CHAPTER NINE

[strike me down]

"Strike me down, and I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

- Obi Wan Kenobi

Kelda ran behind the fox back to the cliff were she had been attacked by the demonic creatures the night before. The air whipping around her as she ran was the only thing keeping her from bursting into tears.

Balder was dead. He was really dead and it should have been her. No. It should have been Loki.

The blonde stopped on the cliff. "Karnilla!" she yelled for her friend, trying to seek refuge in Nornkeep. Her vision went black as the abyss swallowed her yet again, and within the blink of an eye, she stood in front of Karnilla in the throne room.

"He's dead," she cried, the tears finally falling. Karnilla embraced her, her own tears falling for the man she loved. Together, they wept, ignoring the impending attack that was sure to come from the Asgardians once Loki spilled his lies.

When the tears dried, Kelda explained to her friend what happened. Detailing the battle in the forest, Karnilla's expression hardened as her anger toward the silver-tongued god grew. This all started with Loki. However, she placed the blame on herself too. She allowed him to manipulate her insecurities. She fell for his sweet words and flowery promises of what her life could be like by Balder's side, never considering if Balder even wanted to be with her too. She was just as bad as Loki. Together, they had been playing with their friends' lives and emotions as if they were puppets and it was time she made that right.

Karnilla could no longer sit in Nornheim and hide away while Loki continued to trick everyone. She could not let Kelda hide here as a fugitive, framed for the murder of her best friend.

"You can't stay here," Karnilla said. "If you stay here, Loki wins. And you will be wanted for treason, forever under the thumb of Asgard, a prisoner even outside of their dungeons. Not if I have anything to say about it."

The dark beauty led the golden goddess into the bowels of the Keep. "These are the roots of Yggdrasil, the very base of our chaotic cosmos. Here, magic is raw and untamed." Kelda followed her to an altar at the end of the long hall. "I'm sending you away. The Norns foresaw this happening. Loki's treachery is not something that can be overcome in a fortnight. It will take time and planning and an equal amount of deception on our end. But, in the meantime, you deserve the happiness of which you were robbed."

"What are you saying, Karnilla?" Kelda said, wiping at her red, weary eyes.

The sorceress queen sighed heavily. "I'm going to Odin and turning myself in for Balder's murder… as well as yours."

"What?! You can't do that! They could execute you," the blonde worried.

"They could try," Karnilla said with a sad smile. "I plan to turn myself in, but I don't plan on staying long. If I go to them and declare that you're dead by my hand, I will get a chance to spin the narrative in our favor. I will tell the court that I disguised myself to appear as you. I murdered you and took on your likeness so that I could infiltrate Asgard. When Loki grew too close to my domain, I attacked him and when Balder interfered, I killed him too. Then, after I admit to all of this, I will return to Nornheim and fortify my lands so that Asgardian soldiers would not dare to come for me. I will become their villain so that you can escape Asgard and grow stronger. And one day, you'll return to shed light on Loki's crimes."

The plan that Karnilla laid out for her was overwhelming. Obviously, she had not just thought of this. Perhaps, it had originally been the plan to claim herself Kelda's murderer only, but after Balder's demise, amendments were made. She could hardly form a coherent thought as she processed the information. "Will you be able to get away? There will be so many guards," the blonde countered, wanting to ensure that if she agreed to this, her friend would truly remain safe.

"Now, that I have access to the power here," the ebony-haired sorceress started. "I have little doubt when it comes to my capabilities."

"Where will you send me? And how?"

"I'll hijack the power of the Bifrost to send you to Midgard. It will take much dark magic, but it needs to be done. Their intelligence is lacking when it comes to otherworldly beings, so it is unlikely that you'll be discovered as Asgardian. You'll just have to lie low."

Kelda nodded. "And what of Heimdall? What if he sees me on Midgard and turns me in to Odin? What if he sees what we're planning now?"

