A Hel-centric chapter, at last. I'm not very pleased with it, though, and it was very difficult to write. This just hasn't been a very good month for me...
On another note, you wouldn't believe how happy your reviews have made me! Thank you, thank you very much for them!
– CHAPTER 6 –
Eye of the Beholder
"Mum! I'm going out!"
"All right, dear! Have fun!"
"Brother, can I come with you?"
"No."
"Please!"
"Are you deaf as well as dumb? I said no!"
"Why won't you play with me any more? We used to play together all the time when we were little..."
"You keep getting more and more annoying, that's why!"
Hel frowned, her eyes never leaving the yellowed pages of her book. Her two brothers were bickering again. What else was new? She just wished they would take it outside, as they were breaking her concentration.
"I won't annoy you, I promise!" Jormungand insisted.
Hel heard Fenrir sigh and calm down, which nowadays wasn't as unusual a course of action as it would have been a few years ago. Fenrir had always been a little hotheaded, but lately he had been making an effort to rein in his temper somewhat. Maybe it was a sign of his growing maturity, Hel allowed herself to hope.
"Look," said Fenrir in his most reasonable voice, "you gotta understand that I'm not a kid any more. I'm a big wolf now. I don't have the time or the interest to play with you like a puppy."
"But –"
"Bye-bye, Brother!"
Fenrir was gone before Jormungand had the chance to protest again. Relieved, Hel welcomed the ensuing silence. Now she could read in peace once more...
"It's not fair!"
At last, Hel looked up from her book to glare at her whining brother, who was curling up on the floor to sulk.
"Why don't you help Mother?" she asked him.
"I already have. There's nothing else to do. No thanks to you or our brother, of course," he said the last sentence under his breath, but Hel was still able to catch it. Jormungand held the opinion that the three of them were supposed to assist their mother with the housework, and he often nagged at them about it. Having got used to hearing such remarks from him, Hel easily ignored this one as well. "She says she wants to rest now, so she can't keep me company."
With a heavy, long-suffering sigh, Hel went back to reading and proceeded to ignore him. Not a minute later, she heard the rasping of scales on the wooden floor coming closer and braced herself for the inevitable.
"Play with me, Sister?"
Hel buried her face in the book in exasperation. She just wanted to be left alone to read! Was that too much to ask?
The sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention and she looked up again to see her mother towering over both children.
"Hel, my dear, why don't you go outside for a change?" she suggested. "You spend too much time reading in the dark. That can't be good for you."
"But, Mother –"
"No buts. Go get some fresh air and play with your brother. Really, you're still a child, and yet you behave like a decrepit old woman, wasting away in this house. Act your age for once and have fun!" her mother admonished her, gently nudging Hel towards the door.
Hel began to protest again, but then noticed the way her mother fixed her eyes on the book in her hands and, fearing Angrboda would take it from her, Hel quickly acquiesced and left, almost running, embracing her book tightly against her chest in a protective manner.
The sunlight assaulted her eyes as soon as she stepped out. She groaned and squinted to see where she was going. The light was so very bright that it felt like it was burning her sensitive eyes. It also gave her a headache. Lovely.
As her sight gradually returned, she surveyed her surroundings with mild distaste. It was mid-autumn, so dead leaves were falling and floating around her in the chilly breeze. Everything was brown and grey, giving the landscape a rather melancholic feel. Hel didn't really see how this was supposed to be an improvement from the cosy warmth of her home.
Listless, she just followed her little brother as he happily made his way through the dry foliage. He seemed to be in high spirits today, though the reason for that was beyond Hel. Usually, at this time of the year, Jormungand would already begin to feel lethargic from the cold. Then again, the sun was still out, so it wasn't that cold yet...
They both stopped at the small lake near their home. Jormungand took his time to admire it, seeming to appreciate the way the sun reflected on the mirror-like surface of the water, giving it a golden shine. Then, Jormungand turned to look at Hel.
"What are we going to do now, Sister?"
"I am going to sit right here and read," said Hel, sitting under a tree with little leaves left and opening her book on the part where she had been interrupted. "You are going to do whatever you want, as long as you leave me alone."
"Wouldn't you like to swim?" Jormungand persisted.
