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As soon as Arvid and his entourage left the throne room, King Thornud called for his youngest son, Niklas, to escort Tessa and to acquaint her with their city. For a while, Tessa was feeling unnerved by the stares and whispers wherever they went, but eventually, she was able to force herself to push it into the back of her mind. The ones she had the hardest time ignoring though were the pointing and comments from younger dwarves who appeared to be close to her age.
Tessa and Niklas had wandered the streets and markets for what seemed like hours snacking on various items Niklas bought from different vendors. All the while, the two of them were asking questions big and small about the other world. They were mutually drinking in the knowledge, and luckily neither of them ever seemed to get bored answering questions nor thinking of new and more bizarre questions.
“So if the sunstones see through all the solid rock to reflect the sun's light down here, do you ever see any shadows from plants, people, or anything else?" Tessa asked curiously.
“The light of our sunstones never waivers," Niklas replied, “nor do they reveal evidence of small obstructions or inclusions from the realms above. Only the light from the day and night skies above Midgard."
“How do the stone’s work?" Tessa asked, “I mean where does the magic come from?"
Niklas paused and thought for a second, gathered his thoughts, and began, “To understand that you’ll have to understand our gods." He continued, “at the beginning after Odin, The All-Father created the first two dwarf men and two dwarf women of mine race he gave them dominion over the elemental powers and allowed them to shape mine race.
To Norori, the god of the North the All-Father granted the element of Water and vision, by his grace do we have water to grow our crops and sustain ourselves and our livestock.
To Sundri, the goddess of the South the All-Father granted the element of fire and light, it is by her glory that we can light our cities and see the hairs on our beards.
To Vestri, the god of the West the All-Father granted the power of Earth and Creation, it is by his benevolence that we have been able to build our cities, tunnels, and have become the smiths of legend.
Finally to Austri, the goddess of the East the All-Father granted the power of air and knowledge, it is through her wisdom that we have the ability and knowledge to use the power of the gods.”
“So Odin and the Norse gods are who you worship?" Tessa asked, perplexed.
“Aye," Niklas said with a smile, “you’ve heard of our gods?"
“Yes, they teach us their myths and legends in our schools, but from what you’re saying it sounds like they’re much more than stories."
“Of course they’re more than stories," Niklas exclaimed. “All we have, all you’ve seen, and all you’ve experienced is because of the Gods of Asgard as well as the four dwarven gods, the Gods of Nidavellir.”
The questions continued like this unabated between the two of them until the sunstones started glowing a dull orange, signaling to them that evening had arrived and it was time to return to the castle.
When they arrived, they were met with a polite bow from a young female dwarf who introduced herself as Ingrid, daughter of Lars, of the Stronghammer Clan.
“Good evening Niklas, and to you Midgardian.”
“Good evening to you as well Ingrid," Niklas replied, and Tessa just smiled in reply.
“Your father would like a word with you Niklas, and I have been instructed to show the Midgardian to her room."
“Thank you, Ingrid," Niklas said, “go Midgardian, bathe and settle in. I will see you at dinner." And without waiting for a reply, he strode off across the great hall.
Ingrid turned to Tessa and with a slight bow said, “this way Midgardian."
Tessa followed Ingrid closely her head swiveling back and forth trying to take all the sights in around her. Ingrid finally came to a stop in front of an ornate wooden door and swinging it inward revealed an elegant bedroom with a four-poster bed in the corner, an elegant chest of drawers topped with a mirror, and an ornate plush rug covering the marble floor.
“Dinner will begin shortly, please, wash and dress in the clothes provided," Ingrid said politely.
“What clothes?" Tessa asked, looking around.
Ingrid led Tessa across the room, opened one of the drawers, and pulled out a small stack of finely woven clothes. “These will be more appropriate attire for the festivities," she said with a curtsy and strode out of the room.
“Festivities?" Tessa asked, but the wooden door swung shut before Ingrid answered.
Tessa stood at the chest of drawers and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was smudged with dust and she was definitely in need of a nice long shower, however, she hadn’t seen anything that looked like a proper bathroom since they wound up here. Earlier in the day as she and Niklas were wandering the city, nature had come calling and Niklas had shown her to what was more or less the dwarf version of an outhouse, but there wasn’t anywhere to bathe in it.
