Four people got off the bus in a small town in northern Norway. The dwarf was in a harness on the woman's back, and two young men accompanied them.

Mara was coughing. She'd caught a cold, worse luck. The townsfolk spared them a glance, but tourists were frequent in the winter, so they returned to their own concerns.

" Let's stay at a hotel one last night," Mara said through her stuffed up head. " There won't even be villages from now on."

" Suits me," agreed Methos. He glanced at MacLeod.

" Oh, I'm all for some creature comforts, if there even is a hotel here, that is."

Mara finished another coughing spell and sighed. " Well, there's only one way to find out. Come on, Dinosaur, you speak the language best. Please go ask somebody."

"Would you PLEASE stop calling me that? " He asked, slightly miffed. He noticed Duncan trying not to laugh.

" And you can quit getting such enjoyment out of it, too, you...you Scottish...Haggis! "

Before MacLeod could think of a retort, Methos left the two of them smirking and went off in search of a hotel.

Duncan watched Mara go through another coughing fit. " Are you all right?" he asked.

" Oh, sure. As ok as I can be after catching a cold."

" You know, you don't HAVE to go on, now. You could stay here while Methos and I..."

" No! " She quickly said. "I'm the one who told Rex I'd take him home. You and that...that dinosaur are NOT going to take that away from me! " She looked close to tears and MacLeod hastened to reassure her.

" No one's going to take anything from you, Mara. I was just concerned about you staying out in this cold when you're so obviously sick, that's all."

She waved away his concerns. " I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me. I'll be just fine."

They saw Methos waving to them and followed him to a hotel where they acquired two overnight rooms. Rex and Mara would share one, and Methos and Duncan would take the adjoining room. When the woman had gone to settle herself and Rex in, MacLeod turned to Methos with his concerns about her. Methos shrugged.

" I know that girl. Nothing we say will keep her here. And Rex won't go anyplace without her.

You know, he didn't HAVE a name before she came along? When she asked Kaldon, he just looked surprised and said no one ever thought of it. So, let's see, she was about seven years old and told him he looked like a dwarf king, so she was going to call him Rex. Then asked him if he liked it. Rex adores her, if for nothing else than for giving him a name. No, he won't LET us leave her behind...I'll take some cold remedies along. We can at least make her more comfortable."

He and Duncan spent the rest of the day assembling packs for the four of them. The rest of this trip wouldn't be easy.

They woke refreshed the next morning, had breakfast, and set out to find Rex's friend in earnest.

" What's this Olafsen like? "Duncan asked.

Methos told him,” I don't really know. I've never actually met him. Kaldon told me once that Olafsen was a hermit. He lives somewhere in these mountains, and for some reason never goes near other people. Let's hope we don't scare him when we get close."

From his position on Mara's back, Rex piped up, "No scare Olaf. Olaf not fear people. "

He put an odd accent on that statement but refused to elaborate. Mara stayed out of the conversation.

A week later, they were camped high in the mountains beside a sparkling stream. Rex was more animated than either of the men had ever seen him, dancing around like a wood sprite, examining this plant or that tree. He seemed in his element.

He had stopped riding on Mara's back the day before; and now he led them. Mara, on the other hand, seemed to have lost most of her energy. She hardly spoke any more, and her coughing fits came with more frequency and lasted longer. And considering that they were in the middle of nowhere, there were no thoughts of turning back; they could only worry about her.

Methos handed her a cup of hot tea. She smiled. " I think he recognizes the area. He feels more as if he's close to home, " she said, smiling as Rex hurried off into the forest again.

Methos decided to broach the subject openly.

" This is no cold, is it Mara? "

Duncan watched as the woman tried to avoid their eyes. She pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders before she sighed and looked up.

" No. It's not."

Duncan spoke. " How bad is it? "

Mara looked straight at him and said, " Well, it's a bit worse than I told you. "

" How much worse? " Insisted Methos.

She took another sip of tea and turned to stare into the forest where Rex had disappeared. She mumbled something.

" We can't hear you Mara. " Methos could feel his irritation rising.

She turned back to them, her eyes flashing. "I'm dying, ok? I've said it. Are you happy, now? "

They were stunned into silence.

Before they could think of any reply, Rex returned to the clearing, sitting on the shoulder of a giant. The man had to be at least seven feet tall and was clothed entirely in furs. His face, like Rex's face, was wreathed in smiles.

The three at the fire stood and stared in amazement. The odd pair beamed at everybody.

" You must be Olafsen," said Mara, holding out a hand. The giant's _expression turned to one of pain. He carefully took her hand.

" You are very ill," he said.

Standing beside this huge mountain man, the three adults looked like small children. He was suddenly brisk.

" You will all come to my home where you will be warm."