"No. It's too cold for that, anyway," she muttered.
"No, it isn't. I swam in the lake yesterday, and it was all right. If I can take that kind of temperature, you should have no problem at all."
"Whatever. I don't like swimming. I don't like getting wet."
"Fine, then, I'll go by myself," Jormungand sighed in resignation. "But if the cold does get to me and I drown, it'll be your fault."
Hel only scoffed. Silly Jormungand.
Time passed and Hel barely realised it, so engrossed was she in her reading. She only paused in it when her back began to hurt, after being in the same hunched position for so long. Setting her book aside for a moment, Hel stretched herself and idly looked at the lake, expecting to see Jormungand swimming up and down.
The water was still.
He must have dived for a moment. Hel looked around, bored, and wondered what time it was. She was beginning to feel a little hungry, so she guessed it was almost lunch time. She would wait for Jormungand to resurface and tell him that they were going home. She watched the lake, looking for any sign of movement.
The water remained still.
What in the nine worlds? Had Jormungand left the lake without her noticing? No, impossible. Frowning, Hel stood up and looked around again.
"Jormungand!" she shouted.
No answer. She stepped closer to the lake and leant forward to look into the water.
"Jormungand! Can you hear me? Get out of the water! It's time to go home!" Again, no answer or movement in the water. Hel felt an unpleasant twist in her stomach. "Jormungand?" she tried again, anxiousness seeping into her voice. Why wasn't he answering? She knew he couldn't have left the lake and gone away without letting her know, so he had to be in the lake still. Yet, he wasn't answering her calls, even though she was sure he would be able to hear her even from underwater. "Jormungand, is this some kind of joke? Well, cut it out! I'm not on the mood for it! Come on, I want to go home!"
She waited another moment and folded her arms impatiently.
"This is very childish," she complained. "You're acting just like Brother Fenrir. Really, this isn't funny! Just get out of the water, or I'll make you!"
Despite her annoyed words, she was actually beginning to get worried. For how long could he hold his breath underwater? Surely not this long?
She eyed the lake, noting it didn't look very deep. She had really wanted to avoid going in if she could help it. However, she couldn't stop the mental images of worst case scenarios from flashing in her mind. What if something was horribly wrong with Jormungand?
Making a face, Hel stepped into the water and instantly shivered from the cold. The things she did because of her stupid brothers...
She was waist-deep in the water when she decided that she could no longer ignore her own discomfort or pretend she wasn't on the brink of panic. By now, she was shaking like a leaf, and not only due to the cold.
Oh, this was bad, this was very bad. Maybe she should go and ask help from Fenrir...
Almost imperceptibly, something wound around her right ankle and, before she knew it, tugged her under the water, her surprised yelp ending in a gurgle. No longer able to breathe or tell up from down, Hel could only flail helplessly as the thing, whatever it was, wound itself around her whole body, not tightly enough to hurt her, but enough to keep her from hitting it or trying to escape.
Fortunately, the thing didn't stay underwater for long and resurfaced before Hel ran out of air. The sunlight struck her poor eyes again and she closed them, concentrating on taking deep breaths while the thing dragged her along.
"Oh, wonderful," she growled when she opened her eyes again. "I've been caught by a sea serpent... in a lake."
Jormungand chuckled.
Hel gave him a sour look. "I suppose I should have seen this com―Ack!" she yelped again when he nipped at her shoulder and midsection, though she realised he was careful not to use his venomous fangs. "Stop that!" she squeaked, and then burst into laughter when he tickled her with his thin, forked tongue. "Oh, stop, stop!" she giggled, feeling ridiculous. She had never laughed this much or this loudly, and it was a little unnerving that she just couldn't control herself. She tried to slap her brother, but, quick and slippery as he was, he easily dodged her flailing hands. It also helped him that she could barely move when he was still coiled around her.
At last, Jormungand took mercy on his poor sister and let her go. They were close to the shore now, so Hel didn't go under the water again. She sat still for a moment, catching her breath, head lowered, and watched her reflection on the water. She no longer felt cold, but she still looked a sorry sight, what with her messy, dripping hair and soaked dress clinging unpleasantly to her body. Eyes narrowing, she slowly raised her head and looked at her younger brother from behind drenched locks of hair.
