A hundred winters had come and gone since the Great Wolf first leapt into the heavens, but some folk in Bilskirnir were still not accustomed to the joys of the darker months. 'Ugh!' Thor groaned, prodding his knife in the steaming pile of herrings before him, 'Smoked fish again!'
'Could be worse' Loki sighed nearby 'we've only had it 12 days in a row.' It was the moon time known as Fill-Dyke, a damp and dismal time of the year when nothing grew in the fields, and the fresh meat from Blot-Month was almost gone. Every scrap of food in Bilskirnir was locked safely away in the great food chests in the kitchens, and the household's keybearers were strict in their charge.
'Stop complaining and eat.' Sigyn scolded her husband 'There are plenty of hungry folk in Middle Earth who would be glad for smoked fish.'
'They are welcome to it' Loki replied sulkily 'What wouldn't I give for a good slab of roast beef, with gravy.'
'Roast boar and honey sauce.' Thor muttered dreamily.
'You had both at the Feast of Thorri' Sif said with a grin 'and you'll have them again at Easter, only two more months to go.' Loki wailed.
Both Thor and Loki were very keen for a change of scenery. At first light the next morning they harnessed the goats to Thor's chariot and set off on a long journey. The wooden wheels rumbled over the vault of heaven and the fields of Middle Earth with their carpet of snow flashed past beneath them. Towards the end of the day they were travel weary and hungry. They had reached almost the edge of Middle Earth and the sea that divided the land of men from the dangerous Outlands. Thor spotted an isolated farm and signalled to the goats to descend. Hearing their approach the household came out to meet them, there was the farmer and his wife and their two grown up children. The farmer introduced himself as Hall, his wife was Kona and the children were Thialfi and Roskva. Eager to give the Aesir hospitality, the farmer urged them into the house.
The housewife offered a drinking horn to the travellers. 'We don't have much food this time of the year,' she said 'but what we have you are welcome to share. Roskva has been out digging roots and see…' she pointed above the hearth 'we have smoked fish.'
Thor and Loki stared at the single herring hanging above the smoke of the fire. 'Well that's not going to go far between six of us.' muttered Loki 'And you left in such a hurry you forgot to fill the knapsack.'
'There is only one thing to do then.' Thor sighed. 'Kona and Roskva, would you be so kind as to fill your largest pot with water and set it to heat, Hall and Thialfi I could use your help outside. Thor led the farmer and his wife to where his goats were grazing in the meadow. He petted them, stroked their long white shaggy coats and talked to them. Then he drew his eating knife and slit their throats. Thialfi stood by with a wooden basin and caught the streaming blood and Thor and Hall skinned the beasts. 'We will feast on the flesh of one tonight,' Thor told them 'and take the flesh of the other on our journey. The blood and the fat you may keep to see you fed until the spring. The hide and the bones I will need in the morning, take care not to damage them.'
When they returned to the farmhouse Roskva and Loki were sitting beside the hearth and the steaming cauldron and giggling and laughing. Loki looked up and grinned at the sight of the haunches of flesh being carried to the fire. 'Wonderful, you found some fresh meat!' Thor nodded and sat down with his head in his hands. 'What is it?' asked Loki 'Mutton? Venison?'
'Goat' Thor muttered.
'Oh, that will do nicely, much better than fish.' Loki paused 'Where did you get goat from?'
There was no reply.
'You didn't.' said Loki. Thor scowled and stomped out of the farmhouse to be alone in the gathering twilight. 'Oh well, let's get cooking.' said Loki 'I don't suppose anyone has any pepper?'
By the time the meat was cooked and Roskva lifted the tender joints from the cauldron everyone was in better spirits. Kona had brought some of her precious spices out of her bridal chest in honour of the occasion. A board was set up between the benches of the farmhouse and Thor and the farmer and his wife sat at one side and Thialfi, Loki and Roskva at the other, between mouthfuls Loki whispered to the girl and she giggled almost continuously. Thialfi ate hungrily at the best meal the family had eaten since early winter, even with his healthy appetite he did not eat as fast as the two Aesir. Loki has snatched a second haunch before he could reach for seconds. Thialfi held his bare leg bone watching Loki enviously as he bit his way into the meat.
