( this is basically a rough draft, there may be typos sorry )
It was dark in the streets of Asgard as a lone figure swept through the shadows, wrapped in a cloak that matched the colors of the night. The patrolling guards didn't notice her as she scaled the side of a building, using the ornate, decorative pillars as footholds to get up. Then, she was through the window with no more than the quiet rustle of her cloak, and a near silent tap of her leather boots on the cool tile. By the time the guards turned around, she was in the house.
A rush of memories greeted the girl as she took in the smell of her old home. She remembered the many happy evenings here, spent around the fire with stories of valor being told. Tales of adventure, emotion, powerful connections between one person and the next. She remembered the love she had for her parents as they'd lovingly raised her as their own, never once treating her as the human she really was. For Squeaky knew she was not of Asgard. She'd almost always known that she was somehow from Midgard. But she wanted answers.
Where had she come from? Who were her real parents? Her adopted family had never told her. The girl had always known she was weaker than her peers, that somehow, she wasn't one of them. It hadn't taken long for her to ask her parents, and they had told her she was from earth. But they have no further details, and when she had left years ago to find her own path, she'd left wondering. They'd refused to tell her, but she desperately hoped they would now. She'd been on her own adventures, and wanted to tell them her own stories. Perhaps now that she was older, they would give her the answers she was looking for.
Faint voices drifted up the stairs, and Squeaky was aware of faint glow of lights shining from the lower level of the house. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the voice of her father. Even after all these years, they still lived in the same house. That was fortunate for her; she wasn't welcome in Asgard, so snooping around to find her family could prove dangerous. She was risking a lot just to be here. They were talking about sending their son into training, and Squeaky held in a sigh.
She'd been twelve when Turin was born, and he was part of the reason she'd left. It wasn't that her parents loved her any less because of him; they just showed him way more affection. He always got the bigger piece of cake, the best presents, the most time with the parents. And Squeaky couldn't help but feel that he deserved it. He was their biological son, after all. It was when he was three and she'd almost gotten him killed, that she decided to leave. Well, technically, she had been forced to leave.
Squeaky cared about kids, and she was especially careful with her little brother, even though she'd been jealous of him. However, everyone made mistakes, and hers nearly cost Turin his life. She'd accidentally let him wander in the street, and it happened to be the day that a high ranking official from another part of the kingdom was parading through the city, up to the palace. Turin, the innocent, confused three year old that he was, waddled right infront of the carriage, spooking the horses and causing them to charge through the crowd, injuring people and even killing a few. Thankfully, Turin was only bruised and terrified, though the visiting official suffered a broken arm.
Odin and the official had already been on sour terms, and this just made it worse. Albek, the angry official, accused Odin of wrongfully harboring a Midgardian. He rightfully claimed the incident had been her fault, and suggested banishment for the death and damage she'd caused. His reputation already on the line, Odin agreed. The human girl his subjects had taken in as their own would be forced to return to her own home; Midgard.
So Squeaky had left. Only once since then had she returned, and that was on a visit with Loki. She wasn't fond of the mischievous prince, but through some rather interesting circumstances, had ended up partnering with him and a host of other people from different realms. But that was another story. Tonight, she was focusing on her own past. This was her second time being in Asgard since the incident, and she could only hope her parents wouldn't turn her in.
Silently, the girl crept down the stairs, determined she wouldn't cry at the sight of her parents. She'd missed them so badly, despite the fact they'd been mad when she'd left. Squeaky hoped the bond they'd created over the years would be strong enough to cover the one mistake, and held her breath as she prepared to step around the corner and face them after all this time. It had been two years; she was seventeen now. Those twenty four months seemed an eternity as the guilt had weighed on her so heavily. Would they still love her? Only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the shadows.
It was just like she'd remembered it. Her father was sitting in his chair by the fire, thumbing through his journal for a good story to tell. He looked exactly the same, his hair hadn't even started greying. Asgardians aged slower, Squeaky realized, but she'd expected atleast a little change. His square jaw supported a smile as he muttered to himself about his past adventures, and Squeaky knew he was probably planning more as well. The man's black hair was pulled back into a short tail, held in place by a golden ornament, and his clothes were unwrinkled and in order.
Squeaky's mother was by the window, humming quietly as she added details to one of her beautiful paintings. From what Squeaky could tell, it was a landscape of the city. The woman's long brown hair was tucked back into a tightly braided bun, yet a few stray strands danced in the light breeze from the open window. The fire reflected in her blue eyes as she focused on her piece of art, the brush gliding across the canvas. Squeaky's eyes briefly fell on the spot on the wall where a painting of her and Turin had previously hung. It hurt her heart to see that it was now only of Turin; they'd painted over the rest.
