"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I BLACKED OUT? I MISSED ALL THE FIGHTING?!" Thor couldn't help but wail in dismay as he lay in one of the beds in the healing ward with a sore head.
Frigga stroked her elder son's arm soothingly to try and calm him. That "fight" in the dining hall had been a slaughter. Of the elven Star Guard who had combated Arlen, only four were still alive and only two had a chance of a full recovery. She was pleased beyond words that Thor and his friends had evaded the fight, and although she was upset that Loki would risk his safety by staying behind she was still glad he was alright.
There was a knock on the door and Sif and Hogan inched in. Fandral and Volstagg had been dismissed back to their homes outside the palace without knowing if Thor would be alright, but some of his friends remained. Frigga smiled at them and stood with a rustle of her skirts.
"Keep him in bed," She ordered Thor's friends.
They nodded, and Frigga heard Thor plead to her as she left. The amount of energy her elder son had was astounding, but he was to stay in bed. Arlen's forceshield had been a particularly nasty one, and Thor had gotten caught in it as it activated. That was the worst thing that could have happened, but somehow he had survived. Frigga thought some of Thor's good luck was because of his connection to Mjölnir. At the same time Thor had been hurt there had been an energy spike from Mjölnir, so it was likely it had somehow sheltered Thor.
She walked up to Eir, the chief healer within Gladsheimr as he dispatched some of the alycotes to help with the injured Star Guard. Up until recently, he and his daughter Fey had been busy tending their youngest patient. The fact that both Eir and Fey had left her side meant that she had been stabilized.
"Any change?" She asked.
Eir shook his head no. "It is just a matter of time before she recovers from the blood loss, but I cannot imagine what she did to drain her magic so much. Magic is tied to life force as you know, and she is almost out of magic."
Frigga nodded. She knew all about magic, as she was a mage herself and the one who had taught Loki. One of the healers called him, and Eir hurriedly left Frigga's side to help with one of the survivors. She let Eir go, and walked to a private room. Standing outside it was the Silver Arrow, but Arlen's aid and the Immortal Guard were not present.
With a nod at the Silver Arrow, Frigga entered the room. There were two people within it, Tilaria, who had slipped into a coma from Seidr exhaustion, and her newest guard. Tilaria's guard raised his head at Frigga's entrance without turning.
"Mother," Loki greeted in a quiet voice as if he was worried about disturbing Tilaria.
"Hello my dear," she replied to him.
She glided over and set her hand on her younger child's left shoulder. Loki looked tired and leaned against her arm. It had been two days since Arlen's failed attack and death, and Loki had stayed in the Healer's Ward the entire time. Initially he had needed to because his lifeforce was a little drained, but now he stayed because he wanted to and split his time between his frustrated brother and Tilaria, who had not awoken since her fight with Arlen.
"Why won't she wake up?" Loki asked Frigga sadly. "I know her lifeforce is stable, if low."
"She will in time," Frigga assured her son. "It seems to be a case of simple exhaustion. You say she used some sort of shadow magic to kill Arlen?"
Loki remembering what Tilaria had whispered to him telepathically before she had blacked out. *Don't say it was blood magic that I did, say anything else besides that. Hallien will kill me…*
Loki had believed that she meant that literally, and had been shaken by the terror in her voice at the prospect of the elves finding out about her blood magic. Rather than say it was the forbidden art of blood magic, Loki had claimed she had used elemental shadow magic to make her shadow come to life and kill. It was an acceptable answer.
"Yes," Loki repeated his lie, feeling a little bad for having to lie to his mother.
His right jacket sleeve moved and Slítas poked his head out of Loki's collar. Slítas was exactly why Frigga had set her hand on Loki's left shoulder as the snake was usually wrapped around Loki's right arm. The snake politely tipped its head to Frigga in a bow by way of greeting, and then headbutted Loki's cheek. Loki reached up and scratched him under his chin without looking away from Tilaria.
Surely she would wake up soon, Loki pleaded to himself. She had siphoned off of Loki's lifeforce to use her blood spell and bring her shadow to life, and he had already recovered. Tilaria should wake up. Frigga kissed Loki on his cheek and then left her son to his vigil.
Odin stood on the end of the Rainbow Bridge within Heimdall's Observatory, upset with every right to be. Arlen and Hallien had grown up together, so for Arlen to do something like this without Hallien's knowledge was not possible.
"To try to assassinate his own foster daughter in my dining hall is one thing, but to target my sons is quite another!" Odin ranted, getting out a bit of his frustration at the situation before he opened the Link.
Heimdall stood stoically with his orange eyes distant, waiting until Odin took a breath before speaking. "There is no proof that King Hallien was behind the Arlen's attempt, but it is a possibility."
Odin grimaced and composed himself, standing in front of the gateway. The Light Elves had long wished to dethrone the Asgardians. They were so sure of their own superiority that they believed they should rule. Never had they respected Asgard's command and for whatever reason they believed the Asgardians were untrustworthy oath-breakers as well as inferior. This attack on Tilaria had to be yet another effort to shift the balance of power to their benefit.
Alfheim's standing army was about equal to Asgard's although Odin would admit that the Elves were far better trained and more disciplined. Their lack of emotions and intense battle training that began as children had made them devastating warriors in combat. Light Elves, the realms had learned the hard way, had no word equal to "mercy" in their language and no concept of it.
