At last, I am back and holy cow I can't believe I reached over 100 followers by chapter 10! Thank you all who have followed and favorited this story. More adventures and fluffy moments will come your way with each new chapter! :D

Nidavellir

He was running across the landscape. He could barely see with blood flowing into his eyes from the cut on his head but kept going, arms out in front of him to help navigate the thick mist. He slipped on a large rock, panting and coughing as dust entered his mouth. He got up and quickly rushed over to a larger rock and hid behind it to catch his breath and clear his vision to see better. His clothes were tattered and stained with dirt and blood and his blue hair and beard were a mess. He was going to need a bath once he returned home. If he returned home...

"I knew this was a bad idea! The expedition should have never happened!" He said, despite being alone.

This was Aivil Son of Malvil and he is the only survivor of an expedition that went terribly wrong.

Aivil was one of the forty Dwarfs sent on an expedition to mine for ore and bring back to the kingdom. To do that, however, they had to trek across Nidavellir's dark surface for two weeks and face the creatures that drove them into the darkness eons ago, a task only the bravest Dwarfs would dare to do. Aivil was brave but did not agree to this journey, he knew it would be filled with danger, so why did he go? Because his king commanded and he would never disobey him. All had gone smoothly for the first half; no trouble was encountered on the journey and the mining was going well until disaster struck. During the mining, they had awoken a stone giant from slumber and he began wreaking havoc upon then all. Aivil had grabbed a small pack and ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. Now here he was all alone trying to find his way back to the kingdom.

His hand patted the pack he grabbed before opening it. Inside were pieces of silver-white rock of different sizes. This was what the Dwarfs walked across Nidavellir for. A mineral so rare it can only be found on Nidavellir and the deepest places of Midgard, Mithril. Many things could be created from Mithril, armor being the most common, a chain mail was made as light as a feather and strong as dragonhide. The secret behind making Mithril armor was known to no one, not even the Allfather, for the Dwarfs refuse to share anything about their people with anyone.

But the bag he carried could not make the armor. All it could be used for was either making rings, doorknobs, or decorations for crowns and cups. They had found a fortune of Mithril in that area and despite wanting to go back and take it all he knew it would be suicide with that stone giant around. They would need an army to bring just one of those monsters down. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible, not after what happened…

If only there was a way to get rid of that giant.

Suddenly, as if his prayers were answered, a tunnel of rainbow light came crashing down upon the earth and clearing the mist away for several seconds. As the beam of energy subsided, two teenagers emerged into the renewed mist. One has flowing red hair and was riding a giant goat and the other wore emerald armor.

"Something is not right." The girl said, looking through the fog and drawing her sword.

"What do you mean? We're here aren't we?" The boy asked, giving a confused look to the Valkyrie.

"We are. However, this is the wrong location. We aren't supposed to be on Nidavellir's surface. The Dwarfs built their kingdom underground. Heimdall would never send us to the wrong location unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless something happened to Nidavellir and we didn't know about it."

"Well, we aren't going to get anywhere thinking about it. We need to find the entrance to the kingdom and speak to the king."

"We won't find it by walking. It isn't called the dark fields for no reason. The mist is so thick you can't see anything in front of you. That makes it extremely dangerous for us since we don't know what's lurking out here. The only way into the kingdom is with the help of a Dwarf and there are no Dwarves around here."

"So are you saying this trip was for nothing?"

"No. I'm saying that we need to find a Dwarf who is brave enough to walk the surface."

Aivil couldn't believe it. Asgard had finally come to Nidavellir. But they obviously didn't know what was going on by the convention those teens had. Nevertheless, they were here now and if he helped them they could help him. He sealed his bag shut and stepped out behind the rock making his pressing known.

"Hello there!" He called, approaching with his hands up meaning he meant no harm. He watched them whisper among themselves before the Valkyrie stepped forward, a kind smile on her face.

"Greetings master Dwarf. What a pleasant surprise to see someone my friend and I were just talking about. I am Sigrun and with me is Prince Thor."

Aivil did a double take at the red head. Now that he was closer he could see the resemblance the boy had with the God of Thunder; red hair, blue eyes, and even the giant goat had to be Tanngrisnir or was it Tanngnjostr? Despite looking like Thor how could this be possible? Odin's son was supposed to be dead, how could he be back in a younger body? Had he found a way to cheat death? Whatever happened it couldn't distract him from asking for help.

