#Kara in a skirt heals all wounds

[polymathial]

18 yo Karabita!! The sillies!!

[trixicbean]

Supercorp either 🌵 or 🩹.

Both on one of you can somehow make it happen?

🌵+ 🩹: supercorp x wearing each other’s clothes + patching up a wound [prompt list]

Lena watched the news as the woman she loved, her girlfriend, went falling out of the sky, crashing down, down and down. Her heart stopped as she hit against a building. This could kill her. This would kill her. Lena knew the ins and outs of everything Kara. She’d studied her meticulously. She was going to be prepared for everything. This would kill her. 

Out of nowhere, Lena started to function again. She needed to get to the DEO. She wasn’t wearing much, just her pyjamas so she started by running into the bedroom and pulling on something warmer. Except as soon as she pulled off her top there was a crash somewhere else in the apartment. 

Lena cursed and grabbed the nearest thing and pulled it over her head as she ran back out into the living room. “I really don’t have time for an assinati-” she started to warn but then she saw her. Kara. A ball of red and blue, though mostly red now, curled up on the floor. 

She stopped functioning again. She willed herself to move but she couldn’t. She could only stare at her girlfriend in shock. “Kara?” she managed to get her broken body to let the word fall from her mouth and then the sob came and then the tears as she fell to her knees on the floor next to her girlfriend, taking a hold of her hand and brushing some of the air away from her face. 

“Kara,” she whispered this time, leaning in close and pressing a kiss to her hairline. 

“Don’t cry,” came the response, a shaking hand with some dried blood on, reaching up to cup Lena’s face, “I flew before I hit the ground. I’m just tired,” she croaked out. Lena breathed a sigh of relief before anger filled her veins. 

“Just tired!” she repeated, “You are covered in blood! I can see a cut on your head and another on your arm and on your leg,” Lena slowed down as Kara winced at the sound and she realised it would take too long to list them all. 

“I just need time under the sun lamps,” Kara mumbled through a yawn, sleep almost taking over her. 

“No, sleeping,” Lena warned her firmly, stroking her hair where there seemed to be no cut. 

“Why?” Kara complained. 

“You could have a concussion,” she stood up, ignoring Kara’s hand reaching out for hers as she had to slip hers from Kara’s grasp to stand up, “The bedroom red sun lamps have a yellow sun feature,”.

“Here is comfy,” Kara complained. 

Lena took a deep breath and considered her options, “Please,” she begged, she didn’t know how else to help her girlfriend.

“Will you stay with me if I go?” Kara asked in a small innocent voice. 

“Always,” Lena whispered, offering Kara her hand to help her up, “But I need you to be here so I can stay with you,”. 

“Okay,” Kara stood up shakily and Lena had to almost catch her. Her girlfriend was all muscle, it didn’t make her particularly light. 

“I’ve got you,” Lena assured her, not knowing whether she was trying to convince Kara or herself. Kara leaned on her heavily as they slowly made their way to the bedroom, Lena desperately trying to quell her internal panic the whole time. 

She laid Kara on the bed, propping her up with a lot of pillows before she ran to the light switch and bathed the whole room in yellow sunlight. Kara’s head almost instinctively turned toward the light bulb above her head. Some kind of normalcy. “I’ll be back in a second,” Lena promised before she ran downstairs to the lab and grabbed all the medical equipment she could get and packed it into a backpack and came back up. 

Lena dropped the backpack on the bed as she knelt next to her girlfriend on the bed, opening the bag and pulling out the stature kit first. “What are you doing?” Kara complained, “It’s so loud,”. 

The superhearing. Lena took a deep breath and whispered under her breath as quietly as humanly possible, “I’ll try to be quieter,”. Kara looked at her and smiled soflty with a love in her eyes that Lena had never registered from anyone before. 

“Where should I start?” Lena continued at the same volume. 

“You don’t need to do that. It will heal under the yellow sun,” Kara tried to reach out to pull Lena into a hug.

“It will heal faster like this,” Lena smiled, “You have huge cuts, let me fix you up,”. 

“But-” Kara went to object but Lena pressed a finger to her lips. 

“Where should I start?” she repeated at a whisper. 

“Your choice,” Kara shrugged with a pout, trying to teasingly bite Lena’s finger off. Lena snatched her finger away and pressed a kiss to her girlfriend’s lips before she moved down the bed to kneel next to Kara’s leg. 

