A Big Girl comes into his life

by Claidheamh Mohr

An Investigator for the Museum of Cryptozoology gets lost in the Canadian woods and meets a girl. A frost giant's daughter, here are their adventures.

119. Chapter 119

A big girl comes into his life chapter 119

To Hokkaido and Beyond

By mid-afternoon they were approaching Okadama airport somewhat north of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

Lorna was talking to her auntie Meiko via satellite phone to let her know they were coming in for a landing in an hour's time.

Ending the phone call she grinned and said cheerfully, "Auntie Meiko's gonna meet us at the airport!"

Flying at a stately 200 MPH, they had plenty of time to take in the view of Hokkaido, one of the largest of the Japanese main islands.

Once they had been spotted by the JSDF and identified as a vintage sea plane coming north from Hahajima Island with the intention of landing at Okadama airport, they found themselves getting scrutinized by a JSDF F-15 Eagle that had pulled alongside for a look see.

What they saw was a white Martin Mariner named 'Moby Dick' lumbering along with a couple of young women waving at them through a window while the pilot and co-pilot held up their coffee cups in salute.

The F-15's crew grinned, took a couple of photos of the old sea plane and gave them a thumb's up in return.

With Freya at the controls, the bulky sea plane gently touched down at Okadama airport with nary a shudder, she was that smooth of a pilot.

Slowing to taxi speed, the plane followed a ground support vehicle to the hardstand where it would be parked for the duration of their visit.

Easing to a halt, Freya set the parking brake and after a quick scan of the engine monitoring systems and seeing all green, she shut them off and the huge four bladed propellers whirled to a stop.

The ground crewman quickly placed wheel chocks and scurried away.

Freya then released the parking brakes and activated the post flight engine cool down system.

Roger grinned at her and said, "Welp, we're here let's go meet Lorna's relatives."

Freya replied, "We've awreddy mit some ay them at 'er granny's funeral, remember?"

Roger smiled and remarked, "You may have met some of them, I didn't really get a chance to say hello."

Grimacing slightly Freya murmured, "Ah fergot, sorry."

"Not a problem dear heart."

Lorna's voice exclaiming, "How do you open this door?" interrupted their brief moment and Roger called out, "I'll be right down, don't get your undies in a bunch!"

Lorna's cheerful retort of "Undies? What undies?" gave him a moment's pause before he shook his head and muttered, "I can see why Mako packs you off to Japan every summer."

"What was that?" cried Lorna.

"Oh, nothing." sighed Roger as he climbed down and opened the side door.

Opening the side door he saw several uniformed JSDF soldiers, a dog and a crisply uniformed Japanese customs agent with tablet in hand.

She wanted to inspect the aircraft, they were her back up.

Roger smiled at them and said, "Good afternoon!"

The customs agent smiled back and said politely, "We have to inspect your plane for any contraband, please allow us to enter."

Roger grinned and replied, "We'll be right out!"

He turned and said, "They want to look the plane over, c'mon out, bring your passports and let them do their job."

With that he climbed down and stepped aside, next was Lorna, then Christina came out and finally, Freya emerged.

Roger smiled as the inspection team's eyes widened and he distinctly heard one of them mutter "Oni?" as she stepped down and joined Roger.

Cradled in her left arm was tiny Lana pretending to be a doll for the moment.

There was a brief moment where she examined their passports then asked, "Where will you be staying?"

Lorna smiled and replied,"Shinshinotsu village, my aunt Meiko lives there."

The woman smiled and said, "It's pretty around there, very rural."

She glanced up at Freya and asked, "You are Canadian?"

Freya smiled and said, "Aye Ah am Canadian, although Ah'm bidin' in Portland, Oregon."

The woman looked up at the young giantess looming nearly four feet taller than her and asked, "Are all Canadians so tall?"

Lorna stifled a giggle while Freya smiled at the customs agent and replied,"Ah'm nae loch most fowk, Ah am a Jotun."

"Ah"

Seeing no reaction to Freya's declaration of her being a Jotun, the customs agent smiled and began returning their passports.

Roger and company relaxed while the customs agent climbed into the huge bulk of the old sea plane to look around.

Moments later she stuck her head out the side door and gestured for her dog to be handed up to her so he could sniff around.

Her back up swiftly complied and the small dog was hoisted aboard the plane.

Roger found himself wondering if the dog would react to the small package the Black Fox woman had given him.

He hoped that it being wrapped in shrink wrap and placed inside the small refrigerator, would be enough to mask the faint scent emanating from its contents.

A few more minutes passed while the young customs agent looked around with her drug sniffing dog looking to see if he reacted to anything noteworthy.

Having passed the sniff test, she lowered her dog in its harness to her cohorts waiting below.

Next, she climbed down and smiled at them as she signed off on the plane and its contents.

They were free to go!

Roger handed his satellite phone to Lorna so she could call her auntie Meiko while they retrieved their luggage.

After speaking to her aunt briefly, Lorna ended the call and said cheerfully, "She's on her way, we'd best head out front."

Taking up their things, they walked through the terminal building while Roger called his boss, Rachel Thompson.

She wasn't in her office so he left a brief message on her phone service.

"Hi Rachel! Roger here, we're here in Sapporo and waiting for Lorna's auntie Meiko to pick us up.

"We'll be staying at her home in Shinshinotsu village for the next few days. Catch you later, bye!"

Ending the call, Roger put away his phone then noticed that everyone in the terminal was standing still and staring at Freya.

In this fairly rural part of Japan, where farmers abounded and plowed fields were a common sight.

A girl standing nearly three meters tall with red gold hair, fair skin, bright blue eyes and Norse goddess looks was going to stand out far more than usual.

Freya blushed while Lorna muttered, "Geez, you'd think they'd never seen a frost giant before...Buncha hicks!"

The momentary stillness in the terminal had the unforeseen effect of allowing them to slip through the crowd with little trouble and soon, they were out front and waiting for Lorna's aunt Meiko to arrive.

The brightly painted taxi van pulled up with Meiko seated on the passenger side.

She waved at them while the driver got out and opened the back for their luggage.

Trying not to gape at Freya's height he smiled slightly as Roger and company got inside.

Freya sat sideways and took up an entire row of seats while Roger and the girls took up the first row behind the driver.

With Meiko giving directions, they sped off into traffic and were soon on their way to Shinshinotsu village.

As they rode in the taxi, Meiko turned and asked, "How was your trip so far?"

Lorna replied, "It's been a lot of fun. We stopped in L.A. To visit uncle Tamatsu and go shopping at Anime Expo. Next we flew to Honolulu and went surfing with a local boy and his sister. We met a menehune named Lana and she joined us for the rest of the trip."

"Oh? And where is this 'Lana'?" asked Meiko.

Lana at that point, stirred in Freya's lap and waved her arms to get Meiko's attention then placed a finger across her lips to signify a shushing motion.

Meiko having met Dena Greenwood already merely smiled at Lana and responded with her own finger across her lips motion.

Her secret was safe with Lorna's aunt Meiko.

"Next we flew to Wake island and admired the bird sanctuary before going skinny dipping in the lagoon there. Then we flew to Guam where Freya built an Inukshuk, after that we went to the Phillippines and met Christina's family."

"Skinny dipping?"

"We went swimming without our swimsuits..."

"I see now why my sister sends you to me every summer, so rambunctious!"

Christina spoke up, "My grandmother decided she was gonna marry me off to someone she knew and I said no, things got real dramatic then Roger came and got me and we flew to Hahajima island, which is a really cool place to visit!"

"Lorna's cousin Mikura has this old biplane and she flies it all over the islands down there, she's pretty laid back."

Christina beamed, "I'd love to go there again sometime, the island is really tropical and I was told the fishing is really good."

Lorna gushed, "Uncle Tamatsu would kill to go fishing there!"

Meiko chuckled and remarked, "Let us hope he doesn't have resort to killing someone, just to go fishing!"

Meiko glanced at Roger and asked him, "Has Lorna behaved herself during this trip?"

Roger merely smiled and said teasingly, "That depends on what you'd call well behaved. To me, she is a young woman who is full of energy and has a zest for life, she and Freya have known each other since grade school and I trust her not to do anything rash."

Grinning he remarked, "I suppose by traditional Japanese standards she would be considered quite rambunctious and bears watching in order to correct her behavior. While she may look Japanese, she was raised as an American girl who loves her sports."

Meiko smiled at his remarks and said,"In other words, she is well behaved in your opinion, even though she's gone 'skinny dipping'?"

"You could say that!"

Lorna merely rolled her eyes at his remarks when Meiko wasn't looking.

The taxi pulled up in front of a comfortable looking minka house surrounded by farm fields and a nearby forest.

They had arrived at the Sato family's home.

Freya smiled at the sight of all the growing things and said cheerfully, "Ah loch thes hoose awreddy! Sae mony growin' things tae see!"

Meiko smiled at her remarks while she settled up with cab driver and they grabbed their things.

As the somewhat dusty taxi pulled away, Meiko smiled and said, "Welcome to our home!"

Taking up their things they followed her into the roomy house after leaving their shoes inside the genkan at the door.

Inside, the house was a traditional Japanese house built for a family of moderate wealth.

As the ground floor ceiling was of higher than normal height, Freya was able to walk around the room while standing up straight.

Taking a few moments to admire the house's interior Roger smiled and commented, "I love the atmosphere in this house, the feel of the generations that have lived in here is almost palpable!"

He took a deep breath and exhaled freely, "The scent of a house well loved and cared for is always a good sign!"

His blue grey eyes wandered about the interior, occasionally lingering over a detail that caught his attention, then sweeping to a different detail, a smile on his rugged face the whole while.

Turning his attention to Meiko, he bowed to her at the correct fifteen degree angle and said, "Thank you for your hospitality!"

Meiko smiled shyly as Freya did the same thing as a sign of respect.

Roger grinned and said, "I always enjoy seeing a house well lived in, a house with a feeling of history about it. I find such a house to be comforting."

Meiko smiled and remarked, "I well remember seeing your house that time I was invited to serve as the crone during a mid winter solstice event, it too had that sense of a well loved house and so lively a house with all the little creatures living under the same roof!"

Her eyes turned to tiny Lana who was admiring the traditional step chest that also served as a cabinet and chest of drawers, in addition to giving access to the second floor.

The tiny menehune beamed and said, "I like this version of a staircase, it's very clever."

Meiko smiled and replied, "We call that a koida dansu, I'm glad you like it!"

Turning her attention to Lorna she said, "You and Christina can share your room with Lana."

Lorna nodded at her aunt and said to her friends, "Come with me."

They took up their things and followed Lorna's athletic form out of the living room.

Meiko then looked Freya over and remarked, "Finding a suitable room for you is going to be a challenge!"

Freya smiled and replied, "Ah'm nae fussy abit whaur Ah sleep, Ah'll be fine sleepin' oan th' floor."

Meiko smiled and said, "In this house we sleep on futons laid out on tatami mats, my concern is you may need to use a toilet while you're here. This house has squat toilets, not the western type toilets."

At her remark Freya merely smiled and said, "Uir hoose at me fowks' haem doesnae hae western toilets, we hae squat toilets loch thes hoose has."

Freya grinned, "Me oanly concern is hittin' me head while Ah'm tryin' tae use th' toilet."

Meiko smiled and remarked, "Come with me!"

Taking up their things, Roger and Freya followed Meiko down the long hallway running through the center of the old house.

Stopping at a sliding door Meiko opened it and stepped aside, looking in, they saw a nice room that opened onto a long outside covered walkway with a lovely garden to look at just beyond the walkway.

Meiko said softly, "Is this to your liking?"

Freya murmured, "It's sae beautiful!"

Stepping inside they put down their things, then Meiko took a few moments to show them where the futons and bed coverings were stored during the day.

After they had laid out their bedding, Meiko smiled and said, "You must be tired after your trip, feel free to take a nap before dinner and meeting my family."

With the sliding door closed, they lay down together and conked out.

A few hours later Roger awoke in a tangle of long limbs, Freya had snuggled him to her lovely bosom while he'd slept.

For a brief moment he wondered where Dena was then he remembered, she was back in Oregon waiting for his return.

Easing himself from Freya's embrace, he sat up and listened until he could make out the voices speaking in heavily accented English, he thought he recognized Lorna's voice amidst the the babble of voices.

Rising to his feet, Roger slid open the door and toddled towards the sounds of conversation.

Entering the dining room he saw Meiko, her husband Tamatsu and two young adults seated at the traditional dining table.

Seated across from them was Lorna, Christina and tiny Lana, of all people.

Laid out on the table was a splendid dinner and from the looks of things, they had been enjoying the meal.

Lorna spotted Roger first and she said, "Is Freya still asleep?"

At his affirmative nod she turned and said, "Uncle Tamatsu, Kimiko and Minoru, I'd like you to meet Roger Tate."

Roger smiled, bowed slightly and said, "A pleasure to meet all of you. Freya, my companion is still sleeping I'm afraid. The flight took more time than we had anticipated."

Tamatsu smiled at him and was about to reply when his eyes opened wider as he took in the sight of a nine foot two inch tall Freya Sigurdsdottir coming up behind Roger and smiling at everyone.

Kimiko and Minoru smiled at the sight of her towering over everyone there.

They had met her at Akane Yamada's funeral.

Freya bowed slightly and said softly, "Ah hope Ah didnae miss dinner wi' me sleepin' loch Ah did."

Meiko consummate hostess that she is, rose to her feet and said, "You did not miss dinner, you're just a bit late that's all."

"Ah apologize fur bein' late loch Ah am."

Meiko smiled and said, "I did suggest you could take a little nap before dinner, it is not a problem."

