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Everything was still and calm in the wake of dawn, as most the residents of Asgard’s Palace slept soundly. The few sounds to be heard were those of the guards pacing in the courtyards, the snapping of wood in the fireplaces and torches, and seldom a voice or another, presumably of those who had not slept through the night at all.
Yet Asgard’s King had slept soundly indeed. His days of staying awake through the night, whether reading or spending quality time with his lover, who was now his wife, had ended abruptly a few years back. Currently, every moment of peaceful sleep was as a divine gift, because there was no way of knowing when he would be woken abrupt-...
“Mother! Father!”
The exclamations of the young boy were accompanied by the loud creaking of the door as it swung open. It rebounded against the wall loudly, for Ullr had pushed it open with more strength than he realized. He jumped back, startled by the sound despite he had been the one to cause it, noticing only then that his parents had still been abed.
“Mother? Father?” he said, approaching Sif’s side of the bed promptly, biting his lower lip guiltily as he realized he had woken them unintentionally and violently.
Sif groaned, rubbing her face with a hand as she tried to make sense out of what was happening. Next to her, Loki curled around a smaller figure that had laid between them, who had woken up as well after Ullr’s sudden intrusion. Yet it seemed the little girl in Loki’s arms, his daughter, was quicker to recharge energies for the day than either of her parents could be. So she sat up, prompting Loki to complain as well when he felt her move suddenly.
“Ullr? Why did you wake us?” she asked, surprised to find her brother in their parents’ room. She was the one who always snuck inside at night, slipping through the covers so she could rest right between her mother and father.
“It’s… it’s hunting day, Einmyria,” he said, biting his lip and looking at Sif expectantly. Asgard’s Queen had opened her eyes lazily, but she looked at her son with recognition and acknowledgement all the same.
“Right. Right. It’s hunting day,” she said, sitting up as Einmyria looked up at her in confusion.
“Hunting day? Who is hunting, mommy?” she asked, as Sif smiled at Ullr. “What are we doing today?”
“I’m afraid it’s your brother’s first hunting trip, dear,” she said, leaning down to kiss her daughter’s forehead. “And we must prepare for it.”
“Me too?” she asked, smiling brightly, as Loki sat up as well, groaning and brushing his bed hair with his fingers.
“I’m afraid not, darling,” he said, and Einmyria pouted. “You’re still too young. You will stay here for today, with your uncles.”
“But… But I want to go with Ullr!” she exclaimed, and Loki smiled.
“The next time we go hunting, perhaps,” he said, kissing her brow as well. “For now, we’ll make sure to bring you a present from the trip.”
That promise seemed to appeal to the child, despite she still didn’t want to stay behind in the Palace. Surprise gifts had always excited her and Loki knew as much.
“A gift? What gift?” she asked, and Loki smiled.
“I suppose you’ll find out when we come home, won’t you?” he said, as Ullr looked at his mother expectantly.
“So, I… I’m all set to go now,” he said, and Sif smiled.
“So I see, child,” she said, looking at his hunting garb approvingly. “Give us a minute, dear. We’ll be ready to go in no time.”
Ullr smiled and nodded, and he left the room to give his parents privacy. To Loki and Sif’s relief, Einmyria followed him excitedly, asking him all sorts of questions as to why he was going hunting and why she wasn’t allowed to go yet. When they closed the door behind them, Sif glanced at her husband to find his eyes were still clouded with drowsiness. She smiled and leaned close to kiss him. He groaned as their lips touched, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Morning, my King,” said Sif, teasingly, and he smiled.
“And to you, my Queen. Are you sure about this hunting trip, then?” he asked “Don’t you think it might be a little too soon…?”
“I think it’s the right moment,” she said, smiling as she slipped out of bed. “Ullr is a precocious boy, you know so yourself, and as talented an archer as we’ve ever seen. And how often will we both have the opportunity to take him on a hunting trip? We shouldn’t delay it any further, love.”
“I suppose not,” said Loki, sighing and nodding. Undeniably, Ullr’s skills with the bow and arrow were top-notch. Loki himself had been praised for his skills in his youth, but he found Ullr had outdone his abilities in a small fraction of the time he had taken to polish them into their current state. He couldn’t help but think his son was growing up far too fast for his liking…
There were matters to tend to before setting out on their journey, though. As Sif took care of the children, Loki made his way to the chambers his brother had taken office in for his short time as Interim King of Asgard. To his surprise, Thor was already awake and looking through some documents, Mjöllnir sitting beside him on a stool.
“I don’t understand how you bear with all this paperwork,” he said, smiling at Loki as the Trickster approached him. “No wonder you were certain I would make a lousy king.”
“Well, you will be king for a day, so you had best not be lousy at the job for today,” said Loki, and Thor nodded. “Are you certain you can handle the task?”
“It will be fine, Loki, I promise. Ullr needs his first hunting trip quite direly,” said Thor, smiling at his brother before standing up from his desk and clapping Loki’s shoulder. “Good luck today.”
“Thank you,” said Loki, smiling a little as well. The improvement of their relationship had taken time, but the two of them were on great terms by now, perhaps better than ever. Loki would never admit it, but a lot of his resentment towards his brother had disappeared once Asgard had accepted his marriage to Sif without claiming, as Odin often had, that Sif belonged with Thor instead.
“Jane will be here by the afternoon as well,” said Thor. “So if you feared I would be lonely, never fret!”
“Oh, I do not worry for your lack of company or entertainment, I only worry for my Realm,” said Loki, smirking. Yes, Jane’s presence had helped appease his uncertainties as well. While she still didn’t seem all that forgiving, and he definitely thrived in teasing the Midgardian woman, he was still relieved his brother had found a stable and faithful relationship with her. “I shall see you at night, then.”