There was dried blood around her thigh, poking out from beneath the skirt. “Kara, I am going to have to undress you,” Lena told her gently, in her best professional calming voice. Kara looked up with a smirk and raised her eyebrows. 

“Not like that,” Lena criticised, “I’ll get you some sweats,” she jumped off the bed and grabbed some clothes out of the nearby Kara drawer. She threw t-shirt at Kara who looked at it with a huge pout. 

“What’s wrong?” Lena shrugged, stepping back onto the bed with the pants. 

“Not my favourite,” Kara complained. 

“Just put it on,” Lena sighed, pulling off her tights and skirt so she could get to the cut. It felt weirdly clinical for the action. She started by gently cleaning the area before she started to stitch up the cut. Kara didn’t even flinch as she did it. 

“I don’t like this one best,” Kara pouted as Lena tried to focus on the stitches. 

“Which one do you like best?” Lena asked, not even looking up, getting used to speaking at the quiet volume. 

“Your one,” Kara smiled hopefully as Lena finished the final stitch. 

“MIT?” Lena asked, getting off the bed again and going over to the drawers again. She pulled it out and threw it to Kara. Kara smiled, holding it to her face and taking in a deep breath. 

“Smells like you,” Kara eyes lit up and she smiled cutely before she pulled it on over her head. Lena smiled and climbed back onto the bed, taking her arm and starting to work on the cut there. 

“Why didn’t you go to the DEO?” she asked, keeping half an eye on the cut on her head. 

Kara ducked her head and swallowed, “Alex still doesn’t know I’m Supergirl. I don’t like seeing her as you know,” Kara shrugged, “I’m not her sister and she looks at me,” Kara trailed off with another shrug, “I can’t bear it,”. 

“You always have me,” Lena smiled, finishing the stitch on her arm. She had spent a lot of time practicing when she was younger so she was faster than she expected. “Put these on,” she passed her the pants. Kara winced as she leaned forward and Lena ended up helping her pull them on before she straddled Kara’s lap. 

“You know it would be a lot more fun if we made out right now,” Kara smirked. 

“I’m just going to ignore that comment and stitch up your head,” Lena ignored her girlfriend, pressing a kiss to her temple before she started to wipe the blood away gently. 

Kara’s arms wrapped around her as she worked and Lena found herself letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as she started on the stitches. She pressed another kiss to Kara’s forehead between every few stitches, she was so close to Kara that she could feel her heartbeat. She wanted her, she needed her to calm down. 

Kara relaxed as she finished the stitches, moving her lips down to kiss her girlfriend on her lips again in an effort to calm properly. Kara’s heartbeat calmed down significantly as she pressed their lips together. 

“I love you,” Lena whispered as she pulled away. 

“I love you too,” Kara smiled widely. 

[silentprincess17]

Sometimes Things Have To Get Worse Before They Get Better

This is essentially a darker, heavier alternate take on Memory #7 - Blades of the Yiga. I wanted to write a fic with a competent Yiga Clan. (Yes you read that right). It is very angsty in the beginning and then becomes fluffy (hence the title!)

Summary: Link and Zelda have returned from Vah Naboris with Urbosa and have spent the night in Kara Kara Bazaar Inn. Link wakes up and finds her missing.

Cue the angst.

This story is complete and I will post each chapter daily on here but you can read the whole thing on AO3

Rating: Mature (Graphic descriptions of violence) Pairing: Link/Zelda (Zelink) Characters: Link, Zelda, The Yiga Clan, Master Kohga

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3: So what do we do now? (or the fluffy chapter to the previous angsty one)

Link awoke and immediately questioned it, because he felt like he was still dreaming, in a Castle Courtyard where, as a child he’d snuck through a small canal to get in to see the Princess, and as an adult he’d waltzed in as Captain of the Guards. Because he could hear her lullaby. It had been so long… He slowly opened his eyes, disorientated because he was staring into the familiar vivid green eyes of His Princess, not the blue of other, so she wasn’t her, and he wasn’t him, but the lullaby? And she was smiling at him, albeit weakly. What- smiling? His Princess? At him?! What had happened?

There was more to add to his confusion though, because she was humming. She was the one humming the lullaby, but it wrong, because it wasn’t her lullaby, but really who was he to say otherwise, it probably was the lullaby for all the Princesses named Zelda. It- it was achingly familiar, but disturbing because all the times felt wrong and messed up. This wasn’t his, this wasn’t meant to comfort him, but it was anyway.

