Thorleif hated everything about Svartalfheim. This place was always twilight dark, which made it only slightly more bearable to look upon the hideous dwarves who populated it. And now he was being sent into Nidhavelir, the worst place in all of Svartalfheim.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
At least he had been given a pony to make the journey easier and faster, though he would be expected to share it with Ansuz on the return journey, he thought as he approached the gates of Nidhavelir.
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
“Hail traveler!” a dwarf called down from the walls.#futharkvillage
“What is your business in Nidhavelir?” the dwarf called down.
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
“I seek the human, Ansuz Runesinger.”
“Ahh yes, the humans. They are guests in our city, do you intend him harm?”
“No, my master intends to hire his services.”
“Then you may enter.”#futharkvillage
The gates opened outward, toward Thorleif, and he rode in, refusing to marvel at the craftsmanship. Dwarves made fine weapons, but the way they overbuilt their cities was an abomination. He rode his pony into the main street, ignoring the hand-carved doors.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
As he rode toward the golden palace at the center of the city, where the humans were almost certainly being housed, Thorleif mulled over what had happened in the passes near Modi’s palace. He was the best scout among the einherjar, and Eiwaz had bested him.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
As he rode his pony through the busy Nidhavelir streets, he reviewed what had gone wrong: he had underestimated the mortal. Among the einherjar, he knew every strength and weakness, but he had simply assumed that the mortals who had lost Sowilo were weak.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
In retrospect, fewer than half of their number had returned in their magic ship to Svartalfheim. Those mortals had defeated or killed at least a half-dozen einherjar. How?
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
Thorleif shook himself from his thoughts as he rode into a square full with dwarves.#futharkvillage
What was going on here? he thought. This square had been empty every time he had passed through it. Why were there so many dirty tents and especially ugly dwarves here?
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
Unnervingly, their dull eyes followed him as he rode through the square, the only movement.#futharkvillage
Thorleif was glad to be past that place. Even though the next street was more crowded, it was usually more crowded. That tent city had been new to him. He crossed the remaining distance to the palace as quickly as the crowd would allow him.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
At the entrance to the palace, Thorleif dismounted and presented himself to the guards. “I am Thorleif Farwanderer, sent by Modi Thorson. I seek audience with Ansuz Runesinger, a human who is guest in this city.”
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
“Come with me,” one of the guards said.#futharkvillage.
The guard led Thorleif down the halls which had grown familiar in his brief time here in the land of the dwarves. He was unsurprised to see the seneschal’s door ahead. The guard opened the door and gestured for Thorleif to enter.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
“Thorleif, it is a pleasure to see you again.” The scout was surprised to note that the usually bored voice did indeed sound pleased. “I have a message for you to bring to your master. Have you brought a message for the council as well?”#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
“Yes. Modi Thorson requests that the human, Ansuz Runesinger, attend him in his palace in the northern mountains.”
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 19, 2019
“Oh,” the seneschal said, his face betraying displeasure. “The human, Ansuz, left Nidhavelir last night with Lady Allthunn Nordrisdottir.”#futharkvillage
Thorleif looked at the seneschal of Nidhavelir with disbelief. "I'm sorry, what?"
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
"Princess Allthunn and Ansuz the Scribe departed, along with another human, Raidho the Traveler. Raidho said something about sightseeing."
"Tangrisnir's foot," Thorleif cursed.#futharkvillage
Thorleif watched the seneschal's pleasant expression fall, and struggled to regain his composure. In control again he asked, "Do you at least know where they went?"
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
"I believe they went to visit Dvallin, Ansuz's teacher."
Ah, a stroke of luck at at last.#futharkvillage
Looking for a moving target like a pair of sightseeing humans with a royal escort was likely to fail, but if he could find Ansuz's teacher, surely that would be just as good. All Thorleif needed was someone who knew the rune songs. #futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
"Thanks," Thorleif said absently as he whirled toward the door.
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
"Wait!" the seneschal called, clearly upset. "I have a message for Modi!"
Thorleif turned. The seneschal was digging through a stack of papers on his desk. He found the right one and rolled it.#futharkvillage
Thorleif was disappointed when the seneschal melted wax and placed the seal of the house of Nordri on the letter. Now he wouldn't be able to read it while he was bored on the ride home. The dwarves had learned that most einherjar could read, apparently.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
The seneschal handed the rolled note to Thorleif, but didn't let go right away. "Do you intend to leave right away then? Do you not have time to stop for a meal and some wine?"
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
Thorleif was taken aback not by the words but by the tone. He was being friendly.#futharkvillage
"No," Thorleif said in apologetically. "I must find someone to sing the runes before Modi leaves for his next attack on Jotunheim. I will be late as it is, since Ansuz isn't here."
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
The seneschal looked far too disappointed. What was going on?#futharkvillage
Thorleif didn't even remember the man's name, for Thor's sake. He was just "the seneschal," a hideous and twisted dwarf, and a useless bureaucrat at that!
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
Then Thorleif remembered the last time he had been in Nidhavelir. There had been quite a bit of wine.#futharkvillage
Thorleif fled the palace at once, and hopped astride his pony. He rode as fast as he could out of the city, getting away from the stench and the ugly dwarves, but not the memories which had flooded back to him. He still couldn't remember the seneschal's name.#futharkvillage
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
Thorleif didn't consult his map until he was safely outside the gates of Nidhavelir. He pulled his pony up short on a hilltop and drew forth the vellum he had been working on since they had arrived here.
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
Dvallin was an important dwarf, a master of the runes.#futharkvillage
"Handle of Mjolnir," Thorleif cursed. In his haste, he had used the wrong gate to exit the city. He would now need to ride halfway around the city to get from the North Gate to the South.
— Perseus Greenman (@futharkvillage) December 20, 2019
From there, it was an hour to Ivaldi's forge, turn left and another hour.#futharkvillage