Those are of his aettir. His brothers, in fact. Came from their mountains. No
introductions needed. They just want to see that Hrun isn’t going to have any
problems.”
At that, Hrun turned to talk to his brothers. A kind of rumbling and grinding language.
The brothers turned and walked into the wall, merging into it, and then were gone.
“Nice to meet you, great Hrun. I pray fortune finds you well.”
“Oh, don’t kiss ass, Havard. Hrun will do fine. His name is actually too long to mention.
Hrun is the very short version. No need to introduce your friends. The life of humans is
too short for them to think about names and such. He does know your language but
unfortunately learned it from a mad and lousy skald a hundred or so years ago.”
“A fine day for a night-meet,
Though enemies and wolves nip at your heels;
Long has it been, a mortal
I have seen; But a mortal like thee,
A millennium is worth the wait.”
“See! Told you!”
“I don’t know, Rumpr, he does say it well.” Though Hrun’s speech, whispered as it was,
sent small vibrations through the rock, dislodging loose stones from the overhead roof
of the hollow.
“Not you too! I have tried teaching him the normal way but he likes the lessons of the
skald. Well, he and his family have always been my friends. Going back to your
problem, Hrun had heard it already and is willing to help. Not the fighting of course.
Like me, he doesn’t want to openly attract Ymir’s attention.”
“Aid you I must,
For portents dire have
My rest disturbed;
A world of magic,
Turned to a world of dust,
Of pain, Of jokes.”
Tyler looked at the being.
“I need to reach a high place where I can see the enemy in their full deployment. A
mountain closest to the gap.”
Hrun turned to Rumpr and spoke in their own language.
“Well, you’re in luck. Hrun says there’s a ledge on the top of the mountain where you
set up your camp. That's the balcony I told you about. He created it to keep watch on
what you humans are up to in Scarburg. Though he tells me the town still stands. For
how long, he couldn’t say. The walls have been damaged though.”
Hrun spoke to the gnome again.
“Oh, here’s the problem. To bring all of you up there will take a lot of time. Though it
would be easy for him to create openings and steps. It would take you hours to get
there. Not to mention, tired. To bring only one would be faster. Something about
difficulty in transporting mortals. So what will it be?”
Tyler looked at his two companions.
“Go ahead, Sire. Bring the waterskin and some food with you. We have transferred half
of the water to the empty one already.”
“Rumpr, how about air? We’re in a hollow. The air will be stale and poisonous before
long.”
“Don’t worry about that. The air here will stay fresh as long as Hrun wants it to be.”
“Wait for me here,” Tyler told the two. The two warriors just smiled and struck their
chests with fists in farewell. Is that a Norse gesture? Isn’t that a Roman one? But his
observation was cut short by Rumpr’s voice.
“Here, mage. We’ll both go with you. It’s both our magics anyway.”
He saw an opening in the wall. Surprisingly, it looked like a door just right for his
height. Beyond it, a dimly lighted stone hallway, enough for the three of them. Hrun
had already changed his height to equal Tyler’s.
He stepped into the hallway, Rumpr at his side, Hrun following after.
“We’re just walking there like this?”
“Yes, my ignorant mage of a friend. This is what you get when you have the magic of
two beings such as us working in unison. But it does have its limits.”
“You’re more powerful than you let on, Rumpr. I daresay you can easily beat me in a
fight.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, my friend. I may have to stretch some of these old bones if it
comes to that. A big hole then I’ll dump half a mountain on you.” Rumpr laughed loudly
at his own words.
“Akin to gods,
But not gods;
Older than them,
But younger than
The sun.”
“Hrun…. You’re talking too much.” But the stone being replied to Rumpr in their
language.
“Yes, I understand that. This is the first time in a century or so you get to practice their language. But no more giving away secrets. Don’t listen to him, Havard. He's just
showing off. Nothing he said is true,” said Rumpr. But his eyes were twinkling in
merriment.
“But powerful you may be,
With ancient lore and magic to waste;
Thy unknowing friend, mortal
As he is, may be stronger still,
If he but opens his eyes,
And accepts what he is.”
Hrun wanted to have the last word. Funny, these powerful beings. They resemble
humans more than they care to admit.
Rumpr just sighed. “I know that, Hrun. Now no more secrets. We may unwittingly
change reality’s future. Joke about those giants you pranked some years back while
we're walking.”
A foolish band of giants,
Of dread Jotunheim, they
Came; With dreams of conquest,
Death, land, and wealth;
For the great Ymir,
In his name, did they come;
They dared the Mountains
Of Rock and Barrow.
For a fortnight and a day,
Walked they the trails of stone;
Until they came to a Cavern
Full of gold; Their eyes filled with
Greed, they spent the night
Each armed against his fellows.
Then came Hrun,
Whose name is famed;
As it rhymes with dragon,
Of cunning and ancient power;
A piece of gold here, two
Pieces of gold there;
The sleeping fools never
Noticed; their dreams of wealth
Keeping them well aslumber;
Came the morn,
And the Greed awakened;
Thieves and cutthroats,
The giants turned out to be;
With a single blow, lethal as can be,
A naughty errant axe, from a corner
Dark; the blood began to flow,
Until Hela was satisfied.
“Huh. Very bad lines and rushed. That part about you was clearly forced, my friend. But
I don’t think Gullin will be happy with that dragon part. You know how she is,” Rumpr
commented.
Hrun replied in that grinding vocalization.
“Yes, I think that a good idea. Let’s just keep it among ourselves.”
“Who’s Gullin?” asked the curious Tyler.
“A common friend. Formerly lived hereabouts. Moved south when Ymir started lording it here. We do visit her from time to time. She has wonderfully golden scales. Breathes
fire.”
“A
