Welcome to Chapter 73 of the Kinsman Dai podcast, home of fantasy fiction, based on Norse mythology
that's written and read by me, Matt Bishop.
In this podcast, I read my first novel, Kinsman Dai, one chapter at a time.
And with each episode, when it makes sense, I provide some commentary about the source
materials I've referenced in the text.
This week we're back with Vathrunir, the High Shaman of the Jotun.
We last saw Vathrunir in Chapter 66 when he reported to his friend, the Skrymir, who is
the High Chief of the Jotun, that Thor had destroyed the town of Akkerton in retaliation
for the Jotun destroying the town of Hals.
In that chapter, the Skrymir told Vaft that Vidar, the son of Odin, was on his way to
one of the frozen lakes in Utgard.
As readers, we last saw those frozen lakes referenced in two of Loki's chapters, 42 and 47.
Vaft revealed that the work undertaken at those lakes represented a second major secret
held by the Jotun.
And if you recall, the Jotun were hauling comatose bodies out of the frozen lake and
then into the bowels of the secret cavern that Loki entered.
And in that cavern there were many campfires around which there were Jotun warriors.
And the Skrymir also said in that chapter that there were many such caverns scattered
across Utgard.
Chapter 66 ended with Vaft agreeing to spin the black ships of smoke and ash that Jotun
used to travel quickly across the snowy wastes of Utgard.
In this chapter, Vaft is woken by an unexpected death.
So let's get to it.
Chapter 73, Vathrudnir.
Vathrudnir woke when he heard the Dissir's triumphant roar as it dove back into the Gnungagap.
A free Dissir could only mean one thing.
One of Yig's berserk had died.
He threw off his blankets and rolled to his feet.
Yig and Freya would have sensed the sudden freedom of the Dissir too, and would even
now be rushing, just as he was.
He had very little time and only one option.
Wake Kali, he called to Fimblethol.
Bring her down to the river.
I'll get started.
He dressed quickly, slung his satchel around his shoulder, and stepped from his tent into
the dark, snow-laden forest.
A short, slippery run later, he arrived at one of the low-burning campfires.
Six Jotun sat with their broad backs to it, staring out into the dark forest.
Another dozen or so slept in tents pitched beneath the snow-covered trees.
They'd seen and heard him coming, so those six weren't surprised until he snapped out
in order.
You and you, he said, pointing at two of the warriors.
Pull the small fire down by the large rock in the river.
Go!
Yes, High Shaman, they said, hastening to where the tinder and wood were stacked.
You, he said, jabbing his finger at another warrior.
Then he switched to the Han language.
Go to the hair seer.
Tell him I'm conducting a ritual down at the river.
I want sentries, but under no circumstances are we to be disturbed, even if the thunderer
himself rides overhead.
Understood?
The warrior blinked, mouth-working soundlessly.
Do you understand?
The warrior signed his response.
Yes, High Shaman.
Then move, now!
The warrior scrambled to his feet and ran toward the hair seer's tents.
We are on our way down to the river, his folgier whispered into his mind.
I'll be there shortly, he replied.
The two warriors had finished gathering the materials they needed.
He snatched up a small pot that sat beside the fire and a witch lamp.
Follow me, quickly.
The fire crackled and popped.
The pot sat above it, his ink soaking within.
Kali sat to his right, naked to the waist, awkward and trying not to shiver.
Her skin was smooth with youth, goose prickled and devoid of tattoos.
But not for long, if all went well.
Have you found her?
Yes, it's Gunnthra, his folgier said, sounding distant.
She's not interested.
That's not acceptable.
We need her.
Did you explain that she won't be free for long?
She believes she can defeat them this time.
He snorted, opened his eyes and dug through his satchel.
He withdrew his charged spindle and silver shears.
He unspooled as much witch thread as he dared, three arm spans, clipped it and began to
sing.
He sent the thread first through his own chest and then, fingers dancing, spearing through
Kali's back.
She arched her back, eyes widening in surprise and then recognition of what he was doing.
He sent the thread around and around, tying them together and giving them each more strength
than they would have alone.
When he finished, he extended his hand to Kali.
She looked at it, her gaze lingering on the blue tattoos around his wrist.
She would soon have similar tattoos, if they succeeded.
Time is short, he whispered.
Take my hand and release your spirit.
We need to walk.
I'll explain once it's safe.
A dozen questions leaped and danced in her eyes, but she took his hand.
