Baldur. He stood in front of her. Tattoos glowing blue and his eyes wide and terrifying. "I found you." He said through decaying teeth.

The sound of wooden plates being stacked on top of each other was what woke her up that morning. Laufey rubbed the sleep her eyes as she awoke in the warm, yet empty bed. "Good morning," Freya said. Her calm soothing voice greeting her first thing in the morning had become familiar by now. "Were we going to finish up in Fafnir's storage room today?" Freya asks handing her a cup of hot tea. The smell of mint and honey soothing the haunting vision of Baldur out of her mind as Laufey held the cup close to her face. "Only if you promise to stop looking through all the chests in there. I try to make sure and leave things that will help him along the way." Freya rolls her eyes and sits down next to her. "You're such a better mother than I am."

"So, That it? You're finished with all of Midgard?"

"I wanted to take a detour in Hel. Just In case." Laufey said half truthfully.

Freya narrows her eyes disapprovingly as she rolls her shoulder. She had offered to hold the bag carrying their supplies while they finished up painting the last few remaining spots in the cave below her house. "You should take the day off, we have been painting for what? 6 weeks? And you said it would have taken your son a single day to complete this journey?" Freya says.

Laufey laughs, "I suppose when you put it that way it does sound a bit extreme. You don't want to know how long it's taken me so far before I met you. Maybe I will take a day off before I return. I just wish there was something I could do to repay you for your hospitality."

"There is," Freya says quickly. She was fiddling with some beads wrapped around her bracelet. "May I please borrow something of yours?" She said looking up.

"Of course," Laufey said standing up.

"Your Bifrost crystal. I noticed you had one still in tack. May I see it for a second?" Laufey walks over to her bag on the table and takes it out. It glows blue in her hands. She hands it to Freya without a second thought. "Thank you." The goddess says. "Aren't you going to ask what I'll do with it?" She adds.

"I trust you," Laufey says, it causes Freya to smile. In the month or so of their friendship, she had given no cause for Laufey to distrust her. Freya was warm, kind, loving. She was always so patient with Laufey, allowing her to take her time in everything she did. Laufey couldn't remember ever having a friend who cared for her as much as Freya did. No, she took that thought back, there was another woman who cared deeply for her. "Come to the window. Let me show you something." Freya said.

Laufey walks up the few steps towards the window of her home. "Heimili!" Freya yells. Laufey steadying herself as Chaurli lays down. "Odin took mine, though it's not like I could even use it for its intended purpose." Laufey looked at Freya questionably.

"There is much magic within these crystals. Yes, they can be used to travel to different realms, but they can also be used as a window to see into them as well." Freya takes the crystal and traces around her window. Small yellow cracks begin to form along the outside. Then the entire window shatters. It started Laufey but not Freya. She pointed the crystal into the center of the window and held it there. "Show me." She whispers. Suddenly, from the window, a vision of a strange forest is shown.

"Is that your home?" Laufey asks walking up to the window and the woman. Freya nods her head silently. "Yes." She hands the crystal back to Laufey, she hid her face away from her. "You can try it. Recall a place or person in your memory. Then hold the crystal up towards the window."

Narfi she thinks. She wanted to find her, she was a god so she had to still be alive. Her daughter would be the one to save her son from death after all. But where would she be? The cave? She had already checked but she wanted to make sure. "Show me." She says pointing the crystal into the center of the window. The window shows the inside of an empty cave. There were no signs that anything had been there in years. Odin's palace? She remembered the gardens and the fountain where they first met. "Show me." She says again.

"You're looking for someone?" Freya says behind her. She folds her arms as she examined the different places she summoned.

"She's my friend, or, was. I met her long ago before Thor attacked and destroyed the portal."

"Does she have a name?" Freya asks.

She wondered if she should even tell her all this. She was after all a goddess just like her. But if there was even a slight chance Freya could assist her in finding Narfi she would happily take it.

"Narfi, I think she was a goddess, or, one-seventh goddess?"

