With the threatening pits gone, Elan says, We’re just going to have to wait for our chance. It's not going to be impossible, just tricky. That strange thing works like a dog watching over that hole.
“Maybe it has more brains than we give it credit for.”
Elan spreads her wings and shrugs. Who knows? I wouldn’t be surprised if it can sniff us out like a dog on the hunt.
- Chapter Seven -
* * *
In the dull light cast by the lava river, I collect the arrows scattered over the ground, dislodged when we were unceremoniously dumped in this cave. Only a few had managed to remain tucked in my quiver, ready to grasp when needed. At first, I was surprised that my weapons weren't confiscated, but my wonderment at remaining armed was abolished when I threw my sword and shot the arrow at Surt and he found my efforts laughable, incapable of injuring or harming him. Thanks to his reaction, I hadn’t bothered collecting the weapons earlier.
With the talk of escape, a new hope infuses my veins, and I set my mind to gathering my things in preparation. Clasping my sword hilt over my shoulder, I lift it, listening to the metal sing before releasing it with the satisfaction of its accessibility.
Casting one last look around the cave, I’m satisfied that I've retrieved all lost weapons, and I slump down against Elan. Heat radiates through her scales—a warmth I don’t need, yet I lean in, resting against her and soaking in her friendship and comfort. It’s a welcome relief from this depressing place.
Elan curls into a ball, wrapping her head close to my body, almost in a protective enclosure. Her golden eyes glimmer in the orange glow of the lava river, her face thoughtful. The river's golden light is mesmerizing as my mind swirls with ideas and plots to free us from this entrapment. The warmth from the lava glazes my eyes, and my body thrives in the short rest as I think things through.
I tuck a hand under one of Elan’s scales, touching the soft flesh underneath. The simple gesture brings so much comfort. I can even feel her body relaxing into my touch. The connection wipes away some of the stress of being kidnapped and taken to a foreign and dangerous realm.
Elan must be exhausted. She just recovered from the lava monster’s first attack, only to be kidnapped, her body thrown into another explosion of stress.
Hot breath shoots out of Elan’s nostrils, and she rests her head on her front feet. Let me know if you come up with any ideas on how to get out of here. My guess is that these mind games aren’t going to go away, and our only escape is planning a dash past the legs of the lava monster.
“Something tells me that you’re right, Elan. Although we can both use a little bit of rest to try to recoup energy.”
Elan’s eyelids close slowly before being jerked open. Ain't that the truth.
I wrap an arm around Elan’s front leg. “I wish we had our friends here, Valkyries and dragons. We might have more of a chance. The reality is that Thor may still be unconscious, and no one will know where we are. They may not even know that we're missing.”
She twists her head to land her sad eyes on me. I hate to say it, but with the condition Thor was in when we were taken, I don’t think anybody will know we're gone. I doubt anyone else saw the lava monster leaving.
Defeat and disappointment creep into my optimism, taking over my muscles, which go lax, and I flop against Elan, her sharp scales digging into my flesh. I ignore the discomfort, taking solace in knowing my scaly friend remains by my side. “You’re probably right.”
I assess our surroundings, taking in every inch, and study the access points again to assess if I’ve overlooked a loophole that will get us out of here. I can’t tell when Surt will be coming back, and when he does, if I don’t give him the answer he seeks, we may need an escape route, however dire it is.
Minutes, if not hours, tick by, bringing the discomforting feeling of being lost. If not for Elan, I would be very lonely. I've studied every part of the cave, only to come up empty-handed for brilliant ideas, and my gaze returns to the lava lake, my eyes drooping with exhaustion as the warmth lures me to sleep.
A strange scratching pulls my focus upward, and I search for the source. The glow of the lava bathes everything in an orange-red light, making it hard to spot the source of the noise.
The scratching continues, and I squint, focusing within the darkness, higher than the light of the lava. But I fail to catch any movement pointing to the cause of the sound. Looming darkness, thick enough to cut, prevails in the top half of the cave, the hole remaining blocked by the lava monster.
The scratching continues, setting my nerves on edge. Worried that it might be a dangerous creature exclusive to Muspelheim, I continue searching the shadows cast by the orange light behind the jolting rocks. Eventually, something glowing a deeper orange darts across the far side of the cave. I blink. The object is hard to discern in the light from the molten lava river. Perhaps the fire embers are reflecting against something, but then it seems to glow a different kind of red. Whatever it is, it continues to move in a circular downward motion, heading toward us.
Pushing off Elan, I stand to get a clearer view of the approaching creature. My fingers tingle with anticipation, and I gather my magic while unhooking my bow and nocking an arrow to aim at whatever is scurrying along the wall.
In a place like Muspelheim, it could be anything. As Surt pointed out, I’ve been uneducated about this realm and the creatures it holds, other than my personal experience with the lava monster. Whatever this is, it could be just as dangerous but in a small form.
Elan shifts behind me, and her presence looms over me protectively even though my arrow remains nocked and ready to release, aimed at the anticipated location of the moving creature. As though oblivious to the threat we present, the animal continues to scamper, and its scurrying echoes as it circles around and down, crawling closer to our position.
My eyes narrow, focused entirely on this thing. It maneuvers to a rocky ledge and pauses, standing upright and exposing a furry white chest that burns with the lava river's golden glow. I squint harder. It can't be, I think.
“Elan, are you seeing what I'm seeing?”
Do you mean Ratatoskr? She sounds almost bored. I told you Yggdrasil must come to Muspelheim somewhere even if we can’t see anything that resembles a tree. He is renowned for carrying messages to every part of the realm.
I gawk at the little thing, my eyes widening as I realize the truth. Elan is right. This is that tiny, annoying rodent. He has followed me even to the depths of the fire giants' realm.
Beady little black eyes focus in my direction, peering over the sharply pointed nose. The high-pitched voice reaches my ears as he crosses his arms and leans against the rock wall. “There you are. I finally found you.” He scurries down a couple more levels. “My source was right. The talk on the rumor mill is that you've been taken to Muspelheim.”
My eyes narrow at the little rodent. “How could you possibly know that?”
The squirrel waves a paw at me. “You’d be surprised by the connections I have.” He looks me up and down. “Clearly, this time, it was right.”
He scurries farther down the cave, weaving over the jutting rock surfaces.
For a moment, my heart skips before beating rapidly, and a glimmer of hope rises to the surface as I stare at the squirrel coming my way. “Are you here to help us?”