FROST- Jotun Chronicles #1

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The flames of the campfire were mesmerizing. While Erik talked I watched them snap, dancing over the wood, licking the surface until the bark curled and blackened. There was an old black pot on a grill over the fire, full of some kind of bubbling soup.

“…she knows where we are now,” Erik was staring into the fire, the flames reflecting in his blue eyes, “she won’t be content to leave us alone. She knows she has a rebellion on her hands.” He looked up, looking around at his tent city, “we’ll have to move.”

Loki leaned forward eagerly, “Come to Muspellheim, all of you! My father will rejoice to see you! We don’t want a war. We are too outnumbered, but with your help…”

Erik shook his head, “how do I know I can trust you? I’m not going to lead my people into a trap.”

The heavyset man beside Erik- the blacksmith- spoke up, “What choice do we have? It’s die here or maybe die there. If we stay in the forest the Queen will hunt us down until we’re all dead. That’s why this was supposed to be a secret rebellion until we were strong enough,” he rolled his eyes at me, “ but then you had to go rescue the princess.”

I could feel my face turning red. Erik glared at him, “What would you have had me do, Jarll? Leave her to die? Give her up so she can lead the army into battle?”

“I suppose not,” Jarll crossed his thick arms over his barrel chest and regarded me coolly, “What have you got to say about all this, your highness?”

Defensive, I retorted, “don’t call me that. And I think we should go with Loki to Muspellheim.”  Beside me, Loki shifted, startled. When I glanced over at him he gave me a huge grin. I shrugged, “I was the same way before, not sure I could trust him…but…I think we can. And what else are we going to do anyways? Just wait here for her to find us?”

Erik stroked one hand over the blonde stubble on his chin, face thoughtful, “I don’t know. It isn’t a decision I can make lightly, or on my own. I’ll have to call a council to decide.” He paused as a skinny woman with spiky blonde hair emerged from the tent behind the fire and handed him a wooden ladle and a set of crudely carved bowls.

“Thank you, Marian.”

She bowed her head silently and retreated back inside the tent. I stared at her for a moment, thinking that it was sort of rude that she hadn’t said hello or anything. Erik leaned over and said quietly,

“That’s Marian. She joined us several weeks ago. She spoke out against the Queen and Eira had her tongue cut out. We found her in the woods, half dead from shock and blood loss.”

Instantly I felt bad for my previous thought. She couldn’t speak, the Queen had taken her voice from her and left her for dead.

 “That’s evil.” My voice shook slightly.

“That’s why you all have to come back with me,” Loki said eagerly, “help us fight her. She wants to kill all of you, she wants to kill all of us. We’re on the same side!”

Erik nodded slowly, “I take your meaning, but I still have to call a council to decide. It can wait until it gets later in the day. Not everyone is awake yet.” He leaned forward and dipped the ladle into the pot, setting the bowls out on the ground in front of him, spooning the soup evenly until each was a little over half full.

Erik handed out the bowls. I grasped the warm wooden surface, staring down at the brown liquid. Beside me, Erik and the blacksmith simply tipped the bowls towards their mouths and drank. Tentatively, I did the same, and was surprised at the pleasant warmth. It tasted familiar. I lowered the bowl, “What is this? It’s really good.”