"This is most surprising but we can talk about it later. I am Aivil Malvilson, I was part of a mining expedition that was attacked today. I need your help dealing with the stone giant. Do this and I will take you to our kingdom."

"Done." Said Sigrun immediately. She knew this was the only way to speak with their king and ask for an alliance.

"Lead on master Dwarf." Thor said, adjusting himself to let Aivil sit in front of him on Tanngrisnir. He was told by Sigrun before departing Asgard to always address a Dwarf as master to show respect. As for Tanngrisnir being here, the great goat had followed him everywhere yesterday, even laying outside his bedroom to see him the next day. It was obvious he would not leave until he rode him and since he was going on a mission today, he would bring his pet - no - his friend, with him to Nidavellir.

On the four went with Aivil pointing the warriors in the direction he had been running for hours. Despite not having a weapon with him, he readied himself for the coming battle against the Stone Giant.

The Giants, better known as Jotun in the Norse Faction, were some of the toughest beings in all the world, their power varying from low to high class. Only Surtr and Loki had reached God class but Loki cast aside his Jotun heritage after becoming the Allfather's blood brother. Regarding the different Jotuns, there were the Jotun's of Jotunheim, giant men of flesh and blood, their northern brothers with power of ice, Frost Giants, next was the Stone Giants of Nidavellir with skin as tough as steel, and lastly were the most deadly of all, the Fire Jotun's, the monsters spawned within the fire's of Muspelheim.

"What exactly are we dealing with?" Said Thor.

"A Stone Giant."

"A Stone Giant!?" Repeated Sigrun, "Perhaps, it would be wise to ask for backup to tackle that giant."

"We have no choice, Sigrun. If you have a plan, let's hear it, otherwise we just pound it to dust." Thor said, a hint of excitement stirring in the deepest part of his mind.

"Funny that you suggest such a tactic, Thor, for that is how you beat a Stone Jotun. You have to use all the strength you have to bring one down. That's why I suggest calling back up."

"Unfortunately, Thor is right, Lady Sigrun. We can't go tramping back to Nidavellir just to amass an army to take out one Jotun. It'll have to be the two of you."

"You mean the four of us, master Dwarf." Thor corrected while patting Tanngrisnir affectionately.

"I'm not a fighter, your grace. I would advise letting me off before battle begins. Which will be happening soon."

Aivil was right. Through the mist, Thor could see the silhouette of something large and humble shaped. No doubt it was the Stone Giant that the expedition had awakened during mining. It stood at ten feet and was made of many different rocks.

"I would also advise to lead it away from the mining site. Otherwise, we will never get the Mithril." Said Aivil as he slid off Tanngrisnir.

"Will see to it, "Sigrun said, summoning her sword and flying towards the Jotun, followed close behind by Thor.

"Let's go, Tanngrisnir!" Thor ordered, spurring the goat forward.

As soon as they were in sight of the Giant it turned its attention towards them and raised a large rocky fist and threw it forward. As the fist came closer Tanngrisnir jumped high into the air landing perfectly upon the fist and running up its rocky arm towards its face. As he reached its shoulder, Thor channeled his magic into Jarnbjorn and began dragging the axe head along its armored skin while Sigrun slashed and hacked away with her flaming sword. However, all they did was annoy the Giant with their attacks.

Maybe we should have listened to Sigrun. Thor thought as Tanngrisnir rode across the giant's chest and hopped down from stone to stone till it was high enough to jump down to ground level without hurting itself.

"Good boy." Thor praised Tanngrisnir. He may have safely gotten Thor away unharmed but this battle was not gonna be easy. They were barely doing any harm to it. Could their full strength combined be enough to take this thing down? If Rossweisse was here she could unleash a barrage of spells to send it crashing to the earth.

He spared a glance at Sigrun while she unleashed a torrent of lightning at the giant's face, who tried to grab her but was too quick. Each time the Valkyrie attacked she would fly away to keep her distance while at the same time luring it away from were the Dwarves had been digging. Aivil didn't say how far to lure it so it'll be his own fault if it falls on the mining site.

