"Hello again." Tilaria told the group of Æsir children and tipped her head in a slight bow, although she did not leave the tree's side for the ice began just a few inches from her feet.

Loki abandoned his taunting of Sif and slid over to Tilaria gracefully. "Hey Tilaria, didn't you say you'd be back in a week when you left?"

"Surely you've heard about the war that's been waging on Alfheim for the past month." Tilaria drew her eyebrows together delicately, assuming that Loki had not and was surprised by that fact.

"I heard about it," Loki nodded quietly, "but not much information has been released."

Everyone had heard about the shocking fact that the Light Elves had gotten into a civil war, and that the force opposing Hallien had been led by one of his council. Unfortunately, the Elves had been quiet about it so not much else was known other than the outcome. Daris had been using forbidden blood magic, but had been defeated. He had escaped during the last battle, and his whereabouts were currently unknown.

"I played a larger role in defeating Daris then Hallien wants to admit, so I told him that I would let him tell the story however he wanted it if he let me be fostered on Asgard." Tilaria added almost shyly.

"Does that mean you're staying?" Thor asked from where he stood brightly, wishing he could move and greet her but knowing better than to brave Loki's ice.

Tilaria nodded, and her hair bobbed with the movement. "I'm supposed to explain the specifics to Odin, but I don't know where he is. I figured that you'd be able to take me to him. Do you know where the Allfather is?"

"BORR'S BEARD!" A voice shouted at the top of his lungs behind the children.

All seven of them turned towards the source of the voice, and gasped. They had turned just in time to see Odin slip after putting a foot on the ice and they watched in as if in slow motion as he started to fall. Before he even hit the ground, Loki narrowed his eyes slightly and all of the ice he had made dissipated into water vapor. Odin hit the ground hard, and Gungnir clattering to the ground away from him.

Eirill, having fetched the Allfather without the children noticing, stood behind Odin. Although he knew he should be moving to help the Allfather back to his feet, he found himself too horrified to move. He could feel a headache coming on when he saw his king lying on the ground, and suddenly understood why this group of children went through their training instructors so quickly. It was little wonder that even General Tyr usually didn't spare time to train them.

Odin sat up, and looked around only to find the training field conspicuously ice free. "Eirill!"

"Yes sir," Eirill fidgeted, looking like he wanted to test out an invisibility spell.

Odin warily stood up, cautious of the ice returning or something else happening. "How did this happen?"

"Um, well, sir I," Eirill stuttered as he tried to figure out a way to explain what had happened that wouldn't end with Odin shouting at him.

Eirill also realized that not only were the children often going through their training instructors, Odin was often shouting at the training instructor. It might have been wiser for him to not take over position as their training instructor after all. These six children were more of a hassle then his son and all of the other Star Guard cadets to be put together.

It was Tilaria who saved Eirill when she stepped out of the shadow of the apple tree, and into Odin's view. "Greeting once more Allfather."

Her bow this time was a deeper tip of the head that she had given the children, but she did not go one knee. Eladrin, be they Light Elves of Dark Elves, had honor and pride enough not to kneel. Those were two things Tilaria had been taught the Æsir lacked. Kneeling was something she would never lower herself to do, but she did not mind bowing to the ruler of the Nine Realms.

Odin acknowledged Tilaria's appearance with a slight nod, and some of his anger slipped away as he was forced into the role of politics. "Ah Tilaria, I was wandering where you were. Hallien said you would come straight to me once you arrived."

"Sorry ser," Tilaria apologized. "I came across your sons first."

Now that the ice was clear from the field, Sif tried to stalk over to Loki. Thor walked up to his brother's side closer to Tilaria, and she was forced to stop in her tracks. There was no way that she could do anything to Loki with his brother so close, and Odin was also here.

"When did you get here?" Fandral asked Tilaria in curiosity as he stood with Volstagg and Hogun.

Tilaria tilted her head as she thought about it for a moment before responding. "Around the time Sif started to fight with Loki. All of you were distracted, and I teleported straight into the tree so you couldn't see me appear. Still, you must have been very preoccupied to not have seen Bifrost activate."

"From what Hallien told me of it over the Link I am interested to hear his proposition." Odin accepted, looking as inconspicuously as he could for Gungnir.