Lorna grinned and said cheerfully, "Uncle Tamatsu, this is my oldest friend, Freya Sigurdsdottir we've known each other since fourth grade. When we met she had never seen anyone using chopsticks to eat with before and she was so curious about practically everything!"

Smiling she said wistfully, "She and my grandmother became the best of friends and she would dig out our her family cook books, just because Freya enjoyed her cooking so much! Dad used to grumble about her keeping these old family recipes a secret until Freya came along."

Tamatsu smiled at his niece's remarks and said, "When my wife and two youngest children came home from the funeral, they told me about Freya which I have to confess, I found hard to believe. Now that I am seeing her, I realize your account of her did not exaggerate, if anything it was an understatement."

"Not many people can say they've had a giantess and a menehune seated at their dinner table at the same time."

He smiled at Freya and said, "Welcome to our home."

When Freya knelt at the low table, everyone smiled when she said, "Ah always sat loch thes when Mrs. Yamada invited me tae dinner."

She glanced at Roger and said teasingly, "He micht hae a wee trooble kneelin' loch thes at thes table."

Roger merely smiled as he too knelt next to Freya then said, "Just because you haven't seen me sitting like this, doesn't mean I can't, dear heart."

Everyone smiled, took up their chopsticks and said in unison. "Itadakimasu!"

The food was delicious and everyone ate their fill.

After dinner, a bottle of sake was brought out and several rounds of hearty toasts were shared.

Following dinner, Christina asked if she could call her parents to let them know where she was.

It was tense, her grandmother had called her parents and read her father the riot act about Christina's disrespectful behavior during her brief visit.

In an effort to placate his mother, her father had promised he would punish her upon her return from her trip.

To Christina's surprise he hinted that if she stayed away a bit longer, then things would likely have cooled off and all would be forgiven.

Provided she stayed away a bit longer.

Lorna's aunt Meiko took it as a hint and pounced, then said, "You may stay with us for the summer, then you can fly home with Lorna for the fall semester at college!"

Christina's parents quickly agreed and Roger and Freya found themselves with two less passengers for the return flight.

Having settled that issue to everyone's satisfaction, while Freya and the girls went sight seeing, Roger cadged a lift from Lorna's aunt Meiko to go visit the nearest Shinto jinja.

The shrine she took him to was little more than a small wooden shack at the end of a row of torii gates.

He approached the small building cautiously and left a gift of food, a small bottle of sake and a short note for the inari inside the small shrine.

As he came back from having paid his respects, Meiko remarked, "You've done this before?"

"You could say that," he replied, "There's a shrine much like this at Hahajima island and we discovered it was occupied."

Meiko's eyes widened and she murmured, "Occupied? As in an inari was living in it?"

"Yes, an inari is living in it. It seems her shrine serves as a destination for youkai wishing to escape the winter's cold by coming to Hahajima island."

"How do you know this?"

"Because I saw it, I was watching the shrine when some youkai came out of the little shed and walked away."

Meiko thought about his remarks and remarked half to herself,"So the legends about the torii gates being portals used by the gods were true afterall."

She looked at him and said, "This inari you speak of, can she come here through the torii gates?"

"Sadly, no. She was young when she left Hokkaido and doesn't remember how she even entered the torii gates to begin with."

"Any idea of how old she is?"

Roger smiled and remarked, "It is considered impolite to ask any 'neighbor' how old they are, but since she has three tails, she could be about three hundred years old by now."

"So what now? You wait for a response?"

"I'm afraid so. 'Neighbors' have their own perspective on time, at least the ones near me do."

"Ah"

With that, they went back to the house.

That night while everyone was sleeping, Roger was sitting outside, a food offering and a bottle of sake sitting beside him.

Huddling under a blanket, he waited for some time until sleep's gentle embrace folded him into her arms.

Waking suddenly, he found himself being scrutinized by a nine tailed white fox woman seated not far away.

She smiled slightly as he hastily wiped the remnants of sleep from his eyes, then bowed while still seated.

Not sure what to say, Roger said quietly, "Thank you so much for coming. I pray I have not offended you with my impertinence."

She smiled, then extended one of her many tails until it lightly touched his forehead right at his brow chakra.

His eyes closed briefly as his life seemingly passed before his mind's eye in a twinkling.

A moment or two later her tail withdrew and she spoke in a melodious voice.

"You are an interesting mortal, an interesting mortal indeed! You live with a frost giantess and a wood elf. You've consorted with the Green woman and the queen of the British fae, received a rose kiss from an emissary of the vampire queen herself, an arm circlet from a sea goddess and a protection bite from a bakeneko, plus I scented a black fox's aroma lingering on you. Yes, very interesting, indeed!"

She smiled and murmured, "Now that you've gained my attention, what is it you require of me?"

Roger bowed low and said, "As you no doubt have surmised from my memories, I seek to study, to contact those who live in humanity's shadow. Part of that involves gathering knowledge, either through acquiring artifacts, documents or direct contact with our neighbors themselves."

Still smiling she remarked, "I gathered that, yes. And you wish to put up a jinja and a torii gate near your museum's library? Is that all?"

"That, and a token of your blessings on our efforts."

She regarded him silently, her nine tails momentarily stilled.

Finally, she said, "I shall give you an inari statue imbued with my essence, a kannushi will bring it to you before your departure in two days."

"Will that suffice?" She asked with a hint of a smile.

Roger bowed low and replied, "For me, it is far more than I wished for and while you are in such a generous mood, may I ask that a kannushi be sent to Hahajima island, to show my friend Kuroshima how to utilize the torii gates?"

To his surprise, the Kitsune's nine tails began wagging and she chuckled softly.

"I like you foolish mortal, a mortal who consorts with fae royalty and sea goddesses, who calls a kitsune a friend and has the nerve to ask me, the nine tailed fox of Hokkaido for a favor!"

Roger could only smile at her comments, "All too true your highness, all too true."

She smiled at him and said, "You ask much, but I see an opportunity here for a greater understanding between the worlds, so I shall grant you your requests. But! Do not try my patience by asking for more, it is enough that I listened and let you live."

Roger bowed low enough for his forehead to touch the ground before him, "Thank you your highness, you are more than generous!"

When he straightened up again, she was gone and so was the food and the sake.

Where she had sat, there was a set of fox foot prints and the impression of nine tails.

Proof that she had visited the Sato family home.

Slipping back into the Sato family home, Roger encountered Meiko who was sitting in the kitchen.

She looked him over and said, "What was so interesting outside that you spent hours huddled under a blanket?"

Roger smiled and replied,"Come with me and I'll show you!"

Moments later, with flashlights in hand they were gazing upon the fresh set of fox foot prints left behind by the nine tailed fox.

Roger said quietly, "This is where I met with the nine tailed fox of Hokkaido, she had responded to my note that I'd left in her small shrine yesterday."

Meiko looked at him and said quietly, "Do you have any idea of what that means to our family?"

"It likely means that this portion of your back yard will become enshrined and venerated, and for that, I apologize." he replied.

Meiko nodded at him and said, "This must be preserved!"

Roger nodded at her and laid his blanket over the sitzmark left behind by the nine tailed fox of Hokkaido, Japan.

That afternoon while Meiko and the girls were out, a man dressed in the robes of a kannushi came to the door and when Minoru answered, he asked to see Roger.

A very mystified Minoru came to Roger and said, "You have a visitor." Then he returned to his studies.

Roger came to the door and said, "You wished to see me?"

The kannushi nodded at him and said tersely, "Show me where she sat!"

"And you are?"

The kannushi flushed slightly and said,"I am Honda, Keichi I am a Shinto kannushi and I wish to see where she sat."

Roger nodded and led Keichi through the house.

Stepping outside they slipped on the rubber clogs to venture into the back yard.

Moments later, Roger uncovered the sitzmarks left behind by the fox.

Keichi gazed upon them for some time before he spoke.

Outwardly calm, his voice was thick with emotion as he said, "How is it that you, a foreigner managed to gain an audience with her highness, the nine tailed fox?"

Roger said quietly, "I left her a note and a food offering at her small shrine near here, in it I told her of a stranded three tail black fox living on Hahajima island. I asked how I could help her regain access to the torii gates so she could come home if she wished."

He looked Keichi in the eye and said, "I have the sight, I can see our 'neighbors'."

Keichi pondered his words and said, "Tell me more."

Roger smiled at him and said, "This will require some tea!"

Leaving the clogs at the back door, they reentered the house and while Keichi sat at the western style kitchen table, Roger put together a tea tray and some nibblies.

Placing the tray before Keichi who smiled as Roger commented, "Pardon the lack of formality, I'm not too familiar with the proper tea etiquette here in Japan."

The two men served themselves and after settling into place with their tea and comestibles in hand.

Roger took out his tablet, opened it to the photo files, then he spoke, "I work as a field investigator for the Museum of Cryptozoology. Our organization has existed for centuries and our original purpose was to find the unseen beings that live along side of us and hide in our shadows. To lead these beings to the enlightenment and blessings of the mother church."

He sighed, "Sadly we learned that the church was secretly destroying the beings we had found instead of accepting them. We broke away from the church and became pariahs in our own right, and subject to destruction by the church if we were caught."

While he spoke Keichi was scrolling through the photo files in Roger's tablet.

His eyes widened and he pointed out a photo of George and Mia Bryce surrounded by their children.

"What am I seeing here?" he asked.

Roger glanced at the photo and replied, "That's the Bryce family, George and I met Mia and her family in southern Algeria. They got married and we brought all of them to the U.S."

"What, are they?"

"They, are lamias. Lamias are a females only species that requires human males in order to reproduce. They were hunted for sport in ancient times and went into hiding, they hid so successfully that they nearly went extinct. Finding them was a very good thing for them."

Keichi shook his head and commented,"How is it you came to Japan?"

Roger grinned and related the story of how he met Freya and came to live with her, how she met a girl of Japanese descent in grade school and they became fast friends all through their school years, and as part of a graduation present the girl was taken on a sea plane tour of the Pacific islands, with her aunt Meiko's house being her final stop; where she would spend the rest of her summer before heading off to college in the fall.

Keichi nodded at Roger's tale and smiled.

Then he said, "I see now why you would attract the notice of the nine tailed fox and as to why I am here, I was directed to meet you and to gaze upon the marks she left when she came to see you."

He looked the Sato family's house over and said, "This is a fine old house, a good house, one that is suitable for hosting a small jinja marking where she had sat."

The front door opened and Meiko came in while calling out that she was home.

Right behind her was Kimiko, Lorna, Christina and Freya all chattering happily about the day they'd had.

They stopped in mid sentence when they spotted Roger talking with a Shinto kannushi.

The kannushi himself was staring at Freya's towering form and completely missing Lana's tiny self perched on Freya's left shoulder to better enjoy the view.

It was Meiko who broke the momentary verbal stalemate by bowing slightly and saying, "How can we help you?"

Keichi smiled at Meiko and said, "Forgive my intrusion, I came here to gaze upon the place where the Nine tailed fox had sat."

Roger smiled and said, "I hope you don't mind if I made some tea for us to drink while we talked."

Meiko nodded at their remarks and said, "I have only one question and it regards last night's visitation. What will happen now?"

"The marks are still there, are they not?"

Both Roger and Keichi nodded and Keichi said, "Yes, they are still there, Roger has them covered up to protect them."

At this exchange, the girls all looked at each other until Kimiko said, "What happened last night and what marks are we talking about?"

Meiko spoke up, "Roger had a visitor last night, someone I could not see but he could apparently."

She looked at her daughter and said, "Roger showed me the marks she had left behind, they were the foot prints of a fox and where she had sat, there was the impression of nine tails left behind."

Kimiko looked a bit confused and said, "Fox footprints? Why would a fox be in our back yard and how do you know it had nine tails? This isn't feudal Japan anymore, this is the twenty-first century."

Surprisingly, it was Lorna that spoke up, "It may be the twenty-first century to you, but since I've met Freya I've seen many things I cannot explain."

She pointed at Lana sitting quietly on Freya's left shoulder and said, "How do you explain her? Or Freya for that matter!"

Lorna paused and said, "Roger and Freya live in this huge old house with a housekeeper who never speaks and only drinks a little cream, a two foot tall girl like Lana here, only blonde haired and blue eyed. They have these ginormous wolves that are like their family dogs and there is this like, fat lizard that lives in the front parlour fireplace and keeps a fire going year round."

"I haven't even brought up the girl with horns and hooves yet or all the little sprites they have around the place. Not to mention when my grandmother died, there was a chorus of banshees wailing outside the temple where we held the wake."

"Thing is, banshees are from old Albion as Freya puts it, not Japan."

Lorna finished with, "If Roger or Freya says it's there, you'd better believe it's there!"

Kimiko pondered Lorna's remarks and asked, "Now what will we do? Does this mean a shrine will get put up in our backyard?"

Meiko said quietly, "A visit from the nine tailed fox is something very special and should be acknowledged in a fitting manner, a small private shrine would not be remiss if it is put up and sanctified by a priest. When your father gets home it will be discussed."

Roger cleared his throat for attention and said,"I believe the Japanese branch of the Museum of Cryptozoology might be willing to help cover the costs of installing such a small shrine."

At this point Keichi spoke up.

"I have been listening to this exchange of opinions and ideas and if I may, I'd like to offer my own thoughts..."

He paused to collect his thoughts and finally said, "There has not been an actual sighting of the nine tailed fox in many years, maybe even centuries. Now we have a recent sighting with tangible evidence left behind in the form of foot prints and a tail impression."

