CHAPTER 4
"When were you going to tell us?"
Mara frowned at the tube in her hand, "Tell you what exactly?"
Valka threw her hands up, "Uh, I don't know, the fact that you know both the princes and were flirting with them both."
She shrugged, "We've met before. I don't really know them personally. But what's flirting?"
The girls looked at each other in shock, then Cheryl cleared her throat, "You don't know what flirting is?"
"Yes. I've never come across that term before."
"Uh, well…" she mussed up her hair, "It kinda means you like someone."
"Oh." Mara picked up the stick with fibers on it, holding it in her other hand, "In that case, yes. I was flirting. I do like them. They seem like friendly people I could get along with. What's this?"
Valka frowned, "A toothbrush? You don't know what a toothbrush is?"
Cheryl giggled, "Girl, were you under a rock? How do you not know what flirting and toothbrushes are and have only had one dress in your life?"
Valka giggled with her, "Yeah, what kind of backwards household are you from?"
Mara frowned, looking at her feet, "It's not backwards. It's just the way things are done. It's the same story with all my sisters. But they got more dresses because they didn't ruin theirs and run away from home with big dreams."
Valka shifted on her feet, "So… um…"
Mara waved the brush, "How do I use it? And what's this tube?"
"That's toothpaste."
Mara dropped it, "Tooth paste?! Why in Gaia's name would you make a paste out of teeth?!"
Valka and Cheryl laughed uproariously, then Cheryl looked up and grinned, "Mara, it's not made out of teeth. It's a paste made for the teeth. You squirt a little bit on the fibery end of the brush, stick it in your mouth, and rub it on your teeth for a while. It's for cleaning."
"Oh."
"Do people in Vanaheim not brush their teeth?"
She shrugged, picking the tube back up, "We do. I'm guessing the nobles do it in a similar fashion to you, but most people rub clean leather on our teeth to wipe anything off. Then we just rinse with water."
"What happens when your breath smells?"
"We eat mint leaves. My family has three pots of several kinds. Chocolate mint, regular mint, sweet mint, spearmint, water mint, wild mint, and peppermint."
"That's a lot of mint."
Mara shrugged, eyeing the tube, "There are many in my family, who eat several mint leaves a day. And theres more than one use for it. You can make teas with it, once it's dried. My mother uses willow bark from our land to make a paste with it for our faces. Plus, we sell them around the other farms for those who don't have our specific kind."
Valka crossed her arms, "Huh. The only mint I knew was the peppermint sweets in the candy shops. My grandfather would always sick some in my pockets when I would visit. Well, only mint besides toothpaste."
Mara held up the tube, "How do I open this?"
Cheryl walked forward, pointing to one end, "See how it tapers out to here? Grab that end, the part that has grooves in it, and twist. It'll come off. Then just squeeze."
She twisted off the cap and gave the tube a squeeze.
Cheryl yelped, "No, no! On the toothbrush, and not so hard! It doesn't go back in fully!"
Cheryl grabbed the brush and tube from Mara and fixed it so the brush had a line of the paste on it, and the tube was closed, nothing else escaping it.
She handed the brush back, "Alright. Stick it in your mouth and rub it on your teeth for two minutes." She made to leave the room, then turned back, "Don't do it too gently, or it won't work. Don't do it too hard, or you'll bleed. And get it on both sides of the teeth. On all of them. Try to keep your mouth closed so it doesn't drip. Once the two minutes are done, turn the sink on for water and rinse it out. Your mouth that is. Do not swallow the paste."
The girls walked out of the bathroom, leaving Mara behind. She followed the directions Cheryl left, then left the bathroom, locking her door behind her.
Valka knocked on the wall, "Heading to bed now?"
Mara sat on the bed and sighed before calling out, "Yeah. I have to be up early tomorrow. I'll probably be gone most of the morning. And lunch too."
"All right. Cheryl and I will bring you back some salad or something. Night M."
"M?"
"Yeah. Cause M, Mara? I'm V, Cheryl's C."
"All right then. Goodnight V."
Cheryl knocked on her wall, "Goodnight you two!"
Mara flicked off the light and curled into the bed, starting for a second at the smoothness. The blankets had seemed to be the exact same material as her blankets at home, but hose were rough and coarse, scratching her skin up.
