Winter of the Ice Wizard

you tell us what the giant looks like—the Frost Giant?”
    Merlin smiled. “There is no Frost Giant,” he said.
    â€œWhat?”
said Kathleen and Teddy.
    â€œSure there is,” said Annie. “We heard his breathing!”
    â€œHe nearly froze us to death!” said Jack.
    â€œAt night, the wind often swirls through the Hollow Hill like a cyclone,” said Merlin. “You experienced one of those storms.”
    â€œBut what about the Norns’ story of giving the wizard’s eye to the Frost Giant as a gift?” said Jack.
    â€œMany ancient peoples believe that the forcesof nature are actual giants or monsters,” said Morgan. “The Norns are the last of their kind. They hold to the idea that the Frost Giant is a living creature who haunts the Hollow Hill. In truth, the Frost Giant never accepted their gift because there is no Frost Giant.”
    Jack shook his head. “We believed what the Norns believed. They told us we’d freeze to death if we looked directly at the Frost Giant.”
    â€œAnd we believed what the wizard told us, too,” said Annie, “that the wolves would eat us if they caught up to us!”
    â€œPeople often try to convince us that the world is scarier than it truly is,” said Morgan.
    Right now the world didn’t seem at all scary to Jack. Everything was calm and bright. Soft, rose-colored light was breaking through the morning clouds.
    â€œToday is the first day after the winter solstice,” said Morgan. “Today the light starts to return. The days will grow longer.”
    Jack turned to look at the sun. He caught sight of the tree house sitting on top of a snowdrift, not far away.
    Jack tied a knot in the wind-string. He tied three more, and the sleigh came to a stop at the foot of the snowdrift.

    Merlin looked at them. “On the winter solstice, you showed great courage,” he said. “You endured storms and terror and extraordinary cold. You reunited the Ice Wizard and the swan maiden. And perhaps most important, you retrieved my Staff of Strength. I thank you.”
    â€œSure,” Jack and Annie said modestly.
    â€œYou have done much for the kingdom of Camelot on your last four missions,” said Merlin. “On your next adventure, you will have a mission back in your world—in real time, not in the time of myth and magicians.”
    â€œWe will call for you again soon,” said Morgan.
    â€œGreat!” said Annie.
    Jack and Annie climbed out of the sleigh. They looked back at Teddy and Kathleen. “I hope you will help us with our next journey, too,” said Annie.
    Teddy smiled. “If we all work together, we can do anything, aye?” he said.
    â€œAye!” said Jack and Annie together. Then they turned and trudged up the snowdrift. Atthe top, they climbed into the window of the tree house. Once they were inside, they looked back.
    The sleigh was gone.
    â€œBye,” Annie said softly.
    Jack picked up the small gray stone from the floor. He pointed at the words
Frog Creek
in the wizard’s message. “I wish we could go there,” he said.
    The wind started to blow.
    It blew harder and harder.
    Then everything was still.
    Absolutely still.

    Jack opened his eyes. They were back in the Frog Creek woods. No time at all had passed while they’d been gone. It was almost twilight. Snowflakes fell like tiny feathers outside the tree house window.
    Annie shivered. “I’m cold,” she said.
    â€œHere—take my scarf,” said Jack. He pulled off his scarf.
    â€œNo, you need it,” said Annie.
    â€œNo, take it. I’ll be okay.” Jack put his scarf around Annie’s neck. “What will you tell Mom when she asks about
your
scarf?” he asked.
    â€œI’ll just tell her the Sisters of Fate took it as payment for telling us how to find the eye of the Ice Wizard in a hole in the Hollow Hill,” said Annie.
    â€œRight,” said Jack, laughing.
    â€œWe’d better get home before dark,” said Annie. She started down the rope ladder. Jack followed her.
    As they stepped onto the ground, Jack remembered the wind-string. “We forgot to give this back,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the string. “I guess Merlin’s magic took the sleigh back to Camelot.”
    Jack and Annie looked at the string for a moment. “Untie a knot,” Annie whispered.
    Jack took off his