When Kark barged into Sigyn's room, she and Angrboda had made themselves cozy in the bed. Relaxing in the bliss arms wrapped around her, it took Sigyn a moment to comprehend the scowl on her servant's face.

"Miss Mikkelson just nearly had a panic attack, in case you were interested," he said to her.

Sigyn sat up a little straighter. "What happened?"

"She saw you just now in the supply shed. Using magic."

Angrboda retracted her arms. "Interesting. She was just bragging about how she had been careful and elicited no suspicion." She smacked Sigyn's bare shoulder.

"Well," Kark added, "she must have told you about how she was arrested the other day-"

Sigyn hopped out of bed before Angrboda could hit her again and through on a satin robe. "We're fine! The most they think I am is a criminal. A lot of time has passed for them, they don't believe in the likes of us anymore."

"Until you threw magic in their face!" Ange retorted. "Perhaps this will convince you to listen to what I've been saying."

"I'm not going back!" Sigyn snapped. "I can't! We're perfectly safe in this world. Who's Jess going to tell? The sister who hates her or the father who ignores her?"

Angrboda threw her head back into the pillows. "And what will you do when Åsa shows up to drag you back?"

"I can handle Åsa, and any goons she sends my way."

It hurt Ange to hear Sigyn speak so arrogantly. She felt confident and safe now, but she couldn't keep her guard up forever. Even if she could, that was no way to live. "You're only prolonging the inevitable. We need to end this. Trym is still going on about his plan."

"Us, and what army? All we can do is get ourselves killed. It's the ramblings of a crazy old man. As long as Asgard stays strong, Tyrm will never succeed."

"You don't think he won't try? How many bodies will he throw at Asgard's gates just to see them wobble?"

"I will not be blamed for this! I already tried to help. See where that landed me? I'm not going back, and that's the end of it."

The next day, during her break, Jess decided to take out a pair of cross-country skis and hit the trails, with one particular destination in mind [https://img.wattpad.com/2c77b7393867c5c0df1c85906520640c392649e7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f737852697979453673744e6436513d3d2d313437303530393134392e3137666538303563353161353762636636353132353733373836342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

The next day, during her break, Jess decided to take out a pair of cross-country skis and hit the trails, with one particular destination in mind.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The etching on the tree was exactly how Jess remembered it. She traced her fingers over the rough bark, wondering what was its story. She took a picture of it on her phone and was about to head back to the lodge when she noticed an adjacent trail snaking through the alder trees.

After ten minutes of breaking through twigs and ducking branches, Jess came to a ramshackle log cabin nestled in the snowy meadow. Dark, scraggly wood sunk under the weight of the snow piled on the roof. The remains of what once was a fence circled its perimeter.

At the front steps of the porch, Jess unlocked her skis and climbed one creaky step at a time. The front door groaned open at the slightest push. Little light passed through the dirty windows, while the cold mountain wind slid easily through the gaps of the wooden planks. The inside was simple - one large room in front of a hearth, wooden furniture, and a stairway that went up.

The only sign the place had once been inhabited was a row of trinkets on top of the fireplace mantel. A small wooden horse, a duck, a dragon - specks of joy from long ago. At the end was a wooden plaque covered in symbols. None of them matched the one Jess found on the tree, but it was a major clue. She scrambled to grab her phone and take a picture.

"You just can't stay away, can you?"

Jess jumped back, and her phone slipped through her fingers and clattered on the floor. Sigyn looked down at her from the top of the stairs.

Jess stammered, unsure of what to do. "...You live here?"

Sigyn shrugged, descending the rickety staircase. "Not really. Sometimes, I have to stay away from the lodge, being a wanted criminal and all."

The severity of the situation she was in dawned on Jess. She was alone, no one knew where she was, with a wanted criminal and a motive to do her harm. She could get a running start now, but snow pants and ski boots would not get her far in three feet of snow.

Even standing at the bottom of the stairs, Sigyn towered over her. "So jumpy, but brave enough not to run. You must have a good reason."

Sigyn's voice and body were calm, but Jess stayed on alert, knowing things could change instantly. She stepped back, ready to bolt for the door. Annoyed by her silence, Sigyn rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you." She leaned forward and scooped Jess' phone off the floor. As she handed it over, she noticed the photo of the symbol on the screen. "What is this?"

"That's what I hoped to figure out," Jess answered, taking the phone back. "It looks like an old Norse rune, but not like one I've seen before."

Sigyn laughed. "So you followed a mysterious symbol deeper into the woods?"

"You say like I should be afraid."

Sigyn's brow made a mischievous arch. "The land of trolls and giants, and you can't think of anything that would scare you?"

"Those are just fairy tales. Kids entertainment. You don't believe in that stuff, do you?"

Sigyn tilted her head, deep in thought. "I believe the universe is too big for any one man to know all. I've seen too much to dismiss anything."

Jess took tiny steps away from the wall, more relaxed now in Sigyn's presence. "So you believe in trolls and giants and fairies?"

"Why the hell not? The alternative is a rather dull life."

Jess shrugged. "Maybe that's just how the world is."

After wandering around the room, Sigyn stopped to face Jess again. "You didn't come here just because of the symbol, did you?"

Jess remembered the other day in the supply shed and the ice that manifested in Sigyn's hand. As much as she wanted to acknowledge it, she was afraid that bringing it to light would bring it to an end. "When I found this place, I couldn't miss the opportunity to explore an old abandoned-"

She stepped on a floorboard that made an especially loud creak, then snapped in half. The ground disappeared from beneath her feet. Jess screamed in surprise as she fell into the abyss.

"Huh," Sigyn said, peering down into the hole. "I thought there was a basement."

By some universal luck, Jess landed on a soft mattress. Her body bounced a few times, sending dust clouds into the air. She relaxed her head against the pillow to collect herself before looking around the room.

She turned her head to the side, only to see a pair of empty black eye sockets staring back at her.