She clutched the little fox to her chest and looked across the room. There was light. Not that much, but just enough to see the shapes of everything.
Mara smiled.
She was here.
She made it.
Now to make everything work. She closed her eyes and slipped into a gentle sleep.
…
The next morning
Mara paused at her door, worrying the strap of her bag. She shook herself and set out for the front door.
Why did she need to worry if Valka and Cheryl were up?
It wasn't like they were going to stop her. They honestly didn't even matter for this. But even if they did, it was just before dawn, and Mara could hear them snoring through their cracked doors.
She stepped into the hallway, locking the door after her, and made for the stairs. The lights were only half lit, so the shadows were rampant. But it was still easy to see. Mara skipped down the steps, one hand gliding right above the railing.
She reached the ground floor and rushed out. No-one was anywhere. But a bright light was shining from under a closed door. She checked the plaque. Food court. Mara walked in.
Ten woman were buzzing around the kitchen and dining area. They were all in casual armor. The armor of the Valkyries. One stopped, seeing her and walked up.
"What are you doing up?"
"I have testing to do over at the Royal Academy. I wanted to be early. I saw the light and got curious."
"Oh, good for you!" the woman looked back at the others, "I'm afraid we don't really have much food ready yet, unless you want a fruit."
"I love fruit!"
"Oh, good!" she grabbed two apples from a nearby bowl and tossed them to her, "Here. Eat up. Good luck on your testing!"
"Thank you ma'am."
Mara ran back out of the room and finally went out the double doors. She bit into an apple, looking up. The sky was starting to turn a greyish blue. Sunrise was close. She had to hurry. The gates to the Academy were open to members at dawn.
She took off running through the grounds, but stopped when she heard a whinny. She looked to her right.
The stables.
A couple lights were on, but here was no-one inside. Mara walked in, looking at all the horses, rubbing the snouts of the few that stuck their heads out to her. Then, there was a bang and rattling. She walked up to the stall.
Valerie.
She'd recognize that pattern anywhere, with the mottled wings and red and gold around the snout.
"Hey there Val." She cooed at the irritated horse.
She pricked up her ears and turned towards Mara. She niffed the girl for a moment before nickering softly.
Mara giggled, "Glad you remember me too. Thanks for helping me get in."
Valerie whinnied softly, leaning her head down slightly. Mara reached out, rubbing he soft fur all over the horses head.
"I know. It must suck to be in here. I hate small spaces too. My old room was the size of your stall, if not a little smaller."
Valerie butted her head against Mara's chest, making her giggle again.
"Yeah, I missed you too. I'd love to spend all day with you, and maybe go out riding, but I have other engagements."
She huffed, flicking her ears back.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. Listen to this. Tomorrow. You, me, two of your friends and two of mine. We'll go riding on the trails in Asgard for a start. As time passes, I can take you further and further. Maybe to my homeland. You could meet my cousin. He's afraid of horses though. My grandfather would love you."
Valerie stamped her feet and huffed again, but her ears were pricked this time.
"You agree? I'm glad! My friends and i can come super early, and we can stay out all day. If we find a nice place, we can stop and have a picnic. How's that sound?"
She bumped her head against Mara's chest again.
"I'm glad you like it. Oh! I have something for you!" Mara pulled the extra apple from her bag, "Pretty lucky that lady gave me two."
Valerie grabbed the apple from her hand, crunching it contentedly.
Mara scratched behind her ears again, "I gotta go now, but I'll see if I can stop by again today. If not, I'll bring you some sugar cubes tomorrow." She kissed Valerie's nose, "Bye girl. I love you. Be good."
Valerie nickered softly after Mara as she rushed out, finally making her way to the Royal Academy. The trip was shorter than the previous night. Probably because she wasn't walking slowly. And she wasn't wearing tight, heeled boots that made her feet ache.
The air was cold in the early morning. The air in her lungs disappeared into the air with puffs of clouds. Her braid flew wildly behind her, slapping on her back as her feet pounded on the stone. She reached the gates of the Academy right as the sky turned orange and red form the rising sun.
She walked up to the guard box as the man came up from inside the gate.
He looked at her from his little cubicle and sighed, "Lady, I can't let you in. sorry."