Glancing at Freya and Lana he continued, "Now I find myself in the presence of two creatures out of fantasy, a frost giant from Norse mythology and a menehune from Polynesian mythology."

He nodded at Lorna, "By your own declaration you have witnessed the interplay between humans and what we here in Japan would call youkai or in some cases kami. To me this is a portent of changing times, times when that which is now hidden may be emerging from under our shadows and demanding to be heard. To take their rightful places in the sun."

He smiled, "The future could become very interesting!"

When Tamatsu Sato came home, he found his family seated around the kitchen table listening while a Shinto kannushi was talking.

Meiko looked up at him and said a cheery, "Welcome home!" before she gestured at the priest and said,"This is Honda, Keichi, he is our local Shinto kannushi."

Tamatsu and Keichi nodded at each other and mutual "pleased to meet you's." were uttered.

Having satisfied the customary politeness protocols, Tamatsu asked,"How may we help you?"

Keichi smiled and replied,"I have come to confirm there was a sighting of the nine tailed fox in your back yard. I was shown the sitzmarks where she had sat during her visit here and we have been discussing the placement of a small shrine where she sat to preserve the event."

Tamatsu nodded at Keichi's remarks and said, "Show me the marks before we go any further."

Moments later, the family and guests stood gazing down at the distinct sitzmarks left behind by the nine tailed fox during her visit.

Tamatsu stood silently as he pondered the meaning of this visit.

He glanced at Roger and said, "How did she know to come here?"

Roger said without hesitation, "I met a black fox kitsune when we visited Hahajima island. She had forgotten how to use the torii gates and asked if I could help."

He paused and continued,"I visited the small inari shrine near here and left a food offering with a note asking for her help. She honored my request last night."

He looked down at the sitzmarks and said, "I thought to preserve these marks as proof of her existence and had not expected a priest to show up wanting to see the marks."

Tamatsu mulled over Roger's statement and finally said,"We are deeply honored to have received a visit from such a being. A small shrine would be an appropriate thing provided our privacy is respected."

He glanced over at Keichi and asked, "Would a shrine measuring one meter on a side be adequate?"

At that point, Roger cleared his throat and asked, "How will you preserve the marks? Just the activity of earthworms will eventually obliterate these marks with their constant churning of the top layers of soil."

Keichi smiled at both of them and said, "Yes, a shrine one meter square will be adequate and we can make a cast of the sitzmarks to preserve them for future generations to admire."

Tamatsu thought briefly then said, "Then it's settled, the marks will be preserved and a small shrine will be placed over the sitzmarks to protect the site."

Having come to a decision, they nodded in agreement while Roger carefully covered up the sitzmarks once more.

Tamatsu looked around and declared, "This calls for a drink!"

With that, everyone trooped back inside the centuries old house for some sake.

The next afternoon, Roger and Freya were sitting near an ancient linden tree standing in a grove overlooking Lake Toya inside Nopporo Shinrin natural park.

Draped around its deeply gnarled trunk was a large shimenawa with many shide and Daidai carefully placed along its length.

As the afternoon shadows lengthened into darkness, the two began hearing a faint rattling sound, almost like the chirruping of crickets yet different, somehow.

One by one, tiny kodama began appearing here and there, their tiny heads twitching as they rattled and added their sound to the forest's awakening as night drew near.

Moving slowly so's not to startle the shy kodama, Roger opened his sketch book and began drawing what he was seeing, the awakening of a Japanese forest.

A movement to their left drew their attention and when they looked, they saw what appeared to be a deer at first and when it looked at them, they instinctively averted their gaze as it had a vaguely human like face and they realized it was a shishigami, a forest spirit, not meant to be seen by mortal eyes.

Time seemed to freeze as the creature regarded them coolly, clearly they were not Japanese hikers who'd stumbled across this being's path, not with Freya looking more like an oni than a mere human.

Would it react like the dark god they'd encountered before, what would it do? They wondered.

A sudden snapping of a stepped on twig and the blinding beam from a flashlight swept across them causing their eyes to blink, and in that blink, the creature and all the tiny kodama were gone.

The forest was silent once more.

A visitor who'd lost her way had inadvertently saved them.

She gasped when she saw that her flashlight beam had swept across the still forms of Roger and Freya and in halting English she said, "Excuse please, I am lost, do you know the way back?"

Roger stood up first and replied,"I think so."

Stepping closer he loomed over the diminutive woman and said pleasantly, "Come with us."

When Freya stood up, the young woman nearly screamed as she beheld what looked at first glance, like an oni from Japan's mythology.

Freya loomed over the trembling woman, smiled and said, "Hello, me nam is Freya, a pleasure tae meit ye, whit is yoor nam?"

The young woman's eyes nearly bugged out of her head and she haltingly replied," I, I am Hirose, Akane, a pleasure to meet you."

Instinctively keeping her distance from the two strangers she had stumbled across, she fell in behind them as they walked back to the parking lot where they'd parked Meiko's car.

Arriving at the parking lot, she quickly thanked them and scurried to her little car.

Hopping inside, she cranked it up and was soon long gone, her taillights rapidly shrinking in the distance.

Roger and Freya waited a few minutes longer before they turned to face the natural park, placed their hands together as if to pray and bowed slightly in respect.

His report that evening went into far greater detail about what he had seen and experienced when they met a shishigami.

The next day, Roger and Freya took the train to the town of Shiraoi to see the National Ainu Museum located near the Shikotsu-Toya National Park.

As usual the two simply ignored the stray glances and surreptitious photos mostly taken of Freya's towering form.

Fortunately the train was lightly crowded as it was middle of the workday and when they arrived at Shiraoi Station, they left the train with ease.

A brisk ten minute walk later, they were admiring the museum's building before entering the facility.

Entering the building had the usual effect, the people inside stopped what they were doing and watched the towering young woman bend nearly double to step inside the doors then standing up straight again once inside, her head nearly brushing the acoustic tiled ceiling.

Having red-gold hair in twin braids, fair skin and bright blue eyes only added to the effect.

They barely noticed the lean, rangy white man with sunburnt skin, sandy hair and blue grey eyes as he paid for their admissions.

Once admitted, they began exploring the exhibits about the slowly waning Ainu people, culture and their language.

For some time Freya said nothing as she took in the information she was gleaning from the exhibit placards describing the objects therein.

One placard described the history of the Japanese take over of what became Hokkaido and the ensuing encroachment on the Ainu people's lands and ways of living.

It was while reading a placard describing their form of religion and their worship of bears that Freya finally spoke.

With tears in her eyes she said thickly, "Thes is loch th' his'try ay me own fowk when th' Scandis came north an' druv us frae uir haemlands, oanly thes happened fairly recently."

She shook her head and murmured, "Those puir Ainu, they hud nae place tae escape tae, they coods oanly try tae survife."

Turning away from the exhibit that had elicited her response, Freya walked over to the information desk and declared,"Ah wish tae speak tae an Ainu elder abit buildin' an Inukshuk, who can Ah speak tae?"

The young woman at the desk looked up, her mouth agape at the sight of a giantess standing before her.

Blinking a couple of times, she replied hesitantly, "I don't really know who you could speak to around here. There is an Ainu vllage over in Kushiro and the Museum of Northern Peoples is in Abashiri. Perhaps they would know someone?"

She smiled at the towering young giantess, "I can give you a map, if that will help?"

Freya nodded at her response and said, "A map woods be helpful, thenk ye kindly."

The young woman handed Freya a map and a train schedule and said brightly, "Good luck!"

Taking Roger firmly by the hand, Freya practically blew out of the museum and all but ran back to the train station where she bought tickets for Kushiro.

When that particular train arrived, they quickly boarded it and found seats.

Once again they politely ignored the straying glances from the other passengers who upon arriving at their own destinations, would talk about the giantess they had seen on the train to Kushiro.

An hour later, they exited at their stop and walked towards the Akan Ainu Kotan, a somewhat tourist trappy destination for those interested in Ainu culture.

Still on her mission, Freya headed towards the information center and entered the small building.

Once inside she straightened up to her full height and smiled at the receptionist behind the counter.

The mature woman's mouth gaped and she muttered, "Oni!" to herself before she recovered from her surprise and said, "How may I help you?" in excellent English.

Freya smiled again and said, "Me nam is Freya Sigurdsdottir an' Ah wish tae speak tae an Ainu elder abit buildin' an Inukshuk haur, tae honor th' Ainu fowk."

The woman blinked a couple of times and at her puzzled expression Roger took out his smartphone and pulled up some photos of an Inukshuk for her to see.

He smiled and said, "Freya is a Jotun, a frost giant and she wishes to pay her respects to the Ainu people."

The woman looked up at Freya's expression and saw how serious she was, then she asked, "Is there a connection between your people and the Ainu?"

Freya smiled and replied,"Aye, both uir fowk waur driven frae uir homes by invaders frae th' south lands. We escaped by gonnae a new lain o'er twa thoosain years ago. Yer fowk hud tae stay an' adapt."

"Ah ken hoo ye feel!"

The woman pondered Freya's remarks then she picked up her phone and began speaking rapidly.

Concluding her call, she hung up and said, "Someone will see you very shortly."

A couple of minutes later, a tall stocky man with long white hair, a heavy beard and an impressive mustache.

Entered the information center.

He was clearly an Ainu and he grinned when he saw Freya's towering form.

"Hello!" he began, "I'm Kuzuno Tatsujiro, you may call me Tatsujiro. Imekanu here tells me you are a Jotun, I can readily believe that from your size alone."

He asked, "Now, what can I do for you?"

Freya smiled back and replied, "Ah wish tae build an Inukshuk tae pay me respects tae yoor fowk. Me own fowk had tae flee fur uir lives o'er twa thoosain years agone, tae escape th' Scandis camin' up frae th' sooth land efter th' ice retreated."

Tatsujiro pondered her remarks and said, "Would you be willing to build two of them? One would be built here and the other would be built at the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples."

Freya smiled and said, "Ah'll need stanes fur buildin' these twa monuments, an' some help."

Tatsujiro grinned and said, "Stones we got, help you'll get, when do you want to start doing this?"

"Today woods be guid." said Freya with a grin.

Tatsujiro guffawed and said, "Not one for wasting time are you? Ah, the passion of your youth!"

Freya merely smiled and Roger grinned, Freya was on a mission! God help the foot draggers.

Tatsujiro gestured towards the door and said, "Let me show you what stones we do have on hand."

Leaving the building, the trio walked though the 'village' part of the museum's collections while paying the gawking tourists no heed.

Passing through a gate to the storage yard, Tatsujiro led them to where the monument stones were kept prior to being engraved for posterity.

There Freya looked the stones over with a critical eye until finally she look up at Tatsujiro and said,"Ah'll need bigger stones than these, is thaur a quarry nearby?"

He thought about her comment and said,"There is the quarry where we get our stones from, we can go there if you'd like."

Freya's brilliant smile really lit up her pretty face and Tatsujiro chuckled before saying to Roger, "How can you say no to that face?"

"It comes with practice." replied Roger drily.

A short time later they were seated in a van being driven by Tatsujiro as he took them to the rock quarry he'd mentioned.

As he drove, Roger told him about the museum he worked for and how they'd wound up in Hokkaido in the first place.

Tatsujiro's only real comment was, "I'd like to see your notebooks about the youkai you've encountered. Particularly any sketches you've drawn, clearly you have the 'sight' and have seen what we can only guess at."

"You're welcome to scan it, that way you'll have an accurate copy for your own files."

Tatsujiro grinned at his reply and said, "That'd be perfect!"

Arriving at the gates to the little used rock quarry, Tatsujiro hopped out, unlocked the gates and pulled the small van through before closing them back up again.

Driving further into the rock quarry, he parked the van and everyone got out.

Freya glanced around with a critical eye until she said, "Ah! Thaur they ur!" And strode over to the large blocks of rough cut stone she'd spotted.

Roger and Tatsujiro stood by while Freya picked over the stones, smiling all the while.

At one point she grinned at them and said cheerfully, "Thaur's mair than enaw stanes tae build twa Inukshuks haur! Sae mony tae choose frae!"

Roger laughed and called out, "Just pick the ones you like and we'll get a truck to haul them."

"That's th' trooble, Ah loch them aw!" retorted Freya.

In the end, she picked out enough stones to build the two Inukshuks originally agreed to and they were marked with ribbons for the delivery crew to pick up.

Driving back to the Akan Ainu Kotan, Tatsujiro asked, "How do you want to do this?"

Without batting a lash Freya replied,"Wull be stayin' haur tonicht sae we can gie an early start oan yer Inukshuk."

Nodding in agreement Tatsujiro said, "We can put you two up tonight, that will give you a chance to meet some of our elders. I'm certain they'd like to meet you!"

Freya grinned, "Ah'd loch 'at verra much!"

Roger, seeing that an arrangement had been made hauled out his satellite phone and called Lorna first.

"Where are you?" She asked.

"We, are in Kushiro at the Akan Ainu Kotan village. We, are going to stay the night and build an Inukshuk in the morning." he replied.

"And?" She replied.

"Next, we will head up to Abashiri to build an Inukshuk at the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples."

"Woah, I take it she's on a mission?"

Roger suppressed a chuckle and replied, "You could say that."

Lorna asked, "Do you guys have a change of underwear at least?"

"Uh, no."

"Seriously? I swear that girl forgets everything when she's on a mission. Don't go anywhere else until I get there!"

"Yes dear." replied Roger with a grin.

Ending the call Roger glanced over at Freya and Tatsujiro who were watching him.

He smiled and said, "Lorna's coming up to bring us a change of clothing, we are not to go anywhere until she gets here!"

