The Hybrid

Wherever Thor was taking me, It was quite a way down. If this was the way Thor planned on killing me, it has to be said that this was well thought out. But Fandral did tell him if he even hurt a hair on my head, it would be his last breath.
"I am overthinking this. Thor's not going to kill me." He knows better. And he knows that I can put up a hell of a fight. And let's be honest, I wouldn't hesitate to tear him limb from limb. But only if it meant saving my skin. I still have unfinished business and haunting the likes of Thor Odinson was not on that list.

Regardless, when we reached the bottom of this valley, we stopped outside a dark wooden door with a strange crest carved onto it.
"I don't think I have ever seen a crest like this"
"It's your father's family crest" Thor placed his hand on the hand and pushed the door open "Do you know what these lands are?" Thor asked.
"Other than muggy and muddy? There seems to be an awful amount of flies everywhere. Did someone step in shit?" I shrugged, Thor stared at me. I'm guessing that my humour was not going to be tolerated today "I haven't a clue. I thought I saw this place when Fandral and I went hunting."
"This place was first built when Volstagg's great-grandfather got kicked out of Asgard" Thor flicked a switch and we walked along a hallway.
"What did he do?"
"Taught my father how to shoot a bow. Turns out that with my father having only one eye, didn't have the greatest of vision, shot his father in the ass" Thor sighed, looking at me over his shoulder.
"Oh my days" I chuckled. Are all Asgardians mischievous? Thor grinned before opening the doors to a vast library on the other side.
"The lands we stand on were your great-great-grandfather Aegir Calland claimed in his name and for his family. He had originally planned to build a town here but his sons refused to leave Asgard. By the time he died, all he had built was this and this is the Calland hold. This is the centuries of research and work of Calland for generations"
"Mother told me about this place... I didn't know I was related to him!" I could hardly contain myself, "This is THE Calland hold?"
"Your mother told you about this?"
"I had only heard stories. She told me that a Calland had taught her how to fight and hunt" I carefully walked down the stairs to the solid oak lectern in the middle of the room "It's organized I see?"
"Only after Sif got hold of it," Thor nodded. That honestly does not surprise me in the slightest "You do know how to read, right?" I stared a hole through him, my face completely blank.
"I think this is the letter A?" I pointed to the letter B.
"That's B" Thor pinched his nose "I do not have the time to teach you"
"I was being sarcastic" I sighed "My mother told me that she taught you. So, Yes. I can read" I glanced over the index. There's a good amount of weapons here.
"And they didn't burn you at the stake for being a witch?" he joked darkly. I rolled my eyes.
"That would be the last thing that I would be burned for. Being a Hybrid or a Volstagg's bastard would be higher up the list. I don't think they're going to care about me being able to read"
"Good. Calland was an amazing hunter. he hunted both people and animals" Thor took a seat on the steps, "If we're going to take out my sister and her friends then you will need a bit of training. Everything in here is a how-to manual on killing monsters, vampires included."
"You know I can fight and hunt, right?" I crossed my arms.
"I do. But you lack discipline. you struggled to stop when we were fighting Booskans" Thor frowned at me. He had a point. "All you got to do is learn a little self-control and you will be good to go"
"And reading is going to help with that?"
"Thank you, Thor," I smiled a bit, "I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, but-" Thor held up a hand to shut me up.
"I am going to stop you right there. Do not start with sentimental bullshit. We don't need it. What else is a family good for if not the occasional butting heads? Your mother and I were the same way. No better place to start than the bottom, right?"
"I guess you're right" I want to hear more stories about Thor and my mother growing up "But you know... as much as I would love to start right away, I could use a drink."
"I better go see if there is anything in the pantry" Thor got up from his spot on the stairs and started working his way back up.
"The wine cellar is just left of the front door," I directed him. He stopped in the middle of his ascent.
"How do you know that?"
"heightened senses. It comes in handy," I smirked, "I can smell a good ale from miles away and I smelled it when I walked in."
"You really are something else." Thor leaned over the rail, a hint of a smile on his face.
"While I didn't ask to be... what I am. But that doesn't mean I can't make it work in my favour from time to time."
"Defitently Layla's daughter. I'll be right back," he waved me off and headed back to the top. A good drink and the entire Calland library to peruse at my leisure. I do love a good library the capital of Jouthheim had a fantastic library that was floors high.

