Worship of the Gods

When the means of great violence are widespread,
nothing is more dangerous to the powerful than that they
create outrage and injustice,
for outrage and injustice will certainly ignite retaliation in kind.

Frank Herbert, The Dosadi Experiment

Chapter Thirty-Six: Negotiations

They heard the susurrus of river water as they approached the Last Keep, the name came from the fear that the land beyond Lord Vali would take you to your grave. The keep was a beige stone fortress with high turrets and walls dotted with spikes. Small figures shuffled between the windows, watching and waiting for their commands. Ellie spotted steel cauldrons, three times the size of a man, positioned at intervals across the wall.

At the edge of moat, Loki slithered close to Volstagg. With a twist of his long fingers, blue wisps snaked up Volstagg's neck and forced him to turn to look at the raven prince.

"You fool," he said. Volstagg stepped back, visibly surprised and unprepared.

Though uncomfortable, Thor took his brother's side. They were a fierce-some pair to behold – glimmering with sweat, shaking with adrenaline and godly power. Through hooded eyes and disappointment, Thor held fast upon Volstagg. "You had an order, my friend."

Even as a heavy-footed and proud man, he stiffened. "I have disappointed you both and failed you. There are no apologies I can offer more than accepting punishment."

"You have not received lashes since we were boys. It would be unbecoming."

"But rightly deserved, my prince."

With sweat curling down the sides of her cheeks and her voice hoarse from shouting, Ellie shoved herself between the brothers and Volstagg. A murmur gilded by disapproval and awe at her boldness with godly men rippled through the warriors around them. "It is my fault Volstagg failed his command," she said, "I tricked him. I forced him to fail for my own benefit."

"The command was to take you to the fortress and return to aid our battle," Thor glanced to his brother who curtly nodded. "You are not simply as asset in this war."

Ellie's mind flashed with images of silver goblets and torques and elven kisses. "I will take his punishment."

"No, you will not," Volstagg said. "I failed in my command. I failed in righting the wrong and only watched you enter the battle."

"You tried to capture me again!" she flooded. "Volstagg tried to pull me back, but I escaped him. I tricked him and I lied." Volstagg held his head high, but his strength had deeply dwindled. Ellie sensed the exhaustion cooling the back of her exposed neck. The chill curled around her collar and snaked through her right arm as she controlled the energy in the way Loki had taught her to. "Believe me now," she said and took hold of Thor's wrist. He flinched so Ellie released him and reached for Loki. She pressed a hand flat against the side of his neck. The muscle beneath his skin became tight, pushing the bone hard against his skin. "Do not punish him for my recklessness and lies, my princes. Have mercy on him."

Loki held her gaze fiercely. All was silent, and then he moved out of her reach as if deciding a great and terrible fate. "Fine," he looked to his brother. "There will be no punishment. Not today. Your humiliation is enough."

Ellie attempted to hide her reddened cheeks by casting her eyes to the growl of water below. Tyr and Hogun peered over, making their attention idle to cushion Volstagg's pride. Ellie's heart was full of misgivings as she stared into the pale rushing water. The thought of jumping and swimming away became tempting. The roar of its torrent told her she would definitely not survive.

With their adrenaline slipping away, the freshness of their wounds set in. Ellie managed to heal several of her cuts but found the Nidhogg's teeth marks were deep and required energy she could not muster. She stood there, near the brink, silent and waiting for Vali.

For a while the Asgardians and Elven warriors stood there on the high peak and wondered why Lord Vali's custom was so delayed. Lounn was eager to answer the same question and could not refrain himself from sliding up beside Ellie once the princes had taken to speaking with Tyr on battle strategy and plans.

"Awfully tempting, isn't it?" Lounn looked down into the moat. He had no wounds, appearing visibly energised by the entire battle he was bouncing on his toes. "Though the princes are angry with you, the rest are not."

Ellie looked down at the Hrunting's Sword strapped once more to her waist. It had served her well, better than any sword she had used before. "It was foolish of me."

"You lived and you fought well. You showed us we are not entering a war with no hope."

"Loki had to save me."

"And you saved him. I saw you risk your life to save a God. You did not hear the mutterings of hatred when you leapt over that chasm and left us. They were cruel, for you were a coward. But then you came back, with a Queen's sword in your hand and courage in your heart."