At Tatsujiro's expression Roger said, "Lorna is Freya's oldest friend from school. Her mother sends her to Japan every summer to stay with her aunt Meiko in the hopes she'll become a 'proper' Japanese girl."

He grinned, "Someday, she might succeed!"

Tatsujiro grinned and said, "Let's hear it for 'improper' young women dragging us into a better future!"

Arriving at the village, they exited the somewhat cramped for Freya van and Tatsujiro said, "Come with me and I'll introduce you to the elders. Mind you, they don't speak any English, so I'll be translating for both sides."

He led them to a traditional styled building and opened the door for them.

Freya stepped in first, followed quickly by Roger, then Tatsujiro.

What Roger first saw was several men with very luxurious beards, mustaches and long hair, then several older women with the distinctive facial tattooing worn by many older Ainu women.

They all stared at Freya's towering form as her head nearly brushed the ceiling, a Jotun was among them.

Tatsujiro stepped forwards and began speaking.

The elders listened quietly at first, then as he continued, they became more animated in their reactions to his speech as he introduced them to the village elders.

While he talked one of the women got to her feet and approached Freya, who knelt in respect as the old woman drew near.

The woman who's face was seamed with the fine creases of age, smiled as she looked closely at Freya's face and bright blue eyes.

She lightly touched her face, then her long red-gold braids and nodded her approval of Freya's demeanor.

Turning to face the rest of the elders she spoke in a language unfamiliar to Roger, she was speaking in Ainu, not Japanese.

To Roger's and Tatsujiro's astonishment Freya smiled at the group and said something in her own language which sounded strangely similar.

The honored assemblage of elders beamed at her remarks, they had understood her and her remarks had touched off an animated discussion among themselves.

She smiled at Roger's questioning look and said, "Ah recognised some ay whit they waur sayin', it soonds loch whit Ah'd hear me granny say whilst she war singin' tae me."

Roger could only laugh and say, "Once again you have surprised me, what's next?"

Freya merely smiled mysteriously and replied coyly, "Ef Ah tauld ye, it woodnae be a surprise noo woods it?"

"So, what did you say?"

"Ah tauld them Ah wished tae build an Inukshuk tae honor uir connections as north lander fowk."

At one point the woman who had approached Freya wanted to see what an Inukshuk looked like, this prompted Roger to haul out his phone and pull up some Inukshuk images so they could see what it was that Freya wanted to do.

A short time later the Ainu elders had approved of Freya's project idea.

Shortly after that, Tatsujiro made a few calls and when he was finished, he beamed at the two and said, "I have a crew and a couple of heavy trucks coming to get the stones you've selected. Another crew is coming here to prepare a place for the Inukshuk."

He grinned and said, "Your saying something they understood really tipped the odds in your favor Freya. How is it that you understood what they were saying when so few non Ainu speak our language?"

Freya merely smiled as she replied,"Ah recognized some ay whit they waur sayin' frae things Ah heard me grandmother say tae me when Ah was wee."

Roger and Tatsujiro glanced at each other and Roger said,"I have a feeling that contact with some Jotuns may have been the origin of the oni legends much like they inspired the big foot legends back in North America. In fact I'm thinking more and more that Jotuns were the basis for the 'giants of old' tales."

It was decided to place the Inukshuk among the totem poles located at the entrance to the 'village proper, and at Freya's direction a spot was chosen to secure the main uprights.

While waiting for the stones to arrive, Lorna and Christina arrived at the train station with Roger and Freya's things as well as their own.

Handing their overnight bags over to Roger and Freya, Lorna, never having seen an Ainu village before, took Christina with her and they looked around inside the museum and the village itself.

Tatsujiro smiled at the two as they looked around and said to Roger, "I'm a bit surprised the Japanese girl had never heard of us before, the Filipina I can understand, but the other girl..."

Roger said quietly, "Lorna is fourth or fifth generation American born and raised, the Ainu would likely not be familiar to her. In her defense, her family did experience internment during the war as the U.S. Government got some idea the Japanese Americans might cause problems, so they rounded them up and placed them in remote camps 'for their own protection' as they claimed."

He sighed, "Thing is, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team which was largely made up of Nisei volunteers, was the most highly decorated unit of the war, with many medal of honor recipients, many of which were awarded posthumously."

Glancing at Tatsujiro he said, "They proved their loyalty to a land that discriminated against them many times over. We owe them a debt of gratitude."

Tatsujiro replied, "I had heard that Japanese immigrants were treated unkindly in America during the war but have only met a few Americans of Japanese ancestry. Let us hope that Lorna finds our village interesting."

"I'm sure she will."

When the trucks arrived, Freya got in back of the first one and they drove off to the quarry to fetch the stones she'd picked out.

Roger meanwhile was taken to the rooms they would be staying in with the assumption that Lorna and Christina would also be staying the night.

Roger finally caught up with Lorna and Christina when he found them in an Ainu restaurant, sampling the traditional Ainu foods.

Lorna had a note book open beside her as she tasted the foods and wrote down what ingredients she was able to suss out from tasting their offerings.

Sitting across from her, he grinned and remarked, "Taking notes are we?"

Lorna grinned back and replied,"Of course! I would be highly remiss if I didn't take notes of what I was eating while here, in Japan."

She smiled and said, "Someday, if I have kids, I'll be handing them my own 'secret recipe' note book, much like my own granny gave to me after she passed on."

She said softly, "When I look at her recipes, it's almost like I'm hearing her talking to me again while I cook her special recipes."

Roger nodded at her comment then said,"We have been given rooms to stay in while we are here, you two are welcome to stay with us, at least for tonight."

Lorna grinned and replied, "That'll be great and we can go back tomorrow first thing."

Roger smiled and asked, "Did you guys find this village interesting?"

Christina smiled and said cheerfully, "It reminds me of the aborigine villages I used to see out in the provinces back home."

She paused, shook her head and remarked, "Now my home is in Portland, Oregon since I mouthed off to my grandmother like I did."

Lorna thought for a few moments then replied,"Yes, it is very interesting and a bit troubling."

"Troubling?"

"Yes, troubling."

She glanced around and said in a low voice,"I grew up hearing about the internment camps my family was put in and how we almost lost our business, but a white neighbor of ours bought our property and held onto it while we were gone.

"When we came back, he sold it back to us for a dollar and welcomed us home again."

She sighed, "To learn that the Ainu, who are like the Native Americans back home, have suffered a similar fate here in Japan saddened me. My aunt Meiko hadn't mentioned it to me before and I'm not sure if it was intentional or not."

Pausing in her remarks, Lorna commented, "Even though I may look Japanese, they still know I'm an American, a foreigner from the way I carry myself."

Roger sighed and remarked, "I think it is safe to say there is not a single country that is without its skeletons, its dark history and in a way, racism and bigotry is everywhere. Some countries are better at hiding it than others, I'm afraid."

He smiled, "Don't judge your auntie too harshly Lorna, she may not have known how to tell you about the fate of the Ainu."

Glancing around, Roger said, "I came here to let you guys know that we have a place to stay and you are welcome to join us."

"As for me, I'm waiting for her to get back from the rock quarry with her stones for this town's Inukshuk. Then we're off to Abashiri to put one up at the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples and after that, we'll be taking off for home."

Rising from his seat he smiled at the two young women and said, "Catch you guys later!"

"Laterz!" they said in unison and grinned.

Roger got back to the gateway at about the same time as the truck, the stones and Freya got back.

By this time there was a gathering of sturdy Ainu men and women, all ready to lend a hand.

Many of them had not seen her before and were heard murmuring 'oni' among themselves.

The truck eased alongside the spot chosen for the Inukshuk and stopped.

Hopping down from the truck's flat bed Freya smiled at everybody and began untying the heavy stones while a couple of the sturdier men began digging a foundation hole for the first stone while Roger recorded what they were doing.

Soon he was joined by Lorna and Christina who wisely stayed out of the way.

Using a lattice of bamboo poles, the first stone was carried to the freshly dug hole and set in place before earth was tamped firmly around it.

While Freya and her crew labored, the rest of the Ainu began setting up cooking pots and started preparing food.

Lorna, unable to stand idly by, joined in and was soon cutting up meats and vegetables alongside the Ainu.

Not to be outdone, Christina joined in and the two cheerfully worked alongside the Ainu to make food for everyone.

Once the second major stone was emplaced, the rest went up fairly quickly and to place the final stone, a construction crane was brought up and it hoisted the last stone into place to the cheers of all concerned.

An Ainu elder performed an ancient ritual as he blessed the Inukshuk and Freya for making the Ainu aware of her people and their mutual interests.

Chairs and tables were set up and spread out so everyone could eat.

Before long everyone including the visitors who had watched the proceedings was sitting at the tables and enjoying the food the Ainu women had made to celebrate.

Sake and beer flowed freely and no one went hungry.

After she finished eating Freya presented Tatsujiro with a scroll she had written in English and in Runes, it was a message of friendship and goodwill between the Ainu and the Jotuns and was to be carved into the faces of the two main stones.

The entire event was recorded for posterity as this was one of the biggest things to happen at the Akan Ainu Kotan, near Kushiro in Hokkaido, Japan.

The next day after having seen Lorna and Christina get on the train back to Shinshinotsu and watching it leave.

Roger, Freya and Tatsujiro followed the second flat bed truck as it made its way to Abashiri, Hokkaido and the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples.

The museum staff had been made aware of the truck's impending arrival and they had selected a spot where the Inukshuk would stand and secured the use of a crane truck to lift the heavy stones into place.

Arriving close to night fall, the vehicles were parked and a cheap hotel was looked up.

Once the staff got over the shock of seeing Freya's towering form, Roger took their room keys and secured their luggage.

Having secured a room and their belongings, everyone went to a nearby restaurant where once again, the staff briefly gawked at Freya's size, swiftly found them a booth and took their orders.

Honshu being Japan's 'cattle country' Freya ordered a meal with Yonezawa beef cuts and a large curry ramen, while Roger settled for a Yonezawa beef curry ramen.

A bottle of chilled Tozai Nigori 'Snow Maiden' sake washed everything down quite nicely.

Turning his tiny sake cup upside before he set it down to signify he was finished drinking, Tatsujiro smiled and said,"These past few days have been most interesting.

Had someone told me I would be having dinner with a Jotun maiden who was about to erect an Inukshuk outside of our museum, I truly would have questioned their sanity!"

"Yet here we are, doing the very last thing you would have thought of doing!" replied Roger with his trademark crooked grin in place.

"Yes, here we are!" said Tatsujiro.

He looked over at Freya who was listening to their exchange and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

She smiled and replied,"Ah loch tae donate some Jotun items fur yoor museum tae show uir connections tae the Ainu fowk as Ah understuid some ay whit Ah heard th' Ainu womenfowk sayin' tae each other."

Tatsujiro pondered her remarks and said,"It could be that some Jotun visitors may have inspired the oni legends from ancient times."

Roger smiled and said, "We have reason to believe that Jotun explorers may have inspired the Irish giant legends, much like the woodelves inspired the wee folk stories from Northern Europe."

He grinned, "I'm convinced the story of Fenris eating Odin during ragnarok was inspired by a great guardian wolf seen by the early Norse settlers."

Roger looked over at Tatsujiro and asked,"Have you ever sat in Nopporo Shinrin natural park near the ancient Linden tree right before dusk?"

Tatsujiro smiled at his question and replied,"I have, many times over."

"Freya and I were there a couple of days ago and because we have the sight, we saw and heard the tiny kodama as they emerged to greet the coming night. What we didn't expect was to see a shishigami and as it looked right at us, a lost hiker with a bright flashlight blundered along and they all disappeared!"

"I'm sorry to hear that. It is said that forest travelers who see a shishigami rarely survive the encounter, you are lucky!" remarked Tatsujiro.

"We know." replied Roger, "Having the sight is not always a blessing and we have been very fortunate."

Briefly, Roger related the tale of their encounter with the winter gods Cernunnos and Morrigan and how she accepted their impromptu gift of freshly cut mistletoe which saved their lives and forced them to cut more from a different oak tree, one with an ailing tree spirit residing within its gnarled branches.

Leaving the restaurant they made their way back to the hotel and entered their respective rooms after wishing each other pleasant dreams.

Freya undressed while Roger laid out the futon and the rest of the bedding

When he was finished he looked over at Freya who was forced to stand with a hunched over posture as the ceiling was only high enough for most humans, not a Jotun girl standing just over nine feet tall.

She smiled at him and lay down on the bedding clad only in her under panties, a sight Roger had grown accustomed to over the years.

He undressed and lay down beside her just before she turned out the light, leaving only a dimly glowing night light in case of a need to visit the rest room during the night.

She took him into her shapely arms and he soon fell sound asleep.

In the soft grey light of predawn, Roger slipped out of their bed and washed up.

Emerging from the bathroom, he saw Freya sitting up and looking around while blinking the last of the previous night's sleep fog from her mind.

She muttered, "Dae they hae coffee haur?"

Roger grinned as he slipped on his shoes and said, "I'm gonna go find out!"

Moments later after a brief kiss, he closed the door behind himself, leaving Freya to perform her morning's ablutions.

By the time she had finished and was nearly dressed, the door opened and Roger came in bearing a paperboard tray laden with three coffees and some sweetrolls to whet her appetite before breakfast.

He smiled at her and said, "This was the best I could do sizewise."

Freya gratefully accepted his offering and after blowing across the cup a few times, downed most of the large coffee in one go.

Roger chuckled and offered her the second cup with the words, "I figured one might not be enough, drink up!"

