A Mermaids Tail

20.Veðrfölnir

Alicia had fallen asleep clutching the red fur of the giant squirrel Ratatosk whom Fenrir had sent for. The rhythmic motion of his bounding through the darkness and the warmth of his body was enough to lull her after the exhaustion the information and task she'd been given caused her. The scene was much different to the cold, pitch black Alicia had seen before drifting off. Now her eyes were blinded by the glare of light and she felt the heat of it against her. Keeping her eyelids lightly shut she lay for a moment enjoying the sensations. When Ratatosks bounds began to slow and become less distant she sat herself upright and rubbed her eyes, looking around her for the first time.

Alicia's mouth dropped open in sheer awe and amazement of the sight that met her. They had climbed high into the very top branches of Yggdrasil itself, below them it was as if looking up into a clear night sky, stars and nebulae and planets swirled all about them, like dry leaves on an autumn wind swirling around the tree tirelessly. The tree itself seemed to rotate although considering the immensity of what she saw Alicia could not be certain of it. Mighty branches full of lush green leaves extended from Yggdrasil, and within the leaves of each one sprouted what at first Alicia thought to be flowers but as she looked more carefully she saw each was a sphere, a globe, one of the nine realms, and they rotated at varying slow speeds. Deer pranced along the branches and around the realms playfully, huge, powerful, majestic, pure white creatures of unquestionable beauty. They ascended further, up through the canopy of leaves at the top of Yggdrasil and emerged into a world of light. The sudden, incredible flash blinded Alicia again and she threw up a hand to shield her eyes, she had expected a dark star expanse and the brightness took her completely by surprise. The sound of huge beating wings could be heard and still shielding her eyes from the light Alicia squinted from beneath it to try and spot the source of the sound although she knew already whom it was, the beings she had been instructed to come to speak with, the hawk, Veðrfölnir, and the Unnamed Eagle.

Something landed not far from them and the gust that came from it was so strong Alicia had to grip to Ratatosk with all her might to avoid being blown away. A cool shade fell over her and she gazed up at the immense eagle that had spread it's incredible wingspan to shield her from the blinding light. Atop it's head, between it's eyes sat a hawk which in all respects was giant itself but paled in comparison to his counterpart.

"Daughter of Freya, you have finally resurfaced," called the hawk gently in regal tones in a voice that more was the wind than was carried by it, "All the realms reside in chaos, Loki brought about the death of the beloved Baldur and then escaped his imprisonment, only to try and further bring about Ragnarok, these are worrying times. However, things are not without hope."

"Great and wise Veðrfölnir," Alicia dismounted Ratatosk and curtsied, "I come to you to beg that we make a new deal, to nullify the one Loki schemed and tricked Narfi and myself into."

"And what terms would such a deal incorporate?" Alicia could hear the scepticism in his voice.

"We understand that we ask a great deal so we offer this, that Narfi become the first Fenrissin and be bonded with the Great Wolf, over his father and cease being Lokisin, and thus satisfying the hunger of Fenrir will be the task undertaken by our bloodline. Yet, I know this still seems uneven so let me continue. As I am Aesir blood, as by rights is Narfi, our descendants will not serve the forces of Hel at Ragnarok, they will serve as Einherjar after their death, Fenrir offers the greatest warriors he and Lokis army will ever see," she finished and waited anxiously, trying her hardest not to fidget from nerves before the mighty creatures.

"Wait here," and with a beat of wings and blazing flash of light the great birds left.