Loki

[Idun]

It was just Bragi, the goddess sighed and laughed lightly. "Oh of course I will greet you love!" she twirled around, grabbing an apple on her way. Then she added, "With a present,"

The god's eyes twinkled at the sight of the fruit.

"A beautiful voice deserves a forever beautiful face." Idun whispered, holding out the ripe, red apple in her right palm.

Bragi reached for the fruit tentively, and, just before his fingers touched the fruit, Idun pulled it back. "If," she smiled playfully, "you recite one of your poems first."

Bragi:

I chuckled. "You are such a tease sometimes. But if you insist." I rambled of poem of love and beauty, spinning the tale of the alluring Goddess in front of me. She watched enraptured wth every word that dripped from my tongue. My eyes shinned as I watched her appricition for my unique talent.

I finished the poem, gracing the very pressence of my wife. "How was that, oh goddess of goddesses? Does your humble servant get to taste the glory of your lips?" I asked flirtatiously.

Hel-

"I'm not looking for trouble, if that's what you mean," Hel snarled.

"Oh come on. Your life down in that hole has gotten so boring that you've come out here, where anything could be more exciting, to come and look for something to do."

Hel took a few deep breaths. Skadi was like this. But was it true? She thought back to the last time a message had come to say Jormangundr needed taking care of. She had just passed it off on Thor.

"Maybe you're right," she said tiredly. "Do you want any help looking for your family?"

"Not from you," she said, giving me the dirtiest look in existence.

"Then I'm going to go look for Thor, and see why he can't sort Jormangundr out himself," Hel said, turning in the direction of Yggdrasil. "It's his job, who cares, everybody knows he's not dying until Ragnorak, why should I care, it's not like it's anything to do with me, just because he's my brother, but oh! That's right, they just blame everything on me, Baldr, Loki, bet they'll have broken into Hel by now and for some reason that'll be my fault too, well guess what, they can take their blame and shove it up their shiny golden holy-"

"You're talking to yourself," Skadi said.

"For, for," Swearing was hard when you were a deity that had fallen out with the others. "For my sake, can you not leave me alone? What have I done to make you so angry with me?"

Skadi

"I don't really know..." I said truthfully. "I do this everyday, maybe I'm angry because of something you did, not because of who you are." I said unknowing.

"Well when you find out can you please just tell me?"

"Sure." I started to leave.

"Please, please don't leave me." Hel begged.

I sighed, "fine let's go hunting." I said,

Hel-

Hel had no idea why she said that last part. The loneliness must have really been getting to her.

"Actually, I should probably head back," she said. "Some of the guys in the Western tunnel found a spoon and they're trying to dig through the ice... not that they're going to get anywhere, but if I leave them any longer, the wall's going to collapse and they'll be right into the room where I'm holding Baldr. Not holding, keeping. And he has his own room because he's a god. And plus the king of Sweden had a cold, so I need to go and check to see if he's dying."

Skadi frowned. "Your life is so sad."

"I know, I know. Blame Odin," I said. "Or my dad. Whom, if you see, tell him that the next time Jormangundr is threatening to kill us all, it's his call."

They began back on the road in the direction of Yggdrasil together, but Hel wasn't exactly sure where Skadi was heading. She certainly wasn't coming back with her. She'd probably stop at the bridge to her realm.

"But why can't you just leave it as it is?" asked Skadi. "I mean, do you ever get out?"

"No. Up in Valhalla they've got stuff sorted out, extra staff, Valkyries, Bragi lends Odin a hand with newcomers. There's just me. Oh, and the embodiments of Sloven and the Idler, but as you can guess, they're not very good."

She actually laughed at that. "You should just ask Odin for more help."

"And you think he'll accept? He thinks I kidnapped his son, Skadi, I doubt he'll listen to me."

"It doesn't seem fair," Skadi said. Hel smiled. Then it must have been true. The goddess of justice could tell if things were fair or not.

"It doesn't have to be," Hel said quietly. "Anyway, where are you going?"

Skadi

"I have no idea, maybe I should just.... follow you? Make sure you don't get hurt."

She laughed. "As if that has anything to do with it."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm the godess of justice."

"Yea.... tell me something new..."

"If someone kills you or hurts you-" I scrunched up my face, I had no idea where I was going with this.... "I'll- I'll feel bad." I lied.