She smiled, took the second coffee and most of the sweetrolls and began noshing and sipping while Roger nibbled on his own sweetrolls and sipped his coffee.

Leaving the room with their things, they saw Tatsujiro standing outside with his own coffee and a cigarette.

As they approached, he stubbed the cigarette out and grinned at them through his impressive beard.

"I'm allowed one cigarette a day." He said as they smiled at him.

Roger chuckled and replied, "I gave them up shortly after meeting Freya, to set a better example."

They entered the restaurant and ordered breakfast, once the morning staff got over Freya's size.

Roger chuckled and commented, "You'd think the afternoon staff would've clued the morning crew of the likelyhood of us coming back in the morning." While pointing out the freshly posted photo of the afternoon staff posing with Freya as proof of her visit.

Tatsujiro merely shrugged as he tucked into his breakfast bowl and noshed.

"Whit time daes th' crew arrive?" asked Freya between bites.

"Should be any minute now." replied Tatsujiro after he glanced at the clock on the wall.

By the time they'd finished eating, the crane truck and several Ainu workmen had arrived and were waiting on Roger and Freya to settle up their bill.

Joining the workcrew, the trio walked over to where the museum wanted the Inukshuk to be placed.

Here Freya took over as she looked over the heavy stones, took up a shovel and began digging the first hole.

A couple of the Ainu took out their cell phones and recorded Freya as she dug.

Tossing aside her shovel, she pointed out the first stone to be placed and smiled at the crew.

The crane truck was brought closer and the heavy stone was fitted with a sling harness then lifted from the wooden supports that had cushioned it during its journey.

Bringing the stone about, under Freya's close supervision, it was stood on one end and planted firmly in the hole.

Earth was then sprinkled in the hole and packed down tightly.

Freya measured the height of the first stone, then dug the second hole accordingly.

The second stone was hefted from the truck's bed and it too, was stood up and planted firmly.

The third stone was laid across the tops of the first two stones and the base of the Inukshuk was complete.

By this time, a small crowd of onlookers had gathered to watch the proceedings and they applauded when the third stone was in place.

At this point Tatsujiro commented to Roger, "Is she always like this? So energetic?"

Roger merely smiled and replied,"When Freya's on a mission it's best to stay out of her way, otherwise you might get hurt."

He smiled at the Ainu representative and said, "If you think she is strong, wait'll you see her dad! There's a reason why grizzly bears leave Jotuns alone, their sheer strength is a part of it."

They watched as two more stones were set in place and the height difference was adjusted with thin slabs of stone stacked atop the shorter piece.

The sixth stone was laid across the two shorter stones and finally, the last stone was lifted from its wooden cushion, turned this way and that way then set into place atop the Inukshuk intended to symbolize the hidden bonds between the Jotuns and the Ainu of Hokkaido, Japan.

Stepping back to admire her efforts, Freya turned around and bowed to the appreciative gathering of Ainu and curious tourists.

They applauded her efforts and many photos were taken of the day a pretty oni put up a monument to the Ainu people of Japan.

A final stone was to be placed later on, and on it would be engraved a message to the Ainu from their kindred spirits among the Jotuns.

Freya had written it out in runes and provided an English translation to be included on the stone.

Tatsujiro wrote the Ainu response to her message and it too would be translated into English and included on the stone, albeit in a smaller size like Freya's message.

Two days later Roger, Freya and Lana were saying their good byes to Christina and Lorna and her relatives at the Okadama airport.

They were suitably impressed at the sight of the lumbering sea plane and smiled when they saw the Hokkaido flag decal freshly applied to Moby Dick's fuselage alongside the Hahajima island's crest decal.

Freya hugged her two former classmates, Lorna and Christina with Lorna saying firmly, "Make sure you let us know you got home safe and sound, okay?"

Lorna's cousins Minoru and Kimiko hesitated briefly until Lorna declared, "Go ahead, get your hug so you can tell your friends about it!"

Grinning, they stepped forward and experienced the biggest hugs of their lives as Freya enveloped them in her shapely arms and held them closely for a few moments.

Roger shook hands with Tamatsu and Meiko first then he turned to Keichi Honda and they bowed slightly in traditional Japanese fashion before shaking hands and grinning at each other.

Keichi smiled and said, "Be sure to come back to see the little shrine we're putting up in memory of your encounter with the nine tailed fox."

Roger grinned back as he handed Keichi a copy of his report on their forest encounter and said,"I think you'll find this interesting, especially the illustrations!"

Keichi took the slim folder and bowed slightly as he said, "I will add this to the temple's archives on our mythology."

Smiling, Roger remarked, "I think you'll find that the unseen, the dwellers in our shadow are closer to us than we know. Thus far in our journey we have encountered 'neighbors' who were endemic to their regions, neighbors who could travel freely via special gateways and neighbors who were godlike in aspect and power."

Feeling a tugging on his pant leg, Roger instinctively reached down and picked up Lana's tiny form, cradling her in the crook of his arm he smiled at her and said, "And neighbors who've decided to join us in our travels!"

Lana grinned and said in her piccolo of a voice, "When I learned I may have distant cousins in another part of this world, I decided I wanted to meet them and since they were willing to take me along...Here I am!"

Roger grinned and said, "Menehunes like their European cousins, the woodelves have a way of stealing their way into someone's heart!"

A young woman in casual street clothes approached Roger and said, "Excuse me, I saw you the other night at the natural park when I was lost."

He looked at her briefly and after a moment he smiled and said, "I remember you now, you had that brilliant flashlight!"

She smiled shyly and said, "I forgot to thank you properly!"

Then she bowed at a proper slight angle before she glanced over at Freya who was chatting happily with her friends and said, "I thought I was seeing things when I saw her stand up, I thought she was an oni in real life. Now I see she is real and not an oni. Just really tall!"

Roger chuckled at her remarks and said,"I have reason to believe her people may have inspired the giant legends that seem to be common among the northern cultures, just like Lana's people inspired the tales of 'little people' we so often hear about."

At his mentioning of her name, Lana smiled and waved at the young woman who gaped at the tiny menehune waving at her.

Lana grinned and said in her squeak of a voice, "Hi! My name's Lana, pleasure to meet you, what's yours?"

At a loss for words the young woman bowed deeply and stammered, "H, Hirose, Akane, I, I'm pleased to meet you!"

Recovering her composure Akane said brightly, "My band mates are not gonna believe this, can I get a picture of you two together?"

Roger grinned and said, "I have a better idea!"

He turned and callled out, "Freya! We have a visitor and she wants a picture of us together!"

Freya trotted over and stood looming over them with a smile on her face.

She grinned and said, "Ah remember ye noo, ye hae 'at stoatin bright flashlight! Me nam's Freya, Ah'm pleased tae meit yer!"

Akane began laughing until she finally said, "I think I got what you said. My name is Hirose, Akane and I stopped to thank you two for helping me find my car the other night when I was lost."

She smiled and asked if she could get a few photos of her with them to prove to her band mates that she really had seen a giantess and a tiny person while cold sober.

The four of them posed together while Akane's phone was used to take a number of photos of the little group together.

Roger asked, "What is the name of your band?"

Akane grinned and declared cheerfully, "Band-Maid! You can find our videos on view tube, we've posted lots of them!"

A short time later the bulky Martin Mariner was taking off and headed towards Shemya Island and its airbase known as Eareckson Air Station located among the Aleutian Islands, then on to Anchorage Alaska before heading down to Portland Oregon and home.

To diminish the effects of inclement weather, they bundled up with care and flew at ten thousand feet altitude, which was about their limit without supplementary oxygen and electrically heated flying suits.

Tiny Lana was carefully wrapped in a blanket and placed where Roger and Freya could see her.

Flying at a stately 200 MPH, Roger figured the flight would last just about eight hours and to while away the time, he and Freya monitored the weather in case a course correction became necessary.

When they were still some five hours out, Roger radioed the air station and asked for a Tammy Hopkins.

When she responded with a crisp, "This is Ms. Hopkins, what can I do for you?"

Roger grinned and said,"Major Caffery sent me, I'm Roger Tate."

She laughed and said, "I was wondering when you were gonna show up. You're lucky there's no walruses lying about on our runway today."

Roger chuckled and remarked, "That's fine by me, our bird is a little big for playing 'dodge the walrus'. We are still about five hours out and cruising at about two hundred miles per hour. I'm sure your radar has already picked us up as a slow moving object heading your way."

Tammy chuckled and said, "We see you and yes, you are a slow moving object which gives us plenty of time to hide any embarrassing items and get a room or two ready."

"Just the one room will be fine as it's just the three of us."

"Thanks for the heads up, and we'll see you in about five hours!" remarked Tammy as she signed off.

Roger glanced at Lana and said, "Until we can get you in a warm room, you are gonna stay in that blanket. We can't have you getting sick before Dena has had a chance to meet you."

Lana just smiled and said "Yes daddy!" in her piccolo of a voice.

He merely rolled his eyes at her remark, they both knew perfectly well that since she remembered the days when steamships and sea planes laden with rich, white tourists, came to Hawai'i, she was likely close to a hundred years old, while looking only about twenty five or so.

Vectoring in on the beacon coming from the air station, Roger flew while Freya went down into the galley and brewed up some fresh coffee to warm themselves up or rather warm up Roger and Lana, Freya herself was perfectly fine in the cold.

Returning from her foray into the galley, Freya came bearing steaming mugs of hot, fresh coffee and handed one to Roger before resuming her seat.

He gratefully blew on his mug a couple of times then took a great sup and sighed contentedly, this was the life!

Freya held out a tiny mug of coffee for Lana and the tiny menehune grasped it happily, she had been introduced to coffee and took to it quite cheerfully.

Sitting up while still partly wrapped in her blanket with a mug of coffee and a big smile on her pretty face caused Roger to take out his small digital camera and comment, "If ever there was a true 'Kodak moment' this would be one of them!" as he took a couple of photos of her.

Lana naturally obliged him by giving him a dazzling smile when she held up her tiny coffee mug for the photos he took.

An hour or so later, Freya took the wheel and began slowly descending.

Shemya Island lay dead ahead of them, it was a bleak windswept rocky island along the string of islands making up theAleutians.

Its main claim to fame was that it had been the airfield used to support bombing raids against the Japanese held Kurile islands during World War two and afterward had been transformed into an early warning radar installation for monitoring Soviet missile activity.

As she brought the bulky Martin Mariner closer, she lowered the landing gear and as it clunked into place, she commented,"Thaur's nae a cabre in secht. Hoo bleak!"

Moments later the wheels touched down with a bit of a screech and Freya reversed the four bladed props to scrub off speed.

Up ahead they could see a couple of service vehicles with their amber beacons flashing.

They had arrived.

Taxiing up to the service vehicle, the ground guide signalled for them to follow him off the ten thousand foot long runway to where they could shut off the plane.

Lumbering along behind the Jeep with its flashing lights, they looked around at the airbase.

The huge radar antennae buildingsdominated the bleak landscape and were clearly aimed towards the former Soviet state.

Freya asked,"Whit is th' purpose ay those things?" as she pointed out the massive objects.

Roger replied,"Those are a radar system designed to monitor activity at the old Soviet now Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome, to make sure they're not launching any missiles aimed towards the U.S."

"An' th' purpose ay this is?"

"There are some who feel that a nuclear attack could originate from there and these huge radar antennae are basically for keeping things honest." replied Roger.

He grinned and said, "Think of it as eavesdropping from afar."

Freya could only shake her head at the very concept of such an attack and said glumly, "Ah cannae ken th' need fur sich a thing as a missile 'at can destroy whole cities. It makes nae sense tae me tae kill oan sich a scale."

When the groundguide signalled Freya to shut off the engines, she did so and as the huge propellers whirled to a stop, Roger asked, "Having seen these sort of things, any regrets about coming out of the forests?"

Freya pondered his question and after a few moments, she said,"Ah hae nae regrets abit bein' wi' ye, Ah jist wonder hoo Ah am gonnae tell me fowks abit whit Ah've seen sae far."

Reaching over to take his much smaller hand, Freya smiled and said,"Had Ah stayed in th' forest, Ah woods nae hae seen sae mony wonderful things, an' met sae mony guid people who became me mukkers."

Before they exited the plane, Roger activated the post flight cool down system and opened the bomb bay doors to reveal the rack where the oil cans were stored.

Then he took up Lana snuggled in her blanket and exited the bulky seaplane in time to see the fuel truck driver and ground guide gaping at Freya's size.

A perfectly normal reaction for someone who'd never met a frost giantess before.

Another vehicle pulled up and a tall white woman dressed in bulky outer garments got out.

She took one look at Freya and said cheerfully, "Major Caffery wasn't kidding when she said you were tall!" extending her hand she said brightly, "I'm Tammy Hopkins and I run this place, pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Freya grinned as they shook hands, "Th' pleaure's aw mine!"

Tammy turned towards Roger and they shook hands as well.

She smiled and said,"You mentioned there were three of you, I only see you two."

Roger grinned and said, "Allow me to introduce you to Miss Lana Llacuna, a true native Hawai'ian."

He gestured and Lana smiled and waved at the tall brunette.

Tammy's reaction was an easily predicted, "Oh my Gawd! She is sooo cute! I had no idea anyone like her existed. Where did you meet her?"

Roger smiled and said,"Let us get out of the chilly, then we can talk!"

"Of course, come with me!"

Having shown the fuel truck driver where the fuel tanks were and and where the oil went, they piled into Ms. Hopkin's van and she drove them to their rooms.

As she drove Ms Hopkins remarked, "You guys are lucky the weather's behaving it self today, sometimes we're kinda fogged in and landing by instrument is a must."

