Following their encounter in the forest, Yuna returned, for the most part, to her original form. With no further reason to remain hidden, she preferred to spend her time in a state that allowed her to hold actual conversation. It was nice to finally talk to someone again after such a long period of silence. Loki was utterly delighted. It was a pleasant change from his usual solitude. And much as he enjoyed having a would-be familiar of his own, a fellow god was far more interesting. Especially one that was so much fun to tease.

One thing that Loki had learned during his time with Yuna was that she was almost an entirely different entity from Runa. In wolf form, she was confident, dangerous, and fierce, not so different from the animals she often traveled with. But as herself, the goddess was skittish, timid, and oftentimes a bit downtrodden. It was a fascinating change to say the least and one that confused the god of fire to no end. Did she feel more comfortable with claws and fangs? Was she self-conscious about her physical appearance? Or had she spent so much time as an animal that she'd forgotten how to be herself? He wasn't sure. But thankfully, there was one aspect of her personality that didn't change: her playful, fun-loving nature.

The two sat lazily in his cottage, enjoying another day with just the two of them. Yuna grinned at him, watching as he toyed with his hearth flame. Her eyes followed his flaming stag as it pranced around the room. It hopped in between the chairs and over the mead barrel, strutting proudly back towards them with its head held high. She was so enraptured by his little performance that Loki couldn't resist the urge to have some fun with her. Turning, the stag made its way directly towards her, leaning forward with its horned head.

"Eep!" She jumped, recoiling away from the blazing animal. Much as she enjoyed watching his puppet theater, Yuna was a goddess of winter. Snow and ice were her domain and fire was not her friend.

Loki smirked coyly at her from his seat. "Hmm? Are you frightened? How adorable."

"I would much prefer to remain un-singed, if you please."

"Eh? It's not going to hurt you." Yuna frowned, looking suspiciously at the woodland creature. Perhaps she truly was afraid. "Hey… Do you trust me?"

Yuna's immediate instinct was to say, 'absolutely not', but she had a feeling that doing so may agitate the fire god. Which was probably the most foolish thing she could possibly do, sitting so closely to a pair of flaming antlers. Despite that knowledge, she was apprehensive to humor him. Especially considering his love of pranks and mischief. Slowly, she looked between the two of them, uncertain of what he wanted her to do.

The stag tilted its head in a friendly manner, slowly lowering towards her. Its flickering eyes looked into hers in a display that Yuna had no choice but to admire. The detail of this fiery creature was stunning. Slowly, the goddess reached forward, letting her nervous hand brush ever so slightly against the animal's snout. The overwhelming heat radiating from its surface warmed her to her very core… yet strangely, it did not burn. Feeling slightly more confident, she stroked its nose again, smiling at the creature as it leaned into her touch. Incredible.

He smiled, watching the goddess enjoy herself. She really was adorable, gazing at his creation with such wonder. As the god of fire, he controlled and bent all flames to his will. He chose who and what he could destroy, at least most of the time. To do so was more than possible, it simply required concentration.

"Loki, father is looking for… hmm?" Balder's voice interrupted them, the door opening without warning.

The sudden intrusion startled them, Loki losing his focus and sending the animal vanishing in a violent blaze. Yuna yelped, yanking her hand backward from the uncontrolled flame, narrowing her eyes at her stinging hand. He gave her an apologetic look before turning his attention to their unexpected visitor.

"Balder! To what do we owe this pleasant surprise?" Loki asked, a large, genuine smile appearing on his face.

The god of light looked confused, slowly drifting his eyes between the two of them. He recognized this goddess. She had attended the banquet, showing interest in his friend. But he hadn't seen her since that night and hadn't heard mention of her from either Loki or Thor. To see her sitting inside of his home was surprising to say the least, even more so as the pair of them appeared to be rather comfortable with one another. "Greetings, Yuna."

The goddess slowly nodded her head and lowered her eyes, her earlier confidence vanishing in the presence of another god.

"Father is looking for you."

"Eh? What for?" Loki questioned, his smile sliding into a frown at the mention of Odin. The supreme ruler rarely summoned individuals to his hall and when he did, it was almost never pleasant. To his knowledge, he hadn't caused too many disruptions in recent days. In fact, he had been exceptionally well-behaved, all things considered. What could the All-Father possibly want with him?

"He has heard word on the wings and wishes to discuss his findings."