But why was he –

He blinked, waking up properly this time. He suddenly realised where he was exactly. He was in the Princess of Hyrule’s lap. His head was resting on her thighs. She was stroking his hair. His ponytail was gone. She was humming her lullaby to him. And she wasn’t angry at him.

Everything about this situation screamed wrong.

And then it all came hurtling back, and Link felt like he’d been stabbed all over with those darts the Yiga had aimed at her stomach. They’d been captured by the Yiga. Goddesses above. He rapidly sat up and felt a burst of pain all the way across his right shoulder and down his arm, and his vision swam, from the remaining drug in his system or from the pain he didn’t know.

“Link! Don’t get up so fast you-”

She gently pulled on his good arm, and he didn’t put up much resistance, mainly because it felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He felt so disjointed, and he knew this was wrong, but he wasn’t feeling well enough to protest.

And okay, maybe he was a little glad she didn’t seem to hate him anymore. Just a little.

He raised his eyebrows at her, hoping she’d understand. She did. “After they drugged you asleep, because I guess they figured they’d never beat you otherwise, they did the same for me- I got caught barely a few metres from where you fell. And then I presume we both got carted to their Hideout. I woke up before you because I had a lower dose, and I, um, well.”

She awkwardly pointed to his right shoulder. “You know, I’m no Mipha, and it’s not like we have any healing resources, but I needed to close your wound in case it got infected- I believe they wrenched the sickle out of you before they dumped us in here. And I thought it best to at least try to sew it together whilst you were asleep and couldn’t feel much. It, went well, surprisingly- you didn’t bleed excessively considering they removed the object that was effectively acting as a tamponade, but I think because it landed squarely in your trapezius, it didn’t hit any major blood supplies, thankfully. I cleaned it as best as I could. And it was a good thing I had my mini sewing supplies in my pocket, Urbosa’s skirt had a small cut she wanted me to- uh- never mind. It was lucky that I forgot to put the kit in my pouch, which they took so.”

She paused, “Anyway, just as I put in the last stitch, thinking I could, maybe, relax a little, you started to thrash around, flailing all your limbs everywhere. With hindsight, I think the draught was fading by that point…” She took a short, sharp breath, “And I obviously couldn’t risk you ripping the wound open so in an attempt to calm you I held your head down and started humming and it, uh, worked. So that is why. I was. Doing that.” She fisted her hands awkwardly, bunching the material of her shirt in her hands, between her fractured phrases. Her eyes flittered around, looking everywhere but him. “And I didn’t want you to open that wound again, we don’t have many supplies so, so I guided you to lie down again.” She was clearly uncomfortable. And was that- Farore. She was blushing, he realised. Because of him.

That felt incredibly wrong, no Princess should ever blush at her Knight, so he readied himself to move off her and give her some much needed space.

He nodded, putting her out of her misery before sitting up much more slowly this time. He looked over his shoulder trying to see how bad the wound was, but she’d done an excellent job in sewing him up. Perhaps the embroidery skills she’d learnt were amenable to medical stiches too. He scooted away from her, trying to clear his head a little, and forget how comfortable it felt. How much he’d enjoyed her deft fingers working through his hair. How she'd still smelled of lavender, honey and just a hint of Gerudo spice –

He shook his head, clearly, he was still somewhat delusional following the heady sleeping draught. He needed to apologise to her and he needed to try to find a way to get out. He suddenly remembered her neck, and he dashed over, scanning across her whole body quickly, trying to see if she was okay and if any other wounds had been inflicted on her whilst he was asleep.

“Link!”

What? He had to- why was she bending her neck? He could guess why, and his gut twisted on itself. He’d let her get hurt. He hesitantly raised his hand, and placed it close to her chin, not quite touching, but Zelda tracked his movement and slowly nodded. He ever so gently touched the tips of his fingertips onto her jaw, and pressed upwards and she elongated her neck in compliance.

He gasped. She’d wiped it down, but there was a red, clearly inflamed, scabbed over, curved, line across her neck. He screwed his eyes shut, half wanting to throw up, even though he knew he had nothing in his stomach. He couldn’t look at her, this was his fault, he’d allowed her to get hurt. Some Appointed Knight he was.

He was so lost in cursing himself and his inability to protect her that he missed her hand moving and pressing down on his own, still softly holding her jaw. His eyes flew open at that, but he still couldn’t meet her gaze, looking everywhere but her. “Link.” He knew what she was going to say, and he didn’t want to hear it. It was his fault.

“Link, look at me.”

