AN: Golly has it been since NOVEMBER 2019 since I updated this?! I gotta say, getting Murielle to talk is HARD. She wants to skip to book 2 but she doesn't understand that foundations are important. I think we've found a bit of a rhythm so hopefully the next chapter won't take too long. I had to do some timelines and plot out years (yeah realized how much older Loki is compared to Murielle... O.O") but I should be able to bring you all something more soon.
Disclaimer: I do now own ANYTHING from the MCU. I take a few liberties with mythology but the OC's are so mine.
Chapter 18
Murielle had dreamed that night of being together with Loki in the middle of Knellwood Forest. They were standing together in her favorite glen, the afternoon sun shining down on them as they embraced each other as if they had been separated for a long time and only now had returned to the other's embrace. It shook her a little to wake and find that it really was just a dream. She'd never had a vision before, and her dreams had never been that specific. She cast the dreams reasoning on the fanciful desires of her heart and let that be the end of the matter. Yet, the idea of actually being with Loki was something that she found she wouldn't mind. Just not on Asgard.
The sun had not even risen when she'd finally wiped the last vestiges of her dream from her mind. And as much as she wanted to watch the sun crest over the horizon, Loki would be coming for her soon and she had to be ready. He had come to her last evening and apologized for his earlier behavior, and she had forgiven him. Together they made plans to set off early and she found herself quite excited. She'd told Helga that she was to see to the room in her absence but not to tell anyone where she had gone. Well, she told Helga that the only person she could tell was Frigga, and that was only in case of emergency.
The scent of hot chocolate assailed her senses and she sat up to realize that Helga had already brought her breakfast in but was nowhere to be seen. She quickly tidied her bed, donned an olive green traveling dress and sat down to breakfast. In the dim lights of the city, Murielle could see a thick fog swirl around the streets, creeping towards the castle. There was a heavy layer of clouds and Murielle doubted if Asgard would see sunshine that day.
She had just finished eating when a soft knock sounded at her door. Trying to control her frantic heartbeat, she hastily ran over and opened the door to find Loki standing there. He'd dressed for traveling as well, with dark pants and a dark green shirt. He carried a fur bundle in his arm and he rested his other arm on the door frame.
"Awake and dressed," he commented.
She shrugged and turned from him. "I happened to wake up early," was the only reply she gave.
"Breakfast too, by the looks of it." Loki stepped further into the room and saw her breakfast things.
"Helga takes very good care of me." Murielle quickly braided her hair and secured it with a tie before lacing up her boots and grabbing a small brown leather bag which she crossed over her body.
"Did you tell her anything?"
"I told her not to look for me today and if the All Mother asked for my presence she was to say that I was with you, which is the truth. I know you wanted to keep today a secret, but I could not in good conscience have your mother worried for my sake."
Loki held out his hand to her, which she gladly took. "It's alright. It turns out that my mother knows very well of today's adventure, so you should be alright."
"Can't lie to your mother?" Murielle teased.
"Something like that," was his cryptic reply.
Murielle could have, and probably should have, said something in return but chose to let the matter drop. What happened between Loki and his mother really shouldn't have been any of her concern.
"Well, let me grab my cloak and I'll be ready." She dropped his hand and walked towards her window where Helga had hung her block cloak.
"You have a lovely view of the city," Loki commented, coming up behind her.
"I enjoy my mornings the most. Seeing the world before it's awake. Everything is so quiet and still." She threw the cloak around her shoulders and listened to the sounds of the city waking up.
"Does it remind you of home?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "Thyscar is quiet and still. It has its moments of revelry and life. But we lead simple lives."
"I suppose you find Asgard to be a little too lively then."
There was a soft resignation in his voice that pulled at her heart. Her days on Asgard were swiftly coming to an end. Only three days and then all would be as it was before. All she had to do was get through her duel with Saida and then everything could go back to normal. But she didn't want to fill that time with sorrow. She wanted to enjoy these last few days and return knowing that she would have no regrets.
"I suppose you would find Thyscar to be a little dull." She took Loki's hand again and waited until he looked at her. "While my home is full of life…it is different than what you would find here."
For a moment, she just stood there, looking up at him. It was strange, the way his green eyes looked at her full of mischief, life, fire, and sadness. She found it also strange that in such a brief amount of time, she had found a friend in him. A sort of love, even. She felt a heavy pull on her heart as if the two of them were connected by a thick rope invisible and yet so strong. She the ancient voice whisper in her mind.
"Look to the past," it whispered. "Look to the past."
Murielle couldn't figure out what it meant, and tucked the whisper away until later. For now, the day was finally here and they were still standing in her bedroom.
"I think I'm ready, if you are."
Loki smiled down at her. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. While she wasn't going to tell him that traveling from one realm to another was something that wasn't foreign to her, she was thrilled to know where he was going to take her. Perhaps it would be someplace she'd never seen before.
Silently, the two of them left her room, locked it, and made their way down the stairs towards a side stair that would lead them out of the palace.