"You'll pay for this," she whispered. Then, with a primal roar, she leapt to her feet and charged at him. "I'll kill you, you idiot!" He was able to avoid her for a while, since he had an advantage over her in the water, until Hel stomped on his midriff and managed to grab his neck, cutting off his laughter. "I'll teach you not to prank me and scare me half to death!" she howled. His scales felt cold as ice under her fingers, which might explain why Jormungand was making such feeble attempts to break free from his sister's iron grip.
"Sis... ter... you're..." He made a choked noise. "Hurting... me..."
"Oy, oy! What are you doing?" someone barked.
Hel turned her head to see her older brother watching her with a slightly disturbed expression. Next to him stood that young giantess he was always hanging out with, her gaze merely curious.
"Teaching him a lesson," hissed Hel.
"Look, Hel," said Fenrir, approaching his struggling siblings, "you know I've nothing against beating some sense into that moron, but I think you're seriously hurting him." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Mum wouldn't like that, now would she?"
Only then coming to her senses, Hel let go of her brother. She had never meant to hurt him, but maybe she had gone a little too far this time... And it took Fenrir's interference for her to realise it. Usually, it was the other way round. Since when was she so unthinkingly violent and Fenrir was the one with any sense? How could she have lost control over something so trivial? What was wrong with her?!
"I-I'm sorry, Jormungand..." she whispered, contrite, not meeting anyone's gaze.
"Don't worry about it, Sister!" said her younger brother in his most reassuring voice. "I'm all right, see? No harm done at all!" To prove there were no hard feelings, he curled his tail around her wrist – an affectionate gesture, the serpentine equivalent of holding hands with her, Hel figured. She gave him half-hearted smile in return.
"So, Brother, you and Lady Hrygda decided to join us, after all?" asked Jormungand as he wearily slithered out of the water and stretched himself on a nearby rock to sunbathe.
"Pff! Are you kidding me?" Fenrir scoffed. "It's just we heard Hel screaming and thought she might be in trouble. You kids can go back to..." he trailed off, as though he'd forgotten what he meant to say, and frowned. Jormungand also reared up his head, mildly alarmed. "Did you hear that?" asked Fenrir.
Hel didn't hear anything unusual, nor could she feel vibrations on the earth, but there was indeed something in the air. Almost like a shift of the wind, but not quite...
A sudden, strong rush of wind hit them and almost knocked Hel off her feet. The water of the lake rose in the air and descended on them like rain. Frightened and disoriented, Hel covered her head and ducked until all was quiet and still once more. Then, she cautiously looked around, blinking in confusion when nothing even remotely threatening was there to be seen.
"What in the nine worlds was that?!" blurted Fenrir.
Before anyone could venture a guess, they heard another, softer gust coming from the opposite direction. Hel and the others braced themselves. However, the sound became lower and lower until eventually all they heard was a galloping horse. Indeed, a minute later, Hel was able to make out the form of a dark stallion slowly and innocently making its way towards them.
There was something odd about it, but Hel couldn't quite put her finger on what. The beast was no more than a vaguely horse-shaped blur until it was standing a few feet from the group of giants. Hel squinted and leant forward. Were her eyes playing tricks on her, or did this horse have more legs than was considered normal for his kind?
"Fenrir! Is that you?" shouted the horse enthusiastically.
All gazes were on Fenrir and saw recognition flickering in his widening eyes.
"Sleipnir?" he sounded more incredulous than uncertain. The name rang distant bells in Hel's head.
"Wow, I almost didn't recognise you!" said the stallion. "The last time I saw you, you were just a li'l puppy! And look at you now! You're almost as big as me! Good Lord Odin, has it been that long?"
"Nah, I had a growth spurt," said Fenrir, wagging his tail. "So did you, apparently."
"Yep, I'm a full-fledged stallion now. That's why my master lets me go out on my own. Whenever I came to Jotunheim, I half-hoped to find you, but I had no idea where you lived. It was lucky that I was passing these parts today and happened to catch sight of you."
"So that was you? You're so fast we didn't even see you!"
"Sleipnir... Isn't that the horse our brother met in Valhalla?" hissed Jormungand to Hel.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she, too, began to remember. "Yes, that's right! He's our half-brother!"