"Dark magic has the ability to cloak you from anyone, including Heimdall and his all-seeing eyes." Karnilla sighed, "I've thought this through, believe me. I just need to you to agree to it."

Kelda remained silent for a few minutes thinking it all over. There is so much risk, she thought. So much could go wrong. However, in time and with patience, they could knock Loki down from his pedestal. After all, what were a few decades when your lifespan was a few millennia?

"All right. Let's do it."

With word from the Norns that the Asgardians had ceased their search for Kelda and Karnilla to return to the palace for Balder's funeral that night, the Queen of Nornheim decided it was the perfect cover to send the blonde goddess to Midgard.

Harnessing power from the roots of Yggdrasil, a column of pure light engulfed Kelda as she stood before the altar. Within seconds, the winter goddess was gone and the only sign that she had been there at all was the Asgardian etchings in the floor that the Bifrost left.

With the golden goddess gone and hopefully safe away from Asgard's reach, the queen spent her nights making the necessary arrangements with Haag.

Haag was a loyal servant and a minor sorceress herself. She took to Karnilla immediately, the old woman's precognitive abilities allowing her to see the ruler that Karnilla was destined to become. Karnilla quickly placed a lot of trust in the old woman when she returned to Nornheim only days earlier. So much had changed in such a short period of time.

Karnilla planned the fortification of Nornheim. She knew that after she confessed and escaped to her new home that Asgard would be at her door once again. It's why she ordered Haag to organize the guardian demons and have them scattered through the forest in Nornheim. She built up barriers of vines and roots and thistle at the boundary line. If the Asgardians managed to cross the border, her demons would be ready and waiting.

Her goal was not to harm the misguided Asgardians, just keep them far, far away. Karnilla was hardly worried though. After all, she did have Fate on her side.

The royal Asgardian family gathered in the Keep the morning after Balder's funeral. Frigga was the only one absent, weeping over the loss of her oldest son privately. Parents were not supposed to outlive their children.

Thor was quiet for once in his life. Though anger raged through him, it was subdued as he mourned his brother. He had so many unanswered questions, but his sorrow distracted him enough to keep him from asking them just yet.

Loki, though his lies were behind all of their grief, was ridden with guilt. He truly grieved the loss of his brother as well. The situation in the woods had grown out of hand, his frustration and fear getting the best of him. He did not know why he threw that dagger, as he would be equally despondent if they had attended Kelda's funeral the night before.

Everything—all the hurt that surrounded him—was his doing. That would haunt him forever.

The silent melancholy of their gathering was interrupted by footsteps behind them. Loki and Thor turned as Odin stood abruptly from his throne. "Guards!" Odin called as the three royals watch Karnilla approach them.

"Well, well. Isn't this a bit awkward?" she greeted teasingly, masking the hurt that she truly felt as she addressed the people she once saw as family. They were not her family anymore, so quick to turn on her. Only Kelda was her family now, the only one to believe her aside from Balder, minutes before his death. The guards rushed into the Keep, surrounding her from all sides. "Oh, good. You brought the welcoming committee. I appreciate the hospitality."

Loki gave her a confused look, trying to figure out what she was playing at. He knew that Kelda had told her everything. However, if that was true then why was she here in the palace with everyone who wished for her head?

"Enchantress, why have you come here?" Odin snapped at her. His grief had been subtle, more hidden than the rest of his family, but he experienced it all the same.

Karnilla laughed shortly. "Why to confess of course?"

Thor narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. "Confess then."

"Oh, so quick to the point, Thor," she mocked. "Well, all right then. Let's start with what you don't already know. Kelda Freyjadottir is dead."

The room froze. The fire in Thor's eyes dimmed again at the news of Kelda's death. Of course, Loki had told them that she was the cause of Balder's death, but the wound was still so fresh that he had not come to terms with yet another friend's betrayal. Therefore, news of the blonde beauty's death still caused an ache in his heart.

Loki's eyes hardened as they met Karnilla's. He would be damned if he believed her. The two women had been working together just the day before. There was no way that they turned on each other.