Loki took his leave from Thor and reunited with his family at the Palace entrance. Three horses awaited there, though one of them was noticeably smaller, Ullr’s pony. Sif was currently speaking with the Warriors Three, who were tasked with watching over Einmyria for the day. Ullr was there also, a handsome young prince with his fur cloak and his black hair neatly brushed. He carried his bow and quiver on his back, and his sister seemed to be asking him, for the umpteenth time, if she couldn’t come along as well.
“I will be good, I promise!” she said, grabbing his hand and looking at her brother hopelessly. “Please, Ullr?”
“Mother and Father said you had to stay,” said Ullr, biting his lip. “You will come with me one day, when you learn how to hunt.”
“And when will I learn how to hunt? Mommy, mommy!” she asked. “I want to learn to hunt!”
“My, my, wait a couple of years, dear,” said Sif, smiling and caressing her soft curls as Einmyria pulled on Sif’s cloak.
“But I don’t want to wait, mommy!” she cried out, as the Warriors Three chuckled.
“Maybe we ought to teach the princess the basics of hunting and fighting, or else she won’t stop making her demands through the entire day,” said Fandral, chuckling.
His suggestion, brought up just as a joke, made Einmyria’s eyes glow. Volstagg groaned, knowing Fandral had made a dire mistake, and Hogun shook his head slowly.
“Would you teach me, Uncle Fandral?” she asked, beaming. “Uncle Fandral, please!”
“Oh, dear, here we go,” said Sif, a hand on her face as Loki finally reached them.
“As wise as per usual, Valiant Fandral,” he said, sarcastically, as Einmyria looked at him brightly now. “I do hope there’s still a Palace left by the time Einmyria has learned ‘the basics’.”
Both Volstagg and Hogun glared at the blond warrior, who smiled guiltily as Loki hugged his daughter and bade her farewell for the time being. Einmyria pouted; despite she was eager to learn whatever her uncles meant to teach her, she still would miss her family terribly.
“We will be back by nightfall, for certain,” Loki told her, kissing her brow. “Be a good girl until then.”
“I’ll try,” Einmyria said, and Loki chuckled. She probably had no intentions to abide by his request, but knowing she would make at least a small effort was good enough for her father.
Sif hugged Einmyria as well, and the girl jumped into her brother’s arms before they climbed on their horses. Ullr waved at his little sister one more time before they took the reins of their horses and guided them out of the Palace in a gentle trot, side by side. Einmyria sighed as she watched them leave, already waiting for them to return home.
But Ullr, on the other hand, was thriving with excitement. He held the reins of his pony, keeping up with his parents with ease, but often he would spur the pony to move a little faster, to Loki and Sif’s amusement. Ullr wasn’t one to show such enthusiasm over any developments, so his parents were rather determined to enjoy the sight of their cheerful son for as long as it lasted.
They left the horses in a stable at the edge of the forest, and soon the three of them had set out into the forest on foot. Ullr held onto his mother’s hand as Loki took the lead, and Sif reminded Ullr of all the advice she had already given him regarding how to hunt. Ullr listened intently, a smile on his face as he nodded at everything his mother said. Loki smiled as he hiked through the forest, listening to their conversation as he cleared the way through the thick wilderness.
“It would be better if I start small?” Ullr asked Sif. “With a rabbit, maybe?”
“Indeed, though they are very quick. Don’t get frustrated if it gets away,” said Sif, smiling and caressing his hair as Loki stopped in a clearing.
“Well, I think we’re ready to begin,” he said, turning to look at his wife and son. “How are you feeling, Ullr?”
“I… I am happy,” Ullr answered earnestly, a mild blush on his cheeks. Sif and Loki laughed softly.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” said Sif, leaning down and kissing the top of his head.
“Should I scout and see if I can find anything?” Ullr asked, looking at her eagerly.
“Why, of course you may, but let us know if you find a target,” said Sif, and Ullr nodded before taking his bow from the quiver, readying himself in case anything to hunt showed up right away.
Loki smiled as Ullr began scanning their surroundings for prey. Sif sighed, watching him before turning to Loki with a concerned gaze.
“You think he’ll be fine?” she asked softly, once Ullr was at a short distance from his parents, but far enough to be out of earshot thanks to the forest’s noises. Loki raised an eyebrow.
“I had never expected the day to come when you’d doubt our son’s abilities,” he said, and Sif shook her head.
“What worries me isn’t his talent, it’s his heart instead,” said Sif, with a small smile. “You know he’s quite sensitive to animals, so I’m not certain if hunting will suit him well. It might horrify him once we make the first catch…”
“Well, we’ll see about that,” said Loki, understanding of Sif’s woes now. “I suspect he’ll have a stronger stomach than we believe, though. Still… is that the only thing on your mind, my queen?”
Sif took a deep breath, and released it with a soft laugh as she shook her head. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingertips, looking at Loki furtively.
“I’m just wondering what sort of chaos our daughter might be unleashing upon Asgard by now,” she said, and Loki smirked.
“Well, that is, if she didn’t convince Heimdall to let her through the Bifrost so she could spread chaos into other realms also,” he said, and Sif slapped his shoulder.
“Not funny,” she said, despite she was smiling. “I do wish we could have brought her along, but…”
“She is too young,” said Loki, and Sif chuckled.
“And most unsuited for the task of hunting,” she said, smiling. “I can only imagine how much noise she’d make while we search for prey…”
“Successfully scaring all animals away just with her chit-chat,” said Loki, grinning. “No doubt she’d enjoy herself, though, by hiking with us. In that sense, it is a pity that she had to stay…”
“It will be her turn one day,” said Sif. “By then, the woods had better be prepared for a little mischievous girl wreaking havoc wherever she goes…”
“If nothing else, the experience should be lots of...” Loki was saying, but his words were lost in thought when they heard the unequivocal sound of a snapping bowstring.
