Legendary

The first few days of Walpurgis passed quietly. I slept in and we were mostly all at our ease, except for the kitchen staff. We did some team training , but that was about it. Tony refused to tell me what he was working on for Odin. Bruce was working with him and just said that Tony wanted it to be a surprise so I'd have to wait. Drat. There were toasts to Odin before the feasts (with the very good mead) and the oldest skalds, like Braggi Boddison and Snorri Sturluson, recited epic poetry about the god. Later, musicians played. We were encouraged to talk, not just to our accustomed companions but to everyone, play games, and dance in order to strengthen our community and remind us that we were there for a purpose, however long it might take for Ragnarok. The valkyries were very popular companions, and not just because there wasn't an excess of women in Valhalla. We were treated with the utmost respect and courtesy during this time.

On the fifth day, however, there was a change in the game plan and we were informed by Odin of a coming battle. He charged us to weave and decide the fates of men.

Ok, no pressure. Twelve of us dressed in our white dresses, collected our armor and spears, and went to a building behind the huge one we used to weave cloth. It was set apart with trees and abutted a stream. The building was windowless, high-ceilinged, and had only one door, a massive ancient iron-bound oak panel. It was hard to open and discouraged trespass. We left our arms and armor at the door. Once we were inside, a faint tang of copper was in the air and the lights were lit. In the room was a large loom, ready to be warped. We gathered around the loom and started chanting. I'd never been instructed in any sort of chanting, but the words sprang to my lips nevertheless. We swayed as we chanted, and over time a weird energy charged the room. We all stopped chanting when the peak of the energy was reached although no signal was given. I was dazed when I came out of a trance-like state I'd fallen into. In a large tub behind us were intestines, covered in that translucent, pearly ichor. The others moved toward the tub and reached in. Carol turned toward me. "They aren't real," she said reassuringly. "They're representations, not reality. Any time we choose, it means that there's a battle and we need to know who among the slain will be brought to Valhalla. It is an augury, divination." I reluctantly approached the tub and pulled out a handful. They didn't feel like I imagine real intestines would, and, heartened by this, joined the others warping the loom. Then the weaving began. There were more chants, each of us with a different part to form a complex, intertwined whole. We began the weaving, using spears and arrows to beat the weaving flat and skulls for weights. The work went swiftly and smoothly, and just as the last thread was complete, the door opened and Odin stepped in. The chanting stopped at a perfect moment, the notes hanging in the air for a portentous second. We split, six to a side, and Odin walked between us in silence. He studied the weaving and spoke a few words. The energy of the air changed; it was charged and electric.

"It is time to ride, my valkyries," he said, and led us from the building. The door closed behind us and we put on our armor and took up our spears. We walked to the meadow where the winged horses congregated and we each chose a mount. A quick twist of reality, and we were on Asgard, where a battle with a race I'd never seen before was raging. I went forward and claimed my first warrior. I don't know how it happened, but I knew just who to raise. All twelve of us moved around the battlefield, making the choices, riding for Valhalla or Folkvangr and back. I took a few to Folkvangr myself and didn't mind; it was a duty and an honor to present the worthy souls. The ichor from the weaving room that had splashed on us was unobtrusive in Valhalla but blood red in Asgard. As I presented a soul to Odin, the compulsion I'd felt dropped away abruptly and I knew I was done. After the new soul turned away, I thanked the horse and dismissed it. It was late evening at Valhalla. We'd been at this for over twelve hours, local.

I trudged to my room, aching with weariness now that it was over. When I pushed open my door, I saw Tony sitting in the chair, which was positioned by the hearth where a warm fire burned. It made me realize how cold I was and shivered. He put down his book and stood as he looked at me, then he took my spear and shield, loosened the breastplate and removed my helmet. He put his arm around me and guided me toward the bathroom, where he turned on the shower, made sure there were towels, and closed the door behind him. It took a moment to summon the energy to pull off my dress and step into the shower. I washed quickly and thoroughly before stepping out, glad I kept my nightgown in the bathroom. I didn't have a robe yet, but I was too tired to care. When I got out, Tony drew me to the table where there was a meal waiting. I was famished and ate quickly. While I ate, he gently combed my hair to help it dry faster, and when I'd laid waste to everything, turned down the bed and tucked me in.