Ellie looked at the bustling crowd of warriors behind her. They were a haphazard, disgruntled lot of standing, lying, snoozing fighters. From Skurge flirting with a Ljósálfar, Aetri kissing each of Hrimeer's fingers, Malai and Naeva recreating the battle. Of foolishness and stupidity, Ellie knew she had much, but she feared being seen as a coward more than Loki's wrath.

"I cannot disobey an order like that again, Lounn," she whispered to him.

He hooked a finger into her belt and pulled her into the thicket of warriors. A sour smell hit her nose. "We have not fought for the Elves in hundreds of years. We have never had Elven royalty learning to fight in squalor; prepare for a war she did not know was hers; leave her home for the Gods. Ellie…" He grasped her arm. "My friend, you are so much more than orders and rules. You are Aesir and Ljósálfar and Midgardian."

Wrapping a hand over his, her eyes sprung with tears. "Of all of the Gods in this universe, I am glad they came together." Pride and warmth softened her. "Heimta thrumghi drengr." (to summon you; a thunderous warrior).

"And there are many more who would hear you give such praise." Glancing at the warriors around them, he had a thought come. "How are you with your magic? Do you have much strength?"

"I am healing slowly, but if you tell me what I need it for I can tell you if I can help."

"Heal," Lounn replied giddily. "Take away some of their pain. Show them who you are."

She studied the warriors Lounn looked at, wondering how much she could do. They paid her as much mind as they did each other – very little.

"Well, it seems Lord Vali is enjoying taking his time with us," she said and approached the first wounded man closest to her. An Asgardian, barely older than Lounn. He lay on his back, bright red with pain as his friends sat close.

"Uh, can we help you?" one shot.

"I'm going to take some of your pain away, if you'll allow me."

Lounn crouched beside her. "She is Eurelia Niamh Chinn Óir."

"You?" The warrior's eyes snapped to her face. "They say you made a deal with the Fae Queen. They say you sold your soul for safe passage."

Ellie continued to study the wounded man. "Yes, I made a deal with her."

The other warrior on the man's left side raised an eyebrow. "I've never fought with Ljósálfar before."

"How did you find it? Worth my soul?"

They snickered, the humour lighting up their sweaty faces. "Yeah. Definitely worth a soul or two."

Ellie shared a grin with them and then took hold of the injured warrior's hand. Despite being clammy, she sensed the inflamed muscles in his body. They tensed fiercely around the wound in his chest, pumping blood quickly and relentlessly. Ellie closed her eyes and exhaled, focusing on the epicentre of his pain in the dark. After a moment, she uncovered the nerve fibres throbbing his pain receptors and filled them with cool, sweet energy.

The man's face relaxed. His lips parted as he exhaled – at peace. "Oh, Valhalla."

Sharing a soft look with his friends, Ellie bowed her head and left to find another wounded warrior. There were many and she worried she would be soon useless as she finished helping the fifth wound.

However, she sensed a humming of magic nearby and saw Loki amidst the crowd. Crouched low while Thor chatted and praised the companions nearby. She watched his hands hover over the wounded. The focus drawing his eyebrows together, his lips tight and his jaw clenched. A dark, hollow call echoed from his magic and then Ellie spotted it. Tendrils of black crawled up his neck as he worked with the warriors. No. Not worked. Healed. He took their pain, and he took their wounds.

Lounn kicked her with his boot. "Get cracking, princess."

Ellie continued pulling the pain from the warrior in silence.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

A tumultuous drum echoed across the field. The chime of armour and weapons responded as Ellie's side were called to attention. Ellie helped the warrior under her care to her feet and they stared up at the drawbridge on the other side of the moat. Chains either side rattled, disappearing into the wall as the great wooden slacks were lowered.

"It is about time," Thor said, stomping past Ellie with his raven-haired brother at his side. Loki turned his head, catching her eye. He tilted his head and with that she was beckoned to his side. Lounn took the warrior and both wondered how long it would be until they could speak again.

As the bridge descended like the mouth of an old Norse giant Ellie had once read about, the fort within revealed itself to be blunt and solid. The turrets were thick, studded with slitted windows and high walls. Several chimneys lazily smoked from the roof, their trails disappearing into the sky.

First came along the bridge was Ellie flanked by Loki and Thor. Their hair swept sideways in the wind cycling up from the rushing water below. Thor held the Axe of Forseti tightly in his hand and the silver glinted despite the skies being cloudy.