Both Loki and Sif’s eyes widened before they turned towards Ullr. They heard the heavy sound of something collapsing on the ground a second later, along with the ruffling of feathers.
Ullr bit his lower lip and stepped towards the large partridge that lay on the ground, one of his arrows sticking out of its chest. He glanced at his parents over his shoulder, holding his bow nervously as his long bangs fell over his eyes, as though shielding him from the scolding he expected to receive.
“Ullr?” said Sif, almost breathlessly as she stared at the bird on the ground. Ullr bit his lip harder yet.
“I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I’d found a prey, Mother,” he said, his voice small. “But if I’d talked, it might have gotten away…”
“You actually caught it,” said Loki, stepping towards the creature in utter awe. He stretched a hand towards it, finishing it off quickly with magic, as to make certain it wouldn’t shudder as most prey was known to do after they were killed. “You… on your first try, such a big creature…”
“I did hit it,” said Ullr, looking at Loki with insecure eyes. “Are you mad I didn’t say anything…?”
“Mad?” said Loki, turning to smile at his son. Ullr was surprised by his reaction, but more so when Sif’s arms surrounded him from behind. “This is remarkable, Ullr!”
“You are such a natural archer, it’s unbelievable,” said Sif, laughing softly as she held her son and kissing his cheek. Ullr blushed, but now he was smiling too. “Nobody ever catches their first prey on the very first attempt, Ullr!”
“No? Not even Father?” Ullr asked, looking at Loki in surprise. Loki chuckled and shook his head. The revelation was astonishing for the young boy, who had always held his father in the highest regards. “Really? B-but you… you are my master in archery, Father!”
“Then it would seem I have the most talented student anyone has ever had,” said Loki, grinning as he picked up the partridge and approached his son and wife. He stretched his free hand to pat Ullr’s head, and his eyes brightened at his father’s gesture. “But then again, you have always been extraordinary, Ullr.”
“I have?” he asked, and Sif laughed again, squeezing him tighter.
“Of course, love” she said, with another kiss before releasing Ullr and gazing at him with pride.
“Here I thought we’d have to explain a few things, to tell him all about the patience of a hunter…” said Loki, releasing a deep breath and smiling at Ullr. “Now I’m wondering if perhaps Ullr ought to give us hunting lessons instead, Sif.”
Sif laughed again, and to their delight, Ullr joined in with his usual shy laughter. His cheeks were flushed with pride, and now he held his bow between his small hands eagerly, no longer uneasy about the mistake he had thought he’d made.
“Well, then, shall we try find more prey?” Loki suggested, and Ullr nodded eagerly. Sif smiled and caressed her son’s hair. Nothing was as blissful as seeing Ullr as enthusiastic and happy as he was now.
They continued to hike through the woods, with Ullr at the helm of the group, carrying his small bow proudly and keeping an eye out for any creatures to hunt. He was determined to continue making his parents proud of him throughout this hunting trip, and given that he took down his second prey in a matter of minutes, it seemed he would succeed at that…
A large smile decorated Fandral’s face as he watched the tiny girl with wild, black curls holding her wooden sword tightly. She was clad in a light, leather armor that had miraculously fit around her, despite it was a little large in some areas. She wore it proudly regardless, an eager smile on her face as she readied herself to fight her Uncle Volstagg.
“Very well, are we ready, young Princess?” Volstagg asked, holding a wooden sword of his own. Einmyria looked at him with determination and nodded.
“This is bound to end badly,” Hogun said, and Fandral chuckled.
“Well, if that’s the case at least we should have a few laughs,” he said, smirking. “My bet is on Einmyria, if I must be honest.”
“So is mine. That’s the problem,” said Hogun, but even then, Fandral noticed a slight twitch on the corner of his mouth: the promise of a smile, quite the rare sight on Hogun’s face.
“My, my. Have you had a leave of your senses, my friends?”
Both Fandral and Hogun turned to find Thor walking through the training grounds towards them, a confused smile on his face. He gestured at the little girl, who was hearing Volstagg’s instructions with that trademark expression on her face that indicated she actually was paying no attention to the man’s teachings. Thor couldn’t help but smile and raise an eyebrow as he regarded his friends.
“Whose was the grand idea to give my niece a weapon?” he asked, and Fandral smiled guiltily. “Oh. I should have known.”
“Now, Thor, at least we’ve succeeded at keeping her busy with something,” said Fandral. “If left to her own devices, she could have caused far more trouble than you could have handled, King-For-A-Day.”
“Do you distrust my ability to rule so much, Fandral?” Thor asked, smiling inquisitively. Fandral shook his head.
“It isn’t your abilities that have made me distrustful, but rather, Einmyria’s knack for getting into trouble under the most random circumstances. She is too much of a troublemaker.”
“Takes after her father in regards of mischief,” said Thor, smiling. “And after her mother in most everything else.”
“A truly fearsome combination, no matter how you look at it,” said Fandral, grimacing.
His words were proven true just then and there, when Volstagg lifted his weapon and held it on the same level as Einmyria’s.
“Come now, start with parrying my sword first, Einmyria,” he said, trying to smile encouragingly. “And… parry!”
Einmyria rejected Volstagg’s sword effectively, to everyone’s approval… but then she tossed her wooden sword hard at his left foot.
Volstagg roared in pain, dropping his sword as he started hopping in a single leg. He clasped his swelling toes with one hand as he hopped, and Einmyria covered her mouth with her hands as she watched him struggle in his pain, a mix of guilt and amusement in her eyes.
