A/N: As my days of summer dwindle down, I may end up updating this less frequently than hoped. Just consider this as a warning before my lack-of-updates will begin. However, I must also add that I admire the lot of you who consider my story worth reading. You're all fantastic!
Chapter Eight
As expected, the days of slaughter began and the endless battles against the Jotuns grew in number. Despite their assumption of the depleted energy of the Bifrost, the Jotuns only continued to invade Asgard in growing and impossible numbers. The warriors grew weary, but the fights raged on while Einarr battled alongside Odin and Thor who kept at the Capital to save what they considered precious. As for Frey and Freyja, they were forced to remain home by their own father's orders to stand guard over their mother and younger sister who continued to reside back home. Jotuns roamed free through the trees and fields, which left Frey and Freyja occupied throughout the day, but by nightfall as the Jotuns' attack would become fewer in number, they would be left to stand guard outside of their home.
"Oh, Loki, if I did not care for you, I would loathe you so much." She muttered, slumping down upon a stump as she stabbed her sword into the grasses by her feet. "It's as if he intentionally wants the warriors of Asgard to be worn out from battle."
"We're Asgardians, Freyja." Frey reminded her. "We can endure this lengthy battle."
"Well, I tire of it." Freyja complained. "It has been a week since their invasion began and they only seem to increase in number."
"Yes, but the good news is that the Bifrost bridge is nearly finished regenerating." Frey added. "In due time, we will follow through with your plan."
Freyja sighed and nodded, remaining silent for only a moment as she rubbed at the bandages upon her arm. She had nearly forgotten her plan, but it was the only motivation she had to keep her fighting every day so far. While she was not certain that her plan would work, she still had hope that she could do enough to stop the invasions occurring in Asgard.
"If it works." She whispered, which caused Frey to give her a look of concern.
"You're not certain?" Frey questioned.
"There is a lot at risk, brother. I cannot even promise that everything will go well. After all, you know why Loki is doing this..."
"I still think it's rather childish."
"His father rejected him, Frey." Freyja frowned. "Imagine if father did that to you."
"Don't even mention it." Frey grumbled.
"Then you can see why Loki is so upset!" Freyja explained, her brow furrowing as she looked back at her brother. "He has every right to be upset."
"Though he has no right to take it out on Asgard." Frey replied bluntly.
The two siblings eventually fell silent as they stared out towards the grasses that seemed to wave in the soft wind, which gently tosseled the leaves away from the Asgardian trees. A few leaves danced around in the wind, twirling around the two siblings as they continued to look onward, finding that this was the only moment of tranquility they would be given out of the last week. Frey sighed, leaning back upon his stump as he looked up, closing his eyes as the breeze strengthened. Freyja smiled softly, glancing at her brother as she stretched out her feet before her. She had considered it a moment of rarity to find herself at peace with her brother. For once in a long time, everything was silent and calm.
"Children, can you spare a moment for dinner?" Their mother called from the doorway. Frey exchanged a look with Freyja who merely nodded in response. The two siblings were convinced that they would not need to battle until the next morning. Frey rose to his feet eagerly, stashing his sword into his holster as he wandered off into their home. Freyja slowly rose to her feet, using her sword as support, but immediately, she found their moment of solitude was being disrupted as soon as she reached the doorway of ther home. As Freyja froze, she glanced over her shoulder to find a small figure emerging among the grasses from far away.
"Freyja, what is it?" Ingrid questioned with concern etched in her voice.
"It's father." She stated bluntly, narrowing her eyes as she continued watching. "Something's wrong."
"Freyja, Frey!" Their father called out from afar, causing Frey to stumble to his sister's side. Frey looked out with confusion as their father rode up to their home. While his return was a relief to the entire family, the look upon his face was enough to cause them worry. "Where is Eira?"
"Here, father!" Eira called out as she wandered into the front room. "Is something wrong?"
"We must leave." He declared breathlessly, grabbing a few of his things from the front room. He glanced at the two older siblings and sighed. "Get what you need, we are not returning."
"What? Why?" Frey questioned, rushing after his father who wandered off into another room.
