A couple of days after the event, Maddie was still resting under supervision at a local hospital. She was barely conscious when Jörmun brought her into the doctors’ care. She could recall him telling them that she experienced a severe fall down the hill while they were hiking. It sounded like a reasonable excuse for her general bruised state of being.

However, after he brought her to the hospital, Jörmun disappeared without a trace. Maddie was starting to wonder whether he left to pursue the rest of the journey all by himself.

If only she had her backpack along; the only item in her jacket’s pocket was her phone, which would’ve been long ago out of battery if it wasn’t for the kindness of a nurse that lend her a charger. But even with that in her possession, she still had no way to reach Jörmun. He had no phone; he expressed having no need for it, even if the circumstances proved the opposite.

Midway through her third day in the doctors’ care, Maddie finally received news of a visit. It could be nobody else but her missing travel companion. She glanced towards the door expectantly ever since the visitor was announced by the nurse. The girl couldn’t help herself but smile at the sight of the familiar face framed by the flaming red hair.

“I am glad to see you’re doing much better than when I left you here,” Jörmun mirrored the smile. He looked as if trouble never reached him.

It was at that moment that Maddie recalled the wound he had been struggling with. The main reason for which they end up in the mysterious wooden cabin, where the old lady guided them to.

“Jörmun, how are you feeling? Did you have your injury checked as well?” her eyes darted towards where she could recall seeing the shredded clothes, which now appeared as if they had been untouched by harm.

“It tended for itself,” he offered her a quick wink as he sat himself on the edge of the bed. He took out of his pocket a chocolate bar and handed it to her.

“Oh! You must’ve found my missing backpack!”

Jörmun clicked his tongue with a soft frown. “I knew I had forgotten something.”

“You did not then…?” she asked a bit unsure, with a tint of panic in her voice. “I had there all my travel documents. My wallet. My everything!”

“You will have it by the time you’re out of here.”

“You will go back there? It took us hours!”

“I have other means of reaching it much faster.”

“Please don’t abuse the ring, Jörmun. I have a feeling you shouldn’t be doing that.”

He chuckled. “Leave that to me, Maddie.”

“We have been set back so much because of all this chain of events. And we still didn’t find the missing part we were after,” she sighed, feeling guilty for the delay despite it not being entirely her fault. However, Jörmun seemed to be unbothered by her remark; on the contrary, he had a smug smile on his face, as if he knew something that she did not.

It wasn’t long until he took out from the inner pocket of his coat a piece of amber with something trapped within it. He grabbed Maddie’s hand and placed the small ovaloid object in her palm. Jörmun watched her examine the contents trapped inside the amber stone; it was delightful to see her furrowed eyebrows relax with the sudden realization as she looked back up at him.

“Is this the serpent stempost of the Skuldelev?”

Jörmun confirmed wordlessly. Maddie paused for a moment to stare at the trapped piece once again; she studied the intricate details of sculpted wood, shrinked to the size of a pendant; it could’ve surely made a nice piece of jewelry.

“But… When did you- Where was it?”

“At the very top of the wooden cabin. It was above its entrance, as an improvised part of its structure. Well, when it was still standing,” he chuckled low then retrieved the amber piece and placed it back to safety, tapping his pocket softly.

“So we really were headed the right direction.”

“I believe we owe some thanks to the unfortunate chain of events,” he added while standing up.

Jörmun walked to the window and stared outside for a bit; he was thoughtful. He wondered what had happened to Maddie while he was unconscious under the charm and poison. He eventually decided to postpone any discussion related to his curiosity for another time.

“Let’s hope that was the worst of it. Do you believe it was linked to our search? Did they know we were looking for it? Was it all part of the challenges you mentioned we may be facing?” Maddie’s questions cascaded one after the other, while her gaze remained glued on Jörmun. He appeared to be listening, but the lingering silence while he decided on a response, spoke no good.

“I too hope that it was the worst of all,” he turned around and stared her in the eye for a moment. “You have to rest and recover, Maddie. I will need you for the remainder of the journey.”

“That was our plan, wasn’t it? I won’t be giving up that easily.”

“I will take your word for it,” Jörmun smiled confidently and walked back to the bed. “I’m still unsure how your fragile self survived under the demolished cabin.”

“I don’t even know what happened to begin with. I was hoping you’d spare some details?” she touched upon the subject she was so eager to learn more about.

“I will, but for now you shouldn’t bother your head with such,” he offered Maddie a soft pat on the shoulder. He recalled his father attempting at the same gesture during their meeting in the realm of dreams; he smiled with a tint of a bittersweet feeling at the memory. He missed physical comfort. He had none in so long that it was painful to attempt remembering it.

“Wait. Where are you going?” she sat herself up as soon as the other headed for the door.

“The doctor told me you can leave tomorrow. I will wait for you outside.”

“But-”

“I’ll go grab your backpack in the meantime. I remember pushing it under the bed.”

Jörmun offered the girl a short wave and made himself unseen once again, leaving her stare at closed door.

“Why can’t I find normal friends?” Maddie deflated with disappointment at the lack of news she was given to learn. She would have to face yet another day all by herself with a great number of unanswered questions, which only seemed to top up the more she thought of them.

---

“I have been searching online for any possible sightings of mast we are looking for. I especially focused on the area that you believe we may find it,” Maddie said as she was still scrolling through the history of a local news page.