Freya unfolds her arms. She walks over to Laufey and places a hand onto her back. "Let's give the crystal a moment to relax. If we overuse it, it'll shatter." Laufey turns to face her. "Do you know her?" She asks. "Please, please tell me where she is and what's become of her? Is her daughter with her?"

"Daughter?" Freya says. "Faye, maybe we should."

"Please, Freya! Please tell me what you know!" Freya sighs and takes the crystal gently from her hand. She holds it up to the window. "Show me." She whispers sadly.

Laufey's heart sank to her feet, her chin tightened and she shakes her head.

There, in a cell, two skeletons sit, one of a troll, the other a human. A bowl sat beside in the human's hands. Something oily and thick dripped down onto the bones. It falls into the bowl, overflowing and adding to the river of liquid draining into a grate next to the bones.

Freya holds the crystal up to change the window.

"No, not yet," Laufey says. "I'm not done looking."

Silently, Freya walks away from Laufey and leans against her table as Laufey continues to look upon the fate of her friend. She will look upon what she herself has brought about. She replays every wrong thing she could have done to have caused this. It had to be her fault. It was always her fault. That was the curse of her gift. To know how good it could have been and accidentally destroy it. She wouldn't ever have her baby, just like Narfi. Loki and Sigyn will never exist because of her. She slips up and gives voice to her emotions. "I've failed every, single, one of them."

Freya remains quiet all while leaning against the table. It isn't until Laufey sinks down onto her knees and screams that she walks over and puts her arms around her shoulders.

"How? How did it come to this?" Laufey talks to the floor. "I've failed them all." Freya sits in front of her, she holds Laufey's shoulders up and looks into her eyes.

"I was supposed to have all the answers. Be a fountain of knowledge they could pull from! To deliver us from our suffering and usher in our future. Instead, I am a failure. I don't know anything! And what little I am shown I ruin!" She sniffs in and continues. "They all expected so much from me."

"My friends, my brother, all the giants. They're all dead, all because of me."

Freya shakes her. "Faye, stop. What are you talking about?"

"My son." She continued hysterically. "I valued my life more than his. My happiness had more value than his very existence. And now I got my wish, I'll never hold him in my arms. See his smile or hear his voice."

Freya gasps softly as something cracked in her typically mature nature. Suddenly the goddess pulled her close and held her in trembling hands. Laufey continued to sob into her arms as Freya squeezes her tightly. She waves a hand towards the window and the Bifrost spell vanishes. The goddess lifts her up and brings her to the bed and crawls in with her. Laufey's screams muffled into her chest.

"Just wait there," Freya says. Laufey's eyes were long dry but still puffy hours later. Embarrassment still creeping into her for her previous outburst. The goddess Freya. She let the queen of the Valkyrie see her in such a manner. Some mighty jotunn she was. A shining example of her wise and prideful race.

"I won't be long. I'll need to gather several ingredients for the spell to work. Next time I see those dwarfs remind me to kill them. You won't last an hour in Hel as a mortal with only that armor. Only a god can survive that journey."

Freya exits the back door to the dark cave outside.

Laufey sits down by the fireplace. She watches the flames burn for several moments. She plays with the cuff on her ear. The vines finally taken away by the goddess upon her request. "The boy has been cursed." A man says. Laufey whips her head around to look, nobody was there. She knew that voice. "I understand, if I see any more I'll destroy them."

"Loki?" She calls out, hearing his voice. She scrambled to her feet and looked around. "Loki where are you?!" She sees no one. "BALDUR!" Loki yells. "No, listen to me!" The man yells.

A vision, but she was awake. Baldur and Loki were fighting? She listens for more voices. None come. Her visions usually appeared in dreams, not so openly like this.

Freya walks into the house, a basket of supplies held up with both hands. "Is everything alright?" Laufey looks back to the fireplace. "Yes. Everything is fine. I want to get to Hel quickly and be finished with this once and for all." Freya begins preparing something over her cauldron.

