"I'm missing something!" she said.
"Wait until the storm is over, if there is an entrance we will find it!" said Olaf.
"No! Wait here!!" she said.
Before anyone could say another word, Aesa broke free of Magnus's grasp and ran as fast as she could into the blinding snowstorm. An hour passed and still, she had not returned.
"I should have followed her!" said Magnus for the tenth time.
"Then two of you would be lost in the snow." said Sigurd.
Magnus had made up his mind to go out anyway when Aesa returned caked with snow like a yeti.
"I was right!" she said.
"What was the question?" asked Kara.
"My dear kin, the question was are we at the right place and the answer is yes! Up on the opposite side of that hill is an entrance to a heavily guarded cave. It is crawling with the stench of pukje." said Aesa.
"The map shows the entrance being here, not on the hillside." said Olaf.
"Yes, that is weird."
"I'm hungry. We should eat before climbing the hill to kill more pukje. I bet we could catch some fish if we spear a hole in the ice." said Magnus.
"Wait a minute. Magnus what did you say?" asked Aesa.
"I'm hungry..."
"That's brilliant!" she said.
"Not really, anyone can spear fish." he said.
"No, no, no! Not fish. The entrance. We can't find the entrance because we are looking on the side of the hill, but the map says the entrance is right here on the ice." she said.
"Well I think we already decided the entrance is up on the hill. The map is wrong." said Magnus.
"The map is pointing out the real entrance. The one that takes us to the key! It's below the ice." said Aesa.
"I guess we'll just have to wait until Summer then. It is too dangerous to swim below the ice." said Sigurd.
"I'll do it." said Isgerd.
"If anyone is going to do something it should be me!" said Magnus.
"No Magnus, you should be generous and allow me to help. I'll go under the ice and find the entrance." she said.
"If there is something dangerous to be done, I would prefer to take the challenge." said Magnus.
"You mean stupid." said Sigurd.
"Now boys, don't fight. There will be plenty of opportunity to show off your manhood." said Isgerd.
"The snow has almost stopped. Walk twenty paces from this large rock next to our shelter and we should be right above the entrance." said Aesa.
The group followed Aesa's instructions and then cleared the snow from the ice. Magnus leaned down, polished the ice and put his face close as if to see the entrance.
"I don't think that is going to work Magnus. Instead, use your spear and make a hole in the ice big enough for Isgerd to get through." said Aesa.
Magnus, Sigurd and Kara chipped away at the ice until they had a large hole ready.
"It is so cold this hole will only stay clear of ice for a few minutes. So find the entrance and come back. Take this rope and attach one end to the door or a rock near the door when you find it." said Aesa.
Isgerd nodded, took the rope and plunged into the water. A few tense moments and Isgerd resurfaced. She tossed the end of the rope onto the ice.
"There's an entrance down there but it is barred with a gate. It is very murky in the water so follow the line of the rope. Magnus will need to go down there and bend the bars and when he has opened up the path, he will tug on the rope so the rest of us will know to follow." she said.
Magnus grabbed the rope without discussion and plunged into the water. A minute passed as the snow intensified again on the surface of the pond. The rope tugged indicating the bars were breached. Isgerd dunked below the surface. The rest of the group followed without words.
Magnus had used all of his might to bend the bars to the door. The water made it very difficult to get a good grip on the bars and they bent but a little. Magnus could feel the fire starting in his lungs as he strained his body to remove this obstacle. He imagined his kin being left to drown due to his weakness. He imagined the laughter in the meadhall at the mention of his failure. Blind rage fell over him and he grabbed the bars with an iron grip. First nothing much changed. Magnus felt his eyes bulge and his sinews strain in agony. Without warning the entire gate broke free from the stonework and Magnus dropped it in the rocky pond silt.
He realized he had underestimated the effort required to remove the gate and considered returning to the surface for air, but instead tugged the rope. If the Norns felt that he was too weak for this task then let them take him. He entered the dark cavern. No torch would burn down here so he must rely on his instincts. He kicked powerful strokes in defiance of this challenge.
The cavern continued for a long time. Magnus began to doubt which direction he was swimming. The cold ceased to burn. He dreamed of Valhalla and the glory of representing Odin at Ragnarok. Soon the Norns would take him. He smiled.