She frowned, "But I have my identification card the Academy issued. Why can't you let me in?"
He leaned forward, "You have a card? How?"
"They sent it to me with my acceptance letter."
He held out his hand, "Let me see."
She pulled it out of her bag and handed it to him. He held it under the light for a while, frowning. Then he handed it back to her.
"It's real."
"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because I've worked here for twenty years, and the only women I've seen enter the grounds in the Queen and Lady Sif and Amora, and the head of the Norns." He pressed a button and the gate started to rumble open, "Good luck, because you are going to need it."
Mara frowned at him as she walked in. The gate closed behind her with a slam. She looked up. The Academy was starting to glow in the light of the sun, and streaks of red filled the sky. The stars were gone now.
She set off for the main building, casting a glance at the art center. It was dark now. Her mind drifted to the previous night and the conversation with Loki. She recalled how his eyes had sparkled as she explained the paintings to him. His own paintings. He had stood there and smiled with glee as she called him miserable to his own face.
Mare smiled softly as she remembered his laugh as Thor pouted when she criticized his painting. They seemed nice.
She shook herself as she knocked on the door, pushing it open gently. Once again, nobody was inside. She closed the door behind her, looking around in dismay.
Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all.
She picked a random hall branching off the main room and set off. Maybe she could find someone to help.
Her steps echoed eerily. Unlike that night at the tryouts where everything was quiet, this was deathly quiet. There was no wind. Her steps echoed through the halls, bouncing back to her. She could hear her heart pounding in the silence. It was almost pitch black.
Then, she saw light glimmering from a half-opened door. She knocked and poked her head around the door.
A man was sitting behind an easel with a fire crackling behind him and candles decorating the room.
Mara cleared her throat, "Um, excuse me. I hate to interrupt, but I'm lost."
He poked his head around the easel and Mara felt her heart skip a beat.
Loki.
"Oh, hi again."
She cleared her throat, shuffling her feet, "Um, yes, hi."
He stood, setting his palate down, "It's good to see you again so soon. I enjoyed our chat last night."
Mara nodded, "I… I did too."
He crossed his arms, "Let me guess, testing room?"
She sighed and smiled at him, "Yeah. I mean, yes, please. It's too dark and quiet. And there's no-one here besides us. Could you point me in the direction of it?"
"I'll do you one better." Loki picked up a candle and smiled at her, "I'll take you there myself."
"Oh, no! That's ok, I don't want to interrupt you!"
He shrugged, "Its fine. Besides, this place is like a maze for new people. You'd probably get lost again and not find someone." He walked past her, smiling back at her form the hallway, "You coming?"
"Uhmm, yes, yes. I'm coming."
She dashed after him, taking pace next to him.
He smiled at her, "doesn't this seem familiar?"
She started, nodding, "Oh, um, yes. Right. Tryouts night."
Loki frowned at her, "Something wrong?"
"Nerves."
"From the testing or…?"
She shook her head, "Everything. This is all new to me. And it's odd, to think that except for visits, I'll never return back to Vanaheim. And I won't talk to the rest of that side of my family again, except for letters to my father."
"Not close to your family?"
"Not really. Except for my sister, none of my siblings really… understood. They all believed our mothers ideologies. The ideas that most of Vanaheim shares. Plus, I've got a reputation in our village, and the family, as the problematic one. They already didn't really talk to me, so I don't expect things to change now."
He nodded, "I get it. I'm sure you'll get the hang of everything real soon. I almost didn't recognize you last night, until you really got into what you were saying."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You have a fire inside you. And when you get really passionate, your eyes light up and your hands start moving. I just didn't recognize you because you were wearing a dress."
She chuckled, "Yeah. My cousin has told me he hates when I get passionate about something, because then he has to move away or he might get smacked. And then I get mad at him because he's walking away."
He laughed, smiling at her, "So, who was your friend that got you into art?"
"Oh! That's Penelope! She's a pen pal of min from Jotunheim."
He froze, looking at her as she stopped a foot ahead of him, "Jotunheim? Your friend is a Frost Giant?"
Mara scowled, "Oh not you too."
"Not me too what?"
"All Asgardians are the same." She turned around with a huff, walking off.
