The throne room was dark and vast, made entirely of stone. The four enormous statues on every corner felt oppressive instead of reassuring that day, but Hela walked purposefully toward the dim light, shining from the deer skull on top of the Queen's throne, still empty. The King was sitting on the smaller throne, several steps above the ground. Hela bowed in front of him, her cape falling around her arms.
"Welcome back, child," King Livamjo said. His white hair was unkempt and his eyes had dark rings around them. "What news do you bring me?"
"I have searched all the Realms, my King," Hela answered, her green eyes staring at him while she straightened her cape. "But I have found no sign of him, not a clue of his whereabouts."
"I see." The King's eyes darkened and he gripped his scepter tighter. "I must ask that you search again. The Nine Realms are vast, and they are full of places wherein a sorcerer as skilled as your father may hide. Try harder, child, because you know him better than anyone else, and it is of utmost importance that we find him."
"I understand, my King. But..." She stepped closer to the throne. "Why is it so urgent?"
"The Allfather asked for it personally. He was fooled once, and doesn't desire to be fooled twice. As much as it pains him, Loki was still a traitor to Asgard. Sometimes a King must do what is best for the Realm and leave aside all personal feelings."
Hela closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know, my King. And as much as it pains me to see how far my father has fallen, it is also my wish to find him and maybe understand what his motives were," she paused and gathered her thoughts. "This is why I beg you to let me search here in Helheim too. This is the only place I haven't tried, and for all we know he may be masquerading as a palace guard."
"Child, this Realm in still bound to me. I know everything that happens here, and I can assure you, Loki is not hiding anywhere in my land."
She bowed deeply. "It is as you say, my King." She matched his tone, her voice equally as cold. "Then I'll continue my search. By your leave."
o.o
Hela called Heimdall and transported without waiting for the Bifrost to open.
"Good evening, Gatekeeper." She smiled and nodded at him.
"Good evening to you, and welcome again to Asgard, Protector Hela, Princess of Helheim. May I know your business here?"
"I request an audience with the Allfather." Heimdall's expression didn't change, but he was certainly conveying a different feeling than the one a second before. Hela just sighed. "Yes, I'm aware we didn't part in exactly the best terms, but... it's an official Realm meeting of sorts."
"Yes," the Gatekeeper said and gestured for the Einherji at the bridge to bring another horse from the city. The man mounted and raced away.
Hela leaned on the threshold facing the abyss, her dress flapping around her legs. She took it all in; the endless darkness, the lone stars, the bright clusters, the gas clouds of pinks and yellows and reds and greens.
"I have seen you," Heimdall spoke up, "These past months, running around the Realms."
Hela chuckled. "Did I look like a headless chicken?"
"You looked like a young woman with a purpose."
She smiled at him and resumed her contemplation, gas clouds of reds and greens. Her fingers were clutching the hem of her cape, worrying the red and green embroidery there.
"What were you looking for?"
She paused. "Answers. Reasons. Maybe closure."
"And you haven't found them."
"Am I that obvious?"
"No. But you always came here to look at the stars when you were upset."
"Maybe I just love the company."
A whinny brought them both back to the present. Hela mounted and smiled at the Gatekeeper.
"Thank you, Heimdall." She could have sworn the man's lips had curved into a smile, but she had turned the horse around and couldn't be sure.
o.o
The golden light of dusk made the golden Realm even more golden, Hela realized. Everything, from green leaves to white marble to the brown horse she was riding was painted in yellows, as if seeing through a glass full of honey. She felt a bit unnerved.
An aide received her and led her to a small waiting chamber, telling her King Odin would probably be able to receive her in two hours' time, and to forgive the inconvenience, and to tell him what he could help with, and that food and refreshment would be brought soon for her, and to again forgive the inconvenience. She smiled and thanked him, and when he was finally gone she dropped onto the armchair and slouched.
Hela conjured the book she was currently reading, a treaty on healing herbs and animals on Alfheim, but her eyes skidded over the letters, and as soon as she had read them they were gone. She sighed and vanished it, letting her gaze roam through the room. She eat some food when it was brought, but soon enough she was bored out of her mind again. Then a stroke of genius came to her.
She let her magic reach out into the palace, heading straight into her old room, and there she found it. She pulled and brought over the book. It was old and bound in leather, with big pictures and bigger letters.
She caressed it and opened it reverently. Brave Deeds Of Kára Of The Twilight, Maiden Valkyrie At The Service Of King Bór read the title, and Hela took a moment to lift the book to her nose and smell it. It smelled of dust and old paper, but if she concentrated she could swear it smell like childhood. Grandmother Frigga had read it to her when she was a child, but just the first three deeds over and over again. She would smile when Hela said she would be a valkyrie like Kára, and softly correct her stance and grip on the stick she used for sword, and then sit her down and teach her how to read with that same book. Later, Hela had tricked her father into reading the fourth deed to her, but Grandmother had told him, and he too had sat her down and taught her to read. At least she read perfectly now.
