I am the Cat Who Walks By Herself Who: Bastet and Hel What: An unexpected guest arrives at Éljúðnir Where: the sleet-lashed realm of the goddess Hel When: somewhere between long ago and never and now
The valley spreading out below her was dimly lit and shrouded with mist, and though there might be signs of life in the clusters of thatched cottages peeking through the fog, she could not seen them from where she stood. The sky was dark with clouds heavy with unspent rain, and the wind was cold and damp. Still, it was one of the more pleasant days in this sunless place, lacking the heavy sleet of other seasons. Yet again, she found herself missing the snow of her childhood home.
This was not the only valley in this realm - one lead into another and then another for many days of travelling. Further behind her had been Gjöll, turbulent and loud, and gold-roofed Gjallarbrú spanning it. A road had traveled from that bridge through the valleys, never seeming to meet another road, until it ended at the gates of a sprawling cluster of buildings surrounded by a high wall.
She paused looking down at the road spread out at her feet. She didn’t know what had prompted her to leave her hall and travel the length of Helvegr, but she had walked it from one end until the other and nearly back again, seeing nothing other than what had been expected.
Not far ahead, a dry, dead shrub rustled despite the lack of breeze. A moment later a sleek black cat backed out of it, dragging with it some sort of dead rodent she’d caught in the brush. Her fur seemed to shine in the grey, washed out landscape around her as she inspected her kill, though she turned away after a moment, thoroughly disappointed.
It had been a long time since she’d found herself a satisfactory meal, ever since she’d wandered into this dreary place. An ever-present sense of vague depression seemed to hover in the air around her, though didn’t seem to be able to touch her. She was more of an observer in this strange land, a place she was sure Anubis or Osiris would appreciate more than her.
A sound caught her attention, and she looked up, her bright yellow-gold eyes flashing at the intruder, seeming to be the only bright colour in the entire realm.
The ‘intruder’ sighed in annoyance, looking down at the living cat. One of Frejya’s, no doubt, nosing around where it wasn’t welcome. It wasn’t the first time that one of the æsir had come into her realm looking for something, thinking that she didn’t notice their intrusion - or perhaps not caring whether or not she did. Her lips thinned, as she glared down at the cat. “Tell your Mistress that if she wants something of me, she should at least do me the honor of visiting me herself.”
Bast looked up at the woman standing over her; if it were possible, her expression would be indignant at the rude greeting. Still, she sat up straight, her pupils wide in the dim, cold light around them, studying the woman’s face. Half was young, beautiful, full of life, and the other half was...black. As if half of her had been burned up like some sort of offering to the gods. The sight of it didn’t phase her, but the duality of life and death did bother her. Two things that should remain separate, but here they were joined.
She let out a small meow, one she thought would be quiet, but instead seemed to carry in the quiet of this desolate place. A tilt of her head showed inquisitiveness, and her unblinking wide eyes were a sign of interest, if maybe a little aloof judgment.
Hel sighed again, this time more in resignation than annoyance. There were rules and she was teetering at the edge of violating them. “Peace, little wanderer. At least do me the honor of guesting at my hall, before you return to wherever you came from. I am certain I can offer better fare than what you have just found.” She turned away, and started walking down into the valley towards Éljúðnir, leaving the cat to decide whether to follow or not.
At the mention of ‘better fare’ Bast’s ears tilted forward in interest and her head canted just slightly. She was, after all, a guest in this realm, and offering food to a traveller was only common kindness. With an inner smile she knew this strange woman couldn’t see, she trotted after her, walking quickly and closely beside her, occasionally brushing her undamaged leg with a wisp of soft fur. All the while her eyes scanned the world around them, searching for threats yes, but also taking in the sights of this unfamiliar place she’d wandered into.
Hel lead the cat along the road winding through the valley towards her hall in silence, the sound of even her footsteps being muffled by the fog around them. The valley seemed devoid of inhabitants, despite the smell of smoke rising out of cook fires in the houses clustered away from the road. They encountered another person only once on their journey, though only for so long as it took him to recognize the goddess, as he bowed deeply and disappeared into fog once more without even a word from Hel. Bast acknowledged the half-person’s presence and, while she feared nothing, she gave him a wide berth all the same.
She looked down at the cat. “You need not concern yourself about your safety here, little wanderer. There are precious few warriors in my realm - not by the time the Allfather and your Mistress have taken their portion.” She continued onwards.
Bast canted her head up at Hel, a look of curiosity as she spoke. She chose not to correct the talk of ‘your Mistress’ just yet, though she had clearly been mistaken for someone else. There were other cats in this realm then, perhaps even another cat goddess? She would very much like to meet her if there was, and this cold woman beside her seemed to be familiar with her.
She trotted along the path at a good pace, watching the woman beside her and then looking up as their destination loomed ahead of them.
Finally the two approached the towering gates separating the far end of the valley from the rest. The heavy iron gates swung open at the lightest touch from their mistress, and Hel turned her head and looked down at the cat. “My hall, Éljúðnir.” The good half of her mouth quirked in an ironic smile. “You should be aware that no living visitor to my realm has ever walked through these gates.” She spread her arm out towards the gate. “I give you my word that, as a welcome guest, I will not keep you here against your desire - if you still wish to avoid the gate, we will contrive another solution.”
At the woman’s warning, Bast backed up a few paces, looking warily at the gates in front of them. It wasn’t that she feared death - she was immortal, after all - but she didn’t want to unnecessarily put herself in danger either. She already felt - knew - that she didn’t belong here, in this realm of the dead, and didn’t want to somehow accidentally trap herself down here.
