by Joan Holub
“What?! No, I’m not,” sputtered Skade. She shook her head back and forth so hard that the black-and-white braid at her back flopped this way and that. “At least I don’t think so. No, definitely not.”
Then she recalled that happy-melty feeling she’d gotten when Balder was kind to her in Norse History. Did she have a bit of a crush on that boygod? How was she supposed to know?
As she and her three friends moved toward the exit again, Skade’s thoughts flew back to the competition. If she wanted to choose Balder, how could she make that happen? Glancing back at the stage, she studied its curtain. It hung as wide as the wooden stage itself. However, there was a six-inch gap of space between its bottom hem and the stage floor. Which meant she’d easily be able to see each of the boys’ boots tomorrow when they stood onstage behind the curtain.
Every boy on her team had claimed to own only a single pair of boots apiece. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what Balder’s looked like. She let out a frustrated huff because she had no clue! But she did know how to find out. Just ahead, her friends pushed the cafeteria door open.
“You coming to our igloo?” Freya called, pausing to look back at her.
Making up her mind, Skade waved her, Malfrid, and Yanis away with a smile. “Go on without me. I’ll catch up in a few.” Seconds later, she was also out the door, but scurrying in the opposite direction her friends had gone—toward the boys’ igloo instead. If she was fast, she might catch sight of Balder’s boots before he went inside for the night.
Jogging down the path, she came upon Loki. He was standing at the side of it, studying a vine that clung to the trunk of an aspen tree. She tiptoed past, relieved when he didn’t notice her and ask why she was heading away from the girls’ igloo. Besides not wanting to explain what she was up to, she was in a hurry!
Unfortunately, by the time she reached the boys’ igloo, there were no boys in sight. Except for Loki, they must all be inside. Hoping against hope, she opened the outer door and stuck her head inside the boys’ mudroom. Maybe she wasn’t too late to catch a glimpse of Balder removing his boots.
Creeeek. Smells of leather and damp wool greeted her. But to her disappointment the mudroom was empty of boys, including Balder. Across the mudroom was a second door. It had been open to the common room earlier that day when Skade had brought the boys’ stuff over from Freya’s kittycart, so she knew that the boys’ and girls’ igloos were practically identical. Inside, there would be nine smaller zones along the circular wall where each team would sleep. Since those zones weren’t all that big, when students weren’t resting or sleeping, they’d probably be mingling out in the main space. It seemed that the igloos had been cleverly designed to get everyone to hang out and make friends!
Stepping inside the mudroom, Skade let the door swing shut behind her. The bags that she’d dropped off here earlier today were gone now, probably moved into the common room. Quickly, she studied the boots lined up on the racks set against the wall. There must be forty or fifty pairs of them, which made sense since there were close to a hundred students here at the games and about half of them were boys. Faced with so many boots, how would she ever figure out which pair belonged to Balder?
Creeeek. Suddenly the mudroom door she’d entered through opened behind her. A blast of cold air from outside hit her as a suspicious voice demanded, “What are you doing in here?”
Skade jumped around to see Loki. “Who, me? Nothing,” she blurted quickly.
Only now she remembered that Loki had invited himself to stay overnight with the AA boys on the team. His distrustful gaze studied her, then fell on the boot racks. He was holding something small and green. A leafy twig. However, when he saw her glance toward it, he folded it in his palm, so she couldn’t see exactly what kind of twig it was.
She glared at him and crossed her arms. “I’m not here to steal anything if that’s what you’re thinking,” she huffed. “As if. Who wants stinky old boy boots? Not me.”
Ignoring her, Loki’s eyes stayed on the rack of boots. Now she began to wonder if he was looking for something there too. But what? Appearing a little disgruntled at not finding whatever he sought, he sat on a bench and began removing his yellow shoes.
Abruptly, the door that led into the main room opened and Balder stepped out into the mudroom too. He was barefoot…and holding a pair of boots! Brown ones, each with a white faux-fur cuff at the top and white leather straps that crisscrossed at the ankle.
