Page 12 of Heart of the Mountain King

"Ma, this is Rask," Sten said, coming to stand at the kneeling bergsrå's side and reaching up to rest his hand on Rask's shoulder. "And he — we, I mean — came to find out what's going on with the vættir. Rask, this is my mother, Arndra."

Arndra's lips pursed as she studied the bergsrå, her gaze lingering on where her son's hand still lay on Rask's shoulder.

"Well?" she finally said, chin tipped up in challenge as she interrogated the bergsrå. "Did you discover anything?"

Rask grinned, finding he liked this human. She had her son's spirit.

"Vættir tell of weak spot where humans dig," Rask answered her. "Village must stop, or many die."

Arndra sucked in a sharp breath. "They plan to kill us?"

"Who, vættir?" Rask asked, confused. "Why? Vættir not create stone. Not tell humans dig where it weakest, either."

"And that's why they've been breaking our tools and causing injuries?" Sten chimed in. "The vættir couldn't have just… I don't know, given us a warning or something instead?

Rask looked up at him in surprise. "What Sten think vættir doing? Not vættir's fault humans no listen."

"Six wounded, Lars needing a crutch the rest of his life, and the thaneskassör breathing down our necks over how many örens the village is losing each day the quarry is shut down over stolen hammers or to fix a broken crane?" scoffed the blustery man from earlier. "I'd hardly call that a warning."

Rask blinked at the stranger slowly, a slew of thoughts all tumbling down the slopes of his mind too fast for him to keep up. These humans bleated much as goats did, but had none of the charm.

Well, maybe one or two, Rask allowed; Sten's palm a warm, companionable weight on Rask's shoulder.

"Any in village dead?" Rask asked finally, once the dust had settled in his mind.

"Uh, no," the blustery man admitted. "Not yet."

"Good." Rask nodded at him as the bergsrå rose to his feet, knees sparking like a lightning storm in complaint. "Maybe humans listen to vættir. Then it stay that way."

Arndra scowled. "How can we 'listen' to the vættir? Nobody in the village has any magic, not even our priests. Certainly there's no…person like — " And here she gestured vaguely at Rask. " — like yourself."

"Listening to vættir not need magic," Rask corrected her. And he didn't know what made him offer but… "Rask promise to teach Sten, if Sten wish."

"Um." Sten's eyes widened again when Rask turned his attention to the man, catching the moonlight like twin pools. It was a terribly dangerous expression, Rask realized, for he was swiftly becoming fond of seeing it. "Yes, I… yes. What must we — I — do?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Rask cocked his head, studying the human and wondering again if all his kind were as mannerless as this one. Judging by the small group around him, Rask feared it might be a trait rife within the whole species.

"Thanks maybe good start," he supplied.

"Oh! Right, of course. Thank you for your help, Rask," Sten said, pressing his hand directly over his heart and bowing low.

Rask rolled his eyes. Hopeless. This human was utterly and completely —

"And…I suppose I must thank the vættir too, for their warning," Sten continued, glancing around them uncertainly. "Er…How do I do that?"

Alright, Rask decided as he uncrossed his arms. So maybe not so hopeless.

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Chapter 5

A Pledge

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Like little minnows scared by a shadow, the villagers scattered out of Rask's way as he strode to the base of the cliff face beneath the unstable ridge. Sten showed none of their fear, however, nor did his mother, both of them trailing watchfully behind as Rask pressed his palm flat against the chisel-flecked rock.

Eyes closed and breathing steadily, he focused on the beating of his heart until it fell into rhythm with the greater Song. Within it, he listened again for the vættir's chatter, an answering tune already building in his throat.