Loki noticed the boy's gaze 'Don't look at me like that' he muttered 'you haven't even eaten the marrow on your bone yet.'
'But Thor said…'
'Oh forget that, Loki interrupted, sounding unimpressed, 'It's a bit late to be sentimental.' He waved his own portion 'Looks very dead to me.'
Thialfi carefully split the bone with his knife and dug out the hot marrow inside, then tossed the fragments on to the goat hide as Thor had instructed. After a restful night disturbed only by Roskva's giggling, Thor stretched and pulled on his shirt and breeches. It was still early, and the dim grey light of the hour before Sol's rising was barely noticeable in the farmer's hall. Thor gathered up the two goat hides and walked out to a small hill near the farm, he climbed to the top and spread the hides out carefully, then sat facing the growing light in the east.
The thundergod's thoughts went back the many years to one of the few magic lessons that Freya had given him. He smiled remembering the games they had played together, he pretending to be the unwilling pupil, and Freya pretending to be unperturbed by the speed at which he had learned. She possessed a way of explaining the magical skills which was as simple as it was unforgettable. He recalled her asking if he understood the craft of the weaver. He had replied that he did, but unconvinced Freya had set him to measuring warp threads and beating up weft on her loom for a whole day. He could look back now with amusement but at the time he had found great embarrassment in taking a woman's role. Later she had spoken of weaving energies together to work spells, linking them with the mind as he had linked the warping posts with thread. He recalled her words clearly, 'Every craftsman has his tool of power, the spinster has her distaff , the farmer his ploughshare and the warrior his blade. The magic worker is no exception, for the strongest magics you need a focus for your task, a familiar tool, a rune carved stave, or even a staff plucked from a hedgerow.' Thor pulled his hammer from his belt and held it head uppermost before him. Concentrating hard, he wove together the power of the earth and the rising sun with his own. A blinding light flared as the spell took hold and the two goats leapt up, alive once more. The thundergod hugged them fondly and combed their long coarse white hair. 'Sorry about that my friends, but no lasting harm done, eh?'
Toothbiter baaed mournfully,
'What's wrong with you then?' Thor examined his goat, and was horrified to discover the poor beast had a broken leg. Boiling with rage and eager to deal with the culprit, the thunderer forced himself to tend to Toothbiter's injury, but once the goat's leg was securely splinted, Thor stormed back to the farmhouse.
The household was still asleep, but not for long, 'Who disobeyed me last night, who broke one of the bones?' he shouted. Thor still held his hammer and the hand that gripped it was white in his fury, while his eyes blazed with a dangerous fire. The farmer and his wife were filled with terror and fell on their knees begging for mercy.
Loki was still bleary with sleep 'What does it matter if someone broke one of the bones anyway?'
'You tell that to Toothbiter, he's lame.'
'Lame? He's dead!'
Do you seriously think I would have killed my loyal beasts, merely to fill your belly, if they could not be brought back? So… ' Thor spoke menacingly 'it was you.'
'No it wasn't me.' Loki retorted.
Thialfi stepped forward nervously 'I broke the bone, punish me if you must but don't harm my family.' His mother wailed.
Thor's anger abated as he realised the terror his rage had caused. 'Young man. You have deprived us of our beasts of burden. Will you and your sister travel with us and carry our supplies?'
Thialfi glanced at his sister who nodded in relief. 'Of course, gladly.'
'And if our hosts will take care of my goats until Toothbiter's leg has healed?'
'It is the least we can do.' The farmer agreed.