Freya wipes the wet cloth down her naked back. The oil is cold and leaves a trail of goosebumps as it drags down her spine. She dips it back into the bowl and wipes again, this time onto her shoulders. She gathers Laufey's hair up with one hand and moves it to the other side, continuing the 'bath.' "It will last until you enter Hel, but once you do the souls will begin decimating the barrier. Once it's gone it's gone. I can't promise you more than an hour. You'll have to hurry before they see you and attack." She dumps the rest of the oil onto her hair and begins brushing it with her fingers. She pulls several strands away from her face and braids them at the back of her head. She ties the two braids together with a sprig of Rosemary.

Laufey sands up. Her whole body glistening in the oil. She walks towards her tunic and slips it on.

"You, you sure you have to do this?" Freya struggles. "I know you want to finish regardless of his death. But." Laufey bends down to her boots. "But you are not a god, you can't just walk into Hel and expect to leave. Promise me you won't cross the bridge." Laufey looks up at her, then back down to her boots. "I promise." She lies. She still didn't have a plan for how to get back. But she would make sure the path was clear for Loki. Wherever he was. Or whenever he would appear.

"You said my axe won't work while I'm down there?" She changes the subject. "No, nor will your spells. Only the gods have the ability to summon spells in that realm, and even we are unable to light a fire in that place."

Laufey was still determined to finish. She would at least accomplish this last act no matter the sacrifice.

She held up her dress before she put it on. "Is it okay if I come with you to the temple?" Freya asks weakly. Laufey turned to her and nodded her head. "Will you wait for me at the door and scold me if I'm late?" Laufey smiles.

Freya pushes herself up off the ground and runs over to her. She grabs both of her hands with her own. It knocks the dress onto the floor. She was shaking. Her eyes were wide and cycling through several emotions, all at once.

"I'm so sorry for everything my kind has done to you. I'm sorry we are all so selfish. You made me realize that you know? I always thought I was above the others. They were the bad ones Who intruded in the lives of others for their own selfish desires." Freya let's go of her hands. She drags her fingertip up Laufey's arm. They glide quickly thanks to the oil. "I'm just as selfish and cruel as they are." She says pulling away from her to look into her eyes. The goddess bends over and dips her head into Laufey's right shoulder. She leans against her with almost all her weight.

"What?" Laufey asks, terribly confused with the sudden outburst.

"Could you even love a god with everything we've ever done to you?" Freya whispers towards the floor. "Could you love me?"

Laufey freezes.

"Would I just be another god making you suffer if I confessed to you?"

"Freya..." Laufey managed to say. She didn't know what else to say. It was all happening too fast and it wasn't something she ever expected.

"I thought about it just now while gathering the supplies. It must have happened on that first day. When I saw you twirling around in a ring of mushrooms. If I was younger it may have taken me longer to understand I think. I've fallen in love with you."

Freya lifts her head from her shoulder and kisses her. Laufey slowly lifts her arms from her sides but drops them back down. She doesn't know what to do. She's never kissed someone before. She shuts her eyes. Freya pulls away and looks at her. Laufey still keeping her eyes closed.

"That was your first kiss wasn't it?" The goddess smiled. Laufey couldn't muster up the courage to open her eyes. She was at an absolute loss. She didn't return her feelings, did she? No, she enjoys Freya, but, she didn't think of her as a lover. Right? Laufey finally opens her eyes and looks at her. She was beautiful, but isn't she supposed to be? What should she do?

"Yes." She finally responds. "I've never done that before."

Freya cups her cheek with her hands. "Don't dwell on it too much, here comes your second." She pushes her mouth against hers. This time she opens Laufey's lips apart and drags her tongue through her mouth until she found Laufey's own tongue. She felt her hands slide down to her chest and began pushing her towards something.

The bed bumps against the back of Laufey's knees. Freya pulls away from her mouth and kisses her neck, her hand begins cupping her breast. The other hand drifts along the bottom hem of her tunic, around her bare thighs.

"Stop." Laufey finally says. Freya stopped everything, looking up at her. It was difficult to read her face.

