If any were to see me in the day they would think I was odd. Even with where I am from. My name is Shade. I am a daughter of one of the wealthier families of Asgard. I usually venture out at night where I fit in the best. My looks are extraordinarily odd. I think that is why the eldest prince keeps company with me. Because I am different and not to bad a fighter.
I am twelve years old with blood colored hair and black streaks that stops at the center of my back. I have wings and a tail. Both of them a midnight black. My eyes, I have been told, are the strangest feature of mine. They are those of a cats. Black in the dark and the brightests gold in the light. My fangs would also fit into that catagory. But enough about what I look like. This is the story of my life in Asgard. The story from before, during, and after Thors exile.
Chapter 1
"Hey! Wait up!" I caught up with the two princes, Sif and the Warriors Three. "Where are we going?" I should have guessed the answer before I even asked.
"To the training grounds. I wish to try Mjolnir." I looked to the hammer Thor held. We continued to run and I opened my wings. Being a year younger than Thors little brother I was the youngest of our group. I was also one of the slowest. My flying, however, allowed me to keep pace with them.
Soon we reached the outer courtyard and I saw Loki walk over and sit off to the side, a book in hand. I walked over and glanced over his shoulder. "Asgardian History? Have you not read this before?" He looked up at me.
"That I have not. I have read the Jotun history." I nodded.
"I have not read any. Not yet at least. I am still trying to learn the language of the Midgardians." I grabbed a small book from the small pouch slung over my shoulder. A small gift my father had given me with the Midgardian language and an Asgardian translation.
"I have learned much of their language but I still have yet to master it." I sat by him and placed the book back into my pouch. I sat and watched as Thor threw Mjolnir and narrowly missed a training dummy. As the hammer returned it struck the dummy and caused the head to fly off and hit Volstagg in the nose. I began to laugh and Loki joined in as well.
"You might want to watch your aim Thor. You could hit Sif." They all laughed and Thor turned to look at us.
"Do you think that with your magik you could beat me in a contest brother?" Loki stood and grinned.
"I will bet that I could." I sat back and watched as the two aimed for test dummies and laughed slightly as Thor missed a target that Loki easily hit. I leaned back against the edge of the wall behind me. I, like the youngest prince, prefered magiks over weapons. Though I was good with a night sword. A night sword is one used by the Weavers of Shadows. I am one of such Weavers. We can use the shadows around us to weave a new form around ourselves. Midgardians call it 'shape shifting'.
"Shade. Do you wish to give it a try?" I stood and walked over to the two brothers, weaving a dagger from the magik I had learned. I threw three in a single throw and grinned as they struck the three targets standing before me.
"Nice aim. But if you watch this I think you shall be impressed." Thor threw Mjolnir and it struck two of the three dummies before returning. I laughed and he glanced to me.
"Alright. You win that one." I smiled and brushed a stray bit of hair from my face. It fell back to cover my right eye and I ignored it.
"Do you care to try again?" He looked up.
"Not right as of now. It is nearly time for us to eat." We all looked at each other and then ran inside, each pushing and shoving as we reached the palace dining hall. I entered the room first, followed by Loki and then the other five. We each sat down in our places near Odin and Fregga. The king and queen of Asgard.
"So. How goes your training Thor?" He smiled proudly.
"It is going quite well." I bit my lip to hide a laugh at Thor glared at me.
"And you Shade?" I looked to Odin.
"I still have much to learn with weaving. It is not an easy thing to learn." He nodded.
"And Loki? How is your training?" He looked to his father.
"It is going fine." Thor laughed a bit and Loki glared at him.
"He is still hitting people with his daggers." I looked up.
"That does not matter. I still hit people with daggers."
"Yes. But not as much as Loki does." I shook my head.
"No. Even more so actually." He rolled his eyes and glanced to Loki.
"And yet they call her a good aim. She is not all that good." I growled and a dagger was woven in my hand.
"Do not piss off a Weaver." He laughed and I placed my hands on the table. He saw the dagger and closed his mouth. "My aim is still very good."
"Shade. No daggers at the table please." The dagger vanished and I bowed my head.