Fenrir, having caught their whispered conversation with his outstanding hearing, said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot to introduce you! Guys, this is Sleipnir, our half-brother. I've told you all about him. When I got lost in Asgard, he helped me find our old man's place."
"Hullo!" said Sleipnir.
"Sleipnir, this is our younger sister Hel. And that idiot over there is our little brother Jormungand."
"Hi," whispered Hel, with a small, uncertain wave.
"Er. It's a pleasure to meet you, Brother Sleipnir," said Jormungand in his usual polite manner.
"I have a snake brother? Ugh..." Sleipnir shuddered. "Er, I mean, nice to meet you all!"
"And last but not least is my best friend Hrygda!" said Fenrir, rubbing his head against the giantess' arm.
"Daughter of Herkja," she added and nodded at the stallion. "Greetings."
Sleipnir, like Hel, seemed to notice the way Hrygda was stroking Fenrir's neck and shoulders.
"Am I going to be an uncle, too?"
"What?!" said Fenrir and Hrygda in unison.
"Er, nothing..."
"For the last time!" barked Fenrir. "We are not a couple! Can't a wolf and a giantess just be friends without people getting the wrong idea?"
Sleipnir made a muffled noise that was something between a cough and a chuckle.
"So, what were you all doing before I got here? I hope I didn't interrupt anything important."
"Oh, it was nothing," said Fenrir. "The kids were playing, and we were checking up on them to make sure they wouldn't kill each other."
Hel and Jormungand frowned at Fenrir. They didn't appreciate his superior, I'm-older-and-more-mature-than-you attitude. In their opinion, out of the three of them, Fenrir was by far the most immature one.
"So, do you have any news of the old man?" asked Fenrir, oblivious to his siblings' irritation.
Sleipnir gave him a blank stare for a moment. "The old man...? Oh, you mean Mother?" He gave the equine equivalent of a shrug. "I don't often see her – er, him." He lowered his voice to a conspirational whisper. "But rumour has it she, I mean, he is having an affair with Lady Freyja."
This was not exactly what Hel had been hoping to hear about her father, and she could see from Jormungand's uneasy shifting of coils that he was as flustered and embarrassed as she felt. Fenrir and Hrygda, on the other hand, had twin amused grins on their faces.
"You're joking!" chortled Fenrir.
"Well, it's no secret that Lady Freyja has a special interest in Mother, and you know what Mother is like..."
"Yeah, remember when he met the other giantesses in your clan, Hrygda?" said Fenrir, nudging her. "I do think he was enjoying being surrounded by so many ladies a little toomuch!"
"His reputation certainly precedes him for a reason," she replied.
"Um. Who's Lady Freyja?" asked Hel, not even sure she wanted to know; she was just desperate to change the subject.
"Hm? You've never heard of her?" said Sleipnir, taken aback. "She's the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility."
The last word elicited another round of chuckles from the older ones, but Hel's attention was rather on the two words before that one.
"The goddess of love and beauty?" she repeated to herself under her breath.
oOo
Hel had always wondered why, despite her best efforts, her father had never become as close to her as he was to Fenrir. Her gift for magic had caught Loki's attention, but that was as far as it had gone. He just didn't seem interested in getting to know her as a person or spending any more time with her than strictly necessary for two people sleeping under the same roof. As if her magic displays were nothing more than the evening entertainment for him.
She just couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.
Jormungand had also failed miserably to get in their father's good books. So, she figured that whatever was wrong with her also afflicted her little brother. According to Fenrir, the same could be said about her two half-brothers who lived in Asgard. Years ago, Fenrir had mentioned in passing that Loki didn't care much for them, either.
The first logical conclusion she drew was that Loki just didn't like children.
But then, she reflected, he had always liked Fenrir. What was so special about Fenrir, anyway? Surely this wasn't just a case of matching personalities. Loki was, to say the least, on excellent terms with Angrboda, even when they were just chatting or doing something inane like watching clouds, so Hel knew that he was perfectly able to appreciate a calm personality as well.