“Where does she want me to bathe myself?" she thought, looking around the room. On the far wall, she noticed an open door, and upon entering she found an elaborate bath chamber. Tessa stripped down and bathed in the hot pool of water and washed all the dirt, and grime off of her from the last couple days. When she exited the heated pool she found a large soft strip of cloth that she used to dry herself.
Then she dressed in the clothes Ingrid had set out for her. She barely had enough time to admire the fine material and fix her hair for just a minute before there came another knock on the door. Ingrid was back and with a smile and another curtsy she said, “you look much more refreshed, dinner is this way Midgardian."
“What festivities were you talking about earlier?”
“King Thornud has called for all of his Jarls as well as the other prominent families from our kingdom to come here and feast in your honor.”
“In my honor?"
"Aye," Ingrid said with a smile on her face, "it has been a millennium since we have had a Midgardian in our midst. Tonight we celebrate with the gods for granting us the chance to meet you and help you find your brother and his companion." She led her to a large dining room with candle lit chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and large bonfires burning in hearths at each end of the grand dining room.
In the far corner, a group of musicians was playing a joyful tune using a large set of drums and as well as some of the most bizarre horns, and string instruments that Tessa had ever seen. The dining room was also full of guests who each took turns introducing themselves to Tessa. While some were from the Stronghammer clan, many were from other clans that Niklas had taught her about throughout the day. Tessa was just finishing a lively discussion and explaining the concept of telephones with two older dwarves, Jarl Einard of the Ironblood Clan, and Jarl Havard of the Stonebeard Clan when a horn sounded.
Tessa looked around bewildered, and Jarl Havard leaned in and quickly explained, “that horn means the meal is about to be served, so we better go take our seats.”
“It’s about time," Jarl Einard chimed in, “I’m starving.”
Tessa moved to sit at a chair near the two Jarls, but Niklas stopped her. “Mine father has given you the honor of sitting next to him for the meal," he explained as he led Tessa to the head of the table.
After everyone was seated with Tessa right between King Thornud and Niklas, another drum sounded, and a line of dwarves walked in carrying trays full of an assortment of bread, meats, and what looked like vegetables. The dwarves sat the trays in front of all of the guests and the room went silent. Tessa who was ravenous with hunger, having only had a few snacks for the last 24 hours, grabbed a piece of bread off her plate, and lifted it to her mouth. Before she could take her first bite the entire room went silent and she felt suddenly self-conscious and felt like all of their eyes were on her.
She hesitated and looked around, and realized that yes, everyone was staring at her mouths agape. Niklas leaned over and whispered, “since mine father is hosting this feast, it is only proper that he takes the first bite. It is meant to show everyone that the food is not poisoned or otherwise going to harm them in any way."
Tessa awkwardly put her bread back on her plate, and looked at King Thornud, mouthing out the word ‘sorry’ to him. The King let out a deep belly laugh, and the entire room broke into a chorus of laughter that made her face turn pink in embarrassment.
When King Thornud finished laughing, he stood and started walking around the table causing the room to fall silent. After a brief pause, Thornud grabbed a large chunk of bread from the plate in front of Jarl Havard’s wife and took a big bite. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, and after a brief pause, the King returned the bread to its owner and the whole room broke into a raucous cheer, and everyone started eating.
Tessa leaned to Niklas, “why did he just take food off of her plate?" she asked, mortified.
“As I said, it is a tradition that the host eats first, and to prove that the meal is safe.”
“Why doesn’t he just eat off his plate?" Tessa wondered.
“If one means to poison those at a feast, but not themselves, it would stand to reason that they would not be served poisoned food themselves. Therefore the host picks a guest at random in eating off their plate, proving the entirety of the meal is safe to eat.”
“Alright," Tessa responded.
“Do you not have such customs in your realm?" Niklas asked curiously.
“Where I come from nobody is trying to poison each other often enough for anyone to worry about it," she replied.
“Really?" Niklas asked in awe, “where you come from is a strange place indeed.”