Loki was grateful that Murielle asked no questions as he led her out of the palace, boarded a small boat, and traveled across one of Asgard's lakes. While his mother knew of his plans for the day, he did not want to draw any unwanted attention from guards or commoners. He'd had no trouble avoiding his brother, who was still sleeping off his drunken stupor, or his father, who never made an appearance until after he'd met with his advisors first thing in the morning.
It also gave him a chance to watch her as he navigated the boat across the water. At first glance she looked like most of her elvish people, but as he had observed her he could see the Asgardian in her. Though she appeared very agile, she was strongly built and her curves were fuller. And then there was her fierce temper which he could see in her like flames in her amber eyes. She wasn't afraid and she could stand up for herself, and that could partly be because she was bullied throughout her schooling but he felt it was also due to the warrior blood that coursed through her veins. He wished he had paid better attention to her mother during her Kentonmen. It would make it easier to figure out who Murielle's father was.
"Do many people traverse this lake?" Murielle asked, her fingertips caressing the water.
"There are games held during the year which involves rowing across this lake in the fastest time. Those who fish do so on the ocean's edge near the Bifrost."
"And those mountains," she said, pointing to the range at the edge of the lake. "Where do they lead?"
"Close to the edge of our realm. There mountains are long wide, and not many just casually journey along it to see what secrets it holds. Many are content to simply live their lives and not do anything to bring life to it."
"Except you?" She looked at him, her eyes full of questions that he wasn't sure he would answer.
Loki chuckled. "I think if there's one thing you've learned throughout your time here is that I'm not like other Asgardians." And that was probably what pulled him to her stronger than anything else. They were two people who, physically, resembled their people but their souls were so different.
Murielle smiled and returned her attention to the clear blue water of the lake. There were three in total on Asgard and this one was the largest.
"Do you hear that?" Murielle asked suddenly. She sat up straighter and looked around.
Loki did in fact hear it. He had heard it for a while, and the fact that Murielle could now hear the singing spoke volumes.
"Who is it?"
"Her name is Bylgja and she is one of the Billow Maidens."
"Bylgja," she repeated, her brow furrowing. "Why is she singing?"
Loki shrugged. "She sings all the time and it's very rare for people to hear her. The Billow Maidens are nine daughters of Aegir and Ran. Each of them guard and protect the water found in oceans, seas, lakes and rivers."
"There!" Murielle breathed, rising to her knees and grasping the edge of the boat. Almost capsizing it in the process. "I see her!"
Loki turned slightly to his left and saw Bylgia walking on the water near the shoreline. Her long blonde hair flowed behind her and her white robes billowed behind her like the waves of the sea. Her song was high and elegant and she carried in her arms white blossoms that looked like sea foam. All too soon, she vanished into a fog that was slowly creeping its way across the lake.
"She's beautiful," Murielle whispered settling back into the boat. "Why is it so rare for people to hear her?"
"It's not always known why some of the more reclusive nobility show themselves to others. Idunn is probably the most reclusive out of all of them. She only makes an appearance only when necessary."
"What does she do?"
They had reached the water's edge at the foot of the mountains. Loki hopped out of the boat, his feet landing in the shallow water. He pulled the boat to the edge and banked it amongst the rocks.
"She guards the golden apples in a very secret orchard on Asgard." He extended a hand to Murielle which she readily took.
"What are the apples for?" She hiked up her skirt a little so that she could easily maneuver out of the boat.
Loki didn't immediately answer and he waited until she looked up at him before responding. "The apples are for immortality. When an Asgardian comes of age, they are taken to the orchard and partake of one of the apples. Sometimes, and it's only happened a once, when an elf from Alfheim is chosen to stay, they can make the choice to become immortal like the Asgardians and they are taken to the orchard and Idunn shows herself then."
"Who…" Murielle began to ask the question but she stopped herself. Her brow furrowed and she looked down at the ground. "Never mind. I don't want to know."
"Are you sure?" Loki asked, placing a hand beneath her chin and raising her eyes to his.
She nodded. "I'd much rather see this gateway you're keeping secret from me.
Loki watched as she schooled her features. But he saw the confusion and pain flash in her eyes before she smiled at him. If she thought very hard she could easily figure it out, but he wasn't going to give her that information unless she specifically asked for it. And he did want to hurry and show her where they were going.
"I'm not keeping it a secret," he teased. "You just keep asking all of these questions and I have to stop and answer them." He pulled her along behind him as they made their way further from the lake. There was a raised hill covered in bushes and trees that separated the lake from the mountain. It wasn't too far of a walk until they reached the rocky base.
After traversing a walkway up the mountain they eventually came to a small road that cut one of the peaks in two. Still holding on to Murielle's hand, they took the road further in until they reached a doorway. The doorway had etchings around it in an ancient language that wasn't found on Asgard.
"What does it say?" Murielle asked. "I can't read it."
"Not all roads lead to the same destination."
"What language is it written in?"
"The language of the realm we're going?"
"And where are we going?"
Loki smiled at her and pulled her in through the doorway. "Midgard."