Soon after the four set off on the road to the sea and the Outlands. The farmer's wife had packed the goat meat into Thor's knapsack and Thialfi and Roskva took turns to carry it. After a day's hard walking they reached a small fishing village, their headman there was named Arnolf, Thor asked him if they could borrow a fishing boat for the crossing to the Outlands. Arnolf was most unwilling 'If I gave you my boat for such a journey it would be the last I will ever see of you or my boat. The great serpent would sink you before you reached three miles from the shore.'
'The great serpent?' asked Thor.
'Oh yes, a terrible beast, we lost three boats and ten men to him three years ago, and we have never since ventured into deep waters.'
'Well he wouldn't sink us.' Thor replied confidently.
'How can you be so sure?'
Thor laughed and pointed at Loki 'Because that's his father, and even serpents have some scruples.'
After Arnolf had learned who the travellers were, he had given them the boat gladly, especially when Thor had promised to deal with any further serpent problems that the fishermen might have. And as Arnolf had predicted, the serpent's head rose out of the water when the reached the open sea. Its head alone was the size of a king's hall, yellow eyes bigger than shields regarded them. Loki leaned over the gunwale, 'Bad boy! He shouted scolding his mischievous child, and the serpent sank beneath the waves.
Their sea journey was quick and pleasant, Thor made sure that the winds were in their favour and the siblings were glad to put down the heavy knapsack. After a day's sail they beached the boat on the coast of the Outlands and walked inland in search of shelter. Loki scouted ahead and discovered a dry cave, they ate a little of the cooked meat and settled down to sleep.
During the last watch of the night they were disturbed by a dreadful rumbling, roaring and shuddering. Thor told Thialfi and Roskva to stay in the cave while he went to investigate.
'Is it an earthquake?' asked Loki.
'No.' Thor replied, pointing 'look over there.'
Not far from the cave a giant lay sleeping, he must have been as long as fifty men are high. The giants grating snores were causing the ground to shake and the trees to tremble. 'Freyja's tits!' gasped Loki 'We are never going to get back to sleep with that great ox rumbling away. Sort him out Thor.'
'My pleasure.' Thor replied and approached the giant's head, he found it difficult to keep his footing on the lurching ground. 'Wake up!' he bellowed. The giant snored on. Thor kicked the giant hard on the side of the head but there was no response. He kicked him again with more force but the giant did not wake, there was a slight smile on his face, as if he was having a pleasant dream.
'Right.' said Thor pulling his hammer from his belt, 'This should sort him'. Thor scrambled up the stony bank the giant was using as a pillow and hit him on the temple.
The snores faltered, then stopped, a giant eye opened and blinked 'What was that?' the giant muttered 'Oh nothing, must have been a leaf or summing.' The eye closed and the giant went straight back to sleep, snoring as loudly as before.
'Well that's not a reaction you see very often.' laughed Loki.
'I am glad you are finding this funny.' Thor bristled 'Maybe I'm losing the knack.'
'You can't be, hitting giants is like seducing maidens, once learnt never forgotten. Try again.'
Thor hit the giant again, harder this time, sparks flew as the hammerhead crashed into the giants skull.
'Now that,' said Loki 'has got to hurt.'
The snores ceased and the giant opened his eyes 'Now what is it?' he rumbled 'Hmmmph, must be twigs falling or summing.' Again the giant dozed off and his infuriating snores shaking the valley.
Loki and Thor stared at one another, Loki shrugged 'Want to try again?' he suggested.
Thor hit the giant with all his strength, thunder tore the air, the ground shook violently and Loki shielded his eyes from a blinding flash of lightning. The snores had stopped, but to the gods' dismay the giant shook himself awake, sat up and rubbed his head.
'There are birds around here somewhere and one of them shat on my head.' The giant looked around him on the ground, 'Where's my other mitten gone? I knew I left it round here somewhere.' He lifted the whole cave and shook it, Thialfi and Roskva tumbled out. 'Hey!' the giant bellowed 'Little people! Ah! Did you think my little mitten was a house? Fancy that!' Then he spotted the bemused Aesir. 'More little people! Must be an invasion of them! What are you all doing here?'