In the obscurity of the murky water Isgerd changed into a large river otter. She was uncertain how Magnus would react if he knew the gods had given her the power to shape-shift. Everything was dark magic to that man! With the vision of an otter she could keep watch to make sure all the others made it to shore. Swift, she swam past her kin, concealed in the darkness. The cavern was very long. It might be too long for most of her kin to swim without drowning. She reached the end of the cavern where it surfaced into a large cave. Magnus' legs dangled in the water. Isgerd surfaced long enough to see if he were breathing. By Thor! That man was as tough as he were stubborn! Isgerd sank back into the water. Kara and Sigurd will make it. They were fine swimmers and did not have to bend a gate before moving through the cavern. Aesa was not the best swimmer, but Isgerd could see that somehow Aesa again had outwitted the Norns. She had a long stem in her mouth. The stem led to a large sealskin bladder. She was using this device to breathe. Isgerd continued and found Olaf sinking into the muck. Bubbles escaped his lips and his arms were twitching. She grabbed him as best she could and dragged him the rest of the way into the cavern.
The cavern was large and dark as the dok alfar, the legendary elves who betrayed Odin and Thor at the final battle which ended their mortal lives.
"Anyone able to get a torch lit?" asked Kara.
"Torches are useless until they dry." said Sigurd.
Isgerd changed back into her mortal form and placed a gentle hand on Olaf, praying to Odin for help. A blue aura formed around her hand which she slid under Olaf's shirt to conceal the light. His skin was very cold. Just when Isgerd was sure that Olaf had gone to drink mead with Thor, he began to cough and sputter water.
Just as Isgerd removed her hand, Aesa had lit a sulfur stick. She was standing next to Isgerd looking down at Olaf.
"Will he live?" she asked.
"Today is not his day to die." said Isgerd.
They both exchanged questioning glances. Isgerd wondered what Aesa had seen. Aesa wondered why Isgerd was hiding her gift. Neither spoke. Aesa turned away as if she had not seen anything odd, but Aesa was always watching. It was a survival skill.
The light from Aesa's sulfur stick would not last long. The group dragged Olaf and Magnus to the center of the cavern and the others huddled close to them for additional warmth. Sigurd was shivering so much his greaves were banging.
"Kara, look for moss, sticks, parchment, anything that is dry and will burn." said Aesa.
On the south shore was a skeletal corpse. Kara ripped the garment and leather armor fragments and parts of a dry-rotted shield and carried them back. Isgerd and Aesa found a few sticks. They piled them up near the men and Aesa poured oil from a container over the wood. She dropped the last of her sulfur stick into the mass and it rushed into flames.
"This fire won't last long. Gather all of our torches and set them close to the fire. We need to dry them out fast. Get your clothes as close to the flames as is safe. Rub the men with your hands. If they were more alert I am sure they would be pleased. We need to keep them from turning blue." said Aesa.
As the group gained warmth the fire began to die. They could see that the cavern was very tall, almost three times the height of a man. It smelled of sulfur and chalk. The echo of many droplets falling made Aesa nervous. She decided that moving was the easiest way to stay warm and decided to explore. Sigurd was out of danger. Magnus was stirring and Olaf was breathing regular. She headed to the southern section of the cavern where Kara found the body.
The body had been pulled apart by Kara's desperate desire to find combustibles. A skeletal arm remained close to the wall of the cavern. Aesa lit a new sulfur stick and inspected the area. The arm held a piece of chalk. There was writing on the wall above the arm and it ended in a word that ran down the wall to where the corpse lie. The words were in the runic Thorsen script. "Beware the caverns of Fluesom. If you are wise you will turn back now. I was once eager for glory. Now I serve Odin in the halls of Asgard. Hoerald the Ready"
Aesa inspected the rest of the cavern and found only one way out, to the south of the corpse down a narrow winding passage. She padded back to her kin in time to see they were ready to move.
"Did you find a passage?" asked Sigurd.
"Only one way out, to the south. I only followed it a short distance." said Aesa.
"Lead on." he said.
