There was something about the thin air at the top of the mountain that made it easier to think. The frigid winds could blow away the loudest thoughts and leave behind a cool peace. From this spot, high above the world, the mountain tops poked above a layer of clouds. One could pretend there was anything beneath that gray blanket of mist - far, far away beyond time and space of the world filled with nothing but troubles.

  "Is this where you come to brood?"

  Bo hadn't scared Sigyn - she could hear her coming from miles away, and braced herself for the moment she would sit beside her and gloat about how right she had been.

  "I don't brood, I think."

  "Thinking with a scowl on your face; that's brooding." She poked Sigyn's temple playfully. "How's the arm?"

  "Almost back to normal," Sigyn answered, rotating her shoulder. "I really don't want to hear 'I told you so'."

  "Sounds like you don't have to. It's not a bad thing, you know. Caring. It's what makes you great. You can't help but care about those around you. The problem is you're caring for the wrong thing. The thing that doesn't need you. Your people back home, they need you."

  "I can't help them."

  Yet again, Sigyn had learned nothing from her brush with death. Whoever it was that said 'a fool is something who tries the same thing and expects different results' was completely right.

  "So, now what?" Bo asked though she knew it was nothing good.

  "I'm gonna lay low for a while. I can keep ?sa from hurting others if she's busy chasing me across Midgard."

  "Have you forgotten how obsessive your father can be? The longer you avoid him, the harder he's going to search for you."

  "Eventually, they'll either give up or capture me. Either way, it'll be over."

  Sigyn started to stand up, but Bo grabbed her shoulder. "What happened to always sticking together?"

  It was a promise they made a long time ago, too long to remember a time before it existed. It was a stone upon which their friendship, every fight, every quest, and every night together had been built upon. But even stones cannot last forever in a shifting world.

  Sigyn wrapped her arms around Bo's waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. "I'd do anything to go back to the way things were, but I can't." She kissed her cheek and stood up. "I'll see you later."

  "You'd better," Bo warned.

  Sigyn took a few steps along the cliff edge before stepping out into the empty air. She let her body fall for a second before transforming, her copper hair becoming the golden feathers of an eagle. She spread her wings to ride the updrafts towards the setting sun.

  Bo kept her eyes on the bird until she disappeared in the horizon. She kicked the snow around her, an unshakable worry bubbling inside her.

  "But she can't just leave us!" Kark whined despite the crowded hall of onlookers. "We're gonna have a full house this weekend!"

  Bo rolled her eyes, regretting having to be the one to break the news. "It's only until ?sa gives up and it's safe to return."

  "Oh yeah? And how long do you think that will take?" Kark asked with a pointed look, knowing full well they were potentially talking years.

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  Using the dirty tablecloth as a tissue, Kark wiped his eyes and sniffled like a sad little child. "I can't believe she would leave."

  "Ymir. Pull yourself together!" Bo took a sip of her drink. "I promised her I'd look out for you - not babysit."

  A woman sat on the stool next to Bo ready to order, forcing Kark to straighten up and go back into friendly customer-service mode. "What can I get you ma'am."

  "Not much...besides your boss' head on a stick."

  Bo went rigid. She knew that voice. She turned in her seat, careful not to make any sudden movement.

  They weren't the only jotuns around who could play human dress-up.

  Color in her eyes couldn't make ?sa look less scary, or more friendly. Her blonde hair hung flat from her head and she was dressed in casual plaid, but the intensity of her face meant business.

  Bo jumped up, reaching for a knife on her belt, when ?sa clicked her tongue.

  "I wouldn't do that. Hate to frighten all the little folks."

  All around them were families running around the lodge, sitting by the fire, climbing up and down the stairs, drinking hot chocolate. Starting a fight now would be a massacre. The longer Bo looked, the more people she noticed staring daggers at her - more Jotuns in disguise, ready to come to their general's defense. ?sa wore a smug smile when Bo slowly sat back down.

  "Sigyn's not here. We don't know where she is or when she'll return," Bo growled, keeping her eyes low in submission.

  "Oh, I didn't count on her being here. Anyone with half a brain would be smart enough to leave town for a while. Thankfully, I figured out a way to draw her out." She looked up and down at Bo with a less-than-impressed expression. "She really just abandoned you two on that lake. Her long-standing partner and her loyal slave. How bad did it hurt watching her run to the aid of a little human?"

  Bodi drove her fingernails into the wood of the bar to keep herself from lashing out.

  "It makes you wonder how far she's fallen for these things," ?sa continued. "How far will she go to protect them? How effective are they as bait? I think it's going to work pretty damn well. I think we'll have her by the end of the week."

  "If you've come to gloat, we're not interested," Bo snapped.

  ?sa leaned closer to her. "I've come to offer your spot back. You were one of our best, Angrboea. When Sigyn's gone, you'll have nothing. Take my offer, we can get you a pardon, maybe even get that sword back to you, and you can do the honors of leading the march on Asgard. Otherwise it would be a shame for you to miss seeing the light leave Odin's eyes. That's what you've always wanted, right?"

  ?sa's words poked at her skin like biting insects, but Bo kept calm, not giving her the satisfaction of seeing her flinch.

  "Pity." ?sa relented, rising from her seat. "So much talent wasted. If you'd like to say goodbye, the beheading will be held in the courtyard. Of course, don't let us catch you there."

  One by one, ?sa's Vorer stood and followed her out the door. Life in the lodge carried on as usual, none of the humans had any clue how close they were to something so powerful and dangerous.

  Not long after the Vorer left, the police showed up, also looking for Sigyn. Jon was thoroughly searching the entire building, including Sigyn's office and bedroom, and all it turned up was a few handwritten notes in a language he couldn't read. There was hardly enough information out there to prove Sigyn was a real person at all.

  He was ready to be done with the case entirely and never even heard that name again. There were plenty of unsolved mysteries in the world - one more wouldn't hurt. He would bring his daughter home from the hospital, and all would be right again.

  The nurses were surprised when Jess was brought in, as hypothermia cases were rare in the summer, but they were well-equipped to warm her up. When Jon showed up at the hospital, Jess was wide awake in bed with a rattly pneumonia cough, but otherwise ready to go home.

  "Do they have her in custody yet?" Elizabeth asked him.

  "This wasn't her-" a coughing fit interrupted Jess' arguing.

  Jon sat down on the other side of the room. "There's no trace of her. She may have fled the country. All we can do is keep our eyes and ears out if she turns up again."

  Elizabeth huffed. The answer was not good enough for her. It sucked that the person who put her little sister in the hospital was about to walk away free.

  "It's not her fault!" Jess cut in once her lungs cleared. "She didn't push me. In fact, she jumped in after me to pull me out. We were just walking and..."

  "Walking? On thin ice?" Elizabeth shook her head. "Dad, she knows something. She's clearly covering for her!"

  Jon held up a hand. "Alright, alright. We'll probably never know the whole story. Let's just get home and put this behind us."

  The nurse came in and greeted the family. "You folks see the snow outside?" she asked as she scribbled on her clipboard.

  At first Jon thought he misheard her, and then he looked at the window. The light beaming in was a dull white haze unusual for the summertime. He and Elizabeth stood up to get a better view, while Jess strained to see what they were looking at from the hospital bed.

  Snow fell from the sky, painting the town white.