Freya wakes after only a couple hours of sleep in the mountain tunnels. Bjorn reveals he stayed awake the entire time because his fire axe disappears if he sleeps, and he needed it to keep Freya warm. As they resume climbing, Freya wrestles with her growing attraction to Bjorn—not just physical desire, but genuine admiration for his character. She considers that her marriage to Snorri isn't real and that her feelings aren't truly adultery, yet she recalls the blood oath she swore at her wedding and worries about what magical consequences breaking it might bring. She resolves to talk to Bjorn about their mutual tension so they can agree not to pursue it.

Just as Freya musters the courage to broach the subject, Bjorn spots sunlight ahead—they've reached the summit of Fjalltindr. They emerge onto a misty, snow-dusted mountaintop and encounter a gothi of the temple who is astonished to learn Freya vanquished the draug. Bjorn introduces her formally as "Freya Born-in-Fire, child of Hlin and lady of Halsar." The gothi explains they cannot enter the temple grounds from this entrance; they must pass through the main gates after submitting to the will of the gods.

Bjorn tries to push through the temple grounds directly but is repelled by an invisible magical barrier. Despite his frustration and attempts at intimidation, the gothi insists they must use the gates. Bjorn and Freya follow a narrow trail around the mountaintop, testing the barrier repeatedly without finding a gap—it extends into the clouds. They finally reach the main gates, which are accessed via a narrow rock bridge over a chasm.

Eight warriors and their leader, Jarl Sten—an enemy of Snorri—guard the approach to the gates. With only an hour or two before the full moon and the ritual Freya came to perform, they discuss options. Freya suggests fighting through, but Bjorn explains that entering the temple requires kneeling and honoring every god by name, making a direct assault impractical. Instead, Bjorn proposes a scheme involving the gothar and the draug treasure still in the tunnels, hinting at a plan built on guile rather than violence.