“And so we win,” said Fandral, sighing as Hogun chuckled. Thor snorted and walked towards his niece, whose amusement only seemed to increase as Volstagg cursed in all ways he knew how, having forgotten completely that he was in the presence of an infant.
“My friend, please hold your tongue,” Thor said, clasping Volstagg’s shoulders with his hands and stopping him as he skipped hopelessly. Volstagg looked back at him with tears blinking in the corner of his eyes.
“Disarmed by a three-year-old little girl, weren’t you, Voluminous Volstagg?” Fandral cried out, and Volstagg scowled at him. “And you dare call yourself one of Asgard’s finest!”
“Why, you loud-mouthed fool…!” Volstagg exclaimed, waving a fist at his blond friend. “You should know better than to underestimate the power of THIS three-year-old little girl!”
“Aye, I’m afraid you’re not wrong about that,” said Thor, smiling at Einmyria, who was giggling with delight, amused by all the cursing Volstagg had done instants earlier. “It does seem she is more dangerous than any of our warriors…”
“I hit Uncle Volstagg’s foot!” she exclaimed, with a broad grin. “I won the fight, Uncle Troll!”
“No doubt you did,” said Thor, with a defeated smile. She had always taken to calling him Uncle Troll, and he was starting to lose hope that she would ever stop doing it. “Your mother will beam with pride when she hears of your grand feat.”
“Mommy will…!” said Einmyria, grinning, but her face fell brief moments later, and instead she bit her lip, with a sad frown. “Mommy is hunting, Uncle Troll.”
The Warriors Three gave Thor a meaningful look, to his surprise. It seemed they had a clear understanding as to which topics to breach around the child, and reminding her of the absence of her parents had not been a good idea on Thor’s part. He grimaced guiltily upon noticing his mistake.
“O-oh, that she is,” said Thor, with uncertainty. “Uh… oh, Einmyria, you’re not going to cry about it, now, are you? Your mother and father will return soon, with Ullr! And they’ll see the lovely bruise you’ve left on Volstagg’s foot…!”
“Lovely?!” Volstagg repeated, indignant. Thor ignored him.
“And they will be so very proud of you, I’m sure!” he said, kneeling down before the child, who was pouting now. These quick mood changes were one of Einmyria’s most remarkable abilities. “Now, Einmyria…”
“I wanted to go too, Uncle Troll…” she said, looking at him with sad eyes. Thor sighed, but he frowned with determination now.
“Well, then, we’ll go someplace as well. Just you and me, Einmyria,” he said, smiling encouragingly now.
“We’ll go?” Einmyria asked, her eyes brightening a little now. “Where are we going?”
“We are going for a flight,” said Thor, grinning as he scooped her up in his arms.
The last word was all it took for Einmyria’s mood to improve drastically once more. She smiled broadly and Thor chuckled as she started clapping while he held her.
“We fly, Uncle Troll!” she said, excitedly, as Thor pulled Mjöllnir from its place on his belt. “Fly, fly, fly!”
“Uh, are you certain this is a wise idea, Thor?” Fandral said, uneasily, as Thor laughed heartily and lifted Mjöllnir.
“I’m certain it is the right idea, my friend! We shall be back soon!” he declared, and with a surge of magical energy, the god of lightning rose through the skies with a giggling and squealing girl in his arms.
Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg watched them go, their eyes wide, their concern building. This was unlikely to end well, despite Thor’s great idea would help them avoid having a crying Einmyria in their midst. Still, Loki had never been fond of Thor’s flights with Einmyria, and if he heard of what Thor’s grand idea to appease her had been, he was certain lose his cool, as he often did whenever Thor did something he deemed stupid.
“This was all his doing, though,” said Fandral, gulping. “My idea was far more harmless.”
“To think he called you reckless,” said Hogun, sighing. “He will know how to deal with the consequences, though. Angering Loki has always been one of Thor’s favorite activities.”
The sound of footsteps behind them alerted them once more as they watched Thor and Einmyria disappearing from sight. They turned to see who was the new arrival, and all were startled to find a young woman with long brown hair, holding a few bags in her hands and with a confused expression on her face.
“Uh…so what did Thor do now to anger Loki?” Jane asked, as Fandral grinned and bowed to her elegantly.
“He merely took his niece for a flight, is all,” said Fandral. “But I must say, I did not expect to see you today, Lady Jane Foster!”
Jane smiled and shook her head. The idea of being regarded as a lady of the court or so was still rather strange for her, despite it had happened quite frequently ever since she first arrived to Asgard.
“No need for that,” she said, looking around herself as she bit her lower lip. “Heimdall just brought me to Asgard a moment ago, and I hoped to find Thor… but I guess he’s too busy at the moment, huh?”
“He won’t be long, I hope,” said Fandral, smiling. “Even he can’t have as much patience as to hold Einmyria for too long when she’s screaming of excitement as she just was…”
“I wouldn’t know if it’s a matter of patience. I fear he’s so happy to be in her good graces that he wouldn’t care if he goes deaf because of it,” said Hogun, raising his eyebrows. Fandral laughed again. Volstagg only groaned as he removed his boot to rub his sore toes. Next to him, Fandral grimaced and waved a hand with disgust.
“Are you attempting to murder us through the stench of your feet, Volstagg?” he asked, a smirk on his lips. Volstagg glowered at him and shook his head, still rubbing the reddened toes. It really should have come as no surprise that Einmyria would defeat him that easily, but he didn’t expect it to hurt so badly.
It was still five more minutes before Thor and Einmyria returned, and to no one’s surprise, the girl was still giggling happily once they landed. The two of them were in quite good moods, and Einmyria’s hair was very messy after the flight, but their eyes brightened noticeably upon noticing there was someone else in the training grounds now…
“Jane! I thought you’d arrive in a few hours!” said Thor, beaming as Einmyria ran towards the woman.