“And did you find anything?” Jörmun leaned in a bit, trying to peek at the phone screen.

“There is just one thing that stirred my attention and maybe it would be worth to check it out,” the girl switched through the multiple open tabs, then handed the device to the other. “If you want to look it up closer, you have to do this,” she explained as she pinched the screen in a zooming gesture.

“I see…” Jörmun said softly as he practiced the newly learned trick. He then eventually settled his attention on the picture, examining it closely. “I can’t tell from this. I need to see it in person; to touch it. It could be as well the mast of any other ship, which is irrelevant to us.”

“You still didn’t tell me what is so special about the Skuldelev we keep on risking our lives for,” Maddie retrieved her phone and placed it back in the pocket, while offering her undivided attention to the other. She kept on hoping that he’d eventually reveal details, but they never really surfaced.

“Because that is the boat they sent me here with, from Asgard.”

“But-,” she started, then frowned, visibly confused by the news. “Isn’t Asgard a planet? A thing of its own? I don’t understand…”

“There are ways through which the realms can communicate. However, the ability to open the passages mostly resides in the hands of the Gods.”

“Then how do you plan to make it work? To my knowledge, you’re only a demi-god.”

“Only,” he scoffed. “That’s true. However, that’s why we need the timing with the Winter Solstice. It’s when Odin opens the gate between the realms.”

“You want to tell me that each year, during that day, he really does this? How come nobody noticed?”

Jörmun shrugged and laughed softly. “Don’t ask me? I’m not the Midgardian here. You should know your kind better.”

“Well, you lived on this planet for longer than I did.”

“Very true,” he nodded.

“Speaking of which. Why didn’t you jump on this grand plan at any other point in time?” it was a question that bugged her mind ever since she learned of their family reunion intention.

“There are things that not even I know the answer to. This is one of them,” he leaned back in the bus seat, staring outside, without any particular focus.

“And surely you’re being very honest when you say this,” Maddie half-rolled her eyes, while her tone had an ironic note to it. “Whatever. You know what? Keep it for yourself. I just want Eloise back. It’s the sole reason for which I am still travelling to hell knows where right now,” she sulked in her seat, crossing her arms over the backpack she kept in her lap; she was displeased with the scarce information.

“You’re more obsessed with my sister than I am,” Jörmun’s eyes returned their focus on Maddie. He analysed her for a bit; there was a visible thought process happening behind her eyes.

“She’s my only friend. Well, except yourself.”

“Such a big world and you managed to make friends with someone that doesn’t even belong here.”

“And? I don’t mind where she comes from or belongs to. That changes nothing,” she stood for her point, defensively. She glanced to the side, to find the pale pink eyes stare her way studiously.

“I’ve noticed this before.”

“What?”

Jörmun reached for her face and poked with his finger one of her cheeks. “You’re blushing.”

“And? It’s pretty warm in this bus…” she looked away, distressed by him literally pointing fingers at her.

“You only did this when we had a similar discussion about my sister. I asked what you are to her back then.”

“And? Didn’t you get your answer?” Maddie snapped, bothered by the fact that he kept insisting on it. She wondered where he aimed to get with it.

“I think you’re lying to me, Maddie. Possibly deceiving yourself as well.”

“And why do you believe that, if I may ask?” she eventually shifted her focus back on him; her cheeks were matching the bright red of his hair. Maddie watched Jörmun’s lips slowly curve into a mischievous smirk. She could tell his eyes were still studying her, moment during which she became self aware of how warm her face felt. She pressed her palms against the flaming cheeks.

“Oh, I doubt you can hide that away. Pointless to attempt at it to be fair. It’s been acknowledged a while ago already.”

“So what? Have you never felt anything for anyone? Has your heart never fluttered at the sight of certain people?”

“I was right then. You do have feelings for my sister,” he concluded, pleased with the confession.

“Maybe I had. Maybe I still have. What difference makes it to you?”

“None. I just pleased my curiosity,” he stared back outside the window, slowly detaching himself from the discussion.

“You didn’t reply to my question though. You twisted it and made it all about me.”

“You did answer. That’s enough to me.”

“So it’s all about satisfying your curiosities alone. I want to know things about you too. Why don’t we make this even? Each time you learn something about me, you trade a similar fact about yourself in return.”

“What is this? Some sort of pact?” he laughed, looking back at the girl. She appeared to be dead serious about it.

“If that’s what must be done in order for you to speak, then I am willing to commit to it,” she extended a hand towards him; Jörmun welcomed the gesture with a puzzled look.

“I don’t need any formality to talk about things.”

“Then talk.”

“So demanding,” he shifted in his seat, licking a smile off his lips. “What would you like to know?”

“Have you ever been in love?”

“No.”

“Seriously? You’ve lived for eons.”

“Alone, circling the oceans like a dormant current. Your point is…?”

“Well I-,” she stared at him blankly for a moment. She ignored that fact until it had been mentioned. She didn’t think that he truly spent as much time in isolation. In all honesty, she wasn’t exactly sure what to believe anymore and how much of what one could consider myth was actually a reality for him.

“Pleased?”

“I’m sorry… It was a silly question.”

“Don’t bother. You're not at fault anyway,” he diverted his attention from her once again. “Monsters like me can’t offer nor receive love,” Jörmun thought to self, his mind living again for a short moment the scene he caused in the woods, after he freed himself from the charm and took his revenge on the jotunn.