'We are going to the hall of the king of the Outlands.' Thor replied.
'Well, well. I am going in that direction myself. My name's Skrymir. You can travel with me.' Before Thor or Loki could object the giant stooped down and picked up the knapsack. 'See I can even carry your supplies for you! Come on then!'
The giant set off at what was to him a gentle walk, but to the four companions was a very fast pace. 'We had better follow him' said Loki 'He has got all of our food!' They had to run from time to time to keep the giant in sight, Skrymir found this most amusing. At dusk the giant lay down and was soon snoring again. Exhausted Loki staggered over to retrieve their supper, but he was unable to open the ties on the knapsack.
'Hurry up.' growled Thor, I'm staving.'
'I'm trying, the knots are too tight.'
'Well give it here then.'
Loki watched as Thor struggled with the cord, each knot was as tight as iron. Then the thunderer tried to break the cord to open the sack, but it resisted his every effort. Tired, hungry and miserable the companions gave up their struggle and lay done to rest amid the giant's terrible snores. To their relief, Skrymir parted from them the next morning and pointed out the road to the giant kings hall. They set off gladly, hoping they would find generous hospitality at their journey's end.
The road took them to a grand hall, surrounded by a palisade and outbuildings. The giants guarding the gateway were about twice the height of a man, one of them blew a horn to alert his lord as the Aesir approached. The king himself came to the gateway to meet them. 'I bid you welcome, I am Utgardaloki, king of all the Outlands.' He urged them into the court within the palisade. He wore a great robe of bear fur, which judging by the size of him, would have needed about eight bear skins to cover his lofty frame. Crude discs of beaten gold flashed from his collar and headband. 'We have a feast planned for this evening, will you do us the honour of joining us?'
'Gladly,' Loki replied, 'I could eat a whole roast ox to myself'.
'And you may, Asa-man. But we must know where to seat you in our famous hall. Our top table is only for the wisest, bravest, and best. There is time to test you mettle and see if you deserve such a place among us. Well my friends, on what skills can we test you?'
'I will challenge any of you giants to eat as much as I could now.' Loki replied with eager confidence.
Utgaraloki smiled and clapped his hands, servants trotted forward carrying a great trough filled of steaming joints of meat. The king waved one of his men forward, he was a wild looking fellow with wiry red hair 'This is Brand, let us see how you fare against him.' A line was drawn with chalk across the middle of the trench to divide the meat and Loki and Brand set to the task before them.
Loki ate with relish, this was the best food he had eaten since the feast of Thorri, a whole month ago. He lifted joint after joint to his mouth, cleaning the bones quickly and tossing them back into the trough. He cleared his end steadily, slowing slightly now his hunger was sated. He grabbed the last leg, ripped off the flesh and looked up to find himself nose to nose with Brand.
'It's a draw!' said Thialfi.
'Oh no,' answered Utgardaloki 'Loki has left all the bones.'
Confused Loki gazed at his leavings. Of course he had left the bones, who wouldn't have? Then he looked at Brand's end of the trencher, and blinked. It was gone. Brand had eaten the meat, the bones and the wood from beneath them.
'Well,' boomed Utgardaloki 'I hope the rest of you can do better than that. Your friend Loki is well below the salt! You missy!' he said pointing at Roskva 'What can you do to challenge my household?'
'My mother thinks I can spin very finely,' Roskva replied shyly 'can that be my task?'
The giant king grinned and clapped his hands again, servants ran forward with baskets of wool, spindles, reels and iron combs. At Utgardaloki's gesture a very thin, tall slave woman came forward. 'This is Longlegs, she is our best spinner. You will both spin a skein of fifty turns of the reel and we will judge whose is finest.'
