Sif and the Dwarfs' Treasures by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Author:Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

8

Land of the Dwarfs

AFTER LOKI HAD RUN OFF, everyone in the V began to discuss the bargain he’d made. Sif could hear students muttering about the dire actions they would take if that boygod didn’t come through with gifts for the gods and new hair for Sif.

Recalling Skade’s earlier question, Sif leaned over to Freya. “Think we can trust Loki to come through?”

Freya sighed. “Not really.”

Caw! Caw! Just then Hugin and Munin, two magical ravens who flew out over the worlds every day to collect news for Odin, soared into the Valhallateria through an open window. Whoosh! They glided down toward the middle of the room, their large black wings flapping as they landed atop the big ceramic goat fountain.

The students went quiet as they watched the ravens hop lower on the fountain and open their beaks under two of the spigots to help themselves to a drink. When they’d finished, the two ravens flapped up to sit on top of Heidrun again. Cocking their heads, they beadily eyed the students, who cautiously went back to talking among themselves about topics other than Loki. Because whatever Hugin and Munin saw and heard, they would whisper in Odin’s ears when they returned to perch on his shoulders. And the students wouldn’t go to Odin with all of this . . . yet. Not unless Loki bailed on his promises.

“Should we follow Loki to Darkalfheim?” Freya whispered to Sif while the ravens were busy watching other students.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Sif replied. Since they hadn’t had breakfast yet, the two girls grabbed a couple of apple fritters off a tray on the nearest table before they edged toward the door. They sent Idun and Skade quick waves. Then, on silent feet, they slipped out of the dining hall.

Sif glanced over at Freya as they hurried off along a branchway. “You’re probably wondering why I agreed so easily to Loki’s idea to go see the dwarfs,” she said, her words causing fog-puffs in the cold air. “It’s because I saw the runewords for ‘dwarf,’ and ‘gift,’ in my prophetic dream last night.”

“Really?” said Freya, sounding intrigued. “So you foresaw his trip to the dwarfs to get gifts.”

Sif nodded. “I think so. The prophecy was kind of vague, though.”

“Prophecies usually are,” Freya replied.

Sif took a big bite of her apple fritter as they hurried along. “Mmm. I’m really going to miss these if we can’t save the wheat.”

Freya was chowing down on her fritter as well. “Me too,” she said between bites. “Hey! Want to use my cart to get to Darkalfheim?”

“Sure, it’ll be way faster than walking. I know you don’t like to fly very high in your cart, though, so first let me take my swan shape. I’ll flap up and see if I can spot Loki from the air.”

Sif concentrated, trying to shape-shift. To her surprise, nothing happened. She tried again. And again. But the more she tried to summon the magic that would transform her, the more exhausted and weak she became.

Finally, after her fifth try, she stopped.

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