Thor jumped into the sky and flew straight towards the Jotun's face charging Jarnbjorn with max power before throwing it with all the strength he could muster. The axe spun through the air and crashed with the force of a freight train into its head and upon doing so, unleashing a powerful blast of thunder and sending chunks of rock everywhere. He did! They finally got a critical hit on it! Suddenly another idea came to him, it may be foolish but it may work.

"Sigrun!" He called to the Valkyrie, hand outstretched for her to grab. He couldn't hide his grin when she flew straight at him, she understood what his plan was. When she took hold of his hand he began spinning her around at speeds humans couldn't handle. Eventually, he let her go speeding towards the wound he made in the Giant's head. He watched as fire sprouted from her sword guard and extended past the blade. With a loud warcry, she stabbed her flaming sword into the Giant, burying it all the way up to the hilt. When she gave it a hard twist, the fire exploded out of its head, like a volcano erupting. It staggered two steps before crashing to the earth with a boom before silence fell upon the battlefield.

As they descended to the ground, Aivil came rushing out yelling in joy. Despite the doubts he felt, the old Dwarf knew the Stone Giant was no match for them. Especially, Thor, he was the Bane of Giants after all.

"You did it! Asgard is still unbeatable! Now that you have dealt with the Giant. I can establish a teleportation seal on the mining site."

"Teleportation seal? Why didn't you use that to escape?" Thor asked.

"If you saw a Jotun awaken and attack you, would you activate a teleportation seal to lead it right to your home?"

"Of course not."

"Which is what we did not do. Instead, we panicked and ran for it, trying to save what tools and Mithril we dug up. I fear I may be the last survivor of the group. If no more trouble happens this day, then we can continue the mining."

"And if you are to continue it then you need to return to your kingdom and tell what has happened and allow us permission to speak to King Hreidmar."

"With what you accomplished today, he will not turn you away. In fact, we have been wondering if Asgard would never return."

"What do you mean?" Sigrun asked, a bad feeling stirring inside her mind.

"Much has happened here and it isn't good. It's best if you hear it from the king." The Dwarf said, leading them to the dig site. Once there they checked for survivors and other threats, none were found. Now clear of danger, Aivil threw up a barrier before creating a teleportation circle and led the warriors through it.

Dwarven kingdom

When Thor stepped through the portal he was greeted by a dark hallway filled with broken pillars and piles of rubble. This didn't look like a great kingdom like Asgard but rather a battlefield.

"What happened here?" Sigrun voiced his thoughts.

But the Dwarf didn't say anything. He left them down a long corridor, up a flight of stairs, and through another corridor before approaching a large door with many symbols on it. When Aivil said something in his native language the symbols glowed before the door opened to reveal another room, this time filled with dimly lit lamps hanging on the wall.

As they stepped through a voice rang out, "Aivil!? What are you doing here and who are they?"

"I have returned with troubling news and guests from Asgard!"

A long silence fell upon the hall before hundreds of Dwarfs stepped out of the shadows. Unlike Asgard, they seem to still be stuck in the tenth century by the looks of their clothing. The men were broadly built with beards of different lengths and shapes, some were trimmed while others were wild, most were woven into a single or multiple braids of different colors ranging from red, orange, yellow, green blue, purple, brown, silver, white, and black. The women were the opposite, beardless with voluptuous figures, and flowing hair. They stared in wonder and awe at the Asgardians.

"We haven't had visitors from Asgard in centuries. Who are?"" Asked a very old and balding Dwarf.

"Sigrun and Thor Odinson." The Valkyrie answered.

A collection of gasps erupted through the crowd as everyone turned their sights to the redhead.

"That's impossible Thor is dead..." Retorted the same Dwarf.

"The Fates have granted him a second chance!" Yelled a Dwarven maiden who had a baby in her arms.

"The Prince of Asgard has returned!"

Thor looked at Sigrun as the Dwarfs continued to take up the call of the God of Thunder's supposed resurrection. This was the complete opposite of how Asgard greeted him. The students of Valhalla looked at him with awe and respect but the adults, not all but most, gave him looks of doubt or skepticism when greeting him when they thought he wasn't looking. Even after his popularity was rising he still was given those same looks.

Would they ever trust him? Would they ever see him as Odin's son? In time they would perhaps.

Thor was jolted from his thoughts by a tug of his fur half-skirt. Looking down he saw a tiny Dwarf, a child, looking up at him in wonder.