The man stood a little over five feet from the ground. A round waistline and neck were hidden beneath his black silk robes. Though the vital presence of him alone at the edge of the bridge gave an air of intimidation, the vibrant growth of a plump smile mellowed him into something more welcoming.

"He certainly has not been much affected by the screams of battle." A low, pleasant voice said beside Ellie. Though annoyed, Loki could not resist amusing himself in the situation. The threads of pain were gone from his neck, but he did not miss that she was looking for them. "Lord Vali is not one for pleasantries."

"I have gathered. He allowed us to dwindle on these fields while the Nidhogg's lie right there?"

"I suspect they have been an issue for his forces as well. There are two lords between us and the Tree of Life we seek. One is Lord Vali and his twin brother, Vious, have held their ground for hundreds of years."

"So, why do they allow us entry? Why now?"

"That remains to be seen."

The heavy clamber of warriors rattled the bridge beneath their feet.

Lord Vali's gaze slid between the princes and then found Ellie. He held his hands together and smiled wider. "Asgardians! Faeries and Elves!" he burst. "Oh, look at you all! Sweaty and bloody and making a mess all over my freshly waxed entrance." Stalking across the entryway, his robes dragged and his heeled boots clicked. "I really cannot say I expected you so soon."

This was not the man Ellie had encountered before. She swore upon God that Vali's voice was deeper and darker.

"Lord… Vali," Thor said, his voice quipped with distrust.

"Oh, great and powerful Thor," he giddied. "And Loki, my little serpentine. Well, my brother's little serpentine. It has really been too long and to see you with all of your limbs intact! You Gods heal so well, don't you? Anyway!"

Holding her lips in a straight line, Ellie suppressed her reaction. It occurred to her Vali enjoyed saying oddities which would evoke such responses. Clearly, it had been too long since he had visitors. Yet, Vali took Loki's dark glower with pride. "Humble, sweet princes." He seemed to tease. "Sweet… I cannot say I expected you so soon."

Thor glunched. "Did you know of the chasm just on your borders?"

"I did." He shot a look over the crowd of warriors. "It is hard to miss, no?"

"You would have done well to warn us." Lady Sif had broken from the group. It appeared she intended to say more, but her fury was coaxed back in line by Thor's Old Norse mutterings. She held his stare and then bowed.

Ellie only watched the captains and the princes engaging with the Lord. If she were to admit anything aloud, it would be that her discomfort arose in the presence of beings who knew more of the political, social and warfaring world than she. Thankfully, Loki spoke words she could not bring to her lips.

"You could have sent us aid," he said.

"And risk my warriors? We are a closeted people, humbled by our entrapment in this kingdom. Besides, these are the men your AllFather has demanded join your war." A childish pout curled on his lips. Ellie suddenly felt humiliation. She could sense it seeping out of Loki and Thor. As soon as she felt it, it disappeared. Loki straightened.

"Before we discuss arrangements and safe passage, our warriors are in need of food and healing."

"But you were doing such a good job. I must admit I did a little spying while I figured out when to let you in." Then he peered at Ellie, tilting his head at her as if she were a timid child hiding from a stranger. "Hello," he pried and approached her. "Precious thing… Brave thing. Half thing… Eurelia Niamh Chinn Óir." Then he stood before er and leaned down to her ear. "I know what is in your pocket."

Instead of allowing her hand to fly to the Alkar's pouch, she clenched her fist and followed the Lord's retreating figure. He smiled widely and let his gaze drop down her form.

"Our warriors are exhausted," she spoke for the first time since their approach. Her English accent, thick and strong compared to the articulation of Norse folk, caught Vali's attention. "We fought the last Nidhogg. I am aware they have plagued you for a long time which is why your people have remained trapped in this fortress. Is this how you would pay you gratitude? Playful riddles?"

Brows raised; Vali gestured toward the inside of his Keep. "And the wargs below? In the hellish pit at the bottom of my chasm?"

Loki, who had been deep in the chasm to save Ellie, had seen the hideous hatchlings for himself. "They are unhatched for now. Even the wretched sound of war did not wake them."

"Oh, little babes…" Vali lifted a finger and a dozen soldiers appeared from the depths of the fortress, clamping and ready for a command. "Prepare the burning oil," Vali said. "Take care of the nest before it's not so dormant. We want our guests to sleep peacefully though the night."

Ellie's stomach churned too vigorously for her to control her burst of courage. "I beg your pardon?"