What really made her heart ache was the sight of Turin, now five years old, sitting in the very spot she'd used to take on the beautiful woven rug. He looked happy playing with the toys that had once belonged to Squeaky. Despite her best efforts, tears filled her eyes. She'd been so quiet that neither her mother nor father had even noticed her yet. Turin's small rolling horse figure glided across the floor as he pushed it, stopping with a soft thud as it hit Squeaky's boot. It was then that Turin saw the black-clad figure looking above him. He screamed, pointing.
Kastor and Eva turned to stare at the intruder, Kastor's hand going quickly to the dagger at his side. Armed robberies were a rarity in this part of town, and he was surprised that whoever this was would dare to enter their house while they were still awake. He became even more confused when the person remained unmoved, simply standing there with the hood shrouding their face. Before he could speak, he was interrupted with a tearful exclamation from the one in the cloud.
"Mother, father... I'm home." Squeaky couldn't hold back the tears now as she lifted her hood, revealing her face to her adopted parents. Eva gasped, her hands coming to her mouth. The shock was evident on the faces of the two adults as they cast a hesitant glance to eachother. Turin was still confused, scooting back to stand behind his father.
"Airarr," Eva began, using Squeaky's given name. "You're not supposed to be here." She said, standing and gently setting her artwork down. "You know what happens if the guards find you." She added in a hushed tone. Squeaky nodded.
"I know, I know. But I couldn't help it, I just had to see you again. I had to know you still cared." Her voice faltered as she finished speaking, tears streaming down her face. "I had to see that you still love me."
Here, Eva stepped forwards, wrapping her surrogate daughter in a hug as tears of her own began to flow. "Airarr, we've missed you since the day you were gone. We were afraid that you wouldn't make it." She whispered, pain in her voice. "Of course we still love you, we always have, we always will. You made a mistake, and you paid the price for that. I only wish we could have been there for you when you needed us." She admitted as Kastor moved over to join the hug. "We hoped you would come back, so we could apologize. We handled it wrongly, and we're sorry." The words tumbled out through Eva's tears, though she'd rehearsed them over and over for the day she might see her daughter again. As Eva's voice was drowned by her tears, Kastor finished for her.
"Can you forgive us?" He asked softly, the guilt he felt evident in his own voice. The day of the accident, they'd been so bitter. So scared. Turin had nearly died, Airarr could have been arrested, and Odin could have banished the whole family. Fear had been abundant, and only grown worse as Airarr's sentence of banishment had been announced. When they heard she had only three hours to gather her belongings and report to the palace, they'd packed her things into a bag and shoved it in her arms as she'd returned home. The anger in their faces was still fresh on Squeaky's mind as she stepped out of the hug, looking at her parents with tears in her eyes.
"I forgive you." She managed to say. "But can you forgive me? I should have been more careful, I should have paid more attention, I should-" Her father cut her off.
"We know, Airarr. We know you've probably relived that moment over and over," He added, watching her wince as he said it. "You forgive us, we forgive you. You can't change the past, but you've learned from it and moved on. We've done the same." He assured her, giving Squeaky another hug. "It's alright." The three hugged in silence for a full minute before finally letting go, all wiping away tears. From his spot in the corner, Turin was obviously confused.
"Who's that?" He asked, pointing at his older sister. Eva managed a smile, sniffling the last of her tears away. Turin had been three when Airarr had left, so it was unlikely that he remembered much about her.
"This is Airarr. She's your sister." Eva explained, leaving off the part about her being adopted. Her gaze saddened as she realized that Airarr needed to leave again, and soon. If one of Odin's crows had seen the girl's arrival, it would mean bad news for both her and her family. She wasn't even supposed to be in this realm, and how she'd gotten back in was a mystery to both Eva and Kastor. "You need to go." She said with sad reluctance. "If the guards find you, it brings danger to all of us." Squeaky shook her head, casting a quick glance out the window. She was confident that no one had seen her arrival; she'd been sure to portal-jump a good distance outside the city, and walk the rest of the way there.
"Not yet, I can't. I'm sorry, I just-" She hesitated, knowing the gnawing curiosity she felt could lead to dire consequences. "I just need some answers. Give me ten minutes, please." She begged, her eyes full of desperation. "Then I'll leave." Her tone made it evident that she was truly set on getting the information she wanted, and her parents exchanged another hesitant glance. Turin interjected suddenly.
"But why is she here?" He asked, ignoring the rest of the conversation that had passed, his dark eyes shining curiously. "I thought she was in trouble?" The young boy didn't know much about his sister, other than that she'd caused quite a stir among the royals. Squeaky frowned at this, and Kastor shook his head.
"We'll tell you later, Turin." He ruffled his son's dark hair, motioning to his toys. "Sit and play, we won't talk long." He said, watching as Turin slowly went back over to the rug. The man then pulled up another chair for Airarr, resuming his spot in his own seat. "Alright, ten minutes. What do you want to know?"
YOU ARE READING
Through the Realms
ActionSqueaky is a teen girl living in modern times. The catch? She travels worlds, and she's more than she looks to be. Much more.