Loki's Escape

Loki was bound to three rocks inside a cold, dark cave in the realm known as Asgard. No matter how he twisted and turned, the ropes kept him firmly in place under a monstrous serpent dripping venom. His devoted wife, Sigyn, was sitting by his side holding a bowl to catch the venom but when the bowl was full, she had to leave her vigil to empty it. As the venom touched Loki he writhed in agony causing earthquakes throughout Asgard. He had been sentenced to this excruciating existence until Ragnarök, the end of the world of gods and men. 

His torture had been the result of his many clever plans resulting in embarrassment or difficulty to the gods but they chosen to overlook all the successful plans he had created for them. They thought his days as a trickster were over but there was a surprise in store they had overlooked. He could not break the bonds holding him prisoner but they forgot his daughter, Hel and his two sons, Jormungand and Fenrir. They were due for their annual visit at sunrise. He would no longer be bound and the snake that had tortured him for centuries would never be a threat again. He would return to being the Fire God he used to be. The night crept by with intervals of torture then only the discomfort of the rocks on his back. As long as he was bound he could not use his skills and talents. Thor had made sure of that when he used entrails of Loki’s own son’s as the binding fibers. Thor will pay for that!

Hel will hold out both hands so no venom touches his body as Jormungand will make short work of the viper above him by slowly wrapping his huge, strong serpentine body around and around until he squeezes the life out of the enemy standing guard over his father. The venom will have no effect since it is written Jormungand will slay Thor at Ragnarök. His other son, Fenrir, will kill Odin at the same time but his sharp, wolf’s teeth can bite through the bindings with ease because he detested his dead brother whose entrails will be no challenge to him. My daughter will stop the spirit of the dead serpent and cast it into her underworld before it can alert the ones who put him here. Loki will once more be free to enjoy life!

As he had planned, soon after sunrise Loki had his freedom. He praised his children then sent them back to their realms until it was safe for them to meet again. He sent Sigyn with Fenrir until he was safely away then she could go back home with the story she had been kidnapped by wolves but escaped. When everyone was gone he shape shifted into an eagle and flew over Bifrost, the rainbow. He dropped through the white, fluffy clouds until he was above Midgard. As soon as he was on the ground, he transformed into a beautiful, young woman and walked into the nearest village. She introduced herself as Hulda and said she had traveled from Kirilialano to Finnbygoir looking for her brother. 

”He joined Vikings exploring the northern reaches of Lapland five years ago and never returned. I came across some Vikings on my way here and they said this is where they left him. He fell in love with a village girl and wanted to stay with her so they moved on. Please kind sir, do you remember a young man like that? I have to find him. He is the only family I have left. Our parents have both died from grief believing him to be dead. I must find him or our house and farm will be lost to us forever and I will have no place to live.”

“No, I do not remember any young lad coming with the Vikings that many years ago. In fact, Vikings have not been through here in more years than five. Lapland has been thoroughly explored and claimed by Norsemen for at least three times that long.”

“But why would those Vikings I met on the way have lied?”

“Could you be mistaken in where they said? Just north of here is a village named Finnmork. Perhaps you mistook the two villages. It frequently happens with strangers to this part of Lapland.”

“Oh, perhaps I did. How far is it to Finnmork? I have walked so very far already I am not sure I could go very much farther.”

“If you rest here tonight I will give you a horse to finish your journey. I have an old mare that I was ready to put out to pasture but I know she has one more journey in her. I am called Axle. You can rest here tonight with my sister.”

“Thank you, sir. I do not know how I can ever repay you.”

“Follow me and I will take you to my sister. Perhaps she has heard some gossip from our other town that will help you.”

Loki followed the farmer through the center of the village until he stopped in front of a house set back from the road. “This is my sister’s house. I best be going ahead to tell her about you so she is not too surprised. You wait right here and we will be back out quickly.”

Loki saw a tree stump close by and sat on it to wait. So far so good. Once he had the horse, travel would be easier and he would be less suspicious than on foot. Once he knew he was safe from Thor, he would pay a visit to his father, Fárbauti, and his mother, Laufey, to invite them into his plan to destroy Thor even before Ragnarök. It has been a very long time since he visited Jotunheim, home of the giants. On the way he might stop in for a visit in Idavoll to visit the mother of Fenrir. He might even be tempted to give Fenrir a baby brother.

As his thoughts were occupied in visiting Idavoll, he did not hear the footsteps approaching. He was startled when he heard a voice welcoming him to her home. “I am sorry, Miss. I did not mean to startle you. I am Ella. My brother told me about your search and I would like to invite you to stay with me tonight. You are much too young and beautiful to be out here on your own this way. If I could leave tomorrow I would go with you to Finnmork but I have a sick child I cannot leave. Please come in where it is more comfortable. Thank you for bringing her to me, brother. You did the right thing. The poor girl looks exhausted.”

The two women headed to the door and entered the cozily lit cottage. A lantern sat on the dining table flickering its light on the log walls. Another lantern hung from a beam in the doorway between the sitting room and kitchen. The dirt floors were immaculately swept clean and the handmade furniture shone with oil that also protected the wood from becoming too dry and cracking. Attractive woven, tan curtains hung in the sitting room windows while white fleece ones hung in the kitchen windows.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Hulda and I guess your brother has already told you I am from Kirilialano on a quest to find my brother. I so appreciate your hospitality tonight. I have not been inside a house since I left our farm and yours is very nice. I have no curtains at my windows at home. I never could develop the skills of weaving and sewing. Then my parents died from grief of losing my brother so I could not make curtains to replace the worn out ones we had all my life. I did learn to plant crops and harvest them as well as tend to the few animals we have. A neighbor is looking after our cow and the few sheep we have left. But I prattle on about myself. Tell me about you and your life”

“There really is not much to tell. I married my childhood sweetheart and we had two wonderful children. The boy was helping his father plow our field when a group of strangers in Viking dress attacked them. Both were killed leaving me pregnant with my daughter who was born sickly. She is eight now but acts more like she is two. I have not been able to teach her the most basic things like dressing herself. The village shaman thinks she was cursed while she was still in my womb and says she will never be normal. That is why I cannot travel with you tomorrow.”