Odin said nothing. His steely gaze remained the same as he waited for their uninvited guest to continue.

"I killed her when she wandered into the woods the night before and took her likeness as my own. I decided to use my new disguise to infiltrate Asgard and marry Balder, but when I saw Loki approaching Nornheim's border, I knew I could not let him cross into my domain, so I attacked him.

"Balder saw us fighting and interfered, an unfortunate casualty."

Loki knew her words to be lies, but there was little he could do to counter them. Yes, originally, he had been the one to spin the tale of Balder's demise by Kelda's hand. But how was he to question Karnilla's claims? Insist that the woman they grew up with was a cold-blooded killer, or allow the sorceress that his father and brother already believed to be conniving and evil take responsibility for Balder's murder? One way or another, the blame was off his shoulders, regardless if the guilt remained.

"Karnilla of Nornheim, are you formally confessing the murders of both Kelda Frejyadottir as well as my son and heir, Balder Odinson?" Odin asked, wanting a clear, straight confession to the crimes.

Karnilla looked around, "Well, yes. Isn't that what I just did?"

Thor's anger returned as his hand clenched Mjolnir's handle. He restrained himself from attacking the Mistress of Magic, although he wanted her to pay for the lives of his brother and friend.

Odin waved the guards toward the sorceress at the center of the room. "Guards, seize her! Karnilla or Nornheim, you are hereby under arrest for the murders of which you confessed."

"Interesting," she stated, eyeing the approaching guards. "You believe I'm going, what's the saying, come quietly?" With an over-exaggerated laugh, like some cartoon villain from a Midgardian fairytale, Karnilla disappeared from sight.

The throne room grew quiet yet again, only to be interrupted by Odin's loud demands. "Bring me Karnilla! Raid Nornheim if you must. I want her back in this room dead or alive!"

German Countryside, January 1937

It was an uncharacteristically mild January day when Abraham Erskine discovered a young blonde girl laying in a field not far from his safe house. Dr. Erskine had moved his family to the countryside to avoid the rising Nazi populations in Augsburg. The SS had already approached him, trying to recruit the esteemed scientist to help them in their own nefarious endeavors, but the German scientist wanted no part in the Nazis plans. The move to the country was just temporary; an effort made to protect his family until they could safely make it to Switzerland.

Abraham had been up late the night before, going over the formula for what would eventually be a super soldier serum. Due to his late night, he woke much later in the morning than usual only to discover that a winter storm had covered the ground outside in several inches of snow. Despite the inclement weather the night before, the sunlight reflected off the snow offering a simple sort of beauty, one only found in nature. Dawning his heavy coat and boots, he ventured out of the warm house where his family remained, huddled around the radio.

Wandering away from the cottage and lost in his own thoughts, he almost missed the ethereal girl sprawled out on the ground. However, as Dr. Erskine shuffled closer, his attention was brought to the large imprint on the ground where all the snow had melted. The imprint was made up of symbols, almost like a language the doctor could not understand. In the center of the circular imprint, laid the ethereal beauty. Immediately seeing the unconscious girl on the ground, Erskine ran to her side and knelt beside her limp body.

Checking for a pulse, the German scientist was relieved to feel the thump of her heartbeat. He checked her over, looking for any visible signs of injury before moving her. As he looked her over, the doctor realized that she was only wearing a long, lightweight, sky blue gown with golden accents. With no visible injuries, Abraham knew he had to get the girl inside quickly. Although the temperatures were rather mild, it was still winter and she was not dressed appropriately for the weather. He attempted to gather the blonde in his arms and bring her to the warmth of the cottage, however, the scientist was unable to lift her weight.