He couldn’t deny an order from his Princess.

“It wasn’t your fault. You were not the one to draw the sickle against me, okay?” He reluctantly nodded, seeing where she was coming from. “If anything, it was mine for running away. And I should be the one apologising, because you got hurt- and your wound is much more severe compared to this simple scab that will heal with time. And that’s notwithstanding the whole infection risk of using embroidery thread and not actual medical sutures.”

She sighed, patting the ground next to her. He reluctantly let go of her and sat down as she wished, his vision swirled a little, from all the abrupt movement.

She fiddled with her fingers, before turning to him, a determined look in her eyes. “I truly am sorry Link. For- for everything. From running away all those times, to being childishly jealous of you and your success, to… even shouting at you.” She sighed, “Not to mention taking out all my petty frustrations on you, whilst you were only trying to do your job. For, well, letting you get hurt because of me. For ending up here…” She shoved her head in her hands. “Goddesses above, the list never ends. I-”

Her voice went quiet. “I apologise, Link, for not being the Princess you deserve.”

He was shocked. He hadn’t been expecting that to say the least. Words had never been his forte, so he did the best he could.

He tenderly tilted her head towards him, and then shook his head. The vulnerability he saw in those verdant eyes struck him. She was serious, she genuinely regretted it, and he tried to smile reassuringly. How could he ever remain upset with her anyway? Not when he understood and related to her so well.

He placed his other hand on his heart and bent his head towards her. “You accept? No, you forgive me? So easily? No, I insist you give some punishment Link.”

He chuckled, shaking his head as he raised both hands up, shrugging slightly. He was never one for punishments and he forgave her, because he understood, he truly did. He just needed to think through his words, and he’d tell her properly.

“You're too kind. I'll find a way, to earn my forgiveness, even if you've already accepted. Although... perhaps being here is punishment enough.” She hugged her knees to her chest, and he closed his eyes for a second, just trying to get his bearings. He still felt dizzy and sitting up so fast as soon as he had woken up, and then rushing to Zelda to look over her had not helped matters. Most likely, this was due to a side effect from inhaling such a high concentration of the drought. He’d have to wait for a bit before moving again, and he spread his palms out on the ground next to his thighs to try to get over the remaining queasiness, keeping his eyes shut so he wouldn’t be further disorientated.

He felt her slip her hand just next to his, her pinkie finger barely touching his thumb.

And Link felt his heart speed up a little. He couldn’t help but feel pleased they’d finally made some progress and were no longer at odds with each other. For the first time, the silence that descended on them was a comfortable one, not fraught with tension like every other time they’d been left alone together. And for that, he was immeasurably glad.

After taking a few minutes to recover his bearings, Link slowly opened his eyes, and was pleased to find his world was not tilting on its axis. He took several deep breaths, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his shoulder.

Okay. He was ready now, to start thinking of a plan.

He motioned for Zelda to wait as he heaved himself to stand, very slowly. And nothing happened, everything was still balanced. Good. He headed over to the bars, first, before realising they were made, in fact, of fairly hardy steel and it wasn’t at all rusted. There would be no hope of breaking them directly, not by hand anyway. And where was the door? He belated realised the metal on one side was different to the others. It was darker in shade. He flicked his index finger at it, but it came back just as hard and resonant. Well. Clearly whatever it was wouldn’t be easy to break either. He tried to stemmy the rising panic when thinking about how the hell they were supposed to break out. He moved to the bottom of the bars, but it became rapidly obvious to him that the mongrels had drilled the bars a significant distance down, too low for them to try to dig out. She shuffled over.

“I had a quick check over the cell too, before, I um, realised that you were hurt. They sort of left you with your back to the wall, so I didn’t actually see the bleeding until I got up close and- well. You know the rest of it. There really isn’t much other than the toilet in the next cell that we can go into.” His eyes lit up, “But no, it’s the exact same thing as this one. More bars, just with a curtain for decency I guess.”

He decided to check everything anyway. Alas, it was an airtight cell. There wasn’t a single thing they could manipulate. Clearly the Yiga had been planning for this.

He cast his eyes out, looking beyond the bars and realised that it in fact looked out to what seemed to be a gigantic circular hole in the sand. The landscape itself naturally moulded into a giant cylinder, perfect to keep the Yiga hidden, and impossible for them to climb out without being seen. If they could even get out of the cell to begin with. Although, eerily, everything seemed quiet.

