Freyja's Throne

As we near the faerie throne, the elk stops for us to dismount. True to it's name, the only structure in sight is a large gnarled ironwood throne, rooted in the ground as if carved from a living tree. As I approach the throne, I can't help but feel compelled to go up and sit on it, almost as if it's actually calling to me... Then Svenya calls out, says she can see "you" pointing at me and Gorm, and Gorm starts swatting around his head as if pestered by gnats. She tells me that there were invisible pixies about our heads, whispering to us, and they were probably what I heard, though I still feel almost as if it were the throne. One of them approached and said something to Svenya, though not in a language that we could understand this time, before they all scattered.
 
Taking a closer look at the throne, there's a clear aura of fey magic coming from it, which Svenya says her helm identifies as enchantment and divination magic. It's quite large, not as though meant to frame a jötunn, but much larger than one would expect for a humanoid like us. Though we're all suspicious of it, Carmilla with her blithe confidence sits on it with nary a moment's hesitation.
 
At first nothing happens until she her put her arms on the armrests, which seems to have triggered something in the throne, as the vines lying wrapped about it grab her, binding her arms to the sides. I worry the enchantment magic has already taken hold, as she seems completely unfazed while we try to cut her out of them. Jormund is only exasperated, mockingly calling her a princess, when thorny vines wrap around her head as well, pulling back against the chair as her eyes glow and she starts reciting some poem - something about a jabberwock being beheaded by a vorpal blade. We keep trying to cut through the vines, but they're so tough and keep regrowing so it's little use, but after a moment, once she's finished her poem, they simply slacken as she's released from both her trance and her bindings at once.
 
Not only does Carmilla not seem to remember the poem she recited in her trance, but she had a different experience entirely - she claims she had a vision where she spoke to Freyja! She says that they had a nice little chat, that Freyja has heard of us and wishes us well, and that she thinks Odin will have the pleasure of seeing Svenya soon. Now, the vision I can believe, but she's either crazy or lying if she expects us to believe that she got on just fine with an ACTUAL goddess! Though I do wonder, does this mean the throne would more properly be called Freyja's Throne than the Faerie Throne? Ah well.
 
As much as we'd all like to stay and chat with Freyja of all people - well, all except for Jormund - we deem it best to not waste any more of her time and take our leave. Fortunately, we won't have difficulty coming back to the throne should we ever require an audience with her, as the tree that throne was carved from seems to be another born of Yggdrasil; another spot we can teleport whenever we like.
 
There are two rivers between the throne and the hot springs, the first of which is quite the ordeal to cross and nearly causes Mikkil and Shepard to get washed away under the ice, but the second is smaller and we're much more careful, crossing without note. We sit now at the base of the hill that houses the hot springs, catching our breath and making sure everything is in order. The prisoners should be up at the top of the hill, set on some ice atop one of the springs, but to get to them we'll unfortunately have to go up the main route through the pirates, as the hilltop is a quite defensible position without any back ways accessible barring the ability to fly or climb - though, perhaps Carmilla could sneak up the back and get them out without their captors noticing?