Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They are the property of Marvel and of the Beeb. I wish they were, maybe in another life or a different universe. However, not in this one. Please leave a review if you have enjoyed what you have read. Thank you for taking the time to read my work
Glorious Purpose
Chapter 2
They came to a door, the paint was beginning to flake from it, from inside she could her chatter and laughter. "This is my house" Sylvie said, as they went past it. They turned down the side of the house, into a small courtyard. It was flooded with orange light and the smell of food from a half open stable door. Sylvie deposited the barrow. Setting Loki on the floor, she took the girls hand, and led her towards the sounds and smells. Sylvie opened the bottom half of the door, two girls rushed to greet her talking ten to the dozen. Loki watched as Sylvie greeted her daughters, she introduced them to her. The younger blond girl was close in life stage to Loki and was a similar height. "This is Lilou" she said pushing the blond girl towards Loki. "And this is Celeste" Sylvie rested her hand on the shoulder of an older girl, on the cusp of her adolescent years. "This young lady is Loki; she needs a place to-"
At that moment a deep, rich bell sounded from outside. In the distance she could hear screaming and shouting. A man with a moustache and beard, unnoticed until that point in time, moved towards the open door. "I'll find out what's going on. Stay here and lock the door." He gently moved Loki and his daughters out of the way, then closed the door behind him. Once he had left Sylvie closed the top section of the door and locked it.
"Don't worry girls, Jean will be safe. In the meantime, why don't we find out what he's cooked us for our tea." She moved past a wooden table with benches either side of it and lifted the lid of pan set on a stove in the fireplace. As she did so it released a wonderful aroma that made Loki's tummy rumble. Lilou began to set the table as Celeste put out bowls for five people.
"Can I help?" offered Loki.
"Sit yourself down, all I need to do is bring it to the table" called Sylvie over her shoulder as she used a rag to pick up the pot. Sylvie ladled out the lentil soup and offered Loki some bread. Flavours burst over Loki's tongue as took her first spoonful of soup.
"This is delicious," she smiled "we normally eat a lot of roasted meats in the Mead-hall". A pang of sadness hit Loki as she realised that she was never going to experience that again. She looked down and moved her soup around the bowl. Tears threatened to spill as Sylvie reached across the table and placed her hand over Loki's smiling kindly at her.
"What's a Mead-hall?" Asked Lilou with her mouth full of bread, Celest laughed and nudged her with her elbow.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," she said.
"It's where my family and their warriors eat together at the end of the day. We gather and tell stories there." This raised some eyebrows. Luckily for Loki any further questions were stopped by a loud knocking at the door. Sylvie rose to unlock it.
"Who is it?" She called, before she turned the key.
"It's me" Jean answered. Sylvie admitted him and bolted the door behind him once more. "There's been another murder." He said removing his hat. "A young woman." He wiped his forehead and sat down at the table; Sylvie handed him a bowl of soup. "Poor thing had been ripped to shreds." The two girls gasped and Sylvie pressed her lips together closing her eyes.
"Do you know who it is?" She asked, her voice catching in her throat
"It's the potter's daughter, Isabeau"
"She was supposed to be getting married next week," said Celeste "She had asked me to cut her some sunflowers for her bouquet". A glumness settled on the small room, as the group finished off their meal. Loki got up to clear the pots from the table.
"Where do I take these?" she enquired
"There's a water pump outside", answered Sylvie, taking Loki's bowl from her. "But I'd rather you wait until morning to wash these, considering what happened to Isabeau this evening. Girls, why don't you show Loki to your room. She can share with you tonight."
"Thank you" Whispered Loki, grateful to have a place to rest and someone looking out for her. Loki followed Lilou and Celeste to their room up a flight of stairs in the attic. A small window looked out onto the street below. The room contained a double bed made of wood, with a straw mattress and a chest of drawers.
"Do you have a nightie, Loki?" Asked Celeste, looking at Loki's cloak and leather clothing
"I left in a hurry; I don't have anything to sleep in." Loki explained. Celeste turned to the drawers and pulled out a simple cotton nightgown.
"This is Lilou's spare, it will fit you" she offered it to Loki. Loki took the faded cotton nightgown and looked pointedly at the sisters.
"Oh! We'll turn round" Said Lilou catching Celeste's elbow. Loki took off her heavy clothing and pulled the light, cotton garment over her head. Lilou jumped on to the bed and pulled the worn patchwork quilt up to her chin. Celeste joined her; she lifted the quilt to invite Loki into the bed. Loki chose to sit at the opposite end, balling up her cloak to use as a pillow.
"Do you know any stories?" Asked Lilou, as Celeste blew out the candle letting the starlight fill the room from the open window.