Lucky for Asgard, the Light Elves were logical above all else and would not attack randomly. They would only attack when they belied it made sense logically, when they had a valid excuse for a war. What bothered Odin then was how idiotic Arlen's attack had been. Why attack so boldly, knowing it would only lead to Alfheim getting in trouble? If it was a full attack then why hadn't the other Ljósálfr in Arlen's escort reinforced him, why would he fight on his own?
"Open the link," Odin ordered finally, hopefully he would get some answers but knowing how unlikely that was at the same time.
Heimdall slid his sword into the Observatory and activated the Link. The gateway glowing and took on a reflective sheen, solidifying himself into the image of King Hallien in his throne room.
"Hallien," Odin began curtly.
"Allfather," Hallien replied in an equally calm manner, "to what do I owe this unexpected honor?"
This Link allowed the heads of realms to communicate with Asgard without needing to leave their realm. Usually they linked the throne rooms together for a conversation, but Odin could also speak to them from Heimdall's Observatory, Himinbjörg, for more privacy. Usually, Heimdall used the Link to deliver messages from Asgard to the other realms, but not this time.
"The ambassador you sent me tried to assassinate your daughter and my sons." Odin was in no mood for the typical elfin banter.
"I have a son," Hallien nodded, "but no daughter. As you are using the Link instead of coming in person I presume your sons are still alive. What of Arlen?"
Odin tightened his grip on Gungnir's golden staff when he realized that Hallien didn't care about the life of Tilaria or Odin's sons. "He was killed during his attack."
Hallien remained quiet, expression perfectly neutral. His beauty was as flawless as any elf, and like all elves his ice blue eyes were cold as ice and held no emotion in them. It took him a few seconds to process the information.
"I see," Hallien said in a soft voice once the information sank in.
The soft edge in his voice surprised Odin as much as his hesitation. Hadn't Hallien been the one to order Arlen to kill? Why should he be surprised by the news?
"I shall need Arlen's body back," Hallien spoke again in a calm emotionless voice that was expected of a Ljósálfr. "As well as the rest of his escort, and the halfbreed if she is still alive. Considering the circumstances I do not think you want them on your realm."
Odin had to try to not flinch at Hallien's words and tone. How Hallien treated Tilaria was far from right, but she was not his child, she was Hallien's. It was not Odin's position.
"I do not," Odin agreed with Alfheim's king, a rare occurrence.
Hallien must have noticed how short Odin's voice was, for he apprised Odin with eyes like chips of ice. "I assure you I had no idea what Arlen was going to do. I sent him as an ambassador, not an assassin. His actions, taken for unknown reason, are his own."
"Of course no," Odin replied tightly, certain that if Arlen had succeed that Hallien's answer would be very different.
He was finding it harder and harder to speak to Hallien, getting more frustrated with his lies then with Loki's. Hallien solved the matter for Odin when he turned away and broke the Link's connection with the Emerald Crown. His image faded as Bifrost returned to normal.
Odin half looked like he wanted to order Heimdall to open Bifrost so he could go strangle Hallien in person, and Heimdall hoped Odin didn't actually request he open Bifrost. He didn't thankfully, but it was obvious that he was still infuriated with Alfhiem's king.
Hallien, back on Alfhiem, was also infuriated. He was more confused than infuriated however and remained standing in his throne room even after the Link's end. Arlen was dead, and since Odin had no reason to lie to Hallien he likely had not. How could his friend be dead? Tilaria was supposed to be the one who was dead, not Arlen.
Odin had mentioned that Arlen had tried to kill his sons, but Hallien didn't understand that either. Arlen was supposed to arrange for the Golden Eagles or others to kill them and Tilaria, not do it himself. Why would he attack them itself?
This was supposed to end in Alfheim becoming the ruling race, for Asgard was not fit to rule. The only reason they had defeated Laufey during the Ice War on Midgard that began in 965 AD was not because of Asgardian military strength or righteous high ground, but because of what had happened on Jötunnheim. Laufey's wife and infant son, hidden in a temple away from his capital city of Útgardr, had been murdered by Asgardian troops – innocents who had been sheltering in a temple. That was what lengths Asgard went to in order to win wars and that did not begin to explain the fact that the Dökkálfr had become extinct after losing to Asgard.
Asgard was not fit to rule the nine, or rather eight realms now. Tilaria was supposed to be killed by Æsir, thus making Asgard's royal family responsible for her murder. Why would Arlen do it himself and make Alfhiem the one at fault? Because of that, Alfheim had no excuse that Asgard could not keep its own people under control and such had no right to rule the other realms while there was such internal strife.
Because of Arlen's actions, Hallien had needed to make excuses and be grateful that Odin's sons were both still alive. They could not attack Asgard now, and there was nothing for Hallien to do but make his troops stand down. The overthrow of Asgard had been stopped in its tracks.
What were you thinking Arlen, to try and kill Tilaria yourself? We had a great plan to force a war with Asgard. It would have made us rulers. What had happened?
What happened indeed? Why did Hallien's plan not work? Crow is the reason why not, but no one know Crow exists or who (or what) he is. The forces at play across the Nine Realms are dangerous, and Crow has the realms playing to his tune.