"Freya I'm sorry, but I can't..." Realization cascades down the goddess's face. She breathes in through her nose. "I, apologize."

The sound of a dragon erupts above them. Freya's eyes widened as she looks up. "What was that?" Laufey asks. Running over to slip on her dress.

"Come here quickly," Freya calls to her, she grabs a bowl from the shelf and dips her fingers into it. She rubs the yellow glowing mixture over Laufey's neck. "Leyna" She whispers.

"Leave, now. Go, take your things."

"Mother!" A man shouts. "I'm home!"

That was Baldur's voice.

"Please tell me what's going on?" Laufey runs over to gather the rest of her things. She walks quickly to the back door where Freya has violently opened it and runs back to the table. "You're not coming with me?" Laufey asks.

"Go now, he'll take you to Thor and Odin. Use this, it will keep you hidden in this realm." She pours the yellow liquid into a bottle and throws it at her.

"Pops tells me you have a gift for me in there!" The man shouts above the house and turtle.

"GO!" Freya yells pushing her out and slamming the door. As Laufey enters the cave she watches the house lift upwards as the turtle stands up.

Balder started shouting at his mother. She could only hear muffled voices but both were yelling. She didn't want to risk anything, she ran down the bridge as fast as she could. "You had no right witch!" She faintly hears the man yelling in the distance. As she jumps into a boat and rows towards the temple the voices fully disappear.

The doorway to Hel stood in front of Laufey. She shivered as the freezing air seeped in between the cracks and hit her body. She opens the door and walks inside. This was it, this was the final part.

In her visions, she would only walk this path after she had died. She had to die for Loki to survive here. While she was dead she would paint the pathway out of Hel. If she succeeded, Loki would make his way out and finish bringing about the death of the gods, he would spread the ashes of Farbauti and revive her along with the other jotunn.

But everything was so different now.

She looked around the cold pit trembling. Her breath fogging in front of her face. Several demons sat in front of her, they didn't look at her. She moved forward quickly, almost through them. She only had an hour and she had to make haste.

The first part was finished, now for the last and final painting. She walked up to the bridge. The keeper stood still as stone. He almost looked peaceful, she was happy she didn't have to fight or disturb him from his duty. He couldn't see her.

Hraesvelg sat perched far away, looking down at her. The massive bird said nothing, but she thinks it can see her. She looks up to him. A giant like her people. She nods her head to the bird and suddenly it spreads its wings. Laufey expected he incoming wind to blow her away from the bridge. Was he pushing her away from crossing the bridge? The wind grips her and pulls her towards him. She stumbled forward and took several steps onto the bridge. She steadied herself once the wind stops blowing and looks up to the bird. Sitting as still as stone watching her. "Thanks." She says under her breath. There's truly no going back now.

She walks closer to the wooden ship. She bends down and places a hand upon the ancient frozen wood. She is finished. The path has been painted for her son. She walks down into the cabin inside the deck of the ship. She lowers her head through the archway and finds a seat in the middle of the room. She runs her fingers along her skin, the oil was almost all gone. She sits back and sighs. She'll stay here until the end she thinks. She sets the axe in her lap and closes her eyes. She heard the sound of snarling outside. Here they come. She rubs her hands along the pommel of her weapon. She imagined what her son would look like swinging it around. Not the boy from the prophecy, the one she met in the cabin. His face reappears in her mind. "Please come back." She hears. "I know you're out there." It fades in and out of her ears. She wanted to listen to him. To do as he commands her to do. Something inside her wanted to give him everything he ever wanted. If only she could.

"I want to live." She says out loud softly. "I'm not ready to die yet."

The boat shifts as monsters board it. They bang against the door, ripping it off the hinges. She grips her axe tightly.

"I don't want to die here." She says out loud. "Please, don't let me die here."