Over the years, in the rare occasions her father was present, Hel had been watching him and slowly realising something very important about him. His eyes always lingered on beautiful women, and the more beautiful they were, the friendlier he was with them. He, himself, was the most handsome man Hel had ever seen, just as Angrboda was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. It seemed terribly vain, but Hel had to admit that if she had to choose between associating with a creepy-looking monster from the darkest depths of Ironwood and a handsome, suave outsider, she'd probably pick the latter.
Hel wanted to slap herself when she finally figured it out. It was so obvious, she should have drawn such a logical conclusion years ago. Or maybe she had always known the truth, deep down, but just couldn't bear to admit it to herself.
Simply put, she was repulsive. There was nothing wrong with half of her, but the other half was rotting... It was a grotesque sight, unpleasant to the touch, and it probably smelled, too. She was so used to her own body that she never really notice those things, but to someone who was accustomed to seeing great beauty in himself and in others...
"Sister," said a quiet, hissing voice next to her, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Are you all right?" her little brother asked in a concerned voice. "You look a little... upset."
Hel turned her dark gaze on Jormungand. The sight of him only illustrated her point. She put herself in Loki's shoes and understood that it was only to be expected that he wouldn't like them. She could only imagine the nasty surprise he must have got when he found out about them. If she were Loki and had a son who was a creepy, venomous snake and a literally rotting daughter, she wouldn't have been happy, either. At least Fenrir was cute in a fluffy way and could be seen as a pet of sorts...
"Sister Hel?" Jormungand tried again, oblivious to her loathing thoughts.
Ignoring him, Hel shifted her gaze to her older brother, who was chatting with Hrygda and Sleipnir. Hel and Fenrir had always been on good terms and didn't fight nearly as much as Fenrir and Jormungand. Yet, curiously enough, she had never been as close to Fenrir as Jormungand was, either. She had thought it was because they were both male, but, nowadays, Fenrir only ever hung out with Hrygda. Loki had also seemed to take a shine to her – and she wasn't even that pretty... But, of course, as plain-looking and simple-minded as she might be, Hrygda was still easier to look at than Hel or Jormungand.
At last, Hel was brought out of her dark reverie when Sleipnir approached. He didn't get too close, though; he kept throwing Jormungand odd, suspicious glances.
"Hey, little sister! It really was great to meet you, even if we didn't get to talk much. I guess you're just the quiet type, huh? That's okay, though; Vali and Nari, that is, my other two half-brothers in Asgard, they aren't very talkative, either, but I know they're nice people, and we get on well when we have the chance to talk, which doesn't happen too often, because we don't live in the same place, and they almost never come to Valhalla, and whenever I leave Valhalla, I'm with Master Odin, heading to some remote part of Asgard..."
Hel just stared at Sleipnir as he babbled away. If she wasn't much of a conversationalist, Sleipnir certainly more than made up for it with his chattering...
"Anyway," Sleipnir finally resumed his point, "I've got to go home now, so I wanted to say goodbye. Oh, but don't worry! Now that I know where you guys live, I can come visit you whenever I have the chance!"
"You're going to Asgard now?" Hel asked.
"Yep! To Valhalla! That's where I live. Nice place, very festive, especially after there's a war in Midgard... Of course, I'm never allowed to take part in their celebrations, but I can hear their cheery music and laughter so well, it's like I'm right there with them!"
Hel leapt to her feet, threw a look back at Fenrir and Hrygda to make sure they weren't watching her, and beckoned at Sleipnir to step aside for a more private word. Sleipnir, intrigued, fell silent and complied, while Jormungand politely made no move to follow them, even though he did look quite curious.
"Sleipnir, I have a favour to ask of you," she whispered to him.
"Sure, Sis! Anything!" he said, nuzzling the healthy side of her face and neck.
"Take me to the goddess Freyja."
He pulled back in surprise, his wide eyes boring into hers.
"The goddess Freyja? But... why?"
"Well, she's the goddess of beauty, isn't she?" Hel muttered sullenly. "Just look at me. Maybe she could help me."
"Huh?"
"Or are you saying," Hel continued, holding herself defensively, "that it's no use trying and I'm a hopeless case?"
"I don't understand what – Oh! Oh, you mean that thing on your face?" Sleipnir narrowed his eyes and leant forwards to take a closer look, which made Hel step back in turn. "I dunno, maybe it'd be better to have the goddess Eir look at that skin disease of yours, don't you think? She's a great healer, you know."
