Chapter Five Mist

I nside my hut was warm and dry, the very antithesis to the world outside. Snow fell heavy and silent upon the world, quickly burying what little green was left under a frozen sheet of white. I counted myself lucky though. Tonight I'd sleep warm thanks to the extra insulation the snow provided.

Of course, I'd much rather have someone there with me to help keep the cold away, but that wasn't going to happen. I hadn't had a visitor in three days and I didn't know when to expect another. I was happy to be rid of Tyr for the moment, but I found myself missing Baldr something terrible. It was unlike him to stay away for so long, especially when things with Tyr were getting worse. I just hoped he was alright. I tried to tell myself not to worry, but I had nothing else to do.

And then, as if my thoughts had been answered by the gods, I felt a familiar spark in the back of my mind followed by the most wonderful voice.

“Mist! North side! Come quick!”

The urgency in Baldr’s voice wasn't panic or pain, but excitement.

“Alright,” I replied, tossing another log on the fire and getting to my feet. “I'll be there as fast as I can.”

As soon as I'd thrown the entrance flap aside, I was off like a shot, running through the snow due north. It only took me a minute or so to reach the edge of the dome, Baldr's familiar figure standing on the other side. I could see him clearly through my side, his cheeks tinged pink by the cold. His bright silver hair was a mess and his eyes glowed with their familiar golden light. I couldn't help but admire that cut jaw and the way his stubble grew in dark, unlike the rest of his hair. He was the most handsome man I'd ever seen.

“Are you alright?” I asked over the bond as I got close and placed my hand on the dome. “Did something happen?”

“My brother isn't a traitor!” His voice was filled with excitement and relief. “Even though he let Tyr blow up half the resort, he's on our side! He's just playing a double agent for his mate!”

“Woah, woah, woah,” I said. “Back up. Tyr did what to the resort?”

“He blew it up,” Baldr replied nonchalantly. “Well, part of it. My brother Loki helped him. You know the one we saw here the other night with Heimdall? But he didn’t want to. He had to do it because he’s infiltrated the enemy’s side and he’s working to help us all even though he can’t tell us that.”

I stood there for a long moment, trying to process the sudden stream of information accosting me. Baldr’s thoughts were wild and erratic, which was unlike him. I’d only ever seen him like that when he was either really angry or really upset about something. But I had no cause to disbelieve him. Whatever he was trying to tell me, it was probably true. He’d never been one to lie to me. It was one of my favorite qualities about him.

“So… is everyone alright?”

“Oh. Yeah! Everyone is fine. Thanks to Loki!”

“The one that helped blow up the resort?”

“Yeah. But he blew up the part where people don’t stay and it was a good way to make sure… Ah! Just let me read the letter he left behind. It explains it all.”

I saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a rumpled and folded piece of paper. It looked like it had gotten wet at some point, but the words were scribbled down in pencil. Not that I could read them. Growing up in a magical dome locked away from the world meant I couldn't do things like read or do math, something that everyone around me seemed to take for granted. But I didn’t mind, not when Baldr was so happy to read to me. When he did that, it made me feel normal for a little while and I cherished every moment.

“Alright,” Baldr said, clearing his throat.

And then he began to read.

Baldr,

I hope I can find a way to tell you about this letter. I wrote it knowing that if things went sideways, I’d need a way to tell you what was going on. My guess is that either Tyr abandoned the plan, which I expect he’ll do, or I’m dead. I sincerely hope it’s not the latter, but either way, you need to know this.

First off, I wanted to apologize to you and Thor. I’ve been a serious asshole these past few months and you two didn’t deserve that. I was so torn up about losing Dad that I just… I didn’t realize there were people around me feeling the same pain. I cut myself off from everyone and then was angry that I felt alone. It was completely my fault that I felt that way and I should’ve looked to my family for support. I’m sorry I didn’t and I’m sorry I’ve treated you two so poorly. I love you both so much. You are my family and you always will be.

Secondly, Heimdall and I are mates. Yes he’s Tyr’s son, but he’s nothing like Tyr. Heimdall has a kind heart and he doesn’t believe his father’s crazy ideas anymore. In fact, I’m not sure if he ever did or if he was just trying to make Tyr happy. Either way, if something has happened to me, I can guarantee you Heimdall is still on your side. He doesn’t want to see his own father die, which I understand more than anyone. But, I’m afraid that it’ll be an eventuality at some point. I just hope I’m there to help him through it.

And I’m sorry I had to attack the resort to prove my loyalty to Tyr. Without it, he would’ve killed both Heimdall and I on the spot. However, if I’ve played my cards right, I’ve crippled the building without hurting anyone too badly. Once all the guests are gone, our pack can wage this war without cause for concern. And I’m sorry to say, a war will happen one way or another. Tyr will have it no other way. So be ready.

Last, but certainly not least, Tyr has a secret weapon. He’s imprisoned a mage in the woods north of the Skoll village inside a massive magical dome. From what Heimdall was able to figure out, the boy was kidnapped by Tyr with the help of another witch. She’s the one who erected the dome and Tyr is the only one that can go in or out. The boy will be the downfall of the Hati pack unless someone outside the Skoll pack knows of him. Now that you do, I hope you’ll be the reason this witch doesn’t end up as Tyr’s weapon. I can’t imagine what years of solitude and Tyr’s venom would do to a person. I just hope you’re able to reason with him. You’re a witch too, so maybe you’ll have something in common. I don’t know, but I need you to try.

