For several years, Thor did not go after Aswren—he believed she needed this valuable time to sort out her swirling emotions. But when the family decided it was time to catalog and store Loki's belongings, Thor finally began to pursue the Princess.
Guards disassembled the bed, carrying the large metal frame in pieces out of the door. Thor was tasked with sorting his brother's nightstand, looking carefully at all the trinkets he kept within arm's reach. Several glasses vials rolled around inside, filled with various colored liquids. Lots of papers: a few journals, experiment logs, instructions for spells. One especially thick journal, bound in black leather, was a series of maps and hand-drawn records of his adventures in Asgard, Alfheim, Jotunheim, and other worlds. They were incredibly detailed, marked occasionally with notes as to why certain places are labeled. But the last few pages, perhaps 3 or 5, were ripped out. He ran his finger down the frayed paper, wondering what they might have contained.
His thick hands kept digging, and reached an interesting item towards the very back. In a black velvet box about the size of his fist, sat a small silk bag of his brother's favorite green color. He picked up the bag, setting down the box, and gingerly opened the strings. Inside was a small whistle carved from a soft wood. The mouthpiece was a darker color with age, and on the back was 3 buttons.
"What was this used for?" Thor wondered out-loud. His eyebrow raised with an idea that this might have been how Aswren could be located within the thick forests. A tone would travel farther than the human voice, maybe for miles. He pocketed the piece of wood in his holster, placing the bag and box back inside the drawer.
Several minutes later, he nagged to track down the royal magicians that had been left in charge of interworld travel. It took several of them to succeed in the transport of one person, and Thor could not fathom how Aswren went home on her own.
In Alfheim, the brush was so thick that he could barely navigate it carefully, and the trees seemed to grow impossibly until they covered the entire sky, creating an artificial night. The air and leaves were damp with dew that was settling from a recent shower, and sounds from all kinds of animals created a steady hum with the trickle of running water. Thor stepped into a clearing at the edge of a stream, scanning the forest beyond. The water sparkled with its own light from glowing flora in the mud, as alive as any fauna he'd ever seen in Asgard in Midgard. Their twinkling lights acted as a guide in the dark forest. Fishing in his pocket for the flute, Thor placed it to his lips and blew a single note. The sound that came out was pure, light, and loud as it seemed to come from a much larger instrument. He blew a series of 3 notes, experimenting with the melody. His large shoulders shrugged as he figured that was not Loki's call, but he would never know what was.
"...This is ridiculous, I don't even know if she is IN Alfheim."
He sighed when the forest did not stir. A stick broke behind him and he spun around, rearing on his attacker with Mjolnir armed in his fist. He strained against the lack of light, squinting to distinguish a figure.
"Thor." Aswren said, sounding oddly surprised. He reversed to see her standing on a rock opposite the water.
"Aswren." He whispered, widening his eyes and placing his hammer on the ground in surprise. She was absolutely glowing, not anything compared to someone who has spent her last few months in the woods. Her arms were defined and strong, legs shapelier with muscle. She did not wear a dress, but an outfit of hand-woven clothes and skins, with feathers in her curls and paint that wove around her in bright stripes. A bow was strapped around her back, and even a sword hung low from her hips, but her skin was what hypnotized him as it seemed to emit a soft light. Her veins stood out in a brilliant blue, as if the rain she conjured ran through them instead of blood. The shocking colors faded quickly to her normal complexion, but she had truly looked like a Goddess in her natural state.
"...You recognized the sound."
"Of the instrument, yes. Why are you here?" She spoke quickly, coldly, and to the point.
"I came to check up on you, ask how you are doing. You seem to have become one with the forest." He nodded to her skin.
"Yes—Father is well, but he suspects his death is not far off now. He has gifted me with most of his power in preparation for my inheritance."
"You would be kind to the Elves." Thor murmured, briefly glancing at his feet.
"You don't speak like you used to." He said.
Thor immediately noticed how her voice was deeper in a sort of sadness, cold and bitter with loss. She was not bubbly and happy as she used to be.
"You have not found peace here?"
"Peace. Not happiness. I work so hard to sort through my active mind, and have in exchange lost my spark." Her lips tilted in a shrug.
"Come, Aswren. I brought you something." He held out his big paw to her in a friendly gesture.
Her long feet sprung up to launch her over the water's gap, with little effort and no running start.
"My, you've gotten strong." He mumbled. "Anyway, here. Chocolate, something I know you can't find out here." His smile was warm and sympathetic as he watched her eyes light up in the childish way he remembered.
