The darkness faded into a bright luminescent light glaring towards her face. As the reality of the night before hit her, her attempt to roll over disappeared. What was more present in her mind was the throbbing pain on her temple, pounding at her thoughts annoyingly. The bright glow slowly fading didn't help the incoming headache.
A piercing cold hit her hand, causing her to sit up cradling her hand in her arms. As her eyes bolted awake, she peered at a small white fox-like creature leerring above her. Though she couldn't differentiate the strange animal from the now apparent white background. Slowly as she looked around, it was now clear that she wasn't just surrounded by the white but engulfed in its raging storm.
Speckles of ice gathered at her eyes, whilst her thin shirt and trousers were soaked through. Underneath the cold had started to bite under her skin, fading into a numbing throb. Even if her eyes were lined by mountains of snow, and her legs and arms slowly grew numb. She could even move past her waist without helplessly falling into the snow. Like the sea, it tossed her, blinding her in nothing but fear.
Eira worked her elbows, trying to kick out off the quick sand but instead was whipped by the wind, sending her to her back. It was as if a weight was on her chest, pushing her down never to escape it's icy death.
Slowly her breathing decreased, shaking and what was her tears were now ice. That was it wasn't it…her death as she always felt inside. Cold, alone, swallowed whole. She waited, and waited, and waited for a light or beautiful goddess to save her from that misery. But for the split second she opened her eyes, she screamed.
"Get away from me!" She tried to crawl away but she was reminded again who ruled the lands there. One shove and she plopped to the snowy grounds.
"Monsters! Please…" There were one…no two of those things.
"Another one! Truly they're persistent." The voice reminded her of her step-father's, scruffy, rough, yet had a smoothness and richness. The other spoke a strange tongue after the first. It was harsher, and had more vauls.
She faded again, tightening her eyes to release them to see moments later. She was dead. She, Eira Neurdar, had to be dead. Otherwise why wouldn't she see two walking creatures. To clarify, two very dark blue creatures with the reddest eyes she'd seen.
"Wait, it's alive?" Another grumble from the other now annoyed thing. Hold on a moment, it?
"Well yes, when you see their chest move and eyes blink I think we can conclude that it's awake."
Oh Eru, she'd better be dead otherwise her brain was about to implode.
The thing grumbled again but took her arm and started to grab the other when she started to move, squirming in the hopes somehow it would erase whatever she saw. The other more gently grabbed her arm, but finally she realized another odd observation. It…wasn't a hand but a wrapped ice cube. Or that's what she felt the forien object was. She moved again, shoving her elbows against what she thought was the first's leg.
"Can you-just please, we aren't going to hurt you little one." But as fate loved to humiliate her, she continued unless she opened her eyes to see that she couldn't even see their faces anymore. The image was replaced by a humongously large leg. A troll. She had officially left her body.
Slowly it lowered to her level, surveying her icy face and frowled. Instead of eating her grabbed the other's garments of fur and his own and placed them onto her. Her once frozen arms and legs rapidly pumped with warm blood and heat, unnoticed by Eira, she was momentarily raised into a large sleigh run by large mooses or wolves.
A whistle ran through the air, and as swift as that it jumped, speeding past what it felt miles of pure white. Though she never minded as the blankets cradled her as if she were in her mother's arms as a child.
"It doesn't look Asgardian." It sighed, watching the sleeping figure hurled under them.
¨Certainly couldn't be Midguardian, I can't explain it but there's a connection inside me and this one. ¨ They sighed and turned to view the bundle again, the anger and stress melting away at the sight of the person happily smiling in their own mind.
¨Don´t tell me you're infatuated with this person after twenty minutes?¨ He sighed, he was growing older and caring for the hassle known as his brother was not aiding the apparent dark spots under the man's eyes
¨Of course not! But…it sounds ridiculous but even my weaker connection of Seidr can feel something outwardly about them.¨ He turned, staring wearingly at his brother's remark.
¨Then we must show them to brother.¨ The second exclaimed
The silence wavered between them, the skies were painted into an inky blue. The soft hue of clouds drifting away as the soft glow of the moon covered the snow tops. The colors reflected against the shimmering snow, making it appear the sled as the painter's brush of powdery white.
Soon enough a castle of ice towered over the small transport. Even though the moon´s crest has risen, the towns were still just as merry. Each market shop breathed life into what the cities of Jotunheim were known for in contrast to any myths. The creatures braked as it neared a tall guarded door.
Despite the giant's overwhelming height, they gracefully stood and considerately carried the swaddled cocoon towards the gate.
A guard, sharing the dark hue of hair and garments as the first, stood stoically as the three stopped at the entrance. Glancing at the two, he asked, ¨Please state your name and business for the palace travelers.¨
The first stared happily at the door, ¨Helblindi Laufeyson, the second child of the royal family.¨
Of course mentioning his status flippantly, the guard snapped out of the worked haze he was in, straightening himself, smiling at the princes. The second defeatingly chuckled saying, ¨Byleistr Laufeyson, please don´t mind my brother´s antics.¨
The guard could only nod as the doors opened for the brothers. As Helblindi merely skipped past the doors, his senior stayed putting his hand against his chest, bowing, for the guard.
¨Thank you for your services.¨
And like that both flew past the halls, greeting each of the housekeepers, the cooks a welcome slipping by each room. This advancement wasn´t unnoticed as the blankets stirred, revealing a now increasingly frightened woman, trylingly hitting the back of the middle child.
¨Brother! She woke up! Could you-please miss, would you-¨ While the small fists of a human didn't hurt him, maybe it was the yelling protruding into his ears that had irritated him.
