Sceptical about Birger’s feelings towards the situation and the stolen ship, Maddie found herself asking Jörmun to convince the man to allow them sleep at his place overnight. Thankfully, he had been understanding enough to let them have a room, despite all that he was given to witness in a single day.

After retrieving some of their goods from the rented room in the nearby town, Jörmun returned to the house by the lake, where they had dinner in silence alongside Birger; it was clear that his thoughts had to settle and the pair respected that.

However, as soon as she saw herself within the same four walls with Jörmun, Maddie descended into a rapidly whispered rant.

“I still can’t believe that you told him you used magic and stole the Skuldelev? What in the world is wrong with you? Did you forget how to lie when it was finally time to do so?!” she had been burning to question his decision to speak truth ever since she heard the words roll off his tongue.

“I believe we should be honest with him.”

“What if he will decide to call the police on us for the stolen boat? Can you do anything else than sinking us deeper into trouble?”

“I trust him.”

“How so?” she rested her hands on her hips while staring up at Jörmun, demanding a reply with a piercing, frowning look on her face.

“I propose you go to sleep.”

“No. I have a better idea. How about you tell me the truth, hm? I am beginning to get tired of your half-baked explanations, which lead me nowhere but to even more questions,” Maddie watched the other roll his eyes and in the peripheral vision she caught his hand slowly raising. Without doubting that he was going to shush her through his infamous magical means, Maddie grabbed his hands into her own. He’d have either to fight off her grasp, or give up on it; as far as she was aware, he was unable to do much without at least a hand gesture.

“What are you doing?”

“Stopping you from probably turning me into some other rodent for your twisted amusement,” she stared him in the eye and to her surprise he started to laugh. “This is not funny. Nor was it the first time you did it,” she briefly recalled the shapeshifting sensation and that alone made her skin crawl.

“It was the only time I did it. For your own good, you talk too much sometimes, Maddie.”

The girl shoot him a tired glance and eventually released his hands.

“You gave up so easily,” he grinned and pretended to cast a spell. Jörmun’s laughter roared within the walls of the cramped bedroom when Maddie, visibly panicked, started to attempt at catching his hands again. Her palm eventually landed with a slap over his mouth, muffling his laughter.

“Stop it before Birger sends as away. I told you I don’t trust him yet.”

“Will you camp nearby and stalk him all night if that happens?”

“Oh, you wish. You will be here doing that instead, disguised as a bird or whatever you want, as a punishment for your loud behaviour that potentially sent us out the door,” she poked her index finger against his chest repeatedly as she spoke.

“I would’ve done that anyway,” Jörmun confessed, having Maddie gasp at his words.

“So you don’t trust him either.”

“Not enough to leave him alone with the boat.”

Maddie sighed, running a hand through her hair as she sat herself on the edge of the bed. “Jörmun, we have been travelling together for a while now and each of us nearly died once during this journey. Why do I still have to struggle to take words out of you? Why won’t you admit when we share thoughts? Is your ego not allowing you to?” she arched an eyebrow, while glancing up at him.

“I just believe sometimes details are not worth mentioning.”

“So far, the details you didn’t believe were worth mentioning, were pretty crucial in our path forward.”

“Which is why I eventually informed you of them.”

“There is so much more you’re not telling me, isn’t it?”

Jörmun thought of the very way he planned to use the boat to set him on the way back to Asgard. He stared silently for a long moment at Maddie, who awaited his answer patiently. He decided to once again keep things for himself.

“You worry yourself terribly fast, Maddie. I would rather speak of things when I feel it’s necessary.”

“You not speaking of things adds to my anxiety, you know? And pretending that you care doesn’t boost my confidence either.”

“Won’t fall for your moaning.”

“I tried,” she offered Jörmun a small chuckle in return, before collapsing on the bed. She could’ve fallen asleep there and then, but just as she thought of how badly she wanted to take a good rest after the long and stressful day she realised that Birger only offered them a room with a single bed, which she was not intending to share.

Maddie lifted herself up enough to look at Jörmun, who was now staring outside the window thoughtfully. It was pitch dark; she wondered if he was able to see through it.