Loki's frown deepened, eyes slowly shifting to Yuna, who was clearly growing uncomfortable. That made far more sense. He had no interest in the god of fire. The All-Father was after her. Loki was simply the closest to her. The idea bothered him, uncertain of what the ruler of Asgard could possibly want with his newfound companion. And from the look on her face, she was thinking much the same thing.

"That so?"

"Yes. If you could summon her and convince her to accompany you, that would be advised."

"Ah, well, you're in luck then." Loki muttered sarcastically, slowly rising to his feet. He sauntered towards the door, Yuna quickly trailing behind him.

"Uh? I don't…" Balder blinked, watching the pair stroll passed him outside the cottage. The way she shifted didn't escape his notice, hugging against the door frame to avoid contact. She was a nervous one. "Wait, I - wagh!" He turned to follow, quickly slipping and tumbling down the steps and into the snow behind them.

"Hahaha! Silly Balder. You should really watch your step."

"Don't make fun of me, Loki…" He muttered, slowly climbing back to his feet. "I'm not certain how you've been contacting Runa, but -"

"No need." Loki waved him off. Smirking in her direction, the god tried to be as reassuring as possible. "Come on, Yuna. It's not a good idea to keep Odin waiting."

Balder blinked, lifting an eyebrow at the two of them as they strolled away towards the forest path. And in a few moments, he finally understood. The god of light watched with startled eyes as the goddess transformed and trotted beside Loki without missing a beat.

Runa… was Yuna.

. . .

The halls of the grand palace were far less inviting outside of celebration. Though the festivities continued throughout the city, the largest event had been for that singular evening. The building once held a charming warmth, with the smell of meat and ale permeating the entire area. Now, it was empty and cold, the cool flooring hard against her pads. In a way, it was beautiful. It had a charming rustic decorum that Yuna would, under different circumstances, probably enjoy. But now wasn't the time for that. She could feel her resolve waning as they approached the throne room, her fur bristling with uncertainty.

Her anxiety must have shown on her features as a warm hand gently stroked her ear. Looking up at him, she frowned as Loki smirked, nudging her along to keep moving. Apparently, at some point, she had slowed her pace. Balder walked on his other side, offering a smile of his own to reassure her. His father was terrifying, it was true. But Odin's greatest danger stemmed from his temper. So long as she didn't provoke him, Yuna would be perfectly fine.

Slowly picking up her pace, she resumed a trot, stopping only when they reached the towering wooden doors. She shrank slightly as they opened, revealing the room of her dread. Fur trailed in a long pathway with various statues and other artifacts lining the walls. Following the carpeting along the floor, her eyes came to rest on the high king himself. Odin, supreme ruler of the realm.

High above in his throne, he looked even more intimidating than he had on the night of the feast. He was a large man, tall and powerful, with a long flowing beard as white as her fur. His eye, she noticed, was missing, hidden beneath a thick patch of cloth. His robes only added to his regality, accentuated by the elongated spear resting in his palm.

Beside him stood Thor, eyes empty as ever, betraying nothing of his thoughts. Seated to Odin's other side was a goddess that was foreign to her. Yet her white robes, fair skin and long golden locks were oddly similar. Yuna didn't recognize her, but her position beside the high king gave her an idea of who she must be.

The trio slowly approached them, Loki looking slightly annoyed as he prodded Yuna along. Balder moved ahead of them, standing before the king and queen of Asgard. He offered a respectful bow. "Mother. Father."

Yuna's ears twitched, immediately zoning in on Balder's words. Odin and the mysterious goddess were his parents? That made him, more or less, the prince of the realm… what in the world was he doing hanging around in the forest with his redheaded companion? Could Loki be a member of the ruling family as well? No, that was unlikely. If he were, he wouldn't be living in the outskirts of the city… would he?

"Come forward." Odin's thunderous tone echoed through the hall, shaking the winter goddess to her very soul. She had never before encountered a god such as himself, with a presence as dangerous as nearly death itself. Her instinct told her to run, but her rationality told her that was a terrible idea. Her eyes drifted nervously towards his spear, before drifting back to him. She had already taken a hammer… she didn't need a javelin too.

"Go on." Loki murmured, gently nudging her forward once more. He stayed nearby, trailing slightly behind her as she slowly approached the thrones, one paw after the other.

She looked up at Balder, taking note of his warm gentle smile. It was clear he believed she wasn't in any real danger. But of course, he would feel that way. They were his parents. It wasn't like they were going to run him through. Her, on the other hand…

"Reveal yourself." Odin commanded, looking down at her furry form.

