Standing in the cold, Jack felt afraid again. Therewere big paw prints in the moonlit snow all aroundthe house.
"The wolves were here," said Kathleen.
"Perhaps we should go back inside," said Teddy.
"No," said Kathleen. "We must walk with Jack andAnnie back to the sleigh and send them on theirjourney to the Hollow Hill.""Yes, of course," said Teddy, nodding.
As they all headed cautiously toward the68rocks, Jack glanced back at the House of the Norns.
He wished they could return to its cozy warmth.
Kathleen put her hand on his shoulder. "Come," shesaid. "You must hurry."Jack trudged with the others through the passage inthe rocks. When they got to the other side, there wasno sign of the two white wolves. The silver sleighwas waiting in the moonlight. Jack and Annieclimbed inside it.
"Can't you come with us?" Jack asked Teddy andKathleen. "Remember you said if we all worktogether, we can do anything?""Aye," said Teddy. "But what the Ice Wizard said istrue. Only mortals can undo a bargain with theFates.""Do not fear," said Kathleen. "We will be with youin spirit. And we will meet you back at the wizard'spalace at dawn.""How will you get there?" asked Annie.
"I have a few rhymes I can try," said Teddy,smiling.
69"And I have a bit of selkie magic," said Kathleen.
"And we have our wind-string!" said Annie.
"Hasten, then, to the Hollow Hill," said Kathleen.
"And remember what the Norns told you," saidTeddy. "Never look at the Frost Giant.""I know," said Jack. He pulled out the wind-string.
He took off his gloves and untied a knot. A breezebegan to blow.
Jack untied a second knot. The breeze grewstronger, the sail unfurled, and the runners slidforward.
Jack untied a third knot. The wind blew hard. Thewhite sail snapped, and the sleigh took off throughthe night.
"Stand fast!" Teddy called after them.
Jack and Annie waved good-bye to Teddy andKathleen as the sleigh slid swiftly over the sea ice.
Soon the sleigh bumped onto the snow-covered plainand veered off sharply to the right.
70"No, toward the North Star!" Jack called to Annie.
Annie turned the rudder, steering the sleigh backon course. They sailed toward the bright star in thedistance.
As the silver runners swished across the windsweptsnow, Jack braced himself against the cold. He kept alookout for the white wolves, but he didn't see anysign of them as the sleigh sped across the moonlitplain.
Soon he could see a row of snow-covered hills inthe distance. "Look!" he said. "There it is!" He pointedto one of the hills--the only one without a peak.
"Tie her down!" Annie shouted.
Jack tied a knot in the string, and the sleigh beganto slow down. He tied a second, then a third. Thewind died down completely, and the sleigh coasted toa stop at the foot of the Hollow Hill. Jack and Annieclimbed out.
Jack looked up at the steep white slope. "How dowe get inside?" he said.
71"I don't know," said Annie. "How do you think theFrost Giant gets inside?""Oh... the Frost Giant," said Jack. He really wishedTeddy and Kathleen were with them. He felt as if partof their team was missing.
Annie seemed to read his thoughts. "We can do it,"she said. "We have to--for Morgan and Merlin."Jack nodded. "You're right," he said. They studiedthe hill in the moonlight.
"Up there--is that an opening?" said Annie.
"Maybe," said Jack. "Let's climb up and check itout." When they climbed a little way up the hill, Jackcould clearly see a break in the snow-covered slope.
"Let's see if it leads inside!" said Annie.
"Wait, what about the Frost Giant?" said Jack.
"I have a feeling he's not here right now," saidAnnie. "We'd better go in and find the wizard's eyebefore he comes back."72"Okay," said Jack. "But be careful!"They scurried farther up the slope. When they cameto the opening, they stepped through the huge crackinto the hill.
Jack and Annie found themselves on a ledge abovea deep, rounded hollow. Moonlight flooded downthrough the open hilltop. At the bottom of the hollowwas a flat spot where it looked as if the snow hadbeen blown in circles.
73"That must be where the giant sleeps!" said Annie.
74"Yeah, and it's probably where he hides the eye,"said Jack. "We just have to find a hole. Remember?"He repeated what the Norns had said:
In the Hollow Hill is a hole.
In the hole is a hailstone.
In the heart of the hailstoneHides the wizard's eye.
"Right," said Annie.
Jack looked down at the snowy swirl. He lookedback at Annie. "Onward?""Onward," she whispered.
Jack and Annie scrambled down into the hollow.
Stepping carefully through the silver moonlight, theystudied the ground, looking for the hole.
Annie stumbled and fell. "Whoa!" she said. "I think Ijust found the hole! I stepped in it!""Really?" said Jack. He knelt down beside her.
Annie reached down into a small hole in the floorof the hollow. "There's something in here!"75she said. She pulled out a chunk of ice the size of anegg. "The hailstone!"In the dim light, it was impossible to see if anythingwas inside the ice chunk. "We don't know if this is theright hailstone," said Jack. "We'll have to wait tilldaylight to see if the eye's in there.""It has to be the right one," said Annie. "How manyhailstones are hidden in a hole in a hollow hill?""Good point," said Jack.
Annie turned the hailstone over in her hand.
"Maybe the eye is looking at us now," she said.
"That's scientifically impossible," said Jack. "An eyecan't see unless it's connected to a brain.""Yeah, and a string can't make the wind blow,either," said Annie. "Forget science in this place.
Wait--" She caught her breath. "Did you feel that?""Feel what?" said Jack.
"The ground's shaking," said Annie.
Jack did feel the ground trembling. He heard76a strange sound, too--a loud huffing sound comingfrom outside the m--HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFF.... Itsounded like breathing!
"The giant's back!" said Annie.
"Oh, no!" cried Jack.
The ground kept rumbling. The breathing soundsgot louder.
"Hide the hailstone!" said Jack.
Annie shoved the ice chunk into her pocket.
HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFF.... It sounded like thegiant was entering the hollow!
"He's coming!" said Annie.
"Hide!" whispered Jack.
Jack pulled Annie into the shadows. Heremembered the gray Norn's warning: Anyone wholooks directly at the Frost Giant will freeze to death atonce.
"Whatever you do, don't look at him!" he whisperedto Annie.
Crouching in the dark, they buried their faces intheir hands and waited.... |