"Hey! What does that even mean?!"
Mara whirled around with a flash, startling him, "It means you're all racists! None of you seem to realize that the Jotnar are just people, the same as you!"
He scowled, "They're vicious savages that will attack someone just for looking at them. Everyone in Asgard knows this."
"Then everyone in Asgard is a fool! They're not vicious, or savages! A huge majority of them are kind and generous people! They're incredibly loving towards children! I know a Jotun couple on Vanaheim that runs an orphanage. A lot of children's clinics in the cities are staffed almost entirely by Jotun because they're so loving."
She glared at him. His mouth was slightly open in shock.
"They are the ones being attacked. Like I told Cheryl and Valka yesterday, most foreign violence is done by Asgardians attacking the Frost Giants. They are people, just like us. It's a hateful, and undeserved stereotype. Like the one where Asgardians are essentially nothing but chunks of muscles who do nothing but murder and conquer others, destroying everything in their path, eating and drinking everything in sight."
Mara stood, gasping for breath as Loki stared at her. She could hear her voice echoing back softly to her.
She sighed, "My point is, everyone has a stereotype about everyone else. None of them are true. Like the one about elves being snobby and stuck up. Yes, some are like that, but a majority of them aren't. Yes, you'll find Frost Giants that are vicious. They're most likely in the army though."
She met his eyes, "Before you go judging people based off rumors, and generalizing an entire culture and race to one tiny box, meet one. Talk to them. Learn about them. That's how I met Penelope. My grandfather arranged it because I told him I wanted to learn more about their culture. We've never met, but we're almost like sisters."
Mara took a shaky breath, her throat aching from the shouting, "She's kind, and gets super excited about art. Her family wanted her to take over when her uncle stepped down from his position, but she wanted to be an artist. And she loves makeup and doing her hair up. She's never killed or harmed another living being. And, she's a vegetarian. Does she sound like a vicious savage to you?"
Loki looked down at his feet.
"That's all the answer I need."
He cleared his throat, "You do have a certain way of putting things in a new light…"
"Or maybe I just have a way of making people see the light when they've only been shown darkness."
"Harsh, but deserved. Consider me educated." He cleared his throat, "Follow me. The testing room won't be far now."
They walked in silence for a minute before Mara sighed.
"Listen, I'm sorry for losing my temper and yelling."
"Don't be. You had every right. I was in the wrong, and you proved that. But does Penelope know of your dream to be here?"
"Oh! I never messaged her! I got so distracted by everything I forgot to send her a message." She looked up at him, "Thanks for reminding me, I'll have to do that tonight."
"Don't you have that party tonight?"
Mara bit back a curse, "I forgot about that. Cheryl and Valka will want me to go. And I won't be able to do it tomorrow…"
"Why?"
"I was planning on taking the girls out riding on the trails tomorrow. I was thinking we could stop and have a picnic and stay out all day. I can message her when we get back though."
He stopped, "We're here."
She looked at the door in front of her. Light was coming from under it.
She turned back to Loki, "Thank you for walking me here, and again-"
He raised a hand, "Don't. Like I said, I deserved it. Good luck on your testing."
"Thank you." She waved her hand at the hall they'd come from, "And, good luck with your painting."
He smiled, "Thank you. Maybe when you see it, you'll know that I didn't fall asleep on it this time."
Mara blushed as he walked away. She stared after him until he turned and was gone. Then, she went inside the room. An old man sat at a desk right in front of the door. Rows of cubicles with high walls sat behind him.
He looked up, "How can I help you?"
She pulled out her card, "I'm looking to apply for a class."
He handed her a thick book, "This is a list of every class available. Look at the index in the beginning to find the classes that require no prerequisites since you're just getting started."
She sat on a bench next to the door and flipped through the book. There were a few classes in sciences that didn't require any previous classes to take. She held the book open and walked back to the desk.
"I've made my decision."
"Good, good." He pulled out a blank chart and pencil, "What will you be testing for?"
"Botany 1, Herbology 1, Magic Theory 1, and History of Art."
"right." he marked down her choices, then looked up, "That's four red gold for each class test."
Mara pulled out her money pouch and counted out twelve coins, handing them over.
He took them, placed them in a drawer, and then turned to some file cabinets, pulling out four different sets of paper.
