Loki Passage 8

8.

Loki looked to the young babe that was held by Frigg. It had been some seasons then since the mother had said her goodbye to them. Since then Loki had lived a lonely life more like a hermit with only Frigg offering him some visits to his hut. Every time Frigg comes over, she will bring along Hel. The babe had grown up fine under the care of Frigg to a beautiful girl. He had enquired about Fenrir from Tyr and the replies were a shock to him.

“Your…son growing faster than the meals I fed it.” Tyr told him. He had Fenrir kept in wooden magical enclosure but the creature was always escaping and taking its own fair share on the bred creatures. “I just barter off some of my furs to Jonas that other day.”

Loki smiled when he hears tales of Fenrir, but he was also wondering of Jogmunder the serpent. He had seen how fast Jogmunder grew and he overlapped Fenrir but how will he fare in the Great Sea where some of the predators outgrew even the Frost Giant.

“Loki, I been looking for you.” It was Thor who approached him. “We have decided that Fenrir had outgrown his stay here. They are going to bind the wolf.”

“Wolf? He is no wolf than you are a Giant.” Loki snapped back. “Do not confuse my children with another.”

With that, Loki rushed towards the enclosure which was to hold Fenrir. He was greeted by a group that was preparing to snare the wolf. They have prepared three fetters (manacles) to bind the wolf. Loki wanted to approach his child but the others stopped him.

“Come no nearer, Loki. We will deal with your wolf.” Loki looked to the one who spoke. He remember the face; Bjorn the Hunter. The man was known for his skills in trapping the creatures. What was not known to them Loki was in communication with his child by mental thoughts.

“Fenrir, it’s me Loki.” Loki found himself. “Your father.”

“Father? I don’t recall my father anymore.” Fenrir howled out in pain. “Leave me or I may just forget that I have your fangs.”

It was then the hunters dropped the first fetter into the enclosure. The fetter was made with Leyding. It was an unusual rope that was made from a combination of hewn and sinews of the creatures.

“Wolf, test your strength against it.” Bjorn challenged the wolf. It looked at the fetter and then growled. The former did not hesitate to bind the wolf. He had it bound from the jaws to the four limbs and even the ears. Just as he stepped back, Fenrir stretched its limbs and the fetter broke off at its seams. Bjorn was not convinced on the wolf’ ability and came back with the second fetter. Without any hesitation, Bjorn bound the wolf but he had to call for assistance. The second fetter was made with Dromi; a much harder and resilient material which includes carbon extracts from the hard materials shaved to hair thickness. Fenrir tested the new material and growled. It was a sturdier material than the first, but Fenrir rolled on the ground while it kicked at the binds. The second fetter took its beating and soon it was loose.

“By the wrath of Odin, the wolf had cleared through two fetters.” Bjorn called out. “I will use third fetter. The one that Odin had me walked great distance to retrieve from the dwarfs.”

“Skirnir, bring me the last fetter.” Bjorn called out. The former came forth holding the third fetter, named by the dwarfs as Gleipnir. The dwarf constructed the rope from six different mythical materials. It was smooth as the silk yet it was tougher than any ropes.

“Bjorn, we will deal with the wolf at the lake.” Skirnir spoke up. “The Vizier told me so.”

“The Vizier? Why ain’t he here now?” Bjorn was getting agitated that his bindings did not work. Finally he relented. Tyr pulled Fenrir by the ears towards the lake. In the commotion of binding the wolf, Fenrir had grown to twice his size. He was almost to the height of Tyr at the shoulder. The lake was near the Hall; it was named Amsvartnir. On the lake was an island named Lyngvi which was where the group headed with the wolf.

Fenrir looked to the third fetter; flimsy in the looks but it felt that the fetter may be more than its match.

"If you bind me so that I am unable to release myself, then you will be standing by in such a way that I should have to wait a long time before I got any help from you. I am reluctant to have this band put on me. But rather than that you question my courage, let someone put his hand in my mouth as a pledge that this is done in good faith."

All the assembled there were in shock at the creature’ request.

“Skimir, you go on ahead. We will back you.” Someone hollered out to him but the other refused. It was Tyr being the bold one who approached the wolf. He put out his right hand into the wolf’s jaw. It was all a prank that went wrong; Bjorn kicked at the wolf rump and Fenrir reacted by snapping his jaws. Its bite took off Tyr’ hand who screamed out in pain. The others then took the opportunity to bind the wolf in the new fetter. Gleipnir caught tightly, and the more Fenrir struggled, the stronger the band grew. At this, everyone laughed, except Týr, who had lost his right hand when the wolf bit him.

“Hail the Gods, we have bound the wolf. We call on you to deal with the creature. Ragnarok will be forgotten with the 

wolf in captivity.”

The gods knew that Fenrir was fully bound but they wanted to be sure. They took a cord called Gelgja (Old Norse for "fetter") hanging from Gleipnir, inserted the cord through a large stone slab called Gjöll (Old Norse for "scream"), and the Gods fastened the stone slab deep into the ground. After, the Gods took a great rock called Thviti (Old Norse for "hitter, batterer") and thrust it even further into the ground as an anchoring peg.

Fenrir growled violently; it opened its jaws wide and tried to bite the Gods. The Gods thrust "a sword" into Fenrir's mouth, the hilt of the sword on Fenrir's lower gums and the point his upper gums. Fenrir "howled horribly," saliva ran from his mouth, and this saliva formed the river named Ván (Old Norse for "hope"). The Gods rejoiced that the wolf was finally subdued but not Loki who was dismayed at the capture.

“Loki, you have defiled us. You fathered monstrosity creatures that will bring down your people.” The Gods told Loki. “We are displeased and this is one of our option to restore the balance.”

“Why can’t you just kill my child if you considered it as …a monster?” Loki snapped back. He then looked at the Gods. 

“When are we not monsters ourselves at times?”

The God ignored him and left for their realm. It was Tyr who spoke the wise words to Loki.

“The gods respect their Holy places and places of sanctuary that they did not want to defile them with the wolf's blood even though the prophecies say that he will be the death of Odin. Be wise to it that your child will live.”