Balder stood in the clearing, shining with Luminous Benediction. "I have no quarrel with you, Spider. Nothing can harm me. Go in peace."
Anansi lowered himself on a silk thread. "Nothing?" he asked. "That is a very big word."
Balder smiled. "Stone, iron, wood, fire... they all swore an oath."
The Loophole
Anansi tapped his chin. He plucked a strand of his Web of Stories. He listened to the vibrations of the world's history. He heard the whisper of Frigg asking the trees. He heard the silence of the mistletoe.
"Ah," Anansi said. "The little green weed. It didn't swear, did it?"
Balder's smile faltered.
Anansi didn't need a spear. He pulled a small dart from his pouch, tipped with mistletoe juice. Spinner's Guise. He flicked it with a casual leg.
The dart struck Balder's hand. It wasn't a fatal wound for a mortal, but for the god invulnerable to all else, the breach of the spell was catastrophic. Mourning's Resonance began before he even hit the ground.
"Everyone has a story," Anansi whispered as the light faded. "And every story has an ending."