[Idun]

"Hmm..." the goddess took a bite out of the apple, savoring the sweetness for a long moment.

Bragi stood there patiently, not a word passing between them during the silence. Finally, Idun tossed the unfinished apple to the ground where a squirrel--that should have died already a long time ago--scampered over and started nibbling on it.

"You're such a flirt!" she cried out, her giggles sounding like wind chimes blowing in the breeze. Idun kissed her husband's cheek and then pushed away from him before he got a chance to react. "And as promised..." she picked another apple and tossed it over to him.

"Catch me if you can!" the goddess sang out, her voice echoing off the trees as she danced away.

Bragi:

I chuckled as I watched her dance away. I quickly ate the delicious apple, and through the core down onto the ground. I raced after her lithe figure, reveling in her closeness.

Her giggles traveled through out the garden, sweet upon my ears. Finally, I snuck up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and holding her tightly so that she couldn't move. She squealed delightfully and I chuckled, my hot breath blowing on her neck. "Your such a little minx." I said roughly, teasingly.

Hel-

Hel lingered a little, squinting at Yggdrasil in the distance.

"I mean," she began. "We could always go up the tree instead of down," she said.

Skadi shrugged. "Whatever."

"Not that I really want to talk to any of the AEsir or anything, but I need to know what's going on." She sighed, and contemplated. What had happened to her kingdom this past age? A few messengers, Baldr of course, but really... nobody wanted it.

But it was hers and she didn't want anything to happen to it. She may hate the job assigned to her, but it was one that somebody had to do.

She shook her head, not knowing where this train of thought was leading.

"Right," she said. "I think, we should go see Odin and ask him what on earth is going on."

Odin

Odin and Geiir passed through the halls, through room after room after room, all filled with armoured soldiers and tables of wine and food: boar heads chewing on apples; beef stews filled with onion and gravy; big, hunky slabs of meat; bowls of rich, plump fruit; and thickly sliced bread.

"These are the halls of Valhalla and here my warriors stay, always prepared, always on the edge of readiness for battle. Through here, they train, sparring with one another to boost their individual strength." Odin paused, observing the current matches that were taking place across the stone arena. Geiir looked about himself in wonder, sure that the arch behind him had been a rich, marble door when opened from the other side and amazed to find that this room had no roof and appeared to be outside... but how could that be?

"Few people... few Gods have seen this far into my halls but you will see still further in time. Come, we will depart to the main room." Odin led the way back, passing through a different set of room - more proof that the hallways of Valhalla were extensive. And finally they were in that first, vast chamber again and at the side of the stone dais sat a messenger Valkyrie. Her auburn hair hung in braids and she stood as they approached, the chains of her armoured top clinking softly.

"Skadi and Hel have requested an audience with you," the Valkyrie said. Odin scowled. Their idea of request had probably been to storm up to his gates and demand to be admitted inside. Hel and Skadi could be very unpleasant at times.

"Send them in," Odin instructed, seating himself on the throne and indicating that Geiir should sit on the stone dais beside him. The handsome, young soldier obeyed, looking fierce but noble and finding, to his amazement, that his armour and body had repaired themselves and his sword was now back in its sheathe.

Hel-

She always enjoyed going up Yggdrasil. The Nine Worlds settled around the Life Tree, and she had spent so long at the roots it was something amazing to see the uppermost branches. Skadi walked alongside, occasionally muttering. In all fairness, Hel reckoned she could have worse company. Skadi was nearly as bitter and disdainful as she was, and even if they argued, Hel preferred it that way.

The rainbow bridge stretched out in front of them and Hel had to catch her breath. She had seen the golden bridge a thousand times, but this was something else. You had to hand it to them. Odin might be a self serving nasty old man, but he knew how to give a welcome.

She caught sight of a Valkyrie resting nearby.

"Tell Odin that Hel the goddess of the dead and Skadi the goddess of justice require an audience with him."

The Valkyrie stared hard at them before soaring away. A few minutes later, the gates of Valhalla opened a fraction.

"Guess we can go in," said Skadi. Hel nodded.

Valhalla was the opposite of the land of Hel. It was beautiful. No wonder people were going off to war, Hel would choose this over her own kingdom anyday.

The Valkyrie led them to the throne room.

"Hel, Skadi, to what do I owe the... pleasure?" Odin asked, a sneer stretching over his lips.