I slept almost until the noon meal the next day and was still fatigued. "Yeah, it's hard work. We're the conduits for the magic that selects the fallen. I mean, people like to say that we choose, but it's not like that," Heidi said, and I nodded, still quiet.

"Does that happen for everybody?" Tony asked. "It can't, though."

Irene nodded. "It's just for battles. When there's a lot of casualties, we need a way to quickly and easily separate the worthy, and there are a lot of variables on the battlefield. Strong men may break, the weak find their worth." She shrugged. "When individuals fall, Odin has the knowledge. That's a lot easier." I grimaced at the thought of my representative guts being woven as the battle with the aliens raged. Runa nodded.

"It happened to you too," she told me, smiling at my expression.

I rubbed the back of my head. "I don't know why I'm still so tired. I slept like a log when I got back and far past the time I usually get up."

"It was your first time weaving," Carol said matter-of-factly. "That really drains the energy out of you. Plus you chose more souls than the rest of us."

"Overachiever much?" Bruce quipped, and even I chuckled.

Dagny shrugged. "She is strong and gifted, which the magic recognized. Rest this afternoon, we are not excused from the festival celebrations just for fatigue," she said to me. "Besides, the really good food is served at night and you need to regain your strength." She picked at the cold lunch in a bit of dismay. We were spoiled.

After lunch, I accompanied Tony and Bruce back to the workshop; they needed an extra pair of hands. But not right away, it turned out, and I took a little nap until they were ready for me. They had long, narrow birchbark containers to be filled with a dark, granular substance that they didn't let me investigate.

"You'll find out if you're just patient," Tony said, grinning, patting my hand away. I rolled my eyes and held the containers steady as they quickly packed the tubes and then it was my turn; it was easier for my smaller hands to place clay seals near the top of the tubes. I wasn't really paying a lot of attention until I saw the string coming out, and it hit me what they'd made. But Tony wanted to surprise me, so I covered my gasp with a cough. Don't think I fooled Bruce, though, he gave me a sharp look. When we were done, Tony told me to go relax, and I went back to my room, where I alternated between dozing and reading until it was time to get ready for the celebration. My curiosity was on fire, wondering what kind of fireworks they'd managed to make and if they came in colors.

It was finally the last night of Walpurgis, the most highly anticipated night of the festival. Given that it was such a solemn and sacred night, I took extra care with my appearance by making my hair wavy and putting it up attractively with pretty hairpins and wearing a new gown, a light and soft raspberry pink wool with a round neck, bell sleeves, buttons up the bodice rather than lacing, and a pretty, full skirt. The wide neckline framed my Asgardian necklace beautifully. I'd managed to embroider a simple pattern around the hems for decoration to make the dress special. It was still chilly at night and I took a light cloak with me for later.

I arrived at the meadow as dusk was gathering. When we had assembled, the honor of lighting the bonfire was awarded to Freydis Eriksdottir, and all of us lined up with splints , which we quickly took to our own hearths, lit the fires waiting there, and returned to the meadow. After that, we valkyries served the ritual feast; we ate sitting on rugs in the meadow. My experience in my mom's restaurant served me well and I efficiently served my allotment of diners. When everybody was replete, everything was cleared away and merriment began. There was singing and dancing around the bonfire and socializing farther away. As midnight approached, the bonfire burned low and the celebrating crowd drew still. When it was completely silent, the bonfire was extinguished and the only light came from the moon. The very air felt tight. Then all at once that pressure was released; the bonfire was relit. Tony set off his fireworks at the same time. The green, white, and gold sparks silenced the crowd absolutely before it roared its approval at the spectacular return of light. We served a special mead, very potent, and the revelry hit a new pitch. I was drawn along with the others as the crowd filtered into the forest that surrounded the meadow on all sides.

Soon I was alone, walking among the trees, lightheaded from the wine, tripping here and there over the luxurious green groundcover that had appeared everywhere the past few days. The tree trunks were rough under my fingers, and a fog was creeping in. I found myself at the cherry trees and knew that Tony's workshop wasn't far from the orchard. I wondered if he was there or if maybe he was wandering in the forest, yearning like I was. I heard steps behind me and turned.

