Taziar regained his composure. "Forgive my questioning, lord. I'm not certain I understand."
Vidarr kneaded his fists with the casual power of a war machine. "Many have tried, men and gods, all with the knowledge their goal was impossible. None even made it past the entrance."
"Because of some guardian?"
"Geirmagnus' estate has no guardian," Vidarr roared. "I believe their own doubts defeated them."
Taziar hesitated, intrigued. "And realizing that, could you retrieve the rod? Apparently, you believe the task possible. Otherwise, you would not have sent Allerum after it."
Sadness entered Vidarr's aura. "I cannot. For all my self-convincing, deep within myself, I do believe the task cannot be done. I harbor enough doubts to prevent success."
Taziar considered. "Lord Vidarr, I will do my best to keep the knowledge from Allerum. By the conversations I have overheard, I believe Gaelinar is already aware of the impossibility of the quest and is protecting Allerum from the information." He tried to hold judgment from his next comment. "I'm afraid, Lord Vidarr, your revelation may have served only to doom me from completing the task if Allerum fails."
Fresh anger flared. "What do you mean?"
Taziar bowed respectfully, wishing he could erase his last statement. "My lord, I am a foreigner. I had no idea the task could not be done. Should Allerum die or surrender midway through it, I might have been able to complete it for him." He glanced up into a face gone pink with annoyance. "I thought, perhaps, that was the reason you told Allerum to bring me along."
The god snapped, "I suggested he take you because he seemed so awed by your sleight of hand, no other reason. Your act pulled him from depression. I had hoped you might keep his spirits up."
Taziar licked his lips several times. "And have I?"
Vidarr shrugged. "Adequately." He waved Taziar off with an exaggerated gesture. "I've become bored by you. Begone." He spun on his booted heel.
"My lord, wait."
Vidarr froze. He turned slowly, regarding Taziar as if he were a bothersome insect. "This had better be important."
Taziar had tired of mincing words and feeding Vidarr's ego. He stood his ground. "It is, sir. I need the magical rope which used to bind Fenrir, and I don't think Heim-dallr would allow me across the Bifrost. Would you be willing to get it for me?''
Vidarr's sharp blue eyes passed over Taziar from head to foot before meeting his gaze directly. The silver threads in his cloak glimmered and sparked as he drew breath. "No. Men serve gods, not the other way. Be glad I didn't kill you for asking."
Taziar bit off an expletive. "Please, lord, I'm not requesting you serve us but rather your own cause. I doubt Allerum could survive another of Fenrir's attacks. The elf is of no use to you dead."
Vidarr's visage turned from red to purple, and Taziar felt certain he had struck the cause of the god's fury. Vidarr's tangible emotion blazed from anger to murderous fury. Abruptly, he lunged. Taziar dodged aside, but the god instantly corrected for the movement. Hands the size of boulders clamped onto Taziar's neck, lifting him effortlessly from the ground.
Taziar caught wrists wider than his fingers could circle. Bracing against them, he struggled to free himself from a grip as unyielding as a vice. Vidarr brought Taziar's face to the level of his own. He continued speaking; Taziar's weight and exertion seemed no more troubling to him than the dying breeze. "Allerum is the chosen of the gods. He's going to die on this quest, but he's going to die for my brother. I don't like his insolence, but I can accept it in exchange for his life and service. You, I can crush like a weed." His fingers twined deeper into Taziar's throat.
Taziar gathered words to bargain. "V-" he sputtered. He could manage nothing further; each labored breath rattled. He turned incredulous eyes toward Vidarr, realizing he was about to die for something Larson had said.
Gradually, Vidarr's anger withered. His grip loosened, and he lowered Taziar to the ground.
The moment his feet met the snow, Taziar scuttled beyond the god's reach. He took great gulps of breath. The cold air stung his lungs but soothed his aching throat.
Vidarr masked his intentions, but his face betrayed remorse. His voice, though soft, commanded obedience.
"Stay here, Shadow. Don't move." With that warning, Vidarr disappeared.
Taziar rubbed at his neck while his vision blurred and spun. He stared at the snow until dizziness passed, then glanced up to the towering arch of the Bifrost Bridge. A distant figure stood on the rainbow strands. Heimdallr, probably. Hope he enjoyed the show. Taziar considered running but thought better of it. Vidarr did seem genuinely sorry, and the last thing I need to do is anger him again.
Taziar's wait did not last long. Within moments, a faint light shimmered before him. He threw up an arm to shield his eyes as the glow shattered and Vidarr returned, clutching the filthy, delicate cord which Taziar had slipped from the leg of the Fenris Wolf.
Taziar said nothing. He met Vidarr's blue stare expectantly.
Vidarr set the rope across his palms. It dangled limply to the ground. "This is Gleipnir, a prize of unequaled value. It was forged by one of the dark elves back in the times when they held all the most powerful magics of the world. Many of the things you and I believe not to exist were simply in the dark elves' keeping, among them Gleipnir's six ingredients: the noise of a cat's footfall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the nerves of a bear, a fish's breath, and the spittle of a bird." He tossed the string at Taziar's feet.
Taziar retrieved Gleipnir, rolled it into a ball, and tucked it into his pocket. It felt flimsy and unlike any of its claimed components. But Taziar had already seen it hold the Fenris Wolf in place.
Vidarr continued. "We had Gleipnir fashioned after Fenrir snapped fetters of iron and adamantine, and a god lost his hand so that we might fasten Gleipnir. Fenrir will not willingly allow himself to be tied again."
Taziar nodded. He did not expect capturing the Fenris Wolf to become an easy task just because he now possessed the rope. But if we can't slay him, at least we might bind him.
"If you lose Gleipnir, we will hunt you down and kill you." Vidarr used a matter-of-fact tone, as if it were the most natural statement in the world.
If I lose Gleipnir, it'll be because Fenrir killed me. You won't need to hunt me down. Taziar kept this thought to himself. He tensed to turn, but concern for Larson gave him the courage to question further. "I mean no disrespect, Lord Vidarr. Please forgive my gall. As one of Allerum's companions, am I not doomed to death as well? If the task is impossible and we're all attempting it together, Gaelinar, Allerum, and I are all going to die for Baldur."
Vidarr's manner softened. "Likely, you'll all die. But even Allerum's fate is uncertain. Although I believe he'll be killed, the outcome is not mine to decide."
Taziar considered, emboldened by Vidarr's cooperation. "I can't let Allerum take this risk without knowing. I have no choice but to tell him." He inched beyond Vidarr's reach.
Vidarr's expression went somber. He made no move toward Taziar. "Telling Allerum can only doom him to failure or convince him not to retrieve Geirmagnus' rod. Refusal to perform the quest would be the only certain death he would face. His fate if he seeks to perform the task is still a question. If he angers Odin, his fate and mine become certain. We'll die at my father's hand. Allerum might be able to thwart the Fates, but even the gods know there's no way to best Odin."
Taziar lowered his head. Without a word, he turned.
A weight dropped to Taziar's shoulder. He whirled back in surprise to face Vidarr again, the god's hand gentle on his arm. This time, the emotion Vidarr shared was comradely, his voice soothing. "Good luck."