I think this goes very well with the continuation of the story as a whole and I really liked how it all began. Let me know what you think. :)
"Please let me go", Eydís pleaded in quite a demanding tone.
"Are you sure?", said the old man doing yoga.
"Please Preston, this is the least I could do for her. I was unable to protect her then, now please let me do this one last thing for her".
Preston Whitmore had been first hand witness of many miracles and strange things. He had been there when the Shepherd's Journal had been found. He had been at the dock to receive the survivors of the enterprise. He had been handed a magical crystal that made him feel 20 years younger and was said to be a very special gift from the legendary city. He had been confided that Asgard, an apparently nonexistent realm but for the old norse, was actually very real. He had been told that many of the mythology's stories were wrong and even incomplete as the folklore happened to have forgotten about certain Asgardian Princess, youngest daughter of Odin. He had also been filled in with the news that such woman had been adopted by the All-Father and his wife but was in reality the second daughter of the Atlantean King. It had been a whole lot to digest. Still, nothing prepared him for what happened exactly 24 hours after the crew had arrived.
A girl with silver hair appeared at his front door after a huge tornado of light had descended upon his lawn. The young woman came out of it, dressed in some loose, bronze-colored trousers that let her ankles visible; a pair of dark brown sandals; and a cream-colored blouse with flutter sleeves and that was tugged in the trousers. If he hadn't seen the thing himself as well as the girl's crystal he might have claimed insanity or a too crazy dream. She claimed to be the girl from the crew's stories so Mr. Whitmore let her into his house.
The old man had asked if it was ok with the girl if he did his yoga routine while she talked about whatever matter she had in mind. Not knowing what he was really talking about, she accepted though the eccentric millionaire noticed her blush when he began and laughed to himself.
"Have you told the families of the fallen?", was the first thing she asked after introductions were properly spoken.
"Uhm, I do believe that it's been taken care of. Why do you ask?"
"I will be very blunt. Has the family of Alice Kraft been notified?", the serious countenance of the young royal was almost unreadable but there was a gleam of sadness in her eyes.
"Hmph, the name doesn't sound familiar but if you ask I can guess that she was part of the expedition".
The Princess nodded.
"Princess Eydís I don't have all the files with me but I can always call to the main office and get you that information if you wish", the old man offered.
"I would appreciate it immensely", she answered with a soft tone and a small smile on her lips.
Mr. Whitmore made a few phone calls, having made a pause from his daily exercise. Eydís looking at his every move with curiosity. Making the exception on her clothes, she gave off a powerful vibe of regalness. The way she spoke, sat and even moved was so measured, so proper that, at the beginning, the man wasn't really sure of how to address her. Nonetheless, by the time he had hung up the phone he had realized that it was actually pretty easy to speak to her and that she hardly took anything the ill way unless intended (he deduced).
"Alright, I got what you asked for. Apparently, her family hasn't been notified yet. A special division of the office is taking care of communicating the news. A group travels from state to state to deliver personally the passing of their loved ones", he communicated as he scribbled something on a paper.
"That is a very honorable thing to do Preston".
To the old man it was very weird that someone that looked so much younger than him called him by his given name but he let it go.
"I owe her this. Please, do tell me where I can find her sister Debbie", she pleaded.
"If you're so sure, my secretary said that they live in a really small town in North Dakota called Medora. It is quite far from here but I can arrange you passage from here on railroad to Chicago. You would then have to travel all the way to La Crosse station. After that, you would have to take the North Pacific Rail Road that will eventually take you to Medora", he said thoughtfully but added, "Although I could also lend you one of my flying devices to go there. It would certainly take less time and would be my absolute pleasure".
"What is the estimate time for either options?"
"For the first it could take about a week. The second option it might take two or three days due to the fuel limit capacity. This machines are still not meant to travel that far", he tried to give an estimation as well as a bit of humor to the situation.
Eydís fell silent for a moment, breaking eye contact while she focused all the power of her glare at the floor, considering the options. Mr. Whitmore was not entirely sure what to think of that serious face. Did she agree with the options? Was she satisfied? Why the interest on this particular girl? When Eydís finally looked up she showed the old man another smile, sweet but sad.
"I believe my transportation method is much faster than yours but I do appreciate the offer. Do you have any maps here so you can show me with more accuracy where shall I go?"
"Of course".
The millionaire guided them through a corridor until he stopped by a door and held it open for the Princess. The interior of this room was nothing like the last (where the aquarium with the big fish was one of the main attractions). This was a much smaller room with some book shelves and a large wooden table.
From a black cylinder he took one scroll, placing it on the table. He took two heavy weights that had the shape of elephants and opened the scroll to reveal a bright colored map of the United States. It was very detailed showing all the landscapes and bodies of water as well as a lot of the names of cities and towns at each state. Eydís was surprised but comparing it to one of Loki's maps it was very simple. She smiled.
"Over here", the man pointed. "Almost on the border with Montana".
