Where Ever Your Road Leads, You Can Always Come Back Home to Me
She trips and stumbles as she runs through the forest, swatting away tree branches and not minding as they tear the fine cloth of her dress. None of that matters except for the object of her pursuit.
Through the mist, she sees a head of black hair, a green tunic. She does not need her magic to know the boy running in front of her.
She follows the boy, shouting his name, but he seems not to hear. He laughs, the sound so comforting and so painful all at once to her broken heart, and keeps running. As she follows, shapes emerge from the pale mist and the boy runs after them.
"Wait up! I'm coming with you!" the boy shouts before stopping.
She stops, chest heaving for breath. When the boy turns around, tears spring to her eyes.
Loki smiles at Frigga.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'm fine," he says before the mist swirls and takes him away.
Frigga woke up once more with tears wetting her cheeks. The space where Odin usually lay beside her was empty, as it had been for several months. Ever since Loki's fall, she had banished her husband from her bedchambers. The mere sight of him was enough to revive her grief.
She still remembered how she screamed at Odin when he returned with Thor from the Bifrost. She had always been against keeping the truth from Loki. The witches who had raised her always said that secrets were powerful things. Powerful enough to either create or destroy.
Frigga cursed herself for not reminding Odin of the power of secrets.
She and her husband had created a lie that shadowed Loki as he grew up and it destroyed him.
'And it has also destroyed this family…' Frigga thought as she left her chambers. She passed by Thor, who gave her a sad smile and a hug.
"Thor, you have not slept." Frigga noticed the dark shadows under her eldest son's eyes.
"Forgive me, Mother. I have had… too many things on my mind as of late," Thor mumbled before gently brushing a stray tear away from his mother's cheek. "You have not slept well."
Frigga smiled a little. "We both have had many things on our mind," she sighed before they went down for breakfast.
Odin now took his meals in his chambers while Frigga and Thor continued to have meals together in Asgard's great hall. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three gave them sympathetic glances. Others looked at the Queen and Crown Prince with pity.
News of Loki's deeds spread throughout the realm fairly quickly. While those in the Royal Family's inner circle had some degree of sympathy and mourned for Loki, most of the common folk cursed the fallen prince's name for nearly sparking another war with Jotunheim and forcing Thor to destroy the Bifrost. The latter had been a huge blow to Asgard and cut off people from families and friends living off on other realms. Only the Norns knew how long it would be until the Bifrost was fixed.
Frigga knew that Asgard had other magic users, but none could reach the level of mastery Loki had achieved. If he had survived, he would have been able to atone for his crimes by using his gifts to repair the Bifrost.
But that wasn't the case. Loki was gone. The Bifrost was destroyed. And Frigga had to watch as Thor grew more morose, Odin more distant, and her people grew to hate her youngest son.
Frigga knew that one of the einherjar – a young man named Elias – had taken the news very hard. Apart from him, no one mourned Loki amongst the people.
The day dragged on with her usual duties and Frigga went to bed alone.
There are no mists swirling around her now. Instead, Frigga finds herself in a hut. A sneeze brings her attention to a bed where Loki lay, bundled in blankets. An old woman totters over to him, a mug in her hands.
"Why didn't I appreciate breathing through my nose when I had the chance?" Loki moans, taking the mug from the woman and taking a sip. "Ugh, disgusting as usual."
"If it's not disgusting, it's not working, boy." The old woman smiles bemusedly. "Drink it all up and keep it down. You'll feel better in no time."
"Yes, Grandmother…" Loki rolls his eyes at her, but smiles a little nonetheless.
"Good to see that your sass hasn't been affected by your cold."
Frigga moves aside to let the old woman pass though the latter doesn't even glance in her direction. She goes closer to the bed and watches her son finish the rest of the brew, setting the mug on the bedside table. Loki wraps himself up in the blankets and looks at her, giving her a tired smile.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'll be alright."
Frigga woke up again, grief replaced with curiosity.
Surely, that had been a mere dream.
But it couldn't possibly be. For starters, who was that old woman her son had called "Grandmother"?
Frigga had never seen her before. She had no recollection of a little old lady garbed in dark wool carrying a weathered bone staff ever interacting with her son. Yet the banter between the old lady and Loki had carried the weight of familiarity and a sense of fondness for each other. Could Loki have met this elder, befriended her, and kept it a secret?
Frigga often took to the streets in the afternoons. To both see and be seen by the people. As she gave charity to the less fortunate and conversed with the other mothers in the markets, Frigga kept an eye out for the old lady in her dream.
