice presents.
It was over with all too soon for the school children of Portland, Oregon and they trudged back to school on a dreary, snowy Monday, all except for Freya.
The ending of winter break meant she could resume her regular volley ball playing with the University of Portland's Women's Volleyball team, the Portland Pilots.
In addition to playing with young women in her size and strength range, she also got to play basketball with them as well.
She was also happy because Roger had told her that provided her grades continued to be excellent.
They would be flying to Arizona during the up coming spring break, to visit his friends, George and Mia Bryce.
He had shown her pictures of them and their twin girls and she was eager to meet them.
Next Chapter: A Giantess meets a Lamia