Part IV - FIMBULWINTER
© Paul Christy
"And what be those?" Asked Engakai, watching the creatures.
"Ice Trolls." Snorri replied with a curse.
"And they are more fearsome than the Mountain Trolls?"
"Several years ago one came down to the steading one winter. It took four large men armed with hammers and sledges to kill it. Edged weapons don't bite into them, have no effect at all. There must be fifty of them there! I would not have thought there were so many in the whole world."
"I see," answered Engakai. "And we need to pass by those beasts?"
Snorri nodded. "Aye. When my grandfather brought me, that ledge was the starting point of a narrow stairway carved into the face of that cliff, running alongside a small creek. The Altar is on the top, in a small stand of pine."
"And we cannot kill the beasts guarding it. I don't even see the stair."
The face of the cliff above the ledge was completely covered in a thick sheet of ice, formed as the creek froze, broke free and re-froze.
Snorri cursed again. "Ice Trolls are slow. But even if we charged straight through without being torn to pieces, we'd have to climb solid ice. And they'd be right behind us all the way to the Altar. We'd have to stop and deal with them at some point."
Engakai stared thoughtfully across the ravine. "Remember Snorri, this challenge is directed specifically at you. We've shown skill and courage already. What warrior's attribute will meet this challenge?"
Snorri stared at Engakai and suddenly grinned. "I don't know what your gods in the far south want in a warrior, but here in a north the one attribute the gods prize even above courage and skill in battle is cleverness."
"Ah. Were you in my land, the prime attribute of a good warrior is the ability to steal cattle."
"Cattle? Never mind." Said Snorri with a shake of his head.
"And do you have sufficient cleverness to meet this challenge?" Engakai asked.
"I think so. We face two problems. A horde of nearly indestructible Ice Trolls and a wall of ice we must climb. As we say here in the north, we must kill two birds with one arrow. Or axe in this case."
As Engakai watched with a puzzled look on his face, Snorri climbed to his feet and pulled his small hand axe from his belt. Holding the axe tightly in his right hand, he raised his arms up and looked to the sky. "Hear me O Tyr, God of War, God of my father and all his fathers before! Lend your strength to my arm! Lend your skill to my eye! Lend your will to our quest! We must succeed!" Snorri reached back and hurled his axe out across the ravine. The axe flew faster and higher than any mortal could have thrown it, striking the top of the massive ice sheet. Huge cracks spread out from the strike and with a tremendous roar the entire ice sheet crumbled, sweeping down into the ravine, crushing the Ice Trolls and carrying them into the depths. Miraculously, the delicate snow bridge survived the crushing onslaught of ice. Snorri and Engakai stood on the edge of the ravine, awe shining in their eyes.
