Dances With The Daffodils

'I wasn't expecting you to protect it. Maybe Odin did choose well.'

I'm still in the clearing, listening to Idunn's attempt to explain why she had me face near death just moments earlier. It was her who stopped the spear, and she walked in just seconds later, a devious smile playing on her face. Skadi, still here, stands on the edge of the clearing, leaning against a tree with a playful smirk.

'So what, this was a test?' I ask.

Idunn shrugs. 'Of a sort.'

I sigh. I'm sick of tests. First Kåre, now this.

Skadi clears her throat. 'With respect Idunn, if we're done here, I should get back to Jotunheim.'

'Of course.'

'You know,' Skadi pauses, 'I really would like one of those apples someday.'

Idunn laughs in response, but I can tell that the giant was only half-joking.

It's strange to see them working together like this especially because the two appear to be friends. The book might paint the giants and the gods as mortal enemies, but that's not what I'm seeing.

'Wait,' I say. 'Do you really still want revenge?'

The look on Skadi's face earlier was so raw I'm certain there must be some hidden resentment.

Skadi laughs. 'I've put that all behind me now, but, I will admit, it would be nice to see him put in his place.'

Idunn shoots a frosty glance at Skadi, but the giant doesn't notice. Instead, she plods out of the clearing, venturing deeper into the forest. 

By Idunn's response, I'm willing to bet Skadi wasn't meant to say that.

Idunn turns to me and sighs. 'Right. Now she's gone, I must hold up my end of the deal.'

I narrow my eyes. 'What deal?'

Idunn smiles in her usual, knowing way. It's pretty frustrating, actually.

'Here,' she says, picking up the apple, which has somehow appeared on top of the stump. 'You have earned it.'

She holds the fruit out to me and lets it drop into my hands. A million thoughts run through my head, and it's such a relief, I don't know what to say. So Idunn speaks for me.

'Look after it. And remember what I said.'

I nod. It mustn't fall into the wrong hands. Still, I don't see what can go wrong now, all I have to do is get it to Odin.

Idunn steps away and I'm about to follow behind her when the world blurs and the kitchen comes back into view. Except it's not like before. It's slower. The two planes merge into one and fall into each other like stained glass. The forest fades, and I'm back in my own world.

I take a breath and run my hands along the counter, making sure it's real. I'm home, I'm really home, still stood next to the same stool, in front of the same book, the same mug. But it's now pitch black in the kitchen. Nighttime. I turn around, leaving the apple on the counter.

Then I slide over to the light switch and try not to bump into anything in the dark. I reach the wall and feel for it, but my finger finds nothing except chipped paint. 

The switch, no matter how hard I try to find it, is nowhere to be found. It's almost like it's... missing.

A voice comes out of the darkness.

'Tell me about this dream of yours.'

I jump in shock and slide my entire hand over the wall. The light switch still isn't there. And when I look back, through the dim, I make out a figure sitting at the counter. Whoever it is, they don't want me to turn on the light.