Roskva took a lock of fleece, teased out the matted hairs and picked out the dirt. Then she dragged the wool comb through the fleece, selected the lightest of the spindles and started to spin. Again and again with quick delft movements she set the whorl turning and fine yarn was pulled from the fleece. Her practised mind counted the lengths and when she had enough she wound the yarn onto the reel and tied off the skein. She had spun well and quickly too, the giantess must be still at work. She glanced across at her opponent, and was dismayed to see Longlegs dozing on the ground, with a finished skein in one hand. 'Ah good, you have finished at last!' said Utgardaloki 'Let me see your work.' He peered at her yarn and sighed, 'Oh no, this does not compare at all. See how fine Longleg's spinning is.' Roskva's heart sank, Longleg's yarn was impossibly fine, it was almost invisible. 'Never mind Loki, you have a companion at your end of the hall!' the giant slapped Loki on the back and nearly knocked him over.
Utgardaloki turned next to Thialfi 'So what can you do?'
'I am reckoned a good runner.'
Utgardaloki clapped his hands again and the giant folk parted to reveal a long stretch of the inner enclosure. The king waved forward one of his men 'This is Hugin, our best racer, let us see how you fare against him. You will both run to the end of my enclosure, round the back of that stable block and return here.' Utgardaloki shouted to start the race and Thalfi was off, his thin strong legs pushing him like a brisk wind. They was no sign of Hugin so he knew he was ahead of his fellow. He raced around the back of the stables and hurtled back towards the hall. He passed Utgardaloki and jogged to a halt gasping for breath.
'Oh dear is that the best you could do?' scoffed the giant king 'Hugin was back here before you had even got half way to the stables.' Speechless Thialfi staggered back to his companions.
The giant king turned next to Thor, 'You shouldn't have any trouble earning a place at our top table, but to satisfy our custom would you agree to a drinking contest.'
'Anytime.' The thunderer replied with a grin. Utgardaloki clapped his hands and the servants ran forward with a massive drinking horn filled with ale. 'It is a sign of great worth to empty the horn in one attempt. Lesser men empty it in two attempts, and those who can only drain it in three drafts hang their heads in shame.' The horn was longer than Thor was tall, but the Asa was famed for his love of ale and was undaunted by its size, indeed he revelled in the chance to quench his considerable thirst. He put the horn to his lips and drank. And drank. And kept drinking. After a while he needed to stop for breath, to his horror the ale had only dropped an inch from the rim.
'Oh dear,' laughed Utgardaloki 'I think we were wrong to fear these Asa men. Thor has left a lot of ale for his second attempt!'
Thor scowled and put the horn to his lips again, prepared this time he poured the ale down his throat as fast as he could. Again he needed to stop and looked in the horn, the ale was now two inches from the rim. By now Utgardaloki and his men were laughing merrily at Thor's humiliation. Furious, the thundergod tried again. He put the horn to his lips and drank. And drank. And drank. And drank. When he stopped and looked in the horn again the ale had receded a further two inches, but gallons still sloshed further down.
'Never mind Thor,' Utgardaloki said kindly, 'maybe the horn is a little large for you. Let us try another contest. He clapped his hands 'Bring out my cat.'
'What do you want me to do with a cat?' Thor asked sulkily.
'Lift it up, it is considered a sport among our younger children.'
You have got to be joking!' Thor growled. The servants dragged the cat out of the hall, it was huge, the size of a small horse, black as night and spitting with its hairs raised up. Its eyes flashed like two yellow suns. 'Very well then,' Thor sighed 'I will lift your cat.' He approached the beast warily and thrust both hands under its belly and lifted. The cat snarled and stretched, so that when Thor reached as high as he could the cat still stood on the ground. Thor tugged and strained but whatever he seemed to try the cat would simply stretch and his efforts would be in vain.
'I think I see the problem' said Utgardaloki 'The cat is rather big and Thor is just a little fellow.'
