Words just on the edge of hearing, muffled and distant but coming ever closer. Was she moving or were they? A sense of euphoria, a falling sensation that picked up speed until the darkness – much like the voices – developed into a burning red that confused her eyes. Breathing became by her own will, as opposed to the reflex action of her body, as she tried to think clear. This was the back of her eyelids she was seeing, a light source from the world around her corrupting the thin walls of skin.
Her head buzzed with confusion, lips dry and heavy with dirt but the words were forming cognitive meaning now. A deep, proud man's voice followed by another that sounded strong but gentle at once. She knew their tones and timbre but could not recall whom they belonged to beyond the fog of dulled confusion.
"-suffered beyond the realms of penance in such a harsh world." That voice she definitely knew, the weary tone of authority was not one you could easily forget.
"It was lovely there." Her voice was hoarse but still she managed to force from it a higher volume than was probably necessary.
"Kari?" Fandral was quick to respond to the fluttering nature of his granddaughter's eyes as she fought against his hold on her.
"Put me down." Though tired her words were obviously unkindly meant and were greeted with a hurt look but compliance of the order. "Thanks." She added as if a pleasantry would bring the moustache-wielding swordsman some solace.
Feet unsteady, as well as her mind, Kari looked up at the surrounding asgardian giants with a level of fierceness usually reserved for staring down predators or wild dogs – though in this case she was probably the dog and they the bears. It was unnerving being so small, a child's height, but she had faced down bigger in Jotunheim and none of this gold wearing riff-raff was going to make her back down. Looks exchanged, wary, pity filled, disgusted at her blue skinned visage, as she cautiously worked her way through the crowd of warriors, princes and a king. Green made her pause her survey, smooth black hair slicked back as eyes twinkled in daring. He wanted her to make a scene, attack him again, show herself to be mad and on a cause for his life. How low, how primitive must she have fallen in his minds eye?
"He did this!" She pointed him out again, less angry but more determined to be heard now in the presence of the all father. "He dropped me through a drawing on the library floor into Jotunheim."
"Nonsense." Thor was certainly sceptical. "Why would my brother have worked so diligently for months with hardly rest to return you safely home if he desired you missing?"
"My dear, do you not mean you tripped and fell onto some work of magic Loki was in the process of, as he explained?" Fandral's unadulterated level of patronising was enough to make her increasingly furious.
"He said that? Of course he would say that. He's LOKI!" Wild fight was returning to her skittish movements as Kari twirled around eyeing her captives to end with a pointed finger of accusation directed at the innocent prince. "Am I the only one that knows he's the god of lies?" Her attention turned swiftly onto that of the ever-watchful eye of Odin. "Why don't you do something about him? You let him get away with everything!"
"Enough!" The all father slammed his staff with a resounding 'boom' almost knocking the belligerent waif off her feet from the resonance.
"No!" She screamed back unperturbed by the king's clout.
"I said enough!"
"And I said NO!" Kari was up the steps mere inches from Odin and his throne before so much as a handful of her fur clothing could be clutched by anyone around.
"Obey your king!" He leaned forward, all the better to intimidate the red-eyed youngster.
"You are not my king!" She stamped her foot, fighting the urge to punch the old man in his stupid face and instead turned her attention back to that of the mystified god of mischief. "He did it! He did it because I punched him in the-"
"The child has clearly been corrupted with either magic or torture most foul." Odin cut her off, giving the wilderness smelling sproglet a poke down a step with the blunt end of his staff as if worried about sticky fingers touching his nice clean throne.
"I sense no magic corrupting her mind, father." Loki shrugged an answer to one of the charges.
"Listen to me!" She had her clean enough fingers on his staff now, trying to pull it out of the all fathers hands least he prod her with it some more.
"Then we must correct this untameable child that bares the colours of a monster ourselves."
"They are not monsters!" She corrected the king's obvious racism despite having lost the tug of war.
"I shall wipe her memories of her time with the frost giants."
"What?" She hardly needed to hear that threat twice before she started running.
"Balder!" Odin called out as the warrior in question easily scooped up the Jotun looking child passing his position. "Restrain her."
"No! No!" Kari kicked and flailed despite recent fatigue but was unable to reach places to bite. "Let me go!"
"With all due respect, such magic may prove a danger to such a fragile mind." Loki stepped into the spotlight; his brow creased with concern enough the stir Fandral's attention away from his combative granddaughter.
"Danger?" The swordsman stepped closer to the throne and by the same token Loki also. "My king, is there not another way?"
"Perhaps over time but always will the child's loyalties be at question." The all father answered flatly and to the point aware of the blond warrior's worry but needing him to see better sense of the situation foremost.
"You may break her mind completely with this." Loki continued his misgivings, tearing Fandral between the two gods much like a believer being tested of faith. "Such a long period of time and a child's mind. If she were asgardian then by all accounts but a midgardian is of no resilience as we are."
"I will not have untrustworthy subjects in the house of Odin."
"But father-"
"In this matter my mind is made!"
"Perhaps," Fandral lowered to his knee, fear within him rising to greet his eyes, "my king, might reconsider-"
"Bring her to me." Odin waved off his kneeling subjects request and stood looking to Balder.
"No. Please don't." She was not struggling any longer, having lost the energy to continue moments ago but that did not stop her newest act of war. "Please."
"Balder." Odin spoke his words softer to the knowingly gentle by nature warrior, Balder's hesitation at the sight of a child's tear filled eyes obvious for all to see. "It is to help the child."
"No." Kari shook her head, lip trembling, and once red eyes now blue and pleading for release.
"Yes my king." Balder finally answered, bringing his captive where ordered, though his eyes never left hers as if on some level he felt he owed her that much.