“Auntie Jane!” she exclaimed, stretching her arms out to hug Jane. The astrophysicist smiled and complied, giving the little girl a tight hug before being swept into another embrace by Thor.
Einmyria blushed and covered her eyes when Thor leaned down to kiss Jane quite passionately. Fandral chuckled and Hogun rolled his eyes at the display of affection. Volstagg was still too busy with his aching foot to pay them any attention.
“Uncle Troll!” Einmyria squealed when they finally parted, Jane breathing heavily after the long kiss. Thor chuckled and mussed Einmyria’s already disorderly curls.
“Sorry about that, little one,” he said, as Einmyria giggled more.
“I do hope you find some restraint once in a while, Thor. Your girl is mortal after all,” said Fandral, smirking and Jane rolled her eyes.
“You wouldn’t say the same if you could see the way Jane behaves when…” Thor started, with a smile, but he was quick to shut up upon noticing his niece’s interested stare.
“When what, Uncle Troll?” she asked, innocently. Thor tried not to blush but failed to do so.
“When we… argue,” he said, knowing he wasn’t half a good a liar as his brother. “She always has her way when it comes to that.”
“Like mommy does with daddy!” said Einmyria, happily, before giggling and smiling mischievously. Fortunately for Thor, his niece was still young enough to believe his excuses without second-guessing them.
“Yes. Just like your mommy,” said Thor, with an awkward smile. Jane chuckled as she knelt before Einmyria, handing her one of the bags she had brought with her.
“This is for you, little princess,” she said, kissing Einmyria’s brow as the little girl grabbed the present with a wide smile.
“Thank you!” she exclaimed, and Jane chuckled. It was quite interesting to see that children who had every reason and excuse to be bratty, as Ullr and Einmyria were, had turned out loving and grateful instead.
Einmyria’s gratefulness only grew when she opened the bag to find a white t-shirt, with the picture of a pink pony with a mane and tail of cobalt blue emblazoned on it. The child was overjoyed, her eyes gleaming as she smiled broadly and jumped into Jane’s arms again.
“It’s Firefly! Auntie Jane, thank you!” she said, hugging her tight as Jane laughed and hugged her back.
“Anything for you, my dear,” said Jane, grinning as Einmyria pulled away and removed her leather armor promptly in order to wear her new shirt over all her other clothes. Jane giggled as they watched her, her messy hair popping out through the neck of the shirt before anything else did, and she still smiled broadly as she clad herself in her new clothes.
“Look, look, Uncle Fandral!” she said, running towards him and pointing at her shirt. “It’s Firefly!”
The child continued to talk about her favorite pony to her uncle, who could only smile and nod, and assure her that her parents would certainly find a pink-and-blue pony for her once she grew old enough to ride. Even Hogun had to smile at the sight of the cheerful little girl.
“So…” said Thor, leaning towards Jane as he hugged her from behind. “Still don’t want to have one of our own?”
“I’m still considering it,” said Jane, smiling. There was no denying that Ullr and Einmyria had warmed her to the idea of parenthood, but she wasn’t quite ready for it yet.
“Fine, fine. We will wait for as long as you wish to,” he said, kissing her cheek. Jane laughed softly.
“When do you expect the hunters to return?” she asked. “I have come bearing gifts for the little prince as well.”
“Surely in a few hours. They have to take their time,” said Thor. “Ullr is quite the talented archer, but everyone has trouble during their first hunt…”
Ullr beamed as the deer collapsed heavily on the ground, his arrow piercing through its chest. The young prince’s heart flared with pride. His father only just told him that it had taken him several years to slay deer for the first time, but he had given Ullr leave to chase after the deer he had spotted on a mountaintop. He had been certain it would be a good challenge, if nothing else.
The three of them had taken care to hunt the creature together. Sif and Loki had helped Ullr in cornering it, but it was Ullr’s arrow, ultimately, that had taken down the majestic animal. His parents couldn’t have been prouder as they approached the prey. Loki used his spells to soothe the creature in death, and Sif smiled broadly at Ullr, who held his bow tightly in his hands.
“You must be the most fearsome hunter in the Nine Realms,” said Sif, laughing a little before leaning down to kiss Ullr’s brow. His smile could have lit up the forest all on its own.
“Thanks, Mother,” he said, blushing a little. Sif brushed his hair away from his face with a hand.
“Well, it barely seems to fit…” Loki said, as he lifted the deer’s corpse through magic and forced it into a bag he had brought along in case they captured more creatures than expected. He had resorted to his magic to create a larger dimension within the bag to store the creatures, and even so, this last deer had barely fit inside the bag. “But I think we can carry our haul regardless.”
Ullr giggled and Sif caressed his hair as Loki made a case of lifting the bag quite dramatically. The three of them knew he had lightened the weight of the bag through magic, but Loki was given to such acts whenever he could get away with them. He winked at Ullr and caused his son to laugh as the three of them started on their way back to the clearing they had stopped at upon their arrival.
Loki and Sif got lunch ready as Ullr paced through the clearing, gazing around himself with curiosity and picking up small rocks, studying them closely. Sif smiled as she watched him over their roasting lunch of quail.
“I do hope you don’t mean to carry on hunting, Ullr,” she said, and Ullr smiled and shook his head, but he didn’t explain his behavior as he continued to scour their surroundings.
“He’s truly remarkable,” said Loki, smiling also as he turned the quail above the fire. “Our talented little prince has caught almost fifteen different animals on his first hunting trip.”
“He takes after his father in so many ways,” said Sif, smiling. “I remember you were the most skilled archer amongst the six of us.”
“He long surpasses my skills, though,” said Loki. “I can’t recall taking down a deer until I was fully grown.”