They were able to get one torch lit with some effort. Olaf carried the torch since he centered the group. The passage to the south narrowed and twisted but all were able to manage to get through. After a few minutes they heard the rush of water. Aesa motioned for the others to halt while she looked around a turn in the passage. The passage opened up into a large cavern with a waterfall in the Southeast corner. In the center of the chamber two wood poles were thrust into the floor. Bones were scattered around the area. She nodded, and her kin entered the room with caution. Everyone was quiet and those who spoke whispered.
"I count four human bodies." said Isgerd.
"This place has seen battle." said Magnus.
"Look for anything valuable. Treasure or weapons might lie just beneath the sand." said Sigurd.
With swords and spears, the group shifted through the rubble. After a careful search they gathered their findings near a big rock.
"The bodies have been picked clean. There may be pukje down here. There were signs that the bones had been chewed." said Aesa.
"I found five short lengths of rope. They seem to be in good shape." said Kara.
"We have the two poles." said Sigurd.
"I found a water-stained piece of vellum. I can make out a few words." said Olaf.
"What does it say?" asked Aesa.
"It's in a very old form of Thorsen. Thor's tomb....key...green...guard...island...all hope..." he said.
"Not much, but it tells me that we are in the right place! I've checked out the entire cavern and it is all natural. I didn't find any way out of here except by going through the waterfall." said Aesa.
"Can we protect the torches?" asked Sigurd.
"Lets wrap them in as many layers of leather as we can spare and put them in the haversack." said Aesa.
"I was just starting to feel warmer. Ah, what I wouldn't do for a nice hot mug of spiced mead, a fair lass on my arm and some fine music." said Olaf.
With no further discussion, the group pushed through the waterfall. The torch went out. The water from the waterfall was frigid. The narrow cavern beyond the waterfall was flooded up to their waists but was much warmer.
"Get a torch lit." said Sigurd.
"I'm trying." said Olaf.
"We must be near a hot spring, the water is pleasant." said Aesa.
"That dripping sound is very unpleasant." said Kara.
"The whole place stinks of fish." said Magnus.
They all laughed but then Kara cried out.
"What's wrong?" asked Sigurd.
"Something bit me!" she said.
"It's just eels. The water is full of them." said Magnus.
Kara howled again.
"Kara?!" shouted Sigurd.
"Get that damn torch lit!" said Aesa.
The sound of Kara attacking something with her spear drown out the incessant dripping sound of the cavern.
"Kara is under attack. Don't use swords until we can see what we are doing." said Sigurd.
Olaf got a torch lit. Kara was attacking something that was trying to pull her under the water. Isgerd looked in Olaf's direction when the torch was lit. Behind Olaf was a large slobbering aquatic humanoid with four rows of teeth. It knocked the torch from Olaf's hand and everything went dark again.
One of the creatures bellowed. It sounded like someone choking on their own vomit. Magnus felt it bite his shoulder. He reached behind him and got it in a headlock. With a violent twist he broke its neck and dropped the slumped creature into the water.
Isgerd prayed to Odin. She waved her arm and willed her request into form. A fey blue light glimmered on the tip of her kinsmen's blades. On instinct, Magnus dropped his dagger. As one of the creatures neared the blade, he picked it up and stabbed the creature in one of its large egg-shaped eyes. The others were quick to take advantage of the fey-light and fought hard. Sigurd helped Olaf. Together they were able to kill the beast that had knocked the torch out of Olaf's hand. Kara choked the creature that bit her while continuing to stab it long after it had expired. Sigurd attached his glowing dagger to his helmet like a lamp and drew his sword. Two creatures had him by the legs and were pulling him under. Sigurd cut off the arm of one creature and then kicked the other until it let go. Aesa jumped on top of the one that Sigurd kicked and stabbed it in the back. The creature dove, but Aesa did not let go or stop stabbing it. She surfaced after a minute, her smile barely visible in the darkness. The fight was over almost as fast as it started.
"Who is injured?" asked Isgerd.
"Kara is hurt." said Sigurd.
"It is nothing. I will live." she said.
"Let me see." said Isgerd.
"Can we get another torch lit Olaf?" asked Sigurd.
