Page 94 of North Is the Night
“And crossing into Tuonela drained your immortality?” Dread sinks into my chest. If the journey could take so much from one as strong as him, what might it take from me?
“No, it wasn’t the crossing that did me in,” he explains. “It was the Witch Queen. Tuonetar cursed me. Her wretched curse changed my immortality.”
“Changed it? How?”
Leaning away, he taps the burning leaf inside his pipe out onto the hearthstone. With a sweep of his tattooed hand, he scatters the smoldering ashes. “She’s a devious witch, Siiri, not one to be crossed. She was furious at me for sneaking into her realm.”
“I’ve heard this story,” I whisper. “You went to find Antero Vipunen, the great giant.”
He nods. “Yes, Vipunen was a shaman... and my friend. He was powerful. When he died, he took his wisdom with him to Tuonela. They buried him there, body and soul. I had no choice, Siiri. I had to find him. I had to retrieve the lost spells he carried into death.”
“The stories say you found him.”
He nods again. “I did... but not before the death gods found me first. Siiri, I learned more than I wanted.” He looks at me across the fire.
“I saw death with new eyes. I thwarted the Witch Queen’s attempts to detain me. I found Vipunen. He was almost too far gone. It took all my cunning to wrest the lost spells from him. And then, I’m afraid, I did something reckless.”
I lean forward, elbows on the table. “What did you do?”
He holds my gaze, the flames dancing in his eyes. “I stole something from the Witch Queen. I took it right out from under her nose. Then, I escaped like a thief in the night.
“Oh, she tried her hardest to stop me. In the end, I had to transform myself into a slippery snake and wriggle my way through her nets. But I made it. I returned to life.”
“What did you take?” I whisper, unable to keep my eyes from darting looks around the hut in search of some magic sword or amulet.
Before the shaman can reply, a thundering roar echoes across the clearing outside.
“Was that—”
“Shhh. Wait.”
We sit quiet, unmoving. Our gazes lock as we wait to hear it again. I silently pray, hoping beyond hope that my senses didn’t deceive me. The shaman heard it too. Surely that must mean...
A second roar, weaker this time.
“It’s Kal,” I cry, leaping to my feet.
Väinämöinen taps out his pipe on the hearthstone. “I think your bear is back. Now we shall see who hides inside.”
We collect our boots and coats from around the hut.
He grunts as I reach for the door, pulling me back. “You’re waiting here.”
“Not a chance.” I plop his large fur hat on my own head.
“Siiri, I can’t protect you and fight the väki at the same time—”
“I don’t need your protection. I told you, Kal’s my friend.”
He grabs his axe. “Don’t be a fool. At best, the väki is using you to get to me. At worst, that bear is injured, and the väki now searches for a new vessel. What better vessel than a girl with more strength than sense?”
“I’m going.”
“You’ll get yourself killed.”
“Then I’ll get to Tuonela either way. Nowmove, old man.” I jerk open the door, buffeted by a burst of frigid winter air. I hurry out into the dark, my feet crunching in the deep snow.
“Siiri—godsdamn it—wait!” Väinämöinen calls after me, slamming the door shut.
