Thor was nearly bouncing with excitement as everyone readied their mounts for the ride ahead. This was the best! For they were on an adventure to seek out the foes of Asgard and to see the babe had originated from. He grabbed the saddle and all but vaulted on his horse.

"Ready?" He asked barely containing his excitement.

"Almost," Fandral said as he made some adjustments to the saddle.

"You'd better be least Thor cause a storm...again."

"One time," Thor groaned even as Volstagg laughed with even Hogun smiling as he mounted. "I but to do that once..."

"Not once but several times if memory serves," Loki smirked as he mounted his horse. "But still we must go forth."

"Aye and we shall! ONWARDS!" Finally they were going! The gate keeper gave his consent and Thor shot forward like a bolt from Mjölnir. His company followed with eager shouts of excitement or slight groan of exasperation...that last one was Loki probably. They rode from the city to the countryside following the hunting paths. Thor almost ran past the one he'd ventured before in his excitement. Fortunately he made a quick correction and turned his horse into the brush. Then they reached the clearing were the bodies laid undisturbed from the fight.

"That was some rescue," Sif remarked as she dismounted looking at the scene with a critical eye.

"I've never seen such beings before," Loki said as he dismounted to get a better look at the bodies.

"You seen now why I stopped them?" Thor said gesturing to them. "Nowhere in the Nine Realms have I seen such features."

"Some look to be like a cross between the Jötunn and the Dökkálfar of old," Loki said as he gazed around. "Aye I see indeed why you impeded them. For their appearance suggest they are knaves. See if you can spot more. I shall see if I find something in this field."

"I shall examine the armor," Hogun said walking over to the downed warriors.

"Very well, Volstagg, Fandral, and Sif look in the south, east, west while I search north," Thor said as he then turned his gaze to the field and began walking off.

There was tore up foliage around some wet with slightly darker blood then he was used to seeing. As he looked he heard Hogun checking out the armor. As he walked forward he espied more foliage that had been disturbed. The ground looked as if many feet had passed in this way. Was there more to the caravan that had challenged him before? He soon held Mjolner at the ready taking care to step forward boldly and eager for another bout. It was then he spotted a battered cart. It's make was similar to what he'd see in the market place but it was marked with some writing he was unfamiliar with and some runes...

"ARGH!" A cry from behind made him swing his hammer into the assailant. The miscreant dodged it which stunned Thor but he soon recovered his balance and struck back with fervor. The being looking like a Dökkálfar dodged the attack and instead struck at him only to be smashed away by Mjolner. He heard something and turned to see...another assailant only he fell with Loki standing behind him looking supremely annoyed.

"Did I not say don't wander off further since there maybe more?" Loki asked sardonically pulling out his daggers from the downed foe. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Please let me know so I can at the very least watch you while your idiocy gets you murdered."

"You're no fun Loki, besides I could've handled him," Thor pouted.

"Mayhaps, but you might not of seen until it was a bit late," Loki said walking forward looking at the cart. "Those are odd runes..."

"Have you seen them before?" Thor asked looking on the cart...what in?!

"What foul devilry is this?!" Thor roared probably making Loki jump. Thor didn't care, he couldn't believe what he was looking at. It was a chain link with a small cuff...small enough for a babe attached to something that looked like a foul cross of crib and a small cage for poultry with swaddling still inside.

"Slavers," Loki hissed just as furious as Thor. "It would seem that your rescue of Ylva was fortuitous indeed. What foul brigands they be to do such a thing to a child."

"Ylva?" Thor turned and looked at Loki.

"I named her," he said softly calming himself down. Thor didn't blame him. He was mightily angered as well at the gross injustice and cruelty. "She had none as far as I gathered."

Thor wasn't exactly sure what to say, he was happy of course that Loki had the honor to see her but...he wished he'd been there. Still he wasn't a cur about it. What was done was done. He'd saved her and Loki named her this worked out well.

"Well named," Thor said courteously. "Did you see how she fared?"

"Eir, Father and Mother were attending to her. They spoke of a care package when I arrived and were working on names so I named her," Loki said.

"Alas a pity I wasn't there but again a good choice," Thor smiled at Loki. "And we bested the last of these foul slavers!"

"Bested the slavers and from what I can determine it's probably those runes might explain why Heimdall didn't not espy them," Loki said as his gaze turned to the magic. "They must be a marauders from various Realms with their make up. Although the Dökkálfar lookalikes are worrisome to see... I would hazard that they aren't actually Dökkálfar since they're extinct."

"Aye," Thor agreed. "Mayhaps something similar?"