"That creature pulled me under the water for almost a minute. The torches are wet. I am trying to light one." said Olaf.
To his surprise, one of the torches lit although it was very smoky.
Isgerd could see that Kara was going to need stitches to close the wound. She gave Kara a stick.
"Put that in your mouth while I sew the wound." she said.
Kara did as instructed and Isgerd sewed the wound and then applied some poultice before wrapping the wound. Isgerd repeated the process for those with open wounds.
"What were those things?" asked Olaf.
"Pukje." said Magnus.
"Everything you don't like is pukje!" said Aesa.
"Some pukje are bigger or uglier than others. I don't like trolls, giants or blood pudding either." said Magnus.
"You told me you liked my blood pudding!" said Aesa.
"It was alright." he said.
"Next time you are hungry, I'll make you eat your own cooking Magnus and laugh as you spend the week in the outhouse." she said.
"Those ugly things might regroup. I think they are called Skum. We should keep moving." said Sigurd.
They continued wading, chest high in water at times through the winding passage. The dripping water from above and the eels and fish bumping into them from all directions had their tensions on edge. More than once someone thought one of those aquatic humanoids had grabbed them and let out a startled shout. The follow-up laughter was nervous. The flickering torch put shadows on every wall that did not help everyone's mood.
Olaf began to sing, more of a whisper, but his kin could hear it.
"The sky was gray
The trolls and wolves follow
The men were brave
They march toward the hollow
The winter snow
Covered up their blood
The hollow neared
but no safe haven found
The trolls marched on
The trolls were there awaiting
For the wooded hollow
They proudly called their home
The men were brave
Gladness in their breasts
For on this day
They knew they would find rest"
Olaf could see by the steady steps and smiles on his kinsmen's faces that he had bolstered their spirits.
The winding passage became lined with narrower side passages. Aesa and Olaf checked them while the rest waited. Some of the side passages terminated soon or were filled in with rubble. A few were worth investigating. The first passage of interest ended above the water line. Bones of skum and humans were everywhere.
"Olaf, check for anything useful. I will check the bodies." said Aesa.
Olaf nodded. He checked along the back walls while Aesa inspected the skeletons.
Aesa poked some of the human skeletons. They were ancient. The armor on some of them crumbled when prodded. Aesa picked up a wooden shield that looked new. She could sense a tingling in her arm and believed that it was enchanted. She held on to it to show to her kin.
"Over here, Aesa. There is writing on this statue. It is written in an ancient form of the Welkin language. I can only make out some of it." Olaf said.
"Welkin? How is that possible? Welkins live in the southlands. They have never had a presence in the land of the northmen!" said Aesa.
"This is what it say, to the best of my ability to translate...Laertes was a friend of dwarves everywhere. In tribute to his life, may this monument be an ever-present beacon to anyone who walks through this town."
"Are you certain of your translation?"
"I may have some verb tenses wrong. I studied Welkin in Uppsala."
"What are dwarves?"
"I didn't translate that word. I think it is means dverge."
"Dverge! They created weapons for the gods. They no longer live among mortals...and what town? I don't see anything but some old bones and lots of water. I think someone was drunk and thought it would be funny to make up a story."
"Why do that down here?"
Aesa was silent. They headed back to the others and told them what they found.
Aesa gave the shield to Sigurd, as it was better than the one he carried. They would keep Sigurd's shield as an extra or for firewood. Soon another side passage was discovered. Magnus guarded the main passage while the others joined Olaf and Aesa.
The bit of land is similar to what they found in the previous passage. In the center of the mass is a raised tomb that is open. Olaf lifted his torch and could see another ancient skeleton adorned in crumbling ancient arms. There was an open stone coffer inside the tomb with some treasure that was not looted. Olaf read the inscription on the broken sarcophagus.
Kallistas the Pure met her end battling the minions of Ares. Ten more heroes such as she, and the war god would have been banished to Hades.
"More drivel." snorted Aesa. "Ares is not a god...and Hades...even a Welkin should be able to spell Hel!...oh what have we here? Treasure! Finally!"