The lord eyed her speculatively. "Yes?"

"How could you burn them? They are unhatched."

"What else am I to do? Raise them as my young? I have enough children and grandchildren, you will find."

"But they are only babies. They have yet to battle or hurt anyone."

"Halflings…" Lord Vali smirked at Loki. "Of all the training, you could not teach her royal etiquette?"

With Lord Vali's insults burning in everyones' memory, they entered the fortress and gathered in a cluster in the damp courtyard. The few thousand men were accounted for and able to fit neatly inside before the drawbridge was wound up with a mighty crackle.

Ellie and the two princes were summoned by Vali as well as a small council. They walked through a small wooden door, up a steep flight of stone steps, along the wall with its boiling oil cauldrons and then into a tower. The chamber held a long, oval table and the walls hung with tapestries of yellow valleys and fairy creatures dancing upon their meadows.

Light from the windows glowed on their cotton fabric. Ellie could imagine the sound of bubbling water, foaming rivers, bird song and insect chirp. This land had been dark for so long that even the grass had forgotten the colour of joy. In time, she hoped this would change. For now, she felt as if she stood upon a grave.

"Be seated. Be seated, my new friends," Vali ushered. "Our council will join us soon." It gave her great pleasure to know they would not have to stay with him long and would soon be on their way.

Ellie took her seat beside Thor. "I did not realise we were being followed by others. We should go back and help them. The Queen Aesla may have intervened with their travel."

Thor grinned. "Silly human," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I - uh, your mannerisms... human!" He flustered. "I mean the most respect."

"Hm, I'm sure."

"I do quite enjoy you." He pressed a hand to his chest lovingly and smiled. "My brother will show you how quite wrong you are."

"Thor," Ellie warned. "Anymore of this... degradation from you and I swear upon the Celestials...!"

Lord Vali studied their exchange with unabashed nosiness. "My new friends are so well acquainted," he said. "When the Allfather first spoke of you, you were quite an estranged little thing. Now, you exchange conversation like old warbands."

Thor's lopsided grin only encouraged the lord. "My brother and I have trained with Ellie for many years, Lord Vali. Did Aelfred not relay much of the letters my father sent you?"

"Some information, yes. But I get so districted by the promise of company and entertainment!"

I feel our conquest has fallen upon deaf ears, Loki thought and that thought appeared in Ellie's mind. She smiled at him. Perhaps their mishap could be easily forgotten. There was much more ahead and petty quarrel is nothing in the face of war.

"Right," Thor coughed. "Uh, if you will, brother."

Loki raised his hands. As blue snakes of magic unfurled from his fingertips, a stone appeared, and it glowed with an azure rune. The stone popped and showered the room with shimmering shards of glass. The pieces conjoined over each empty seat until full, round portals formed. Ellie recognised the figures appearing in each. There was Odin the AllFather, Aelfred, Frigga, Freyr and two men whom Ellie had not met before. Vali pointed out and named the elder Vious, his Lord-Brother and Keeper of the Alkar Fortress. The younger man was Velmir, son of Vious.

Nearly standing in shock at the display of magic, Ellie's emotions became unhinged by wonder. She looked to Loki immediately and saw his lips played upon an amused smirk. For Loki, most delight came from her wonder and awe. It sent a surge of pride running through him when a being became enthralled by his power.

"My sons," said Frigga, from eons of galaxies away, gathering the council's attention. "It pleases me to see you have arrived unharmed and well. "And Eurelia… your safety was prayed for ever since your departure."

"I thank you, my Queen. I have prayed for your wellbeing also." She also bowed her head to her grandfather. As with each of their interactions, he stared at her so deeply and intensely that you would believe he had been blind and now could see. The blurry images of her suppressed memory came to mind.

"Father," Loki said loud enough to pull Ellie back to the present. "We came to an agreement with her majesty Aesla Featherwine and have gathered over a thousand of her strongest warriors."

"This is pleasant news, Loki. What were the terms?"

"My body," said Ellie, turning to Odin. "If I am to die, I will rest in her halls."

"Body and soul are two separate beings. You took a risk and we will have to trust this agreement was well thought on your part." Though not entirely approving, the council were comfortable with the verdict of Ellie's actions. Perhaps they knew she would survive, or that her soul could be allowed passage to Valhalla. Only Loki, and Thor on a smaller part, seemed to have an issue with this ending.

