'In the beginning there was nothing as is always when stories of this nature begin. However it is so rarely touched on about how nothing truly is no thing. This tautology may seem trivial but I assure you it is an essential part of history. Simply put nothing is the lack of even itself for ideas and words and even that which makes the stars do not exist. It is amazingly horrific.
'Now aside from that the nothing ceased to exist. After that were the void and the darkness. From them two worlds were spawned. Niflheim, in the far north, is a world of clouds and shadows in whose center surges the fountain Hvergelmir, from which flows twelve rivers of ice. And in the south lays Muspelheim, which teems with rivers of fire. It came to pass that the warm air from the south carved out the frost giant Ymir from the ice in the north. Ymir became the father of all the giants, and his heifer Auðumbla licked out of the ice the first Asgardian, Buri. Buri had a son named Borr, who married the giantess Bestla. Borr and Bestla had three sons named Odin, Vili, and Ve, who are known as the Æsir. Odin Allfather and his brothers grew to hate the giants and slew Ymir and his blood formed a great sea.
'Odin, with his brothers having been slain, then raised Ymir's body from the sea and created Midgard between Niflheim and Muspelheim. With Ymir's bones he created mountains, and with the giants hair he created trees. Then Ymir's skull was raised upon four pillars to create our heavens. Within the skull contained sparks from Muspelheim, which became the sun, moon, and stars. When Midgard was complete, Odin created a home for us above it called Asgard. Between the two worlds the rainbow bridge was stretched and formed to create the Bifröst.
'Soon though Asgard and Midgard grew and became too populous. Famine and pestilence plagued the land. So using his everlasting power he created the other seven realms and laid upon them Asgardians and Midgardians alike to be their caretakers. From each of these the people grew and became different cultures and races. New tongues and new ways were born. Even in Asgard. We have Jör where the Allfather lives with his family and then there is our land of Ki-Gal, called Hulda in the City Tongue. Then it was beautiful because the world was right. But the strength it took for our king to do all of this weakened him forever. That is why every year he must fall into Odinsleep so that he may renew himself.
'After that there was peace. Yes, peace for centuries as the gods and goddesses were born and rose to power. Odin and his wife Frigga, who is mother to us all. He who is always watching, Heimdall. Tyr the blacksmith and new gods as well are still being born to noble families. However even such a world there were still those who wished to do harm. Laufey, King of the Frost Giants, sought to destroy Midgard and plunge it into a second Ice Age. The Allfather stopped him and stole his source of power so that he could never do it again. He lost his eye in the Ice Crusade but he brought back freedom from the strife of war.
'Not shortly after the war ended he was blessed with his sons. The eldest Thor of golden hair and a brave heart, or so they say. His second born is Loki, a magic maker like his mother and eyes the color of Arnviðr Harbor. And that is why we are here today children to hear the stories and to know your history for when you meet the royal family today.'
The children around the storyteller applauded as did their parents. She rose from her chair allowing her jacket to shift and catch the rays of light and send rainbows dancing across her warm caramel colored skin. She stretched her arms into the air and the turned side to side. Poor Nuri Bergljót could feel the muscles pulling on one another. Five times, she had told that story and not able to move the entire time save her arms which had danced back and forth across the air to paint the galaxy in the children's mind. She did not complain however. Why? "Every coin counts," Nuri reminded herself.
"Not if doing so breaks you in the process," said a voice from behind in perfect English. Smiling Nuri turned around to face her eldest daughter. Her coils of black hair caught the light in much the same way her mother's dress had and her light grey, almost blue, eyes looked clear.
Dagny stepped underneath the brightly colored awning in her silver dress. It was a dress that still took her mothers breath when she looked at her own work. She had spent the weeks leading up to the festival to create something just right for her two children. Della had all but demanded something red so that she could look like a dancer, which she was not, although it did suit her. Dagny however wanted something simpler; her dress wasn't silk or even satin. Instead it was a very thin linen cotton blend. It left her mid-drift bare as was the style for summer clothes in Ki-Gal. It also covered her collar bones yet was open enough to show her bare throat. The skirt was ankle length and wished this way and that with her hips as Dagny walked. All of this once again caused her mother to sigh at her daughter for the third time that day. So very beautiful, Nuri thought.
Dagny offered her mother a wry smile and continued speaking. "Not that I have ever heard of someone dying from lack of activity although there is a first time for everything."
Nuri smiled at her child. "No I suppose not," she said speaking in Gallia, her native language. "However if one stayed like that for several months, perhaps years, their bones would forget what they were supposed to do in the first place and be nothing but mush when they finally decided to move again." Dagny let her dimples show as her smile deepened. Her father's dimples, Nuri thought. Another sigh escaped her lips. Then as if she had read her mother's mind Dagny stopped smiling and quietly said, "I brought you something." She reached into the tiny pocket hidden behind the metalwork of her dress and pulled out a small onyx pin in the shape of a flying sparrow encircled by a ring of red-gold.
"Papa's pin," Dagny explained still speaking in English. "I had it polished by the jeweler this morning; he even fixed the clasp on the back." She turned it over in her hand and pointed at the new metal rod that held it together. "I was hoping you would wear it today," Nuri confessed, "Or perhaps Della. Your father loved celebrations like this."
"I would but . . . I know how much it must mean to you today," Dagny said. She didn't speak of the festival but of a more significant date. Today was his birthday. She would take honey cakes and a bottle of the best rum she could find to the beach later today as gift in his memory. She and Della did this in secret every year and planned to this time but Della had other priorities to attend to so, Dagny was left to her own devices this year.