Aesa reached into the coffer before anyone could say anything more. She pulled out her arm and opened her hand revealing gold coins. In all they filled a sack with gold coins, some amber pieces, a nice set of emerald earrings and a petrified owl that they tossed without ceremony back in the stone coffin. Aesa used sleight of hand moves and pocketed three crystal vials she found.
"Finally something besides wet leggings to show our kin!" said Sigurd.
Now eager, the group plunged back into the water and joined Magnus, showing off some of the gold. Magnus grinned.
The strange passages become more common. One was filled to the height of two men with the bones of skum. There was an inscription in ancient Welkin on the wall of what looked like an old building. Olaf did his best to translate. "Turn east on Blade Street, past the apple orchard to find tonight's wrestling competition." A second inscription written in poor script said, "It is said that Darius' mother is an orc."
"What is an orc?" asked Sigurd.
"I don't know." said Olaf.
They scramble down the bone mound and Olaf starts a landslide. Olaf plunges in the water but gold coins start falling out of the bone avalanche. With dexterity, the group saved a few of the coins for themselves and then continued down the main passage. The main passage became shallow. There was a small landmass in the middle of it, just ahead. The group approached it and found a tomb made for a child. There was an inscription written again in ancient Welkin. Olaf read it to his kin. "The monument was placed among these woods for Boban the halfling, friend of elves and all who knew her. She graced this glen for 116 years."
"Elves? Halflings?" asked Sigurd.
"I have no idea what a halfling is. Perhaps it is a half grown woman, although this one lived a long time if the script is to be believed...I believe Elves is a corrupted use of the word Alfar." said Olaf.
"Dverge and Alfar live among the gods! They have nothing to do with mortals!" said Aesa in disgust.
"Keep moving. There might be more treasure!" said Sigurd.
"This water is less and less welcome. My skin is more wrinkled than the corpse of a dead sailor." said Kara.
"Look! Another side passage!" said Aesa.
"I hope this one has more dry land!" said Kara.
They continued down the side passage, no longer concerned with placing a guard. The passage terminated on dry land featuring another sarcophagus. This one was made of fine marble and was constructed for a very tall person. Magnus began to push the lid to the coffin aside when Olaf stopped him.
"Let me read the inscription first! It might have a curse placed on it!" said Olaf.
Magnus stepped aside while Olaf read.
"Solas Skullsplitter lies before you. Old age was the only foe he could not conquer. Only now that he is dead can you hope to rise above him in skill. His might was only matched by his generosity to his friends. He raised twenty-seven sons to adulthood. They have constructed this monument to him."
"Solas never met Magnus." said Aesa.
Her kin laughed.
Magnus looked cautiously at Olaf.
"Yes you can desecrate the grave now. No worries. He's a heathen, A Welkin curse carries no power. I just wanted to read the inscription before you broke the lid!" said Olaf.
Magnus grumbled, then pushed the coffin lid onto the floor with a mighty heave. He watched in satisfaction as it broke into several pieces.
Inside the sarcophagus was the skeleton of a man almost as tall as Magnus. He was wearing a gold death-mask and a cloak of fine gold. He had five silver daggers on his chest. His skeletal hand grasped a crystal goblet filled with agates. A gold chalice rested near his head.
Aesa and the others looted Solas' grave and put the treasure in a sack. Then they continue down the winding passage.
"Notice the air?" asked Sigurd.
"It is filled with steam. We must not be far from Surtur's realm." said Isgerd.
"Great! First we freeze, now we have to worry about getting burned up in Muspel...remind me again of how glorious it is to die like a roasting pig?" said Olaf.
"Relax hero, the women back at the meadhall love a good story and I am sure you will be the focus of a new saga when you get back." said Sigurd.
The group silenced as they came to a small alcove filled with the bones of skum. A small metal box was the only object among the bones. Olaf picked it up.
"There is an inscription in gold leaf." he said.
"That box is made of platinum! We will be able to buy our own farms with it!" said Aesa.
"The writing is in an old form of the Thorsen runes. It says, "Behold! Access to Thor's tomb lies in the platinum box before you. If you are unworthy, Thor will teach you the meaning of a slow and painful death."
"Then we are too late." said Olaf.
"My oath was to recover Thrain's cloak and goods." said Magnus.