"No time, just get the horses! Freyja, get what you need!" Einarr cried out as he began to collect things into a bag. Eira ran after her sister to collect her own things while Freyja merely grabbed her bag, her cloak, her spare sword, and the necklace that Loki had given her. She had been rather protective of the necklace since Loki had given it to her, but since his disapperance, she considered it would be safer if she left it at home. As she threw on her cloak and tied on her necklace, she walked out with her bag slung over her shoulder as she found her family already hitched upon their horses. Taking her own horse, she glanced at Frey who's face looked sullen.
"Frey, what did father tell you?" Freyja asked.
Frey pursed his lips and merely motioned behind her into the trees.
Freyja narrowed her eyes out of suspicion that she was missing something, but as she turned to glance towards the trees, she could hear a faint rumbling in the distance. Within moments, the rumbling grew louder and louder and from what she could make out, this was a large mass of Jotuns, which was larger than usual. As the Jotuns ran through the trees, knocking down what blocked their way, the leaves began to violently fall through the air as their cries for war echoed out. Her breath quickened as she glanced at her father who already began to ride off towards the open field.
"Freyja, come on!" Frey blurted out, his horse rushing after their father's.
"That is impossible!" She cried out. "The Bifrost cannot sustain energy long enough after being dismantled from the bridge!"
"Oh, it is Freyja!" Einarr exclaimed, hearing his daughter's cry. "The impossible has suddenly become possible with Loki in Jotunheim!"
As they galloped over the hills and through the grasses, Freyja let that thought sink into her mind. She had never considered the immensity that Loki could have upon Jotunheim or Asgard. She never acknowledged him as a being of destruction or terror, but it seems so much has changed throughout the years that he was becoming someone she no longer knew. Tears filled her eyes at the thought, almost fearful that alone would be enough to cause her plan to lead only more destruction for Asgard, but she refused to let her emotions break her down so easily. She angrily shook her head, forcing her horse to stampede faster to catch up with her family.
"Freyja, move! Keep moving!" Frey called out, glancing back at her frantically.
She rubbed at her eyes and frowned, almost too fearful to glance back. Quickly, she took one glimpse and found the Jotuns were moving fast enough to catch up with them. Though they were still too distant to catch ahold of any of them, they could easily catch up with them in a moment's notice.
"Father, Frey, prepare yourself!" Freyja called out, wielding out her sword, glancing back over her shoulder to find the Jotuns had moved closer. Einarr and Frey wielded out their own weapons as Ingrid held tight to her husband and Eira who was clinging to the back of her father. Sandwiched between her parents, she glanced back and looked in horror to find the mass of Jotuns had moved even closer.
"Father!" Eira squeaked out of panic.
"Hush. All will be well." Einarr assured her with a grin, but his face become grim as he glanced over at the moving body of Jotuns that was raging right towards them.
"Don't you dare!" Freyja cried out angrily, slashing at the Jotun that was practically at the heel of her horse. The Jotun stumbled backwards, causing several more to topple over it, but it hardly caused them to slow down. Her head continously darted back to her family and the Jotuns, unsure whether they would even make it out alive with this mass inching closer and closer to them.
"Off, ugly!" Frey cried out, kicking at the Jotun that had grasped onto him. Freyja quickly rode up beside him and ran her sword across the back of the Jotun, forcing it to fall as it crippled onto the ground in pain. "They're horrendous!"
Freyja merely chuckled, glancing back at the Jotuns who were now moving at an alarming speed. "Father, move faster! Frey and I can handle this!"
"You're insane!" Einarr exclaimed. "You will get yourselves killed!"
"We can endure it, father!" Frey shouted. "Now hurry!"
"No!" Einarr yelled. "There is a barricade of warriors outside the Capital. Not even Odin nor Thor can handle that many Jotuns!"
Freyja grunted out of aggravation, kicking at a Jotun that had clung to her horse and watched it fall and collide into others. She glanced at Frey who sighed, shaking his head as the two of them continued to ride on alongside each other. They were nearly there, but the Jotuns only continued to catch up with them. They raced up besides their father's horse, ocassionally glancing over their shoulders to make sure Jotuns were not near them. As they raced towards the wall of warriors, they found an opening was made for them to gallop into the Capital and ensuring them the safety of their family. As soon as they made it through the opening, Einarr jumped off his horse and directed Ingrid to continue riding while Frey and Freyja merely slowed down by their father.
"Let us join you." Frey insisted.