"I was sent an anonymous message this morning saying that Jormangundr, the Midgard Serpent, was threatening to crush the world, and that no others were available to stop him, not even his nemesis Thor," Hel said, practicing her formal speech. "On my way there, I met with the goddess of justice, whose family had disappeared. I have left my realm unattended and in the hands of a mortal and I demand to know what is going on." She drew breath, and looked to Skadi to say her part.

Skadi was staring at the dais, and for the first time, Hel noticed a mortal sitting there.

"Who is this?" asked Skadi.

Odin

"Allow me to introduce my newest warrior, Geiir." Odin waved his arm and calmly, Geiir stood and bowed neatly to the two Goddesses, a rather difficult task when one is wearing armour. His brown curls dipped into his soft, blue-grey eyes and he remained standing as Odin began his explanation:

"Far from here, in the world of man, across the ocean and atop a rocky mountain lives the ogre, Svenda and his family. You are likely to find Thor on his way there, rash and foolish as he is." Odin's fist trembled as he suppressed his anger and grief.

"Why should I believe you? What would Thor be doing there?" Hel demanded sourly.

"Attempting to rescue my daughter," Odin said simply. "If you would care to learn more, you may attend the council of Gods I have called tonight and if not, leave me to my troubles and deal with your own." Odin looked at them sharply and then slowly stood from his chair, his eyes softening just a little as he placed a hand upon Skadi's shoulder.

"I am sorry about your family, truly. I will help where I can once my daughter is safely home." With that, he turned and began to stride towards the holy doors, away from the halls of Valhalla. Geiir strode swiftly to his side and then both paused at the sound of Hel's voice:

"Odin..."

"Yes?" Odin asked stiffly.

*not sure what to do, so I'll just wing it*

Hel-

Hel walked towards Odin, flicking back her long hair. "What use would an ogre have for your daughter?" she asked slowly.

Odin did not turn.

"Leverage," Skadi said simply.

Hel frowned, piecing together information. She had heard much in the Underworld, snippets from mortals, messengers, and from her own scrying glass.

"There is a man in my realm who claims to have seen Svenda's home. He caught pneumonia soon later. It's an impenetrable fortress. Why would Thor be going?"

Odin shrugged. "I do not know. I cannot read his mind."

"Even with a thousand soldiers," Hel said, more to annoy Odin than anything. "You could never get in there. Not even with the great-" she snorted. "Warriors of Valhalla."

"Which is why I have called a council," Odin said. "We may pool our knowledge."

Hel snorted again. She knew Odin did not mean that. He did not consider any of the others more knowledgeable than himself.

"You want something else off us," she said bluntly. "It's not knowledge. It's alliegance."

"And what makes you think that?" Odin asked angrily.

Hel shrugged. She didn't know where she was heading, but it was nice to work him up. The gears of her mind were whirring though. Why would Svenda want leverage against Odin?

"Perhaps I'll come," she said finally. "If I can trust this isn't a ploy to get your other child out again." She refused to let this go. "You agreed he was mine. And there he'll stay, if you have any honour."

And with a shock she realised she had leverage against Odin.

None of the other three spoke, and Hel remained silent.

Odin

"There he stays," Odin agreed bitterly and he was glad that Hel could not see the sadness in his eyes. But he had cried already for his son and now he had a daughter to save. "Your presence here sullies my halls, Hel. Take your taunts and leave." He could feel her anger and knew a retort would be squirming its way to her mouth but instead came the sound of heavy footsteps as she stormed away.

"I will help you when I can, Skadi," Odin added. She made no response and her exit was quieter but Odin felt her absence in his halls. He felt the comings and goings of every being within his walls.

"Geiir, walk with me," Odin instructed. He led the way out into his gardens where many strong, beautiful plants grew.

"I want you to attend the council of the Gods with me," Odin explained. "And I want you to help me persuade them to join me."

"How will I do that?" Geiir asked.

"You're a good man, Geiir. The other Gos don't always trust what I tell them to be the truth. They are suspicious of me. But you are a good man and they will see that. You need only to tell them the truth."

"And what might that be, my lord?" Geiir's face settled into a frown as he tried to accustom himself with his new life. Everything felt strange to him, even the wind against his face and the ground beneath his feet did not feel right.

"That any who help me will be in my debt. And I will repay them with anything that is within my power."

hey

can I join?

If yes could I take Fenrir... you know the giant wolf.. son of Loki