Ascension Chapter 22

    That evening when the whole household had retired to bed, Brenna in bed with Ren and Loki sprawled out on the bed in the spare bedroom, Eidra and Helgi had sat up by the fireplace as Eidra told her about Sally, Chris, Tir Na Nog, her five seasons on the island unaware of her past, and she held Eidra's hand as she cried for the time lost with Brenna. Helgi had reassured her that she would make up for it from now on, walked her to her bedroom, kissed her on the forehead and had joined Ren in her bed, cuddling up behind Brenna,  and had finally fallen into a restless sleep, her hand entwined in Brenna's hair.

             That next morning when Helgi and Brenna had set off for Asgard, Eidra had tried to maintain her composure until Loki lifted Brenna up to Helgi but when Helgi had bid them goodbye, entreating Brenna to wave as well, Eidra had turned her face to Loki's chest. Helgi could see her back shaking as she hid her tears against his tunic and she had quickly broken the horse into a trot.

           They had gone a little ways up the road from Rialo when Helgi ventured to talk to Brenna. "Did you have a nice visit with Ren?"
           Brenna nodded.
           "Oh, how did you like your new friends?"
            "I liked Eidra. She played with me."
             "What about Loki?"
             She shook her head, "He scares me."
             Helgi hugged her with one arm, the other hand on the reins, "Because you do not know him. Give him time."
             "When will we go back to Ren's house?"
             Helgi leaned over her and looked into her face, "Perhaps soon, why?"
              "Because I love Ren, and I want to play with Eidra again."
              Helgi smiled, "She is a nice lady."
              Brenna nodded again, "And she is pretty."
             "Like you," Helgi kissed the back of her head., "Just like you."

              Silas stood at attention in the Throne room. He would often watch Thor tend to the Allfather as he sat on the throne atop the dais. He would set his feet on a short hassock, refill his chalice with wine, sit in the smaller chair beside him and listen to him tell of long ago glories and past triumphs. This on a normal day but today had turned out to be anything else save normal. When Thor had returned from his travels, he had dismissed the guards and attendants. Silas had stood outside the door listening to him arguing piteously with Odin for the better part of the morning though he could not make out the words, the shouting was clear as day. He had swung the doors wide in his exit, barely missing Silas and Vanir who stepped aside, letting the doors bang against the marble walls.
           Now Silas watched Helgi approach the steps to the dais while Thor and Odin stared down on her. He had seen her enter the Throne room and had given her a slight nod which she'd returned. She bowed low to Thor and Odin, "Your Majesty, I have a letter of correspondence for you."
            Odin waved his hand for her to approach him and she climbed the steps to the dais, Thor meeting her halfway and taking the letter from her.
             She stood there, waiting to be dismissed, preferring to be far away when Thor read the letter but it was not to be as he unfolded the letter before her and started to read it to himself. She could see his face getting redder, folding in on itself as he began to bare his teeth in a snarl until suddenly he whirled on her, "Where did you get this letter, crone?"
              She had thought up a lie before she had reached the throne room and she employed it now, "A courier boy delivered it to me in the kitchen, he said he did not know where to go."
             "Where was he from?" Thor roared.
              "I did not ask, Milord."
               Thor made another step towards her but Odin's sharp voice brought him up short. "Bring the letter to me!"
              "He cannot do this, father!" Thor cried as Odin began to read.
                Thor's hand slapped his open palm as Helgi ventured a glance over at Silas.
               "He cannot renounce his title!"
               Odin held up a trembling hand, "Hush boy. Let me read."
                Thor started to pace the dais, his cloak swirling around his legs anger in his eyes , clouded by something far deeper, anguish.
                Odin at last folded the letter and looked at it as if it were a foreign object.
               "You see, father, you see now? He has brought that wench back from the dead, and now she compels him to leave the bosom of his family for the life of a peasant! It is deplorable. I must find where he hides, he has no right to do this."
               Odin had a hand to his temple, "In fact, he has every right."
               Thor stopped his pacing so quickly he nearly tripped over his cloak, "What say you?"
               Odin stood from the throne, his hands shaking with the effort made to push him upright. "It is his right to give up his title just as it would be yours." Odin's eyes grew misty, "Perhaps he has found that there is something far greater than the power to rule the kingdom."
               Thor sneered, "And what greater power would outshine the right to claim the throne and be king, what higher power is there?"
                Odin glanced at Frigga's smaller throne beside his, "Love, my son."
                "Baahhh!" Thor spat, "Corporeal, fleeting is love, only to be replaced with churlishness, boredom, ennui. Better to rescue him early from it."
                 "You would expect him to return gratefully? He causes no trouble any longer. He has served his time. So long as he remains quiet and content, I see no reason why we should force title upon him."
                  "I will find him and speak with him!" Thor started down the steps towards Helgi who instinctively backed up. "Make him see reason."
                   Odin's spear, Gungnir rang throughout the hall as he banged it hard on the marble floor. "No! You shall do no such thing!" He roared, "You have pestered your brother endlessly. You think you do it out of love but all I see is jealousy and the need to control, childish needs. Leave him be. I forbid you to seek him out."
                  "You are wrong, father!" Thor cried, turning back to him, "Love is foremost on my mind, I beg you please let me try to convince him of the error of his ways, it...."
                   "NO!, the matter is closed and my decision is final. Do not risk my wrath with your disobedience." Odin sat back abruptly into the throne so that Thor was halfway up the steps, expecting him to topple over. "I grow weary, walk with me to my chambers. You will hold audience today, my strength is all but used up."
                   Silas and Helgi cast glances at each other yet again as they watched Thor struggle with himself for a long moment then continue back up the steps to take Odin's arm, "Yes father."
                  