“Oh! Hey, Skade, what are you, uh… um…,” Balder began. His words petered out when he noticed Loki was there too. “Well,” he said to them both, “I forgot to take off my boots before I went inside, so…”
“Yeah, I do that all the time by accident,” Skade told him truthfully. “Drives my podmates crazy when they trip over them in our room.”
Grinning at her now, Balder went up to one of the racks and plunked his boots down in an empty space. “Well, carry on, you guys. See you,” he said, going back inside without being nosy about why they were there.
The minute he left, Loki jumped to his feet and went over to the rack. He set his shoes down right next to Balder’s boots. With his back to Skade for a few seconds, he appeared to fiddle with one of Balder’s boots. Huh? In her opinion, he was the one acting suspicious, not her!
“What are you doing?” She stepped to his side, staring at his and Balder’s footwear on the rack.
“Just stowing my shoes. Why do you care?” asked Loki. Though his expression was calm, he sounded a little nervous at her question.
Skade shrugged. “I don’t. See you tomorrow, Loki.” After heading outside, she dashed down the path toward the girls’ igloo. Now that she knew what Balder’s boots looked like, she’d easily recognize them tomorrow. It would be a snap to choose him as her partner from the lineup behind the stage curtain.
Yay! Success! Pausing for a moment in the middle of the path, she gave a happy skip and a twirl, just like Yanis might have done. As she did so, her eyes fell on the aspen tree where she’d seen Loki earlier. The vine growing on it was covered with green twigs. Now that she saw the twigs clearly, she recognized what they were. Mistletoe.
10 Enchanted Snow
THE NEXT MORNING BREAKFAST WAS delivered directly to the girls’ igloo, while the boys went over to the Gruntery to eat and set up for the boot-choosing ceremony. Skade was wearing Freya’s spiffy brown-and-gold tunic paired with her own olive green leggings and favorite boots. Feeling especially fancy, she was in a great mood as, after eating, she made her way to the cafeteria with the other girls.
The minute they arrived at the Gruntery, she went to stand before the stage with Katrina and Olga, the other two ski jump finalists from yesterday’s contest. Students from the various teams gathered to sit on the stump stools that had been placed in rows nearby, waiting to find out the girls’ partner choices for the aerial ski tricks competition. About twenty-five boys—those hoping to compete—had lined up onstage behind the curtain.
Skade had scored the highest in yesterday’s tryouts, so she got to go first. Briskly, she walked along the front of the raised stage, studying all the boots. When she passed a pair of red ones with orange and yellow flames painted up the sides, she gulped and walked faster. Surt? No way would she choose him. Or any of the scary fire giants!
When she came to a pair of brown boots with white leather straps crisscrossing at the ankles, she stopped and pointed. “I choose these boots,” she announced.
Katrina and Olga made their selections as well. Then everyone in the Gruntery watched as the stage curtain was tugged higher to reveal the chosen boys’ identities.
Smiling, Skade looked up into the face of the boy she’d picked. She gasped. Because the boy she’d chosen was not Balder. It was Njord! “You! Why are you wearing Balder’s boots?” she demanded in confusion.
“Balder’s out of the competition,” Njord informed her as he hopped down from the stage. “He’s got a bad case of mistletoe.”
Her brows
rose. “Meaning?”
“Meaning that a piece of that green stuff pricked his actual big toe.” Njord shrugged. “Turns out he’s allergic.”
“Yeah,” Honir chimed in as he also climbed down off the stage. “You should see his toe. It’s swollen to almost twice normal size.” Though the long-legged boygod hadn’t been chosen by any of the girls, he remained his usual cheerful self. Thor and Ull hadn’t been onstage at all, probably deciding ski tricks weren’t their best sport. They and the rest of the AA team had been watching from nearby stump stools, however.
“Balder said he’ll be okay hanging out in our igloo till we’re all ready to leave after the competition ends,” Thor told Skade now.
Freya frowned. “Poor Balder.” She, Angerboda, Malfrid, and Yanis had come over and been listening in on Skade’s conversation with the boys.