When she found no woman matching the visual in her mind, Frigga went back to the palace, wondering if her dreams were no longer dreams.
A warm sun shines on the village square Frigga finds herself in.
Around her are men, women, and children – some wearing horned helmets, others not – clapping and stamping their feet in time to a beat. Squeezing her way over to the front, Frigga sees him again.
Loki, playing the fiddle, singing with a boy and a girl. The brown-haired boy has a prosthetic left leg and is beating a drum while the girl, with dark hair and a black eye patch covering her right eye, strums a lute. Their voices ring out, Loki's deeper tones melding with the boy's tenor and the girl's sweet voice. Frigga finds herself captivated by their performance. And seeing Loki having fun playing the fiddle brings tears of joy to her eyes.
The trio finishes their performance and take a bow. Loki catches her eye and smiles.
As the days passed, more dreams came to Frigga.
She saw the old woman again in some, chatting with her son over tea or hitting him on the head with her staff if he misbehaved.
Sometimes she saw her son pulling pranks with a pair of Vikings. Not the one-legged boy and one-eyed girl. These two were twins with dull flaxen hair and the glint of mischief in their eyes. She watched as Loki led them in pulling the most elaborate of tricks before absconding to watch the chaos unfold. She'd follow them to wherever they decided to take refuge in from the recipient of their trick and listen to her son laugh with them.
But most dreams showed her son with the one-legged boy and one-eyed girl. Frigga could tell that her son was closest to them. She could see it in the way his smile – usually one that was carefully crafted to mask his innermost feelings – softened as he joked around with them, how he stooped a little to meet the boy's gaze whenever the latter looked down, and when he playfully ruffled the girl's hair. Her son treasured them and seemed to come alive in their presence.
With every dream, Frigga began to doubt what she thought she knew about Loki.
Including if he was truly dead as everyone had concluded.
She stands on a cliff overlooking the sea, frozen in fear, as she looks up.
Loki is falling.
She screams his name and wishes that she could transform into a bird, a net, anything that could catch her son.
But she cannot. So she watches, helpless, as her son tumbles through the clouds.
Is this how Thor felt? Odin? When they watched Loki fall from the Bifrost?
If it felt anything like this, she wishes she can wake up now. Before she sees her son's body hit the waves and sink down to the depths where she will never reach him again.
Suddenly, a roar.
A crimson dragon dives down, falling with Loki. Then the dragon moves close enough for Loki to grab onto its neck. Together, they pull up just inches from the sea and soar.
Loki's delighted laugh rings in her ears as man and dragon fly over the cliff she's on.
As he flies away on the back of a dragon, Loki looks over his shoulder and their eyes meet.
"Don't worry, Mother! I'm fine!" he hollers to her before he and the dragon fly higher until they're nothing more than a speck in the deep blue sky.
Frigga went to Heimdall right after she woke up. The loyal gatekeeper bows his head. "My Queen. You seem troubled."
"Heimdall, I have been… troubled with dreams as of late. I ask you now to answer me honestly." Frigga faced Heimdall, her face pale. "Is Loki alive?"
Heimdall's face was expressionless for a moment. And then he smiled. "Yes, my Queen. He has found sanctuary in a Viking village on Midgard. He seems to be doing well," he replied.
Frigga let out a soft laugh of relief that turned into quiet sobs.
Loki was alive.
Her son was alive.
Heimdall offered his arm to steady herself. Drying her eyes, Frigga looked at the vast expanse of space below the shattered Bifrost. For so long, she feared Loki had perished in the cold and dark of the cosmos. Now she was certain that her dreams weren't just dreams.
They were visions. Perhaps even visions from Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld themselves to let her know that her son was alright.
How she longed to head down to Midgard and see Loki again! To hold her in his arms and reassure him that all was forgiven between her and him. But a look from Heimdall made her pause for thought.
"How long have you known of this?" Frigga narrowed her eyes at Heimdall, who looked askance.
"I have known for about a year, my Queen. Forgive me for withholding this information from you and the King. I had to see for myself if the lost prince had ill intentions towards the realm before announcing the news," Heimdall apologized.
Nodding, Frigga held out a hand. "Show me where he is," she implored.
Heimdall took her hand and placed it on the pommel of his sword, covering Frigga's hand with his own, and closed his eyes.