While Thor was gone, I wandered through the aisles and aisles of books the Calland family had been keeping for centuries. This was what Mother always told me about. She said that when she was younger and went on adventures with Thor and the Warriors Three, they always ended up in a big library. I didn't think that I would ever see it myself. This was the work of the entire Calland family. My family.

As I got deeper and deeper into it, I found a wall of nothing but portraits of different Calland throughout the ages.
"So there's Aegir, Bjorn, Erik, Magnus, Ivar, Leif and..." my voice trails off as I glance at the man with red hair. Something in his eyes felt familiar. As I looked at the plague, I understood why. They were the same as mine. I placed my hand over the plague "You must be Volstagg Calland" Now, I understand why my mother never spoke a bad word against him. This man looked as welcoming as a teddy bear. Generations of Calland covered these walls and filled these shelves with every piece of knowledge they could find and any other miscellaneous knickknacks they may have found on their travels. And now, I could finally see it with my own two eyes. I took a seat on the floor under Volstagg's portrait.

I pulled my knees up to my chest. I've always managed to wear my bravery-like armour along with my power. But I'm scared. Because of what I am, I had something wonderful and it was taken away from me. Now that I've been reunited with Thor and Sif and Fandral, I don't want that to go away, too.
"I wish you were here with me, mama" Laughing in these halls again. Like you did all those years ago. I felt heavy tears bubbling up in the back of my throat...and falling from my eyes.
"Should I come back later?" Thor came around the corner with a bottle of ale in each hand.
"Please stay" I begged, wiping my eyes.
"I don't handle crying very well" he shifted awkwardly. Right, got to love that manly thing. I rolled my eyes and patted the floor.
"Stay" I pulled myself together again, "I don't want to be down here alone."
"You should be fine here" Thor glanced around the room, "It's not going to cave in. You're perfectly safe down here."
"Crack that ale open" I insisted. Thor smiled as he slunk down next to me.
"I am going to need one too" he sighed as he popped the cork on the bottle, "I couldn't find any glasses, though, so you are going to have to make do with drinking the bottle."
"Every bottle is its own glass if you're brave enough," I snatched the bottle from his hand and took a heavy drink from it.
"Your father thought the same" Thor chuckled to himself, "I've never really done the whole kid/responsible adult thing."
"Let's face it, Thor, You've never been the responsible one" I insisted. I put the bottle on the floor between us, "I want to say thank you"
"For what?"
"For not killing me on sight when you found out what I was... you know and not for not rejecting me entirely."
"You belong in this room just as much as I do, Rory" Thor shook his head, taking his own drink, "I don't have any intentions of killing you, maiming you, or mutilating you in any way, shape, or form. And I never will. I do not want your mother or father haunting me. You're safe here."
"What made you finally believe that I was Layla's daughter or Volstagg's for that matter?" I wondered, taking the bottle back.
"When I saw you fight in Tonsberg. I saw Layla in you" he admitted, "Although, when I saw you drink, I saw Volstagg. Although, I still couldn't believe that Layla slept with Volstagg"
"Well, clearly she did or I wouldn't be sitting here, drinking with you"
"But do you know what really sold it for me?" Thor took the bottle back and threw another drink down his throat, "I heard what you said to Fandral earlier. When you were talking about what you do when you killed the foxes"
"What about it?"
"When you say you show your kill the proper respect," Thor shook off the thought of me having to feed, "Your mother used to do the same. I used to think it was a Frost Giant thing"
"It was the one thing she always taught me after every kill" I assured him, "Although, I would be lying if I said I didn't give consideration to integrating myself into some sort of aristocracy. You know, I could have been Asgardian royalty." I laughed. Hard to think that was 24 hours ago.
"No, you couldn't," he saw through me. I took a swig of the bottle.
"And why do you say that?"
"Because your mother is in your head," Thor assumed.
"All the time" I nodded, "She's always been my guiding light"
"I know what you mean" he took another drink. I looked into my bottle. I'm surprised it's empty. Though, It will be soon.
"Your parents were my best friends. Growing up with Layla. She always tried to guide me on the straight and narrow. I was just too busy being me to realise" Thor confessed, unable to even make eye contact with me.
"Did you love my mother"
"Only as my best friend" Thor sighed.
"I wonder if my father's other kids are out there" I looked up at the ceiling. I looked over at Thor for some answers but he looked away "Ah. I take it by your silence that I am the end of the Calland family."
"Afraid so"
"That is not depressing whatsoever" I threw back another one "So what can you tell me about my father?"
"When we were much younger, your father led Hogun, Fandral, me and my brother Loki in Hel, fighting against all of its hordes for forty days and nights. Eventually, Hogun was hurt and forced to retreat, Loki refusing to follow them. Volstagg was stabbed and I had to defeat the horde by himself, while Loki cared for the oaf" Thor grinned.
"Stubborn man then?"
"oh for sure. His heart was always in the right place whatever he was doing. his head... not so much but I think that is because he had a concussion one too many times" Thor grinned.
"A trait I share then" I smiled as I downed the last of my ale.
"Did your mother ever tell you about your Uncle Magnus? He travelled the 9 realms on a screaming goat" I couldn't keep a smile off my face if I wanted to.
"Sorry. Just the name Magnus makes me laugh"
"You're just like your mother. If not a little worse." Thor grumbled under his breath, "Thank you," I gave him a grateful nod, "I will take that as a compliment."
"But you drink like your father"
"Is that a good thing?"
"Aurora, allow me to be serious" Thor shuffled so he was now facing me "You are wise, discerning and kindhearted. These are qualities that came from your mother. But you are also passionate and fearless and forthright. And these are gifts from your father. Both were exceptional people who bore an exceptional daughter."
"I thought you didn't want to be all sentimental tonight" I smiled, yawning "Sorry, It's been a long couple of days."
"Well" Thor unfurled a blanket that had been stuffed away on one of the shelves "Do want to sleep here or I can carry you to bed?"
"I can walk" I shot him down, pulling that blanket a little tighter over me and my eyelids getting heavier.
"Your eyes have stopped glowing. Take you are feeling better?" Thor pointed to my eyes. I nodded. must be getting used to the climate of this realm. Thor pushed himself up and offered his hand to me, "Let's get you to bed. We can tackle this in the morning"