“I don’t get it,” Yanis said. “What about the oaths Hugin and Munin collected to make sure nothing could harm Balder? Why didn’t those protect him?”
“Yeah,” said Angerboda. “The ravens were supposed to have finished that task by now.”
Along with the other teams, the Asgard group began moving for the exit door. “Hey, wait for me!” Loki called to them before anyone could answer Yanis. As they all turned toward him, he hopped off the edge of the stage and went to join them.
That Loki—always up to his sly tricks, thought Skade. Apparently he’d snuck onstage behind the curtain earlier, trying to get selected for the ski tricks competition even though he wasn’t eligible since he wasn’t on a team!
“I guess the ravens didn’t suspect that mistletoe could harm anyone,” Njord said as they all exited the Gruntery. “Odin sent an acorn message this morning telling Balder it was the only thing in the nine worlds they didn’t bother to ask to swear an oath.”
Once outside, they all grabbed their skis, which they’d placed in the ski racks next to the Gruntery earlier. “But I still don’t understand why you’re wearing Balder’s boots,” Skade said to Njord.
Not questioning how she knew they were Balder’s boots, he only shrugged and said, “You know how nice Balder is. He offered to let me borrow them since there was no way he could ski in the competition after his toe swelled up. My boots were pinching, remember?”
Skade nodded, and then her thoughts veered in another direction for a few seconds. Balder was nice. To everybody, not just her. Which meant he was treating her like everyone else and probably didn’t feel any special happy-melty feelings toward her, she realized. Hmm. That realization didn’t upset her actually. Which must mean she didn’t have a crush on him, not really! Phew! What a relief.
In the distance, bright colors suddenly caught her eye. Three red flags, each with a blue cross outlined in white, stood atop a large snowbank. They’d been posted at the entrance to the ski slopes where the competitions would take place. It made her sad that she wouldn’t compete in all three events, but at least she had one to look forward to. And she could cheer on the Asgard team during the others.
When all the teams moved toward the flags, she and Njord somehow wound up walking side by side, ahead of everyone else. It got quiet as they all huffed and puffed their way up the trail.
“I’m sorry, okay?” Njord said after the silence between them went on for a long time.
Surprised, Skade quirked an eyebrow at him. “Sorry for what?” There were just so many things he could be apologizing for in her opinion!
Njord sighed. “For what I said in history class Thursday. Your dancing wasn’t all that bad.”
“Wow, thanks, what a nice compliment,” said Skade, rolling her eyes. She didn’t want thoughts of that disaster to mess up her day, so she hoped he wouldn’t say more. But he did.
“It’s just that—” Njord began in an unusually serious tone. Interrupting himself, he started over. “I’m really sorry Balder’s out of the games, but I’m glad you’re in. Glad we’ll be skiing together in the aerial event, and I—”
“What are you talking about? Wait, do you mean I’m filling Balder’s spot in all the competitions?” she asked.
By then, the rest of their team and Loki had caught up to them, and Ull overheard. “Yeah. Forgot to tell you,” their team’s captain informed her, “since Balder has officially dropped out of the competition, you’ll be taking his place.”
“Really?” she said in happy surprise as they all continued uphill. She was alternate, of course. And in an emergency, when a team member was unable to participate for whatever reason, an alternate could substitute.
“Or I could take his place,” Loki offered quickly. He was walking alongside Angerboda. Since that girl liked him, like a lot, she’d looked happy to have his attention. However, now her face fell at the news that Skade would get to compete in all three events.
“Yeah, how about Loki instead?” Angerboda pushed, looking at Ull.
Njord eyed Loki. “No way. It’s Skade’s right to sub for Balder.”
“True,” said Ull. “Because as alternate she’s already on the team.” Then he added, “Poor Balder, though. It’s a mystery how that mistletoe got into his boot.”
“His boot?” echoed Skade. “The mistletoe that pricked him was in his boot?” Suddenly a puzzle piece fell into place. She stared at Loki, recalling how he’d seemed to fiddle with Balder’s boots in the boys’ mudroom last night. “Excuse us a minute,” she told the others. “Loki and I need to talk.”