Roger replied, "We're only staying the night to get fuel and a good night's sleep, then we're off for Anchorage in the morning."

Pulling up in front of what resembled a budget priced hotel, Tammy said, "Here it is, our 'luxury' visitors' accommodations, let's get you guys checked in."

She stepped out of the boxy van with Roger and Freya close behind, with overnight bags in hand.

Entering what could best be described as a 'lobby', Tammy sat down behind the desk, rummaged around in one of the drawers until she smiled and held up a key in triumph.

Handing the key to Roger she said, "The chow hall opens at zero six thirty to zero eight thirty for breakfast, eleven hundred to twelve thirty for lunch and again at sixteen hundred and is open until nineteen hundred hours, for dinner." she grinned "The cooks are gonna love seeing you three!"

With that she led them to their room, opened the door and said, "I'll be at chow around seventeen hundred hours, then we can talk! Toodles!"

Roger looked at her rapidly diminishing backside and commented, "That is one busy lady!"

Tammy suddenly stopped, turned around and called out, "Much of this place is off limits, don't be wandering about without a guide!"

Roger gave her a cheery 'thumb's up' and she continued on her way.

Entering the room, Freya quickly realized that standing up straight was not an option nor were the beds nearly long enough for her long, lean frame.

To address that issue they placed the three beds side by side, thereby creating a Jotun sized bed if one didn't mind the slight gaps between the mattresses.

It would work nicely, Freya thought.

Lana looked the enormous bed over and said, Where am I going to sleep?"

Roger grinned, "You'll sleep between us of course. Dena does that all the time!"

He smirked and said drily, "If she asks, just tell her you were protecting Freya's virtue."

"Seriously?"

"Yep!"

"Really?!"

Roger laughed, "Really, really!"

Freya rolled her eyes and muttered, "She kips wi' heem e'en ef Ah'm not wi' heem, she diz 'at sort ay 'hing aw th' time. Says he keeps 'er warm at nicht."

Lana giggled and said, "Dena sounds like quite the character."

Roger chuckled and said drily, "Character is putting it quite mildly. But in her defense, if the shit's flying, she's on my side no matter what."

"How so?"

"It's a bondin' hin'. If a wuid guidwife bonds wi' someain, it's fur th' lifetime ay 'at someain.

Dena bonded wi' Roger years ago an' has slept wi' heem e'er since." Replied Freya.

"What she said!"

Roger glanced at the clock on the desk and said, "Chow won't be for another couple of hours. Imma stretching out for a bit!"

With that he took off his boots and outer garments before he crawled into the huge impromptu bed and made himself comfortable.

A few moments the ladies shrugged, took off their own outer garments, which for Freya consisted of a scarf made of woolybug wool and a plaid shirt, and joined him.

Like clockwork, Roger opened his eyes almost exactly two hours later and sat up.

He looked around and said, "It's chow time, if you're joining me you'd best be getting up!"

Freya yawned and stretched hugely while tiny Lana simply got out of the way, stole a glance at the clock and exclaimed, "Two hours, almost to the minute!"

Roger grinned and replied, "It's a trick I learned in the Marines, came in real handy when catching some 'Z's during guard duty!"

He got out of the huge bed, pulled on his boots and outer garments and said with a grin, "Let's see what they're offering at the chow hall. I haven't had chow hall food in ages!"

Freya rolled her eyes at Roger's boyish enthusiasm, pulled on her boots, put on her plaid shirt and wrapped her handknitted scarf loosely around her neck while Lana put on the boots and the jacket she'd taken from the 'Dena' doll's clothing ensemble.

Locking the room behind them they exited the building and followed the signs to the air station's mess hall.

Upon their entering the mess hall, silence fell like a curtain across the assemblage gathered therein.

Seeing a nine foot two inch tall young woman with red-gold hair in two thick braids and Norse goddess looks standing in the doorway was not something they'd seen before.

The lean, sandy haired, sunburnt white man standing beside her barely registered in their collective consciousness.

Tammy Hopkins came to their rescue by standing up and waving as she called out,"I'm over here, just sign in and get your food then come join me."

Roger spotted the sign in sheet and they went over to it and signed their names in the 'guests' column.

Grabbing a tray he said, "Do as I do!" and set out to get dinner.

Taking Lana with him he went to the line's beginning and got for himself a chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley.

Lana got a piece of cod fish and a spoonful of rice Pilaf.

The young woman who served them looked wide eyed at Lana and giggled when Lana waved at her.

Freya got enough to feed a small family while politely ignoring the gape mouthed looks she was getting.

The mess hall at Eareckson Air Station would remember their visit for a long time to come, especially once the photo of most of the staff there posing with Freya in their midst, got framed and mounted on the wall.

Joining Tammy at the table she'd had set up for them, she smiled at them and said cheerfully,"Tell me, everything!"

"From the beginning?" said Roger.

"Of course!"

"Thirteen some billion years ago..."

"Not that beginning!"

Roger grinned while Freya rolled her eyes...Again.

"Okay, seriously now."

For the next half hour or so Roger and Freya talked about some of their adventures together and when Lana came into the story, she added her own perspective on things by saying, "When they told me about the woodwife named Dena Greenwood, I decided I wanted to meet her and joined them. I wanted to see if the woodelves they'd mentioned were any relation to us menehune and what better way to find out than by meeting them?"

Lana grinned, "Besides, I have five older sisters who are all married and have children of their own. My mom has all the grandkids she can handle!"

Finishing off her second cup of coffee, Tammy set it down and remarked, "So much to digest! Frost giants, Woodelves, Lamias, Arachne? And now Menehunes all sharing the world we live on, what else will we be finding hiding in our shadows?"

Roger could only shrug in response.

He had no idea either, although he did have a few clues to go by and thought better of talking about them.

The world wasn't quite ready to learn about the werewolves, vampires and other immortals living in their midst, the very notion of immortals or the undead, was still too unsettling and touchy a subject to many.

Roger briefly thought about the immortals he'd met, these beings standing like a stone in the stream of time, ageless, changeless seemingly unaffected by the passage of the years, the centuries while people lived out their brief, flickering lives all around them.

The depth of their memories had to be incredible to someone whose own memories seemed so shallow by comparison.

After dinner, Roger went down by the seashore, something was drawing him there and he obeyed.

Looking down at the chill waters below him, he saw a dolphin swimming amongst the white tipped waves and felt the dark band circling his right arm getting warm.

Pele had come to pay a visit.

He waved at the dolphin and began making his way down to the rocky shore.

When he'd finally made his way to the narrow beach just beyond the reach of the waves, the dolphin's appearance wavered and moments later, a quite naked Pele stood in its place.

Roger removed his outer garment and draped it over Pele's sturdy shoulders.

She smiled at him and said, "I don't really need a jacket you do realize? I am Pele, a goddess of the sea, I am perfectly comfortable in any weather."

Roger smiled at her and replied, "The jacket is more for my own comfort than yours.

By covering you up, it keeps my eyes from straying while we are talking!"

Pele laughed at his remark, she knew perfectly well her human form was quite lovely with her sleek curves so nicely displayed for him to see.

Smiling at him she said coyly, "I thought all men liked to see a naked woman so unafraid of being seen!"

This time Roger laughed and replied,"I live in a houseful of women, with the exception of our house spirit I've seen them all in the nude, out in the yard we have a wood nymph whose natural state is being naked."

He grinned, "In short m'lady, I get to see all the naked women I can handle!"

He smiled and held up his right arm, "I got your message, what can I do for you?"

Pele stepped over to a large rock and sat on it, she smiled and said, "Soon you will be leaving my realm and living nearer the fresh water spirits of the land."

Roger thought about her remarks and replied,"I wasn't aware of any water spirits before now, but considering the tree and forest spirits I've encountered, why wouldn't there be water spirits?"

He smiled, "In case you're wondering, Lana is doing fine and is looking forward to meeting what may be her distant relatives."

"I can go fetch her if you'd like?"

Pele smiled brilliantly and nodded a 'yes!'

Roger took out his satellite phone and punched in a number, then hit 'send'.

Moments later, Freya's voice could be heard, "Roger? Whaur ur ye 'at ye'd feel th' need tae caw me?"

"I'm down at the shore and talking to someone who wants to see Lana, follow my signal, we can wait!"

Ending the brief call, Roger kept the signal on so Freya could locate him.

A few minutes later they heard Freya's voice calling out, "Thaur ye ur, Ah'm camin' doon!"

Freya negotiated the rocky slope far better than Roger could and soon, she was standing beside him with tiny Lana peeking out of her neck scarf.

Pele smiled warmly at the sight of the tiny menehune snug in Freya's neck scarf and said, "I'm glad to see you looking so happy Lana."

Lana beamed and replied, "I've had so many wonderful experiences since I saw you last, I'm not sure where to begin!"

"The beginning is always a good place to start." said Pele.

Lana opened her mouth to reply when Pele suddenly morphed back into her dolphin and they distinctly heard her say, "Write a letter to Leilani, she'll get it to me!" Just as she dove into the chill waters surrounding Shemya island and vanished.

Roger quickly retrieved his jacket and put it back on despite its having acquired a fishy smell, courtesy of Pele, Polynesian sea goddess.

A voice called out from above, "Hey! Get back up here! There's nothing down there worth your life!"

Looking up, the trio saw a security guard looking down at them, he beckoned and said, "Come away from there, it's dangerous, a big wave could knock you down and we'd never find you!"

Roger called, "Sorry, we'll be right up!"

Moments later, they had clambered back up to the top and the security guard got his first real look at Freya.

Like so many others before him, he briefly gaped before he recovered his composure and said, "Sorry, we don't allow people to go down to the shore line, the waves are treacherous and we've had a few drownings over the years."

He looked up at Freya's towering form and said pointedly, "Even someone your size can drown in that cold water, far easier than you'd think."

Heading back to their room, Roger commented, "I felt Pele calling to me through the arm band she'd given me and I was drawn to the shoreline where I met her."

Freya muttered, "Wa was she wearin' yer jacket then?"

"'Cos I didn't want to be tempted into looking at her boobs while she was talking to me!"

Freya looked at him and said, "Ye dornt look at me boobs when Ah'm tawkin' tae ye?"

Roger laughed and retorted, "Oh, I look all right,I just don't do it when your looking. I'm just very discreet about looking, unlike some guys I've met!"

At her skeptical look he concluded, "I'm a guy, guys are kinda stupid that way! We see pretty things, we look!"

Freya merely rolled her eyes at his comments while flushing slightly, his remarks implied he looked at her when she wasn't looking to see if he was looking.

Entering their room, they shed their outer garments.

Roger glanced at the clock and said, "We've gotten fuel, our oil's good, we can leave for Anchorage in the morning, right after chow."

He held up his jacket and muttered, "But first, I'm gonna see about a washing machine!" and he left in search of a laundry room.

At zero six thirty hours the next morning, the trio joined the others for breakfast.

By now most of the staff at Eareckson Air Station had already seen them and other than a few sidelong glances at Freya's height, there was little reaction except for an occasional muttered, "Have you seen that tiny girl? Where did she come from?"

They joined Tammy Hopkins at her table and settled down to eat.

To sit at the table, Freya had resorted to sitting cross legged on the highly polished linoleum floor.

At Tammy's apology for not having a high enough table for her to eat at properly, Freya merely shrugged and said,"'Tis nae bother, Ah've done thes afore at friends hooses."

Lana meanwhile, sat crosslegged on the table and happily noshed at her piece of bacon and spoonfull of hashbrowns while sipping at her coffee.

"I take you're heading to Anchorage next?" asked Tammy.

"Yes, that was our original plan."

She smiled and said, "There is a seaplane airport right nearby, called Lake Hood Seaplane Base, it's a lot less congested and that big sea plane you've got would be most welcome, if for no other reason than it's a big sea plane and they don't get many of those."

Roger grinned and said, "You can stop twisting my arm now, you talked me into it. How're the customs people there, are they nosy or a bit lax?" His eyes glanced over at Lana as he said that last bit.

Tammy frowned slightly and remarked, "Never having tried to smuggle anything into the country I wouldn't know."

Glancing meaningfully at Lana she asked in sotto voce, "Is she good at hiding?"

Roger smiled and nodded a 'yes' to her remarks.

Tammy smiled and said, "I can call them and let them know to expect you, would that work for you?"

"Very nicely, yes and thank you!"

By 07:30 hours Tammy and a number of others were standing alongside the runway watching the Martin Mariner with its newly acquired 611th Air Support Squadron decal added to its collection of destination decals.

The engines were running nicely and the final portion of the preflight checks was nearly completed.

Roger grinned at them as he flashed a cheery 'thumb's up' and closed his side's window.

They waved back as Freya throttled up the massive eighteen cylinder engines to maximum, held them there for a long moment, then released the brakes as she engaged the huge four bladed propellers to maximum take off pitch.

A few minutes later, the bulky sea plane was aloft and vanishing into the distance on its way to Anchorage, Alaska.

Tammy chuckled to herself as she thought about how she was going to add this to the daily report!

Lana meanwhile grew bored just looking out a window and seeing nothing but the blue grey waters of the Bering sea below them, so she snuggled into her bedding and went to sleep, lulled by the steady drone of the engines.

When they were still some three hours out, the radio squealed and a voice said,"This is control at Papa, Alpha, Lima, Hotel calling Moby Dick, do you copy? Over."

Roger quickly replied,"This is Moby Dick, I read you loud and clear. Over."

The voice replied,"We have been advised that you are inbound and due to arrive in about three hours. Over."

Roger replied, "Yes, we are due to arrive and are coming to you per advisement by Ms. Hopkins at Eareckson air station at Shemya island. Over."

