Day Five of the Odinsleep (Bound for Loki's Tower)

Day Five of the Odinsleep (6 am, 1 hour until sunrise)

Shadow breathes a sigh of relief when the Valkyrie stops him from plunging the dagger into his eye. "Great. I really like both of my eyes - not sure which is my favorite but I hope to keep both until I die." The drow then winks at her, first with his left and then his right eye.

Grotto nearly vomits as he watches Shadow press the tip of the dagger against his eye. The terror bubbling up inside of him and the sudden relief as the cruel test comes to a merciful end leaves him feeling weak. Shame burns in the pit of his stomach with the sure knowledge that he himself could not bear another disfigurement. He fishes for his pipe and packs the bowl, lamenting, "I fail myself, I fail Hanseath. But you, you never fail me." He lights the bowl and inhales deeply. Gradually, the shame of his cowardice fades replaced once more by comfortable numbness and the scarred dwarf stumbles back to rejoin the party.

Ra'ziir waits for instructions on which way to travel and how as Raven falls in line with the group. The elf looks over at Shadow and then down at his hand in silence.

"Well; we appear to have a ride, no significant plan of action, and it would appear the full support of no one in particular. I love this concept! Let's get this show on the road!" Kysek sarcastically exclaims. He gives himself a once-over, checking his weapons and pouches before declaring himself as ready as he is likely to be.

Arthur and Niklas approach the eight-legged horses, patting their flanks and brushing the manes. The beasts are magnificent - only a Dragon would be a more superb mount!

Shadow asks Holds the Valkyrie, "What can you tell us of Loki's castle?" Cedron also asks, his question phrased with the eloquence of his bardic training and the cadence of a prayer, though his query is directed more toward Idunn than the Chooser of the Slain.

"For one, Loki's castle is not a castle," the Valkyrie begins, "it's a tower. More than likely, he will have only a handful of guards. Most of his troops will be with the army of darkness that lays siege to our city."

Idunn nods, "Hildr speaks true. The Sly One's abode sits atop a Bluff overlooking a rocky beach on the Sea of Marmora. Most of the people you encounter within should be simple servants, cooks and maids, perhaps a steward and most of them will be cowardly dwarves." The goddess pauses and looks at Grotto, "No offense, Valiant Warrior - but these dark creatures were born of maggots wriggling through the corpse of Ymir when Odin and his brothers Vili and Vé created the world from the giant's body.

As Idunn and Hildr finish, Shadow swings up onto Gladr's back and asks, "So, which way do we go?"

Hildr smiles at the rogue drow's brash behavior as the rest of the party mounts their own steeds, "Gladr! Take these brave warriors to see your grandmother!"

The horses are instantly aloft, racing through the sky, their hooves beating on air as if it we're solid ground and race away toward the south east. Within moments, the battlefield outside of the city flashes by beneath the feet of the flying mounts. A handful of boulders sail up from below but these are too few and too slow to threaten the Sleipnirs of Varldsliggard.