Picking up firewood, a great awkward stack of sticks held tight against her chest as Tom panted ahead of her leaving his huge paw prints in the snow for her smaller feet to follow. The wind was picking up again, snow falling thicker than it had in the previous months and carrying an odd selection of sounds through the trees. As she neared the hut, Kari dropped her stack of kindling at the sight of a great grey stallion by the front door. The wolf growled, threatened and wary by the eight-legged creature he perceived as unwelcome in his territory; or better yet, food.
"Shhh, Tom." Kari calmed the old protector with a series of soothing pats and under fur scratches. "That's Sleipnir, I know him."
Sleipnir looked directly at her upon hearing his name, ears prostrate as he snorted his recognition of a scent but not appearance. He whinnied softly, pawing at the ground as if in apology for a previous transgression whilst the small human girl set about picking up her firewood once again. Someone was here for her, they were inside the hut right now but mixed with relief was dread filling her throat with bile she tried to swallow back. Half her heart was here now, seeds sown and roots thick within Jotunheim's barren ground. Could she leave?
Hesitantly, Kari walked up to the hut door and took a great gulp of icy air to steady her resolve before throwing her back against the wood and pushing it open. Tom brushed past her, instantly growling once more at the intruder within but quieted by the elder Jotun sat around the fire with company. There was a delicate, pregnant silence as the little girl stumbled into the hut and released her burden besides the crackling fire. A tall, stocky man sat directly across from where she stood, there gazes warped by the rising heat between them as he frowned at the mischievous blue tone of her skin. So used to the jump to transformation now, she hardly even recalled making herself appear unearthly as it had been an instinctual reaction to the situation of danger and further statement to her inner turmoil.
"Kari?" Balder hardly recognized the creature before him, the need to question her validity arising with the strong vocalization of her name. "You appear not yourself."
"Little one," the younger sister patted her knee and pulled the girl in closer to hold safe against her fears, "emerge as you are."
Kari jolted at the woman's words, a tirade of overwhelming thoughts and emotions filling her head in a tumble of chaotic unrest. Did she want her to go? Stay? Be one thing, the other or neither? Why? Why was he here? Why not someone else? Why now?
"WHY!" She screamed at the startled warrior, not a question but an angry curse at the man who had come to tear her from so loving arms she had discovered in solace and further clung to now. "WHY NOW? WHERE WERE YOU?"
"Hush, little one." The giantess scooped her still higher, until buried and wrapped neatly in her embrace to devolve from livid outburst to sobbing mess.
"No, no, no, no!" Kari shook her head with every denial, muffled by how hard she clung to the maternal figure that held her.
This had not been the mission he had anticipated. A lost child finally located and sent to retrieve her in a harsh and barren realm. They had predicted her dead after some time missing, only to discover a trace leading to Jotunhiem with a further expectation of death or great harm. Instead, Balder had been led to a hut in the middle of nowhere, populated by kindly old frost giantesses and though appearing alarmingly jotun the little girl was healthy and seemingly well cared for. The warrior looked from the fire he had been studying over to the elder jotun, ignoring as best he could the upset noise coming from his right, and raised an eyebrow in silent query.
"Wait outside." She responded after a moment of silent reflection, watching the asgardian rise from his seat before heavy-footed making his way out the door.
"What say you sister?" The younger looked across the fire for guidance as to the clinging ball sat on her lap.
"She is not ours to keep."
"I don't… want to… go." Kari rattled between sobs.
"And will you stay? Make asgardian deities our enemies?" The elder sister rumbled darkly - a little bit of poison sometimes the same as a cure. "What of your family? Friends? Will you forsake them? Do they mean so little that you will cast them aside never to return after they have searched for you so long?"
"Stop it!" Kari buried her head further still in the younger sisters hold.
"Come now, little one." She rose from her chair, taking two long strides to meet the cuddled pair and introduced her own hands to the mesh. "Jotunheim is not a realm meant for you. My words are harsh because I care and the action we must take,' she nodded to her younger sibling as she returned the gesture solemnly, "is harsher still. Collect your things, say your goodbyes and try to forget this place from your memory."
"I don't want to forget any of you." Kari whispered, peeling herself out of the tangle of arms far enough to look up at the two women.
Gazes softened, a pause in time felt between the three-way stare before both giantesses took a turn to kiss the forehead of the last child their household would know. She was lowered to the ground, feeling deserted for a moment but recovering fast enough to scamper over to the aging wolf panting on the covers of her bed. He was unaware of what was happening, whining softly at the joy of being hugged and smothered in affection from his wayward pup. Distracted by whispering farewells and babbling nonsense in his ear she paid no mind to the fussing nature of the giantesses behind her collecting her few possessions together wrapped in cloth. When she finally let go of the wolf and turned her teary eyed attention back to the room the sight of the small package only made her cry again.
Arms were wrapped around her once more, utterances of reassurance hovering in the air like warm bubbles on cool skin. When shaky calm was restored all three were left wiping damp away with the back of hands.
"Last child that we will know." The younger sister messed the girl's hair gently.
"Your rescuer awaits you." The elder chuffed, amused by Balder but somber yet as she leaned down to drape a chain over the girl's head. "To remember us by."
Kari followed the too long chain down to the centre where a clear bauble light as air dangled. It appeared empty at first but as she lifted it between her forefinger and thumb came alive with the twinkle of white within. It was like a snow globe, particles of white swirling around inside appearing and disappearing as she moved it.
"Thank you." She blinked, looking between both her guardians with a gift of her own to remember her by; the biggest smile she could muster.
"Go."
She nodded at the statement, tucking the chain inside her fur coat and picked up her package of things with one final look behind her as she headed to the door. They were watching her, listening to the sound of the door creaking open and silent still as she disappeared from sight. An end to another journey. Why did all roads seem to lead to asgard though?
Kari scowled as she looked up at Balder, checking Sleipnir's bridle for some unknownable time as he waited. He frowned back at her, not having changed her appearance back from the blue skinned version he had previously witnessed. A strange woman and stranger still as a child.
"I will help you up." He took her bundle from her, tying it securely to the saddle. "We must ride several miles upward of the mountains to reach the place where in Loki may bring us undetected back."
"Loki?" Kari growled out the trickster's name.
"Indeed, the prince was instrumental in your discovery and additionally your liberation." He paused to lift her reluctantly into the saddle. "Odin forbade your retrieval via the bifrost for fear it would upset King Laufey but Loki refused to give up and formulated a plan to sneak someone in through a hidden passage. You should thank him for his tireless diligence when we return to asgard."
"Oh should I now?" She gritted her teeth, mind ablaze with payback related plans; a welcome distraction from the heartbreak stirring in her chest.