Her mother finally took the pin in her hand and clasped it to the cuff of her undershirt. She pulled her daughter into her arms and held her like that for a long time. "Your father would be so proud of you," she whispered into Dagny's ear.
"For what?" she asked almost melancholily. "Staying put, keeping the family afloat, not being a complete narcissist," as she listed off each act of what she called Eldest Child Of Single Parent Duties she put out a finger starting with her thumb. "It is nothing."
"But it is something," Nuri insisted to her child for what she felt like was the hundredth time. She knew how much the child missed her father what little memories she had of him. She also knew how much she longed for a certainty that their life did not call for. Her strong daughter wanted to be sure. She wanted to be sure that she didn't fail the family, that she didn't slip up, that nothing ever happened to her mother or her sister. Never had Nuri seen her daughter bend under the pressure she bestowed upon herself but her heart still ached that it was even there. She took Dagny's face in her hands and looked her in the eyes. "You and your sister were his greatest success and as I watch you grow and see you thriving everyday I know that I can feel him smiling on us. And honestly," Nuri continued with a grin on her face, "I dream of him boasting in Valhalla about his warrior daughter. He takes all the credit too, saying that it's from his side of the family." Her hands shake as she chuckles and works a smile out from her daughter too.
Dagny stepped away from her mother's embrace and cleared her throat. "Perhaps you should roll everything up the parade will begin in half of an hour. I'll go on ahead and meet you beneath the clock tower," Dagny stated. Her mother nodded in correspondence. Dagny had passed three vendors and was about to round the corner when Nuri called from behind her. "Do look for your sister," she exclaimed, "Dagny! I mean it find our little duck before the parade begins! I expect for her to be at your side when I see you again!"
"YES, MAMA!"
Loki had had a bad morning to say the least. He was still rather tired from the voyage to his kingdoms neighboring continent when a maid woke him up before the sun had even rose in the sky by knocking over the pile of books he had brought with him from Midgard. He was not a morning person, honestly he despised all hours before noon. Everyone knew it. So, why was anyone surprised that he had yelled at the insolent twit to the point of tears? Nonetheless Father had scolded him for it and if you have never had the pleasure of being screamed at during what according to Loki was still the wee hours of the night he can stand to tell you; it is not pleasant. Nor is it particularly sleep inducing, which also meant that instead of even trying to go back to sleep he put his anger to good us and covered Mjolnir's handle in glue that much to Thor's displeasure smelled like old grapes. After that he dressed himself and decided to walk around the stables and then the hotel and then the market where he found a vendor who was willing to sell him some hot bread and a steaming cup of excellent tea.
His bad morning was only mostly worse than what was becoming his not so pleasant afternoon. He didn't return to the inn until roughly an hour before the parade was about to begin. This time it was not Father's rage that greeted him but instead his mother's exasperation. The look on her face when he stepped back into his room to find her sitting at the foot of his bed was one that simply read Do right or so help me I will spank you for the first time in forty-five years. I don't even care what your father says. So within five minutes he was in his full ceremonial amour and helm ready to break hearts, woo citizens, and kill men all in the same day. It was truly stunning. The queen smiled at her youngest son and rose from the bed.
"You look handsome today, my son," she said standing in front of him smoothing out his shirt, "And I have no doubt that several other people will be agreeing with me after the parade. So, hopefully that will be enough to keep your mischievous urges at bay for the rest of the night." Frigga looked her young son in the eyes which held their own mischievous glint to them.
The prince chuckled at his little mother. "If they do not I will keep my 'urges at bay' for your sake," he promised. His mother smiled and laid a hand on his cool cheek.
"I love you, my son," she whispered. "I love you too, Mother," was Loki's reply.
She gave him a peck on the cheek and then with a glimmer of light Frigga was gone and Thor was determined to knock his bedroom door down. "Come, Loki! The horses are ready and we have but a quarter of an hour to be in the city square!"
The prince looked at himself in the mirror, magicked away the dark circles under his eyes, and walked out the door. Thor clapped him on the shoulder with his smelly hand and laughed. "Clever, brother," he chimed, "But I believe you could, and have, done better."
"Do you speak of the time you awoke with your bed in the hayloft of the stable or the time you walked around the palace naked for a half an hour because I made you believe you were wearing your new armor?" Loki joked with a knowing smirk.
His brother laughed again as they made their way to the stables. The sun way high in the air and caused them both to squint as it glared menacingly at their persons. Thor removed his hand from Loki's shoulder to hold it above his eyes. Loki doubted the glares from their armor were helping much in the matter of seeing.
"Good thing we ride to the west, is it not?" Loki asked as he mounted his horse, Valka. He looked life the definition of sophistication upon his powerful Andalusian mare. Her coat and well-kept mane shined in the sunlight as did every glinting piece of metal on his body. He had decided against his cape that day which allowed a, well, perfect view of the tight yet flexible fabric covering his toned arms. His tunic stopped at the beginning of his leg leaving his powerful thigh and calf exposed to the wandering eyes of women, or men, hoping to see something else. He felt powerful, poised, and confident. Mayhap, he thought to himself, I will break a heart or two tonight. Loki's smirk grew ten fold at the thought.
This wasn't Jör or Asgard City where everyone just knew that Thor was the better brother. This was Hulda, he thought, if I can just manage to stay far enough away or far enough ahead they will see me first. I'll be my own man instead of a shadow. Maybe just maybe this will be a good day after all.