Once you’ve got him convinced you aren’t going to hurt him, go to the witch. Heimdall says she lives a full day to the south in the valley of two uninhabited mountains. She lives in a clearing deep in the forest, in a wooden house with a moss roof and a pond out front. I don’t know her name and you shouldn’t tell her yours either. But if she’s the one that cast the dome around this boy, maybe you can get her to release it somehow.

Beware though, she has a price. It seems she steals life force via sex to stay alive. Tyr has been paying her for years to keep his weapon secret and his pack strong. But I sincerely hope you don’t have to pay her. Use your power to trick her if you must, but you need to get that boy out of the dome. Whatever it takes, Baldr. He cannot be set free on the Hati pack or he will kill everyone. That’s what the witch foretold and I don’t want anything more to happen to my family.

I wish you all the luck in the world, brother.

-Loki

Baldr finished the letter and looked up at me from the other side of the dome. Although I knew he couldn’t see me well, I had a feeling he could see the look of shock and surprise on my face. Of course I knew Tyr wanted to use my power to hurt people, that was obvious. But I didn’t know he was the one that kidnapped me. Or that a witch had imprisoned me. I expected some sort of magical being was involved of course, but for her to be so close for all these years? It was almost like a slap in the face.

It also explained why Baldr had been missing for the past three days.

“So, needless to say, I’m leaving,” Baldr said, folding up the letter and tucking it away once more. “Immediately.”

“What?” His words caught me off guard. “Why?”

The look on his face was one of complete disbelief. “What do you mean why?” he scoffed. “To get you the hell out of this dome of course!”

I shook my head. “You should be protecting your pack and your family. What about Loki and Thor?”

“What about them? Thor is more than capable of taking care of himself. And Loki is out of my reach for now. I’m not even sure if he’s still alive… but I have to believe he is. He’s a strong Alpha wolf. If anyone was going to survive a grenade, even out of pure spite, it would be him. Besides, Heimdall hasn’t come knocking on our door, so I can only assume he’s still alive.”

“But… I don’t…”

I wasn’t sure what I was trying to say. Of course I wanted Baldr to get me out of this dome, to rescue me from this fucking nightmare I’d been living for years. But at the same time, I didn’t want his family to get hurt because of me. If he somehow figured out how to get me out, Tyr would come after them.

“If Tyr finds out…” I began.

“By the time he does, it’ll be too late,” Baldr said, cutting me off.

“But he… he’ll attack your pack.”

Baldr lifted a hand, placing it on the side of the dome. I did the same, the magic barrier between us buzzing pleasantly.

“There’s going to be a war whether I save you or not,” Baldr said, his voice full of resolve. “Nothing will change that. Besides… my visions… I’ve seen you in them. And I’d rather have you be free because of me than because Tyr finally broke you.” He looked up at me, those golden eyes full of sad determination. “Let me do this for you. Please. In case this war goes poorly, I want to make sure you’re free so you can keep on living.”

The idea of Baldr not surviving the fight made my stomach twist into a wretched knot. I felt suddenly nauseous, but I bit it back. He didn’t need me overwhelming him with anxiety just before he was about to leave.

“I can’t stop you, can I?” I said at last, realizing the truth.

“No. You can’t.”

“Promise me you’ll come back.” My voice was shaking despite my best efforts to remain calm. “Don’t let that witch hurt you.”

“I promise,” he nodded. “And if she’s lived in these mountains as long as I think she has, I have nothing to worry about. My mother’s promise will protect me. She made sure everyone agreed to it.”

“I never met her,” I said sadly. “I wish I had.”

There was a brief hesitation before Baldr replied, “I wish you had too. She was a wonderful person before she…”

I could feel the pain sweep through his thoughts. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t hide it from me. For a moment, I counted myself lucky. Not being able to remember my parents, it was hard to grieve for the loss of them. I knew I had some and the idea of missing out on that made me sad. But I didn’t feel like I’d really lost anything. How could I lose something if I couldn’t remember what it was like to have it in the first place?

“Anyway,” Baldr said, forcing himself to smile. “I’ll come back for you and I’ll get you out of this fucking bubble, alright?”

“Okay,” I nodded. “But be safe. I want to… I want to see you again.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll come back. I promise.” He gave me one last smile as he pulled his hand away from the dome. “Bye.”

Baldr turned away and headed for the woods, the telepathic connection between us severing as the magic faded. I felt a sudden rush of anxiety and fear fill my chest. My only friend in the entire world was leaving and I didn’t know if he’d make it back. He’d promised of course, but he didn’t know what the road ahead might hold for him.

I felt a tinge of regret as he disappeared into the woods. If this was the last time I was going to see him, I’d missed my chance to tell him how I really felt. That I was fairly certain I was in love with him.

And now, all that was left to do was wait and hope as the snow fell down around me.