Odin's Prize

Her Canvas Of Skin (Part Two)

Tricks of the eyes.

Vapors creating curious shapes that surround an apparition that seems to be peering into the tent when the flap is opened by the breeze that's getting stronger. From the swaying mist of movement, a body now stands in front of me in flesh and blood. The Male looks tribal, ancient savage with a scar down the side of his face that all Far North males wear.

Two different fantom eye colors.

Grey and Gold.

A hauntedness in the way his eyes hone into mine.

"Help me." It could be an illusion of sound that I hear screaming against the wind but when it's said again in a form of a higher pitched cry, there is no mistaking what he's asking of me.

"Help me."

Blinking my eyes he's gotten closer to the entrance a hand extended out for me to take.

"Is he real Odin?"

"Yes, Charlie, Night is real." The low fire flicks orange flames in the air as more sage is burned creating a suffocation of breath.

His vision doesn't waver from mine. This Male tries to take a step through the entrance but he is unable to move past the grey-white wisps that surround him, preventing him like an invisible barricade.

Whines tempo out in great rushes of breath to surround the dwelling Odin has brought me in. A thick clinging mass of sage stings eyesight to the point of needing to close them. Shutting the flap to the entrance, Odin blocks the sight of the Male that looks so helpless away so it's just Odin and me inside this space where shadows are dancing along the walls as the fire spits and crackles.

The Night's terror sounds out...

Odin's hands are on my ears blocking out the sound that has my marrow liquifying in fear.

Ancient forest greens lock the world into place for me. The shudder of fear slips, replaced with a tremble that has the very base of my Nature shake.

The axis of the world shifts and I sway.

When I open my eyes, a cup is placed to my lips.

"Drink it all," Odin's sound stays lodged in the channel of my ear. The smell is sulphuric and pungent - scrunching my nose my stomach preparing itself for the assault.

It's bitter, I can taste it on the back of my tongue before any liquid is swallowed down.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing that you know. I climbed the cliffs where the Puffins make their nest in the springtime. It's due North of here. You need to drink this, My Half."

Inhaling again, the bottom of my stomach lurches itself up, I swallow the rise of bile that leaves a hot aftertaste against the back of my throat.

"It has to be strong enough for you. I tried to mask the taste with sugar. Now drink all of it down." Taking the cup from his hand, it's bone china delicate. Dark crimson flowers decorate the edges, I can't help but smile how pretty it looks.

Holding the cup carefully the liquid in it sloshes around the side, my hands are shaking and Odin's hand holds mine to steady my grip.

As soon as the liquid meets my throat again an urge to gag it back up is the only thing I can think about now.

"Keep it down." Odin's hand is rubbing my back as the internal fight begins to keep something inside me when every instinct is to rid myself of the offending substance.