They both exhaled and sent their spirits out.
Let go of my hand, he thought to her.
Her hand, spirit though it was, still in his.
Their bodies sat cross-legged in the snow behind them.
Where are we going?
You'll understand once we're there.
He raised their joined hands and spoke a word, and the world broke like ice.
She screamed and he pulled her downward so they fell into the widening crack.
Stars swam around them as if they were caught amid a school of silvery fish.
Below them, a river of milky stars flowed outward like a sea monster's tentacle from
the roaring cauldron.
The cauldron itself churned around and around like a thick soup.
At this vast distance, the cauldron rumbled like an avalanche and growled like a distant
storm.
Eleven tentacular arms stretched out from the cauldron and lay across the face of the
Gunungagap.
From above, a never-ending cascade of white and green mist flowed into the cauldron.
From below, red and yellow fire blasted up into the cauldron.
And at its center, half hidden by the maelstrom of swirling, burning tendrils of fire and
smoke and sparks, those two colliding streams made up its thrumming, beating heart.
It was beautiful, terrifying, and mesmerizing every time he saw it.
Those same emotions radiated from Kali through their linked hands, along with shock and disbelief.
She had spirit-walked before, but never to this place.
He shared his comparative calm with her as he sent his thoughts out to Thimblethul.
Is Freya here?
Yes, she prowls out there, his Fulgier replied, drifting overhead like a giant gray sea wolf.
Probably one of her blood-drenched priests.
Kali sensed Thimblethul and recoiled, trying to tug her hand free.
He gripped it tighter.
Let go before I tell you and you're dead.
You feel the cauldron pushing us?
The cauldron churned on, its eleven limbs flowing ever outward.
He and Kali were salmon swimming upstream.
Thimblethul had taught them how to move in this place, and assuming they bonded, the
newly freed Gunthra would soon teach Kali.
Wide-eyed, gulping, Kali stared back at him.
Where are we?
This is the Gununggagap, and that is the roaring cauldron.
I brought you here sooner than I should have, but I had no choice.
He pointed ahead of them, where a great cat, long fangs bared, circled in place, facing
off against an unseen foe.
She is why we're here.
She is Gunthra, a Dissir.
If you can convince her, she'll become your folgge, just as Thimblethul is mine.
By force of will, he began swimming toward the Dissir, dragging Kali along with him.
Thimblethul kept pace.
But I'm not—
No, you're not ready.
I've no choice but to offer you the chance.
Yggs enslaved all but two of the mightiest Dissir.
Thimblethul was back in the gap, so that means one of Ygg's bersarks has died.
That's why we're here.
And that's why Freya is here, too.
Newshock rippled from Kali the mention of Freya's name.
I'll confront her, he said.
With my help, Thimblethul added in a gnashing of teeth.
Kali glanced up at the sleek gray sea wolf.
Why can I hear her?
Our spirits are linked, and we're in the Gnungagap.
Here the spirit is the body.
This is why so much of a shaman's training is spent honing the mind.
We are preparing for this place.
But not all shamans have folgge, so—
Some have found lesser Dissir.
But one need not be a shaman to so bond with a Dissir like Thimblethul.
Besides me, only one other Jotun alive today is so bound.
You would be the third.
What if I don't want to bond with Kuntra?
Then Freya takes her, and our enemy is further strengthened.
He wasn't giving her much of a choice.
Nor was he being at all fair.
He wasn't trying to be.
The Jotun needed another bersark.
But at least he was being truthful.
But how can she just take the Dissir?
You and Thimblethul will fight her.
There's no guarantee we'll win.
Freya is very strong and her power doesn't come from this place.
If she captures Kuntra, she'll drag her back to Vanaheim, or wherever her body is,
and then either bind Kuntra to herself or that Alvar who's ventured here with her.
Probably one of her strongest priests.
Yig showed her how to do it.
He could feel her interest warring with her fear.
If it helps, I didn't plan this.
I would have chosen you regardless.
You're quick-witted and brave, stepping through that doorway with me and figuring out we were
somewhere else to prove that.
You've also demonstrated a willingness to change how you practice Sather.
And Thimblethul likes you.
And if I don't want to do it, then I'll send you back.
While you stay to fight.
She only hesitated another pair of heartbeats.
What must I do?
Anchor your thoughts on Kuntra.
Cling to her like you would a rock in a raging river.
Then fight that priest like you've never fought anyone before.