“What about?” A look of alarm flashed over the boygod’s face as she pulled him away from the group.
“You know what I think?” she hissed at Loki, while their companions went on ahead. “I think you booby-trapped Balder’s boot with a spear of mistletoe last night. Somehow you knew he’d be allergic to it and were hoping to take his spot on the team.” She stepped closer as a new thought came to her. “Maybe you even told the ravens mistletoe was harmless, even though you know Balder’s allergic.”
His eyes turned shifty. “How would I know that?”
“Because Balder told you at some point?” Skade bluffed. The shifty look on Loki’s face told her she’d guessed right, but still he wouldn’t admit his guilt.
“Wrong,” he insisted. “Why would I want to be in this competition that badly?”
She thought a minute, but before she could go on, Njord appeared. Unnoticed by them, he’d remained behind to listen in. “Because you’re hoping to impress Surt on the slopes,” he accused Loki, jabbing a finger at his chest. “We guys have noticed how much you admire him and his sword. And everyone knows how easily you’ll switch sides, backing gods or giants or whoever, depending on how it benefits or amuses you.”
“You two don’t know what you’re talking about,” scoffed Loki.
Skade raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I think we do. So—”
Just then, a horn sounded. The games were about to kick off!
“Don’t think this discussion is over,” Njord told Loki as he and Skade turned to go.
“Yeah,” Skade called back to Loki as she and Njord scurried to catch up with the other skiers at the top of the incline. “What you did to Balder was a real dirty trick, and you won’t get away with it. We’ll deal with you later!”
Loki just shrugged. He didn’t even have the good grace to appear the slightest bit worried at their threats.
Three student competitors from the frost giant team now stood under the colorful flags at the entrance to the slopes. The flags whipped in the brisk winter wind. Skade shaded her eyes against the sunny blue sky overhead and studied the giants. She knew them all from her summers spent here in Jotunheim.
The girlgiant in the middle, who held a magic wand tucked in her belt, she recognized as Grid. To Grid’s left was a girlgiant named Hyndla. She wore a silver-gray hangerock and a locket Skade knew contained a drawing of one of her pet greyhounds. The boygiant Skrymir stood to the right of Grid.
At their feet sat the gossipy Ratatosk, alongside a large, pretty red cage filled with straw. What was that for? Skade wo
ndered. Did the squirrel sleep in it or something? She’d always assumed he slept somewhere within Yggdrasil’s humongous branches.
“Welcome to Jotunheim’s first ever ski games!” Grid called out to the nine teams once they’d all assembled under the flags. At this, everyone cheered. “Today’s first competition will be an obstacle course down a ski run named Chilly Willy.”
“Second will be relay race down a run called Yikes,” Hyndla announced.
“And third will be the aerial ski tricks competition on the Cowabunga run,” said Skrymir.
Skade heard Freya and Yanis giggle. Although she was used to them, those names were kind of funny.
“A panel of judges, one selected from each world, will determine the winners,” Skrymir went on.
“Also, giants, listen up. To keep things fair, there’ll be no enlarging today,” added Hyndla.
There were a few grumbles over this from the two giant teams, but Skade hardly noticed. Getting more excited by the minute, she tugged her mittens snug. They were a bit misshapen. Of course they were, she mused fondly. Because Ms. Frigg had knitted them for her (and knitted mittens for many students at AA too).
Thinking of Ms. Frigg, Skade’s gaze fell on Ratatosk. Over each of his shoulders, he carried two big bags of message acorns. He’d already pulled some out and was murmuring the names of the three ski runs chosen for the competitions to them before rolling each one off in a different direction. He would send out many more to various worlds this day to spread news of the competitions and their results as they occurred.
The gloves and acorns combined to nudge Skade’s conscience. There was something she needed to do, even if she really didn’t want to. With a reluctant sigh, she reached into the pocket of her hangerock and pulled out the antler beanie Ms. Frigg had given her. She plopped it on her head, then tied its two braided brown yarn strings under her chin to secure it.
And then she waited for someone to laugh.