He handed them over, "Right. Take these to an empty cubicle and start. Eave the bag. You can only have yourself, the tests, and a pencil or pen with you. I'll watch over your bag."
She nodded, setting down her bag on top of his desk, taking the pencil and papers. Mara walked to the nearest cubicle, shutting the door behind her. A light shone directly above her head as she set the first test down.
Botany.
She skimmed over the test. Name a few plants, which of these is poisonous, and the like. The Herbology test was similar. The Art test had basic questions on names of famous paintings, and their makers. The magic test looked the hardest, with questions on uses for different spells.
There were four sheets of paper to each test, and each side of the paper had four questions.
Mara started with the easiest ones, breezing through them and setting them aside. She spent the most time on the Magic Theory one, but finished it too. She went back over each test, checking everything. When she was satisfied, she stood and walked back out to the desk, holding the papers to her chest.
Another man walked past her into a different cubicle as she went to stand in front of the clerk. She handed him the papers and he pulled out four small books, pouring over each one.
He looked up at her, "So, to be placed in a class, you have to earn a grade of 76% or higher on the placement test. You earned 100 on the Botany, 100 on Herbology, 96 on History of Art, and 80 on Magic Theory."
She grinned, "So I can take the classes?"
"Yes." He pulled out her chart again, marking some things down before pulling up a tablet and displaying a different chart, "All right. These are the options for class times you can take right now. Each class is only a semester long."
"Can you narrow it down to anything after noon?"
He pressed a few buttons and the list got shorter, "Here are your options."
She pored over the list, tapping four options and making the list only four long.
The man nodded, "So, Botany 1 on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-2 pm. Correct?"
"Yes sir."
"Herbology 1, Tuesdays and Thursdays, also 1-2 pm. Correct?"
Mara nodded, "Yes sir."
"Magic Theory 1, Monday through Friday, 3-4 pm. Correct?"
"Yes please sir."
"And finally, History of Art, Fridays from 1-2 pm." He looked up at her, "Correct?"
Mara nodded, "Yes."
He marked things down on her chart as the list disappeared.
He held out the paper to her, "Here is you lesson chart for the fall semester this year. Head to the Academy bookstore in the market and show them your list to get the required books." He pulled out a map and marked down four locations before handing it to her, "This is a map of the campus. I've marked each classroom you'll be using."
"Thank you so much sir. Have a great day."
"You too ma'am."
He turned and talked to the next student as she walked out. A small stream of students was making their way to the testing room, so Mara just followed them all the way to the entrance and stepped outside.
She covered her eyes as she stepped to the side of the doors and looked around. The sun was already overhead.
She turned to a man who looked well over her age, "Excuse me sir, do you have a moment?"
He frowned at her, "What?"
"Do you know where I can find the Academy bookstore in the market? I need to pick up my books, but I'm new here and don't really know where everything is."
He nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out a map of the city, "No problem. I live in the market and have to help people all the time." He circled a building on the map, "This is that sandwich shop at the edge of the market that's all the rave lately." He circled another building, "This is my family's café. The bookstore is two blocks away." He circled it and handed the map to her.
"Oh, thank you so much sir. I'll have to visit the café sometime"
"I'd appreciate that." He waved as he walked inside, "Good luck getting your books, and with classes."
"You too!"
She flew down the steps, down the side of the pathway, avoiding the other student streaming in. she stopped right outside the gate, pulling out the map of the city. Her finger drifted over the Royal Academy, then to the market.
She set off, map in hands down the streets. The city was bustling again, making it hard to progress. But she reached the bookstore eventually. There weren't many people inside. People had either already gotten their books, or hadn't tested.
She walked up to the counter where an old man stood.
"Pardon me sir, but I need some books."
"Right then. Where's your class chart?"
She handed it to him and watched as he skimmed over it.
"Right, you'll need 'A Guide to Botany', 'A Herbologist's Almanac', 'A History of Art in Asgard and Beyond', and 'A Beginners Guide to Magic Theory'. Let me go grab that for you."
He shuffled off, grabbing books from different shelves. He came back to the counter and rang them up, pulling out a receipt.
"That will be 75 red gold please."