The Æsir Godlings relaxed slightly when they realized that Tilaria had just diverted Odin from scolding them, and Eirill took an equally relieved breath.

Odin noticed them relax, and you could almost see his remaining eye sharpen. "As for the rest of you…"

Everyone present collectively tensed up again when they realized Odin hadn't forgotten about them.

"Eirill," Odin started with the group. "You came and got me because Loki was using his magic. Next time, do not leave them alone to their own devices for it will only dissolve. I assume that you can reprimand one child without needing me to help you, especially since you have a son of your own."

Eirill eeped something akin to an affirmative under Odin's scathing glare, and Odin continued to his younger son. "As for you Loki, I thought I told you that I didn't want you using your ice magic. I would expect you to know better than to use your magic at all during sparring practice. Loki?"

Loki had vanished from sight. Odin sighed, not in the least bit surprised by his foster son's actions. Although Loki was quick to cause trouble, he was equally quick to vanish when the adults came to avoid punishment.

"I'm sorry father," Loki's voice came from beside Odin suddenly, spooking the Allfather slightly.

Beside Odin stood Loki, and he was holding Gungnir in his hands. Loki held out Gungnir to Odin, and the staff purred in his grip like a contented cat. Odin hesitated for the briefest of moments before he reached out and took Gungnir from Loki. The staff stopped glowing and instantly went silent as if it were mad at Odin for taking it from Loki. Tilaria noticed Gungnir's actions and looked from Odin to Loki curiously.

"That ice magic is dangerous," Odin scolded Loki properly now that the boy was in sight.

Loki lowered his eyes in acknowledgment and whispered quietly, "yes father."

"Now," Odin said briskly and turned his back on Loki, shifting Gungnir so it was in his right hand. "The rest of you children are dismissed, as are you Eirill. Tilaria, I want to hear the full details of Hallien's idea. Thor, you may come and hear this as well."

"Odin," Tilaria interrupted quietly, "perhaps not. I would rather speak to you in private first, and then you may tell your sons as much information as you wish."

Odin was surprised by what Tilaria said, and so was everyone else. She seemed sincere, and her fuchsia irises were serious. Heimdall had watched over the month-long civil war on Alfheim, but since the battles had been so short and in such random and unexpected places, he'd actually missed seeing much of it. It sounded like Tilaria was going to explain some of what happened, and Odin was instantly curious to hear her out.

"Very well," Odin said quietly. "I will speak to you alone, Tilaria."

Tilaria nodded that was for the best and gave the princes a small smile as she followed Odin away. Thor and Loki were disappointed that she was leaving already, and so was Fandral. This time at least, she wouldn't be gone forever.

Eirill cleared his throat when the children began talking, and he motioned them to come back over to him. "Allfather might have dismissed you, but that does not mean your lessons are over with today. Everyone pair off, let's run through some sequences to burn the extra energy you seem to have."

All of the children groaned, but at Eirill's stern look broke off into pairs. It seemed it would be several hours before they say her next. Loki glanced at Eirill innocently as he paired off with Fandral to go through the sequences. Perhaps he could use his magic to persuade Eirill to release them a little early from their training. That thought made him smile mischievously, and a bit of magic fluttered around his fingers dangerously.

"I see," Odin said quietly after Tilaria had finished explaining some of the details of Alfheim's recent civil war. "So Daris let the blood magic corrode his mind, and then he began using Fel. What a waste."

He sighed and shook his head as if he were disappointed. While he was doing that however, he was looking down at Tilaria. Odin believed Tilaria when she said Daris had used blood magic, and he was wary at the fact that Tilaria had as well.

"Blood must answer to blood," Tilaria spoke nonchalantly without turned to face Odin. "That is how blood feuds and other forms of revenge work, and that is how blood magic work."

She glanced up at Odin now with the same serious expression she usually wore.

"As I am the only stable blood mage on Alfheim I am the only one who could counter Daris," Tilaria explained further with an innocent shrug of her shoulders.

Tilaria mentally scolded herself while Odin apprised her. Her deal with Hallien was that she would help ensure the Æsir did not find out the ruler of the Ljósálfr was a blood mage, and she would be allowed to be fostered on Asgard. She had accidently put emphasize on the word stable, and that implied that there were other blood mages on Alfheim.

Odin either didn't notice or didn't comment on that for he reluctantly went on to the next topic at hand. "Are there any leads on Daris's whereabouts?"