"Thank you Preston for allowing me this honor", Eydís said softly looking at her host.
"Don't mention it but tell me, what's your interest with this particular young woman's family?"
Eydís seemed to doubt a little as the sadness in her eyes grew.
"When I boarded the ship and, consequently, the underwater ship, Alice was one of the first people I got connected with. It was only a moment really but, besides Milo, she was the only other person I spoke to before we were attacked. She told me about herself, her family and confided a great fear of hers in me. I would have really liked to get to know her more but due to my weakness, she perished", she paused. "If I can, I would like to take a final message to her sister in Alice's stead".
There was resolution on her eyes, guilt too but the resolution was stronger. Mr. Whitmore understood and nodded.
"If that's the case, I wish you all the luck in the world. Just one little thing before you go", she seemed a little confused but kept quiet. "If your arrival method involves that light tunnel, I would suggest that you arrive at the outskirts of the place so you won't attract too much attention to yourself".
The man's eyes twinkled with a little mischief as he smiled knowingly so Eyídis laughed lightly. He was right. Perhaps even a disguise would be wise to consider. A moment later, the man cheered again and began speaking joyfully as he put away the map.
"So, are you staying for the night?".
"No Preston, I shall depart immediately. I do thank you for your hospitality", she answered quickly.
"Alright, then let me show you to the door". As they walked he continued talking, "I would like you to tell the Kraft family that they will receive a compensation for their loss. I know it won't bring their loved one back but it will ease whatever financial problem they might have".
"No", simple, short and authoritarian yet educated and in a very non-threatening voice was the answer. "I would like to take care of that matter as well. I will look after her family until my debt has been repaid".
Though, Eydís' serious face and voice could be quite enough to silence the Council itself, the rich industrialist still asked, "Why?"
"A life for a life", was all she said.
They reached the marked spot by Eydís' arrival, all farewells already having been said between them. Mr. Whitmore gave the royal the piece of paper and told her it was the address of the parents. She nodded and thanked deeply. Eydís had liked the man a lot. He was very funny as well as smart. He had also been very useful and, in a way, reminded her of her fathers (at least physically).
"Heimdall", she said looking at the sky, "you saw where I need to go. Please take me there"
Mr. Whitmore was a little surprised by her speaking to the sky, but not as much as the light tunnel descended once again and wrapped around the girl. Eydís waved one last time and was gone. The old man waved back, remaining at the spot for several minutes after the tunnel disappeared.
As for the Princess, she traveled at the speed of light and, as suggested landed a little out of the town among a handful of trees that gave her some privacy. It was still before evening so she guessed she had more time to look for the family as she didn't know her surroundings. But first thing was first. Her appearance. True, it was not her forte at all, it was Loki's but she had to manage what little she could do. Considering her hair would be a huge trouble, she opted to turn it into an advantage. She summoned her magic, focused and said the spell:
"Fláráðr rmr"
A soft blue glow traveled from the top of her head all the way to her feet leaving behind wrinkled skin, eyes of a hazel color and even a different voice. Eydís was pleased with the look. It would definitely serve her purpose. Next thing were the clothes. Ignoring how much she hated the uniform, she summoned an attire identical to the one she had worn when she first boarded the ship. Finally, she began walking towards the little town.
It was so small and had so little habitants that there was a lot of space between each house but she went straight to the door of the first building she saw. It was a small, timber house. Smoke came out of the chimney so Eydís assumed there was someone in. She knocked three times at the door and waited.
"I'm coming!", was the response on the other side. Almost instantly, the door swung open to reveal a grown woman with a child on her arms. She was evidently stunned to see an old lady, dressed in military fashion at her door. "Yes? How can I help you?"
"Good day lovely lady. Could you please guide me in the right direction? I shall leave immediately after", Eydís replied showing the piece of paper to the lady.
"Uhm… I don't know the address. We don't really use them around here", she answered in an apologetic tone but added, "But who are you looking for? I might know them".
"The Kraft family".
That seemed to ring a bell on the woman's mind. She smiled. "Oh! The Krafts! Sure. I know them. You go down the road and the third house you encounter on your right. Easy".
"Thank you very much good lady", was the reply.
Eydís was already leaving when the woman called out, "Are they in trouble?"
The royal froze but managed to look back with a smile and answered, "Of course not".
The Princess began walking down the road as instructed thinking how in Odin's name she was going to be able to find Debbie. She thought it difficult to ask the parents for the other daughter's whereabouts when she came bearing such ill tidings. A part of her wanted to give up and run away but she knew this was her punishment for having failed Alice so she kept moving forwards until she found the right house.
On the outside it looked a lot like the first house. White, with two floors but still small (in her eyes, considering she was used to live in a castle), with a porch and a vast garden. The property was demarcated by some posts and wire but nothing else really. On the fence, next to the gate door there was a mailbox on which the family name 'Kraft' could be read. Eydís couldn't move past the gate for a minute until she drew in a deep breath and finally got in the property. She walked resolutely to the door and knocked twice the instant she reached it, fearful of cowering in the end.
