**Chapter Three**
-Asgard-
The breeze was warm and inviting as Balder carried me down the mountain side. And save for the glares of contempt from Tyr, my worries seemed to just drift away. For once, I actually kind of felt secure. It was a silly thing, being carried by a God that existed merely in books. But, I thought I kind of liked it. Balder was kind and didn't hesitate to strike up a conversation or ask a question here or there.
Balder stopped at the edge of a carriage-path, I noticed, as a huge golden coach rolled by, pulled by four colossal horses. "Um-Riley," Balder started. "Excuse me for asking this, but you see . . . . We do not exactly get mortals dropping into our realm every day. How did you get here? And have you not met Heimdall?" He tilted his head towards me and I stared at the ground, trying to think of a coherent answer.
"First of all, you can call me Riley, by the way," I started with a smile. "And honestly, I—I don't know. I just kind of . . . ended up here, I guess. Is that bad?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Deep down, for reasons unknown to me, I felt the need to cover up my tracks. As if admitting the truth was going to cause me some sort of harm. I wasn't sure. Maybe I just needed time to sort through right and wrong. Reality and fantasy. Day and dream.
Balder furrowed his bushy blonde eyebrows. "I would like to say your sudden appearance is a gift, but many a-fallen stranger has turned out to be quite troublesome," he murmured wistfully. "But I choose to remain optimistic. In my mind, not all strangers are villains."
Tyr snorted loudly, his one hand resting against his broad sword. "I shall remain as I am until the word of our King is spoken. Although your kindness is an endowment, Balder, it can lead to much destruction. The Allfather shall know what to make of this," Tyr muttered. It was the first time he'd spoken in a while. I noticed, then, his one missing hand and wondered suddenly how he had lost it.
I strained to look back at Try over Balder's shoulder. "If it's worth anything, I promise I don't have any secret plans to take over the world. Besides, those swords must weigh at least a hundred pounds. My arms would fall off before I'd carry one of those," I injected. Part of me hoped to clear the air a bit. Maybe even relieve my own anxieties.
Baldr bellowed laughter. It seemed to lighten my spirits a little, but it disappointed me to see that Tyr was still frowning.
"Looks can be deceitful," he answered darkly.
After that, I quieted up, letting Balder carry me in almost-silence. The birds still chirped and wagons still rolled by. Quite a few passengers would look out the windows and stare at me as if I had six or seven heads. It was nerve wracking at times.
That was when the castle came into view. It was huge, probably hundreds of feet tall and made of pure, sparkling gold. Just a chip of it could probably be at least worth a couple hundred bucks back home. My head swooned. So much money . . . But I struggled to push the thought from my greedy head. I suddenly yearned to take a picture, but darn Tyr had up and broken my phone.
Balder, gently, placed me back on my feet, offering me a grand smile. "All right, miss. This is where we shall depart for the moment. Though I am beginning to trust you—Valhalla knows why—bringing you to our King immediately is out of the question," Balder informed. "I do not think it best to intrude on such short notice. We shall return shortly. Please, wait here."
My heart shuddered. "But—I want to go, too!" I protested. 'Don't leave me,' I wanted to add as well, but left it out instead. Why bother reminding them how weak I truly was? What they knew now was okay for the time being.
Balder sighed and shook his head. Tyr looked restless next to him, as if he had somewhere to be and wasn't very keen on wasting any more time.
"I am truly sorry, mortal," Balder replied. And with that, both of them turned and made their way up the stairwell leading to the front entrance, leaving me behind.
The moment they left, I felt all self control and coolness leave my body. "Oh, my God!" I squealed like a fan girl. "I can't believe it!" This was like a frickin' dream come true! Part of me still thought this could all possibly be some crazy, wacked up dream, but hey! I might as well enjoy it while it lasted.
The sound of rustling leaves and bushes brought me back to where I was and my fear returned. What was that? What if someone saw me and thought I was evil? Would they attack me? I shivered at the thought and darted behind a statue made of pure gold. It was shaped as a man, I quickly noticed, riding an eight legged horse with a long spear in his hand. If circumstances were different, I would have admired it longer, but someone was still lurking in the shadows. Someone that could be a threat . . .
I did a quick look-around of the entire courtyard and found no one, but I still felt watched. Like there was someone—or something—in the trees, watching me . . . . I shivered. But as only silence ensued for another minute or so, I let out a sigh of relief. Probably just a bird or something.
