"Sayrah, I want you to be a big girl and start training practice today with all the other little boys and girls."
The little girl moaned and buried her face in Idunn's skirt. "But I don't want to."
"How are you going to grow up a good little Aesir if you don't go to training?"
A sad expression passed over her face. "But I'm not an Aesir."
"Don't say that. Thanks to me, you're as good as. Now brush your hair and wash your face. I picked out a nice, new outfit for you to wear today."
Sayrah wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Why do I have to look pretty? If it's truly a training practice, I'll just be getting dirty anyway."
"Oh, goodness, no. You're thinking of the boy's training. You'll be joining all the little girls and their training." Idunn laughed.
"That doesn't sound very fun." "
It's plenty fun. Now go get ready."
She didn't like it already. They haven't even started and she wanted to leave. "Please let me go home! I think I'm ill. We should try again next week." she begged her mother.
"No Sayrah. We've been putting this off long enough. Why don't you play with that group over there?"
She looked to where Idunn was pointing. A group of girls her age gathered together, giggling and stealing glances at the boys across the way.
"I don't want to." Sayrah said stubbornly, digging her heels in the ground when Idunn tried to pull her toward them.
"Why not, sweetie?"
"Because they look silly. If they didn't keep blinking really fast and giggling uncontrollably, maybe they would be alright. But, no. They're too worried about the dumb boys."
Idunn smiled at her logic. "I'm sure you won't feel that way when you meet them."
"I'm sure I will." She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed impatiently. Idunn shook her head in exasperation.
"Oh, Sayrah…"
"Idunn!" Frigga exclaimed as she approached them, hugging Idunn cheerily.
"Frigga! It's wonderful to see you! This is my daughter, Sayrah."
Frigga bent down to meet Sayrah's bored stare. "Hello, Sayrah! I'm going to be your trainer! Would you like that?"
"No." she replied flatly.
Frigga laughed nervously. "Let's gather the others so we can start."
Idunn pried Sayrah's tiny hands off her skirt. "Now sweetie, I will see you after training is over, okay? Be good for me and daddy."
Frigga gripped Sayrah's hand and waved Idunn off. "Come along, dear."
The little girl glanced over her shoulder at the boys, who were being led away by their trainer. "Hey! She's going with the boys!"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. That is Sif. She trains with the boys to supplement her work with the Valkyries."
"I want to do that!" Sayrah said, an edge of excitement rising in her voice.
Frigg hesitated, knowing that this was the first time she had shown any interest in Asgard since she was brought here. "I, uh, umm… okay. Hurry after them and tell the trainer that you want to join his class."
Sayrah grinned "Thank you!" She hugged Frigga and chased after the disappearing group.
"Hi! I'm Sayrah. I want to join your training class!" the girl stood straight-backed in front of the instructor, trying to pass herself off as less nervous than she was.
"Hello Sayrah. I'm Tyr. Aren't you Bragi's daughter?"
"Yes sir."
"Do you think you have what it takes to be in my class?"
She nodded vigorously. "Yesyesyes!"
"We'll see." Tyr addressed the group. "Listen up! This is Sayrah. She will be joining us in combat training today."
The boys groaned.
"Now, now. We'll see what she can do. Would anyone like to show her what we are learning now?"
"I will!" a boy with longish blond hair bobbed up, wiggling with excitement. "Balder can help too!" he grabbed a confused-looking boy and dragged him to the center of the arena.
Sayrah plopped down next to Sif. "Hi."
Sif sneered at her and turned away.
"What's wrong?"
"You think you can just join my training? I'm the only girl warrior. You can't possibly hope to fight. You'll be terrible at it."
Sayrah blinked at her. "You don't know that."
"Stick to braiding hair, kid." she sniffed. Sayrah balled her fists in anger. Sif was probably only a few months older than herself. Where did she get off calling her 'kid'?
"Excellent work, Thor. You too Balder. An excellent display. Sayrah? Do you think you could do that?"
Sayrah whipped around, panicked. She hadn't been paying attention to the demonstration in her anger over Sif's comment.
"Uh, yeah- yes, sir. I can do that."
"You and Sif can go next, then."
Sif jumped up, eager to prove herself… and make a fool out of the new girl n front of everyone else. Sayrah followed her hesitantly and lifted her fists in a defensive position.
"Begin."
Sif threw herself at Sayrah, kicking and punching with no real form or strategy. Sayrah shrieked, doing her best to deflect Sif and slip in some punches of her own. The smaller of the boys tugged at Tyr's arm.
"Stop! Please! She'll hurt her!" he pleased.
"SIF!" Tyr roared.
She paused to recollect herself and face him calmly. "I'm sorry sir. I thought you would want her to learn defensive maneuvers first. Don't you always say the key to a good attack is always having a defense plan?"
"Uh... yes, well. I don't think there was a need for such… ferocity."
"I will mind that next time, sir." Sif dipped her head in acknowledgement.
"I- I think we should wrap up training here. Everyone is dismissed, I will see you tomorrow." Tyr looked vaguely confused as to whether or not Sif was right about her actions. He left the group in the arena, muttering to himself.
Sayrah covered her face with her hands, rubbing dirt over her clothes, something Idunn specifically told her not to do. She started to cry softly, trying not to let Sif see, but it didn't work.
"Crying is for weaklings. If you want to make it in this class, you have to be way better than that." Sif scoffed. "Come on, guys. Let's go practice like realwarriors."
The majority of the group laughed and followed her away.
Sayrah's heart sunk. This was a stupid idea. She would never learn to fight. She should have just stuck with Frigga and saved herself the embarrassment.
"Hey, are you okay?" the boy who intervened in the fight stood in front of her.
She peeked out at him. "Mm-hm. I'm okay." She wiped her tears on her sleeve.
"Sif isn't nice. I don't like her either. She would pick on me too if I wasn't a prince of Asgard." he offered her his hand.
"You are?"
"Yeah, but don't let it get in the way."
She took his hand and he helped her up. "I'm Loki, by the way."
"Hi." she blushed.
"Hi." He had a sneaky grin, as if he knew something she didn't. "Do you think you'll stick with it?"
"I don't know if my mother would let me after today."
"You have to! If you give up now, Sif'll tease you even more!" He looked earnest. "Maybe you can do magic, like me. I'm better at it than combat. That's my brothers' thing."
"Alright. I think I'll do magic too."
"Good. Do you want to look at the horses with me?"
"Yeah. I do." She beamed at him. "I like horses."
"Me too!"
They laughed and hurried out of arena hand-in-hand.
He was Sayrah's first friend on Asgard. No wonder she fell head over heels in love with him.