Clearly, Sleipnir wasn't the most tactful of creatures.
"It's not a disease," said Hel, managing to control her temper. "I was born this ugly."
"Huh... That's odd. Then again, I was born with eight legs, so who am I to talk?"
"Well, will you help me or not?" pressed Hel impatiently.
"Oh, sure, if you really want to see Lady Freyja. Actually, it's going to be nice having some company on the way there. Well, come on up, then!" Sleipnir lowered himself to the ground so that Hel could easily mount him. "Have you ever been to Asgard?"
"No."
"Good! I'll show you around, then, when we have time. You'll love it; it's much nicer than this dark, clustered Jotunheim."
"Um, e-excuse me!" someone else said. The two siblings looked down at Jormungand, the sight of whom made Sleipnir jump a couple of feet in the air. Jormungand, in turn, was startled by the stallion's reaction and coiled up nervously. "I couldn't help hearing what you just said... and noticing you're mounting Brother Sleipnir as if you intended on leaving with him right now."
"Yes," said Hel warily. "So what?"
"Are you serious, Sister? Are you really going to Asgard? Now?"
"Yes!" she hissed.
"But you can't! It could be very dangerous! Remember, our father doesn't want us there! He must have a good reason for that, don't you think?"
"Nonsense! Look at Fenrir; he had no trouble at all when he was there. And if you keep quiet, Father will never know I was there."
Even before Hel was done speaking, Jormungand was shaking his head. "I don't like this... I have a very bad feeling about it. Please, Sister, don't go! I beg of you!"
"I'm going, Jormungand, and nothing you do or say can stop me."
Hel watched him impassively, almost challengingly, as he regarded her with a deeply troubled look. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke again.
"Then... then, please let me come with you, Sister!" he said, his voice full of determination even as it trembled slightly. "I couldn't bear the thought that you might be in danger. Let me come with you so I can make sure you're all right and protect you if necessary."
"I don't need your protection. I can take care of myself," said Hel, not unkindly, as she sincerely appreciated her brother's concern. "But any help is welcome, so if that's what you plan to do, I'm not going to stop you."
"Er, I'm afraid that won't do," said Sleipnir, shifting nervously. "That is, unless he can keep up with me."
"You make a good point," said Hel before addressing Jormungand again, "You'd slow us down, so I think you should just stay here."
"Oh..." Jormungand advanced slowly in their direction. "Maybe if I coil myself around you, our brother could take the both of us?"
"Don't be silly, Jormungand; you're too long and too heavy," Hel pointed out, feeling Sleipnir shudder.
"Besides," said the stallion, "I would never let you come within six feet of me, let alone mount me!" He must have noticed the hurt in Jormungand's eyes, for he quickly added, in a kinder tone of voice, "Aww, I'm sorry, Little Brother! It's nothing personal! You do seem like a nice enough fellow, but I just can't help being terrified of snakes. It's in my nature, you know."
"I... I understand," said Jormungand quietly. Then, with renewed earnest, he addressed Hel again, "Sister, I must insist that you don't go to Asgard! Surely whatever you plan on doing there isn't that urgent?"
"But it is, Jormungand," she affirmed. "This may be the most important thing I'll have ever done in my entire life. But, of course, I wouldn't expect you to understand." She looked away from him. "Goodbye, my brother."
"Bye-bye!" said Sleipnir.
Another unexpected gust almost knocked Hel off her half-brother. He moved so suddenly and so quickly, it took her a while to get used to it. She latched onto Sleipnir's neck, fortunately not tight enough to hurt or even bother him, and held on for dear life. She could barely keep her eyes open against the wind that rushed past her face, but from what she could see, everything around her was moving so fast that it had become nothing but a flashing blur.
It was too bright for it to be Ironwood still. Amazing how they had gone so far in just a few seconds! Sleipnir truly was the fastest creature Hel had ever seen. And so very agile, too! If she didn't know better, she would have thought they were flying just above the ground. Hel certainly hadn't expected this much grace from someone who had so many extra legs.
oOo
This was bad, Jormungand thought. This was very bad. He couldn't even tell why he was so worried. Even when Fenrir had followed Loki to Asgard so many years ago, only a little helpless puppy at the time, Jormungand hadn't got this overwhelming feeling of impending doom. He might not have Fenrir's happy-go-lucky disposition, but neither had he ever been a pessimist. Yet, he felt more worried than ever. He knew – he just knew – that this was a terrible mistake.
