“A small insult?”
“Yes. I could think of more to add, but that wouldn't be Odin's words.”
I can almost feel steam coming out of my ears. “Then get on with it!” I snap.
“Because of your serious mishap of letting Loki free and not catching him again even though you spent over a day with him—”
I interrupt, flailing my arms out to the sides. “That's not fair. He was in the form of Sobek, Elan’s brother.”
Ratatoskr raises a claw at me and shakes it. “I'm not finished. And I am not the judge and jury. I'm just passing on a message.”
I roll my eyes and let impatience seep through my voice. “Then stop wasting time!”
“With pleasure.” Ratatoskr puffs out his chest as though preparing for a long speech. “He said that because you let Loki out and didn't recapture him when you spent a full day with him”—he holds up a claw at me again as a warning not to interrupt—"that he now forbids you from entering Asgard. From this moment on, you are hereby banished until you have retrieved the deceitful Loki and have him secured within the mighty Odin’s grasp.” He lifts his chin and looks down at me. “There. I finally passed on the message.”
I hate that I can’t hide the hurt on my face from this conniving rodent. “What about all the good things I’ve done?” My bottom lip quivers. “I’ve done so much good for Asgard. I’m going to rectify this situation, at least eventually. But I can’t do it if I’m stuck here. I don’t understand. How am I ever going to get out if he isn’t sending me help and is banishing me instead?”
Ratatoskr shrugs nonchalantly. “No idea. That is for you to work out. Goodbye.” He scurries up the cave wall, heading toward the top, where the lava monster still blocks the entrance.
My mouth is agape as I stare up at him. “But—”
- Chapter Nine -
* * *
Traitor! Elan grumbles, sitting on her haunches.
The rodent scurries up the side of the cave, the glow of the lava river on his red coat unmistakable now that I know what to look for. My heart thumps rapidly in my chest as my brain attempts to process the unpleasant outcome and information dumped on me. I can't believe I’ve been banished. After a moment, I pull my thoughts together and realize that we’re still stuck in the middle of Muspelheim with no one to help us escape this sweltering enclosure. As much as I don’t enjoy Ratatoskr’s company, my only lifeline and potential help is running toward the top of the cave.
Even though he’s out of reach, I extend my arm, reaching for the faraway rodent as though I could stop him. “Wait!”
Ratatoskr pauses on a rock, his glare evident even from a distance. “What is it now? You always do this—call me back every time I'm disappearing.”
“Well, if you didn't disappear so quickly, I wouldn't have to call you back,” I retort.
“I’m a busy messenger!”
“Can you please come down lower so we can discuss something?”
“I have nothing to discuss.” His gaze becomes pointed with annoyance.
I roll my eyes. “The discussion is about a message I want to send.”
“You know I don't discuss things,” he repeats through his teeth.
“Okay. Okay. Then I want to pass on a message. Just come down and give me a moment.”
He groans loudly before dramatically turning and slowly climbing back down the wall of the cave.
As I watch him, my mind swells with insults I could send to Odin. With regret, I push them away though expressing them is tempting. After all, I'm already banished and too far away to hear his punishment. By the time I see him again, his anger would probably have subsided. Humming, I marvel over the different things rattling through my head. Tempting though they are, I hope to re-enter Asgard someday, and to make that happen sooner, sending insults is probably not the best choice at this point.
The scratching claws grow louder as the squirrel closes the distance, his red form zigzagging down the rocky ledge.
Crossing my arms, I lean against Elan. “Just wondering… Have you seen Loki lately?”
Ratatoskr reaches the lowest ledge and stands straight with his paws on his hips. “What makes you think I would have seen Loki lately?”
“Oh, I don't know.” I wave a hand dismissively. “Perhaps it's because you were giggling with him when he was in dragon form in Jotunheim. You could easily have informed me that he was Loki and saved me all this hassle. My friends and I could have plotted to recapture him as soon as we arrived in Asgard.”
Ratatoskr tilts his head to one side. “Don’t you start with me. I gave you plenty of hints that it was Loki. If you’re not smart enough to put it together, it's not my fault.” He shakes a claw at me. “I am not responsible for your stupidity.” He blows at the bottom of the feet. “Hurry up with the insult. These rocks are rather hot, and it’s hurting my paws. What insult do you want me to give to Thor”—he raises a furry eyebrow—"or Odin?”
Shaking my head, I chuckle. “Oh, I am not sending an insult to Odin. You really do think I'm stupid if that's what you think I mean to do.”
Ratatoskr presses his furry backside against a wall, taking turns standing on different feet. “Okay then, who are you sending an insulting message to?”
“To Thor.”
Ratatoskr straightens. “That could take a while. He's still out cold.”
My heart crashes to my stomach. “What?” I wipe the sweat off my brow, my skin cold and clammy despite the heat. My mind swirls with dizziness as I try to think of other options, but I fear I’m clean out. Perhaps I could send a message to my friends. I shake my head at the thought. They might not understand it because they don't know Ratatoskr very well and might take the mock insult as reality.
“I need to get a message to someone, letting them know where I am. It’s clear you're not going to tell someone I need help, out of the goodness of your heart.”
“Pfft! Sweetie, I don’t have a heart.” He sits on a rock ledge, letting his fur take the brunt of the heat, and lifts his feet. “Fire away! I can hold the message for Thor until he wakes up. I can't guarantee I’ll call in on him every day, though.”
I take a deep breath and let it out with a hiss, knowing Thor is probably my only hope. “Okay. Tell Thor it’s kind of him to have a little nap and let that lava monster take Elan and me. He could have stopped it. Instead, big, tough Thor, with his lightning and hammer, decided to play a little sleeping game and let the lava monster take us to Muspelheim. Now I'm stuck here, in this heated hole, kidnapped by Surt. Thanks very much, Thor.”
Ratatoskr cackles. “I love it! You’re getting a little better at this.” He points a claw at me and winks his approval. “I’ll be glad to pass that on when he finally wakes up. Who knows when that will be.” With a pleased expression, he gazes at me. “Now, is there any other message you need me to carry? Or are you finished with your messages?”
I nod. “I’ve finished. But can you please get the message to Thor as soon as possible? I don’t know what Surt’s plan is for us down here. We could be in a lot of danger. He seems to think that I know where Freya is, and I don't.”