By the evening, I had him calling me milady and agreeing that there was no need to tie me up.

 

Well, he was using the sword to hold me. It was working. For now. And we were approaching a decent-sized town. This one looked healthy. I could see crops. I could see people. I even saw children.

 

It was, if anything, hotter. I noticed, but it didn’t bother me. I was clearly immune to the heat.

 

Actually, I rather liked it. They were now acting like my escort, not my guards.

 

Maybe I didn’t want to be rescued after all. The Captain sent the others with the horses, then escorted me into the inn.

 

We found a table and he asked the waitress to bring beer and stew. I did not, I decided, want to know what, exactly, was in the stew. I thought I’d seen some pigs, so I could hope it was pork.

 

Tasted like pork, anyway. “So…how do you propose to help us?”

 

“I know what’s creating the blasted lands.”

 

“Surtur claims to.

 

“Surtur is wrong. Or perhaps does not want to admit the truth. And he will bring war on you in his pursuit of a cure.”

 

“And you will not?”

 

I considered that. “Has anyone come here trying to retrieve me yet? I have no interest in starting a war with any of the realms. Only in preventing the war to protect the things I really care about.”

 

I thought of Kanesha. Who in that moment represented everything I at least thought I was fighting for.

 

“Well, I wouldn’t imagine Loki’s daughter would have too much respect for Odin.”

 

I considered that. “Actually, I do respect him. You know it doesn’t have to come with liking.”

 

“You can respect an enemy,” he agreed. “And Surtur wants you.”

 

“Surtur thinks I can help him win the war. I have told him no several times. He is past listening.”

 

A frown. “Our king does not respect the wishes of a woman?”

 

“Apparently not.” A little bit of undermining of loyalty there, I could see it in his eyes. And it had required nothing but the truth. “He has started making threats.”

 

“And now I know why you are really here. I should kill you with your own sword and then toss the sword into the fires.”

 

“And will you?”

 

He let out a breath. “No. I will let Surtur deal with you. If he is not strong enough then he doesn’t deserve to be king any more.”

 

I laughed inwardly. They thought I was here to assassinate Surtur. Of course they did. Or I had inadvertently convinced them of this.

 

But they did not seem inclined to stop me.