When Hel left with Sleipnir, he went straight to his brother. Fenrir might be annoying and full of himself on occasion, but Jormungand knew he could always count on him in times of crisis. That was what elder siblings were for, after all.
"Brother, Brother!" he called out, slithering as quickly as possible over to where Fenrir was playfully fighting Hrygda.
"What?" came the annoyed reply.
Jormungand quickly filled him in on what was going in. "You've been there," he said at last. "You know the way. We should go after our sister and make sure no harm comes to her."
Fenrir nodded, his expression unusually grim. "I wonder why she wants to go there. She was very opposed to going years ago, when I suggested that we go after the old man and Thor."
"It doesn't matter why she's going there!" Jormungand spluttered. "We can worry about that later, when she's back home and safe!"
"All right, then!" said Fenrir, his dark eyes burning with determination. "Let's go save our sister!"
oOo
Fortunately for Hel, the trip to Asgard wasn't a long one; it couldn't have taken longer than fifteen minutes. She was pleasantly surprised when Sleipnir announced they were standing right before Freyja's hall. For a good while, she could only stare at it in awe. The place was huge, unarguably the most stunning sight that had ever graced her eyes, and it literally glittered. It also made Hel feel very small. Suddenly, she wasn't so keen on going in there and meeting the goddess of beauty face-to-face. Honestly, what had she been thinking? How could she ever expect a goddess to help an ugly giant child such as Hel?
"Well?" said Sleipnir. "Are you just going to stand there? If you don't go and announce your presence, Lady Freyja will never know you're here."
"Um..." Hel wrung her hands and looked down, feeling shy. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all."
"Naw, no need to be nervous! Here, I'll give you a hand." He took a deep breath and shouted, much more loudly than a horse should be able to, "HELLO-O THERE! LADY FREYJA! THERE'S SOMEONE HERE TO SEE YOU!"
Hel flinched, both from the sheer volume of his voice and the nervousness she felt at the prospect of meeting the goddess.
They both waited for a while.
"Hmm. I guess nobody's home," said Sleipnir. "She must be visiting her brother, or Lord Odin, or Mother..."
"What do I do?"
"Well, I'm already a bit late, so I can't really help you much right now... Most I can do is take you to Valhalla. With any luck, she's visiting Lord Odin. Or you could wait here for a while."
Deciding the first idea was preferable, she mounted him again. This time, she was prepared for Sleipnir's sudden movement, though once again she didn't get to see much of the scenery. Before she knew it, they were entering Valhalla.
Hel blinked and let her gaze wander around the magnificent hall. She had heard a lot about it from Fenrir and a little from her father, but seeing it with her own eyes was a different matter altogether. It was much better than they had described. It wasn't as glittery as Freyja's hall, but it still was much more beautiful. It was imposing, majestic. Powerful magic pulsated in every inch of its towering walls. If Freyja's hall had made Hel feel small, Valhalla made her feel more insignificant than dust.
"Go through that door," Sleipnir indicated on his way to the stable. "Have a look around, see if you can find Lady Freyja. She's blonde and... will probably be holding a cat or two. If you can't find her, come to the stable and I'll help you when I can."
A little dazed from the sheer beauty and magic of Valhalla and very dismayed at being in the dwelling of the king of the gods, Hel mumbled a word of thanks and, with a little encouraging nudge from Sleipnir, hesitantly went in.
When she was past the door, it slammed shut from a sudden rush of wind. It was rather eerie given the circumstances. Ominous, even. As though it had sealed her fate somehow. Of course, it was probably just an impression caused by her fear, but Hel couldn't help recalling Jormungand's foreboding words.
She shook her head. Sleipnir himself had brought her here. He wouldn't have done so if he thought it was too dangerous. At the very least, he would have given her some fair warning. Besides, the people who lived here were her father's friends. They couldn't be that bad, right?