Thor grasped the cat's forelegs and tried to lift them, he could not believe how hard it was, the largest trees weren't this well anchored on the ground. With a great effort and a grunt he managed to pull one of the paws up, he was about to try to lift the second when Utgardaloki interceded. 'Enough, enough! It is clear you will never manage to lift my puss cat. Your skills have now been measured and we can take our seats for the evening's feast.'
'Not so fast.' Thor shouted 'I will not have any giant label me a weakling. I'll challenge anyone here to a wrestling match. I will take anyone on!'
Unperturbed by the furious, brimstone-eyed thundergod, the king considered, tugging his wild black beard. 'I don't think you should face any of my warriors. If you couldn't even lift my cat they would be fearful of hurting you. I know! Send for my old nurse!' A shambling old woman came out of the hall. She had long wispy hair and her features were almost lost among a hundred hundred wrinkles.
'I am NOT wrestling an old woman!' Thor seethed.
'Now what is wrong?' Utgardaloki taunted 'Afraid she will beat you? We are doing our best, she is the best partner we can find for you here.'
The giants laughed and cried out jibes and insults. Thor bellowed obscenities at them and moved towards the old nurse. The thundergod and the old giantess gripped one another at the waist and the bout began. Thor tried to move the old woman gently, but she stood as solid as bedrock. He pulled harder and harder, but still the old nurse could not be moved. Then the old woman pulled against him. She had a fearful strength. Thor had to struggle to keep upright. The bony fingers dug in like iron. To the thundergod's horror and shame, he was forced to one knee.
'I think we have seen enough.' cried Utgardaloki, 'come to the hall and let us feast.' Eager giants thronged through the great doors to find their places. Disillusioned, the Aesir and their companions followed. Every bench was filled with giants but for one trestled board near the door. The seats were heaped with cushions and the trenchers were smaller than those on the other tables, clearly for the giants' shorter guests. To add insult to humiliation, the carved salt casket was placed just past their four set places. The message was clear, they were considered the least worthy of all present.
The hall servants brought sides of roast ox and honey baked boar but the two Aesir were not in the mood for feasting. Loki was still sated from his earlier contest with Brand, while Thor sat with his head in his hands wishing the ground would swallow him. Thialfi and Roskva enjoyed a hearty share of the generous dishes, but were very wary of the thundergod's mood.
After an anxious night sleeping in the hall filled with drunken snoring giants the Aesir left for home. Roskva had had the sense to save some of the food from the nights feasting, so they were well supplied, but Thor had little interest in the cold boar, it might as well have been smoked fish. Eight days of travelling saw them safely to Asgard.
When they finally entered the hall of Bilskinir, Sif was greatly disturbed to see her husband so miserable. 'Love, love,' she said 'whatever can be the matter?'
Thor sighed deeply and sat heavily on one of the hall's benches. 'Don't you know? Or have your arts failed you as well.'
'My skills are as strong as ever and the web shows me nothing that should alarm you, all is well in the nine worlds.'
'Then how come we were utterly defeated in Utgard?'
'I find that hard to believe.'
'Well believe it, their old woman are stronger than us, when they invade again Middle Earth will be finished.'
Sif pulled her husband reluctantly to his feet and led him towards the high seat. Once she had him settled she spoke soothingly. 'There is mischief at work here, look to the Outlands and see if these bold giants are still so confident.' Quiet and thoughtful, Loki came and sat beside them. The hall melted away as Thor retraced their long journey. Mere moments earlier the last thing he would have wanted to do was to relive his humiliation in Utgardaloki's hall, but he had long learned to heed his wife's advice.
To his surprise there was no mighty hall at the end of the Outland road, only a large roundhouse with ox skulls lashed above the threshold. He thought he was mistaken until the scene within revelled that this was indeed Utgardaloki's true abode. There was the giant king in his bear robe with a couple of warriors and giant women beside him. Facing the king on the remaining benches were nine troll wives.
One of the troll wives was speaking 'We are at a loss to discover why you are so down at heart your lordship. Have we not done all you asked?'
