“By Skadi’s mountain,” breathed Sif, “Baedi, what was that?”
Baedi sat up fully. “I’m not sure, but nothing good, that’s for certain. Still, not something we’re likely to face again soon. The earth and sky will not bear such an expenditure of power for a goodly while. You did well, Sif.” Baedi smiled weakly at the young witch. “Without you, we would have faced a terrible burning.”
“We may still,” interjected Gunhilde grimly. The Elder witch gestured to the forest ahead of them. Sif gasped in dismay.
Although the dome she and Baedi had woven had protected the column from harm, the explosion had set sections of the forest alight. In the direction of the Ironwood was a raging wall of flame.
“Goddesses!” cried Sif. “Will it burn the Ironwood?”
Gunhilde shook her head. “The Ironwood is safe,” she said, “but we are not. That fire sits directly in our path, and the best we can hope for is to find a way round it. We must head south, out of the forest and towards the coast. With luck, the fire will end at the forest border, and we will be able to circle around the fire and get to the Ironwood, and safety.”
Sif got herself shakily to her feet. “I could try a rain, like I did at Visby…” she began.
Baedi placed a restraining hand upon Sif’s arm. “Too much magic has been wrought this day,” said the witch kindly. “Neither land nor sky could bear it. This place will not respond to magic for quite some time.”
“No,” said Baedi, “we must be on our way, and pray to Freyja that we can find a way around this cursed fire.”
***
No sooner had Hakon and Gunnar began their desperate run when the very sky twisted, and a massive explosion hurled both men from their feet. “Gods!” cried Gunnar, regaining his footing. “What was that? Was that the column?”
Hakon sprang once more to his feet and resumed running. “Impossible,” he said with certainty. “If Sif was gone, I would know it. That was like when a great war hammer strikes a metal shield. I think my woman had been working great magic once again.”
“Remind me not to anger her,” said Gunnar as they reached the dell where the others of their group were hidden.
“Are you hurt? What on Midgard was all that magic? I felt it shake my very bones!” cried Uwe.
“We need to rejoin the column now,” said Hakon. “I will tell you all once we are on the move.”
“The Magni and I will not be joining you,” announced Magnus sadly. There were tears in the corners of his eyes. “Terrible damage is being wrought on my beloved forest, and the creatures within it need our aid. I fear that the dark power behind events has revealed itself, and my sons and I have a duty to our land.”
“Of course you do,” said Hakon. He knew he would miss the fierce gnomes, but he could not fault them for wishing to protect what was theirs. After all, it was exactly what he was doing. “Fare thee well, Magnus,” he said, clasping the gnome’s leathery hand. “I will tell my family of your brave deeds and prodigious family as well.”
The diminutive creature pulled with surprising strength, forcing Hakon to the gnome’s eye level. “Make sure you get home safely so that you may do so. I know that your parents would be proud to see the leader their son has become,” Magnus said softly. He then smacked Gunnar hard on the thigh. “Don’t be so concerned with watching your brother’s back that youforget to mind your own,” the gnome admonished Gunnar.
“That’s my brother’s job!” answered Gunnar cheerfully. “Fare thee well, master gnome. I will miss your company. Take care of your forest so that we can visit you sometime.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” said Magnus, rubbing at his eye. Then he turned and called, “Magni, with me!” and soon had disappeared into the undergrowth, as did his sons.
“I’m going to miss that little fellow,” said Gunnar. He paused then suddenly straightened. “Hakon, do you smell smoke?”
Hakon sniffed. “Gods above and below,” he murmured. “Alright everyone, we have to move!”
He did his best to explain to Uwe and the others what had happened, even as they ran through the forest. The smell of burning was stronger pervading the air, and thick tendrils of greyish-black smoke were beginning to drift through the trees. After what felt like forever to Hakon, they came upon the remnants of the column’s main camp.
It was not hard to see why the witches were no longer there. A short distance from where the camp had once been, the forest was alight. Hakon had seengreat bonfires and even one or two hall burnings but never anything like this. Blackened trees twisted as licks of flame raced up their trunks. Heavy smoke was everywhere. The heat was like being trapped in a bread oven. The young warrior’s eyes widened as he regarded the scene.
It looked like the end of the world.
Do the fire giants march? Is this Ragnarok?
Gunnar’s voice brought him back to his senses. “We need to move, Brother!” he shouted above the chaos of noise. “Come! Their tracks are not hard to follow. We cannot get trapped here!”
Hakon nodded, waved his arm at the group, and once more, they ran.
***
To Sif, the passage of time had blurred into a nightmare mixture of smoke, heat, and noise as the column moved as quickly as they could. She was completely lost and could only hope that the Elder Sisters had kept some sense of direction in their headlong flight. The enormous amount of magic she had expended had left her feeling like nothing morethan a shell of her former self, light-headed and heavy-footed.