Frigga gasped as her surroundings transformed from the glinting gold of the observatory into a quiet cove in the middle of the forest. She could feel the soft breeze on her face and smell the pine in the air. She spotted the crimson dragon she'd seen in her last dream along with two other dragons, both dark as night. All three dragons had saddles and were fast asleep, curled up around three people who were reclining on their sides.
One of them was Loki.
Covering her mouth to stifle her gasp, Frigga slowly waked forward, knowing she would not stumble. It was only her mind in motion as her magic connected to Heimdall's sight.
"Okay, here's another myth: Sleipnir." The one-legged boy raised an eyebrow at Loki, who raised an eyebrow back.
"What about him?"
"How did he happen?" the one-eyed girl piped up, leaning forward, resting her hands on her knees. "From what we've heard from bards is that you distracted a giant's steed while he was building a wall for the Asgardians while taking the form of a mare. And then a couple of months later, you gave birth to an eight-legged foal."
Frigga giggled at Loki's horrified look. "Oh, dear Norns, that story stuck?!" her son exclaimed.
"So, what's the real story?" the one-legged boy looked ready to laugh.
"Thor and I won him in a game of dice during a fair when we were children. To be honest, I still don't know how we managed to win. I think we just got lucky." Loki's cheeks turned a pale pink. "As for that whole tale of me giving birth to Sleipnir, I blame Hogun and Fandral. They got me and Thor drunk one night and convinced us to take Sleipnir out for a joy ride on Midgard. We ended up crossing paths with a bard who asked us about Sleipnir. In my inebriated state, I spun the whole tale without thinking much of it," he muttered.
"I guess that bard passed it on to other bards and then poets who wrote the whole thing down." The one-eyed girl smirked. "Let that be a lesson to never go drunk riding," she quipped.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Zenna." Loki buried his face in his hands. "Oh, Norns, why out of all the myths about me did that get immortalized in prose?" he mumbled.
The one-eyed girl gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Well, I don't think you're gonna find the other myths about you that amusing. Instead, Hiccup and I want you to confirm one myth: the Wedding of Freyja."
At this, Loki grinned. "Ah, now that is a true story," he answered, earning laughs from Hiccup and Zenna. Even Frigga chuckled at the memory.
It had been a massive crisis when Mjolnir had been stolen. And Freyja had been reluctant to marry the thief. Both Heimdall and Loki came up with the idea to dress up Thor to smuggle him into the wedding to get it back. Frigga was certain that Loki had suggested it purely for amusement, which was alright with her for it did no harm (except for the thief and the wedding party).
Loki reached into a bag attached to the saddle the crimson dragon was wearing and pulled out a leatherbound journal and a pencil. "Now, I want you to close your eyes and imagine... Thor, broad-shouldered, blond, with a beard. Stuffed into a linen wedding gown studded with jewels that are about to pop off since the gown fits him like an overstuffed sausage. With a bridal crown and a veil obscuring his face," he instructed with a grin.
Hiccup and Zenna did as they were told and were soon giggling while Loki sketched. Looking over his shoulder, Frigga covered her mouth to muffle her laughs. Her son's memory and attention to detail never failed to amaze her. The sketch of Thor dressed as a bride was identical to what she remembered after she and Loki had dressed him!
Finishing his sketch, Loki turned his journal around and proclaimed, "And, now open your eyes. Voila! Thor as Freyja!"
Opening their eyes, Hiccup and Zenna took one look at the sketch and burst out laughing.
"Ahahahahaha! H-Ho…! Holy Sh-sh-shieldssss…! AAAHHHAHAHAHA!" Zenna guffawed, clutching her stomach.
"Pfffttt…! Hahahaaa! He l-looks so bad…! Oh, I can't breathe…!" Hiccup wheezed, leaning against one of the black dragons who stirred awake. The dragon took one look at Loki's sketch and snorted.
"Oh! Sorry, you guys. Didn't mean to wake you all up," Zenna murmured as the other black dragon and the crimson dragon woke from their naps.
The crimson dragon Loki was leaning against snaked its head to rest it on Loki's shoulder. When he showed it the sketch, the dragon hissed and hissed, a dragon's equivalent to laughter.
"As for me, I shapeshifted into a woman to act as the bridesmaid. Which I enjoyed, both for getting to wear such finery and the joy of seeing Thor in a dress," Loki snickered.
Once they'd calmed down from laughing, Hiccup and Zenna looked at Loki, gazes soft.
"I'm glad you're open to discussing these myths about the Asgardians. Considering…" Hiccup shrugged, letting one of the black dragons rest its head on his lap.