'Yes, yes' the king sighed. He did indeed look wretched and pale.'
'Surely my shape changing amused you.' the troll wife crooned. 'Lofty Skrymir was such a fine figure of a giant, I enjoyed that. And making such a fool of Thor, I enjoyed that too.'
'Are you mad?' groaned the giant king. 'Have you forgotten what he did? That mountain your sister raised to shield his blows is now cut with three valleys! And one of them is so deep that the sea has come in and three warships can now sail it abreast.'
'Ah,' a second troll wife interrupted 'He couldn't open his knapsack after I tied it with my magic rope. He wasn't very strong then, was he?'
'Blah,' the king scowled 'yes a plain ordinary rope! Fishes' breath, the sound of cat, a womans beard? No one can break a rope made of such things as you know well.'
Another troll wife tried to cheer the king 'Well I did fool Loki, did I not? Setting him to eat against Brand, fire brand!.' she cackled.
'And I settled their bond-woman!' said another 'no one can spin better than a spider!'
'And that impudent lad' added another gleefuly 'he couldn't run faster than thought could he?'
'But the horn, the horn' cried the seventh of them 'that was a sight to behold. Silly Thor trying to drink the sea!'
'And he damn nearly succeeded!' Utgardaloki bellowed 'there is half a mile less of it on the beeches of the Outlands! I don't not find that reassuring!'
'Oh come, come.' said another trollwife shaking her finger of the king 'the cat, remember the cat! The Middle Earth Serpent disguised as a cat!'
'I would rather not remember it.' growled the king.
'But he couldn't lift it could he?'
'He lifted a quarter of it right up to the vault of heaven, I think he would have lifted the rest as well if it hadn't squirmed so!'
'But how about your old nurse?' asked the last troll wife 'He thought she was just an old woman but old age can wrestle anyone to the ground.'
'And have you ever seen anyone fight so long and so well against her?' The troll wives were silent. 'Get out, get out!' cried the embittered giant, 'Take your well earned gold and go.'
Thor's stunned reaction soon exploded into fury 'That conniving bastard! I am going to get him.'
Sif restrained him 'No, no, leave Utgardaloki be, look at him, he is terrified, he won't be causing any trouble. It's those troll wifes you want to look out for.'
The thundergod's rage subsided, then he smiled and hugged his wife 'And you are right as always. Come and meet our new servants.'
Roskva and Thialfi still stood by the entrance of the hall, staring in fascination at the distant rafters high above them and the carved twisting animals on the beams and pillars. Bilskirnir made Utgardaloki's fantasy home seem small by comparison. 'Roskva, Thialfi!' Thor called, this is my wife Asyniur Sif, mistress of this hall.
The siblings bobbed respectfully, 'Greetings lady Sif' said Roskva demurely.
'Now that's enough of that, you will call me Sif! The goddesses laughed. 'Come with me Roskva and we'll find you clean clothes and a room you can share.'
Thor grinned at Thialfi as the womenfolk bustled away, 'So lad, what am I going to do with you? Put you to work on my estates, set you to scrubbing in the kitchens or teach you to thump giants?'
'Thumping giants sounds good!' the lad replied eagerly. 'When do we start?'
'Straight away.' the god replied, placing a comradely arm around Thialfi's shoulder 'The secret to successful campaigning is learning to relax between missions. So lesson one will be held in the ale cellar. Follow me.'
This story is based on the version recorded in Snorri's Edda. The basic structure of the tale is the same as the original with a few exceptions. The beginning and end of the tale, both set in Thor's hall have been added. Roskva, who is hardly mentioned in the original story is given a more prominent role and her spinning contest against the spider has been invented to balance her with her brother. The nine troll wives are also the author's invention. In the original it is Utgardaloki himself who reveals the magical trickery when the gods leave his hall, after which his hall vanishes so Thor is unable to take his revenge.