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NORSE MYTHOLOGY
The Bargain with the Mistress
Hermod glanced up at the world tree. He had been told the realm of Hel was deep beneath the ground. “At the foot of the tree, you’ll see a root that is bigger than the rest,” Odin said. “We call this root Helgrindr. Follow it, and it’ll lead you to the mistress’s domain.”
Hermod circled the tree on his horse. He soon spotted Helgrindr. It was thicker than the other roots and bulged from the earth. He followed it to a tunnel.
Icy air spewed from the opening. Hermod began to shiver. He tried to peer inside, but it was too dark to make anything out.
Hermod’s horse tensed.
He stroked her mane. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t make you go down there if you don’t want to. You must wait here for me to return, though.’
Hermod got off his horse and went into the tunnel.
The way down was steep. The further he went, the colder it became.
As he neared the end of the tunnel, the ground flattened, and he heard rushing water. In the distance, he could see the ebbing silver light of a river. A glimmering crystal bridge ran over it.
As he drew closer, everything became brighter. He could see that he was no longer alone. Around him, the dead roamed. They were all heading across the river.
