Episode Fourteen: Shadows: Scene 1

Kanesha studied the necklace Clara had set on the table. “How do you know it’s fae?”

“Well, part of it’s magic, which you can’t sense. Part of it is the fact that it’s not, in fact, silver.”

Kanesha laughed, “What, is it mithril?”

“Sort of. It’s probably what Tolkein was thinking of. The main difference is it doesn’t tarnish. It’s also a bit harder than silver, although not hard enough to make a suit for a hobbit out of.”

I laughed a bit. “Mithril aside, you think it’s Sidhe?”

“Oh, definitely. And it probably belonged to somebody of rank. I found it in a pawn shop in Northeast.”

The horn.

The dang horn.

“Oh no. Not that pawn shop.”

“What?” they both asked at once.

“Loki likes to put interesting things in that pawn shop. That’s where I got the truth horn.”

“Which hasn’t been much use in a while…wait, why didn’t we use it on the high priestess?” Kanesha asked.

“Because we wanted to get her arrested,” I shrugged. “Truth horns aren’t exactly admissible evidence. Thing is, if…”

“Loki steals things.” That was Thruor from behind me.

“I know, and I don’t know how he’ll react to me helping return it.”

“Laughing every bit of the way, probably.”

I considered the matter and realized she was probably entirely correct. Loki would find this funny and possibly even appreciate my efforts. Especially if it ended up with a man in a dress. “You’re right.”

“If it was him, that does rather explain how it got here. Unless it was one of the ravens.”

I grinned. “Are you implying that Hunin and Munin like shiny things?” I teased Clara.

“I’m implying that they’re ravens.”

I could have sworn I heard an amused caw in the back of my mind. She was probably right, though. Hunin and Munin probably did collect shiny things just the same as mortal ravens were reputed to do.

“I heard,” Seb noted, “That the ravens in the Grand Canyon park have worked out how to unzip backpacks.”

“What,” I asked, “To steal people’s lunch?”

“Exactly.”

I picked up the necklace. It was very cool and very light. “If I can find the fyrhund, maybe he can track its owner by their scent on it.”

“Maybe. But I think magic is probably an easier answer.”

It probably was, than counting on that distinctly unreliable dog.