Odd
It happened fast. He made sure of it. He had taken the child in his arms, wraped up like an infant, and rushed back to camp. He didn’t stop to eat: he left behind one of his companions to pick up and took a monture to ride back right away. The boy was freezing. Literaly freezing, not so slowly, to death.
On the way he only slowed down for a moment to put together a little magic spell on a rock, that became hot to the touch, and gave it to him to hold against his chest.
But during the ride, he found with frustration that the child was falling asleep.
‘Don’t. Don’t even close your eyes. Keep your eyes opened!’ he told him, several times throuout the journey, but it seemed like he couldn’t hear him.
Thiazi put a spell on the room, shielding the space from the temperature on the rest of the castle and they lit as much fire in it as posible, lighting it with what was uncomon warmth in the realm.
Laufey had just finished dinner and was talking with some members of his court, before retiring to his chambers, when a servant came running.
“Your grace, Lord Helblindy just returned with an emergency”
Laufey started a fast pace towards the lower levels of the castle
“was there and accident?”
“No, your grace. He found something precious, but its fragile. He’s called for Lord Thiazi to help with it”
Thiazi was the best magician in the realm. Wich was not saying much, given the situation since war.
Laufey was directed to an empty guest room. There, both Helblindy and Thiazi crouched over the bed. The place was iluminated with fire torches on each corner, and in the center, by a small fire seated on a rock table that served as an improvised fire holder.
Odd. Jotnar didn’t need warmth to survive or even be confortable. They used other means for ilumination, and fire wasn’t even easy to lit and maintain in the enviorement.
“what is the cause of this?”
Helblindy smiled at him like he was about to reveal the prank of the century. He gestured towards the bed. The king came closer, and Thiazi steped aside for him to see.
It was a little child. Tiny, in fact. It wasn’t even jotnar.
Helblindy contempled with absolutle glee his uncle’s face as he took in the pale skin and the golden hair of the creature in the bed.
“What is this?”
“A child”
“Helblindy, don’t play with this”
The young lord stopped grinning and crouched a little to tell his father
“an asgardian child, father. Odin’s, aparently”
Laufey needed a moment to process this concept and compose himself. Helblindy grinned again.
That is impossible. It is forbidden to travel to and from our realm. The portals are closed.
“And yet, here he is” Helblindy made a gesture with his hand, towards the ovbious bundle in the bed
“This is no lauthing matter! If what you say is true, do you realice the consecuences it could entail?”
“well, should I have let him to die in the snow?”
When Laufey’s complaint about the boy’s pressence seemed to be over, Helblindy turned to the spell caster.
“How is he thrieving?”
Thiazi had a hand placed on the boy’s forehead as he spoke.
“I am no expert in warm medicine, your grace. But if cold was the thing killing him, it seems to be receasing now”
He turned to his king and lord “Cold or not he must be exausted. He will need rest and warm food”
“What if he dies, and the All Father finds him here?”
“What if he dies, and the All Father finds him in the snow, withing the range of my hunting party?”
“The Aesir can not be reasoned with. We will allways be to blame for everything in their eyes. This,” he gestured towards the boy “Makes no difference”
Helblindi lowered his head, looking, for a moment, sligtly sorry.
“You are right, of course. But, if everything is lost, then what is wrong with me trying something new?”
And rose with a smile. The smile a little kid shows when he knows you know he is up to no good.
Laufey took a deep breath and walked to the door. He didn’t even turn around when he said “notify me when he wakes up” and left.
He knew he wouldn’t be catching any sleep anytime soon.
Helblindi inclined towards Thiazi and said “Notify me first” before he too, left.
Thiazi took a deep breath, and sat by the sleeping aesir prince.
Aparently, he was now responsible for his care.
The temperature in the room was beareable, but he didn’t fancy sitting in it for hours to come. Maybe longer.
…he really should save his energy if he was to nurse the child.
So, he called for a servant to take his place, got up, craked his old bones, and went to sleep.
Finding herself alone, the servant walked as close as she dared to the sleeping form.
He looked realy tiny on the giant sized bed. Only his face paeked over the covers, with pale skin, rosy cheeks and golden hair.
Odd.
And to think this tiny creature would grow to be a barbarian like the ones who destroyed the kigndom.
She was startled by a tall figure coming up behind her. Another servant. It was the old Ongr, nursemaid of the prince.
“you are dismissed” she said. And the servant girl scattered away.
As soon as she did, however, the ilusion of Ongr banished, and a small figure came from behind the curtains.
It was long past his bed time, but the little prince had noticed something important was happening in the castle and he couldn’t sleep if he tried. Hiding behind the curtains, waiting for everyone to leave, and specially casting that ilusion had been tiring, but the results proved fruitfull!
Loki climbed onto the bed, and found himself frozen in shock at the sight:
Stories did not exagerate when describing the Aesir: silky gold-colored hair, white sking tainted with just a bit of the pink you sometimes find in the sky…
And the size. This boy was the size of Loki.
The thought alone was exciting. But… could it be for real?
Just to be sure, Loki crawled to the other side of the bed, where there was plenty of space, and he carefully placed his feet at the same level as the other boy’s.
Then he lied down, and looked at him.
…and the Aesir boy was still taller than him. Damnit!