Mimir's Well (The Oracles of Kurnugi Book 3) (15 page)

CHAPTER 30

            
 
H
enry woke to pain. Everything that wasn't numb from the cold hurt. Even breathing sent pangs of pain through his chest, and the frigid air burned his lungs. He had to wipe away the frost on his eyelashes before he could open his eyes. Andromeda lay unconscious next to him. Both huddled under the protection of the cloak. Aside from the gentle rising and falling of her chest, she wasn't moving, and he didn't know if he had managed to go to her, or if she had come to him. The hilt of his broken sword lay on the snow a few feet away, but he saw no sign of the blade. His shield was nowhere to be found. Wordlessly, he unclasped his cloak and left it on Andromeda while he went to retrieve the weapon.

              As soon as he was free of the cloak, the cold hit him like a knife. He yelped, and rushed over to the sword, but he didn't anticipate how slippery the ice was, and lost his balance. The ground slammed into him. The impact reawakened parts of him that had gone numb. He grabbed the hilt, which burned his hand with cold. He refused to let go of it and scurried back under the cloak. Andromeda opened her eyes to him lying beside her, breathing hard and clutching the hilt with both hands. The blade was only six inches long and ended in a sharp edge. Frost crystals had formed along the break, and part of the guard had broken off. Henry just stared at the hilt.

              "How can that be?" Andromeda asked, her voice unsteady from shivering.

              "It's this world," Henry said. "Wherever we are, it's destructive enough to overcome Hephaestus' power."

              Andromeda looked around and took in the frozen area. She let out a long breath that steamed in the air before nodding. "Jotunheim."

              "What?"

              "Jotunheim is the home of the frost giants, the greatest enemies of the gods."

              "Frost giants," Henry said with a raised eyebrow, but then he nodded. "Why not? We've certainly come against everything else on this journey. Why not frost giants? You wouldn't happen to know how to get out of this world, would you?"

              Andromeda closed her eyes for a second before nodding. "If memory serves, Jotunheim shares a border with Asgard."

              Henry shrugged. "That's something at least. Do you have any idea where that is?"

              Andromeda shook her head. "I've never heard any specifics about Jotunheim except that it was a terrible place."

              Henry looked around. "Yeah, I think I got that. Can you walk?"

              "I think so."

              "Good. Let's stay under the cloak."

              They leaned against each other as they stood. Fortunately, the cloak didn't seem to need to cover their skin to protect them. As long as they were under it, it blunted the cold. They picked a direction at random and headed off. It was a struggle to walk. Every step brought fresh pain. Every once in a while one of them would lose their footing and fall. More often than not, the other would fall trying to keep them up. Henry lost all sense of time, and moving forward became a real effort.

              "We have to keep going."

              Andromeda sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him. Her eyes were unfocused, and she barely lifted her feet as she walked. They slowed and huddled closer together as they walked, but even their shared body heat seemed almost nonexistent next to the cold pressing in on all sides, but she was right. They had to keep going, but the canyon wound ahead with no end in sight. Wisps of snow danced across the ground in response to the biting wind. Andromeda stumbled and groaned as her weight shifted to him. The cold had sapped most of his strength, and he collapsed under it. He shook Andromeda but she didn't move. Panic mingled with the pain and exhaustion, but it was a dull thing, more an echo than an actual emotion.

              "Please get up."

              His words came out as hardly more than a whisper, and he realized he didn't know if he himself had the strength to rise anymore. She didn't even stir. He grabbed one arm and dragged her to the edge of the canyon, hoping that the frozen wall would provide some measure of protection. He threw the cloak over them, but it was a meaningless gesture. No one was coming for them, and if they couldn't press on, this cold land would swallow them, and Idun would conquer all of human imagination. What little strength he had left was focused on keeping him alive and awake. If he lapsed into unconsciousness...

              He shook his head and tried not to think of Andromeda's still form as the sky darkened, and the temperature began to drop. Henry tried once more to rise, but there was no point. He fell back down and prepared to die.

              "Mom, dad," he said. It seemed like there should be tears, but they didn't come. His parents deserved at least a few tears. "I'm sorry for leaving. I hope you have that other kid. Maybe he'll be a better son than me."

              A pale blue light appeared behind him and, for a moment, he thought it was the light at the end of the tunnel. He turned around and got ready to go into the light, but it wasn't just one light. Dozens of tiny blue stars shone in the ice. He stared at them dumbly for a second trying to decide if he was imagining them. Then, much deeper in the ice, a new cluster of stars appeared, much dimmer than the others. Before long, the ice was alive with them. Hope blossomed in him, giving him strength he didn't know he had.