It was Tony. He kept walking toward me, and I knew he must have followed. My heart stuttered and I put out my hand. He took it, then swept me up in his arms and kissed me. It ebbed and flowed from a gentle exploration of my mouth to a hot, demanding plunder and back to tender. I felt a tree at my back and finally surrendered, fully opening myself to the experience. He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and ran his fingers down to the top button of my dress, which he slowly opened, giving me every opportunity to say no. The next button was opened a little faster, and so on until my dress was open to the waist. Slowly again, he slid his hand inside my dress, over my ribs, and up to my breast. I caught my breath at the sensation and pulled his head down for another dizzying kiss. He started to drag my skirt up impatiently, our breathing hard and uneven, stroking my thigh, again giving me an opportunity to refuse. I reached inside his pants instead, drawing him out and stroking him before putting my leg around his hip and positioning him at my entrance. I felt molten with desire that only increased as he eagerly pressed inside me and began to thrust. One arm kept my leg up while the other hand laced with mine and was pinned to the tree. I held onto his arm as his pace began to increase. It was silent apart from the sounds we made, the fog muffling sound and enhancing my sense of privacy. When I came, I felt like something had exploded inside me, so intense I was limp and only he kept me upright, increasing his pace, almost frantic, until he found his peak. I came again, more weakly, and together we sagged to the ground.

But on this night there was no respite, and our mouths caught again. He opened my dress, dragging the bodice down to my waist and exposing me to him. I freed my arms from the sleeves and sank my fingers into his hair. He kissed his way down to my breasts and began to kiss and knead and stroke and nip, sparking that fire inside me again. This time he laid me down and speared into me quickly. There was the desire and need I felt for him, but beyond that, I felt a vastness connected with the earth I lay on, deep and rich and warm, ready to be planted and return bounty. There was a promise of fulfillment and completion, but I was too caught up in the roaring torrent in my veins, the necessity of him moving inside me, the need to-- the need to just lose myself in this moment, in what Tony and I were doing, how he made me feel. This time my peak was almost brutal in the intensity and pleasure and it was almost terrifying how much I felt. A great gush of energy rolled away from me as I shuddered. He slammed into me, back arching as he froze, then gulped for air, almost sobbing, before dropping down on me. I put my arms around him and we lay like that until I felt a hardening inside me again. Desire raced through me with every heartbeat and my muscles regained their tension as we began to move again. This time I rolled him over and took charge, giving him access and time to put his hands all over my body. He tore the pins from my hair when I leaned forward, letting my hair spill down around us and burying his hand in the strands. This time I teased him, keeping our pace slow and teeth-grittingly erotic. He teased me too, taking me to the edge of orgasm several times before backing off and building me up again. Finally my need consumed me and I sped my movements until another climax ravaged my body. Throughout it all, there was a heavy sense of the waking land, the promise of sun and rain and growth and harvest, and I felt a broad connection with the rites and the fierce primacy of the mating my body was experiencing. He groaned, heavy and almost tortured, and we stilled.

This wild and primal sex continued, abandoned from all restraint and sense, until near dawn. The pace and movements varied, but the consuming passion never failed. With those final raw orgasms, the need that had been riding us gently receded and we slept briefly, exhausted.

I woke up, entwined with him, covered somewhat haphazardly by our cloaks. I was amazed that he'd had the energy to think of it. False dawn had stolen into the orchard and a stiff, gusty breeze kicked up, shaking the tree limbs and showering us with dew and petals. Tony woke up and we looked at each other, our noses nearly touching.

"How do you feel?" he asked tentatively.

"Exhausted but so amazed," I said promptly, my voice hoarse. I expected to be really sore, but there was nothing but a mild, pleasurable ache. "You?"

"The same," he said, then hesitated. "I thought it would be different. I thought it would just be an opportunity to get close to you. I didn't expect that. At all."

