Debt

Itching to face the mountain with his newfound knowledge, there was one problem.
“Ma’am. You still haven’t told me how we’re gonna save Jasper.”

“I wish Urho was more like you.” Silvan was ready for another snide remark, but this was a pleasant surprise.

“He’d be by my side all day, seeing how unfit he would be to challenge the world.”

Ah, there it is, he thought, defeated.
“Ma’am, please. Jasper's running out of time.”

She began mumbling her gibberish again, shouting out “hopeless” every so often with enough magnitude that Silvan wouldn’t miss it.
“You already know what to do child. Don’t make me spell it out!”

Silvan was confused. He knew the answer?
I’m no shaman. How am I going to heal a magical mountain curse that punishes…?
Once again, the shaman was correct.

“It’s not Jasper, he’s a guest. My guest. It’s me. I’m being punished.”

“Sila.” It finally dawned on him. That night he refused to hand over his friend and begged her to save him. But she couldn't, she only passed on what was owed to someone else.

“My friend isn’t sick, right? He’s being held as collateral until his debt is settled.”
The lady motioned him to her and placed her hand on his head.

“This is your liability. We can’t settle it for you, but if the cost is too high, we can help you escape. Just know that you can never return here anymore, and whatever the mountain has taken from your friend already, it will keep.”

The consequences of his actions began weighing on him. Jasper wasn’t supposed to survive that night. That’s what the voice demanded. That’s why Sila was hesitant. Now he owed the mountain a life, and the simplest way to pay was painfully obvious.

“Is there any hope left for me?”

Inviting Silvan in for a hug, she embraced him.
“A sad tale that girl carries. She has lost everything except what she cherished most.”

The shaman lifted Silvan’s face with both hands.
“So if she intervened, then there might be a future for you.”

Silvan sat there, staring into nothingness, alone. Although the shaman had proven to be trustworthy, what could he possibly offer that was worth a human life? How do you even quantify something like that?
He rolled around on the floor angrily. Why did Jasper have to find him? He was doing fine until he came. Sila as well! It might have been a poor choice of words in hindsight, but she could have at least warned him about the consequences before dumping all these issues on him.

“Where do I even go? Is there a bank somewhere up the mountain? I just waltz in there, leave the teller a check for a life, get gobbled up by the mountain, and all is well?”

Amused by the ridiculous imagery, a dark thought pushed it aside. What if I just leave? I don’t owe Jasper anything. This is all his fault to begin with. The world is a large place. I can just throw another dart and start over. I’ve done it once. Why not again?

He closed his eyes and imagined it. Disappearing from the world again. All his problems vanishing. Maybe somewhere warmer next.
Ready to give in to temptation, his vision was interrupted by Jasper. Greeting him, a crutch under his arm to support himself. His entire leg was gone, but his smile wasn’t.

“I’m glad I got to see you one last time. Once I’m gone, will you find my grave and share that drink with me?”

He jumped out of his sleep. His eyes red, his face wet. A dream. Jasper’s dream! He stormed out of the tent and began shouting for the shaman.

Some rattled Inuit pointed him in a direction where he found her looking at the mountain.
“Jasper. He had a dream! He was somewhere up on the mountain. I think… that is where I need to go.”

She gave him a stern look and began nodding slowly.
“Too bad you’re an outsider. You would’ve been a great apprentice.”