Loki's Daughter, Mortem and Mischief

Chapter Nine

As I opened the door to the outside world, the cold air hit me like a billion tiny needles piercing my skin. My face felt as though it had been slapped with a glacier and my lungs felt frozen. It was almost as it all of nature was begging me to retreat, to just turn around and get back into my warm bed.

But my heart longed otherwise. As it beat harshly within my chest, I felt pulled forward into the darkness of night. I knew then, I couldn't just give up.  I had to face the fears of the unknown and venture into the night. This mission was beyond just me. I had to brace the cold not only for my sake but for my father's, and frankly all of Asgard's.

What sort of daughter would I be if I didn't at least take a chance at healing my father's broken heart? I had observed his devastation over the loss of my mother. He had been missing a vital part of himself ever since she died. I knew that if he could just get her back, my father would be himself again.

Furthermore, what kind of princess would I be if I didn't attempt to restore my kingdom's glory? My people were tired, hungry, and poor. We were so far from the Godly state we once resided in. All of Asgard was now refugees and common men, even though we were all so much more than that. As their leader, I had to do something to bring Asgard back. To bring the real Asgard back, complete with bright blue skies and gilded palaces.

It was within my blood and within my birthright to take this chance at a better tomorrow, even if it was a shot in the dark. This woman was the only shot any of us had at living a better life. She was the only opportunity any of us had ever come across in the aftermath of Ragnarok. It was my duty to at least see if her promises had any merit. I had to try.

In my short sixteen years of life, I had come to one conclusion-when you wanted something, you couldn't sit around waiting for everything to just fall into place for you. No matter the situation, you had to do it yourself. And sometimes, you had to bend or even break the rules to get to the endpoint you desired. When you wanted something really badly, you had to cut lines, barrel through others, and even step on some toes. I realized that the same thing applied here. I was going directly against my fathers orders, barreling through his wishes for me by taking the TemPad. And though I wanted what this woman had to offer, I wouldn't hesitate to betray her for my sake or my family's sake. No matter the measures I would have to inevitably take, I knew the end would be worth the means.

Even though the cold felt like it was pushing me back inside, I trudged onward with one step in front of the other and with the TemPad shoved deep into my jacket pocket. My hands shook as I walked to the garden gate, not only from the cold but from the fear I held within me. I needed this to work. Otherwise, who knew if I'd ever make it back home, back to my own time and to my father. I was terrified of the unknown possibilities that stood before me. Though life in New Asgard was far from perfect, I couldn't exactly afford to lose it. That tiny town was all I had left. Without it and the people within it, I would be nothing. Just an orphan without a home.

I came to the garden gate just as I was told to. It was nearly midnight. Part of me hoped that the mysterious woman had already come and gone, leaving me with no chance to take. Then, I would be forced to just give up. But, just as I was about to turn around, a gust of wind pushed me back to the garden gate where the woman now stood. I jumped, purely shocked to see her there, leaning against the gate as if she had all the time in the world.

"Sorry, bunny," she said with a genuinely concerned look, "Didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?"

I clutched my chest and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, yeah," I assured her as I calmed down, "I'm fine."

"Have you been waiting out here for a while? I certainly did not want you to freeze to death over the course of this endeavor," she said as she hastily wrapped her own cloak around me. Her voice was laced with a genuine concern for me and her brows were furrowed and her eyes were narrowed as she looked over me. Her expression and true distress for me reminded me so much of my father, I was nearly taken aback by it.