"Are you going to help us fix Nidavellir, Mr. Thor?" He squeaked in a tiny voice.

Thor was surprised by his question. What did he mean by fixing Nidavellir? Something terrible must have happened here but what it was he would only know from the king. Speaking of the king, he asked to see him, and soon he, Sigrun, and Tanngrisnir were escorted to the palace.

The throne room, like the rest of the kingdom, was lit by lamps. Despite the lack of light Thor could see the floor was made of silver and the roof gold. On a beautiful carven throne with gems embedded into it sat a very old looking Dwarf, there were many wrinkles all over his body and his white beard reached to the floor but his grey eyes were full of wonder as they stared straight at him. Atop his bald head was a crow made of pure Mithril that glittered in the lamp lights.

"Allow me to introduce, Hreidmar, the King of Nidavellir." Aivil said, bowing low.

Thor bowed as well and waited for the king to speak

"Rise." Hreidmar commanded in a soft voice, eyes never leaving Thor, "the last time you stepped into my hall was before Surtr attacked. How have you cheated death, Prince Thor?"

Thor was unsure how to answer the question. He couldn't keep telling everyone he wasn't the real Thor and test subject from the Church, they wouldn't believe him. He couldn't lie either, that would make him no better than the Church who kept him hidden from the world. He glanced at Sigrun in hopes for her to step in. When she didn't he chose to speak for herself.

"The Fates have granted me a second chance to live, your grace."

Thor had heard Fate be mentioned by everyone in Asgard so he decided to ask what was so important about it. It was Freya who answered for him, "Like humans, we believe in a higher power, the Fates. We are free to choose what we do but it is they who guide us down the roads we walk."

"So you believe it was the Fates that guided God of the Bible to become who he was? That it was they who guided me to where I am now?" He had asked her.

"Yes. They have guided you through a dangerous childhood but you survived it and now are among us." She answered while hugging him gently, "Odin even suspect's the Fates are Old Gods."

Thor was baffled at her words before asking, "There were God's before the current Gods?"

"I'm not surprised you've never heard of them. They are the Gods who came before us. Said to be on a higher plane than us."

Incredible, Gods stronger than the current Gods. Maybe one of these days he would sit down and talk about them with Odin.

But for now, he had an alliance he needed to form.

"You are lucky to be blessed with this. Not all are given a second chance to live." The Dwarf king said, "But why now, after so many centuries, have you chosen to come to my kingdom?"

Now it was Sigrun's turn, she stepped forward and spoke loud and firmly, "Your Grace, we came to Nidavellir to renew the friendships we once had with you. We are in desperate need of the master builders of our Faction to properly rebuild Asgard."

Whispers were muttered through the hall before Hreidmar silenced them with a wave of his hand, a look of confusion on his old face. "You must be mistaken, Lady Sigrun. We have never broken friendship with Asgard."

"Then why have you never answered our calls? Moth-Queen Freyatried contacting you many times and all were denied. I was told that you broke ties with us because of what the Allfather and Allmother did."

Hreidmar lowered his head and sighed, "No. Whatever you were told was incorrect. We never broke ties with Asgard. There was a reason why we could not answer the Allmother. A dark and terrible reason."

"What do you mean?"

Another silence filled the hall before Hreidmar spoke, "Long ago after Surtr's attack on Asgard, my people were tasked with not only rebuilding the Bifrost but the unfinished wall. We fix them as favors for Odin had with us. Then Lady Freya approached us, saying she will pay us if we build status around Asgard of their fallen comrades, especially of Thor. I warned her this would rob Asgard of most of his money if she pays us but she did not care, she only wished to have her son be remembered as the hero he was. So we agreed to the new task and set to work on them. The last statue for Thor, for you, was planned to be created from the gold Freya paid us with. However, before the golden statue could be made tragedy struck. Greed filled the minds of my people and some tried to steal Freya's payment for themselves. Civil War broke out, killing many Dwarfs and destroying the forges, and teleportation room. When it was over, our kingdom was ravaged and still to this day we work long and hard to rebuild what we lost."

"So that's why we landed on the surface and why they never answered our calls." Thor thought grimly. Although he now knew how Freya spent so much of Asgard's money on statues, it was overshadowed by the news of another civil war occurring within the Norse Faction. Which explains why the kingdom is in such terrible shape. The Church always said Greed was the greatest sin of the seven and the Dwarf's lust for gold proved it. But now the war was over and the rebuilding was still going on.