"Your oath is important Magnus, but if the key to Thor's tomb ends up in the hands of Pukje or worse, and we could have prevented it, we will be lucky if we are only outlawed." said Aesa.
"There is no point debating the Norns. If we are intended to find the key, it will be ours." said Isgerd.
"I suggest we keep moving. The water is crawling with blind eels and perhaps more skum." said Sigurd.
The kinsmen continued wading through the warm water. Several times they had to backtrack as the steam and darkness made familiar terrain look new. They passed an area with elaborate floral motifs on the wall but find nothing of interest and continue down the passage.
"Do you smell that?" asked Aesa
"Fish?" asked Magnus.
"No, don't smell with your stomach Magnus, smell with your nose." she said.
Kara and Magnus both said in unison, "Pukje!"
"Shhhhhh!" said Aesa.
"Kara do you hear anything moving ahead of us?" asked Aesa.
"No." she said.
"Then whatever it is, knows we are here." said Aesa.
"Should we extinguish our torch?" asked Olaf.
"No, we would be blind but it would see just fine. Olaf, get to the back of the group so that torch stays lit." said Aesa.
Everyone readied their weapons as they approached a large cavern. The stench from beyond stained the air with death. The chamber was flooded but a small island centered the room. A large figure waited on the island. It tossed its spear at the group and struck Isgerd in the leg. She went down with a groan. Before anyone could react, it jumped into the water.
"Get Isgerd to the rear. Magnus and Kara, get to the island so we are fighting on high ground." said Sigurd.
They were half way to the island when the creature surfaced. It was taller and wider than Magnus and blue-green in color. It's fetid breath weakened the stamina of mortal men. It was wearing a necklace of bones. Magnus rushed it with his sword, but the huge pukje punched him hard and pulled him under the water.
"Magnus!" said Aesa. She pulled her daggers and dove after him.
Kara and Sigurd poked at the water with spears. Olaf dragged Isgerd to the island and set his torch down to attend to her wound. It was deep.
"I'm going to pull this spear through your leg. It will hurt. Don't pass out. My field dressings are not what I am famous for." said Olaf.
"Wait! Give me some mead." she said.
Reluctant, Olaf hands her his secret stash of mead.
"If I pass out, pour this into the wound and then strike the wound with that torch." said Isgerd.
Olaf pulled the spear through Isgerd's leg before she could say more. He had hoped the surprise would make it easier. It did not. Isgerd screamed in pain. Blood was pouring out of the wound and she was turning pale. She was too weak to pour the mead so Olaf did. He reached for the torch. Blue light emanated from Isgerd's hand.
She focused it on the wound. It began to close and heal on its own. When the light faded, Isgerd passed out, but her color was close to normal.
Kara and Sigurd were distracted by Isgerd's scream at the moment when the huge pukje surfaced. Magnus had the creature in a death lock but blood was flowing from his face and one of his eyes was sealed shut. Aesa was stabbing the creature with her daggers but also looked battered. The creature snapped Sigurd's spear and tossed Kara. Kara landed hard on her back and sunk beneath the water. Sigurd drew his sword and took a wild stab at the beast. Olaf fired several arrows from his hunting bow, striking the creature in the shoulders. Magnus pulled one of the arrows from the creature's back and stabbed it in the eye. The creature went down on one knee but tossed Magnus several feet in the process. Aesa found Sigurd's broken spear and stabbed the pukje in the groin with it. Kara regained her senses and threw her spear at the stunned creature, striking it in the chest. It fell face down into the water just as Olaf hit it with another arrow. Sigurd and Aesa stabbed it repeatedly to make sure it was dead. When it stopped twitching, the group joined Olaf and Isgerd on the island.
The island was filthy and infested with sand fleas. Treasure, bones and half eaten eels lie everywhere. Aesa tossed a flea infested fur into the water. Its value was destroyed by the pests. She was walking with a limp. There were several partially burnt torches, and some weapons. The group found some silver bracelets which can be broken into sections and used as currency.
"Based on the way you are wheezing Kara, I'd say you broke some ribs." said Sigurd.
"Don't worry...about me, look to...Isgerd...and Magnus." said Kara.
