Twisted Hearts

Lies (Brynhild)

It was move-in week for my family. We had been allotted land by the All-Father to construct a hall and other buildings large enough to host the whole clan. It had been so busy, in fact, my father had nearly forgotten to chastise me for passing out from drunkenness at the wedding.

All forty or so of our clan were busy packing up our old lives and breaking ground on our new home. Even Tyr was assisting with the heaviest of the work. Although we in the clan were not all related, we all considered each other like family. Most were much older than me, being friends of my father who fought in the war in Vanaheim. Each adult had taken some responsibility for rearing the few children the clan could boast. When Tyr came to visit he would also help to train and entertain us. He was just like a beloved uncle. Unfortunately, in recent years things had soured with those same children I grew up with as we had stepped into some messy romantic situations with each other. Since then the clan had felt very distant from me. As much as I appreciated my clansmen, I was happy to expand my acquaintances and discover all Asgard had to offer.

Well, maybe not all Asgard had to offer. The Heimdall situation concerned me. Although father had not chastised me for my drunkenness, he had also not bothered to explain himself regarding the whole situation. And now, father and I were expected to dine with Heimdall this evening as his guests. I  was determined that his intentions would not be a mystery for long though.

I had been watching father all day as we both completed our duties around the construction site. Finally, I saw my chance as my father stretched his back and started slowly walking to our tent just outside of the construction site. I rushed to his side.

"Father!" He looked at me warily when I came beside him. "Can we talk?"

He sighed, grimly. "I suppose."

Guiding father to his chair I took a moment to think how in recent years, father had been injuring himself more often. Gray hairs had appeared in his brown, scraggly beard. He was starting to age. Although we were immortal, we were not immune to time's effects. To ward off aging, even the most illustrious gods had to eat Idunn's apples. It was said she was a sweet and generous god, but even she could not reach beyond the All-Father's will.

Absence from Idunn's apples affected all gods differently. Some, like the All-Father, were rumored to have never eaten of the apples and although starting to gray also, still had all of his vitality and power. This, compared to my father who had not been born into any great power and was ostracized, was quite astonishing.

"The All-father told you, you could start visiting Idunn again, right?"

"That's not what you came to talk to me about," he grumbled. He slowly sat down and looked up at me.

"What possessed you to put me into the path of Heimdall? You know I am not interested in marriage. That if I can I would fulfill mother's legacy and become a Valkyrie and if not that, anything else besides a wife." I looked at him with sincerity. "And to choose Heimdall... father you know as well as I that he is powerful enough that if he said yes and I said no my answer would mean nothing!"

He put his hands up to stop me, "Enough, Brynhild." He sighed. "It is not an order that you marry him. I would never do that to you. And I am certain that Heimdall is noble enough that he would respect your wishes should you choose to say no."

Silence lingered between us as the rest of our clan continued to work on the new home.

"As to why I chose Heimdall, I didn't. The All-Father proposed the idea some time ago when negotiations for our return began. It was a reasonable suggestion. I didn't tell you because I wanted you to be open to the possibility. We both wish to see our children secure and stable with someone by their side and maybe some grandchildren for us."