Thor's crossed his arms and leaned across the table. His gauntlets were sticky with blood and they left stains upon the wood. "We were attacked, Father. A hoard of Nidhoggs dwelt in a chasm beyond Lord Vali's Keep. Our warriors fought valiantly and those who did not survive have joined Valhalla. They died courageous deaths."

"I aided in their passage. It disturbs me that Vali… you did not warn us of these creatures?"

Lord Vali hesitated in his seat. "This land is crawling with all sorts. We have been fighting to hide for so long that we forget to look beyond our walls. What I do know is what lies between my brother and I, in the Wretched Lands and the Alkarion Mountain Pass."

Freyr's twinkling eye met Ellie's throughout the following conversation. He was swimming with pride and… hope? It held on tight to his features, even when Vali demanded a crate of gold from the Ljósálfar vault.

On his list of requirements, Lord Vali demanded a peek at Asgard's underground chambers where the most dangerous and prized possessions in the universe were held. It was denied by Odin, but the Allfather was quick to allow him to visit a specific vault where he could pick any item, he sought fit.

For a ruler, he cared more for superficial extravagances than his people's survival. It made Ellie sick.

As they finalised the arrangement; the travel, soldiers and promises, he had one final demand.

"I grant your warriors passage to Freyr's Eunoia Fortress." He bowed his head, holding Ellie's eye. Freyr and the Allfather wavered in the mirror, watching intently.

"Thank you, Lord Vali," Freyr said.

"On the account of marriage," he said.

The room filled with apprehensive dread. Ellie stilled and she swore the princes froze too. With a shaky turn of her head, she looked up at Loki's face, but he was staring ahead. He refused to meet her eyes.

Lord Vali shot a smirk behind him. "Not to any of you. Don't hold your breath. Unless one of my ten husbands and wives mysteriously passes away, then watch out." It didn't ease their tension. "My daughter is two-hundred and ninety-two and unmarried. She's the only one out of all seventy who haven't found their match. I wish to use her as an envoy between our people, Lord Freyr. You are an Elf and we are humble human-esque beings."

"You do you suggest?" he asked, his voice distant and fearful. "All of my children are too young to marry. My wife is not one for a polyamorous relationship."

"Someone close to your side perhaps?"

Aelfred's eyes widened. He was murderous.

Lord Vali enjoyed his games. He was smiling widely. "Aelfred. Haven't you thought of settling down?"

"I won't," he shook his head. "I shan't."

Lord Freyr blinked quickly.

"If it is not your advisor then… your granddaughter is of age and will be my other option." Vali shot a wink at Ellie. "Don't mind cosying up to my family, do you? I heard you didn't have much of one on Midgard."

Her hand shot to her mouth. She shook her head at Freyr through the mirror and stepped back. When she was a child, she was told a story of a woman who married a cruel and unforgiving man. She leapt off a tower on their wedding day. The husband was happy; he had inherited her fortune.

As if he heard her story, saw the woman jumping from a height and to her death, Loki came close. A blue mist clouded the violent images in her head. The prince was smoking them out. Yet, it was not enough. She stepped forward; away from his side and waited for her verdict alone.

Ellie had given her humanity, morality and religious values up for the Alkar. Could she give up her hand too? If she died, then it wouldn't be an issue for her to return to. But if she lived… how much could she give up? She tried to imagine Vali's daughter as a beautiful and kind wife, but if she had his blood then she would be self-righteous and cruel.

"You won't have my granddaughter, Vali." Lord Freyr said. "You have asked for too much. We've only just reunited after many years of turmoil and loss. My advisor will take your daughter's hand in marriage."

There was a fierce clatter of silver from the mirror. Goblets littered the floor and a servant was briskly attempting to clear the wine pooling like blood from a wound. Aelfred stormed out of a door, cursing loudly and hatefully.

Ellie found more pleasure in staring at her own feet.

"Well, that was dramatic," Loki said.

Lord Vali clapped his hands together and giggled. "Shall we continue? Blessings and food. Blessings and food."

The High Tower

The scream of a newborn warg-babe was unimaginable; it burning out of its unhatched shell. The echo of terror and primal bewilderment. And it was potent enough for Ellie to taste on her tongue.

The fields were stripped bare of Nidhogg and the fallen. Her soldiers were accumulated in a small pile within the fortress; currently being blessed by the princes.