"Eh, there's a lot of misinformation about us. I'm happy to let even just you two know what is truth and what is fiction." Loki gently scratched the crimson dragon behind the ears.
"What about Frigga? We don't have that many myths focused around her. The most we know is, aside from being Odin's wife and Queen, she's the finest weaver in all the Nine Realms," Zenna inquired.
"A fact that I can confirm to be one hundred percent true. The cloths and dresses she weaves on her loom are works of art." Loki smiled proudly.
"You know, my Mom always prays to her before she starts a new project. She asks Frigga to bless her hands and her loom, so that whatever she weaves may bring joy to her client and praise and glory to her and the gods," Zenna mused.
"I'm sure Mother heard every prayer and appreciates your mother's work."
Frigga felt her heart grow warm upon hearing those words.
She did appreciate every weaver's prayer to her and she did her best to impart her wisdom in the art of weaving to them.
But what warmed her heart the most was that Loki called her Mother.
Hiccup seemed surprised at that. "I know you don't consider Odin a father anymore, but you still consider Frigga to be your mother?" he asked.
At this Loki looked thoughtful. Frigga was afraid he would take back his previous words. Only for Loki to nod and say, "She'll always be. Even though she might not consider me her son anymore, I still think of her as my Mother."
'My sweet boy. You will always be my son,' Frigga wanted to say it out loud, but knew that Loki would not hear her.
"I just hope that I get to see her again someday. Even for just a moment, to show her how much I've grown." Loki sighed and looked up at the sky. "Hopefully, when that day comes, I've become somebody that she can be proud of," he wished.
This time, Frigga whispered, "You already make me so proud, Loki…"
As if agreeing with her, Hiccup and Zenna moved to hug her son.
"You already make us proud, Loki. Look how far you've come. You've helped me and Zen so much," Hiccup reassured him.
"Norns know we would be in way more trouble with the Berserkers and Outcasts if we didn't have you around. Also, you're our resident Dragon Whisperer. We've been able to befriend so many more dragons thanks to you, so don't sell yourself short, okay?" Zenna smiled up at Loki.
Chuckling, Loki hugged back and Frigga's heart melted. 'These two have become Loki's family. Such kind souls they have,' she thought before noticing the three dragons gently butting their heads against the trio.
"Okay, you three can join the cuddle party as well," Loki said and laughed as the crimson dragon licked his face.
Frigga felt the tears well up in her eyes and she let them flow. Her son was alive. He was safe. More than that, he was thriving. It was all she could hope for.
"Okay, I think Toothless and Stryka are getting antsy," Loki said and grinned at Hiccup and Zenna. "Shall we fly?"
"Oh! Stryka and I found this cool pass near the glacier the other day. It'll make a great obstacle course," Zenna said before mounting one of the black dragons. That was when Frigga noticed that the dragon also had one eye. Meanwhile, the other black dragon – Toothless – had a red prosthetic tail fin.
"Let's go, bud." Hiccup climbed onto Toothless' back and followed Zenna and Stryka in taking off.
Frigga watched as Loki got ready to clamber onto the crimson dragon. Suddenly, her son half-turned, looking confused. His bright green eyes darted around before settling on where she was standing. Frigga felt her heart skip a beat.
The crimson dragon gently nudged Loki, making the latter turn to look at it. "Nothing, Embla. Thought I felt something…"
The last thing Frigga saw of Loki was him climbing onto Embla's back and taking off, whooping with delight, before she was brought out of Heimdall's sight.
Heimdall produced a small linen square of cloth for her to dry her eyes. Once she had composed herself, Frigga knew what she needed to do.
"Do not speak of this to anyone," Frigga told Heimdall, who merely bowed as she took her leave.
Walking back to the palace, Frigga knew that she could trust Heimdall with this secret they now shared. With a wry smile, she thought of how her witch caretakers once told her about secrets.
But she would keep this secret to herself for it was the best thing she could do for Loki. If he was truly happy with his new life on Midgard with Hiccup, Zenna, their dragons, and the old woman he considered Grandmother, then who was she to interfere?
She would not tell Odin and Thor about her dreams or what she had seen through Heimdall's eyes. Not unless Loki wished to see them himself.
Remembering Loki's wish of seeing her again, Frigga hoped that, one day, she would get the chance to see him again without endangering him.
Until then, she would watch her son from afar, forever proud of him and loving him.
That night, Frigga dreamed of the Norns who told her one thing.
That Loki was walking the path meant for him.
She hoped that, wherever his road led, Loki would find his way back to her.