The servers began bringing around goblets and pitchers of drinks. Tessa not knowing what she had been served nearly spit out her first gulp of the liquid in surprise. It had a sickeningly sweet earthy taste that burned her throat as she drank. Her face burned a bit and she gagged as she choked down the liquid.
“What is that?" she asked, taking a bite of bread to try and get the flavor out of her mouth.
“It is one of the finest wines that mine people make," Niklas explained proudly, “it is only drunk on the most special of occasions, the last time being the clanmeet that made mine father the King.”
“What’s it made out of?" Tessa asked as the first effects of the alcohol began seeping its way into her consciousness making her feel as if the room was swaying from side to side like they were on a boat.
“It is made from the juice of crushed mushrooms that is then bottled and left to ferment in some of the deepest tunnels of our realm. The heat from being so low brings the juice to a low simmer and we leave it there in that state for many centuries before it is ready to imbibe.”
Tessa took another drink, knowing what to expect from the flavor and swallowed a large gulp. “I’ve never been allowed to have alcohol before," she said, her cheeks turning red, as the liquid hit her stomach making her belly burning slightly.
During dinner Tessa drank five goblets of the wine, not realizing how strong a drink it was. By the end of dinner, she felt like the entire room was rocking back and forth like it was balanced on a seesaw. After the meal ended, the party moved into the throne room, and Niklas helped Tessa remain steady on her feet pulling her from group to group and helped introduce her to the remainder of the guests.
Almost all stated emphatically that it was life's dream to meet a Midgardian face to face and how wonderful it was to meet her. They were all shocked to find out that she was only 13 years old. She found it bizarre, but by dwarven standards, had her father been alive, he wouldn’t have reached manhood yet. She was also annoyed that she was classified as barely more than a toddler or small child in the crowd she was in.
She drunkenly attempted to explain over and over that where she came from, she was only a few years from adulthood, but the more she explained it the sillier she felt. She quickly realized that arguing age differences with a dwarf was a futile effort that was just leaving her more and more drained and annoyed. She was grateful when Niklas finally pulled her aside to give her a break from the interrogations.
“Thanksh," Tessa slurred, “if I had to eshplain that one more time I w-was going to eshplode."
Niklas laughed, “you are a rare novelty in our realm. These dwarves will pass down for generations about the time they met Tessa, the Midgardian.”
“If I told anyone about what I’ve sheen here where I come from, they’d all think I w-was out of my mind," Tessa admitted swaying on her feet. “To be honesht, I’m shtill having a hard time believing it all myshelf."
“I can only imagine," Niklas conceded, “if I visited the realm of Midgard and saw any number of the wonders that you have described, such as telephones, plugs, and microwaves, I would have a hard time believing mine own eyes too."
Not long after, King Thornud called everyone's attention, and toasted Tessa’s arrival, safety, as well as all of the guests for having traveled on such short notice. He then addressed the crowd, “since the last war ended with the Deeprock and Blackfall clans leaving our Kingdom, we have enjoyed a short-lived peace. However, I fear that war will soon come once again to our kingdom. The traitor Karvir of the Blackfall Clan wishes to take the Midgardian Tessa, along with her brother Andrew and their companion who are already in his possession and keep them as his permanent hostages.
My son, Jarl Arvid, is at Steinhardt as we speak, attempting to negotiate with the traitor Karvir to release the Midgardian Andrew so we can avoid bloodshed. Alas, I fear his mission is doomed to fail, and when it does we must be prepared. Tonight has been a grand and joyous occasion but on the morrow, we must prepare our kingdom once again for war. So go, sleep in peace tonight, and at first light rouse your forces and march them back here.
If my son succeeds and Karvir is willing to bargain reasonably, we will maintain the status quo as we have for decades. However, if Karvir dares to pit himself once more against us, I promise that by mine honor, our might, as well in their names of all of our gods we will crush our enemies to dust.”
The crowd all raised their goblets in honor, and a few of the men including Jarl Einar called out “here here," in agreement. And the crowd began to disperse. Tessa barely understood what had been said, or what was happening around her. She stood in a stupor leaning against Niklas, as each of the guests shook her hand and bade her farewell. Then without another word Niklas led Tessa to her room and she collapsed on the bed hovering somewhere on the ledge between a drunk unconsciousness and sleep.