The monsters didn't have such a luxury, they were rolled into the chasm. Limbs, broken flesh and the warg offspring were squashed together and covered in a thick oil. It was an elixir of a flammable plant and syrup. Vali's men were careful to avoid it. Once a gloop got onto you, it was near impossible to scrape off.

In great barrels, they poured it into the crack. Some of the Nidhogg's were half-dead. They called out. Feebly.

Ellie wanted to look away. She shivered in her spot in the window of the High Tower and clamped her teeth hard on her bottom lip. Her eyes began to burn. Lord Vali threw a torch into the pit and roared in delight as flames burst along the stretch of field.

A faint heat swept over her face like the breath of a friend. She jolted back and thrust herself against the stone wall; thankful she was in the niche of the stairway. Given the noise, she figured it wasn't just her listening to Vali's slaughter. Perhaps it was normal. It didn't feel normal.

Ellie thought of a time when her orphanage had an influx of abandoned newborns. They appeared daily or… nightly. Most mothers were too embarrassed to show their faces, so they left them on the doorstep. For a while, Ellie couldn't imagine why anyone would choose to leave their baby. She would bottle, swaddle and clothe them; touch their precious faces and try to make them smile.

Only when she reached adolescence did she realise the abandoned babies were mostly wrapped in the warmest blankets. They were tightly bundled to stop the cold moon getting in. Sometimes a print of lipstick would be on their forehead. Ellie realised they hadn't been abandoned because they were still loved from afar.

Did the wargs love their children in the same way? Could they fathom such a human love in their own animalist way?

Ellie shook her head to clear the thoughts. It was not the time to be comparing monsters to human beings. She had to focus on helping her grandfather; her people. Too many depending on her returning the stone. The Alkar was tightly pressed to her heart, warm from her body heat.

Shakily brushing a finger over the tip of her ear, she shivered at the wild sensation and pulled herself from the window.

Evening came quickly. Ellie found the princes in one of the great galleries. Lit by oak torches, burning bright and spitting flecks of ash down upon the stone floor. Aesir, fae and elves stood facing the centre of the hall. Several faces turned, blinking, to look at her as she came out of the hangings at the back of the gallery. From the looks of it, only the captains, millenar and noble warbands stood in this place while the rest of the army settled deep within the small city.

Tonight was plainly special; the princes stood beside Lord Vali and two noblemen, one from another fort they would have to travel to and finally an advisor of Lord Freyr himself. This man smiled the moment Ellie entered, and she knew those around her were fully appreciative, and there were many murmurs of admiration as she went forth.

"This doesn't feel right," she whispered to Loki as he pressed a hand to a soldier's head.

"Trust in yourself," he said.

"How can I? I feel as if I am sitting on the edge of life itself. How am I their saviour when I am barely my own?"

He lowered his hand and urged his brother to do the same. They bowed to her and stepped away. Ellie swallowed, wishing the floor would swallow her up. After a sweltering moment of waiting she found the ground wouldn't give her the peace she desired.

Pulling a rune from one of her braids, she found it to be the Othala – protection. What were the odds? Holding it between the forefingers of her right hand, she looked expectedly at the first soldier. It was a fae; elderly and weary from their first battle.

With the sight of warriors patiently awaiting her, Ellie forgot about the chasm; the dying children, the fire and the violence of their army. It had become altogether exhausting. Though, she had enjoyed the intermittent moments of celebration and eating. She still felt quite odd with it all, as if her will to survive was a battery, strung to a cable and power-source far away.

"Er seganōn sál." She smiled at the first warrior and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

It was comforting at first; the feel of skin against hers. The echo of warg-babe screams were soon a distant memory by the time the two-thousandth soldier bowed their head.

Lips numb, throat sore and back aching; the Old Norse sounded like repetitive mumble vibrating over her grotty vocal cords. "Er... sag-seganōn sál."

With unexpectedly courtly manners, Lord Vali called for the attention of the hall. "Good isn't it?" he held a note of amusement, and Ellie looked up at him on his footstool, his fur cloak trailing behind him. "The blessings of a woman. The kiss of an elven maid. It's as if the gods themselves are here. Oh they are!" He giggled again, swishing the royal furs across his front.

Ellie glanced around, then bowed her head in respect for the brothers at her side.

"Let us prepare to feast tonight," Vali said. Apparently, that was what most were looking forward to. Thor clamped a hand on his brother's back, smile widening delightfully.