Frosted Dreams (NaNoWriMo2020)

Kanakolu kūmāhā

Hika sits perched on the edge of the bed, watching Jaak carefully. Skadi had practically leaped on the two of them the moment they came back inside, grabbing their hands and dragging them through the room. She'd already healed at that point, her palm only the faintest bit of pink. So Skadi had grabbed their arms and shooed them through the main room, so intent on her task that Hika had to hold back her giggles. Skadi had pointed to one room and given Hika a stern look.

"That's your room. You're staying for at the very least until this storm passes." Then she had turned to Jaak. "Do you remember where your room is?"

Jaak nodded. "Of course. Two rooms down the hall, on the left."

"Good boy. I'm going to start making dinner, and you are not going to help me."

Jaak groaned, tossing his head back. "Why can't I help?"

Skadi had raised an eyebrow at him. "Because you haven't been home in a century and a half. Go relax. Talk to each other, if you need to do something. But you're not going to help with the food."

Skadi had turned away from them then, heading back out the main room and the kitchen Hika had seen tucked in the back. Jaak had moved towards his room and paused, looking back to where Hika stood in the doorway of her own room.

"Would . . . would you like to see?"

Hika had beamed and followed Jaak into the room. She looks away from his face to look around the room now, taking it in again. This room is completely draped in gorgeous tapestries depicting his family's history, the stone above them carved with the same designs as Jaak's home inside the hill. He notices where her attention has strayed.

"They're called rosemaling."

"What are?"

"The designs you're looking at. The technique is called rosemaling." He pauses. "Although, they're generally done by painting, not carving in stone or ice. These were done in the same designs as traditional rosemaling though."

Hika stares up at the carvings, beautiful decorative flower-like snowflakes."The designs are lovely. You had them in Russia too."

"A reminder of my home here."

Hika frowns at one of the tapestries, at the familiar face. Jaak glances at the tapestry and back to her. "Hi'ilani? Hika? What are you thinking about?"

"What started it?"

"Started what?"

Hika hesitates, nibbling on her lip. "What caused Loki's descent? You said he went to look for something when you were young and he came back like this, but what actually happened to him?"

"I don't know. He left in search of something and was gone for days. He was different when he returned. But Hika, I told you all of this before."

"Is there anyone who could know what he was looking for?"

"My mother, maybe. I know they argued just before he left. If anyone knew, it would be her."

"So we ask her."

Jaak pales, his face going white as bone. "That is not a good subject. I asked once, right after it happened. She got so bent out of shape about it that she called up a storm strong enough to tear tapestries off of the walls inside the house."

Hika winces. "I get the point. How old were you when that happened?"

"Fourteen and I would much prefer to never see her like that again, thank you." Hika sighs.

"So you don't think the answers are worth it?"

Jaak shakes his head. "No, I believe they are. Doesn't mean it will be pleasant though. Can you blame me for stalling?"

"No, I can't. I'm sorry, Jaak."

He smiles at her and reaches for a clear ball on the shelf beside the bed. "This should have been done before. Now, just so I can stall a bit longer, would you like to see how he was, before everything?"

Hika nods. "That would be lovely."

Jaak touches the crystal and motions for Hika to do the same. She places her other hand on the side of the sphere. It's cool beneath her touch but after a few heartbeats it warms, flaring with comforting heat. Vapor swirls within the ball flashes of color beginning to form there. Warped images begin to form inside the ball and Hika fully expects a story to play out inside the ball. But that isn't what happens. Instead, the ball shatters and the smoke bursts out to envelop them.

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Kanakolu kūmāhā = thirty-four, when counting

What will they see? What do you think Loki was looking for? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Also, here's a heads up: I'm going to be in a no Wi-Fi/internet zone for a while next week, so I'm probably not going to be posting  chapters for at least a couple of days. I should be posting again by Friday though.

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out