Fandral was out on, whatever it is her grandfather did, business with the rest of the warriors three. As usual, the explanation she got from the two merry and one grumpy band of men was a jumble of syllables and nonsense about a dragon, a maiden or a dragon that was a maiden and ale made from pine nuts. Really it was like trying to figure out what a group of university students were planning to get up to on a Friday night and casually wondering if they would return on Monday for lectures.
At least she had the place to herself and nobody to scold her for bad karaoke and weird dancing on the furniture. Sadly, her iPod's battery was not up to the task of several days near continuous play and by the afternoon of day three had to go on solar charger life support. Just what she needed on a day off, no entertainment and increasingly less people to hangout with; maybe a nap was in order. What was a girl to do alone in asgard? No use in moping around in doors all day, not when the weather was so nice and chilly outside. Wasn't Christmas or the asgardian equivalent coming up soon? She was sure she would find out sooner or later.
Rolling off the side of her chair, to escape the inescapable tangle of limbs she had gotten herself into, Kari jogged off back to her room grabbing her practice sword and some hair bands to tie her mess of curls back with. Perhaps she could find Balder alone in the training yard and get him to spend some sweaty, exertive alone time with her. That and finally beat him in a one on one spar; she was really starting to make him work for the victories now, even back at his full vigor minus emotional burden.
With a hop over the mess of dirty clothes on her floor, several skips through the palace and finally a jump down the short steps towards the training yard she found herself caught up in some rather magnificent skirmishing. Balder was indeed there, surveying the area like an angry hawk, but so was also Thor and Loki making several new impact holes in the ever-changing terrain. She did not envy whoever's job it was to keep the place tidy and organized.
"Balder?" She tapped the stoic warrior on the shoulder, having carefully made her way over to him standing at the edge of destruction like the last hope.
"Kari." He glanced at her, unwilling to take his eyes off the scene of Thor throwing himself through a fake Loki before having to defend from a rather vicious staff attack.
"Are they trying to kill each other?"
"Not this day." He shook his head. "The all father ordered his sons to spar until too exhausted to disagree. I have been watching over them since the day before yesterday."
"That explains why I haven't seen you guys around. Are they seriously not tired yet? I'd be dead after a few hours."
"Asgardian warriors do not require the same length of rest as midgardians." Balder shifted his weight to the opposite foot, arms dangling nonchalantly at his sides as he fought the desire to yawn. "A few days on the battlefield is little to us."
"Remind me never to become an asgardian warrior." She blinked several times, blowing air at a stray strand of hair to dislodge it from her sight as well as take in what she had just heard.
"I knew not you had thought on becoming a warrior."
"I haven't, it was a joke." Kari chuckled at the perplexed expression on her companions face, knocking against his arm with her shoulder playfully.
"I see." He turned his attention back to the chaos in front of them just in time to watch Loki take a fist to the gut and fly backwards several feet.
"So…" Ouch did that look painful. "What are the bonnie princes of asgard fighting about this time?"
"You do not know?"
"Nope." She shook her head with an added shrug to emphasize her ignorance.
"There was a quarrel about you."
"Eh?" Ok, that had her undivided attention. "Me?"
"Indeed." Balder nodded solemnly. "Thor requested Loki cease his spiteful rumors about your person but Loki denied any such behavior and accused his brother of…"
"Of…?" Why did she have the feeling she was not going to like this next part of the story?
"The accusation is one of sexual conduct."
"With me?" She shuddered horrified at the thought of two grown men, and brothers to boot, arguing over who had banged her in the minivan first. "Yeah right."
"Thor denied the allegation also." Balder physically relaxed relieved by her scandalized response. "However, Thor then made an accusation of his own."
"About me?" Of course about her, whom else were the boys going to throw at one another as if she were a cowpat.
"Yes."
"I take it I'm supposed to have been sleeping with Loki too?"
"Yes."
"Seriously?" She was no longer annoyed and just deeply disappointed by the repeating nature of this part of the story. "People need to stop with all that. We don't even get on. He's an annoying creepy old man."
"I am older than prince Loki." He shot her another glance, bewildered this time before distracted by a hunk of rock the size of his head bouncing to a stop just in front of them.
"Really? You look pretty fine for however old you are."