Mara dumped some gold on the counter, shuffling it around, before pushing the right amount towards him.
He took it, but it in a box, wrote something on the receipt, and placed it in a bag with the books, handing it to her.
"Have a good day, great semester, and good luck with your classes ma'am."
"Thank you sir, and a good day to you as well."
Mara walked out the store, then paused, setting off for a different building. A bell jingled as she pushed open the door to the café.
A woman looked up and smiled, "Hello there dear, what can I do for you?"
Mara set her bag on the counter, "I'm looking to take my friends riding tomorrow and want to stop for a picnic."
"Alright. How many sandwiches do you want?"
"Three. Can you do a large salad we can share?"
"Alright. Would you like a fruit salad as well?"
"Sounds great."
"Would you like a dozen cookies, muffins, or assorted pastries?"
"Uh… cookies please."
"Tea, or fruit juice?"
"What are the types?"
"We have mint tea, black tea, and an orange tea. All are cold served. Then we have fruit punch, lemonade, apple juice, and a berry mix."
"Can I have mint tea and apple juice?"
"Of course." The woman jotted some things down on a paper, "Since you'll be riding, would you like some apples to give the horses? It's complimentary."
"I would love that." Mara smiled, "Correction, the horses would love that."
The woman laughed, then looked at Mara's bag, "You're a student at the Royal Academy?"
Mara nodded.
"Oh, that's wonderful. My son goes there."
"I met him. He helped me find the bookstore and told me about this place."
"Oh, how lovely! We have a student discount. May I see your I.D. please?"
Mara pulled out both her I.D.'s and handed them over.
"Oh, you're to be a Valkyrie too? Marvelous! That's two discounts with the picnic bargain."
A man pulled out a wicker basket and filled it with several boxes and two jugs of liquid. He put in some apples and tied the basket closed with a ribbon as the woman looked up again.
"That will be fifteen gold please."
Mara handed over the gold, smiling, "I'll have to do this often."
The woman laughed as she placed the gold in a box, 'I look forward to it. I must ask, are you from Vanaheim?"
"How'd you know?"
"The accent. My husband and I are from there too. We moved out here many years ago, but we still visit. All our produce is grown by his family."
Mara grinned, "That's great! Now I know for sure I'm coming back. Because the food is actually fresh."
The women laughed as the lady handed Mara the basket.
"Have a great day sweetie, and good luck with your classes. If you ever need a night job, you're welcome to apply"
"I'll do that. Thanks so much ma'am. And have a great day."
Mara waved as she walked out, smiling to herself the entire time she walked back to the dorms.
Valka and Cheryl were home, sitting on the couch when she walked in.
Valka grinned, "Hey girl, welcome back!"
Cheryl frowned at the basket as Mara walked to the fridge, "What's that?"
"Oh, there's this lovely little café near the bookstore. They have student discounts for both academies, and the owners are from Vanaheim, and the man's family ships food out all the time. I passed by the stables this morning on the way to get tested, and thought we could go out riding tomorrow and stop for a picnic."
Valka squealed, "That sounds amazing. Oh, by the way, how did testing go? I see you have books."
"I applied for four classes and got into each. So now I have a good schedule, with time off most afternoons. Plus, I get lunch break."
Cheryl grinned, "Congrats."
Mara smiled as she turned around, "Thanks. I'm really excited."
Valka clapped her hands, "Oh! That makes this even better! C and I got you some more clothes while we were out, in the styles you seemed to like."
Mara frowned, "You guys really didn't have to…"
Cheryl laughed, "Yeah we didn't. But we wanted to. You can just say they're a reward for getting in. You better keep your grades up little missy."
Mara smirked, "I'll try my best."
She walked to her door, threw the books on the bed with her bag, then came out and sat in an empty chair with a huff, leaning back and closing her eyes.
Valka chuckled, "You alright there M?"
"Yeah, just tired. It's been a busy day."
"Well, you should go get some rest then. The party isn't until after sunset, so we'll wake you up to help you get ready, then we'll head over."
Mara yawned, "Sounds good by me. See you in a bit."
The girls bade her goodbye in unison as Mara walked into her room, closing the door and kicking off her boots. She nudged the bags off her bed, then curled up under the covers and fell asleep almost instantly.