              His numb fingers closed around the hilt of the broken sword and he jabbed it into the ice. He wasn't sure if the ice itself was weak or if some portion of magic still inhabited the metal, but it went in easily. Over and over, he chopped at the wall, but less than a minute later, his newfound strength had deserted him, and he leaned against the wall. He didn't even feel the cold anymore. He tried to stand, but his bones creaked and groaned under the effort. He pushed himself up just as a white crack spider-webbed from one of the holes he'd made. He stared at it uncomprehendingly. A loud crack filled the air, and his arms pushed through the ice. A shout escaped his lips just before his body impacted the wall, but he broke right through and fell onto the floor of massive cavern made of ice.

              A wall of warm air greeted him, and he breathed in with an almost delirious joy. His skin began to tingle, and he actually laughed. Half a second later, he remembered Andromeda. Panicked, he turned toward her. Her skin had turned blue, and he dragged her in and pulled her away from the hole he'd made. It was only then that he allowed himself to take in the cavern.

              In the fading light, he couldn't see much. Snow covered the frozen ground. Scattered around, he saw clusters of blue light in the ice itself. They didn't provide much illumination, but it was enough for him to see sharp stalactites hanging from a high ceiling. He turned back to the hole. Other lights were in the ice above it and a few wiggled around in the broken pieces at his feet. He bent down to examine them. They had already begun to disappear into the ice.

              "Glow worms?" he said.

              Andromeda groaned nearby, and he rushed over to her. Her skin was still discolored, but she opened her eyes.

              "Henry?" She blinked several times. "Where are we?"

              "I'm not really sure," he said. "I think we're still in the giant's realm, but it's warmer in here. At least it's enough for the cloak to make us think that."

              "I'll take whatever I can get."

              "Can you walk?"

              "I think so."

              "Good. Let's head that way. It seems to be where the heat is coming from."

              They walked slowly into the interior of the cavern. The glowworms did little but allow them to see vague shadows. After a few minutes, the ice gave way to slush, and a little while after that, to rock. The faint light revealed wisps of steam. Henry almost fell when he stepped into a puddle. The water was warm. He stared into the darkness and could just make out a number of pools. A stray glow worm fell from the ceiling and plopped into one of the pools. It flickered and died as it sank in.

              "We should rest here," he said.

              "Do we have any food?"

              Henry shook his head. "I lost my pack when we fell off Bifrost, and I haven't seen anything we can eat since."

              "I was afraid of that," she said as she sat down on a rock next to him, and he joined her a second later. "What are we going to do, Henry? We can't survive out there, and for all we know, we could be going deeper into Jotunheim."

              "Maybe you could look into the past and find out if we're going the right way."
              "Look for what?" she asked. "Unless someone has gone from these springs to Asgard, I can't exactly ask how to get there. Maybe if I could freely scan the past without my head exploding I could find something, but short of that..."

              "I think there might be another option," he said.

              "What's that?"

              "Have you ever heard of a place like this in Jotunheim?"

              "I told you all I know about Jotunheim..."

              "I know, just a few stories. This is supposed to be the land of the frost giants, right? It doesn't make sense for there to be hot springs in the middle."

              "What are you saying?"

              He looked out over the water, and took in a deep breath, taking in the steam. The warmth in his chest felt wonderful.

              "I think this cavern leads to another world," he said.

              "What world?"

              "I'm not sure, but it has to be better than here."

              "What about Idun?"

              "We can't fight her if we freeze to death."

              He couldn't see her face in the darkness, but he imagined her biting her lower lip. She didn't want to do this. Neither did he, for that matter, but he didn't see any other option. Jotunheim had nearly killed them. It would finish the job if given half a chance. She had to see that.

              "What about Cepheus, Frederick, and Budli?" she asked "What about their men who are dying trying to reach Asgard?"

              "How long do you think they can hold out?" he asked. "They could already be dead."

              She leaned against him and laid her head on his shoulder. When she spoke, her voice was so quiet he could barely make it out. "I know."

              He put his arm around her. "Look we don't have to decide right now. We're not going anywhere until we get some rest. Let's talk about this in the morning."

              He felt her nodding against his shoulder. A few seconds later, she was snoring soundly. It wasn't long before the efforts of the day caught up with him, and he fell into darkness.

CHAPTER 31

            
 
T
he ground rumbled, and Henry opened his eyes. Light from the hole illuminated the cavern, revealing an area smaller than he'd thought. It was perhaps two hundred feet across and twice as wide. Frozen spikes hung from the ceiling, and a dozen steaming pools littered the rocky center. A narrow river flowed to the back of the cavern and disappeared through a thin crack in the stone. Two wide openings stood on either side. The ground rumbled again. He shook Andromeda awake, and her eyes opened slowly, but another rumble made them go wide.

              "Something's coming."

              She nodded, and they stood up. He lifted his stump of a sword just as a shadow appeared in one of the openings. It looked like a man but was at least twenty feet tall. It carried a club in one hand, and when it stepped out of the entryway, Henry saw blue skin and white hair. The club was the bone of some huge creature. It wore a breastplate of black metal, and its eyes were pearly white with no color at all. Henry stepped in front of Andromeda and lifted his weapon. The giant gave a great booming laugh that shook the cavern. Icicles fell around Henry and Andromeda. One sliced into his arm, but the rest shattered against the stone or splashed into a pool.