Yuna paused, a bit taken aback for a moment. She had actually forgotten that she was still in wolf form, having grown so accustomed to the feel of it. With an anxious glance at Loki, she shifted, reappearing in a flurry of falling snow. Thor's eyes widened slightly for only a moment, clearly surprised by her transformation. He hadn't suspected her identity as Runa any more than his brother had.

Lifting her head, she looked between the royal pair. Movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention, reminding her that she was standing before supreme rulers. Slowly imitating Balder and Loki's example, she bowed and remained silent. It was just as well. She didn't think she'd be able to get a word out if she tried.

Odin quickly put her theory to the test. "Identify yourself."

Silence. The goddess froze, her voice leaving her under his terrifying gaze. He looked as though he wanted to tear her apart, and a glance at his battle scars convinced her that he easily could. Refusing to answer him was likely to end with such a fate, something the winter goddess desperately wanted to avoid. Swallowing her uncertainty, she forced the words out of her mouth. "Y-Yuna… goddess of winter…"

He listened to her answer, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "You must be a long way from home. Why have you come here, winter goddess?"

"I-I…" Yuna stammered, taking a moment to ponder her response. What was the best way to answer his question? It wasn't as though she had sought out Asgard so much as she simply stumbled upon it. And once there, she had little desire to leave. Although at this point, she was beginning to regret that decision. "I was just wandering through, really… but I came to like it here. Perhaps a bit too much."

"What are your intentions?"

"None! I simply enjoy it here, nothing more. I will leave at your command, should you wish it." Yuna lowered her head, her heart dropping into her stomach at the thought of immediate exile.

"You may lift your head, dear." The woman said, earning a sharp intake of breath. She had been so quiet, Yuna had almost forgotten that she was there. She did as she was commanded, surprised to find the queen regarding her with a kind, motherly smile. "Odin, please soften your gaze. You've frightened her."

The supreme ruler shifted his eyes towards her. "I have done no such thing."

"Look at her, she's terrified."

The goddess was right. If Yuna's skin could get any paler, it most certainly would. Regarding her for a moment, the king finally relented, his gaze losing at least some of its sharpness. Not enough to alleviate concern, but enough to convince her that he wasn't going to turn her into a kabab.

"Yuna."

"Y-Yes?"

"I am Frigg, Goddess of Motherhood and Fertility." Yuna wasn't certain what to say. She had already identified herself. Instead, she gently bowed her head. The queen smiled at her. "Such a respectful young goddess."

"You honor me, Your Majesty."

"Mother, Father, if I may." Balder spoke, drawing their attention to him. "There is still the matter of Yuna's residence."

Odin nodded, seemingly unconcerned. Frigg shared his sentiment. "So long as you speak the truth, I have no objection."

"I do. I never meant any harm…"

"I know, dear." Frigg responded, her smile growing at her confused expression. "I foresaw your arrival, just as I foresee your residence and departure."

Yuna blinked. Foresaw? Had she known she was coming all along? The queen of Asgard must have possessed the gift of prophecy. She wasn't too surprised. It wasn't an uncommon trait among high-ranking goddesses. Rather, it was her words that interested her. Residence and departure. That meant that she would reside here… and eventually return home. The second part wasn't high on her to-do list, but she knew it was inevitable. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but… does that mean I can stay?"

Odin shifted his mighty shoulders in what she could only describe as a shrug. Frigg slowly nodded her head. "If you wish. You pose no threat to our kingdom. However… I fear I must warn you of the gravity of your decision. Should you choose to remain, you will face a grave danger."

The winter goddess paused, a bit unnerved by her cryptic warning. It was true that there were many threats to her in Asgard. The over-sized wildlife was a particular favorite. There were also other gods and goddesses, including the ones standing in that very room, as well as whatever else remained that she had yet to discover. There was a possibility that if she remained, she could get hurt. Was that a risk that she was willing to take?

Perhaps.

For now, she would stay in Asgard, at least for a little while. The longer she remained, the greater the chances of eventually encountering trouble. Therefore, Yuna would need to remain vigilant, keeping an eye out for any signs of peril. So long as she kept her eyes peeled, she could simply enjoy herself, then depart as Frigg had predicted. No harm done. Hopefully.

With a grateful bow, Yuna addressed the rulers of the land. "Thank you for your generosity."

With their meeting concluded, the trio were excused from the hall. As the doors closed behind them, Odin turned to his wife, a frown growing on his bearded face. Frigg only nodded, returning a saddened smile.