"I am sorry M'lady." We all went back to eating and as usual I finished first. I excused myself and slipped off to the study. Grabbing a book on magik I sat and flipped through the pages. I heard footsteps and looked up. "Hello?"
Loki stepped out with his book and sat in a nearby chair. "Hello." He looked at the book. "A History of Magik?"
I nodded. "Yes. I'm looking more into what a Weaver can do." I laid the book so that he could see the image. It was a half formed wolf that stood in front of her master. A young woman with a doglike tail. "From what I have read they never live to maturity."
Honestly that worried me. If none of them had lived very long then what was to be different with me? I flipped to the next page. It showed an image of a little boy with a night sword through his chest. I nearly dropped the book as I saw the elder man hidden within the shadows.
"It is believed that the only one ever to live to adulthood is killing the younger Weavers." I looked up. "Why would one do such a thing?"
"Perhaps he wishes that no one else fully learn the weaving." I flipped to the next page and saw a small cat hissing as it disipated into shadows again. His master was falling to the ground, a stab wound through his chest.
"Looks like I need to learn better sword fighting." I looked up as the doors opened and Thor walked in, the others walking with him.
"Are you ready for training?" I nodded and stood.
"Today I'll be joining you in practicing with a sword." He looked at me, confusion crossing his face. I showed him the image in the book and he stared at it.
"Is that a Weaver?" I nodded and turned back to the page with the half formed wolf. He read the passage and then looked up. "Killed before they reach maturity?"
"Exactly." I held my wings close to my back and walked towards the door, placing the book back in it's place. The others caught up to me as I reached the courtyard.
"Wait a moment." I turned to look at Sif. "How do you expect to battle an adult?"
"Plenty of practice." The hilt of the sword was already woven into my hand. As I turned the rest wove itself into a long sword made of swirling black. As I looked around for the teacher I heard a familiar voice.
"What are you doing with a sword? I thought you were learning magik." I turned to the tracher of magiks, Jadef.
"Have you read much about a Weaver of the Shadows?" He shook his head. "They commonly die before or on the day of their sixteenth year of life."
"So. You need to learn to fight with a sword to protect yourself?" I nodded.
"And I need to learn how to weave animals to fight by my side. Something strong. I have learned much about Midgardian creatures that can help me." I had been able to weave smaller animals, such as little creatures called 'kittens'.
"Can you weave anything yet?" I nodded slightly. "Then weave."
Closing my eyes I concentrated on trying to weave the large cat, the 'lion of the mountains'. I heard a loud growl and a few whispers and shouts of suprise. When I finally pictured the finished animal I opened my eyes. Standing in front of me at two foot at the shoulder and eight foot from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail was the cat. Her tawny colored hide caught the light. Along with the black on her muzzle and the tip of her tail.
"What is that?" I turned to see Loki walking beside the cat, looking at her fur.
"She is called a 'lion of the mountains'. She is from Midgard." I placed a hand to her side and she turned her head towards me. "An intelligent creature from what I have read." Her black eyes stared at me, swirling and turning. I barely managed to tear my gaze away from her eyes. She was strong willed and ready to fight.
"How would you get her to attack an enemy." I grabbed my sword.
"Thor. You will like this." He raised an eyebrow. "Try to attack me." He nodded and ran at me. I blocked the first of his swings but with the return attack he knocked the sword from my hand. Then the cat leapt and pinned him to the ground. She grabbed his arm and held onto it while placing a large paw on his chest.
"Could you get her off of me?" I laughed and snapped my fingers. She walked back to me, grabbing my sword and sitting beside me. I grabbed the sword and she laid down. Thor stood and walked to me, backing away as the lion growled. I set a hand on her head and she relaxed.
"What do you think? If I can learn to fight with the sword then I should be able to fight and win." I tested the weight of the sword in my hand and noticed it felt slightly heavy.
"There is a good chance of that."
A/N: Disclaimer time! I own nothing but Shade! Kitteh owns Hellfire! Who shall come in later! Enjoy and no flames please. (ducks and barely dodges a flaming arrow from Hawkeye) Hey! I said no flames! Now I have to rewrite the first half of the fifth chapter! I worked hard on that. V.v