"I fear not," Tilaria sighed regrettably. "We have his second-in-command, Rane, in our dungeon, but there is no sign of Daris himself. A large number of other Ljósálfr have recently gone missing and we believe that they have abandoned their homes to stand with Daris in his exile."

"So Daris has his own army," Odin contemplated. "This does not make things much better."

"It is possible that they have been abducted and been sacrificed by Daris for their blood," Tilaria pointed out. "Considering the sheer number of Ljósálfr that have gone missing though, that is the more unlikely reason."

Odin shook his head while Tilaria continued. "When Daris makes his next move I will likely have to be the one to combat him, as I am not affected by the blood magic's song."

Odin nodded agreement somewhat reluctantly. Having someone who could counter Daris on Asgard might not be all that bad of an arrangement however, he was still wary of letting an Arch blood mage remain. It all came down to pluses and minuses, and when he balanced the two against each other he decided it would be better to have a blood mage to counter him despite the risk her presence presented.

"How long does Hallien wish you to be fostered here on Asgard?" Odin asked, deciding that would be a wise question to being up.

"As long as I want," Tilaria responded steadily. "Nothing official was set but after the chaos with Daris, Hallien was not exactly pleased to have yet another blood mage on Alfheim, especially one who has tried to kill him before."

Odin had heard about her earlier attempt to kill Hallien several decades ago. He had wondered if the rumors were true, but it seemed that they were.

"What assurance do I have that you will not try to kill me?" Odin asked in wry amusement.

"I have no reason to," Tilaria crossed her hams behind her back casually and looked up at the ceiling. "No motive, no crime."

"Still," Odin chuckled softly. "To foster a Ljósálfr royal here on Asgard is unexpected."

Tilaria didn't need her telepathy to tell that Odin wasn't taking the idea serious and let her arms drop to her sides. "Before the war with Jötunnheim five centuries ago, Prince Laufey and his sister Nál were fostered here on Asgard with you and your brothers. Is my presence truly more startling then that?"

Odin almost growled when she brought up Laufey's temporary stay on Asgard. Now that Odin thought about it, even before he and Laufey had come of age the two of them were already enemies. It was little wonder the Ice War had broken out.

"I presume that I would only be here until I come of adult age," Tilaria tilted her head to one side, "that is often how long-term fostering works. It is sort of like an unofficial adoption, correct?"

"Correct," Odin said cautiously, wary of what Tilaria would say after brining up Laufey.

"My father was a Ljósálfr, but my mother was an Æsir so it is not too unprecedented that I remain here on Asgard," Tilaria pointed out. Since I'm already adopted I would just be going from one foster family to another, so it would hardly bother me. I would even keep my title as Heiress."

"But in order to do this you would need my approval." Odin admitted, thinking that this situation was nice and logical and as such very elfin.

"Indeed," Tilaria tipped her head down in agreement for a moment.

"I suppose since Hallien has already arranged it that he would find it insulting if I sent you back," Odin asked after a moment.

Tilaria gave an innocent smile and lied smoothly. "It would help convince Hallien to send another ambassador."

"I do not have a foster family set up to take you in, "Odin warned.

That drew a chuckle from Tilaria. "Tis good, for I do not need one. If I could have quarters here in the palace I will be able to look after myself."

Odin didn't think that as a mixed-blood Tilaria would have had much sympathy or support on Alfheim. She had likely learned how to take care of herself without anyone's help long ago.

"Very well," Odin sighed. He knew it was in his best interest to agree to this, both to pacify Hallien and give him command over a blood mage. "The quarters in the Ambassadorial suites are empty. You can pick whichever one you wish. My sons can show you around Asgard once they finish with their training master."

"Thank you Allfather," Tilaria bowed again.

Her hair fell in front of her face, so Odin couldn't see her victorious smile. The smile was gone when she straightened, and her features were elfin neutral once again.

When your up against a blood mage, and the only thing that can stop them is a blood mage, it's kinda a good idea to have one on your side. Don't you agree? Tilaria's actually really lucky that Daris is on the loose because if he wasn't then Odin never would have agreed to her staying. Yes, Odin and Laufey have known each other since they were kids but they never did learn how to get along.

Loki is also going to end their training lesson early. He he, leave it to him.