Disclaimer: I own nothing, but, believe me, if I could own Loki I would.
A/N: I have decided to go through and edit this story. Just revamp it a little bit. I will be going chapter by chapter, so if you notice any issues or if there is anything you would like to see changed, let me know! I will take any suggestions into consideration!
Prologue
Brilliant rays of golden sunlight darted through the trees and bounced off of a young Asgardian girl's scarlet tresses as she stumbled through woods after her father. "Papa!" She called after him, giggling madly. "Wait for me!" Her bright pacific blue eyes, a stark contrast to her flaming hair, danced with delight at this special time with the man she loved more than anyone.
A booming laugh sounded a bit ahead of her, and, not a minute later, Bjorn Asmundson appeared and swooped his beloved daughter into his strong arms. "We are almost there! Now, do you remember what I told you?"
The child bobbed her head up and down emphatically. "You said you are going to show me a very special, secret place, and I must never tell anyone else about it!"
Her father beamed at her. "That is exactly right, flower." He kissed her temple fondly and set her down, leading her with him for several more minutes. Then, he paused and looked down at her, whispering, "Are you ready?"
She nodded with wide, shining eyes, and he smiled. Taking her hand, he guided her just a few feet more until they stepped into a clearing. The girl let out a gasp of wonderment as she took in the sight. On the other side of the clearing were majestic mountains from a which fell a waterfall that created a pool of crystal. Flowers bloomed all around in hues of every color she could imagine. Birds chirped happily in the trees, and butterflies fluttered from flower to flower. The girl giggled, going cross-eyed as one landed on her nose. Her father chuckled happily.
"Do you like it?"
"Oh, papa, it is beautiful!"
He smiled at her. "Here, you never have to worry about anything else in the world. You can run and play-"
"And sing and dance and read and do anything!" His daughter finished, spinning around and looking up at the sky, arms outstretched. He looked on her with delight.
"That is absolutely right. You can do anything. Because you are beautiful, and you possess talents which not many others claim. But, do you know what makes you even more amazing?"
The girl looked up at him with a smile, knowing this routine conversation like the back of her hand. "I am kind. I am strong. I am good. And that is more powerful than anything." She recited along with him.
Her father nodded, the corners of his mouth turned upward in pride. "With those things, you can do whatever you may desire. So, don't ever let go of those dreams within your head. And don't ever forget how much I love you, and how proud I am of you. I won't always be here to tell you these things, but if you ever start to forget, you come to this place, and you remember, and you feel that, deep down, I will always be with you."
As meaningful as her father's words were to her, she never anticipated the day they would become relevant. Still, that day came. As a sick man lay upon his death bed, he called each of his loved ones to him, one by one, starting with his beloved wife, then each of his two sons, and ending with his only daughter. She approached him, her face a shadow of the grief and pain within her heart.
He reached a hand out to grasp hers tenderly. "My little flower….how I love you…." he wheezed. She let out a barely muffled sob as she lifted his hand to her cheek. "You have grown so much, in beauty and in maturity. But, you must promise me something."
"Anything, papa." She choked.
"You must promise me that, as you are approached by suitors of every kind, you will not settle for any man who loves you any less than I, or who will bring you any less joy than you have brought me. And you must always -" He suddenly began to cough weakly, struggling to speak at the same time. "You must always remember…you are kind...you are strong…you…you are…good…and…and…" He trailed off, and his hand went limp.
"And that is more powerful than anything." She whispered before letting out a cry of despair. The rest of her family ran into the room, and they wept together over the loss they shared.
Chapter 1
As the years went by, the pain Eyra felt over her father's passing subsided to a dull ache. She never forgot the words he spoke to her or the promises she made to him, and rarely a day would pass without her visiting their little grove. She took to heart his promise that he would always be with her, and during her time in that place, it was almost as though she could feel his strong arms around her, hear his laughter echoing off the mountainside, and see his smiling eyes look upon her with love and pride. Oh, she cherished that clearing above almost anything else in the universe. It was sacred to her; the last secret she shared with the father she adored. That is, until the inevitable happened.
"Asmund, I'm going out for a while." Eyra stood on her toes as she passed her eldest brother to plant a kiss on his cheek. He looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"Where is it that you run off to every day, anyway?"
"Oh, just out walking." She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "I never go to far. Always within shouting distance."
It was then that Brynjar, the second eldest, decided to make an appearance. "I know exactly where she's going!"
Eyra looked at him sharply. "Oh?"