"Aivil." The King said, eyes shifting to Dwarf, "where are the others? What happened?"

Sigrun answered, "We saved Aivil from a stone giant awakened by his expeditions mining for Mithril." She paused to let the news sink into the king's heart before continuing, "Lord Thor and I slayed it. Thus giving you freedom to mine until no more Mithril remains."

"I have made sure to set up a barrier and teleportation circle to the site." Aivil added.

Hreidmar listened to the murmurs of sadness and joy sweep through the room as remorse filled his heart. He sent those men out in hopes of gaining Mithril for the smiths to make. Instead he sent them to their deaths for Asgard to avenge. At least now that the Giant was dead they could continue the work in peace but this time he would send an armed force to help protect the miners. However, it would decrease the number of workers in helping rebuild the kingdom but he had a solution to that and it was standing right in front of him.

"Lord Thor, Lady Sigrun, thank you for saving Aivil and avenging my fallen subjects. However, I must ask more of you. You wish to renew the friendship between Asgard and Nidavillir? Then help us rebuild our kingdom and I shall personally come to Asgard with you to speak with the Allfather."

"Your Grace, I don't think the two of us can help rebuild the whole kingdom. Perhaps it is best if we help in rebuilding the teleportation rooms before going to Asgard." Sigrun suggested.

"I agree, but we would like your help with someone else."

"Will help however we can." Thor answered before the Dwarfs cheered with gladness that Asgard will help. Rebuilding the kingdom would be easy.

Later

This is NOT easy! Thor thought as he struggled with many Dwarves in lifting a massive smelting furnace into place.

After agreeing to assist in the rebuilding of the kingdom, Thor and Tanngrisnir were sent down into the deepest parts of Nidavellir to help in the rebuilding of the great forges while Sigrun helped with installing new magical circles to Asgard. The forges used by the Dwarfs ranged in different sizes, from tiny anvils to massive machines the size of houses. The Civil War had made rebuilding much harder with so many Dwarves lost over a pile of Gold that now sat in the king's personal vault. Hreidmar said once the forges are rebuilt they would make the final statue commemorating Thor's sacrifice and Freya's payment.

After some heavy pulls, they managed to get the metal into position. Thor collapsed onto the ground panting heavily. He had been working for hours and this forge was the fourth one he helped rebuild. How many more would he have to help rebuild? Nidavellir helped Asgard, so why wouldn't it be easier to have all of Asgard help instead of two warriors and a goat? Speaking of Tanngrisnir, the large goat was proving to be very helpful. Despite his age, he still showed great strength by pulling an anvil twice his size into position beneath a giant hammer.

As he looked around at the others he noticed a group of Dwarves struggling to push a slab of steel into place. Forcing himself to his feet he rushed over as fast as he could without bumping into anyone to join them.

"Prince Thor." One of the Dwarfs said, relieved at being assisted.

Thor smiled and pushed as hard as he could but the slap was barely pushing. They were making no progress. They would need more hands to push this sucker but he knew someone could help.

"Tanngrisnir!"

The goat looked his way and saw him struggling. With a mighty cry, he charged full force at the metal, slamming into it with the force of a freight train. The power behind his charge was the push needed to get it up. The Dwarfs praised Tanngrisnir's assistance who held his head high with pride at his accomplishment.

Time passed on and when Thor was working on his thirteenth forge, Hreidmar entered. Every Dwarf stopped their work and bowed to their king. He inspected everything ensuring nothing was incorrect. At last, he reached the forge Thor was working on and had news that they now had transportation back to Asgard thanks to Sigrun who went to inform Lady Freya Nidavellir never broke the alliance and requested help with rebuilding their kingdom.

"That's good to hear. Soon you'll have the help you need to rebuild."

"Just as we helped after Surtr's Invasion. The rebuilding will go much faster and soon will have communication's backup. There is one last thing we need. Fire. We have lost the flame that once ignited the forges our forefathers used. Magical fire will help but all the Dwarfs in Nidavellir cannot ignite even one of our largest forges."

"Then let us get it from Muspelheim."

