A/N: Here is the beginning of my next Loki and Ava story. I hope you guys enjoy :) Please read and review?
Loki's sword clashed with Fandral's as the two sparred. Thor, Sif, Hogun, and Volstag sat on the sidelines, watching the mock battle of swordsmanship. Thor was of course cheering his little brother on. "You are an excellent swordsman, Fandral." Loki said, smiling as the two locked swords.
Fandral returned the smile. "I do work hard to be so."
"You should work harder." Loki replied, as he managed to gain the upper hand. He pushed Fandral back and knocked his sword from his hand, causing it to fly far from the warrior. He then knocked Fandral down and held his sword point at the other warriors throat. "As I said, you are excellent, but I am better."
Fandral laughed. "It would appear that way, Loki."
Loki removed his sword away from Fandral and sheathed it. He then offered the warrior his hand. Fandral accepted and allowed the young prince to help him up. "Perhaps you need to spend a little less time chasing women and a little more time practicing."
"Ah, but all work and no play makes for a very unhappy and down-trodden warrior." Fandral replied. "Perhaps you need to find yourself in the company of a woman more often."
Sif rolled her eyes at the two men. Sometimes she wondered why she preferred to spend her days as a warrior with these men than in the company of other ladies. Of course when she did spend time with the other ladies, she knew why. She had a fighter's spirit through and through. When she spent so much time with other ladies, she would go mad from the dullness of it all.
"Don't roll your eyes, Sif." Fandral said. "You know you love our antics and banter."
"Come now, let us eat on this delicious meal we have packed." Volstag said, pulling out sacks of food from the saddle bags on his horse.
"You and your stomach, my friend." Thor teased.
"He is not the only one with a hefty appetite, Brother." Loki replied with a grin.
"True, you have a rather monstrous appetite yourself, Thor." Fandral agreed.
Thor shot his brother and his friends a glare. Of course it didn't last very long, he truly couldn't stay angry with them. He ended up laughing as he looked at their amused faces. The group enjoyed their meal. They talked, laughed, and made jokes at each other's expense, and had a good time. They were soon back to sparring, this time Sif against Loki.
The house of Lord Hagar of Asgard…
Ava finished scrubbing the last of the floors in her father's home. She wiped the sweat from her brow on the sleeve of her dress. She rose from her knees and picked up the bucket of sudsy water at her side. "Well, that is the windows washed, the floors scrubbed, the counters clean, the silverware polished, the shelves dusted, and the dishes clean." She said to herself. "Tomorrow I will attend to the washing and polishing of my father's armor."
She walked out the back door and dumped the dirty water from her bucket into the yard. She then went to the stables to check on the horses before closing up for the evening. "I'll also need to spend some time in the fields tomorrow." She said to herself as she walked the gardens she kept in such good care. The gardens also supplied what little money they had coming into their household.
Ava walked back into the house as the sun began to set. She knew her father wouldn't return home for several more hours. She was not looking forward to his return home. She never did. She went about preparing the house for his return, throwing some bread in the oven to bake. She had his slippers and robe ready as well. The bread was ready about twenty minutes before her father would return, which was plenty of time for it to cool.
Ava did a double check of making sure she had everything just the way her father liked it. She let out a small sigh of relief when she saw that everything was the way it should be. Her father was soon walking in the door…stumbling rather. "Ava!" He called in a slurred shout. "Ava!"
Ava rushed to her father's side. "Welcome home, Father." She greeted, trying her best to keep her tone pleasant, though she truly hated this.
Hagar let out a grunt at his daughter's welcome. He didn't look at her as she had greeted him nor would he speak to her other than to call her name to give her some order or other.
Ava helped her father to his chair in the sitting room. She knelt down at his feet and removed his boots and replaced them with his slippers. She then helped him remove his armor and then helped him into his robe. She brought him in a tray which held the bread she had baked and a goblet of water. "Is there anything else you require this night, Father?" Ava asked.
"No. Now get out of my sight." Hagar answered his daughter, still not looking at her.
Ava bowed respectfully to her father and then went to the kitchen to clean up. She cleaned up in the kitchen, staying out of her father's sight as he had requested. She was beginning to get good at hiding the way it hurt when her father said such things to her. After a while, she heard the sound of her father's snoring.
"He has finally passed out." She said with a sigh of relief. She finished cleaning things up and then went upstairs to her private chambers. She walked through the door and into her bath chambers, where she filled her tub with warm water.
She stripped herself of her clothes and slid into the water. She let the warm water wash over her and relax her muscles. This was the one time a day she could pretend that her life wasn't the way it was. It was the one time she could act like she was the lady she was born to be rather than the maid she had become.
After finishing her bath, Ava changed into her thin cotton night dress. She then went to walk out onto her balcony. She sat down and looked up at the stars. She found her wishing star, just as she did every night. She closed her eyes and wished with all of her heart. I wish for my father's pain to be healed. I wish for him to forgive me for my mother's death.