Then he spun in place and hurled Kali down toward Kuntra.
Neither he nor Freya spoke a word to each other.
If she got past him, Kuntra and Kali were lost.
Every moment she fought him, the better chance Kali had to save Kuntra.
So he kept himself between Freya and the grim, silent fight below them.
Freya had given a golden net to the Alvar priest, while Kali had nothing but a silver
spear formed from her will.
How was she doing?
Better than us, Thimblethul said, dodging a harpoon streak of ragged energy Freya flung
at her.
Vath'rnir surged in and grappled with Freya, trying to get an arm around her neck.
She was strong like the hot sun and a throbbing, beating strength flowed through her.
Like when blood pounded in his head.
And she flowed like tall grasses in the wind, slammed her elbow into his stomach and pivoted,
slinging him away.
A line of fire creased his back from shoulder to hip.
He turned in time to block a slash intended to disembowel, and he took a deep cut across
his forearm.
What happened to the spirit happened to the body.
So he would be bleeding now, perhaps badly.
Not that it mattered to his spirit form.
But once his body died, so too did his spirit.
Thimblethul slammed her gray, slab-like side into Freya, which sent her tumbling up and
away at a wild angle.
Thank you.
Instead of replying, his fogia went after Freya like the sea wolf she resembled, buying
him time to look down and see how Kali was doing.
His fight with Freya needed to end quickly, even bolstered by the witch thread, his strength
was limited.
Yet Freya seemed as fresh as when they'd started.
She didn't have a fogia, had never needed one, not as long as he'd known her.
Nor did she have any other helper spirit he could sense.
Her power came from somewhere else.
Below, with the glittering river of icy stars as a backdrop, Kali kicked the alvar priest
in the stomach.
His sword backward, arms spread.
Kali followed, yanking the golden net out of his hand.
From above and behind him, Freya's shouted, no, rang like a bell.
Wothered near-grinned as he watched Gunthra's cat-like shape shift, till she stood upright
like a Jotun and then grew taller still, taking on the same color as the river of stars behind
her.
Gunthra swelled, still bigger, like a sail before the wind, and then vanished into Kali.
Gunthra had chosen.
Freya spun on him, her eyes a blazing red.
A long beam of reddish light formed in her hands.
Before he could do more than recognize the threat, she shoved the spear of light into
his stomach.
Well folks, that was Chapter 73 of Kinsmandai.
I hope you enjoyed it.
This chapter provides some world-building, shows the roaring cauldron, and presents a
partial view of the Gunungugap.
It also shows the Dissir in their natural element and how they're fought over by the
Jotun, Vanir, and Asir.
It also hints at the different approaches taken toward obtaining a Dissir.
Chapter also shows Freya in action and provides some of Vaf's commentary on the type of magic
Freya uses.
And again with respect to Freya, if you recall the Council of Ithaval scene, which happened
a long ways back, there was some tension between Odin and Freya because Odin was keeping secrets
from her.
Also, it develops Kali a little bit, and as I mentioned in a previous episode, I've written
a novella in which Kali makes an appearance.
She's one of those characters that just popped into my head while I was writing, and I liked
her so I wanted to do more with her.
Yelena was created in much the same way.
Next week, we're back with Vidar.
Until then, if you have the time and inclination, please rate or review the podcast.
That helps boost the show's visibility, as does sharing it.
As always, I'm going to read from both the Bellows and Larington translations of the
Havamal, the sayings of the High One.
Bellows verse 73.
Two make a battle.
The tongue slays the head.
In each furry coat, a fist I look for.
Larington verse 73.
Two are destroyers of one.
The tongue is the head's slayer.
Hidden under every fur coat, I expect to find a hand.
So the first few times I read this truncated stanza, there are only those two lines.
It made zero sense.
Larington translation provides more clarity than Bellows does.
Basically it means that two warriors together are stronger than one warrior alone.
And Kajartov's explanation lends further clarity, saying that two warriors are like an army,
as opposed to one warrior who is alone.
So obviously the army would defeat that single warrior.
The second half of the first line, the tongue slays the head, also doesn't make much sense.
And Kajartov's explanation doesn't provide much clarity either.
I myself wonder if it refers to magic.
Odin can kill many with magic.
If by head the writer or the speaker, Odin, means a person, or a person's mind.
So Odin's magic can attack and kill a person's mind.
But that's just an idea.
Thanks for listening.
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Thanks for listening.