Winter of the Ice Wizard (5 page)

“He is neither magician nor mortal,” said the blue Norn. “He is a blind force of nature that spares nothing in his path.”

“We hoped the Frost Giant would use the wizard's eye to
see
the beauty of the world, so he might choose to
care
for it rather than destroy it,” said the brown Norn. “But alas, the Frost Giant does not use our gift at all! Instead, he keeps it hidden away—right where we left it!”

“Where's that?” asked Annie.

“The Frost Giant sleeps inside the Hollow Hill,” said the gray Norn.

“In the Hollow Hill is a hole,” said the blue Norn.

“In the hole is a hailstone,” said the brown Norn.

“And in the heart of the hailstone hides the wizard's eye,” said the gray Norn.

Jack closed his eyes and repeated:

“Yes!” said the gray Norn. “That is where you must go. But beware:
You must never look directly at the Frost Giant. Anyone who looks directly at the Frost Giant will freeze to death at once.
”

Jack shivered and nodded.

“Well, we'd better get going,” said Annie. “Thanks for your help. The Ice Wizard's rhyme tells us to pay you whatever you ask us to pay.”

The Norns looked at each other. “I like that weaving around her neck,” the gray Norn said to her sisters. “ 'Tis red like the fiery dawn.” The other two Norns nodded eagerly.

“My scarf?” said Annie. “Sure. Here.” She took off her red woolen scarf and placed it on the floor near the Norns' loom.

“Lovely!” said the blue Norn. “Perhaps we will stop weaving fates and start weaving scarves!”

The other Norns cackled. “Well, go now,” said the gray Norn. “Travel toward the North Star. When you reach the snowy hills, look for the one whose peak is missing.”

Jack, Annie, and Teddy started toward the door, but Kathleen stayed behind. “Forgive me, but I have one more question,” she said. She pointed to the picture of the swan and the boy on the tapestry. “What is this story?”

“ 'Tis a sad tale,” said the gray Norn. “The Ice Wizard had a younger sister who loved him more than anything in the world. One day they fought over something foolish. He lost his temper and told her to leave him alone forever. She ran down to the sea in tears. There she found a flock of swan maidens. They gave her a white feathered dress. She put on the dress and became a swan maiden herself. She flew away with the others and never returned.”

“After that the Ice Wizard was never the same,” said the blue Norn. “When his sister left,
he grew cold and mean-spirited. 'Twas as if his sister took his heart with her when she flew away.”

“That
is
sad,” said Annie. “How will the Ice Wizard's story end?”

“You—not we—will determine the threads we weave next,” said the brown Norn.

“We will?” said Annie.

“Yes,” said the gray Norn. “Our powers are fading. Our plans no longer work the way we expect them to. The Ice Wizard has no wisdom! The Frost Giant has no sight!
You
must go now and finish the story.”

The three sisters smiled at their visitors. Their skinny fingers fluttered over their weaving like butterflies over flowers.

Jack couldn't help smiling back at them. But then he thought about Merlin and Morgan. He thought about all the dangers waiting outside. “One last question,” he said. “What's the story of the two white wolves?”

“Oh, the wolves!” said the blue Norn. “Do
not fear the wolves! A life without wolves would be a boring life indeed!” Her two sisters smiled in agreement. For the moment, their smiles made Jack feel unafraid of the white wolves—and the Ice Wizard and the Frost Giant, too.

“Good-bye! Good-bye! Good-bye!” said the three sisters.

Jack and the others waved good-bye. Then they slipped out of the House of the Norns and into the icy night.

S
tanding in the cold, Jack felt afraid again. There were big paw prints in the moonlit snow all around the house.

“The wolves were here,” said Kathleen.

“Perhaps we should go back inside,” said Teddy.

“No,” said Kathleen. “We must walk with Jack and Annie back to the sleigh and send them on their journey to the Hollow Hill.”

“Yes, of course,” said Teddy, nodding.

As they all headed cautiously toward the
rocks, Jack glanced back at the House of the Norns. He wished they could return to its cozy warmth.

Kathleen put her hand on his shoulder. “Come,” she said. “You must hurry.”

Jack trudged with the others through the passage in the rocks. When they got to the other side, there was no sign of the two white wolves. The silver sleigh was waiting in the moonlight. Jack and Annie climbed inside it.

“Can't you come with us?” Jack asked Teddy and Kathleen. “Remember you said if we all work together, we can do anything?”

“Aye,” said Teddy. “But what the Ice Wizard said is true. Only mortals can undo a bargain with the Fates.”

“Do not fear,” said Kathleen. “We will be with you in spirit. And we will meet you back at the wizard's palace at dawn.”

“How will you get there?” asked Annie.

“I have a few rhymes I can try,” said Teddy, smiling.

“And I have a bit of selkie magic,” said Kathleen.

“And we have our wind-string!” said Annie.

