A Gods Favor

It's Time

Fall 2017 - Eight months later

Elora was in the small kitchen of the sanctum, ingredients and utensils floating in the air around her as she flipped through her notes on salve she was making. Since being on Midgard she'd had little reason to prepare the balm so she wanted to double check the ratios.

"I hope you plan on cleaning up after yourself." Stephen popped into the room just behind Elora and his sudden appearance startled her causing her concentration to break.

Items and ingredients fell from the air where they had been floating. One large ladle fell harshly into the pot she'd been using and the hot oils inside splashed out and onto her and the counter.

"Dammit," she looked down at the dark spots on her dress, one of just a few that she had from Asgard still in good condition and she cursed before moving around him and starting to pull it over her head while walking to the sink. "I've asked you not to pop about like that and this is why!"

She reached the sink and turned the tap.

"Whoa," Stephen turned his back to her. "Could we please refrain from nudity where the food is prepared?"

She grumbled as she stuck a soiled spot under the warm water and began to rub the fabric against itself. "I am not nude I have on undergarments and you only have yourself to blame for my current state of undress."

He glanced over his shoulder and had to immediately look away at the flood of thoughts rushing into his brain at the sight of her. He was not oblivious to the fact she was attractive. Despite the pointed ears and strange blue eyes, she was still a woman with very nice curves and a sweet smile. He'd barely trusted her when she first arrived and barely tolerated having her around but it had been almost a year and he realized he'd grown to enjoy their banter. He enjoyed having her always near.

"That," he cleared his throat, peeking at her quickly again. "Is lingerie, not undergarments and either way it's still unsanitary!"

She had moved on to another dark spot, unaware of his growing discomfort as she still scrubbed. "Again, you can only blame yourself besides it's not as if I'm wearing anything see-through or decorative, it's a plain corset and underskirt how are those not undergarments?"

He turned around fully then, too baffled to continue avoiding looking out of respect. "I'm sorry have you seen yourself in those 'undergarments'," he used air quotes around the word before gesturing to her. "That corset is very tight and pushes things...up."

Elora turned off the water and halted her scrubbing to prop a hand on her hip and glare at him. His face was flushed and he swallowed hard as he stared at her and suddenly the unusual hitch she'd heard in his voice clicked in her head. "Stephen," his eyes shot up to meet hers and she smiled, slightly shocked. "Are you objectifying me?"

"No," he replied quickly. "I'm just saying here on earth-" He stopped abruptly when her eyes clouded over and her face went slack, the hand she'd had on her hip falling limply at her side.

"El," he took a step forward and waved a hand in front of her face. When she didn't react, his worry kicked in and he grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently. "Elora, hey can you hear me? Elora, I need you to answer me, are you okay?"

When she made no sign of coming to or hearing him he scooped her into his arms and headed to find Wong.

-

Elora was no longer half naked in the kitchen of the sanctum but fully dressed on windy cliffside, looking at the back of her king.

"Odin?" She walked toward him slowly. He had not contacted her since he left New York nearly four years ago.

Odin turned to her and smiled softly. "Ellie, you look well, child."

Her brow furrowed a bit at his use of the nickname and the faraway look on his face. "Thank you, my king, I am. Are you well, do you have need of me?"

"I do," his gaze turned back out over the cliffside to the crashing sea and he was silent for a long time. "Something terrible is coming soon. My sons will return to Midgard in the coming days in search of me and I need you to bring them to me."

A pit opened up in her stomach. His sons, plural. That meant Thor and Loki and that she would be seeing them both face to face. "And Yrsa, my king?" He'd said his sons, not his children, but she hoped the princess would be with them to ease the tension.

"She will not be with them." He held a hand up when her face turned panicked. "She is well, she is just on another path for a short while."

"I will await their arrival but," she stepped up beside him then, mirroring his stance to watch the churning waves beside him. "What is coming?"

"Death."

-

Elora returned to her body to find she was no longer in the kitchen but rather laying on a table in the library of Kamar Taj with a blanket thrown over her.

"I told you nothing happened. We were standing there talking and then her eyes went white!" Stephen sounded frantic and she could hear pages flipping rapidly.

"That doesn't give me a lot of information to start looking for a solution." Wong grumbled as she sat up.

Clutching the blanket to her chest she smiled. "Why all the worry, gentlemen?"

Both of their heads shot to her and Stephen crossed the room in three large strides.

"Are you alright," he asked taking her face in his hands. "What the hell was that?"

She placed a hand gently on one of his. "I'm fine and I apologize. I should have warned you that may happen but it's been so long..." Her eyes flicked to Wong who had come to stand a few steps away from them, arms crossed as he watched them. "I can explain but I'm afraid I might need to give you a bit of context and it will take a while so if you don't mind." She looked down at the blanket she still clutched that was not providing nearly enough warmth in the drafty library.

"Right, yeah," Stephen stepped away nervously. "Let's get you back."