There were two choices and currently Byleistr had chosen the latter, laughing wildly at the bewildered expression on his brother's face.
¨Alright!¨ He answered, increasingly laughing as he paced closer to him, ¨Father and brother will have a riot for this!¨
The face of the annoyed prince contorted into a dreadful stare. ¨Please brother, you know it´ll be talked about for the next ten years! Just help me with the little vixen!¨
Hearing this, Eira shot up yelling, ¨No! Put me down, you trolls!¨
With that, even the tired expression of Helblindi cracked into a mischievous grin with an array of pearly white canine teeth. He turned to her, grinning ear to ear with his idea running loose.
¨Hey little human,¨ Byleistr could only sigh as the golden anklets and arm bands clashed against each other in disarray as he walked in front of his brother.
Byleistr on the contrary was eager to entertain himself. He stopped in the long hallway, facing the small eyes and mouth gaped.
¨Boo.¨ Starling Eira, she screamed as his brother would put it later, screamed as if it was a battle cry from the depths of Hel mixed with an irritating babe.
He laughed merrily as he looked for his brother's reaction, only to find he had fled the scene to an enchanting staircase hosting a small hum and harp. His ears though had not appreciated the layered noises, bringing him back to hear the wailing human in his graphs, kicking and screaming.
Realizing his miscalculation of humor, he panicked, shushing her nervously.
¨Please alright, that was a foul jest! I truly promise we mean no harm! Even if we did, you would be dead hours ago,¨ As if that were any bit calming, the sauce plates that were her eyes, widenned.
¨Kill me! You ask me to calm myself and tell me that!¨ The soft garment had drifted off her person, falling onto the rings of his arms, reminding her how large they were yet again.
¨Alright, maybe that wasn't such a good idea but truly we can't harm you still! You're a guest to Jotunheim and we are the princes. It would be distasteful to start a war with wherever you hail like that the limbs of the squirming woman had stopped, frozen in the revelation she´d realized.
¨Jotun..heim? I´d never heard of such a town,¨ It dawned on her as she glanced around the room, ¨It's far too cold for any human let alone a troll.¨ He frowned as she led his train of thought to her own. ¨We aren't trolls. And I understand some realms are outdated but Jotunheim is still one of the only nine realms. I thought you'd hail from Asgard for Midgaurd but I don't believe you even know what those are. Am I correct?¨
So it was true, she wasn't even remotely in Rohan or in Middle Earth. She slumped into his hand, soft tears springing from the shut fountain for water.
Maybe it was the slight hysteria from the cold but she longed to be back home. No matter the fighting or poorly vented slums of rubbish, or even the disgusted glaces from her family. She wanted to go back to what was normal. Now, she had a slim chance at even returning to the land of Arda.
¨I´m sorry, creature. I'm a bit…overwhelmed and I do appreciate your hospitality in the place of this land's royalty. I don´t remotely know what the words you claim to be realms are.¨
The large hand lowered her as he sat beside her. He was crestfallen at the newly expressed fact. She had nowhere to even call home now.
¨I insist you call me Helblindi, as we are in Jotunheim. An ice planet ruled by the family of Laufey and tribes of each direction. I´m…at a loss for words,he solemnly chuckled, ¨Byleistr, my brother, would know more words of comfort but I only know a few that may comfort you. No matter where you come from, travelers of realms, you are welcome to stay here as we´ve accepted many other weary souls.¨
The ice had melted off of Eira´s long hair, leaving it poured over her face, masking the tears and expressions she had.
¨It would be dishonest to say I still don´t fear you. But as a peace offering, my name is Eira. Just Eira.¨
¨You are not the first and nor will be the last to say that. Still, Eira, though I may not know you, will we try our best to return you home amongst your family.¨ It was rather odd, many considered frost giants, monsters, dishonest and unruly. While the world had claimed the differences made them outsiders, strangers to feelings of love and comfort, they themselves had conquered lands as often as breaking hearts.
¨For how long? I know the wizard Mithrandir is not here, so how can I return home without the magic of a wizard?¨ She whispered, soft as the wind but harsh as the cold that had almost consumed her like the darkness had.
At that, he peered down the hall, listening to the mellow tunes of the harp and humming close. The golden circlets rang like bells as he stood quickly, picking up the small human to her protest.
¨Not this again please!¨ He cheerfully smiled, the pair of ruby´s matched against the door of the library.
¨Only for a moment more please miss Eira!¨ He dutifully surged past the onlookers to the doors entrance.
¨While it´s true we do not know a wizard named Mithrandir. I know one particular seidr user that may be able to find spells and rulings to cast you back home!¨
Slamming past the doors, a soft glow of silver filled their sight. And truth be told, a harm playing itself and a silhouette of a humming figure behind a curtain. There in front of the silkspon curtain stood Byleistr, lounging with a book as he may.
¨Brother, so I've heard as well as everyone hear your friend needs some assistance.¨ He silky hummed.
¨She needs the power to return, he can help!¨ He anxiously yelled.
¨Unfortunately he's away on business for Midgard.¨ Peering around the moon lit room confused he spoke again, ¨He is right behind you Byleistr, now please, we need him to help Eira.¨
As he uttered those words, the curtain drew to reveal a mystical picture of silver spun hair and pointed ears.
The figure drew themself up, charmingly replying, ¨Why do you need only Loki my friend, when I can send her home as well.¨
Home, maybe it wasn't her normal. But maybe some change was necessary for the flower to grow into the light.