“I am so sorry! Do you have nay idea who cursed her?”

“No, the shaman only said it would have to be either a villager or one of the gods. He asked if I had insulted anyone while I was carrying her but I could not think of anyone.”

“Did you speak against Thor, Odin or any of the other gods in your grief?”

“Well …, I may have questioned them for taking my husband and son that day.”

“Oh dear! Questioning them is the same as cursing them. Do you remember which ones you questioned?”

“Let me think, I did question Thor and Odin. I said something like why would you let this happen or maybe it was why did you let this happen.”

“That is probably why your daughter was cursed. The gods do not like to be accused of letting things happen to mortals like us. They rule us but they do not always protect us and accusing them that way is the same as accusing them of the actual act.”

“I did not think when I said it. I was so upset I may have said even more but I do not remember. When my whole world had just ended I may have spoken out more than I should have. I wonder if there is any hope of getting the curse lifted from my child?”

“I am sorry but I am afraid I have never heard of that happening. Perhaps if you talked with your shaman he would have an answer but I would not count on it.”

“I will do that as soon as he returns. He is on a purification journey and should return in a few sunrises. For now, let me fix dinner for us. If I do say so myself, I am a good cook and you look like you could use some food. When was the last time you ate?”   

“I was fortunate to have stopped to ask directions this morning and the kind people insisted I stay for breakfast and even sent me off with some berries, nuts and bread for my lunch.”

“Well, we shall dine on pork stew made with vegetables from my garden tonight. It has been on the side of the fire since lunch. Please have a seat at the table while I finish up our meal. Do you like turnips? I just finished cooking those when you arrived and put them to the side to stay warm. I mashed them, added lots of butter and just a dash of milk, salt and pepper. My bread is ready to come out of the oven now. I love the big trough to bake my bread. It gives me enough for a few days.

“Please let me help you. At least let me set the table.”

“Nonsense, you are my guest so just relax. I will have everything ready before you could even find the dishes.”

True to her word, the table was soon set with birch bowls and spoons and all the food quickly followed. The smell of the pork stew with peas, onions and cabbage accompanied by turnips on the side and the fresh bread awoke Loki’s hunger after all the centuries he had been bound. It was difficult not to grab everything and pile his plate full but he remembered he was supposed to be a demure young woman and ate as she would be expected to eat.

“You are a splendid cook! It would be easy to forget I am a lady it is so tasty. Thank you once again for your hospitality.”

“You are welcome, my dear. I do not have feminine company for my meals often. My brother now and then for dinner but I seldom have a woman to share a meal with.”

“I can’t resist. I just have to have another slice of your bread. It is so heavenly!”

“Help yourself. I am going to clean up the table now and we can spend some time girl talking before bed.” 

Loki took another slice of bread from the trough and slathered the homemade butter on it with the only knife on the table. He took his time eating it as a woman was expected to do. Just as he took the last bite, a bowl of strawberries covered in fresh cream appeared in front of him. 

“I hope you like honeyed strawberries in cream. It is all I have until I can pick more berries. My neighbor gathers honey and since he knows I cannot leave my daughter, he brings some for me as well. I sometimes take her with me to gather berries and apples but not to gather honey. She thinks the bees are playthings. The only time I tried she was stung several times before I could stop her so I no longer harvest honey.”

“Honeyed strawberries in cream is one of my favorites. Umm, just right. Not too much honey but just enough to be delicious. Please let me help you clear the table when we are finished. I need to work off some of the weight I must have gained today from all the good food I have eaten.”

“Fine, we will clear up together as soon as we finish dessert.”

When they ate the last strawberry and spooned the last of the cream into their mouths, they quickly cleared the table and Loki helped with the wash up. After the last bowl was put away, they went to the sitting room and chatted. Hulda asked if there was any gossip from Finnmork about a young man coming as a Viking, falling in love with a girl and staying in the village but Ella had heard nothing like that but she had not heard any gossip since her daughter was born and she could not travel as she used to. Loki had experience posing as a woman so the usual chitchat that followed came easily. 

When they finished talking, he had bedclothes brought to him and they said goodnight. Loki lay down on the bench close to the fireplace and pretended to sleep. When he was certain his hostess was fast asleep, he left a short note that Hulda could not sleep and had left for Finnmork then he crept outside and shape shifted once again. He had lingered dangerously long here and needed to cover his trail better. By now Asgard knew of his escape so he could not stay in one place very long. Now he was just another escaped stallion as he trotted south toward a warmer climate where he would finish his plans to rid his life of Thor and make him pay for the torture he had forced on Loki.

He knew of a place close to the southwestern coast with lots of caves. As long as he kept shape shifting as indigenous animals and birds he could reach there before Thor had any idea where he was and once in the caves, he would be safe indefinitely and he could finish his plans for Thor’s destruction. Though the people who had once lived in those caves were long gone, he would happily add a few pictures while living there that would totally confuse people in the future. After all, he did have a reputation as a trickster to live up to.