"Nonsense." Einarr replied breathlessly. "Your plan is meant to occur soon. Go to the Capital, meet with Thor and Odin, and discuss what must be done."
"But we want to help!" Freyja cried out, frowning as the mass of Jotuns nearly met with the wall of Asgardian warriors.
Einarr let out a heavy sigh, placing a consoling hand upon his daugher's hand. "If you wish to help, then you will fulfill your plan as you hoped for. Now go."
"Father." Freyja looked at him with concern.
"I will return as you will." Einarr replied.
"Careful, father." Frey added quietly.
Freyja merely nodded in agreement, giving him a wave as she watched him join the rest of the warriors that were already in combat. The clanging of armor and the cries of war seemed to embed themselves into the air, causing Freyja to feel stiff and sick with worry. She glanced back, frowning that her father had submerged into the crowd, but this was not time to get fretful, she had a job to do.
Meeting with Sif and Volstagg who collected their horses, Freyja leaped off her's and rushed over to join Odin and Thor who stood by the throne, their eyes looking onward towards the area of battle. She glanced over at Frey, who attempted to look cool and collected, but both Thor and Freyja could tell that his nerves were getting the best out of him. This was a lot more than he had been able to handle over the past few days, but he agreed to reside by his sister regardless of his fears.
"All right, All-Father, I'm here. Is it happening or not?" Freyja asked as she approached the throne.
"As expected, yes." Odin replied, his gaze drifted over the young warrior. "The Bifrost bridge has regenerated. It was not safe to allow you all to stay near the Asgardian forests any longer. The longer we keep Loki waiting, the longer the invasion will linger."
"So as promised, Thor and Frey are to keep me company." Freyja stated.
"Yes, as promised." Odin repeated, glancing at his son who merely flashed a smile towards Freyja.
"Now what is it you have on mind, sister?" Frey questioned, who was as clueless as everyone else.
"I will explain as we go along, but the situation that we should consider more important is how will we get to the Bifrost?" Freyja asked. "Mere horses are not enough to clear through such a mess."
"With Thor, of course." Odin stated. "I am to join the rest of the warriors, but you three will soar over Asgard and meet with Heimdall, ergo avoiding the mass of Jotuns all together. Though, I am sure his hands are as full as our own. Do assist him before you take leave."
"You know we will, All-Father." Freyja answered, giving a slight bow. She bit her lip slightly and looked at Odin strangely. "I'm surprised you're willing to let us go."
Odin sighed. "Considering this is Loki we are handling, I don't see what other choice I have. You might as well know him better than I do."
"It didn't have to be this way." Freyja stated quietly.
"Alas, it is." Odin rose from the throne and moved down a few steps, stopping right beside Freyja. "There is no longer time to discuss such personal matters. If you wish to question what has occurred between Loki and I, then you are free to ask him yourself. That is if you survive the ordeal you are about to face. Now, go. Thor and Frey, accompany Freyja."
As The Warriors Three and Sif followed suit with Odin, Freyja sighed as she joined her brother's side. She gripped his hand tightly, giving him a reaffirming smile that everything will be all right. Reluctantly, he smiled back, but he still seemed certain of their indefinite doom.
"This is a suicide mission, sister." He muttered. "You do realize that now?"
"It is my only chance to see Loki alive." Freyja purse her lips, glancing back at Thor who looked back sympathetically. "Our only chance. Now bravc yourself, this will possibly be worst than what we've endured in the past week."
"Glorious." Frey muttered. "Though must we really fly off with Thor?"
"Would you prefer to be tossed off your horse into a crowd of Jotuns?" Thor questioned.
Frey grimaced. "Thor, make haste." He muttered.
"I will make this quick. Now hold tight you two, it will be a terrible loss to have you fall." Thor stated as he began to propel Mjolnir. Frey stared on in astonishment, but Freyja merely rolled her eyes as this was not the first time she saw him do this before. Soon enough, they were flying overhead of the Capital and over Asgard, watching the Asgardians and Jotuns keep up battle while dead and injured doies lingered the grounds below. It was not a sight worth enjoying, which forced the siblings to look forward towards the Bifrost that sat anew at the edge of the rainbow bridge. Though of course, there was never going to be any ease with this plan, the bridge was swarming with Jotuns.