We camped that night under a flaming tree, its light dimming in the darkness, but still enough that if I was the kind of person to suffer from insomnia – I would never have slept a wink.

 

As it was, I slept fine, Kanesha curled up against me. She seemed to be having no problems either. Her face when she saw Mike had almost been worth the entire adventure.

 

I supposed I had got her used to enough weirdness that she could handle more. Now I thought about it, most of the women I knew…

 

I had, of course, awakened before her, needing less sleep. The dawn came.

 

Thruor was sitting there making breakfast. “Thanks.”

 

She grinned.

 

“No stars?” I added.

 

“Not in Muspelheim. When you see a star here, then it is always an omen.”

 

Kanesha stirred and sat up. “What smells so good?”

 

“Valkyrie cooking, apparently. What is it?”

 

“I managed to find eggs, sausages and toast.”

 

I had a feeling fire giant sausages would be spicy. “Really appreciate it. Any idea on our next move?”

 

“Thinking on it. If I take the two of you back to Midgard.”

 

“Then there will be more people in danger. I think we need to find an end game.” I sighed. “I don’t want to kill him.”

 

“I know.”

 

“And I’ve been told not to to boot.” I considered. “But he’s not going to change his mind. And we certainly can’t stay here. Where are the dwarves?”

 

“They went to get something.”

 

I nodded. “And Mike?”

 

“Over here.” He wandered over and Thruor filled a plate for him.

 

I wondered at the dead guy needing to eat, then reminded myself it was Muspelheim. This was a spiritual plane, not a physical one.

 

“I was checking on the horses,” he explained.

 

I laughed. “Have we made a rider out of you?”

 

“You know I wanted to be a mounted officer, right?”

 

I laughed again. “Okay. So, we can’t stay here, we’ll be followed if we go home, and we can’t go to the dwarven halls…”

 

“I thought of that, but it has the same problem. I think we need to end this here. But we might take Kanesha there.”

 

“No,” she said firmly. “I’m staying.”

 

“If you lose your necklace,” I reminded her.

 

“I know, but I’m a target too. Without you…”

 

She had a point. “Okay, yeah. We don’t want you being snatched again, but I think they’d have difficulty snatching…”

 

She cut me off. “No.”