Erskine was aware he was not exceptionally tall nor strong, but the young blonde in front of him, though she was rather tall, was still slight in size. He didn't quite understand why he had so much difficulty in lifting her. After another attempt to move her, he realized he could not do it himself. Hurrying back to the cottage, careful not to waste any time, Abraham recruited his adult son, Elias, and together they were able to bring the blond back to the cottage. Abraham's wife, Gisele, and their daughter Sabine, had cleared the small couch and prepared it for the unconscious girl, covering her with blankets to try to warm her.

Now that he was not as worried about her possibly freezing to death, Erskine was able to inspect the girl more closely. Upon this inspection, he realized she wasn't really a girl at all but a young woman, possible early to mid-twenties, only a couple years younger than his daughter. Her height was also much more apparent on the small couch. He knew she was tall when he and Elias were carrying her in but now she appeared to be around six feet tall. Possibly, one of the tallest women he had ever seen.

"Where did she come from, papa?" Sabine asked clearly in German.

Erskine thought back to the odd circular imprint on the ground. "I cannot say. But, she could not have come from far. That dress offers very little warmth; she wouldn't have made it far just wearing that."

Elias chimed in next, "Do you think it may be hypothermia?" Abraham shook his head. Despite her unconscious state, she showed no other signs of the illness.

"I suppose we'll have to wait until she wakes up to get our answers." Gisele stood and walked to the kitchen to prepare lunch. "Come now. Leave her to rest." The Erskine family followed the matriarch out of the room, leaving the mysterious blonde to continue gathering her strength.

Everyone was sitting at the small dining table, eating lunch and chatting when the ethereal blonde woke up. Slowly, her eyes opened to reveal beautiful icy blue irises. She inhaled deeply and began checking out her surroundings, looking for any dangers. Sitting up on the couch, she took in the wooden cottage walls, the glowing hearth, and the multiple, colorful blankets that had dropped from her chest and were now draped across her lap. Hearing the chatter in the other room, she stood to try to leave the small home. Unfortunately, her balance had not quite returned after her fall through the Bifrost.

The blonde stumbled, catching herself against the wall and causing a thump to sound through the house. She clutched her head, her vision spinning. Not realizing that someone else rushed into the room, when a hand rested on her shoulder, she lashed out involuntarily.

Luckily, the man she swung at caught on and dodged her swing. She was glad she didn't hit him. He was merely mortal and her Asgardian strength would surely injure him more than if she were human. "It's alright. You're safe here," the young man said. Not saying anything in return, she nodded.

The older woman stepped forward then, "If you're hungry, there's still some lunch I prepared. Maybe then you can tell us a little bit about yourself and why you were out in the cold." The blonde nodded again while the older woman led her to the dining table they had been sitting at earlier. The family sat in the remaining chairs aside from the younger man who stood off to the side.

The mystery woman scarfed down her food, barely taking a breath in between bites. Apparently, travel via Bifrost took a lot out of someone. Finally, taking a sip of water and sitting back in her chair she met the eyes of the older man in the room. "I am Dr. Abraham Erskine and this is my wife, Gisele," the older gentleman gestured to the older woman in the room, before he gestured to the younger two, "And these are my children, Sabine and Elias."

The blonde beauty offered a smile in return. "My husband found you laying in the snow. He was afraid you would catch your death if you stayed outside, so Elias helped him bring you inside. How did you end up out here alone?" Gisele asked the woman, genuinely concerned.

The blonde knew that the humans would not understand her world and it's workings so easily, so she lied, finally finding her voice. "I-I, I'm not sure. I can't remember." The answer didn't seem to quench the family's curiosity, but they were happy to get a verbal answer.

"Well, can you at least tell us your name?" Dr. Erskine asked.

The blonde sat up straighter, her long hair spilling down her back in waves. "Kelda. My name is Kelda."

So, as promised for once, I'm posting the chapter today!

This led right into the prologue and the next chapter will have a time jump as we get into the Captain America storyline. Kelda's time with the Erskine's will be mostly rehashed in flashbacks and personal accounts from the goddess herself. Not all of it will be pretty...

But, I'm super excited to get into the thick of this story and I'm hoping that you all enjoy!