Roger swore he heard a chuckle then the voice replied,"Ms. Hopkins did notify us that you are a large sea plane and will be settling down at our East/west landing area. Over."

Chuckling to himself Roger keyed the mic and replied,"That is correct Ms Hopkins did not exaggerate, we are a modified Martin Mariner and will require fuel, Avgas one hundred is what we require. Over."

"We have Shelloil Avgas one hundred, will that do? Over." said the voice.

"That will do nicely, they are our sponsors. Over."

"Gotcha! We'll see you in about three hours. Over."

"Copy ."

Hanging up the microphone Roger grinned and said, "It seems that Tammy called ahead to let them know we're coming."

Freya smiled as she sipped at her third mug full of coffee, "Ah'll hae tae thenk 'er fur 'er kindness."

Lapsing into silence once more, they flew over the blue grey waters far below them, each of them alone in their thoughts.

A short time later Freya remarked,"Ah see lain ahead!"

Smiling at the accuity of Freya's eyesight, Roger picked up the binoculars they kept in the cockpit.

Holding it to his eye, he could make out mountains far ahead of them and said,"Yep, that's Alaska alright. Soon we'll start seeing other aircraft."

He glanced at their radar screen and commented, "Nothing near us except for high altitude commercial flights, our altitude is clear, for now."

Vectoring in on the Lake Hood Sea Plane Base's radio beacon, they followed it into Bristol Bay and Roger called out, "Lana, we're over land now if you wanna look at the scenery."

Moments later, the tiny menhune's voice could be heard squeaking, "It looks so cold down there!"

Roger laughed and said cheerfully, "Don't worry little one, we'll get you some nice warm jackets before winter sets in."

Freya grinned and said, "Dena wull hae tae share 'er clase 'til we can get Lana 'er own clase fur th' cold."

Roger smiled, "I can't wait to see the look on Dena's face when she meets you Lana, it oughtta be a hoot!"

Continuing on their course, they flew up Bristol Bay, then over Iliamna Lake before banking to the right to pass over the snow patched Aleutian range, then banking left and on to Cook Inlet and Lake Hood Sea Plane Base just below Anchorage.

Following the instructions given by the control tower, Freya lined up the big sea plane with the E/W landing lane and gently settled onto the calm waters of the lake.

She allowed the heavy sea plane to slow naturally before reversing the propellers and bringing Moby Dick to a slow taxi.

They were down!

A small boat with a flashing blue strobe light pulled alongside the plane and by bullhorn they heard, "Ahoy sea plane! Follow me to the fueling point before shutting off your engines, then we'll tow your bird to a parking place!"

The boat pulled ahead and Freya throttled up slightly to follow it to the fueling ramp.

As they proceeded to the fueling station Roger noticed all the men with nice cameras and commented, "Willya lookit all the plane watchers? You'd think they've never seen a sea plane before."

Freya rolled her bright blue eyes and said drily, "Be nice tae them, they mean nae harm!"

Arriving at the fueling station as directed, Freya shut off the engines and after they whirled to a stop, she activated the post flight cool down system and took off her flying helmet.

A gang plank was run out to the Martin Mariner and after Roger carefully tucked Lana into his jacket and took up his overnight bag, he opened the side door and stepped out.

The boat's pilot, the fueling depot operator and a customs official stood there smiling armed with various clipboards.

"Good afternoon, anything to declare?" Cried the sturdy customs official.

"Nope, we just back from Eareckson Air Station."

"Fill'er up, check the oil?" Cried the fuel depot operator.

"Yes please, and thank you!" replied Roger.

"We don't often get a real sea plane here!" Cried the boat's pilot.

Roger was about to reply when Freya stepped out of Moby Dick and straightened up, halting any further queries about their plane and anything they might be carrying on board.

He grinned and said to the fueling depot operator, "The plane has a post-flight engine cool down system, so the engines will turn over occasionally until they're cool again, it's nothing to worry about, just letting you know. Oil jugs can be found in the tail section storage area, if it needs any."

Smiling at the boat's pilot he said, "We would like a room to stay in for the night and a decent restaurant to grab a bite to eat."

The man upon realizing that Roger was speaking to him, took his eyes off of Freya's towering form and grinned before saying a bit sheepishly, "Sorry, I was a bit distracted, you were asking about a room?"

"Yes, just for tonight, we'll be leaving in the morning for Portland."

He smiled and pointed across the lake, "The closest place is the Coast Inn, they're not the cheapest, but the rooms are nice and the restaurant serves good food."

Freya looked in the direction he had pointed and said, "Is it th' place wi' th' totem poles oot front?"

The pilot grinned and replied,"It sure is, it's in keeping with that whole 'Up to Alaska' thingy."

Freya smiled at him and said, "Ah'm frae Canada meself, near British Columbia tae be honest."

The customs agent squinted slightly and said,"That's quite the accent you have, I have friends from around there and they don't sound anything like you!"

Freya smiled at the customs agent and replied,"Me fowk soond loch we dae because we learnt English frae Scottish fur trappers and wuidsmen, we cam tae thes lain ower twa thoosain years agone."

At the customs agent's puzzled look, Roger commented,"Freya's people are considered 'first nations people' by the Canadian government, you might know them as 'frost giants' from Norse mythology."

The fueling depot operator grinned and remarked, "That explains why you're so tall! You're one of the frost giants living down in Canada."

He grinned and said, "A real pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss..?"

"Freya, me nam's Freya Sigurdsdottir an' yers?"

"Tom, Tom Cooper!"

The two grinned at each other and shook hands, with Freya leaning towards him and him reaching up towards her.

After the inevitable group photo was taken, Tom Cooper made a quick phone call and said, "I've got a shuttle pick up for you at the fueling station, party of two and overnight bags."

Ending the call, he said, "A shuttle's on the way!"

Roger handed the keys to Tom and said, "I'll get the keys from you in the morning when we settle up our bill."

A few minutes later, a red mini bus van pulled up and opened its doors, "Y'all need a lift?" called out the driver.

Moments later the driver was heard saying, "Holy..." before she started laughing as Freya stooped to enter the minibus van with Roger in tow.

Once the two were settled, she asked, "Where to?"

"Coast Inn!" replied Roger.

"Coast Inn it is!" cried the driver as she closed the tall doors and sped off towards Coast Inn's check in desk.

Within minutes she brought the van to a smooth halt at the inn's reception entrance, opened the doors and said cheerfully, "Coast Inn, enjoy your stay!"

Roger smiled and said, "You'd make quite the good will ambassador!"

She smiled and replied,"It's all a part of my job!" glancing at Freya she said, "You've got to be the tallest person I've ever seen!"

Freya simply smiled at the woman and said, "Ah'm nae as taa as me sister in law near Quebec."

"Seriously? Woah, she must be really ginormous!" exclaimed the driver.

Freya grinned, "Ye coods say 'at!" as she stepped out of the minibus.

There was a brief moment of the driver exiting the mini bus and asking Roger to take a picture of her standing next to Freya 'cos "No one's gonna believe me otherwise!" then back into the mini bus and off to the next customers!

Standing in front of the hotel Roger took a few moments to admire the Alaskan scenery before commenting, "Living up here would be like living in a picture post card of a lake surrounded by snow capped mountains!"

Freya grinned and said drily, "Just loch me haem, ye mean?"

"Yeah that!" he said and they joined hands before entering the hotel.

Once inside, Freya straightened up again and they approached the front desk as the young woman behind the counter struggled to keep from gaping at Freya's height.

Being nine foot two inches tall with red-gold hair in long braids and Norse goddess looks, tended to have that sort of effect on people.

"Guid efternuin, we'd loch tae get a room fur th' nicht?" Said Freya as she smiled at the astonished young woman.

She blinked a few times then said, "How many please?"

"Jist th' twa ay us fur one nicht." replied Freya.

"Okay...Just a moment please." she replied as she looked at her computer.

Moments later, she smiled and said, "We have a single occupancy room on the second floor, is that acceptable?"

Freya glanced at Roger and he merely shrugged, it wouldn't be the first time they'd shared a bed and if that didn't work, there was always the floor, provided the carpet was clean.

Roger took out his plastic money card and handed it to the young woman behind the counter.

"This oughtta cover it." he remarked.

She smiled, took his card and moments later handed him back his card and their room key with a cheery, "Enjoy your stay!"

"We wull!" declared Freya as she took up her overnight bag and headed towards the grand stair case leading up to the second floor.

Hardly had they gotten out of sight when an older woman came out of her office and asked the young woman, "Did you check to see if they are married, or she is of age?"

The young woman grimaced and replied hesitantly, "I kinda forgot to ask as she was so tall."

The older woman frowned and said firmly, "You know we don't allow unmarried couples to share a room here, especially if the girl appears to be underage!"

"Mom! I forgot, okay? She was the tallest person I've ever seen, she had to be over eight feet tall, if not taller!"

"I don't care if she's ten feet tall, you're still supposed to check to see if she's of age or is married to him!"

The young woman, stood up suddenly and growled, "Fine! I'll go check their I.D.s right now!...Happy?!"

As she stormed up the stairway she heard her mother call out, "Kathie Lee Thomas! Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you!"

Hardly had Roger and Freya entered their surprisingly roomy quarters and set down their luggage and Lana was bouncing on the bed in her delight when there came a frenzied knocking on their door.

Lana hopped off the bed and hid herself quickly while the two looked at each other curiously. Had they forgotten something?

Roger opened the door a crack and said, "Can I help you?"

Upon seeing it was the young woman from the front desk, he opened the door a bit wider and saw that her face was reddened and tears were forming in her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

Freya stepped into the bathroom and came back out with a dampened face cloth, handing it to her she said, "Haur, dry yer tears a bit, then talk."

Murmuring her thanks, the young woman wiped away her tears for a few moments then said,"I'm terribly sorry about this, but I have to check your I.D. To see if you are either married or if she is your daughter."

Glancing down the hallway she muttered, "My mother is real strict about unmarried couples sharing a room or if the girl is underage, married or not."

Looking back at them she said, "I'm really sorry about this!"

Roger shrugged and muttered, "Her house, her rules I take it, I didn't think it would extend to an inn!"

He took out his driver's license as did Freya and they handed them to the young woman for her to examine.

She glanced at them handed them back and said, "You two live together, I see."

"Been living together almost ten years now, in a way I'm her foster father, so it's all perfectly legal." remarked Roger.

"An' Ah'll be eighteen, thes September an' ready tae declare me 'eart's desire."

At the young woman's puzzled look, Roger said, "It's a Jotun thing, when a young woman comes of age she can declare who she wishes to marry. More often than not the young man she declares for accepts her troth and after a year's engagement, they get married. Divorce is quite rare among the Jotuns, so is domestic abuse!"

"Jotuns?"

"Frost giants, from Norse mythology."

"You mean like from the comic books and movies?"

Freya scoffed and said, "Nae frae Norse mythology, frae uir own hist'ry. We fled Jotunheim ower twa thoosain years agone an' cam haur athwart th' briny tae get awa' frae th' Scandis wi' their sharp spears an' bright swords, an' murderin' ways!"

The young woman stepped back in her surprise at Freya's intensity and she said hastily, "I'm sorry to hear that, I meant no harm."

Freya bowed slightly towards the young woman and said, "Ah apologize ef Ah frightened ye onie, Ah meant nae harm."

She smiled and said, "It's okay, I was just surprised, never having met an actual Frost giant before."

She sighed and said glumly, "Now, I gotta go deal with my mom. Sorry about everything!"

With that, she turned and walked briskly down the hall, her slender form moving quickly.

When she had gone out of sight, Roger closed the door and commented, "That girl's mom must be a real handful! Glad she's no relation of mine!"

Lana came out of hiding and said,"Now what?"

"Not sure to be honest. We are going to get something to eat regardless of that woman's we'll bring something back for you."

Lana smiled, "Okay, I'll wait here."

Roger paused a moment and rummaged through his bag a bit before he grinned and took out two small lozenge shaped objects.

Before handing one to Lana he said, "This is a pager, if anything happens while we're gone just press that button and I'll get a signal to come a'running."

To demonstrate, he pushed the button on Lana's pager and his began beeping loudly until he pushed his own button and shut it off.

Handing one to Lana, she frowned and asked, "Do you think I'll be in danger?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't trust that woman and wouldn't put it past her to snoop around in here while we're out. If she does, I want to know about it!"

With that settled, Roger and Freya headed down to the restaurant to order dinner.

Upon entering the restaurant and after the server got over the shock of seeing Freya in all her towering majesty, they were shown a roomy booth where Freya could stretch out her long, long legs.

Roger perused the menu and ordered a patty melt combo with coffee to drink.

Freya ordered two patty melts, wedge cut potatoes and a chocolate shake.

They also ordered a kid's meal to go for Lana.

Out of the corner of his eye, Roger noted a mature woman looking askance at them while they'd ordered.

Was she the girl's mother?

Time would tell.

Ten minutes later, the food had arrived and they were gratefully tucking into it.

Roger had hardly eaten half of his food when his pager began beeping frantically.

Lana was in trouble!

He jumped up and said, "Stay here, I mean it!" before he sped up the stairs and down the hallway to their room.

He heard the woman shouting and a dog's barking and underneath it all, he heard Lana screaming.

Barging into the room, he saw Lana perched atop the bathroom's door while the dog, a German shepherd was barking frantically in its efforts to reach her and all the while the woman was shouting almost incoherently at Lana.

Lana, upon seeing Roger cried out, "Roger!" and leapt from her perch atop the bathroom's door.