“Hasten, then, to the Hollow Hill,” said Kathleen.

“And remember what the Norns told you,” said Teddy. “
Never
look at the Frost Giant.”

“I know,” said Jack. He pulled out the wind-string. He took off his gloves and untied a knot. A breeze began to blow.

Jack untied a second knot. The breeze grew stronger, the sail unfurled, and the runners slid forward.

Jack untied a third knot. The wind blew hard. The white sail snapped, and the sleigh took off through the night.

“Stand fast!” Teddy called after them.

Jack and Annie waved good-bye to Teddy and Kathleen as the sleigh slid swiftly over the sea ice. Soon the sleigh bumped onto the snow-covered plain and veered off sharply to the right.

“No, toward the North Star!” Jack called to Annie.

Annie turned the rudder, steering the sleigh back on course. They sailed toward the bright star in the distance.

As the silver runners swished across the windswept snow, Jack braced himself against the cold. He kept a lookout for the white wolves, but he didn't see any sign of them as the sleigh sped across the moonlit plain.

Soon he could see a row of snow-covered hills in the distance. “Look!” he said. “There it is!” He pointed to one of the hills—the only one without a peak.

“Tie her down!” Annie shouted.

Jack tied a knot in the string, and the sleigh began to slow down. He tied a second, then a third. The wind died down completely, and the sleigh coasted to a stop at the foot of the Hollow Hill. Jack and Annie climbed out.

Jack looked up at the steep white slope. “How do we get inside?” he said.

“I don't know,” said Annie. “How do you think the Frost Giant gets inside?”

“Oh … the Frost Giant,” said Jack. He really wished Teddy and Kathleen were with them. He felt as if part of their team was missing.

Annie seemed to read his thoughts. “We can do it,” she said. “We have to—for Morgan and Merlin.”

Jack nodded. “You're right,” he said. They studied the hill in the moonlight.

“Up there—is that an opening?” said Annie.

“Maybe,” said Jack. “Let's climb up and check it out.” When they climbed a little way up the hill, Jack could clearly see a break in the snow-covered slope.

“Let's see if it leads inside!” said Annie.

“Wait, what about the Frost Giant?” said Jack.

“I have a feeling he's not here right now,” said Annie. “We'd better go in and find the wizard's eye before he comes back.”

“Okay,” said Jack. “But be careful!”

They scurried farther up the slope. When they came to the opening, they stepped through the huge crack into the hill.

Jack and Annie found themselves on a ledge above a deep, rounded hollow. Moonlight flooded down through the open hilltop. At the bottom of the hollow was a flat spot where it looked as if the snow had been blown in circles.

“That must be where the giant sleeps!” said Annie.

“Yeah, and it's probably where he hides the eye,” said Jack. “We just have to find a hole. Remember?” He repeated what the Norns had said:

“Right,” said Annie.

Jack looked down at the snowy swirl. He looked back at Annie. “Onward?”

“Onward,” she whispered.

Jack and Annie scrambled down into the hollow. Stepping carefully through the silver moonlight, they studied the ground, looking for the hole.

Annie stumbled and fell. “Whoa!” she said. “I think I just found the hole! I stepped in it!”

“Really?” said Jack. He knelt down beside her.

Annie reached down into a small hole in the floor of the hollow. “There's something in here!”
she said. She pulled out a chunk of ice the size of an egg. “The hailstone!”

In the dim light, it was impossible to see if anything was inside the ice chunk. “We don't know if this is the right hailstone,” said Jack. “We'll have to wait till daylight to see if the eye's in there.”

“It has to be the right one,” said Annie. “How many hailstones are hidden in a hole in a hollow hill?”

“Good point,” said Jack.

Annie turned the hailstone over in her hand. “Maybe the eye is looking at us now,” she said.

“That's scientifically impossible,” said Jack. “An eye can't see unless it's connected to a brain.”

“Yeah, and a string can't make the wind blow, either,” said Annie. “Forget science in this place. Wait—” She caught her breath. “Did you feel that?”

“Feel what?” said Jack.

“The ground's shaking,” said Annie.

Jack
did
feel the ground trembling. He heard
a strange sound, too—a loud huffing sound coming from outside the hill—
HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFF.… 
It sounded like breathing!

“The giant's back!” said Annie.

“Oh, no!” cried Jack.

The ground kept rumbling. The breathing sounds got louder.

“Hide the hailstone!” said Jack.

Annie shoved the ice chunk into her pocket.

HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFF.… 
It sounded like the giant was entering the hollow!

“He's coming!” said Annie.

“Hide!” whispered Jack.

Jack pulled Annie into the shadows. He remembered the gray Norn's warning:
Anyone who looks directly at the Frost Giant will freeze to death at once.

“Whatever you do,
don't look at him!
” he whispered to Annie.

Crouching in the dark, they buried their faces in their hands and waited.…