"Sure!" He grinned at her. "You're meeting someone! You've finally found someone to fit those impossibly high standards of yours!"
She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm barely of courting age, Bryn! And it will be a few years yet before I am even old enough to marry!"
He slung an arm around her shoulders. "You don't have to think about marriage! Just...get to know some people! See what you're looking for!"
"I know what I'm looking for, Bryn," she shrugged him away. "And it certainly isn't anyone I've met so far!" It was no secret that Eyra was much desired by many of the young men who knew her. Over the years, her flaming red hair had darkened into a deep crimson, which stood out determinedly against her pale, freckled skin and shimmering blue eyes. She was a pretty sight to behold, but thus far she had yet to meet a boy who cared to learn anything beyond that.
Brynjar sighed at her, but Asmund smiled fondly. "Oh, leave her alone, Bryn. Valhalla knows our sister can sort out her own life quite capably. Now, go ahead Eyra. Don't stay out too long."
She gave him a grateful smile and walked out the door, a light bounce in her step. It didn't take long for her to reach the clearing as it wasn't far from her home. Placing herself carefully on her usual boulder, she began to hum softly to herself. Soon, her voice grew louder, and she slid from her spot, dancing across the field as she lost herself in singing. Her feet found their way to the pool, kicking up small splashes of water as she flitted to and fro. Her hands expertly pulled flowers up to create a bouquet: a gift for her mother. Her lithe frame moved gracefully to the music she created, and the sound of her father's delighted laughter entered her mind. A content smile worked its way onto her face as she slowly ceased her antics, coming to stand knee deep in the water, eyes closed, and listen to the beauty of the world around her.
"Well, I only came out to go for a walk, but I would say that show was a pleasant surprise." An amused voice sounded behind her. Eyra let out a squeal of shock and whipped around, in the process managing to slip on a rock and fall flat on her rear in the pool. Dripping wet, flowers thrown and floating across the pond, and feeling quite upset at someone else being in her spot, she could only sit there, humiliated, shivering and refusing to look at the source of all this ruckus, who was also laughing at the disaster he had caused.
Then, there was a sudden splashing noise accompanying said laughter. Eyra looked up in spite of herself to see a hand being extended to her. Begrudgingly, she accepted it, allowing herself to be pulled up and, shockingly, met with the most stunning pair of green eyes she'd ever seen.
"I'm so sorry," the boy in front of her grinned. He had pale skin and black hair which he wore slicked back. Those green eyes twinkled with a delightful hint of mischief. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Eyra stared at him, enchanted, and stammered out, "N-no! That's...that's totally fine, I was just...wait a minute!" She shook her head, senses coming back to her. Wringing her hands, she cried, "What are you doing here?! You aren't supposed to be here!"
The smile faded from the boy's face, and he looked confused. "But why not?"
"It's...it's not..." Eyra tried to think of a good reason for why the boy really couldn't be there, but could come up with nothing. After all, it wasn't as though she owned the place. She and her father were simply the only people to ever go there before. She looked up at him again and forced herself to remain focused and calm.
"I-I'm sorry. I just...no one else has ever been here before..."
The boy grinned again and helped her out of the water. "Really? One would think you were expecting an audience judging from that stunning performance earlier!"
Eyra flushed. "Please, I would ask that you not make fun of me, sir."
"What? I'm not making fun! I'm being serious."
Eyra looked at him suspiciously before finally deciding he looked sincere. "If you say so..."
"I do!" It was then that he noticed her shivering body. "Oh dear, you're freezing! Here." He unclasped his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. Instantly, Eyra's whole body warmed up, and she looked at him with wide eyes.
"How...?"
The boy shrugged. "Magic." He said simply.
Eyra gasped. "You can do magic?!" She asked excitedly. He nodded in affirmation. "Oh, but I-"
"Eyra!"
She looked toward her house. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I have to go. Here, take this back." She made to remove his cloak, but he held out a hand to stop her.
"Keep it."
They held each other's gaze for a moment before Eyra gave him a smile. "Thank you. Now, I really must be going."
"Wait!" The boy called. "Will I see you again? Here?"
"I come every day!" she responded, gathering her things. "But, I really don't think..."
"Eyra!"
"Eyra?" The boy smiled. "I like that. I will be back here tomorrow. I hope you will as well."
She blushed, but gave him a coy smile. "We'll see."
He grinned in delight at her response and watched her hurry back through the trees. Unfortunately, despite either of their plans, it would be years before they would see each other again, and it would be under circumstances neither of them could have anticipated.
