Page 41 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings
A loud hiss made the ground beneath us tremble, and Rune gave Apple a nudge with her boot to urge her faster. The gate to Muspelheim was close, way closer than Asgard to Midgard. My hope was that if we got close enough to the fire giant who guarded it, he’d secure his territory and ward Jörmungandr off. Sure, even the giant was no match for the world serpent, but they coexisted long enough for me to believe they’d leave each other alone and not steal each other's prey.
“How long of a flight would it be?” I asked, the wind from Apple’s speed rushing into my mouth as I opened it.
“It’s easier for Jörmungandr to snatch us out of the sky than off the ground. The trees protect us down here.”
“But Apple’s faster up there!” I shouted. “And we need speed.”
Rune was silent as she debated it. The sound of cracking trees echoed around us as the serpent slowly shook itself out of sleep.
“Rune!” someone called out. “This way!”
When I swung my head to see who the culprit was, I saw Rayna on the back of her charcoal pegasus, waving her arms in the air to catch our attention. She was about twenty yards away, though we had a clear shot to her through the trees. Apple pushed herself harder as we picked up speed, and Rune made promises of red fruits as she went.
“Rayna, what are you doing here?” Rune barked as we grew closer.
“Saving your sorry asses,” Rayna muttered in that chastising tone I’d remembered so well. “Follow me. There’s a groove up ahead I’ve been traveling through. It’s too small for Jörmungandr.”
Her pegasus ran off into the forest, and Apple didn’t hesitate to follow. I hadn’t had time to secure myself or Tove to Apple, so I gripped him tightly with one hand as I held the horn of the saddle with my other. Rune’s breath skated across my neck, battling with the chilly wind. I appreciated the reminder we were still alive and breathing as Apple lunged into a crevice within the wood of the World Tree. The purple light of the day dimmed as we were cast into shadows from the tunnel monsters surely had already claimed, but anything was better than being prey to a serpent the size of the world itself.
“What’re you doing here?” Rune asked again, now that we were in the protection of the tree.
“I came here to find you,” Rayna grunted at her older sister as she dismounted her pegasus in favor of walking next to her. The ceiling within this place was low, and I was thinking she was onto something. I wasn’t in favor of smacking my head on some wayward bark. Shifting my position on Apple, I turned enough to be able to look at Rune. She dismounted Apple and offered me a hand before I even had the chance to open my mouth. “All Hel broke loose when you left. Did you really think Odin wouldn’t notice your absence?”
“Of course I knew he’d notice. His ravens spotted us as we were leaving the mist. He must know I’m in the path between realms. Did he send you here?”
“What do you think?” Rayna said with crossed arms, a scowl painted across her face.
“Well, what are you going to do?” Rune asked, the two women stopping in their tracks to face off, despite the fact that we really couldn’t spare the time. The serpent may have not been able to slither his way in here, but he could certainly crush this entire tunnel in his jaws if he wanted us badly enough.
Rayna and Rune stared at each other with enough tension to walk on.
“Pretend I never saw you,” Rayna finally said with a heavy sigh. She dropped all pretense and slammed her armor into Rune’s in a hug that was all metal and anger. “Gods, I’m just glad you’re okay. But seriously, fuck you for keeping me in suspense.”
“I’m sorry,” Rune said, clapping a hand over Rayna’s back. “I wanted to send you a message so many times.”
I stood next to Apple, the two of us watching the encounter. My eyes scanned over Rune’s back and the look of pure relief on Rayna’s face as she embraced her sister. They weren’t related by blood, but that mattered little when I saw the love between them, rivaling that of my blood sisters.
At least they don’t try to kill each other,I thought to myself for a bitter moment.
It was hard not to be completely enraptured by the look Rune wore, love painting a beautiful smile on her face. Tove pawed at me to be let down, making me realize I’d been staring, not that either of the valkyries were paying me any mind.
Clearing my throat, I set Tove down and said, “We, uh…should probably get going.”
Rayna’s attention fell on me, and I expected a grimace that matched that of an angry god, but instead, she looked me up and down, then agreed with me with a simple nod.
“This tunnel will take us past Muspelheim,” Rayna said. “I’ve been traveling through it for days now, long before Odin’s ravens spotted you near the gate.”
At least we can avoid demons and fire giants,I thought to myself as Rayna asked Rune a slew of questions. We all walked through the tunnel made from Yggdrasil itself, the darkness keeping me vigilant of all noises that echoed off the bark wall. Apple and the other pegasus, whom Rayna called Gunhild, walked with their wings tucked, one in front of the other, down the slender path. This left me and Tove sandwiched between the valkyries and their pegasuses, and I’d wondered a few times if they’d forgotten I was back here.
Rayna mentioned she’d slept in this tunnel on one occasion but was woken by a group of demons who’d been looking for trouble, and by the looks of it, they certainly got it. We had to step over their bodies as we passed them, and Rayna looked pretty damned pleased with herself.
The three of us had used the tunnel until it filtered back out into the forest, and by that point, the sky had dimmed to a deep plum. We were far enough away from the fire realm that we felt we could warm ourselves as we made camp. Rune summoned food for all five of us, muttering something about needing to go for a ride as she did. We all ate in relative silence after a day of talking and strategizing. Rune had filled Rayna in on our plans while Rayna tried to poke holes in it. Each time she did, the two worked to fix those holes. Meanwhile, I had some nice quality time with two pegasuses and an overweight feline.
Rayna had her own bedroll and set up for the night with Gunhild on the other side of the fire while Rune, Tove, and I created another hay bed for ourselves. Tomorrow, we’d be halfway to the realm of dwarves, otherwise known as Nidavellir. That meant we were one stop away from Helheim, and I could all but taste Hel’s power in the air like a beacon calling out to me. I hadn’t had the courage to look into water or a reflective blade, going back to my old ways of being terrified to look at myself.
But no more.
“Do you mind if I borrow your dagger?” I asked Rune, though her breaths were heavy, and I feared she may have already found her rest.