The door opened and Eydís almost gasped loudly at the vision in front of her. Standing on the doorway was a woman on her mid-twenties, light-brown hair tied in a lower ponytail, freckles on her pointy nose and quite a big belly. This had to be Debbie, Alice's younger sister. They were almost identical but for some minorities like the eye color for while Alice's eyes had been amberish, Debbie's were more of an olive-green tone.
On the other hand, the soon-to-be mom had her face drained of any color the moment she noticed the uniform. She had been wishing so hard, praying so hard for her big sister's return. A hand of hers went directly to her mouth as the other grasped her belly, tears already pooling in her eyes. Eydís was confused, she hadn't even spoken yet but deduced it had something to do with her looks that gave it away. After all, when a warrior fell on battle away from home, the family would be notified by a royal guard and then a ceremony would take place as a memorial. That might have been it, for the pregnant woman fell almost to her knees as she began to wail loudly, though the sound was a bit muffled by her hand. Eydís grasped her on time and held her up.
"Who is it darling?", the voice of an older woman came from another room. When said person poked her head out and saw the scene she too began crying. Eydís was unable to speak. The whole speech she had thought about and prepared for days went to the trash. She couldn't help the knot on her throat but she managed to keep her eyes from getting teary.
The Princess took a better hold of Debbie and practically carried her to the nearest room which happened to be the living room. She left the poor girl sitting there while she went to close the door and to retrieve the mother. Having them both embracing tightly, the royal remained standing, waiting patiently. A minute went by, then two, three. Finally, Debbie looked up.
"How?".
Eydís had figured that the straight truth would be a little too much so she went on with the practiced story. None of it was a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either.
"The reports came yesterday. The underwater ship she boarded was attacked. Almost everyone made it to the smaller underwater ships but when the attacker noticed, he bent on destroying most of the little containers", she paused. "The expedition began with 200 men and women. After the attack, less than half made it and only a handful actually came back".
"Who attacked them? What could have possibly attack you underwater?", there was rage in her voice.
"Forgive me, I do not have that information", Eydís lied.
The other was about to retort again but the mother intervened.
"It doesn't matter", she said.
"DOESN'T MATTER!?", Debbie screeched.
"No. No matter how, she's gone. Knowing won't bring her back", was the mother's soft reply.
Those words deflated the younger sister instantly and they embraced once again.
"I came here to tell you something else. I fully understand that this will, in no way, make up for your loss but,… there is a fund that my patron wishes for you to accept. It has come to my understanding that my patron would like to remain anonymous but will keep constant contact with you. The money will be available for you, mother of Alice as well as you lady Debbie. Anything you might ever need you need just to ask for it".
Said women remained quiet but nodded, eyes low.
"First your dad passes away. Then your husband leaves for the mines in Dickinson. Now we are told that we have lost Alice on her Godforsaken adventure", the mother covered her mouth with her hand.
"I am truly sorry", Eydís said, understanding dawning on her.
"You don't have to be. It's not your fault to bring the news", the older lady said.
Yes, it is my fault, the Princess thought. "If I may ask, when did your husband passed away?"
"About a week after Alice left. He had been sick for some time. That's why Alice took the job in the first place. She said that if all went well, once she came back everything would be better", Debbie sniffed, "but now dad is gone and Alice's sacrifice was in vain", she finished with a cracking voice and began sobbing loudly, her mother following closely after.
"I will not tell you not to weep, but I will tell you to keep hoping. Hope that your beloved will come back to you, honor your sister's choice and remember your father fondly. That way you will be able to eventually move on. There is a life inside you, brand new that needs you just as much as your mother needs you. You can not do a thing for those who have left but there is not enough life to do something for those who are still here. That is my advice to you. I beg you consider it".
Both women looked a little startled but stopped sobbing so violently.
"I should go now. Once more, I am truly sorry for your loss but my patron will keep in contact", the visitor began walking to the living room's threshold. "Oh, there was one last thing", she turned to the women, "As members of the expedition, every person was asked to leave a last message for their loved ones should the worst occur. This were the words of Alice: 'My little sister Debbie married last spring and is expecting her first child. She says she hopes it's a boy. I think that if the baby is a boy, he should be named Samuel not Gavin like she so wants but it is her child, not mine.'".
Slowly, a smile crept on the lips of the soon-to-be mom, "She did mention that once or twice", she rubbed her belly, "So, what do you think sunshine? Does Samuel Baker sounds better to you?". The woman felt a little kick on her hand, "Ha ha, Samuel it is then. My little Sammy".
Eydís looked at the tenderness on the two mothers' faces. Young and old were both beyond joyful to have the small child on its way. The Princess observed and let that small happiness be a balm to her wounded heart as well. She would help the mothers anyway she could and take full responsibility of the yet to be born child. That she vowed to everything she considered divine.
Glossary:
Fláráðr rmr: Deceitful appearance