"Magnus? What is wrong with him?" asked Sigurd. He turned to where Magnus was standing and saw that the big man had collapsed after the battle. Many wounds were apparent and he was heavily bruised. Sigurd did his best to make Magnus comfortable. He patched him up the best he could. Aesa, Olaf and Kara pulled Isgerd next to him.
"Now we wait." said Sigurd.
While they waited Aesa and Olaf noticed some faint writing on the cavern wall near the back of the island. Aesa was starting to understand the script, but held a torch while Olaf read it. "I am the last of the protectors of moira, the barbarians call them the norns, but in any language no man can control them. It seems the fates have chosen this day to be my last. So be it. As long as the key to the tomb of the chosen ones is protected, the demons that wish to destroy our world will never find it. When the once great city fell to sin, the moira balanced their evil by sinking them into the earth. I find irony that this place of sin, now is protected by the moira. As death approaches to blow out my flame, I have been given second sight. When the year of destruction becomes the year of hope, children will find what questing knights and scheming fiends could not. The weak will become strong and the end will become a new beginning. In hope, there will be redemption or destruction..."
"I understood Norns." said Aesa.
"Yes that is about all I understand. "Do you know what our year is based on?" Olaf asked.
"The moon cycle." said Aesa.
"Not just the months of the moon cycle, but the year is now 1076. What was the origin of the first year? Why do we remember it?" he asked.
"It is the year Odin and Thor lost their mortal battle against the forces of evil and retreated taking Asgard away from mortal men. It is the year Midgard was born." said Aesa.
"Perhaps that was the year of destruction." said Olaf.
"I like riddles, but this one is going to take more clues before I understand it." said Aesa.
"I agree. Did you notice the passage continues around that bend?" said Olaf.
"Of course. I think we should explore it while the others wait here." said Aesa.
"Aren't we going to tell them?" he said.
"They will figure it out. It,s what I do. Nothing is going to attack them. That big pukje would scare all the neighbors into staying far away from here." she said.
"Okay, let's go." he said.
They slipped into the water and waded down the corridor. A faint flashing dim light came from somewhere beyond the large cavern in front of them.
"Did you notice something?" asked Aesa.
"Yes, the water is getting shallower." said Olaf.
"We are on an incline." she said.
A second cavern became visible. From here they noticed that it was quiet except for a few drops dripping into the knee high water. A green strobing light was visible. The air was cool but not cold. They continued north to another cavern. The water in this chamber was ankle deep. A tiny island sat in the middle of the cavern with a small box resting on it. The green light came from the box.
Aesa pointed to the island. Silent, they both approached with caution. The box was carved from green crystal. Inside the box was a palm sized green orb that was pulsing with light. On the box in gold leaf were the words Skentel and Dromok. Aesa reached for the orb.
"Wait!" said Olaf.
"What's wrong?" said Aesa.
"It could be dangerous." he said.
"That is why I am reaching for it. I can't burden you with the possibility of being turned into a troll or cursed by some god." she said.
Olaf gave her a troubled look but said no more.
Aesa picked up the orb. "I can see in the dark while holding it." she said.
"Wonderful! We are almost out of torches!" said Olaf.
"Skentel." she said.
"Wait!" Olaf said.
"What now?" she asked.
"Nothing happened." he said looking surprised.
"Of course not. That must have been the activation word. It was already active." she said.
"Dromok!" she said.
The orb became dark and very small.
"I can't see in the dark anymore!" she said.
"Skentel!" she said. The orb returned to its full size and began to strobe with green light.
"Interesting!" said Olaf.
"Yes, let's get back to the group. Take that box. It is worth gold." she said.
Olaf picked up the box and they headed back to Sigurd and the others.
When Aesa and Olaf returned Sigurd and Kara were pushing three dead skum into the water.
"Where have you been?" grumbled Sigurd.
"Acquiring the key to Thor's tomb!" said Aesa in a cheerful tone.
When everyone had inspected the orb it was decided to sleep on the island and rest.
They were exhausted, beaten, but had bonded through hardship. They did not know how to get out of this cavern system, but they had the key. Each of them dreamed of the reception they would get when they returned to Ulfgard.