“Perhaps the new generations surpass the ones that came before, then,” said Sif, and Loki shrugged but smiled.
“That just might be it,” he said, watching Ullr again with a glint of pride in his eyes.
Sif sighed and leaned towards Loki, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her with interest, smiling a little as she huddled closer to him.
“You seem to be quite pleased, my Lady,” he said, caressing her hair gently. Sif chuckled.
“I’m merely amazed by our child, as I am quite often,” she said, reaching to touch his forearm. “When I see Ullr like this I get this very reckless urge to…”
“To what?” said Loki, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. Sif laughed softly and looked at him with a mischievous smile.
“To have another child, that’s what,” she said, and Loki’s eyes widened with panic. Sif laughed.
“You don’t mean… Sif!” he said, and she continued to laugh, turning her face into his shoulder as she did. “After Einmyria I was certain you wouldn’t consider another one… we have enough trouble trying to keep her in check as it is, don’t you believe?”
“It would help if you learned to be a little more authoritarian with her from time to time,” said Sif, smiling. “For a man who enjoys control so much, you are very quick to give your daughter her way in absolutely every regard.”
“I just…” said Loki, and Sif chuckled.
“I know, you’re too sweet a father to know how to say ‘no’ to either of them,” she told him, kissing his cheek. “You ought to learn, but I do find it endearing so far. One of these days I might change my mind… but it’s not today, fortunately for you.”
“I am fortunate indeed that it is so,” said Loki, with a crooked grin before leaning down to kiss her lips. Sif hummed into the kiss, but their enjoyable moment together was interrupted, unsurprisingly, by a disgusted groan.
“M-Mother…” Ullr said, looking at them with irritation, but his cheeks were slightly flushed. Loki pulled away from Sif, a guilty smile on his face.
“Sorry, Ullr, sorry,” said Sif, smiling at him. “No more kissing unless it’s for you.”
Ullr’s cheeks reddened more and Loki chuckled as he checked the meat. Lunch was finally ready.
They ate together and toasted - with water - to Ullr’s successful first hunt. His embarrassment faded and was replaced with his typical small smile again as he ate, enjoying the meal more than he usually did. He had a hard time believing he had caught their lunch on his own, but he had done it indeed…
“What were you doing as you paced just now, Ullr?” Loki asked, and Ullr was startled and distracted from his meal by the question.
“O-oh, I just…” he said, biting his lower lip. “Einmyria needed us to bring a gift for her, didn’t she?”
“Ah, certainly,” said Loki, nodding. Sif chuckled and patted the bag, full to the brim with all the creatures that had been prey to Ullr’s mighty archery skills.
“We shall bring quite a lot of gifts home, I believe,” she said, and Ullr smiled and nodded.
“Still, perhaps there’s something to be found nearby,” said Loki, glancing around him. “A precious stone, maybe. Or something magical we’ve overlooked…”
“Like what?” Ullr asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. Loki stroked his chin, deep in thought.
“I guess I can try to scour the grounds to find something,” he said, smiling at Ullr. “I can teach you how if you’d like.”
“After we’re done eating,” said Sif, giving Loki a meaningful look. “The last thing we need is for our food to gain magical properties because you two are playing with seidr.”
Ullr and Loki laughed and shared a complicit look, but they obeyed Sif nonetheless. They were both eager to finish their food quickly so they could get started. Sif smiled as she picked up lunch’s gear again, watching the pair of them as Loki taught his son a brand new magical technique.
In no time, there was a green glow in Ullr’s hands as he pointed them towards the ground. As usual, he bit his lower lip because he was focusing very deeply in the task at hand. Sif watched him with a broad grin, her chest swelling with pride as Ullr sought to find anything that might appeal to his little sister.
Yet the hours passed, and albeit Ullr’s search gave Loki and Sif enough time by themselves to kiss at leisure without their son complaining about it, Ullr did not come back with anything special for his sister. There was nothing magical in the nearby terrains, to the young boy’s disappointment.
“She won’t like it if we don’t bring her anything, Father,” he told Loki, nervous. Loki grimaced.
“Perhaps I can make something quickly,” he said, gazing about himself, unsure of how to resolve this predicament. Ullr’s eyes were set on him, waiting for his father to provide the perfect solution to the task at hand… but he was surprised when it wasn’t his father who made an actual proposal for a gift to give Einmyria.
“I’m thinking perhaps you can make something for her indeed,” said Sif, approaching Loki. “And it could be something fashioned out of the deer’s antlers, don’t you think?”
“Oh…” said Loki, raising an eyebrow. “Perhaps a pendant, from Ullr’s first successful hunt of a deer. It should please her.”
Ullr’s eyes brightened again, though now he was smiling at his mother instead. Sif only grinned proudly.
“Of course we had to expect the Queen of Asgard to think of a solution,” said Loki, kissing her cheek. Ullr’s smile was replaced by a grimace. “We would still be chasing our tails if it weren’t for you, dear.”
“You are as flattering as ever, Silvertongue,” she said, smiling as she reached into the bag for the deer’s head.
Loki was quick to craft the pendant Sif suggested him to make, and together, the three of them set out back to the city. All three of them were quite radiant after such a successful day of hunting together, and they looked forward to sharing Ullr’s accomplishment with their friends and family.
The ride back though Asgard’s roads felt much shorter to Ullr than the one into the forest, though Ullr was smiling happily through both. Sif and Loki flanked him, casting loving glances at one another and their son once in a while. Ullr sped up at times, outrunning his parents as he waited eagerly for Asgard’s golden towers to appear in the horizont.
It took around an hour and a half for the three of them to reach the city, but at long last, they were riding through familiar streets as the tall, golden peaks of Asgard rose around them. People waved at the king, queen and prince as they made their way regally through the city, nodding and smiling at the townsfolk as they passed.