Turning around to head back to the entrance, I felt someone's hand press against my mouth, keeping me from crying out. She pressed me against the wall of a gold column and I squealed in fright. But as I soon realized, the woman didn't look menacing at all. In fact, her blue eyes were level and controlled. That's when I noticed her hair. It was long, spilling down to her ankles, a sea of shining gold.
"Please, do not scream; I need your assistance. I am looking for Modi and Magni. Have you seen them? Two little boys? Blonde hair? Oh, please tell me you have seen them!" she pleaded. My eyes were wide, and when she finally took her hand away from my mouth, I was completely speechless. Scared into silence. She didn't even say anything about me being new at all.
"Oh, please," she muttered exasperatedly. "Do not tell me I scared you!" The woman looked surprised, as if the mere thought of me actually being scared of someone popping out of nowhere and grabbing me from behind was odd. I gaped, but eventually retrieved my tongue from the ground.
"Uh, no, I haven't. Sorry!" was all I could manage to choke.
She sighed, her shoulders sagging. "As I well thought. On any given day, I would call Th—my husband, to come help me, but I do not wish to worry him. Thank you, though." And on that note, she walked off, muttering gibberish to herself the whole time. How odd.
"Um-Riley? Um-Riley!" someone was calling my name from afar. Or what they perceived to be it from my stupid blunder.
With a burst of speed, I jogged back to where Balder and Tyr had left me only moments ago. "Hey! Sorry, just got . . . side-tracked." I shook my head. "Anyway, what did the Odin say? I mean his majesty." I mentally made a note to find out some better way to address the king.
Balder, as good natured him, laughed his charming laughter. I already liked him. He was much better to talk to than the snobby teacher, Mr. Darkwood. By a mile.
"You may call him by his first title as you are not under the Allfather's rule. It is well. And he wishes to meet you, but now is not the greatest time. I am afraid Loki has made a bit of a mess of things, as usual," he mumbled the last part. "But he will allow you to stay with the other Aesir ladies until we can further figure arrangements out. I am here to escort you to them."
That seemed fairly reasonable. It made sense. But why on earth was I feeling déjà vu when Loki's name was mentioned? I mean, I had read about him before, that part was true, but it felt like . . . . I didn't know.
"I guess that makes sense . . . . " I said, echoing my thoughts. Balder smiled. It lit up his face like a fire cracker.
"Great! Then follow me." He motioned for me to walk with him and I followed suit, telling myself to just listen and not faze out like I did whenever any other adult spoke.
As I walked, the city was even more marvelous than I ever imagined! Everything appeared to be made of gold. I couldn't believe my eyes. Every way I turned, there were people clothed in anything from dresses and gowns to plain tunics and armor that glittered in the sun. I sighed.
"Are you not well, Riley?" Balder asked, finally using my real name.
I plastered the brightest smile to my face, feeling my cheeks ache. "Everything's great! I'm just still trying to process a few things. It's not every day that something like this happens to me. Adventures are something to be feared and avoided back where I live. Earth or whatever."
"Asgard is a magnificent place. Of course, you have arrived in more dire times than usual. I fear it may be hard for the rest of us to trust you. But from the way our King spoke of you, he sees much greatness."
I felt my cheeks turn pink. "Wow, I don't know what to think of that just about yet. To tell you the truth, I'm a little scared."
Balder frowned. "Do not be. We wish of you no harm. Only peace. Of course, many other realms feel differently. Even Midgard. But if our King has faith in you, than so do I."
A part of me smiled at his confidence, but another part of me winced. I wished I could share in his contentment, but it was hard. This all seemed to be happening too soon too fast. I was excited for an adventure, but one this big had to come with a price.
I was about to ask about the man who had rescued me earlier, but wasn't able to. Someone cut me off.
"Balder!" she cried.
A girl with light brown hair that was distinctively the color of bark wrapped her arms around Balder, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She was insanely short, maybe just a little shorter than me, but her face wore the age of a mother. Her eyes crinkled familiarly when she smiled.
"Ah, Nanna, my love," Balder spoke in a soft hush. From the way they embraced and kissed, it seemed like a safe bet to say this woman was probably Balder's wife, but anything was possible here, it seemed. But mystery aside, she was very beautiful, as was every other Asgardian woman I passed.
When I looked away as they kissed again, I saw the woman I had met earlier. She seemed to still be looking around for the two little kids she had mentioned. That's when I felt someone tug on my shirt. I looked down at a little blonde haired boy with huge blue eyes that shone like the sky. A genuine smile tugged at my lips, making me squat down.