In its frenzy to get at the tiny menhune, the dog spun around and leapt after her only to get swatted aside by Roger as he caught Lana and placed her on his shoulder.

The woman stopped in her tracks and gaped at him and he growled, "What the hell do you think you are doing? Are you fucking crazy?!"

She cried, "What is that thing, you brought into my hotel? Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The dog growled menacingly at them until Roger glared it down, pointed at it and said, "Sit boy!"

The dog promptly sat. "Now lie down!" The dog lay down obediently. "Good boy!"

The woman gaped at him again and said in a small voice, "What did you do to my dog?"

Roger glared at her and said, "I showed him who's boss. Now, what gives you the right to let yourself into our room and create a mess?"

The woman stood as tall as she could and said defiantly, "This is my hotel and I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, at any time."

Roger shrugged and said, "All right, fair enough. Refund our money and we will leave at once!"

At her slightly bewildered look he added, "But, I reserve the right to register a complaint with your corporate offices and tell them about your psychotic behavior and racism. I'm sure they'll enjoying hearing about this little episode of yours on social media."

Reaching up to reassure Lana, Roger asked her, "Are you hurt in any way?"

Lana replied, "Other than a bad scare and maybe a few scratches from scrambling to get away from that dog, I think I'm alright."

The woman gaped and blurted out, "You speak English? Where are you from?!"

Lana was about to reply when her daughter came barging in, "Mom! What did you do?!"

The girl looked around and cried, "You can't keep doing this sort of thing! You'll lose us this hotel with your behavior. Just stop! Please stop! For heaven's sake, just stop it!"

She looked at Roger and said, "I'm really sorry about my mom's behavior."

Then she noticed Lana and asked, "Is that a doll?"

"Lana is a menehune and she is from Hawai'i where her people live." replied Roger.

Lana smiled and waved at the girl, "Hi! My name's Lana, what is your name?"

"K, Kathie Lee." stammered the girl.

"Pleased to meet you Kathie Lee." replied Lana in her squeak of a voice.

They heard a soft groan and the woman slumped to the floor, having fainted dead away she lay in a tangle of limbs and rumpled clothing.

No Victorian era theatrical fainting spell complete with nearby fainting couch, was this, it was genuine.

Freya came in from the restaurant with a couple of bags of food and after setting them on the nearby desk, she gently lifted the unconscious woman and placed her on the bed.

"Whit happened?" she asked.

Roger commented, "Not sure myself, Lana paged me and when I got here, she was sitting atop the bathroom door with Fido here growling and barking while Mumsy there was yelling nonsense."

He shook his head and remarked, "From what Kathie Lee just said, she's had issues before and I guess we were what triggered her latest outburst."

Kathie Lee looked over at her mom's dog and said, "What calmed him down? Usually he gets all hyper and barks his fool head off!"

"I did," said Roger, "I showed him who's boss and he obeyed me."

Freya chuckled at Kathie Lee's expression and said,"We hae a giant wolf family bidin' wi' us, Roger kens hoo tae deal wi' aggressive dogs verra well."

A soft moan came from the woman and she opened her eyes, fluttering her eyes for a few moments she muttered, "What happened?" and sat up.

Looking around the room in her confusion she asked, "Where am I?"

Upon seeing her daughter she asked her, "Why am I in here?"

Her eyes focused on Freya first, then she looked at Roger and finally, she saw tiny Lana sitting on Roger's shoulder.

She looked very confused at first, then she remembered everything.

Turning nearly scarlet, she flopped back and groaned as she covered her face in her embarrassment and said,"I did it again, didn't I? I lost my temper and went crazy didn't I?"

Roger said quietly, "You could say that, yes. Now, are you calmed down now and can we talk like adults here?"

The woman nodded as she lay there and said, "Yes, I'll be calm now, no more outbursts, I'll be good."

Roger stepped over to her and offered his hand to help her sit up, smiling as he did so.

He glanced over at Freya and asked, "Do you have any of your mom's comforting teas with you?"

The young giantess nodded a 'yes' and began rummaging through one of her bags.

Moments later, she smiled and held up a small satchel of tea bags.

She looked over at Kathie Lee and said, "Ah'll need a cup an' some hot water, please."

The girl stirred herself and said brightly, "Be right back!" as she blew out of the door and down the hall way. Her slender legs a blur as she ran.

Sitting up now with her feet on the floor, the woman said, "Now what?"

Roger smiled at her and said, "We, are gonna talk and then you're going to have a nice cup of tea."

"Then what?"

"We part as friends and go our separate ways, that's what."

"What are we gonna talk about?" asked the woman.

"What is making you so angry and how you're going to deal with it."

The woman laughed harshly and said bluntly, "Oh, I know what's making me so damn angry, it's my temper I need to deal with."

Roger smiled and said, "Maybe if we can defuse that emotional bomb you're walking around with, your temper will calm down too."

The woman looked over at Freya who was quietly talking to Lana while gently playing with one of the dog's velvety ears, the dog lay blissfully enjoying the attention from the young giantess while ignoring his mistress.

She was about to remark on her dog's apparent disloyalty when Kathie Lee returned bearing a cup, a saucer and a steaming tea kettle.

Setting the items on the room's table she took one of the little packets Freya had given her, placed it in the cup and poured hot water over it.

A few minutes later she handed the tea cup to her mom and said, "Here, this'll help, drink up!"

The woman took the cup, blew over it a few times, then took a tentative sip before smacking her lips and smiling.

"This tastes pretty good!" she said before she took a much bigger sip and handed the now empty cup back to her daughter while saying, "More please!"

Kathie Lee dutifully refilled the cup and after blowing across it a few times, she handed it back to her mom.

Roger sat quietly while the two women enjoyed a quiet moment over tea, a rare event in their daily lives it seemed.

When the last of the tea was gone, the woman set down her cup, smiled at her daughter then said to Roger.

"What happens now that I drank this tea?"

Roger smiled and replied, "What you drank is a calming tea that Freya's mom makes for when life gets to be a bit much at times."

"And?"

"Then you talk about what is bothering you and we listen without judging."

She raised a carefully trimmed eyebrow and said, "That's it?"

Roger smiled, "Sometimes all you need is a sympathetic ear."

"Who's ear?"

"Mine, Freya's or Lana's."

She glanced at Freya and Lana and said, "How old are they, what would they know about life?"

Freya smiled, "Ah'm almost eighteen summers noo."

Lana grinned, "I'm nearly one hundred years old, I was born around nineteen twenty-five or so."

The woman gaped and blurted out, "No way, you're nearly a hundred, you don't look any older than my daughter here and she's nineteen!"

Lana smiled and said, "I'm a menehune, we age slowly and live long lives. I'm the youngest of my mom's six daughters."

At the womans' look Roger said, "We share our world with many people who choose to live in our shadows, Freya and Lana represent just two of those people."

After the tea had taken effect, the woman began talking, "My husband and I worked long and hard to get this hotel, we wanted it to be a family friendly place for married couples and their children. In keeping with our beliefs we would check I.D.s to confirm a couple was married, an unmarried couple would be turned away."

She sighed, "About five years ago we hired a young woman to be a waitress in our restaurant and for awhile, everything seemed okay."

Looking in her tea cup to see if there was anything left, she looked up with tears in her eyes and with a catch in her voice, said, "One day, the girl left suddenly and took my husband with her. What made it even worse is they took over half of the money we had saved up for our own retirement, after we'd left this place to our daughter."

Setting her tea cup down she said, "I totally lost it, I lost a lot of weight, I couldn't sleep, I was a real mess."

"Having this place is what kept me together even if my louse of a husband had ripped me off, the place was still in my name, he couldn't take that away from me!"

Looking up at the ceiling she said, "I became so angry inside and whenever I saw a couple where the man was somewhat older than the woman, I'd obsess about them and I lost it a few times."

She smiled at Kathie Lee and said, "Thankfully, my daughter here is very good at smoothing things over and saving my butt. I don't deserve her sometimes!"

She looked at the now empty tea cup and said, "I don't know what is in that tea I drank, but I feel calmer than I have in a long time, thank you!"

Roger smiled and said, "Freya's mom makes that tea and many others like it."

"Now, as far as your ex is concerned, he likely got what he deserved when he ran off with that girl and most of your money. Doubtless she took off herself once the money got tight and she found somebody new."

He smiled and said, "I have two ex wives and yes, they hurt me, but in the long run, I did far better than they did, so I cannot be angry with them, they aren't worth the energy. And neither is he!"

The woman smiled and said brightly, "You're right! Why am I giving him that kind of energy? I've still got my place and he's nowhere to be found!"

She stifled a terrific yawn and said, "I think I'm going to take a long nap!"

Rising to her feet, she looked at her daughter and said, "I'm leaving you in charge as I'm going to take a good long nap!"

Kathie Lee grinned at her mom and said, "No problem, I've got this, enjoy your nap!"

The two women left the room arm in arm and walked down the hallway cheerfully nattering at each other.

With the door closed once more, Freya held up the bags and said, "Ah'm afraid yer scran got a wee cold."

The next morning, Roger Freya and Lana were among the earlybird guests at the hotel's restaurant.

As they entered, the woman herself came up to them with a big smile and a cheery, "Good morning!" on her lips.

The other guests glanced among themselves at the sight of Freya's towering form being led to a roomy booth by the owner herself, who seemed to be in fine spirits this morning.

Once they were seated, she handed out menus and said quietly, "Thank you for last night! I slept all night long and feel so much better today, it's like a miracle!"

Speaking a bit louder she said cheerfully, "Good morning, I'm Veronica and welcome to my hotel! I'll give you guys a few moments to decide and I'll be right back!"

With that, she swept away to attend to her other guests and was soon circulating the room armed with a coffee pot, a smile and a cheery 'Hello!'

Lana said quietly, "It's hard to believe, she's the same person after last night!"

"Gudrun's calming teas do work wonders!" Quipped Roger as he perused the menu before him.

As promised Veronica returned with her order ticket book in hand and a big smile.

"What'll you folks be having?" she paused to wink at Lana and waited.

Freya ordered a 'Lumberjack's breakfast' while Roger ordered a Denver omelette and Lana ordered a child's breakfast.

Having jotted their orders down, Veronica quipped, "Back in a few!" and sped off to place their orders.

Before Roger could say, "She forgot our coffee!"

Kathie Lee appeared with coffee cups, creamers and a steaming coffee pot of her own.

As she bustled about filling their cups and placing the cream and sugars within reach, she said softly, "Thank you so much for last night! Mom slept like a log all night long and is like a new person this morning!"

She smiled at Freya and said, "What ever it is that's in your mom's tea, it worked!"

Freya smiled and said softly, "Yer mom jist needed a guid nicht's sleep mair than oniethin' else, me mom's tea gae 'er that."

Kathie Lee smiled and said brightly, "If your mom could sell that tea, she could make a fortune!"

Freya merely shrugged and replied,"We dinnae caur abit makin' onie fortunes, we caur abit bein' guid tae each other an' th' warld we abide in."

Kathie Lee smiled and said, "Any way, thank you again for last night!" before she sped off to the next table to add coffee as needed.

Veronica arrived with their orders and smiled as she saw that her daughter had taken care of their coffee needs.

Placing the orders in front of each of them she said, "Enjoy, and if you need anything else, just holler!"

They grinned and began tucking into their breakfasts.

While they ate, either Veronica or Kathie Lee would stop by and top off their coffees and ask how they were doing.

Roger invariably gave them a cheery thumb's up while pointing his fork at his mouth to indicate, he had a mouthful and couldn't reply.

Freya would smile while tiny Lana would smile brilliantly.

When they were finished and had settled up the total bill Veronica asked them to pose with her, Kathie Lee and several of the regulars all posing beside the ornate brass cash register with the words, "No one will ever believe us when we say our tallest and smallest customers ate here on the same day!"

A short time later the red minibus shuttle pulled up and the driver called out, "Y'all needin' a lift?"

She grinned as she opened the tall doors and they clambered in after saying fare well to Veronica and Kathie Lee Thomas.

A few minutes later, the minibus stopped alongside where Moby Dick was moored.

The bulky sea plane bobbing slightly on the lake's placid waters.

Roger slipped the driver a twenty and said, "Keep the change!" as they exited the minibus.

She grinned, closed the tall doors and moments later, sped off to her next pick up.

Roger walked over to the fueling depot's office and after settling up by signing a voucher to be sent to Shell Oil and collecting the keys, headed back to his companions.

Tossing the keys to Freya, he took up their overnight bags while she opened the big sea plane that had carried them halfway around the world it seemed.

While Freya began the preflight checks, he cast off the mooring lines and coiled them up before stowing them in their place.

Joining Freya, he completed his portion of the preflight checks and smiled as the left engine began waking up from its slumber with its usual coughing and smoking and stuttering until its throat cleared and it settled into a deep rumble as it warmed up.

The right engine soon joined its brother engine and before long, it too was warming up.

With the adroit use of the throttles, Freya backed away from the mooring point and slowly brought the Martin Mariner around to line it up with the long E/W take off lane.

Roger smiled when he saw all the plane watchers lined up with their fancy cameras to capture that epic shot of the Martin Mariner taking off.

He called out, "Don't look now, but we've got an audience!" and pointed out the windows.

Freya laughed and as the tower gave her clearance for take off, she throttled up the engines to maximum and held them there for a few moments before engaging the variable pitch propellers at near maximum.

The plane surged forward, rising in the water as it gathered speed until it broke free of the surface tension of the lake's placid surface.

Immediately everything became smoother as the plane rose into the morning sky over Cook Inlet until it was high enough to bank left and begin heading south to Portland, Oregon and home.

44