I came around in…the local jail.

 

Apparently if they had called Surtur to come take possession of me, he had yet to arrive. The jail reminded me of something out of a western.

 

Except, of course, everything was fireproof. I certainly wasn’t getting out that way. Worse yet, they’d taken my sword.

 

I wasn’t leaving without my sword.

 

Had I been able to shapeshift, maybe I’d have been able to turn into a snake and get between the bars. No…on second look there was a fine grill between them.

 

Perhaps to stop exactly that. My head hurt a little. I probably had a concussion, but I wasn’t too worried about it.

 

Neither were they.

 

I wondered if they had even worked out who they had yet. Maybe I could get out before they did.

 

I hoped Bjorn had got away. First of all, he was a good kid. Second of all, he knew a way back to Midgard where he could get me some help.

 

If he cared enough to do so, which I couldn’t be sure of. So, I wasn’t going to rely on that.

 

I was going to rescue myself before anyone could get here. If nothing else, pride required it.

 

Sick prisoner gambit? I could pretend to be hurt worse than I was, see if I could jump them.

 

Best to find out what I was dealing with first. Peering out through the bars I saw a corridor and the back of a bored-looking guard. I did have to stand on tiptoe to do so – this place was built on their scale.

 

That too I might be able to use to my advantage. I’d already seen that glamor didn’t work well on fire giants. Or frost giants, although I certainly couldn’t expect any help from Angrboda here. She would, as she had stated, literally melt.

 

So, what would they not expect? Come on, I told myself, you’re a trickster’s daughter. You can think of a way out of a Muspelheim county jail.

 

Of course, I did need to retrieve my sword on the way out. Then the guard stood up. “Somebody get that thing out of here!”

 

There were sounds of a scuffle and then, “I hate dogs.”

 

I smiled. I did have a friend here after all, and while he apparently couldn’t turn into just fire here – or he’d be in here – he was likely to provide the perfect distraction.

 

Or at least annoy the guard into doing something stupid.

 

I mentally willed the fyrhund not to get hurt and went back to inspecting my cell for ways out. It was well made, the outside window was so far above my head I couldn’t see out even if I stood on the bunk.

 

They had to know I wasn’t from around here…so what were they going to do about it?