"Not any I want to tell right now," answered Loki sadly. She didn't want to think about stories she would never hear again from people who no longer existed. "Do you know any?"
"I know one!" Lilou enthused, Celeste groaned "'Barbe Bleue'!"
"You always tell that one," Celeste complained.
"It's the best one, it's creepy."
"Fine." said Celeste, you could almost hear her eyes roll, Loki giggled. Lilou started her tale of a wealthy man in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors. Loki began to drift off towards the end. Her dreams were uneasy, filled with corridors of golden doors and being chased by looming would be kidnappers.
Loki was jolted away in the early morning, the sun not yet risen, but the sky lightening. There was a commotion outside on the street below. She carefully peaked over the window ledge. She saw that the man with a bowtie and tweed jacket was running down the narrow street. He knocked over anything in his path, apparently trying to avoid something that was following him, he kept looking over his shoulder. Loki felt a tingle of fright work its way down her spine. Somewhere close was the creature that she could feel nearby yesterday evening. She watched transfixed as baskets and benches moved of their own accord, ever closer to where she was. Loki ducked down below the window, lying flat on the bed, holding a hand over her mouth so the creature wouldn't hear her breathing. She heard it continue after the man running down the street, as it knocked things out of the way to get to its quarry.
Too full of adrenaline to get back to sleep Loki got dressed in her leather clothes and went downstairs into the small living kitchen area. Outside Loki could see Sylvie and Jean getting ready for their day, preparing the barrow with groceries and flowers. She went through the open-door asking if they need any help.
Sylvie came over "Good morning, Loki, did you sleep well?" She enquired.
"Yes, thank you. Celeste and Lilou were very kind to me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"
"Do you remember how to get to the town square?" Loki nodded as Sylvie gave her a couple of French sou. "Can you go to the boulangerie, and get me a pain de champagne and five croissants, si vous plait?" She handed Loki a basket and sent her on her way.
Loki headed back in the direction she came from with Sylvie the previous evening. She passed the blue police telephone box. Two teen boys helped each other to paste posters advertising a circus all over it. It was still early as she arrived at the square, the only shops open were the butchers and the boulangerie. In the boulangerie window she saw rows and rows of small, brightly coloured biscuits, all manner of pastries and breads that simply weren't in Asgard. She joined the queue inside and waited her turn.
"What's that?" she asked the baker's wife pointing to a crisp, sugared pastry that looked like a palm tree
"A palmier" responded the bored looking woman. "Do you want one?"
"No, just a pain de champagne and 5 croissants please" The woman placed the bread and pastries into Loki's wicker basket then held her hand out for Loki's money. In the town square a few people were clustered together talking about the murder the previous night.
"It's that Vincent Van Gogh, you mark my words" Clucked an older woman with grey hair.
"I saw him once raving at the sky once, he's mad, I tell you. You never know what he'll do next." said a woman with a head scarf
"I heard that he cut off his ear and gave it to a prostitute. His brother is always sending doctor's out to him. There's one with him now, Pierre saw them together." Nodded a young man twirling his moustache. They paid Loki no attention as she walked by.
When she got back to Sylvie and Jean's house Lilou and Celeste were awake. They were carrying out their morning chores. Upon Loki's arrival they set the table for breakfast. The adults joined them and they ate breakfast together. Jean left for work at the blacksmiths and Sylvie took her barrow to the square with Celeste.
"What do you do with your day?" Loki asked Lilou
"Usually I finish my chores, then head to the brook to meet my friends"
"No school?"
Lilou shook her head "It's the holiday's, we're needed to help with harvesting, but that's not happening today." Loki helped Lilou to finish her chores and wash the pots from last night. Leaving the living area clean and tidy. They headed to brook where Lilou introduced Loki to her friends. they spent the days cooling off in the sparkling, burbling water beneath the shade of the cypress trees. As the sun began to dip in the sky Lilou and Loki headed back to Sylvie's house, by the time they got back the sun had just set. Jean and Celeste were just setting the table as they got in. Loki got the bowls out of a large cupboard, that was used to store foods and crockery. They sat down as Sylvie arrived home with news that Isabeau's funeral had been held and she had been waylaid by the wake at the café.
"Everyone is talking about the new doctor that is helping out the painter" she said sitting at the table, helping herself to the vegetable broth Jean had made. Loki joined in the conversation telling them she had heard the same thing that morning.
"Why don't you tell us a bit more about where you're from, Loki." Encouraged Jean kindly.