We quickly left the library. Thor tried to encourage me to sleep here but I wasn't familiar with the smells here so we walked back to Fandral's house.
"I have to ask, Why were you in Fandral's bed when Sif and I got here?" Thor looked to the sky to see the birds flying over. The sunset looked beautiful today.
"It's where I crashed. His house was the first place I thought of when it all went to shit with Hela. Until I met you, he was all I considered left of my family." I told Thor about that day at the beach.
"If you knew Fandral when you were younger," Thor wondered, "Did you ever meet Hogun?"
"I don't think so. Mama said he went crazy twenty years ago. He kept having visions of Ragnarok" I nodded.
"He went crazy. He once claimed that a half-breed would bring down Hell"
"Well if he is on about me then please assumed that I will be shouting at Satan until he admits he was just keeping the chair warm for me" I giggled.
"That doesn't surprise me at all" Thor rolled his eyes as he closed the library's door.
"So where is Hogun?"
"Haven't seen him in well over a decade. He was on Asgard last time I saw him" Thor looked to the floor "I hope he is okay"
"Maybe one day you will find out" I fist-bumped Thor's shoulder.

Soon we emerged back to the top, I assume Fandral had already gone to bed. The two of us headed into Fandral's house and upstairs to the windy maze of hallways that weren't difficult to get lost in. Honestly, this house is so large that I wouldn't mind getting lost in here for a while. It'd be so nice to wander aimlessly in here.

All that aside, Thor and I passed the observatory and we found the guest room. If I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, I knew I had the option of the observatory without waking anyone. Thor sat at my bedside for a brief moment while I got nestled into bed.
"So the plan for tomorrow morning is that you and I will go back into the hold. okay?"
"Okay," I laid my head on the pillows, ready to fall asleep as soon as Thor left.
"Good night, Rory" He got up and started walking toward the door.
"Good night, Sparkles"
"Listen, you little shit," Thor shoved his finger in my face. Only to come down in his next breath, giggling to himself, "Get some sleep, Kid"

A few minutes later, I felt something warm nuzzle warm its way into my bed. I looked at the bottom of the bed and spotted a black wolf. Smiling, I shuffled around so the wolf could have some more space.
"Good night to you, Fluff." I knew Fandral would send you after me.