She opened the pages on the second deed and started reading, losing track of time. That's how Odin found her, an hour later. He cleared his throat. Hela snapped the book closed and turned sharply toward him. When she saw who it was, she relaxed and stood up.
"My King." She bowed slightly.
"There is no need for such formalities." Odin waved his hand. "But honestly I didn't think I would see you again after... the last time you visited."
"This is no social visit, Allfather." Hela looked at him straight in the eye, but she seemed sad.
"I know." Odin walked up to her and hesitantly reached out a hand toward her. "But first, forgive me. I was too harsh to you, and foolish. I am sorry." his fingertips stopped just short of her arm.
She hesitantly clasped his hand and held it for a long moment.
Odin pulled his hand away and examined her. "Excuse an old man and his sentimentality. Now, what did you want to talk about?" He took a seat and put Gungnir next to him, signaling her to sit down with a gesture.
Hela sat and breathed out slowly. "It's not bearing fruits," she told him. His brow furrowed and hers mirrored the movement. "I have searched the Realms, except for Helheim itself, and I haven't found any clue. There's always the possibility of... outside Yggdrasil, but it seems highly unlikely."
"I see," he said. "And what about Helheim?"
"King Livamjo is leading the search there himself. Across the land, because there's nothing on the Helbooks. He has all but forbidden me to search there."
Odin sighed and nodded. "I will have to think about this." He suddenly seemed very old and tired.
Hela stood up and bowed. "Then I'll leave you to it."
"I'll order your room to be readied."
"That won't be necessary. I haven't seen my mother in a long time; I'd wished to visit her as soon as possible, and seeing how this task will take some time, I'd rather go today."
Odin raised an eyebrow. "Is that all there is to it?"
"Yes. Well, no," she sighed. "There are memories in this place I'm not ready to face just yet."
He nodded and stood up, grabbing Gungnir. Almost as an afterthought, he picked up the book Hela had been reading earlier, and pressed it into her hands.
She looked confusedly at him.
"Keep it," he said and she nodded.
They walked in silence to the front gate, Odin's hand hovering between her shoulderblades.
They reached the gate and the Allfather turned to her once again. "Will you travel by Bifrost?"
"No. I want to reach the craftshop as fast as possible."
He smiled. "Then you be very careful, young lady, and travel safe."
"I promise I will, Grandfather." She smiled hesitantly. "And send my regards to Heimdall." She stepped away and vanished.
o.o
The Iron Wood Craftshop was perhaps the biggest, and surely the most renowned in Nidavellir. It was no mean feat, considering Nidavellir had the most renowned artisans of the Nine Realms.
It got its name from the ventilation pipes that led from the forge, deep inside the mountain, to the open air right in the middle of the woods. The pipes were disguised as trees, to disrupt the view as little as possible, and even the entrances to the place were masked as plants.
Hela entered through the main door and hurried toward the man at the desk.
"Alfrigg!" She hugged and lifted him off his feet. "I've missed you."
"Hela, what the bloody roots?! Put me down! I'm too old for this."
"Make me."
"I am a man with a reputation to maintain, let me go right now!"
"You will have to try harder, little brother." She let him go though, and smirked at him.
"Don't give me that, you damn spawn of Asgard. You look young enough to be my daughter."
"I'm still your older sister."
"Then act like you are." He backhanded her arm.
"Did you just hit me? See, you are a brat."
"See you at dinner."
Hela snorted and walked into the living area. She caught a glimpse of somebody in the kitchen of her family's quarters and entered. When she saw who it was, she beamed.
"Hello, Housewife of the Year."
Lofnheid turned around from the pot with a start, clutching her chest. When she saw Hela she smiled, but then frowned and strode to her.
She stopped sharply in front of the half Asgardian and whacked her in the arm with a wooden spoon.
"Ow. Hehehe." Hela kept beaming. "Did I startle you? That's a plus."
"I'll give you a plus. Now come here."
Hela dropped to her knees and hugged her sister, as tightly as she dared and being awkwardly mindful of Lofnheid's belly.
The Dwarf pulled away. "I'll cut it short because it's getting terribly awkward. And I can smell the food burning." She moved over to the pot and began stirring again.
"How long now for the baby to come? And how's it going?" Hela approached the cupboard and began getting plates.
"Couple of weeks, three at most. And it's doing great, as healthy as they come."
"'It'? You don't know the sex yet?"
"We don't want to, you know? Let him or her be a surprise. What are you doing?"
"Setting the table...?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Put it all down. You're a guest."
"It's Mother's house. You're never a guest in your mother's house."
Lofnheid snorted. "Fine, you're right. But you should go say hello to Mother before the little menaces find you and don't let you go ever again. And there's still two hours before dinner's ready, it's not like we're in a rush."
"Fine, fine, I'm leaving. But I'm telling Mother you kicked me out."
"You do that, Evil Overlady of Evilness. But get to Mother or you'll come back with a few limbs less."