"I was told that it was special," I admitted. "But I was hoping I'd find you among the trees." A guarded hope warmed his eyes and he turned his face for a kiss. This was gentle with enduring warmth, unlike the tempests we'd ridden earlier. I ended the kiss softly. "But there's more to do. A celebration for the rites of spring." I sat up reluctantly and his eyes flared, but he helped me find the sleeves to my dress, pull it back up, button up the bodice. We stood, and my legs were still unsteady. Tony smirked, but put my skirt to rights and I helped him do the same with his clothing. My cloak hid most of the stains on the dress. I put my hair into a chignon and pushed the pins back in so I wouldn't lose them. We tried to brush off the petals from the cherry blossoms, but it was harder than I expected. They were picturesque but pesky as hell.

"So I was thinking," he said as we got ourselves oriented in the misty remains of the fog.

"That's dangerous," I said playfully, and he patted my hand on his arm.

"So after I gather tree boughs and you gather flowers--" he paused as I turned away, picking some unusual white flowers growing in the drifts of the groundcover "--we do the Maypole, have the feast, that maybe you'd come to my rooms with me. We could sleep." There was a rare current of shyness as he spoke.

"I'd like that. We could sleep first," I suggested, then winked, picking a few flowers at each group we came to as he cut the bough of a hawthorne tree. I stopped. "I completely forgot to congratulate you on your fireworks! They were terrific." We continued back to the meadow, him explaining how he formulated the fireworks, moving briskly but not in a hurry, stealing kisses as we went. At the meadow, we separated, him to do whatever with his branches and me to drop off the flowers to make the wreath for the Maypole, which was being erected as we walked.

Carol and Irene were also bringing in their flowers. They had a lot more colored wildflowers than I did. "What is this one?" I asked, holding up one of the white flowers. Their eyes widened when they saw how many I was carrying and then, as one, they smirked.

"It's the May flower, blooms only on this day," Irene said.

"As a consequence of successful fertility rites," Carol picked up. "The more successful, the more flowers bloom in your vicinity. You must have had... quite a wild night. It's all about about fulfilled passion, the most compatible partners for the night. And who might be the one who made all these flowers possible?" she asked playfully.

"Tony," I said. And smiled.

They laughed. "And you got lucky under a blooming cherry tree," Irene said, picking at the petals we'd given up on. "Good omen for the next year. It'll take some time to get this shindig all together, so we can take a bit of it and get cleaned up if we hurry."

We did just that, and it was in a different dress that I rejoined the celebration. The garlands were being placed on the tables brought out for the feast that would follow, and I was just in time to help make the wreath. I took a place at the May pole, Tony standing in the opposite direction as my partner, and we began to wind our way around the pole, the ribbons covering the post and the wreath gradually descending. It was quite ribald, considering the night before, and I couldn't help laughing. The ribbons were wound completely and we released them to let the wreath drop, then reversed the dance and freed the pole. Following that, the meal was put out on the tables and we served ourselves, enjoying the warming temperatures and sun, eating on the grass again and relaxing. Then we strolled off, my hand on his arm, back to his room.

But once we were inside, he seemed uncertain, leaning against the door. "What are we doing here, Alex?" he asked quietly.

"I thought we were going to sleep for awhile, and then maybe we could have sex again," I said. His expression didn't ease, and I sighed. "In the long term? I don't know. But if you're asking how I really feel about you, here it is. I haven't always loved you. When I first met you I thought you were a twit. Then when I worked in your robotics lab in high school, I developed a little schoolgirl crush on you until you freaked out and I quit," I admitted for the first time, flushing a little. "When I went to work with you in the energy lab, I respected you and was grateful for your mentoring. And I really came to like you, the person sitting across that partners desk, eating cookies and talking. Value you, the good and the...not so good. But since I've been here, the friendship that I felt got deeper and richer and more prized until I recognized it as love. I just didn't know how you felt, if your feelings might have changed too, and I was too afraid of upsetting our balance by asking." I drew a deep breath; his eyes dropped from my face down to my breasts, then back up again lightning fast. "But last night gives me hope. So I'm not as afraid to admit that I love you and to ask how you feel about me."

"A crush, huh?" he asked, smirking faintly. "And why would you have had a crush on me?"

I rolled my eyes. Seriously, this was what he wanted to talk about? "Oh, I don't know, your lively intellect, sparking sense of humor? And you treated me with respect, for the most part. I know you initially were inclined to hire me because of Emma and Bucky, but you listened to me, and for an awkward teenage girl, that's incredibly heady. You have no idea how potent you are."

