Story of Seasons: Fire and Ice

A Chance Encounter

Yuna busied herself learning the language of the land. When she wasn't in the forest following hunters, she was watching the other gods in the city. Her white coat allowed her to remain relatively unseen, even during the day, as parties traversed the frozen landscape. In the town, Yuna wandered around in god form, drawing far less attention than she had originally expected. As it turned out, Asgardians were a rather fair people, likely due to the everlasting winter climate. Thus, her own skin stuck out far less than in previous realms. Unfortunately, her smaller frame stood in stark contrast to the large, muscular builds of the natives. However, most tended to keep to their own business so aside from the occasional look her way, she didn't have any more unfortunate run-ins.

Over time, she came to grasp the Scandinavian tongue. It took a bit of effort, but through careful observation and a handful of social interactions, she found herself capable of moderate communication. While she wasn't what one would call perfectly fluent, she understood enough to get by from day to day.

In doing so, the goddess found herself spending far more time in the Norse realm than she had initially intended. Between the frigid temperatures and the fascinating culture, she quickly found herself considering Asgard as a new residence. Or at least until she had to leave. However, she sincerely hoped that she wouldn't need to move on for some time. After travelling across so many realms, it was a welcome change to finally find a place that she could call a suitable home. Each passing day only served to further solidify her desire to remain.

Today, she was taking a leisurely rest in the forest clearing. After practicing more of her new language and a successful hunt, enjoying a nap in lukewarm sunlight was just the thing she needed. The goddess had scouted the area, thoroughly examining the surrounding forest for any possible threats in the vicinity. Finding none, she curled up in the snow and lowered her head. Yuna heaved a heavy sigh and allowed her eyelids to close.

. . .

Her slumber lasted for a good while, lying silently beneath the rustling trees. The peace and tranquility soothed her, interrupted only by the sound of snapping twigs. Golden eyes fluttered open, roused by the quiet noise. Something was moving through the trees. Her gentle stir lasted only for a moment as the following sound tore her from her restful state with violent force. A loud crash echoed through the forest, scattering birds, and waking the winter goddess with a startling jolt. Lifting her head, Yuna looked toward the sound, an eyebrow raising curiously at the voices drifting through the tree line.

"Enjoying yourself down there?"

"Don't make fun of me, Loki!"

A huff of air left her nostrils with a tired sigh. It seemed the duo were wandering the forest again today. She relaxed slightly, laying her head against her paws. There were worse things she could have run into and by comparison, those two were almost a relief. Properly hidden within the snowy drift, she closed her eyes and remained perfectly still. Unlike their last encounter, she should stay unnoticed so long as she didn't draw attention to herself. Listening carefully, she tried to make out their words, putting her grueling lessons to the test.

"You are coming to the feast, aren't you?" Balder asked as Loki helped the clumsy god to his feet.

"Nah. Not my style."

Balder frowned, a look of disappointment showing on his soft features. "Loki, you should come."

"Why? Nobody wants me there." Loki shrugged, averting his eyes. Balder had a way of drawing everyone in and continuing to look at him would only serve to crumble his resolve. It was difficult to say no to the god of light, especially when he looked down at him like an injured puppy.