"Thank you." He blushed at her naughty grin glad for a reason to look elsewhere to hide his discomfiture.
"Hey, what you doing tonight?" She took her chance, wrapping her arm around his and leaning into his warmth.
"I plan to sleep." He answered flatly.
"Well, before that?"
"Eat?" He shifted his footing again somehow drawing her in closer about his side.
"Good." She was chewing on her lip, resting her head against his upper arm as he became highly diverted from watching the fight. "Want to come over to mine and eat?"
"Over to your's and eat?" He repeated the translation captured in her gaze.
"Yeah, Fandral's off fighting a dragon maiden with beer in its guts or something and I have the day off. So… wanna come over for dinner?"
"Alone?"
"Not if you include our shadows." She giggled.
"I do not think it would be appropriate." Balder grabbed the opportunity to break away, clearing his throat as he took to his observational task once more.
"Aw come on, I'll end up having to eat on my own listening to Shania Twain otherwise." Kari pouted, not hiding for a second the disappointment in her tone of voice.
"Could you not simply dine in the hall?"
"No, I'm not a warrior." She sighed, he was trying sure but he seriously needed to get a reality check about how different it was for the little people in the palace. "I have to be invited, usually by Thor."
"I…" He was uncomfortable, awkward and completely lost in whatever woods they had stumbled into.
"You could just reject me if you like." This was obviously going nowhere, he just seemed to be drifting further away the more she grabbed for him. "No biggy."
"No I… I will ask Thor to invite you." He was suddenly determined now she was no longer clinging to his arm.
"But… eh?" Was this a date or charity? "Someone really needs to explain the asgardian rules to me. They make no sense. I mean I thought you were kind of in to me, you didn't seem to mind when we were kissing at your place and it's only dinner not as if I'm asking you to come over and sleep with me or something."
"I never assumed it was…" Flustered Balder was certainly adorable. "Forgive me, I am tired and know not what I am saying."
"Hmmm." To late, she was already locked in a sulk, back turned to him, arms folded and busy admiring her shoes.
"Kari?" He tried softly, placing a strong hand on her shoulder to pull her back to facing him.
"Hmmm?" She peered up, mouth contorted as she pouted from one side to the other between intense lip chewing.
Their eyes were locked, the towering warrior claiming her gaze with his own fierce but gentle blue. It was her turn to flush crimson, heat filling her cheeks and belly until it felt as if a swarm of butterflies had come to life within her. Lifting his other arm, the one currently not resting on her shoulder, he pushed the loose curling strand of hair from her face brushing the side of her cheek with his finger in passing. She knew what was coming; his body on a collision course with her own but her mind had stopped computing anything beyond the need to remember that breathing was a good idea. Warm breath mingling, he certainly smelt like the days he had been standing guard but it only heightened her interest as his pheromones – the essence of man – filled her nostrils almost making her groan longingly. Her eyes fluttered shut as his skin came into contact with her own, claiming one another in a kiss as she gripped hold of his purple tunic about his chest.
"HALT!" Loki bellowed, distracting the pair like skitterish rabbits a step back from one another.
"You yield brother?" Thor queried out of breath.
"This is pointless." Was his brother's aggravated response as he dusted himself down.
"Do not beat yourself up too hard, little brother. The God of Thunder is near impossible to defeat." The bimbo laughed heartily, raising his fists to the air in victory before noting the woman standing besides Balder. "Bring us food and drink!"
"Bring it yourself, it's my day off." Kari was pretty damn angry having had her romantic moment spoiled and getting ordered around by an idiot in a cape. What was he? Five?
"Fandralkin!" Thor was suddenly happy to see her now he knew who she was.
"Kari." She groaned back.
"I know your name." He waved her off, ignoring the sheer volume of scowling she was giving him. "I see you carry a sword. Come, let us spar together. I wish to see how you have improved since last we fought. I am sure you will prove a greater challenge than my brother."
"I'd really rather-"
"Do not make your prince wait." Loki breathed shoving her forward towards the large blonde now waving a sword around with a dumb grin on his face.
"Woah, wait…" She fumbled forward, tittering closer by the force of the shove until able to reclaim her own equilibrium.
"Good, now draw." Thor was all smiles as he moved into a ready stance.