"NO!" Hreidmar shouted, startling Thor. "We will not reignite the forges with the fires of that fiery plain. The Allfather has sealed all passage to and from Muspelheim. If anyone goes there they are trapped forever."

Thor nodded in understanding. So much for that plan. He would need to find a new source of flame quickly but where else could one be found? Could any fire be used to work the forges or did they need a specific one?

"I'll find a way, your highness. You have my word."

Hreidmar smiled, "I know you will, Prince Thor. Please allow me to reward you for what you have done for us."

"You already have. Our friendship is more than enough for a reward."

Hreidmar shook his head, "I insist. We may have no fire but we are still the greatest craftsmen in all the Supernatural world."

"And I insist that our people helping each other is more than enough for a reward, your as soon as your forges are reignited...I'll think about it."

The King of the Dwarves smiled and clapped his hands upon Thor's. Today had started dark and grim and then a light pierced the dark fields of Nidavellir. That light being the God of Thunder coming to aid his people. "Ask of nothing but their friendship that we have never broken is truly noble of you, Thor. Your actions today will never be forgotten by our people."

Asgard

"And then I stabbed my sword into its head and it exploded from the flames of the blade I poured into it!" Sigrun shouted with a grin as shouts and mugs slammed on the table she sat at.

When she and Thor returned with news of their success the Allfather ordered a celebration for reconnecting with Nidavillir. Despite being the one to order it, the Allfather along with Azazel had slipped off to a pub with scantily clad waitresses. Leaving Freya to tend the great feast alone. Nevertheless, she sat tall and proud within her chair looking out onto the hall watching Vidar charm the women surrounding him and Baldur compete in drinking contests and arm wrestlings, which were common at Norse parties.

"I see the Allfather is not by your side again."

The Allmother glanced over her shoulder at the speaker and smiled. Although his duty was governing Alfheim, Freyr had come to join in the celebration of Nidavillir's alliance.

"You can't blame him, dear brother. Odin was always like that, even before our marriage."

"How you endure it I will never know."

"I endure it because I find his antics adorable. He may be a pervert but he is loyal to me just as I am to him."

Freyr hummed before bringing up Nidavellir, "I hear we were wrong about the Dwarves."

"Yes. All this time I assumed Odin and I were the reason for them breaking trust in us." Freya said with a slight frown.

"As you said, dear sister, Odin may be a pervert but he is loyal as well as wise. He would never try breaking the alliances he worked so hard to form in his youth after the war. As for you, you're the fairest maiden and second wisest being in all the Nine Realms."

"And yet for all that wisdom, I brought Asgard to its knees by draining the banks of gold for the construction of a bunch of stupid statues."

"Statues that commemorate those who fell in Surtr's Invasion." Freyr reassured his sister with a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You lost your son, my nephew. Do not let your self-hatred or those of the people get the better of you. Your son has returned. Speaking of which; where is Thor? I wanted to congratulate him for succeeding in his mission."

The smile returned to her lips. Since Thor returned from Nidavellir, he hadn't joined in the feasting nor was seen in town

The frown reformed into a smile as she glanced at the Valkyrie standing beside her. Rossweisse was the most loyal bodyguard she ever knew. Despite her flaws, she was making Gondul proud and the former bodyguard knew it.

"I haven't seen my son since his return from Nidavillir. Can you go check on him?"

The Queen was right. Since Thor's return, nobody had seen him after the celebration began, and it was to commemorate his success. He probably wanted some time to himself before joining, just like at Skjult Dal. Still, he couldn't do this for everything, especially if someone important came to visit.

"I'll find him, Lady Freya."

It wasn't easy getting through the crowd but after wading her way through Rossweisse finally managed to reach the hallways. Now she could begin her search for the God of Thunder. The first place she could try is his room, if he wasn't there then she would need to search the palace or the city itself. The only way to truly find him was by calling for Tanngrisnir, wherever he was Thor would be there. So she began wandering the halls calling the goat's name but the only answer she received was the cheering of the partygoers. No clopping of hoofs or baaing was heard.

"I hope you're in your chambers…" She muttered aloud as she ascended a flight of stairs to the upper levels where the bedrooms were. Lo and behold, as soon as she reached the top there was Tanngrisnir sleeping by a large door. Rossweisse shook her head, of course, they'd be sleeping; they worked their butts off in rebuilding those great forges the Dwarves use. She looked out a nearby window and saw the sun was still high in the sky. Thor and Sigrun had departed Asgard early this morning, long before the sun had arisen and by the time they got back, it was nearly midday.

