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Chapter Fifteen
“Wisdom is welcome wherever it comes from.”
—Bandamanna Saga
Day Five, After: Inevitable.
“Here,” Ere said, handing a palm-sized pouch to Eir.
“This is all of the apple seeds from the orchard. We ate the apples in record time. Apple stew, apple jam, mashed apples, dried apples, pickled apples, raw apples…”
He trailed off with a loud, emphatic groan.
“I got a stomach ache from eating too many last night. You can have the seeds of our hard labor. I trust that you will use them wisely.”
Eir hefted the pouch in her hand. There must be hundreds of seeds in there.
“Do you really believe that one or more of these will grow into the wish tree and bear fruit?” she asked skeptically.
“The tale about the Red Witch and wish granting is just a tale. Even Iðunn’s apples can’t yield wishes.”
Ere shrugged.
“Doesn’t hurt to try, does it? It’s not like we have anything to lose.”
“But I thought your quest in this realm requires you to return with the Wish of Wonders,” Eir pointed out.
Ere had shared their mission over the past few days. Eir did not know what it could mean. She’d never heard of such a thing amongst both the humans and the gods she knew.
Indeed, the tale of the Red Witch of the North was most relevant. There were wishes involved, at least. Though, who was to say that any of them would be the Wish of Wonders.
“I think you need the wishes more,” Ere said, spearing her with his shrewd yet not unsympathetic turquoise eyes.
Eir simply looked down at the pouch in silence, as if she could find the answers if she stared hard enough.
“What would you wish for if you could have anything you want?” Ere asked gently.
Helplessly, Eir’s gaze gravitated toward the object of her desires.
Kai.
Who was instructing archers alongside Sorin. They were the second line of defense, comprised of the best hunters in the village.
“It is pointless to make wishes and harbor false hopes,” she muttered bleakly, mostly to herself.
“The Norns determine our Fates. It is impossible to escape.”
Ere huffed and rolled his eyes.
“If I let ‘destiny’ dictate my existence, I would likely be dead many times over by now. Soul extinguished forevermore and all that.”
“My people and gods do not fear death,” Eir said. “We are created to die from the very beginning. Our souls will return from whence they came at the end of worlds. But it will be a new beginning as well. Such is the cycle of time and life. It is our Fate, and we must accept it.”
Ere cocked his head in a thoughtful bent, considering.
“How do you know what our Fate is to begin with? I’ve come back from the dead or almost-dead several times now. Did I change my Fate or was that my Fate to begin with? Who’s to say? My point is, don’t give up until the fat lady sings. And even then, keep pushing. Don’t give up, period.”
“You speak strangely,” she intoned. Then, dipped her head in acknowledgement.
