The night was heavy, thick with the weight of unseen things. Floki walked alone, his boots sinking into the damp earth, his breath rising in the cold air. His mind churned like a restless sea, filled with questions he could not silence. The gods whispered, but their voices had turned strange.

His hands, once steady as the great ash tree, had faltered. His craft, his gift, had turned against him. The wood split where it should not, as if cursed. The longships he shaped with devotion no longer carried the blessing of the gods. They mocked him now, unseen and laughing. The wood cracked where it should not, split like bones under a dull blade. The longships he shaped with such devotion no longer carried the blessing of the gods. It was as if they laughed at him now, mocking every impact of the adze.

The path twisted through dark trees, tangled like the thoughts in his mind. Few dared to walk it. Fewer still returned unchanged. Stories surrounded the witch who lived beyond the reach of men. Floki had heard them all, but fear was not his companion. He had seen the gods in fire and blood, felt their presence in the wild places. Yet now, they eluded him.

Wind howled through the pines, sharp and hungry. He grinned, teeth bared, embracing the wildness of it. The gods played their games, but so did he.

Ahead, the hut loomed, barely distinguishable from the gnarled trees around it. Smoke curled between the branches, thick and sweet with herbs unknown to simple folk. It beckoned him forward. Beyond the mist, hidden from the eyes of men, the witch’s dwelling waited. Floki slowed, tilting his head. His pulse quickened, though he would never admit it.

His fingers brushed the rough wood of the door. Knocking was a courtesy, but what use was courtesy in a place like this? Instead, he let out a laugh, sharp as a raven’s cry.

"Are you in there, little shadow? Have the gods whispered my name to you?" His voice was light, playful, but something deeper lurked beneath. "Or do they keep their secrets even from you?"