"Thank you, Thor. You didn't have to bring this." Her excitement was contained as she tried to maintain modesty, yet her incisors crunched over the bar in greedy bites.
His deep voice rumbled in a laugh. "You don't have to thank me. It's no trouble. I see you carry a sword; do you know how to use it?"
"I was given it before I left, but still am more inept at the bow. I want to learn to use it well because Father would have preferred me to have a sword over any other weapon. Family tradition and so forth, you know."
His eyes watched her munch happily, and he made her a modest offer. "I can train you. You expressed to me your desire to become a warrior before you left Asgard."
Her teeth stopped chewing to look up at him with a big question. "...Aren't I too old? You wouldn't mind?"
"It's the least I can do."
For several more months the two trained every day, from dawn to dusk and again in a constant cycle. He was gentler with Aswren than with any of his other sparring partners, and it made him guilty how she would recognize when he was holding back, and retreat. Plainly refuse to work with him when he did not treat her as an equal. He supposed Loki and she had always shared that need to overcome inferiority, and the thunder God respected them for it.
"Keep your stance strong, elbows and ankles wide. Don't hold back, because I certainly won't. And come at me." He coaxed her gently, Mjolnir held in front him.
Her breath was uneasy but her eyes burned strong, ready to strike. With a roar in her chest, her blade came down overhead, striking his hammer. They exchanged blows easily, quickly, with strife. She was light and lithe when she dodged his hammer, turning them around several times in the heat of battle. His arms were heavy as they knocked her down and away, but he would yell "Get up!" and she was back on her feet again. With time, their blows became unpredictable and real. Thor noted that his pupil had a talent for speed and balance, excelling in defense rather than offense.
"Keep coming, faster!" He encouraged, smiling when she reared back. Her sword uppercut against the hammer's handle with a mighty growl. His guard faltered under the force of the blow, and Aswren's foot came up to strike his wrist, throwing Mjolnir back behind him. Before he could blink, the other leg came up to strike his jaw, sending him onto his back. She jumped onto his chest, both feet pressing into his torso, sword at his throat.
His throat rumbled into a laugh as his heart rate settled back down. "My goodness! You had me frightened for a moment, Aswren. I taught you well—you're quite the fighter."
"Really?" She stepped off his chest and offered her hand.
"Yes, I believe so. These months have done you a lot of good, as far as training... He would be proud of you."
Her voice dropped significantly, appearing timid once again. "In his own way. Thank you for teaching me so much."
Her hand gave little support to his enormous bulk when she pulled the thunder God to his feet.
"It's wonderful. You can return to Asgard now, flaunt your impressive talents, and the other Gods will praise you for it!" He sounded happy, not looking at her face that grew cold, blue eyes narrowed.
"And then I will have father hold a tournament. We'll present to you any amount of warriors to choose from—" BAM! Her fist connected his jaw, nearly toppling him into the dirt at her feet.
"Is that why you think I wanted to become a warrior? To find another husband?"
He caressed his jaw which would have blossomed into a purple bruise without his immortal healing. "It is healthy to move on, Aswren. Being a hermit in the woods will not help you heal—"
His blues eyes widened as he dodged her other fist, backing away and summoning Mjolnir.
"I AM HEALING! I wanted to be alone to clear my thoughts and cry. Scream. To express my mourning in any way I please. I wanted to master my powers and become stronger for MY. OWN. SATISFACTION. I don't want another husband—no one could replace my best friend. On my wedding day, you weren't there, but I made a promise in front of all of Asgard to never remarry upon his death. It wasn't for show, and I did it with every intention to keep that promise."
"Wren, please—"
"And furthermore!" She raised a shaking finger to silence him.
"Do not call me Wren. No one can call me that."
Her voice cracked on the last part of the sentence, giving way to tears that she hid as she turned to pick up her sword.
"Aswren." He corrected himself.
"Please, do not take offense. I meant no disrespect. I only wished to give you some happiness during this time." His arms flopped in a sigh of defeat.
"Then don't." The sword of magnificent steel glimmered when she turned to return it to its holster.
"You're going to leave again?" He stepped forward, prepared to stop her.
She plopped down on a nearby rock. "No, I want you to go away."
"I will not."
"What? I don't have the strength to chase you away." Her head fell into her hands, hair spilling on her thighs.
"Perhaps that is for the better. I don't want to hurt you, Aswren. My brother loved you with all his heart and I only want to help. My intentions were misguided, and I now understand what you need."