“Where will you sleep?” she asked straight away, deciding that she was too tired to even try to phrase it any differently. “Jörmun?” she called for him when she caught glimpse of him clutch a hand to where the huldra stabbed him. It wasn’t the first time she noticed him touch that spot and wondered to self if he felt phantom pain.

“I will see about that later. I need to go and examine the boat better. I never had a chance to take a proper look at it. Maybe there’s something I can do before I hand it over to Birger’s skillful hands.”

With her mind suddenly distracted by his confession, she postponed once again asking him about the wound he mentioned healing, probably through magic once again. Maddie only nodded silently in return, deciding not to pursue him with any other questions. He wasn’t a child; he’d surely find someplace in Birger’s house to rest. She recalled seeing a sofa where they dined.

---

Later that night, when Jörmun finally decided to nap in the old armchair that Birger kept in the workshop, he drifted deeply into his dreams, keen on seeing his father.

Jörmun made his way down the spiral cave; the place he had been accustomed to descending into for a while already, whenever he was about to have a chat with his tormented parent. He caught glimpse of Loki’s tall silhouette, waiting for him by the rock. His blonde, straight hair fell over his shoulders and back, while his dark grey clothes, decorated with red and gold accents, wrapped him as they always did, like a shadow.

“You’re troubled, Jörmungandr,” Loki said as he glanced to the side at his son. He frowned when he saw his shape less sharp than usual, wondering whether or not the connection between them was wearing off for some reason.

“I still have to find the sail. I have no clue where it may be,” he sighed as he sat himself on the boulder. He watched his father do the same, joining him. “I don’t suppose you know of its whereabouts?”

Loki shook his head.

“I need to keep on searching, but I have to be fast. The time is running out.”

“You can always do it a year later if that suits you better. We have waited for so long, that a Midgardian year is worth nothing.”

“I can’t though,” Jörmun shook his head. “There are too many things set in motion for this to conclude at the end of this year and even if I was able to push it further down the timeline, Maddie would surely not be pleased with it.”

“Well, what difference does it make to her? She cannot follow you anyway.”

“I know, but she’s not aware of it. Not yet.”

Loki glanced almost apologetically at his son. “Do you fear that she will be hurt?”

“I fear she would be terribly mad,” he laughed. “She wants my sister back, though I didn’t tell her that it won’t happen.”

“If I were to count all the things you did not tell her, I’d say she’s not aware of many things. Remind me again, why is she still at your side?”

“Because she wants my sister back,” he repeated. “Apparently Hel’s absence put her through a lot of trouble. And probably through a heartbreak as well,” he stared ahead of himself, chewing on his cheek as he recalled her confession in regards to how Maddie felt towards his sibling. “She loves Hel.”

Loki shifted, somewhat surprised with the discovery. “Would you let them reunite if you could?”

“I know how it is to have someone dear being removed from your side forcefully.”

Noticing Jörmun’s slightly evasive answer tainted with bitterness, Loki stood up. He paced around thoughtfully for a bit, then turned and looked down at his son, who was still seated.

“Give her the ring before you leave.”

“What?” Jörmun’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I can’t. It’s bind to me, isn’t it? And even if I were able to give it to her, it would be a useless piece of jewelry without her being able to wield magic.”

“If you are truly willing to offer it to her, it will unbind from your finger.”

“And if I am to do this and she has it without means to use it, what then?” he stood up as well and walked up to his father. “The ring proved itself useful in my hands. It could surely be useful in the future too,” he pursued Loki.

“It will be lost with your physical body once you pass through the gates,” Loki warned him in a calm tone. He watched Jörmun study his eyes and eventually accept the fact with a defeated nod. He didn’t look too pleased with the information.

“Would that put her into trouble? Would Asgardians come for the ring?”

“Would you care?”

“You make no sense,” Jörmun protested, not understanding why was he being asked such questions.

“You will eventually make sense of it, Jörmungandr,” he said before walking away without any other word, merging with the shadows and leaving his son stare emptily through the darkness of the cave.