Ullr leapt off his pony right away and ran inside the Palace once they reached its premises. The prince raced through the marble halls, his eyes bright as he looked for his uncles and his sister. He couldn’t wait to tell them all about his adventures today, and to let Einmyria know she would get the present she had been promised…
As Ullr had hoped, he found Einmyria along with most adults in a sitting room, where the little girl was eating pudding as she sat on Hogun’s lap. The group was chatting amicably, though it was clear that the young princess was utterly disinterested in their conversation. Her eyes were glued to her snack… until she noticed there was someone at the door.
“Ullr!” she exclaimed, her eyes brightening immediately.
All others fell silent and turned to look at the door, finding the young man standing there with his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. But it didn’t go unnoticed by anyone that he was smiling broadly.
“We’re back,” he said, grinning as Einmyria set her dessert aside and ran to hug him.
Thor chuckled upon watching Ullr hugging his sister back. It wasn’t every day that the shy boy showed such gestures of affection to anyone, especially to his sister. It could only mean the hunting trip had gone well.
As Ullr began his retelling of the trip excitedly, his parents finally appeared at the threshold of the room, and to no one’s surprise, Einmyria squealed excitedly and jumped into her father’s arms. Her swept her off her feet and hugged her tightly, kissing her brow as she wiggled her legs. Sif could only laugh as she leaned close to kiss the child as well.
“Mommy, daddy! You’re home!” she exclaimed. Loki smiled gently at her.
“We missed you, darling,” he told her, and Einmyria giggled softly.
“I missed you too,” she said, dropping her head on Loki’s shoulder as she surrounded his neck with her small arms.
“... I caught many rabbits, and a few birds, and also a deer! Mother and Father helped with that one, though,” Ullr said excitedly to his uncles, pointing at the bag Loki carried with him. “It’s all in there, you’ll see!”
“We believe you, little prince, we do,” said Fandral, amused. “You are your parents’ child after all, you could only excel in the arts of hunting.”
“Were Mother and Father the best hunters amongst you?” Ullr asked, his curiosity spurred by Fandral’s comment. Ullr treasured all stories about his parents in their youth.
“Oh, usually, unless they snuck off together and…” Fandral said, but he froze mid-sentence as Ullr’s smile began to wane. “And got distracted by being lovey-dovey, obviously.”
“Uh… right” said Ullr, a grimace of discomfort on his face. It faded soon enough, though, as Einmyria leapt at him from behind. “Ow! Einmyria!”
“I’m happy you’re back!” she said, giggling as she looked at him eagerly. “I learned to spar today, Ullr!”
“Well, I caught many creatures,” said Ullr, his chest puffed with pride.
“I broke Uncle Volstagg’s foot!”
“Heh, I… wait, huh?” said Ullr, his eyes widening.
“Einmyria, you did what?” Sif asked, frowning slightly as she looked at her old friend with concern.
“It was our fault for expecting her to need more training than she did,” said Volstagg, smiling awkwardly. “I only finished explaining what she had to do and before I knew it, I was already disarmed and unable to fight.”
“You…?” said Sif, looking at Einmyria now with pride despite her common sense told her she had to scold her daughter for that…
“I’m a warrior like you, mommy!” Einmyria cried out, smiling at Sif and hugging her leg. And thus, it was Sif who had been disarmed by the little girl this time around.
“Oh, that you are. And far more fearsome than me, decidedly,” she said, with a soft chuckle as she leaned down to hug her daughter.
The Warriors Three and Thor took Loki’s bag, curious to see if Ullr’s haul was as plentiful as he had claimed it was. The children were chatting again about their day, and Einmyria watched Ullr with wide eyes as he explained how he had defeated the deer with the help of their parents, when Jane tapped Ullr’s shoulder. The little prince smiled instantly, for he had always been rather fond of the midgardian woman.
“Congratulations on your first hunting trip, Ullr,” she said, grinning as well and giving him a hug. Ullr blushed but hugged her back, still smiling.
“Thank you, Jane,” he said, coyly.
“Now, since your uncle had told me this was to be such a big day for you…” said Jane, smiling mysteriously now as she grabbed a package she had brought with her. “I had picked out a present to celebrate you’d become a hunter today.”
“You had?” Ullr asked, his eyes wide and gleaming now.
“Indeed,” said Jane, chuckling and giving him the package. “Here you go, Ullr. I hope you enjoy them.”
Ullr looked at Jane questioningly before ripping the package open quickly. Einmyria clung to his arm, watching eagerly as Ullr finally revealed the gift…
“Books!” Ullr exclaimed, smiling as he took the small but elegant midgardian tomes into his small hands.
“It’s a very popular story in my world,” said Jane. “There are movies about it and all. I was sure you’d enjoy it, it has trolls and monsters and dark magic… but also all sorts of heroes to fight against them.”
Ullr’s smile broadened as Jane briefed him on the content of his new books. He looked at his father with excitement, and Loki smiled as he read the titles.
“The Lord of the Rings, is it?” he said. “That might be an interesting midgardian tale, for once.”
“I‘ll lend them to you too,” said Ullr, laughing softly as Loki smirked.
“Only if you judge them worthy of my time,” he said. “Anyways, the time for presents isn’t over yet…”
“It’s not?” Ullr asked, but he smiled and looked at Einmyria now. “Oh, right…”
“Auntie Jane already gave me my present, Ullr,” said Einmyria, blinking blankly before pointing at her t-shirt. “Look, look! It’s Firefly, Ullr!”
“Uh… sure,” said Ullr, with a small smile. He didn’t dare say it in front of his sister, but all of her little ponies looked the same to him.