"I just can't have the last word with you, can I?" Hela waved her glowing hand over the table as she walked away. When the green light vanished, plates, cutlery and glasses were set in place.
She walked into the main forge, where most of the work was done, going straight to Angrboda's station. The pounding of hammers and seething of water made the place terribly noisy, and the open fires cast an orange glow and oppressing heat into the workspace. That home feeling comforted Hela.
Angrboda was working on a shield, giving the final details to the design. Her now white hair was hastily tied to keep her bangs from falling on her face, and her glasses were sitting on the tip of her nose. She put her tool aside and moved the light over to inspect her work. Hela took the opportunity to clear her throat very pointedly.
"Yes?" Angrboda turned around and recognized her. "Hela! Welcome home." She hugged her daughter.
"Hello, Mother. I've missed you," Hela hugged back.
Angrboda pulled away. "Is something bothering you?"
"I'll tell you later. How does a cup of hot cocoa sounds to you?"
"Delightful. Have the twins found you yet?" They started walking to the door.
"Not yet. But I think they can smell me, so any time now."
"They probably smell the candy you give to them. You're spoiling them rot, you know?"
"They're my niece and nephew, not my children. I can spoil them, and I swear to the brightest star that I will."
They left for the kitchen, to the promise of hot cocoa.
o.o
Dinner was, as always, a noisy mess. Angrboda sat at the head of the table, and from there she tried to keep the peace, to no avail.
Lofnheid and amd her husband Dvalin were in a little world of their own, keeping a hushed conversation, while Vestridis and Berling sat at each side of Hela. They pestered their aunt with questions and requests for tricks, usually at the same time and speaking one over the other. Hela tried to answer them, and even made some blue and green flames that danced in the air, but when she tried to give the children some candy, both her brother Alfrigg and her sister-in-law Lynd gave her such poisonous looks she decided to vanish it away.
"Have these two started their training yet?" She asked instead.
"Yes," Lynd answered. "We're still with the light arts, though."
"We're doing tapestries," Vestridis said. "It's so boring. I wanna go to the forge already."
"I'm gonna make a big sword, and it's gonna be the best sword ever." Berling added.
"I'm gonna make the best sword ever!"
"No, you're not."
"Are too."
"Are not."
Lynd sighed. "Stop arguing, you too. I'm trying to talk to your aunt." She pinned her son and daughter with a glare. They pouted and squirmed a bit but complied. "I was saying," she continued, "we've just begun. Some tapestry for now, and they don't love it but are good at it. Berling pays more attention to detail and Vestridis has the spells come to her more easily. They would probably be great together if they stopped fighting for three seconds in a row."
"She starts it!"
"He does!"
It was a noisy dinner.
o.o
After dinner and post-dinner were done, and plates and pots were cleaned, Angrboda called for her oldest daughter to follow her, and they went into the study.
Hela dropped on a chair and sighed. Angrboda sat and waited.
Hela dragged the heel of her hand on her forehead and opened her mouth. Then she closed it and dragged her hand on her face. She leaned back into the chair and looked at the ceiling, opening her mouth again. She grunted.
"You sound like a dying whale. Now, girl, what is the problem?"
"Everything's wrong and nothing's right."
"You'll have to be a little more specific."
"I know there's no lost love between me and Livamjo, but this last century he has been going out of his way to keep me away from Helheim. I mean, at first it was just, 'go out there, explore the Realms', but now for ten years, give or take a few, it's more like he's kicking me out without bothering to make an excuse. And now, he's sent me on a wild goose chase. Did you know I've spent two years looking for Father? Under every rock in each of the Realms." She took a deep breath. "You have no idea how difficult it is to search underground caves in Midgard, and the less I tell you about Muspelheim the better. And he has forbidden me to search in Helheim! 'Give your report, go out there again, don't you ever think about stopping here for the night'. He literally didn't let me spend the night in the palace. Supposedly it's all in orders of Odin's, but I dropped by and you know what? He had no clue as to what was going on." She breathed deeply again and leaned back into the chair.
Angrboda frowned. "Do you know what he's hiding?"
"I might have an idea. A bit farfetched, but not impossible."
"What are you going to do?"
"I have the beginnings of a plan."
"An unnecessarily convoluted, thirty steps plan?"
"No."
Angrboda pressed her hand to her face. "You are too much like your father."
"Then let's hope my plans end up better than his."
"What about Odin?" Angrboda cupped her chin.
"What about him?"
"Not your grandfather anymore?"
"Not since we fought. It was terribly petty of him."
The Dwarf nodded. "If the plan fails?"
"Probably all the Realms would perish."
"You first of all," Angrboda said evenly, but there was fear in her eyes.
"Yes. That's why I won't fail."
She sighed after a long pause. "I'm an old woman, Hela, well past my prime. And old women shouldn't have to bury their daughters." She locked eyes with Hela. "You will succeed, you hear me?"
"Yes, Mother."