"But where are they from and..." Loki trailed off as something caught his eye. "Curious," he picked up a golden trinket from the ground near the slaver. "What is this?"

"Is it the source of their abilities?" Thor asked as he leaned over to get better look.

"Nay I cannot say for certain," Loki said as he gently pocketed the item. "Guard me as I see if there's more here."

"Of course," Thor nodded now turning his attention to the area. He'd protect his brother from all foes while his clever brother figured the seldr that those foul slavers used.

After a time Loki had to admit defeat much to his annoyance. It seemed the trinket was the only real item of interest. The rest their seldr was either negligible or spent. Hogun was still examining the make of the armor while Volstagg and Sif were keeping a lookout while Thor and Fandral gathered the bodies of the slavers for All Father to decide their fate of their remains. Knowing him he'd have them burned so maybe Thor would do so here so he wouldn't have to bring back a host.

Loki looked down at the artifact. It's magical signature was very unfamiliar to him and it hummed with a malicious twist to it. Loki didn't like it. Magic as Mother was fond of saying oft reflected the character of the caster. It would seem that the caster for this artifact was a petty and malicious sort. A being that would bring malcontent to all. Quickly he shielded himself and placed it in a protected pocket dimension separate from where he kept his usual items. This warranted more study but in a safer environment. It wouldn't do to have himself corrupted if it would be do so.

"This metal is of a strange make," Hogun said as he placed down the last of the armor. "It is well made. Not as good as Vanir or Asgardian but still well made. It seems to have some runes on some which you can observe Loki. Otherwise it's just a slightly odd armor."

"Where are the runes?" Loki walked over the pile. Hogun pointed a slightly smaller pile beside himself. "I separated them for you. See what you can make."

Loki nodded and quietly looked at them ones engraved into the shoulder guards. Like the carriage he didn't recognize the make or the technique and sadly like the carriage it was all but spent. So it was perhaps shoddily applied or had been well used to the point of wearing off. Not a danger but still a cause to study. He'd have to take the items back for further study now.

"The magic here is either minimal or spent. There is no cause for alarm although I shall observe them to see if I can study them. Now I shall return to the Capital to see if I can get some guards to take the bodies...Unless you plan on burning them here?" Loki said concluding his search looking at Thor and his friends.

"We can," Thor said looking around. "There is plenty of kindling and we can burn them easily."

"I hope in a clearing so we don't cause a forest fire," Loki purposefully empathized the last bit so Thor wouldn't get impatient and skip details.

"You do you take me for?"

"A fool," Loki answered easily. "An easily distracted fool and I for one don't want to get burned unless you like me stabbing you...repeatedly."

"Fine," Thor huffed. "We'll be careful. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." Loki turned back to carriage. He had work to do there and runes to carve out before Thor used it as kindling. The...thing Loki would gladly see burn away.

As Frigga awaited for her boys to come back she rocked Ylva back and forth taking care to make sure that the babe felt safe. She seemed skittish and unsure which given what happened was understandable. Still there was the issue of her being a human in Asgard. Frigga again prodded the magical core of Ylva and was again in awe of her sheer magical abilities. Her power was indeed vast and with the right training she'd be a witch without peer save for her and Loki. Her staying was no question in Frigga's mind. Keeping her safe as well as providing a childhood was a must hence the need to make something where she would remain unharmed so there was the issue of durability.

Now Odin had gone to his study to see if he could get a tome that could give him inspiration for a spell so she could at least not be hurt in Asgard such rough play occur. He didn't want her excluded since he knew that Thor would want to spend time with her and was known to wrestle. Frigga already was thinking of crafting a bracelet and necklace to act as anchors to the spell. One was a backup in case the first should fail.

She looked down at the swaddling and noted there was a embroidering that she'd not seen before. Curious she adjusted her grip on the Ylva and looked at the arms. It was surrounded with runes. Their power was waning and she wasn't sure of the make. Frigga carefully unwrapped Ylva and pulled the blanket free from her. It was there that she actually got to see the make of the swaddling.

The material was thick like wool but not scratchy indicating she or at the least her parents had the resources to hire very skilled weavers. Written on it was something glowing with the runes and with the child out of harms way Frigga sent her seldr into the fabric. They glowed briefly before the blanket warmed up. Slightly warm for her but she reckoned it would be optimal for a babe.

"It would seem whoever cared for you at least gave you a spell to give you a warm swaddling," Frigga commented to Ylva who gurgled in reply. Frigga smiled at her and gently placed down the blanket instead wrapping her in the one provided by Eir. She would examine the swaddling further when she had time. "I can only wonder at what happened to them."