              "Put away your broken knife, little man," it said.

              "If we follow the river, it won't be able to follow us," Henry said quietly.

              "That path leads to another world, doesn't it?"

              "I don't know, but that would be my guess," he said, "but even if it is, we should be able to come right back once he leaves."

              "Should?"

              "Hermes told me that not every path goes both ways."

              "Maybe I can look into the past to see if this one does."

              "If you pass out, I won't be able to carry you out of here."

              "We can't take that path."

              The giant took a step toward them.

              "Are you sure?" Henry asked.

              "Yes."

              "Then go. I'll be right behind you."

              A second later, footsteps came from behind, and he turned to follow. The giant roared, and the ground shook as they made their way between the pools. Ice fell from above with loud splashes as the giant crossed the center of the room. Henry almost lost his balance when they moved from rock to ice, but they made it to the other opening. It sloped upward, and it was a struggle to climb. The giant was right behind them. Henry pulled Andromeda into a smaller side passage hoping the giant was too big to follow, but it forced itself in. The passage groaned and shifted. Abruptly there was a loud crack and chunks of ice crashed to the ground. The walls each moved back a foot and the giant's steps resumed. It was getting closer. Henry spotted a crack in the ice, one far too small for the giant to fit. He and Andromeda dove in. It only went back about a dozen feet. The entrance darkened as the giant bent down and looked into the hole. Henry threw his hilt at the giant's eye, but even when it had been whole, the sword had never been meant as a thrown weapon. It bounced off a wall and skidded under the giant's face. The creature chuckled.

              "You have spirit, little man," it said. "More than most of your kind."

              "Heimdall said the same thing," Henry said.

              The giant growled, and Henry took an involuntary step back.

              "Talk to it," Andromeda whispered.
              "What?"

              "Reason with it."

              "How do you expect me to reason with that?"

              "Come out," the giant said. "It won't be nearly as pleasant for you if I have to dig you out."

              "The giants are the enemies of the gods. We're not exactly their favorite people right now. Convince it we're on the same side."

              "It's worth a try," he said under his breath.

              He walked up to the entrance. The giant's eye had to be half the size of Henry's face. Its snowy white eyelashes were covered with a layer of frost.

              "We're friends," Henry said.

              The giant laughed so loud Henry had to cover his eyes. "I like you, but I have no human friends, particularly not those favored by the gods."

              Henry gave a laugh of his own, but it sounded strained. "You think they favor me? Heimdall told me that after we fought, just before he threw us off Bifrost."

              "You spin a good tale."

              "How do you think we got here, in the middle of your land with nothing to protect from the cold? This is where we landed."

              The giant blinked and backed up a second. Something crashed and Henry realized it had sat down.

              "Alright. I'll listen. Come out here, and tell me your story."

              "How do I know you won't kill me?"

              The giant chuckled. "You don't, but you know I will if you stay in there."

              Henry looked at Andromeda and she shrugged. "It's not like we have very many options right now."

              Henry nodded. His throat felt dry, and his heart raced in his chest. His knees felt like jelly as he stepped out of the cave. He glanced at the broken sword, but didn't pick it up. He sat in front of the giant, its icy breath not quite overcome by his cloak. The air smelled like rotten meat. Andromeda sat beside him a few seconds later. He would've preferred for her to stay behind, but he had no way to tell her that without letting the giant hear too.

              "Well?" the giant asked.

              "The gods, some of them at least, have been trying to kill me for a long time. I'm sure they thought they succeeded when one of them threw us off their bridge."

              "And what were you doing on Bifrost? Were you coming or going?"

              "We were going into Asgard, hoping to catch them by surprise."

              "To do what?"

              "To stop them from trying to kill me. I've heard that in these lands, the gods can be killed. I don't like having to look over my shoulder. I just wanted it to end."

              "So you thought to attack the gods in their own home," the giant said between laughs. "Bold. Stupid, but bold, but you are still a human in the middle of Jotunheim, and your kind are not welcome here."

              "We're trying to leave," Henry said. "I understand your realm borders Asgard."

              The giant drew back and stared at them. Henry resisted the urge to shrink from that gaze. Once again, the giant's laughter shook the cavern.

              "You were thrown off Bifrost by a god, and landed in one of the most hostile worlds to mortal life, and your next idea is to go in the realm of the ones who did that to you?"

              Henry shrugged and tried to look nonchalant about it. "Like I said, I don't like people trying to kill me."

              "Alright, little human, you've convinced me."

              "You'll let us go then? Or can you show us the way to Asgard?"

              "It's not up to me. You'll go to Thrym, king of the frost giants. He'll decide if we'll give you aid or grind your bones to make our bread."