They willingly cleared their campsite with his help, and Olaf led them away into the forest. They were moving towards a cave and Methos was dubious.

" I thought you had a cabin..." He started to say.

Olaf looked down and smiled. "Come," was all he would say.

They went deep into the cave, around a tunnel, and when they arrived, the guest’s jaws dropped in astonishment. Cave? Mansion was closer to what awaited them. It WAS warm. The floor of the main room was softly carpeted with furs of many animals, as was the wall papered with the skins of animals. Some even had paintings on them. A deep fireplace had been carved into a wall, large enough to have stabled a couple of horses, with a huge fire glowing in its depths. The smoke escaped up a natural chimney. And it was as warm in here as though it had central heating.

Olaf put Rex on the floor, and he scampered here and there, touching an object ever so often, completely at home. Finally, he curled up in the corner of the monstrous couch in the center of the room, lost to sight amid the piles of furs.

"Of course," MacLeod suddenly said. " You've been here a very long time! "

Olaf nodded. " I have been living here for nearly thirty-five hundred years," he smiled. " Enough time to make it comfortable."

He bade them sit and hurried off to another room. They all climbed up onto the couch. Mara snuggled into the furs with a sigh and looked as if she was finally warm.

The mountain man returned and dipped a cup into a kettle on the fire. He then emptied a packet into it and brought the cup to the woman.

" Drink this," he said. " It will help the pain." She accepted the cup and drained it, making a face at the bitter taste.

" Good," the giant said and turned to dish up bowls of stew for his guests.

They relaxed and ate. There was a feeling of absolute peace here. Olafsen beamed at them all, especially Rex. Duncan was thoughtful a moment; then realized why it felt familiar here. This was the kind of peace he had always felt around Darius.

Mara was sound asleep. Olaf removed her unfinished bowl of stew, and carried her to a huge bed piled high with furs, wrapping her into their warmth. She mumbled but didn't wake up. He returned to the men.

" The woman is dying," he told them. " Did you know that? "

Both were startled. " She only just told US," Duncan said. " How did you know? "

The giant smiled. " It is the reason I isolate myself from others. If someone is in pain, I feel that pain. I was a healer long and long ago. I cannot bear to be too close to others. They have so much pain. I gave her a medicine for pain and for sleep. She will sleep for several hours now."

He smiled at Rex. " You have brought my friend home to me. I am very grateful."

Duncan shook his head. " No. Mara did that. We only came along to protect them."

" Then I am grateful for your protection."

Methos had been silent since they arrived, deep in thought. Now he spoke. " I know you, don't I? And not as Olafsen, either, but someone else, someone much older..."

" Yes. You are called Methos. Once you were not a very nice person. But that was youth. It pleases me that you have learned goodness."

Methos looked around him. " I'm not sure how this can be, but this is holy ground, isn't it? "

MacLeod looked surprised. " Really? "

The giant laughed. " Yes. They thought I was one of the ancient gods...Thor, actually...a very long time ago, someone mistook a quickening for a storm called up by Thor's Hammer. When I was young, I laughed about it. This was his temple."

They stayed for three more weeks, during which time, Mara grew steadily weaker. At last, Rex informed them she wanted to see them both, and he also warned them she didn't have much time left.

They went in. She had wasted away to practically nothing and that huge bed made her seem even tinier. She smiled at them; her voice was weak.

" Hey, Dinosaur," she said." Try not to be too mad at me, ok? I've been listening to Rex's stories about Olaf for years, thought it was worth a shot. Guess no one wants to go gentle into that dark..."

Methos took her hand, his tears flowing unashamedly." Aw, Scruff. The headaches you've given me. If our kind could get grey hairs, you managed to give me more than a few."

She tried to laugh but the cough took over. " Guess I did sort of stir things up a bit."

She turned to MacLeod. " Remember that first day? I told you if you stuck with me you'd see better than a journeyman's sword?"

She pulled out a package tightly wrapped in silk and gave it to him. " I made these for you back when Darius was killed...then, it was to thank you for avenging him...now, it's to thank you for your help. Go on, open it."

He took the package and unwrapped a set of four perfect daggers. The heft and balance were unique and these were anything but plain. They were the most ornate knives he had ever seen, and rune inscribed, too.

" You'll be able to read the runes on them. I learned from Darius. These are what made me a master sword smith."

Duncan examined each of the four knives, knowing no one would ever see their like again. He was astounded. He turned to thank her, and realized Mara was no longer breathing. She had gone to her own immortality, the enduring kind that only God may grant.

They buried her on the mountain where she could see for miles. Rex had carved a stone for her, saying...She cared enough to give me a name...

Methos and MacLeod bade the giant and the dwarf goodbye. Rex had a home, Mara had gone to her heavenly home, and now it was their turn to go home.

THE END

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

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