Her ear cuff explodes. She reaches over to her ear painfully, but there is no blood. The world disappears and she begins falling helplessly. The transparent woman stands above her as she falls, smiling down at her. "Thank you for reconsidering my offer. I am sending you someplace temporarily. Until it becomes safe once again for you to return home. I ask that you return what is mine as soon as you have what you need." She disappears into the distance as Laufey continues to fall. The axe leaves her hands. She tries reaching for it but it flies further away. She summons it but it doesn't come to her. It disappears into the darkness overcoming her surroundings. Suddenly a world takes shape around her. Black clouds dump endless rain, tornadoes and whirlpools surge above and below the water. Laufey found herself plummeting into a raging sea. She hits the water and began sinking. She couldn't breathe, Her lungs filled with the poison salted water.

No. I didn't come this far to fail. She thinks as she closes her eyes to hide from the painful water.

She opens them back up and kicks her legs, swimming towards anything that resembled land.

She washes ashore onto a tall mountaintop now acting as a small island thanks to the flooding. She crawls onto the stone shoreline and rolls onto her back. Her body aches. She is safe, for now.

She watches as the logs begin to smoke. As soon as an ember is seen the rain and wind snuff it out. She picks up the hot logs and continues looking for a better shelter away from the elements. Her magic doesn't work here she's found. She has no axe to chop down one of the few dead trees the small island even offered. And she had little luck catching fish in the raging waters. She couldn't stay here. She'd have to find a new land.

The next two islands were worse from the original. No vegetation, sharper rocks, and closer to an endlessly swirling tornado. In each island she searched for her axe, calling it back. But she was unable to locate it. She prepared herself to dive back into the water. Her body was in pain but she had to find shelter and food or she'll never be able to survive.

The forth island was a success. A massive mountainous region flooded with water. Trees and other native plant were growing. She found a small hallow opening inside the side of the mountain, not big enough to be considered a cave but she made due. She was able to keep a fire burning underneath it. Small yellow and green round shaped fruits were growing from vines all around the island. She picked several hand fulls and brought them back to her campsite. She was nervous about eating them, unable to tell if they were poisonous or not. The rainwater had filled several bowls she fashioned out of leaves. She quenched her thirst each time they fill up. Hopefully sating off her hunger a bit longer until she could find something instead of the small fruits.

She was finally able to sleep in what felt like the night. The sun was always hidden behind clouds which made it hard to tell time. She didn't dream. No one called out to her or showed her where to go. She woke when she heard lightning off in the distance. She gasped as it struck a little closer. But the thunder still indicated how far away it still was.

She held the knife up in her hands. The white birds never landed, but they flew low enough for her to throw the dagger at one every four passes she counted. They were unlike the gulls that flew by the water in her world. She looked down at her dagger. If she misses she may lose her last weapon into the endless night. It didn't feel like two days, but her body slept for a long period twice since she arrived on the island. She was starving. She made up her mind the fruits had to be poisonous. This was the only option for food.

The white birds begin descending in altitude. She throws the knife with all her remaining strength. It hits! She bunches up her fist in silent satisfaction and pulls air through her teeth happily. Then immediately runs over to the bird and retreated it along with the knife. Back at her camp, she started preparing the meat for the fire.

As she sat over the bird's carcass carving it, she felt something. Her axe. It was close by. She held her bloody hands out and tried summoning it. Nothing comes. She bends down and grabs a skewer and shoves several chunks of meat onto it. She feels it again. She looks at the meat, hungry but stands up and walks away from the food and her dagger. The hair tie holding back her hair snaps and falls down. Her hair begins flapping in the wind. There's no time to fix it. She lifts the bird's body up and sticks the broken hairband underneath it. She wanted to eat but she couldn't let this pass by her. The axe was out here, she knew it. She walked along the edge of the water, searching. Finally, she found it crashing into the rocks of the shoreline. It was in the hands of a corpse. A man with red blood staining his entire body, even up to his head. She reaches out and summons the axe, at last, it came to her. Struggling, as if it's magic was grappling on how to flow properly here. As it flew out of the limp hands of the dead man into her own it flipped the body over onto its back. Showing her what killed him. He had suffered a massive wound in his gut, it left a hole through his entire body. She wondered how long he had been dead? It must have been a while.

His skin was white like ashes.