                   Silas trotted up to Helgi as she shuffled down the corridor towards the staff kitchens. Helgi looked up at him as he took her arm, "Is it true?"
                  Helgi regarded him curiously, "Is what true? Has Loki renounced his title? Yes."
                  "No, is it true that Eidra lives yet again?"
                  Helgi smiled then, "It is true, my boy. I know not how, such power is lost on me, but she lives."
                  He could scarce breath, "Where? Where is she?"
                  "She is at the home of Ren, the weaver in the village of Rialo with Loki."
                  He nodded, looked to the throne room, then back at Helgi. "Thank you."
                  She patted his hand, "Thank Loki."
                  
                Ingrid held Gunnar in her arms as he suckled at her breast, her whole body shaking, "You ask me to travel to see a spirit?"
                Silas knelt before Ingrid, "I do no such thing, Eidra lives. Helgi told me. I trust her every word. Please come with me to Rialo."
                Ingrid stroked Gunnar's soft hair, "I would follow you to Hel and back, Silas." She closed her eyes, felt Silas's strong hand at her cheek. "Very well, when?"
                 "In the morrow."
                  
                  Helgi looked about the room she'd occupied for the last  fifty-five seasons of her life, she had lived nowhere else since she was but ten. Now she stood looking at the two packs at her feet. One containing her worldly possessions, the other Brenna's. Brenna sat on her cot, looking about the room with red swollen eyes and Helgi sat down beside her. "Come child, it was time old Helgi retired and what better place to do so than in Rialo with Ren? You can play with Silvan and Moran every day and we shall make our home there."
               Brenna sniffed, nodded. "I will miss Artra and Volsa...and the palace."
               Helgi sighed, "It is for the best. Here, you may only ever be a servant. Out in the world, you may be a weaver like Ren, or a potter like Maolo here in the palace, maybe even a midwife or a seamstress."
              Brenna looked up at Helgi, "Or a physician like Clotho, maybe a mage?"
              Helgi hugged her tightly, "Let us not get ahead of ourselves. Are you ready to go?"
              Brenna nodded, looked about the room and nodded again. "I am."
              Helgi shouldered both packs and jerked her head in the direction of the door, "Then to the stables."

              Silas started as Helgi tapped him on the shoulder and Ingrid, already on her horse with Gunnar in a sling, giggled at him. "I wondered if I would find you ready to travel today. Might as well ride with us."
              Silas helped Helgi onto the horse and lifted Brenna to her, "I must see for myself. Would you not do the same?"
              Helgi patted his head, amazed at how tall he'd grown. "I would, let us go, we should make Rialo by midday."

              Eidra was pouring tea for herself and Ren. Loki had gone to the woodshed to gather more firewood when they heard the pounding of hoofbeats in the dooryard. Ren jumped up and opened the door to see Helgi and Brenna smiling at them. Eidra appeared in the doorway and passed around Ren to reach Helgi and Brenna, halting her forward motion when she saw a tall man in the dress of a royal guard ride up behind them. She stepped back, ready to run should he approach her until he smiled and dismounted the horse. "Silas?" Eidra whispered, "SILAS?!"
        She ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek, "Oh Silas, the gods wept! I so hoped I would see you again. You have grown into a fine man."
         Silas could not keep the tears from his eyes as he broke the embrace and took her hands in his, "I wish you to meet my wife, Ingrid." She looked behind him to see another horse, a lovely red-headed woman astride it with a baby before her. "And my son, Gunnar."
         Silas took the baby from Ingrid and she dismounted, curtsied to Eidra, "Milady."
          Eidra took Ingrid by the shoulders and kissed her on each cheek, "I am far from a lady. I remember you as a young girl, and now you are a beautiful woman."
           Loki rounded the corner of the cottage to see them all standing there and he sat the firewood down.
          "Loki, come, Silas and his family are here."
           As Loki approached, Ingrid shrank back a little and bowed deeply, "Milord,"
           Loki took her hand and bussed it lightly, "Milady, Ingrid is it?"
           "Yes, Milord."
            He turned to Silas who still held Gunnar at his hip, "And this is the new baby, a son?"
           "Yes, sire. His name is Gunnar." The baby kicked and smiled at the sound of his name.
           He patted Silas's shoulder heartily and turned to Helgi, "Welcome home?"
           "Indeed, Milord. Now to build a home to welcome us to."
            Loki smiled down at Brenna who hesitated, then slowly returned the smile as he threw his arms wide to herd them all into the cottage, "I shall deliver upon that in short time, for now, let us get inside out of the cold."
           As the party filed into the cottage, Loki halted Eidra and caught her mouth in a kiss that sent her hips against his. "Now it begins for us."
           Eidra grinned against his lips, locked eyes with him, "Forever."