He looked a little anxious. "Yeah, about that time, Alex, I'd like to apologize for the way that turned out. My mental health was... not good."

"Yeah, I know." I inched closer to him. "Still smashed my crush good and flat. But that was good, in the long run. It removed some illusions I'd had. And it allowed me to get a really great job at Wayne," I said, twitting him a little.

"So why did you come back?" he asked, not moving.

"Because I grew up," I said simply. "A little time, a little distance, more maturity and experience, I understood better. And from little things Bucky and Emma spoke of over the years, I knew you'd gotten help. But the underlying things I admired about you were still there, your brain, your wit, your generosity, your desire to figure things out, to know things. So that was why I partnered with you and Bruce in my failed business at first; Bruce was the safety net in case you were more fragile than I thought. But you were stronger than I expected, and that's why I went upstairs and back into your lab."

"Our lab," he corrected, then levered himself off the door.

"Then when I got here, you were no longer my boss, just my friend. And later, when my feelings were changing, there wasn't the age gap. And I have an important job here too. I feel like we're equals."

"Alex, you've always been a better person than me. I aspire to be your equal," he said, finally moving toward me. I stepped toward him and he took my hand. A spark of static electricity leaped between us as he kissed the palm and the place in my wrist where my pulse beat.

"We can argue about that later," I said a little breathlessly. "I'm done with timidity and last night gave me hope that you're at least attracted to me."

"Oh, I'm more than attracted to you," he murmured, an exciting roughness edging his voice. "I feel things for you." My head fell back so that our lips were touching. "Things that include love. "

"Oh, yeah? What else might that include?" He affected me like the strongest drink and I watched his mouth as he spoke.

"Admiration, respect, curiosity, lust..." he nipped my bottom lip. "Lately I've wanted to put you on your back and get between your thighs."

I stepped back and grinned wickedly at him. "Only on my back? That's kind of weak tea, Sparky. I thought, that with your creativity and imagination, that you could do better than that."

"Sparky?" Amusement warred with arousal on his face.

"Energy fairly snaps off you," I said impatiently. And winked. "And there are sparks between us."

"That there are," he said, catching me in his arms. "And just so you know, I have a vivid imagination. With your strength and flexibility, I can devise positions for us to try until Ragnarok comes."

"So I know I said nap first, wild sex later, but I wondered if we could shake up that order," I said breathlessly, loosening the laces on my dress and shrugging out of it. It slid down my body to pool on the floor. His eye went from warm to lava and he ripped the shirt over his head. He forgot to undo the laces at his cuffs, so we had to get that untangled, and I got him out of his pants myself before sliding between the sheets. I remembered to take down my hair, tossing the pins on the table. I patted my lap, watching his erection grow. "Wanna play?"

He pounced on me, and we kissed, our hands roving. I found myself on top, aching for him, and sat up. "I don't want to be boring," he said huskily, "but I'd like to watch your face. I didn't really get to see that last night." I understood; last night had been mostly about sensation rather than sight.

I eased him inside me, enjoying the stretch, and began to rock. "I want that too," I purred. He ran his hands up my thighs and left one on my hip while the other caught my breast. I smiled. "And here, these beauties don't have to worry about age or gravity anymore."

He groaned. "I knew I liked this place."

As I moved, I paid attention to what he liked the most, trying to maximize his pleasure and mine. "Oh, god," he gasped. "That thing with your hips--do it again." I did, and he thrust his fingers between us to make me come, just before he did. As his breathing slowed, he relaxed, and I reluctantly eased off. He moved over so that I would have the warm place where he'd just been. It was chilly in the chamber.

Later, I woke up needing the bathroom and found myself covered by Tony. Our legs were twined together, his body overlapping mine and his arm across me. I started to wiggle free. "Don't go, Alex," he mumbled.

"Just to the bathroom," I promised, and he reluctantly rolled back. He engulfed me again when I got back, and when we woke up, we'd missed dinner and it was late at night. He put on some pants and his shirt, then brought back some snacks that he kept in his workshop. After that, we made some forays into creativity, then we went to sleep. The holidays were over, and work waited the next day.