The next several months pass, the days quickly falling into a regular routine. Mornings consist of an individual workout and sparing with Sif, or whomever is there at the time. Occasionally, Hogun would show up, and they would spar hand to hand, giving the others quite a show as they flipped around each other. Much to Thor's and Volstagg's disappointment, the two were forbidden to spar with Anara, Master Roygan stating that she was not quite strong enough yet to face them safely. The rest of her time she split among trying to fix the communication's array, appointments for fittings with the seamstress and armorer, history and protocol lessons with Thor or Frigga, and a thousand other little things. Many nights she could be found meditating in the garden beneath her balcony or talking with Heimdal at the edge of the Bifrost. She sleeps rarely, her long convalescence and Loki's tricks succeeding in driving all desire for sleep away.
More recently, much of her daily activities are focused around the upcoming ceremony at the Winter Solstice, where the Companions and others of the household and Home Guard will renew their vows of fealty to Odin. Anara is somewhat conflicted about swearing fealty to Odin. She knows she doesn't have much choice, and that troubles her more than anything else. She's spent many recent nights meditating on the subject, trying to determine if swearing fealty to Odin under her current circumstances would violate her vows as a Jedi to stay impartial and independent of any system's rule.
On a night but a week away from the Solstice, Thor finds her walking in the gardens alone, too restless to meditate. Sensing his presence, she stops by a small fish pond to wait for him.
"My Lady Anara," he says, taking her hand and kissing it. "Gabrielle said I might find you out here." He continues to hold her hand in his, and she lets him.
"My Lord," she says, giving him a small curtsey, teasing him for his formality towards her. "What has you up so late?"
"Is it not enough that I just wish to see you?"
She smiles at him.
"I would ask you the same question, but I hear you do not often sleep," he says, looking down at her, concerned.
"You first," she says. "For I sense your reasons may align with mine."
He cocks an eyebrow at her. Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow, they walk slowly through the gardens.
"I wish to speak of the ceremony at the winter solstice." Hearing no objections from her, he continues. "I can tell you are hesitant about pledging your oath to my father, and I would know why. Are you not happy here?"
She doesn't need the Force to tell that he would be devastated if Odin asked her to leave. Swearing allegiance to Odin and vowing to protect Asgard and the Nine Realms is a condition of her continued residence here.
Finding a bench, Anara leads Thor to it and motions for him to sit with her. Turning to him, she takes his hands in hers.
"I am as happy as I can be so far from home," she tells him, using the Force to let him get a sense of her feelings for him. "I am just a little conflicted. You have to understand that as a Jedi, I am beholden to no one, my only oath being to the Order and to uphold the laws and peace of my galaxy. But I owe all of you so much, not only for saving my life, but also for giving me a place here." Pausing for a moment to calm her emotions, she continues, "It is difficult for me to admit that those vows I made in the Jedi Temple so long ago may now mean nothing and that that part of my life is over."
Thor looks into her eyes. "Do not despair. You are loved here, and your vows to my father and to Asgard will not be so different than those you made to your Jedi Order. We are the guardians of the Nine Realms, tasked with keeping the peace and protecting the realms, and there are others who join us in that task. Once the Bifrost is repaired, I will take you to meet them."
Anara turns from Thor, looking into the gardens around them, sensing something just on the edge of her awareness.
"What is it?" Thor asks.
"There's something out there, but it's not human nor Asgardian, and it's coming closer."
Thor stands up and Mjölnir flies into his hand. Anara joins him, igniting her lightsaber, its dark blue light illuminating the surrounding vegetation. A low growl comes from the bushes just in front of them, and Thor actually relaxes.
"Come out of there Fenrir."
At his command a wolf, almost as tall as Thor, walks out from the foliage. Anara keeps her lightsaber ready.
Thor laughs, "Be at ease. It is only Fenrir."
He reaches out to pet the beast, and it sits obediently in front of him. Anara shuts down her lightsaber but keeps her distance. Fenrir is too much like the rivenwolves on Astara Nine for her to let down her guard.
"Come, give him a pet." Thor says, offering his hand to Anara.
"Fenrir, this is Anara. She is a Companion of the Realm so no eating her, understand?"
He turns to Anara, a huge smile on his face, trying hard to contain his laughter. Anara gives the wolf a nod of greeting but doesn't get any closer. She can sense he's not entirely friendly towards her.
"Fenrir, what are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to be in the gardens."
Fenrir huffs at him, and Anara hears a voice in her mind.
"My father sent me to watch the woman."
Thor, interpreting intent different than just watching Anara, replies, "Well, you can go now. You can tell Loki she's with me."
Loki is this beast's father? Anara is confused. Fenrir huffs again.
"That is why I was sent."
Fenrir gives her a menacing look and disappears back into the vegetation. She can sense him move off, and then he's gone as if he were never there. She turns back to Thor, noting from his scowl that he finally realizes Fenrir's true purpose – to spy on them.
Breaking the silence, she says, "Loki's son? Do I even want to know how that's possible?"
Thor takes her hand in his, and they begin walking back towards the palace.
"It is a long story, and one better suited to Loki telling it in his own words around a fire with a good quantity of mead," he says. Looking down at her, he asks, "Now, have I eased your fears any about the oath ceremony?"
"Somewhat. You helped put it into perspective, and it truly is a small price to pay for all I have been given."
"Good, I am glad to hear it," he says, smiling at her.
They walk the rest of the way back to her chamber in companionable silence. Wishing her a good night, he raises her hand to his lips, his eyes lingering on hers, telling her more than he dares say out loud. Reaching up and kissing his cheek in response, she turns and enters her rooms.
Anara spends the rest of the night in quiet meditation, her mind finally at ease, content with her immediate future, and unwilling to follow the lines of fate any further into the future, for now.