“It is quite lovely,” said Sif, smiling warmly at her daughter. “But we did promise we’d bring something for you, did we not?”
Einmyria seemed to have forgotten all about the promised gift, thrilled as she was to have her parents and brother home again, but she was happy to be reminded of it regardless. Loki knelt down before her, holding a small necklace in his hands. A beautiful white pendant hung from it, shaped into a perfect oval.
“Your brother slew a deer today. It was still young, so its antlers were only growing,” said Loki, fastening the necklace around the girl’s neck. “All the same, this small trinket is but a reminder of his feat. He was very determined to find a suitable present for you, and this is the one he chose to give you. It’s a very important honor to receive such a gift from a hunter, Einmyria.”
The little girl was awed into silence upon hearing her father’s words. She turned to Ullr and smiled before hugging him again. His cheeks flushed, and he bit his lip as he patted his sister’s back.
“Thank you, Ullr!” she said, squeezing him tightly. Ullr grimaced, having a hard time to breathe now. “I’ll take care of it!”
“You’d better, but stop hugging me like that, you’ll kill me!” Ullr exclaimed and Einmyria laughed before releasing him.
Ullr smiled despite her violent embrace, and he looked at his father to find him smiling approvingly at him.
“Should we head to the kitchens so they can cook what I caught?” he asked, and Loki nodded.
“Of course, but first…” said Loki, leaning towards him now. Only then did Ullr notice there was something else in his father’s closed fist.
Another white pendant dangled off another necklace that Loki tied around Ullr’s neck. The young prince grabbed the second oval pendant and looked at it in surprise. Loki smirked.
“A deer has two antlers, Prince Ullr. So this one is your own, so you don’t forget your deds either,” he said, and Ullr’s eyes gleamed as he smiled at his father’s thoughtfulness.
“I… I didn’t think of that. Thank you, Father,” he said, biting his lower lip again. Loki caressed his son’s soft dark hair and grinned right back at him.
“You’re most welcome,” he said, rising to his feet once more. “So, weren’t we heading to the kitchens?”
It took several hours for the dinner banquet to be served, hours that Ullr and Einmyria invested into telling each other all about the days they had. Loki caught wind of Einmyria’s retelling of her flight with her uncle Troll, though, and he naturally lashed out at his brother for his recklessness. Another characteristic argument between the Odinson brothers ensued, throughout which everyone else simply ignored them. Regardless of how they shouted at one another, Thor would continue to take Einmyria in dangerous flights, and Loki would continue to hate every second of it.
Yet Loki’s spirits rose again through the banquet, during which they celebrated and toasted anew to Ullr’s successful hunt. Asgard’s little prince was glowing as he ate, delighted by the sense of pride that came from knowing that most the meat on the table had been brought by him and his parents today.
Ullr cast a glance in their general direction and grimaced a little upon noticing that his mother was resting with her head on Loki’s shoulder, a smile on her face as the king looked upon her lovingly. Ullr did appreciate that his parents were as dedicated to one another as they were, but he had never been fond of their displays of affection. All the same, he didn’t interrupt their tender moment together. He had to answer Fandral and Volstagg’s questions about the hunting trip, after all, and he was feeling more talkative than ever tonight. It was, no doubt, one of the best days of his young life.
“You are quite a great teacher,” Sif told Loki, caressing his knuckles with her thumb as they held hands under the table. Loki raised an eyebrow.
“And you are by far a great example for our son to look upon,” he said, smiling. “He was quite eager to imitate you today when we were hunting the deer.”
“Then I suppose this means we make a good team once in a while,” Sif said, with a sarcastic smirk. Loki laughed and kissed her forehead.
“I beg to differ. We make a splendid team, in fact,” he said. “And we are in fact a splendid team quite frequently, my Queen.”
“We’re quite fortunate that it is so,” said Sif, smiling as she watched Ullr describing his hunting experience with all sorts of details to his uncles. “That’s most certainly why we’ve had such wonderful children, don’t you believe?”
“That’s all because you are the best mother,” said Loki, and Sif chuckled.
“And you are the best father, whether you will believe it or not, my King,” she said, reaching up to kiss his lips softly. Loki smiled into the kiss and pressed his brow against hers.
Their moment together was short-lived, as usual, for Loki pulled away when he felt someone climbing onto his lap. To no surprise, it was his little troublemaking daughter, whose eyes were half-lidded as she cuddled up against him.
“And where did you come from?” Loki asked, and Sif laughed.
“I was eating and now I’m sleepy,” said Einmyria, turning against him so her head would rest on his chest. “Is it bedtime yet, daddy?”
“It will be in no time, darling. You’ll be tucked in warmly before you know it,” said Loki, caressing her hair gently. Einmyria mumbled a response and closed her eyes. Sif stroked the child’s cheek.
“She had quite a busy day,” she whispered. “It’s a day to remember, no doubt. Our son became a hunter, our daughter defeated her first opponent in the training grounds…”
“If only we hadn’t missed it,” said Loki, smirking. “I certainly would have enjoyed the sight of Volstagg hopping in a single foot.”
“No doubt you would have, Trickster,” said Sif, rolling her eyes. Loki didn’t even bother concealing his mischievous grin behind guilt. “I should scold you for that… but not tonight.”
“Tonight is a perfect night,” Loki said, and Sif nodded.
“Fortunately for you, it is,” said Sif, kissing his shoulder.
“Fortunately for all of us,” Loki concluded, gazing at Ullr again.
His son turned towards them just then and smiled innocently at his parents. He was tired as well, but still too delighted by today’s events to consider going to bed. Surely he would sleep soundly once he did, but for now he meant to enjoy the company of his friends and family, who were overjoyed to celebrate his great accomplishment with him.