"I'm from a place called Asgard, it's at the end of Bifröst. A shimmering rainbow bridge it's guarded by Heimdallr against all invaders" She explained proudly. Lilou and Celeste exchanged a glance. Sylvie coughed slightly, then said "It sounds beautiful, Loki. You must miss it?" Loki's eyes welled up at Sylvie's empathy, she nodded silently. Jean tactfully changed the subject.
"What did you two get up to today?" Grateful to Jean for the change in conversation she let Lilou for taking over as she talked about her friends and the fun, they had had at the brook that day. Once they had eaten Jean produced a fiddle from the cupboard and began to play a lively tune. Lilou, Celeste and Sylvie moved the table to the side to create a space for them to dance. The sisters hooked arms and skipped to the music, while Sylvie clapped a beat, Loki joined in enjoying the lively tunes. After two songs the girls pulled Loki up and took turns dancing with her. After a while Jean began to play hauntingly sad melodies, that almost made it sound like the night was mourning the loss of the sun. Jean put the fiddle down and the family hugged each other good night. As she was about to follow the girls upstairs to their room, Sylvie pulled Loki into big hug. She followed Lilou and Celeste upstairs.
It was Loki's turn to tell a story that evening. She chose to avoid talking about her father's exploits as she felt too raw to even think about him. Instead, she chose to tell the story of The Curse of Andvari's Ring. The sisters were rapt at her telling. It was late in the evening when they finally fell asleep.
In the morning Loki awoke up in a pool of sunshine, spilling through the window. She felt warm, snug and slightly sweaty. Abruptly she lurched to sitting as she remembered what had happened to her family. She looked around her, her bed-mates, Lilou and Celeste, were still asleep messily, tangled up in the thin sheet they used to cover themselves from the warm night air. Loki wrapped her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth in an attempt to sooth herself. Once she felt composed enough, she could hear Jean and Sylvie chatting downstairs. She got dressed and Sylvie once again sent her out to get breakfast. This time as she came upon the police telephone box three people were stood outside of it. One of them was the man with the bowtie and jacket she had seen running from the unseen creature the previous morning. He was using a key to cut away the posters encasing the phone box, chatting to the other two with him. He opened the door and let the scruffy man in. Loki recognised him as the man who was shouting in the café the night she arrived. As she passed them the man with the bowtie turned to observe her, he frowned looking her up and down. This close Loki could feel how powerful this man was, it almost made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Loki stiffened, moving quicker in the direction of the town square. At the boulangerie she waited her turn, then hurried back to Sylvie's place. She noticed that the police box was no longer where it had been and neither was the man. She felt desperately scared and anxious.
Once at Sylvie's, Celeste and Lilou began to help her set up for breakfast when shouting erupted in the backyard the back yard. Sylvie ran inside bolting the door behind her. She shouted for the girls to hide. Loki ran upstairs, out of the corner of her eye she saw Sylvie hiding the sisters in cupboard, all the while the door was being hammered from the outside. Loki presses herself behind the open bedroom door, shoving her fist into her mouth to quell her ragged breath. Sylvie ran into the room, and slammed the door behind her. She pressed her full bodyweight against the door, her face contorted in anguish. "Hide Loki!" She ordered; in that moment Loki knew exactly who was on the other side of the door. The door is hit repeatedly as Sylvie desperately tried to keep it shut. Loki backed away from the Sylvie and the door, pulling out the TemPad she activated the rectangular golden portal. She looked at Sylvie, her face red with the effort of keeping the door closed on those attempting to break it down. The door finally gave way sending Sylvie flying across the room. As Loki backed into the doorway of light the last thing she saw before the portal closed around her was Sylvie standing with her arms outstretched between herself and Renslayer. Sylvie was blocking her path to Loki. Renslayer brutally shoved her baton into Sylvie's stomach pruning her from reality.
~o0o~
The Doctor led Amy and Vincent to the TARDIS, their mood was light as he used his key to slice away the poster's that covered the TARDIS's door. He opened it up allowing Vincent to walk in first to look around. He always loved this bit. The look of awe, amazement and bewilderment on those lucky enough to experience entering the TARDIS for the first time. As Vincent investigated his attention was drawn by a young girl with long dark, brown hair. Her clothes make her stand out, all leather, a cloak and a wicker basket, it was a strange combination. He frowned and stared at her as she passed by. She is as out of place as he is. There is something odd about her. The Doctor took a deep breath, her scent makes is nose tingle. She smelled of starlight and gunpowder, it made his brain fizz but not in an unpleasant way. The girl stiffened and walked faster in the direction of the town square. She appeared to know that he has recognised her as something other. By this point Vincent has walking around the outside of the TARDIS as he tried to figure out how all of the inside fitted into the outside. The Doctor focused on the task at hand, he had all the time in the world. Once he dropped Vincent back here, he was going to track this strange child down.
