Chapter 6.
Thor glared at Loki all through breakfast, the ends of his beard just slightly singed and soot covering his shoulders. Loki remained aloof and unaffected by every huff and grumble, instead remarking to his mother how lovely the breakfast spread was this day and how nice her hair looked.
Frigga hid her amusement as best she could, and Kagome wondered how often things like this happened around here.
She made to pay Loki a compliment on his spot on likeness of her, but before she could so much as open her mouth, he stood, excused himself with a slight but polite bow, and practically glided out the door. She clicked her mouth closed and felt impressed all over again.
'He's very... suave, isn't he?'
"Kagome!" Thor burst through her distraction with the first smile she'd seen on his face all morning, and she giggled at his bright eagerness.
'And HE'S just a big puppy. They're brothers, but so different.' She smiled fondly, remembering another set of brothers so different from each other. She allowed Thor to drag her right out of the dining hall, intent on being thoroughly distracted from her suddenly bittersweet thoughts.
"So where are we going today, Thor? More tours of the windows and curtains? Or maybe you'll show me some rugs this time?"
She snickered as he cut her a look and shook his head.
"No. I want to introduce you to my friends! Who will now be your friends, of course. Greatest warriors in Asgard! Aside from myself, anyway."
"Oh, uh..." she paused a moment, and Thor grabbed her hand to tug her along next to him.
"Do not be nervous, they'll love you!"
"I'm sure they're very nice, Thor, but you don't have to share your friends with me, I'd hate to intrude..."
"Nonsense! They're just a bit further this way, in the training hall!"
"There's a training hall?" Logistically she knew there must be. There had to be some kind of place for the armed forces of Odin to sharpen their skills and remain in fighting shape, but learning for sure and being taken their straight away pleased her immensely. She hadn't touched her bow since she'd arrived, or even exercised or really stretched her powers at all. She couldn't wait to see what kind of 'dojo' existed in the glittering Asgardian palace.
"There is, indeed! And you'll get to see the strongest and finest of Those who guard our home and people hone their skills!"
It was obvious this was where Thor enjoyed spending the most of his time. She glanced down at the huge muscles bulging from his arms and grinned. 'He's basically a goofy gym rat.'
"Could... could I use it, too?"
He stopped and turn to stare at you, head slightly tilted to the side as he regarded her in confusion.
"You are a warrior?"
"Well duh."
"What is your weapon of choice?"
"The bow and arrow."
"Truly?"
"You didn't see it strapped to my back when I first got here?"
"I admit my attention was initially more taken by the ghost escorting you."
She giggled and had to relent that maybe that situation was too strange and alarming to warrant noticing such a mundane thing as a bow and quiver, so she gave him a pass.
"Alright, Alright. That whole thing was pretty weird. I told you I have spiritual powers. I can heal and give blessings and make barriers of protection, but I can also... kill when I need to. My powers react to darkness. I can purify a person if they have enough of it in them. And purification doesn't mean "make them good." It just turns them to dust. I usually do that with my bow and arrows."
His face lit up at the possibility of stories of war and valor he'd never heard before.
"You have seen battle?"
She cocked a brow and wondered at the excited look on his face.
"Uh... yeah."
"You must tell me every tale. But first, we go to the training halls! I'll send someone to fetch your bow from your room since you no doubt lack the strength to wield an Asgardian made one, and then you must demonstrate for us!"
It made her slightly uncomfortable to think about someone being that excited to hear about something as gritty and gruesome as war. It had been the culminating purpose of her whole adventure into the past to fight and destroy Naraku, but she still saw it as less remarkable than the relationships she'd forged, the hearts she'd helped heal or the peace she'd helped restore.
"I guess some time I can... tell you about it."
He led her through a huge door and into a giant room that opened onto a lawn, more weapons than she had ever seen on hooks and shelves and display stands and in chests lining every wall. She could see targets littering the ground outside with arrows and knives and axes buried in and around the bullseyes and people sparred with fists and swords and staffs in nearly every corner.
"Oh my."
"Indeed. Now, these are the greatest friends you'll ever need! Kagome, meet Lady Sif and the Warriors Three!"
She smiled politely and allowed Thor to complete the introductions, noting a faint wisp of sadness and dread coming from the woman of the group, Sif.
"Guys, this is my new little sister Kagome. She arrived just the other day and we've adopted her as our own! You will be nice to her or else."
At the word "sister," she noticed Lady Sif's aura lighten completely, and she gave Kagome a genuine smile and greeting.
'She must have some sort of feelings for him,' Kagome thought, glancing and Thor and finding him completely oblivious. She snorted.
'Typical.'
In her distraction, she missed when one of the 'Warriors Three' slid into place and grabbed one of her hands, bringing to his mouth and placing several tiny kisses on it.
"A true beauty you are, My Lady. I am Fandral the Dashing. Mayhap I might entice you to accompany me on a jaunt in the gardens this evening?"
His eyes shined and held a magnitude of suggestion and Kagome blushed before irritation filled her and made her scowl.
She yanked her hand away and crossed her arms.
"If you want to keep that hand attached to your arm then keep it to yourself and off of me, got it?"
Thor stepped in front of her with his own scowl while Hogan, Volstagg and Sif laughed and jeered at Fandral for 'losing his touch.'
"Did you miss the part where I called her sister?" Thor seethed and Fandral scratched at the back of his head and tried to look sheepish.
"Oh, I like this one." Sif gave her a look of approval, and Kagome took a moment to remember Sango, her best friend and sister who had also been a strong warrior woman. She hoped she'd find a friend in Sif, too one day.
"Yes well. I brought Kagome here to impress her with our strength, not have her harassed! So pick up a weapon Fandral, you and I shall spar first!"
He groaned to a chorus of laughter at his expense and made his way to a large, clear space. If Thor was going to wipe the floor with him, he'd rather not be slammed against anything else in the process.
Kagome stood off the side quietly while a crowd gathered to watch the crown prince of Asgard prove once again who was at the top of the line in strength and combat. It appeared the whole training arena had abandoned their places to come and watch. It was entertaining enough, she supposed. Thor certainly had skill, and more than enough charisma and enthusiasm to make it seem like a real show instead of just a friendly fight among long time comrades. But traveling so many years with Inuyasha and then Koga as well had left her more than unimpressed by shows of brute strength. Her eyes began to wander, landing on the large opening to the target yard where something caught her attention.
Puffs of green, shimmering smoke appeared rhythmically just to the left and she wondered if it could mean that someone had chosen not to come crowd Thor and the spectacle he was creating. She glanced back and noticed he was ushering a challenge to someone else now, oblivious to her on the outer fringes of the crowd.
She backed away slowly and made a dash for the door, intent on solving her new little mystery.
A.N: this story will have threads from MCU and Comic Canon all woven together with a few strands of real life myth and some of my own "artistic license." Keep that in mind of something comes up that's not strictly MCU.
