Frosted Dreams (NaNoWriMo2020)

Tricat'

Jaak stares at the mountain looming high above. It's as familiar to him as the forest in Russia, he remembers every stone on the mountain's peak. His mother lives at the very top, where the air is cold and the sky looms close. He used to love it up there, it was one of his favorite places in all of Norge. When he was a child he would sit on the very peak of the mountain and stare up at the stars, feeling the cold wind on his face.

Snow would always dance around him, a product of his peaceful delight. The dim sunlight gleams over the stone now, doing the best it can from its faint position on the horizon. The light won't last long, it'll be too dark to easily seen in even this twilight in a few minutes. Jaak flashes a grin at Hi'ilani, stalling for a heartbeat longer.

"You must love it here."

Hika frowns. "Why?"

"There are twenty-four hours of night right now, twenty-four hours of stars."

"But in the other half of the year, it's twenty-four hours of daylight. I might miss the stars then."

Jaak grimaces. "That's fair."

She grins at him, her eyes sparkling as if her starlight was shining from within. "You think I can't tell what you're doing?"

"And what is that?"

"Stalling. Go on, Jaak. I don't think you really want to keep waiting, you're just nervous."

Jaak sighs and holds his hand out in the air. Snow begins to fall around them as Hika takes his hand. It falls faster and faster, sealing them off from the rest of the world. Jaak can feel Hika shiver beside him as the snow swirls, forcing its way beneath the layers of her clothes. The snow is gone a moment later, leaving them standing on a rocky ledge near the mountain's peak.

There is a shadow along the cliff face, the entrance to his mother's home. Now that he can see it, Jaak wants nothing more than to sprint through the split in the stone. But if he does that, he's going to end up injured. His mother is a huntress, surprising her is the worst possible thing he could do.

He's honestly surprised he survived his childhood with how much he tried to play tricks on her, courtesy of his father's teachings. They involved many instances where he snuck up on her and there were many close calls with her weapons. So instead of going through the opening in the stone, Jaak summons up a flurry of snow and sends it whirling inside.

There is a crashing sound from within and footsteps racing for the opening. Someone steps through it a moment later, her pale blue eyes narrowing in on Jaak. Skadi lurches toward him, her black braid swinging behind her as she wraps her arms around him and squeezes tightly. She pulls back slightly after a moment, not letting go, and stares at him with tears spilling over her snow-pale cheeks.

She cups Jaak's cheeks and whispers, "Is it really you?"

Jaak tries to smile. "It's me, Mamma. It's Jaak."

Skadi's eyes well up with tears again and she hugs him again, not moving until Hi'ilani shifts, her feet scuffing on the stone. Skadi's head shoots up and she stares at Hi'ilani, slowly pulling away from Jaak.

"Who are you?"

Jaak winces. "Mamma-"

Hi'ilani shakes her head. "No, it's alright. My name is Hi'ilani, I'm a youngling from the Hawaiian pantheon. Jaak saved me from freezing to death a few days ago."

Skadi glances between the two of them. "There's something else. Jaak, you look like you're trying to protect her but not wanting me to realize it. I may have not seen you for a century and a half but I still know you and your expressions. What are you hiding?"

Hi'ilani sighs. "Loki tried to kill me and we learned some things."

Skadi whirls to Jaak. "Your father what?"

Jaak winces again. "It's why I left Russia. My being there was no longer protecting anyone."

Skadi reaches for Hi'ilani. "You poor thing, why don't you come inside out of the cold. And you," She crooks a finger at Jaak. "You need to tell me what happened in Russia."

Jaak laughs and follows his mother into the house. The stone room is scattered with woven tapestries and elegant wooden furniture draped over with plush furs. He has to blink back tears at the memories that well within him at the familiar sight.

An image flashes, his younger self weaving around the furniture, giggling as Skadi chases him. He inhales sharply when his mother appears in front of him, a frown on her face and three mugs held in her hands. She places the mugs on the low table and touches Jaak's shoulders.

"Jaak? What's wrong?"

He shakes his head and stumbles backwards to sit in a chair. "Nothing, just memories."

Something in his mother's eyes flickers and Skadi reaches for one of the mugs. "Cocoa?"

Jaak takes the mug gratefully and sips from it, feeling the hot liquid warm his belly. Hi'ilani greedily sips from her own mug, Jaak doesn't even have to look to know that she is draining it to the dregs. Skadi takes one look at the girl and laughs, pushing another mug towards her. Hi'ilani must have already had the one and Jaak's mother brought out three more.

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Tricat' = thirty (Russian)

What do you think of Skadi? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out