"Frigga my love," Odin came back looking rather excited holding a tome and scroll. "It seems I have found something that we can work on."

"Does it include anchoring points?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"A necklace for now and a bracelet for extra stability later," Frigga replied.

"A good choice," Odin agreed opening the book to the page in which he'd spotted it. "I mayhap have espied something that can at least make her durable."

"Let me see," she leaned over to the page...Ah it was a strengthening spell usually used on those that had some ailments. If modified it would work as a way to make she was tough enough handle at least normal life on Asgard. It was perfect.

"I shall fetch an appropriate necklace," Frigga said walking towards her jewelry chest. In it were exquisite jewelry made by the best that the Dwarves could offer. She went by the more heavy ones and most cumbersome to a child until she found a light necklace with small emerald. She wouldn't able wear it immediately but once she was a toddler she would be about to wear it with no problems.

"It will be based off of our magics," Odin said pleased at the find as Frigga then turned her attention to finding an appropriate bracelet to reinforce the spell further. "We shall ensure that these anchors hold and with this spell she should be able to live among us safely. Granted she'll be treated like she has a slight ailment but not nearly the same as if we'd leave her be."

"But what should happen should you fall into Odinsleep?"

"We shall modify that over time and her ability grows it shall feed off it if only slightly so as not to interfere with her own core of magic. In time when her heritage is revealed she should at the very least be at the peak of human condition without it. Then we release it or teach her how should she wish to release it on her own. Her durability will improve over age. She will never be completely as strong as we but she'll at least match the middle of our ranks."

"This is acceptable," Frigga said with a nod finding a bracelet that was light and contained at jewel in which Frigga was sure would hold the power it was going to be exposed too. "Shall we go to Eir to make sure that her health does not falter."

"We seem to be becoming frequent visitors there," Odin teased. He looked over at Ylva and tickled her gently which made her giggle. Frigga smiled as she watched. A thought occurred to her as they walked to the Healing Halls with her still holding the babe.

"Did you do that with..."

"I did indeed but alas I was a younger and slightly rougher fool so I play a bit rough...Not enough to harm but I did not understand limits...She was sick on me once."

Frigga laughed at the idea and image of the All-Father covered with sick from Hela. "That must have been an interesting time. Rather like when you changed Thor's diaper."

"Oh hush now," Odin chided her his eye twinkling with slight embarrassment and merriment. "I was tired. You can not hold me accountable for the mishap."

"Ah but I do, that was my favorite blanket you turned into a makeshift diaper."

"And I've apologized for it since," Odin countered as they entered into the Hall.

"My Majesties," Eir said approaching them. "I take you have a spell."

"We do," Odin affirmed. "We need you to monitor least she suffer ill effects. We shall be careful but we cannot account for all things."

"Understood my King."

"Are you ready my wife?"

"I am my husband," Frigga replied as she lowered the baby down onto the examination table. Ylva squirmed and started to make distress noises which Frigga hushed gentle with a brush of her magic warming the swaddling which calmed her. "Be still young one. All shall be well soon."

"Let us begin," Odin said raising his hands and calling upon his powers. Frigga lifted her own and called her seldr which began encircling the child with glowing runes and soon anchored to the pieces of jewelry craving out the symbols of protection before vanishing into the gold. The modifications made the spell casting last longer then it would usually take. Still after a time she felt the last of her energies come together and meet with Odin's and with it the spell ended.

"It is done," Odin said lower his hands. "Once she's of age we shall place these on her and it shall begin."

"And I can assure you my lady no ill effects were on the child I monitored her life and vital signs. The only ills is that she pines for your touch," Eir said mildly as she tried to distract Ylva with her fingers as the babe fussed.

"I shall keep an eye on her to see if it works. Fortunately babes even Asgardian ones still need to be treated with care so the boys shall try her with care. In fact I should wager that we won't notice until she becomes a youngling," Frigga said picking up Ylva.

"Very well. But now we shall plan a feast to welcome this new little one to the family," Odin said excitedly clapping his hands together with slight boom which made Ylva jump. Frigga gave him a reproachful gaze which Odin sheepishly smile and walked over to look over Ylva.

"Forgive this old fool enthusiasm at the thought of a daughter in the family," he said placing a hand in Ylva to comfort her.

"You are forgiven just had a care and be aware that Thor shall share in this enthusiastic," Frigga said. "You are of course invited Eir."

"My thanks my Queen," Eir bowed. "I shall be there and may I say congratulations and may your child be blessed."

"Our thanks," Frigga said smiling at Ylva as did Odin. "Welcome to our family child. You will love your brothers and Asgard."