Chapter 3:
Loki came to mind when Odin first laid eyes on Rana. She was just a hopeless innocent child with no one to care for her in this world. Only Rana was very different from Loki in this case; as Loki was just an infant when he found him it was much easier for Loki to adjust think of Odin as his father and Frigga as his mother. Rana, however, being the fact that she did know her parents-the only family she ever had- it may be a bit harder for her to adjust to the new life.
Only three days after losing Ericka and Berg, the catatonic child sits alone in the garden every day as the other children run and play. She plucks petals off blossoming flowers of various breeds and peels apart blades of grass. As the young child Sif ran by Rana, she stopped and walked over to her slowly.
"Hello." She said.
Rana looked up from her blade of grass and squinted as the sun blinds her.
"Hello…" she looked back at the blade of grass.
Sif sat next to Rana, "Why are you sitting alone?"
Rana shrugged and peeled another strand of the blade.
"Do you want to play with Loki, Thor, and me?"
"Um… no thank you." Rana said softly.
Sif sat down in the bed of grass and plucked up a blade.
"Well, what's your name?"
The quiet girl sighed, "Rana." she said simply.
"My name is Sif."
Rana did not reply and the two girls sat in silence both peeling blades of grass by small strands. Then suddenly Sif spoke again.
"The All-Father told me about your family."
Rana froze.
"I'm really sorry."
Rana just nodded and continued to keep her eyes on the grass. Sif looked at her another moment before getting up and leaving the grief stricken child alone. Rana swallowed hard again, trying to push back the knot growing in her throat, but a tear streamed down her cheek despite her attempts to stop it. She wiped it away quickly before anyone could get the chance to notice. She looked around just in case, but everyone was playing or talking amongst themselves. Then she went back to her garden and plucked a flower out of the ground and touched its petals carefully, then slowly tore it off, expressionless.
Later that night Rana is plagued by nightmares of the recent troubling events. She tossed and turned in her new bed, terrified by recollections of Frost Giants and her mother's final words and her father's cries for Ericka to come to his side. Every night the nightmares reoccurred, being the same one every time.
Each time the nightmare plays out again in her mind she is alone in the shelter listening to her mother's last words, then pounding on the wooden door until her hands are in so much pain she cannot even unroll her fists. Then when she lies asleep in the bed after crying herself to sleep, the door opens. Only now instead of blinking open her eyes and seeing Odin and his sentry, a group of Frost Giants stand in the doorway. She sits straight up and brings her knees to her chest again. The Frost Giant standing in the front of the group gives her a devious grin and laughs a little his frozen breath puffing out of his mouth. He extends his hand and Rana closes her eyes tight, then she feels cold as the Frost Giants surround her small body.
Rana sat straight up in her bed breathing heavily. She touched her warm face and sighed in relief looking around the slightly lit room. Then she lie back down on her pillow and slowly but surely fell back to sleep peacefully.
A few weeks later, Rana was awakened by the sun. She sat up in her bed and yawned. A maid, possibly nineteen, stepped into her room and smiled. The maid wore a white gown and had red curls and brown eyes.
"Oh good miss," she said, "You are awake."
The maid folded Rana's comforter off of her lags and placed slippers next to her bed and curtsied. The drowsy child looked at her in confusion.
"I am Freya." She informed her, "Her majesty, Lady Frigga assigned me as your personal maid, so if you ever need anything, just call."
Rana nodded rubbing her eyes.
"Breakfast is waiting for you in the dining hall, if you are hungry."
Rana held her stomach as it growled. She hadn't eaten properly since the loss.
"Alright…"
The young maid smiled, "I'll fetch your robe." She said going to a wardrobe on the other side of the room. Rana climbed out of the humongous bed and stepped into the slippers Freya laid out. Freya came back with a white silk robe and held it behind Rana. The small child fed her arms through the sleeves. Then Freya knelt down in front of Rana and buttoned four small buttons on the front of the robe. Rana felt it's fabric when the maid stood, then looked up at her.
"Better?" Freya asked giving Rana another one of her gentle smiles.
Rana nodded shyly.
"Good," Freya said extending a graceful hand, "Come with me."
Rana took her hand and the maid led her through the familiar, large golden corridor. The sun illuminated the hallway in the most breathtaking way. The sky was blue, not a cloud in sight. The view made Rana feel slightly at peace.
When the two girls got to the end of the corridor, two guards standing with spears opened the gigantic double doors. The hallway opened up into the absolutely magnificent dining hall.
A very large table sat in the middle of the room completely enveloped by every delicacy Rana could think of. About fourteen chairs, of the same size as it seemed, rounded it. Rana stood in the door way astonished. Odin, Loki, Thor, and Frigga all sat around the table.
Freya cleared her throat and addressed Frigga.
"Madam?" she said.
Frigga looked up and her face immediately beamed and she stood. She walked over to Rana and Freya and smiled at Rana moving her messy hair out of her eyes.
"Good Morning, my dear" She said, "Are you hungry?"
Rana nodded again.
"Thank you, Freya." She said to the young maid, taking Rana's hand.
Freya curtsied and backed out of the room.
Frigga, then led Rana to the table where Odin stopped in his place and stood graciously. He nodded toward his sons. Loki and Thor obeyed their father's silent command. Frigga placed Rana next to her and across from Loki.
Odin sat back down in his seat and his boys followed. As more maids came to Rana's side placing fruit on her plate and pouring juice into a goblet, Odin spoke.
"I hope you slept well, Rana." He said returning to his breakfast.
Rana paused a moment recalling her nightmares. Then she nodded slowly.
"Yes." She lied.
"Good." He replied smiling.
Rana looked down at her plate and picked up the small fork next to the dish. She picked up a strawberry and nibbled off a small piece, chewing it slowly. She looked across the table swallowing the small morsel. The fair boy, Loki, was looking straight at her. The children locked eyes for a moment until Loki abruptly looked away returning to his food.
He thinks me strange, she thought to herself.
Rana finished the strawberry keeping her eyes away from Loki as best as she could. She took a small sip of her juice, and then sat quietly with her hands in her lap.
"So, Rana," Odin said suddenly making her head snap up, "I noticed you sit in the gardens a lot. You like plants yes?"
Rana nodded, "Yes."
"What else do you like?" Frigga asked, "What are your interests?"
The child shrugged, "I like animals..."
Loki looked at her again. She averted her eyes from his curious gaze.
"Mostly horses though." She elaborated.
"Well lucky for you my dear, as I have told you, we have many horses here." Odin said, "Perhaps Freya could take you out to see them later."
Rana nodded and the All-Father smiled.
"Good." He cut himself another slice of meat and spoke again, "Thor, Loki, maybe you could accompany her? It would give you three a chance to get to know each other better."
Thor nodded as well as Loki.
"Yes father." Loki said. Then he returned again to his food.
Rana looked at him a moment, then picked up another strawberry with her fork and took a bigger bite out of it.