So once she was far enough away from the gates, she lept up onto a rocky outcropping nearby, and then another, and another, until she’d reached the top, gracefully leaping over the gates and landing lightly on the other side. She looked up at the living dead woman as if to preen at her graceful landing.
Hel smiled and walked through the gate, meeting the cat on the other side, and inclining her head in recognition of the creature’s landing. After pausing a moment to ensure that her guest was not injured, she swept on towards the central hall, certain by now that the cat would follow.
Again the doors swept open ahead of the Mistress of the realm, this time opened by two servants, male and female, nearly identical in appearance. She glanced briefly at the man, not slowing in her stride. “Food for the guest, Ganglati.”
The inside of the hall was warmed and lit by the fire crackling in the large stone firepit stretching through the middle of hall. Along the walls were low platforms, piled high in furs. At the far end of the firepit was a large wooden chair, ornately carved. At a wave from Hel, the serving woman set a smaller bench near the stone wall of the firepit, placing several furs on top of it, then disappearing into a curtain-off area beyond Hel’s throne.
Hel smiled at the cat and indicated the bench before taking her own seat at the head of the fire. “Please - be at ease in my hall.”
Bast followed Hel through her halls and leapt up onto the fur covered stool that was offered to her. She sat up straight, regally looking around the hall, sniffing at the various attendants and even the stone in front of her. When an attendant came back with a plate of food - tantalizing smelling fish - she sniffed at it too, carefully. She remembered a story about how dangerous it was for the living to eat anything in the underworld and hesitated, even though she was a goddess and it couldn’t possibly harm her, could it? She looked up at the woman beside her and finally spoke. “Is it safe?” she asked, her voice like velvet, soft and rich.
Hel raised one eyebrow as the cat spoke, and her voice sounded almost offended when she replied. “Have I not said so?” she asked, with deceptive mildness. “You fear that I would violate hospitality, when I was the one to offer it?”
Bast held eyes with Hel for a long moment, as if judging for herself the truth of her host’s words, then leant forward again to sniff at the food, and finally tasted it. By the time she looked up again, the bowl of delectable fish had been licked clean. She would have smiled sheepishly if her current physiology had allowed. “My apologies,” she said after briefly washing her face with one paw. “It has been a while since I’ve found decent food on my wanderings, and that fish was delicious.” She sat back on her haunches and watched her with far more interest than before, soft purring filling the space around them now that she had been fed.
“I am pleased that it met with your approval,” Hel replied, a slight smile on her lips. “I so rarely have visitors, as you might well imagine.”
Bast canted her head in a half-nod, “to be sure, it was hard enough to get into your realm,” she said, idly licking her paw between sentences. “It’s almost as if you don’t want visitors from other lands.” She looked around again, peering at the fathomless halls and the dead servants. “I must say, your realm of the dead is much different than that of Osiris,” she mused, “and yet somewhat the same. Do you weigh hearts as Anubis does? To judge deeds?” She couldn’t stop herself from sniffing hopefully at the empty dish, and then resumed her posture of attention.
Hel...blinked, and looked carefully at her guest for a long moment. Then she sighed. “I see I have been mistaken, little wanderer. I had judged you for one of Freyja’s companions, which it is now clear that you could not be. If I have offended you in my ignorance, I beg your forgiveness.”
Bast would have smiled if she could, but instead nodded again. “There was no offence; I often explore new realms this way in order to observe how others will treat the least of their guests before revealing my true nature. You have passed,” she added, a glint in her eyes.
Hel twitched her fingers lightly, and another full dish of fish was set before her guest. “To answer your question, then; this place is Helheim, the final abode of the dead - except those warriors chosen by the All-Father, and the Lady of the Vanir - until the fated final days called Ragnarok.”
The feline’s pupils dilated in interest, “Ragnarok,” she tested the word in her mouth. “What is this Ragnarok...is that what you call it when...a soul is born into a new body?” Many humans in her realm experienced this, most notably the Pharaohs, but not all chose to be reborn, and those remained in the Duat.
Hel frowned, thoughtfully. “To be born anew...ah, that is not so common here.” Though, she had known it to happen, by some logic of which she was not aware. “Ragnarok is…” she paused as she struggled to find the words to explain to her guest. “It is the winters without summer, the death of the worlds...and of the gods. It is…” her mouth wrinkled, as if she had eaten something unpleasant, and she spat out the last word, “Fate.” Bast narrowed her eyes at the description, but held her silence.
Bast watched as the woman took a drink from her goblet. “It is a long tale - if you wish to hear it, I will find someone to tell it.”
The feline goddess considered the offer, and then nodded her head, “I would like that, if someone is willing.” She looked up, at the dead around them and their attendants around the room, and then back down at her newly filled dish of food. Not wanting to be impolite, this time she forced herself to take smaller bites and to not eat the entire serving at once.
“Do you ever leave this place?” she asked suddenly, her curiosity getting the better of her.. “Osiris is bound to his realm, as he is also one of the dead, but Anubis can travel to the land of the living…”
Her host shrugged. “I can leave. But, for the most part, I choose to stay in my realm.” Especially while her realm still held the treasure that the Aesir were eager to reclaim and she was loathe to release.
She looked around at the near-empty room, then back at her guest. “And what of yourself, little wanderer? I so rarely have guests with tales to tell, and yours sound so very interesting…”
Bast settled herself down more comfortably next to Hel, beginning her tale, occasionally pausing to nibble at the bowl of fish in front of her.