"Excuse me," he whined.
I tilted my head, realizing something instantly. "Well, hello there little guy. That woman has been going mad over you. Is she your mom?" I asked in a hushed whisper. The boy looked bashful and shy, staring down at the ground and kicking up dirt. His eyes briefly traveled to a large grape tree that caught my attention. Another pair of identical blue eyes popped out from within the green. The other one . . .
"Come on; let's go to your mom. She—she misses you," I managed. The boy shook his head and whimpered. "She will make us clean. I don't wanna." That got a bit of a laugh out of me.
"I'll help you. Get your brother." With that, the little boy reluctantly ran back to the grape tree, slinking in the shadows like a spy.
"Um-Riley?" Balder interrupted and I held back a sigh. Just when I thought the 'Um-Riley' was over . . . "This is my wife, Nanna," Balder finished. I jumped to my feet and looked back at the small woman. She smiled kindly and said hello. I said hello back and we exchanged in small conversation, but my mind was still on the little kids, who were nowhere in sight.
"I'm sorry," I eventually started. "But what is the name of that woman with the gold hair over there?" I asked Nanna. She turned around to see who I was speaking of.
"Oh! That is Lady Sif. I am certain she is looking for Modi and Magni again. Afraid they are just like their father, adventurous and courageous. Has gotten them into quite the trouble sometimes," she said. I nodded and excused myself from the Aesir couple briefly. They were discussing my sleeping arrangements and such. I'd just be a moment.
"Excuse me? Sif? I, um, know where your kids are. They're hiding in the trees." I motioned towards the grape tree that I had just seen one of the boys climb up.
Sif sighed, exhaustion showing in her eyes. "Oh, thank the Goddesses. They were giving me quite the fright." She paused before saying something else. "Mortal?" she addressed me.
I jumped. "Yes?"
"Thank you. My apologies for scaring you earlier. Word of your forthcoming has traveled quickly. I do hope you are as harmless as most mortals tend to be. May the luck of Valhalla be with you." She ran across the yard towards the tree, her white dress swishing at her ankles. I tried out a smile, ignoring the semi-insult. Whatever, I thought.
After I joined back up with Nanna and Balder, Balder waved goodbye as I was taken to a small room decorated with beautiful jewels, art, and gold, of course. I gaped at the sight and Nanna smiled.
"I see your accommodations are to your liking. Am I correct?"
It was a struggle to keep my mouth from foaming. "Yes, very much so, thank you." Not to my liking, per say . . . but to my loving. I couldn't even begin to comprehend what was happening. They were actually letting me stay, for a little! The homesickness was gone for now, but I was sure it wouldn't be forever. I suddenly wondered what my parents were going through. Maybe I should have written them a letter or something before I left, like they did in the movies. Darn it! Why didn't I think these things through? First, skipping school, and now this. I was certainly on a role.
As if my inner loser was getting accommodated to the place, I tripped over my own feet and landed on my new bed. Normally, I would be irritated, but this bed was too lovely to make me mad. I was floating on clouds in the night sky. Nothing could ever disturb me here.
I didn't even bother to kick off my shoes before I knocked out asleep on the bed. Heaven on earth . . . or Asgard, that was.
-O-O-O-
"Who are you?"
". . . . Your God," he whispered.
I gasped awake, my hands grasping my shirt tightly. Where the hell was I? The room was bright and unfamiliar to me. Worriedly, I wondered if I should call the police. I then searched for my phone in frantic movements, bumping my hand into the wall to my left as I swung this way and that. Where the heck was my phone . . . ?
"Riley?" A woman I instantly recognized as Nanna strolled through the door. In her arms were the sweetest smelling things I could have ever been lucky enough to get a whiff of. It all came back in a kaleidoscope of images. Melting book, Asgard, new room, Nanna, Balder; it all made sense now. My face flushed and Nanna looked worried. Her eyebrows were knitted together tightly.
"Is everything all right? I do hope I did not wake you. I just thought you would be famished after your journey . . . here."
It was true. I was really hungry. My mouth watered at the delicious smell. But I couldn't stop my heart from pounding a hundred miles a minute.
"Oh, it's okay. Thank you. Thank you," I repeated awkwardly.
Nanna nodded and left the tray on the table near the door. She paused for a moment, as if thinking. But instead of saying something, she turned around and left. I watched her leave, my breathes getting slower and slower as time ticked on.