Hopefully, they weren't sleeping too long, otherwise, he would be late for school tomorrow or fall asleep during class. As she approached the door, Tanngrisnir's ear twitched and opened an eye before closing it.

"Oh, Tanngrisnir you need to go back to your stable not follow Thor everywhere." She said while gently stroking his head before turning to the door. If Thor was sleeping she'd need to wake him up. She turned the doorknob stepped inside.

"Rose!?"

"Good, you're up! Lady Freya sent me to..."

The rest of her words died in her throat at what she was looking at. Thor was awake but he was standing at the doorway of his bathroom wearing only a towel. His hair was damp and matted against his shoulders with water dripping onto his body, which she couldn't keep her eyes from roaming over. His physique was similar to Baldur's but more study and muscular. If he keeps training then those muscles would grow and become more visible... bulkier. Thinking about that made her face become as red as the Thunder God's hair.

It took her a good thirty seconds to finally summon the strength to turn away. It was good Rossweisse did so because the door was wide open for Tanngrisnir to stare into, which he was doing and giving the Valkyrie what appeared to be an amusing smile. Quickly shutting the door she sighed in relief before realizing she forgot to leave! The Valkyrie reached for the knob to reopen the door again but Thor blocked her attempt by laying his hand upon hers.

"J-just look away while I get dressed then I'll join the feast."

Why in Asgard's name didn't I knock before entering!? She yelled at herself and shut her eyes to give Thor privacy. As she waited for him to dress, the thought of seeing him naked tempted her but she pushed the lewd idea into the darkest parts of her mind. Despite wanting to do dirty things with a boy, she would not stoop to the level of the Devils or Fallen Angels.

At least not until she was in a relationship...

"...or married..."

"Ready?"

Rossweisse opened her eyes and faced Thor. He was wearing the violet tunic and tan pants from the day he first awoke in Asgard. It matched his hair, she thought with a smile before looking at the red locks before noticing something was missing.

"Thor, where is your braid?"

"My braid?"

"Yes, your braid. You should have gotten one after defeating the Einherjar and passing your test." The owlish look Thor gave her prompted a giggle to slip between her lips. "It would seem you still had much to learn of Asgard and its culture. Come here, I'll help you."

Thor sat on the bed while Rossweisse used some simple summoning magic to obtain a hairbrush and string.

"Now, which side?"

"Uh...left I guess."

Rossweisse sat on his left while studying his features like a sculpture artist. Nodding to herself she grabbed the left side of his hair and began brushing it gently while running her fingers through the red locks.

"So why is it so important?"

"In our culture, they symbolize the victories you achieve in battle. Think of them as trophies won in a game." The Valkyrie answered, her fingers wrapping strands together expertly.

"Is that so? I guess that explains why the statues of the Original Thor have so many braids on his beard. And here I thought it was to be fashionable."

He heard Rossweisse giggled again as a tingly feeling swirled inside him for a brief second.

Perhaps in years to come when I have a beard I'll braid it. Her braiding is going along smoothly. I guess with how long her hair is it isn't a problem for her… is that perfume I smell? No wonder she smells so good…

His cheeks were red he could tell immediately, she was so close to his face making the warrior braid he could smell the flowery scent on her. His heart sank at what Vandil and Baldur would do if they saw this. Those two would have a field day spreading the gossip and joking about it.

"Really, Rose, is this necessary? All I did was defend you against a bully and slay some orcs. I highly doubt those are worth earning a braid for. Wouldn't it be more suitable for something more dangerous? Jotuns or Gods?"

"Of course it would, facing a Jotun or God, or any being stronger than you is always worth a braid. However, no braid is worth earning over an Orc, their vile creatures. As for Andrew.. your actions of defending me were very noble." Thor didn't see the blush spread across her cheeks when she said that.

"And done" She declared, smiling proudly. Her braid forming skills would be nonexistence if it wasn't for her grandmother teaching her.

Thor got up and looked in the mirror to see a single red braid tied in blue strings framing the left side of his face.

"Well?"

He turned to her, a big wide smile on his face.

"I like it!"