"Enlighten me."
His eyes sparkled with a teasing glitter, and he tried not to sound dramatic or cheesy as he crouched to sit beside her rock. "A friend. Someone to confide in and laugh with. More than just flora and fauna. You are a beautiful person, Aswren. Loki could see that and he gave you every part of his love, leaving little for those he deemed beneath you. I am here to take care of his treasure."
Her shoulders collapsed under the vulnerability she fought to push away. "...Only when I cannot take care of myself?"
"If that is what you need." He smiled gently, feeling comforted himself as she looked familiar in the innocent way he remembered her.
Her sculpted shoulders rolled in a sigh of relief, relaxing and folding her hands. Blue eyes met his own just as blue, and she smiled. "Thank you, Thor. You have certainly matured from the last time we spoke intimately."
His eyes lit up, slightly torn at the back-handed compliment. "Thank you for thinking so. I think."
For the years to come until they saw the other brother again, Thor was excited to fulfill the position of best friend and guardian. He felt a protectiveness towards her, both as an obligation to Loki and his own newfound generosity. They kept pleasant company, and for a while became the center of each other's worlds. Grief is one of the more powerful emotional motivators, bringing beings together that would otherwise have not looked twice at one another.
Aswren's light and airy laugh rang throughout the otherwise quiet palace, mixing with the crackle of the hearth in the center of the common room.
"No no no, wait." Thor persisted, chuckling with her and waving his hands.
"So then, even after the monster knocked the tree clean over on him, poor Fandral managed to back himself into a patch of notched burrs—"
"—Oh no—" Aswren winced.
"—Oh yes." Thor took another sip of his mead.
"The armor protected most of him, but his face and hands did not fare so well." He concluded by downing the last of his tall glass.
"Poor man, luck was certainly not on his side today." She chuckled lightly, tipping her own glass back to finish it as well.
"No, I'm afraid not. But the rest of the trip was quite enjoyable."
"It's funny." She pointed in his direction, still holding her empty chalice.
"I manage to avoid injury quite often—more than most."
"As do I, the healers almost never see me."
"Oh, you take your fair share of hits, Thor, your skin is just thicker than mine." Her eyebrow wiggled playfully.
"This is true. But how do we compare in emotional wounds?"
She broke out into a grin and almost choked on her laugh. "Oh, please, Thor! Are you so drunk that we should pour our hearts onto the table and sing sad odes?"
"I'm almost there. More mead." He mused, pursing his bottom lip and refilling his glass with the carafe on the large table in front of them.
"All right. You start since you are so eager." She curled her feet tighter in the fur that laid over her legs.
Thor pondered the ripples in his cup thoughtfully, eyes reflecting the warm firelight when he looked up. "...Do you think of him often?"
"Every day. As often as you reflect on the mortal: Jane."
Thor's jaw tensed at the mention of her name, looking down and becoming preoccupied with the flickering flames of the glowing hearth. "We are very unsatisfied souls. Restless for what we have loved and lost."
"Oh, Thor." Aswren rose from under her furs, going to sit beside him on the couch and wrap herself up again under another blanket.
"We have not lost them, merely been separated. Temporarily."
Her friend quirked up the corner of his mouth in a sad smile, wrapping a thick arm around her small shoulders, and remembering the memorial service they had held for his brother. "Your optimism was rescued from the forest, I see?"
"Oh, quite. I feel remarkable." She commented into her cup, gulping down the rest.
"This much mead will make anyone buzz in delight. Another." He grumbled light-heartedly, refilling her glass and holding up his own.
"To optimism?"
"...to Loki."
"To Jane."
"To good drink?"
"That too." Clink. Thor smiled as he took a long swig, finishing his and waiting for Aswren to quickly empty her own.
She pursed her lips, wincing at the burn of it sliding down her throat. Her arms went up to stretch languidly, grunting with stiff joints. "Ah, yes. That's it. Sleep sounds good, don't you think?"
Thor nodded with a small sound in the back of his throat, blinking when Aswren slumped over his arm, as if she lost consciousness. "Did you perish?"
"Mm." She made a murmur of agreement into the material of the couch, laying still in a position that couldn't be comfortable.
"...This doesn't displease me, but I ask for my arm back." He pulled his bare arm from under her, watching as she curled into a throw pillow for support.
"Goodnight, Aswren." Thor bellowed with his last bit of strength, laying back and propping his feet up onto the coffee table.
"Goodnight, Thor."