With a grunt, I pulled myself up from the ever-so comfortable bed and towards the tray of heavenly food. There was a note on top of the tray.
'Enjoy, Riley. Please wait in your room until the Allfather summons you. My husband will fetch you when time persists.
-Nanna'
I smiled and reminded myself to thank Nanna again for the meal. Lifting the lid, I gasped at what I saw. It was hotcakes with syrup, powdered sugar, raspberries and cream. There were sugared grapes on the side and a goblet filled with a sweet smelling liquid. My mouth simply watered. As I thought about it, my last meal had probably been a handful of Cheezits and a diet coke. I couldn't believe the amount of food that was in front of me. If this wasn't heaven, I didn't know what was.
After I had successfully stuffed myself to the brim and then some, I laid back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. If someone had a gun pointed to my head and asked me to stuff down one more sugared grape, I would literally die. They sure seemed to eat a lot here. But in no time, I became almost a little anxious. Being cooped up here wasn't exactly my idea of a fun day, but I decided to take what I had for now and listen to Nanna. If she thought it would be best for me to stay inside, so be it, I guess. She was the Goddess in this situation.
So, instead of disobeying a direct order, I looked around my room, opening drawers and closets. In one of the book shelves, I found an empty notepad. Each individual page was lined in gold and a feathered pen was lying in the pages, untouched. My spirits rose. Searching for some ink, I found a small bottle of dark blue liquid and began to write on the pages. My messy brawl almost seemed too ugly for the beautiful pages, but I continued anyway.
'September 30th, Thursday. Dear Mom and Dad,
I've been in Asgard for no more than twenty four hours and yet I already feel like I belong. Everyone is so kind here! I wish you could meet them, but I'm sure they wouldn't approve of more uninvited guests. It took a little for everyone to warm up to me.
I'm sosorry for leaving you all so suddenly. I just needed to uncover this for myself. Unfortunately, I have no other way of communicating with you other than through letter, so you'll have to put up with my stupid handwriting. Honestly, though, I'm not even sure how I'm going to mail this letter to you anyway.
I know you'll probably think I'm crazy, but it's true. I am truly in Asgard. I know it. I wish you could meet Balder and Nanna. They have been extremely kind to me. See? I told you I can make friends! Anyway, say 'Hi' to Ricky and Hayley for me, if you catch a glimpse of them. If I know Ricky, he's probably staying over at Destinee's. And Hayley is just like me, so she's probably in detention. Please don't worry about me; I am in the best of hands. Can you believe it? I'm actually happy here. Happy! And you know it's not one of those feelings I ever really show. I'm sorry about that, too. Though, I know I wasn't exactly the best or easiest person to take care of and deal with; I really do love you guys. Ricky included. Don't worry too much. Its better this way, trust me.
Until later,
-Riley '
I stared at the letter for a very long time, burning it into my retinas. God, how I missed my family. I never thought I would actually miss them until they weren't actually around. I remembered the saying, 'you don't really understand how important things are until they're gone' and how true that really was. I just took everything for granted back at home. I knew that now.
After a while, the letter was just depressing me, so I shoved it into one of my drawers and slammed it shut. My hands shook a little and I squeezed a pillow for comfort, missing my old bear, Snuffles.
A period of uncharted time went by and after a long pause; I pulled the curtain on my window aside and was instantly blinded by the severe light. It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust, but when they did, I knew I would still need some more time. I was utterly surprised into silence at the sight of the city yet again. Its beauty was unparalleled by anything I had ever seen. I wanted to text my whole family a picture, but my phone was still lying atop the mountain in ruins. Ultimately, though, I probably couldn't get reception in a cloud city anyway.
A sudden rap of loud knockings came from my door and I bolted upright, twisting the knob and whipping it open expectantly. Just as I thought, Balder was on the other side. He grinned, causing my stress to vanish like mist in sunlight.
"Ah, miss Riley!" he marveled. At least he wasn't still calling me 'Um-Riley.' That was for sure.
"I am here to give you these. You shall wear them to the meeting tonight in Odin's tower. Our King is holding a meeting for the Gods of Asgard and has requested your presence. It is very good news, you see," he explained. I took the folded up clothing from his arms and smiled back.
"Thank you, I'll be ready. Don't worry!"
Wow! I was actually going to attend a party for the Gods! This day was definitely taking a wonderful turn of events.