All right she could do this, it was not like last time when she hardly knew one end from the other and if things got really bad at least Balder was keeping an eye out. Deep breath, draw sword and one foot in front of the other in a strong pose. Thor nodded his approval at her footing and took the chance to show off with a fancy toss and twirl of his own blade that did not impress her much. She focused; this was going to be a battle where her speed would be of far more use than anything else. He was already tired from fighting with Loki and obviously hungry and thirsty so those factors would go in her favour too.
The prince made the first move, a thrust forward, which she side stepped followed by a sweep to the side after her head, which she easily ducked and darted to the right throwing her weight into her turn as she curved her blade diagonally to catch his now exposed arm. He stepped his foot back, partially hiding the disadvantage and bringing his own blade back to block. She had expected it, allowing their swords to collide as she weaved under lowering the tension in her grip so as to allow her blade to roll around the surface of his with ease to follow after her. He was caught out again, exposed on his other side and forced to throw himself backwards in a repeating submission. She had him on the defense but not for long as he became aware of the pattern her quick skirmishes exhibited and soon threw himself onto the offence against her.
Parry, weave, parry, duck. He had her dancing to his tune now, retreating backwards and becoming jumbled amongst the debris and pitfalls now making up the terrain of the training yard. Taking her chance she dived into a roll as he made a heavy swing at her position expecting to meet resistant force but finding none. She was behind him, cutting at him the moment she had her footing without the burden of over thinking the situation but found herself blocked once more as he threw his blade behind him as if using a sixth sense. She had to learn that move.
Thor whirled around as she took another swing but her sword got caught up in his cape cropping it three quarters of the way up. He was aiming for her again in a low sweep, which she threw herself backward over into a flip landing in a crouch just in time to block his next strike but ultimately over powered by the stronger asgardian and knocked onto the flat of her back.
"You fought well, Fandralkin." He nodded, a look of tired pride etched on his features amongst the droplets of sweat he wiped away with the back of his arm. "You do your ancestors proud."
"Can I get up now?" She winced at something hurting her back looking down at the pointy end of a sword a centre meter from her throat with a swallow.
"Do you see how well she fights, Balder, Loki?" The bimbo had already forgotten her, turning his back as he wandered over to the others leaving her to get up on her own.
"I spar with her often." Balder agreed.
"As brave as they come, as I told you friend." He laughed, clapping Balder on the shoulder hardly making him move at all despite the force being enough to toss Kari back to midgard. "She would do well among midgardians. I do not think she will ever surpass anyone here however."
"There is more to war than mindless thug tactics and swinging a sword." Loki cut in.
"Spells and trickery you mean, brother."
"Magic is as noble an art as any other. Even more so I say."
"Aye, you fight well with them I will admit, but what of it?"
"A wager." The god of mischief was twinkling with green glee.
"A wager? On what, brother?" Thor could hardly contain his amusement. "That you will yield to me a second time?"
"A wager that with magic and swordsmenship combined even, Karian Motter, will defeat an asgardian in combat." Loki meant business, the two brothers now standing practically chest-to-chest as if ready for round two.
"You intrigue me, brother." The god of thunder idly scratched his beard, pondering further on the possibilities such a game might showcase. "You shall have the month to ready her."
"Hey!" Kari yelled, indignant as she strolled towards the group of boys.
"Let her face someone not so well known." Loki bargained. "A guard perhaps?"
"HEY!" She shouted louder this time, catching the two princes attention towards her furious scowling face. "I am not a thing to be bartered and wagered over! I'm a human being for gods sakes!"
They stared at her; disinterest, amusement and astonishment etched on both their faces. Balder instantly glanced over to something of great interest as she sought out his support, a curiousness of his own in play as well as not wishing to defy two princes of asgard. Looking away from her once again, and back at each other, Loki and Thor shrugged in unison at what they had just heard either not understanding her reluctance or simply not caring.
"Agreed." Thor nodded his accord gripping his brother's shoulder with a strong grip and shake.
"Come, Motter." Loki was all smiles as he strolled towards her, latching onto her wrist and yanking her after him. "There is not time to lose with your dawdling."
"Let me... ah…" She squealed tripping up on debris as her least favourite person dragged her at what was a jogging speed for her with his longer legs. "Let me go!"