He turned back to Zelda, motioning to the space outside and then pointing to the banana symbol engraved in the wall. “I found it surprising too. I have no idea where they’ve gone. It’s all very calm. I’m not sure why... Well, this sounds morbid, but I don’t understand why they’ve kept me alive. Surely their intention was to assassinate, and yet, now we’re locked up, and they haven’t come yet. Although I can only assume this is a good thing, time to plan an escape… maybe… well hopefully, anyway.”

He fought a smile off his face. She always did talk too much. Perhaps that was a good thing though, it balanced him out quite nicely.

He sighed, moving to sit down again, it was best to conserve his strength. And looking at the red lanterns and those weird orange wooden planks linked to each other was freaking him out a little. He wasn't sure what the symbolism was, but he was wary. There wasn’t much else they could do, other than wait for one of the Yiga to come, and make the mistake of opening the door, then Link would go into hand combat, and they would have to scale the cliff out of the here. The section to the right actually appeared the least steep, so hopefully Zelda would be able to manage that. However, he could see the snow from here and that meant there was risk of hypothermia, and they didn't have their normal stock of elixirs. Goddesses above, his head hurt from thinking through all the ways this could go wrong.

“You’re looking at the end cliff face. Do you think-”

He nodded.

“I think I can do it. Will you be okay with your wound?”

He nodded again.

She exhaled heavily, coming to sit down next to him. “The chance of a rescue team coming to find us is also depressingly slim, at the minute, because according to Urbosa, we’ve left the desert. According to my father, we’re in the process of travelling to the Spring of Power, and whilst we’re in the vicinity we’re supposed to go visit Daruk again to see if he’s has any progress with controlling Vah Rudania. Therefore, we are not due back at the Castle for another three weeks at least to account for travel time, so he won’t be suspicious of our continued absence. And Daruk thinks were going to Spring first and I don’t think he knows that you are only supposed to stay a day there- he might assume I’ve succeeded and so stayed for longer, or even that we were delayed in Gerudo Town…”

He nodded. Basically, all that meant external help was not coming any time soon.

“How long do you think it’ll take them to realise we’ve been captured?”

He thought about it for a few seconds. It would take at least another two weeks for Daruk to realise something was up, and by the time he relayed that over to Urbosa and the King, it will have been at least three. And then they still needed to search over Hyrule as to where exactly the Princess and Link were, before tracking them down to the Kara Kara Bazaar Inn, and hopefully realising they were, in fact, abducted by the Yiga Clan. And as to the actual rescue itself, he doubted it would take more than a couple of days simply because it involved the Princess and the Hero - the two people who were truly capable of fighting the ever-approaching evil. So overall that was what? Four and a half weeks?

He held up four fingers. Best to not dash her hopes too much.

“Hylia above! A month?!” She slumped against the wall. “I can see why though. It- it’s just so inconvenient that we decided to combine three separate outings into one. And that is why no one will actually realise we are in trouble.”

Link didn’t point out that this was, in fact, a common occurrence. The Princess often fabricated another couple of reasons to delay going back the Castle. He understood why of course. Facing her father with repeated failures was hard and being out in Hyrule meant she could at least be of some use in terms of her research. Frankly, if he’d been in her position, he would have done the same.

“Another thing that I didn’t mention before, but you should probably know, is that they took the Sheikah Slate.”

Oh crap. Purah would kill them both, but she’d go all out on Link, fond as she was of Princess Zelda. She’d skewer him alive and then Robbie would sprinkle on his various guardian parts on top for seasoning and the two of them would roast him slowly for committing such a crime. And then they’d recover the guardian parts because those were precious and were not likely to burn, unlike his mortal form, into ashes anyway. Why was thinking of this and how did he come up with this much detail?

He must have had a look of apt horror on his face because she chuckled slightly, “Yes, I know. Even if we survive this whole abduction, we will probably not live for long afterwards.”

He shook his head. No, they would survive. He would make sure of it. She smiled a little in response.

Something was unsettling him though. It felt like a there was a gnawing hole inside him. At first he thought it was because of Zelda getting hurt, and then because of his dizziness but it suddenly hit him what was missing. His heart skipped a beat in fear. He glanced over, looking at his shoulder again, in vain because he knew it was empty and the confirmation terrified him. He looked at her with wide eyes, not daring to think of the implications. “I- I don’t actually know what happened to the Master Sword, Link, it was – um, in that Yiga’s head and then I was knocked out. I don’t know if they took it, or left it behind…”

And there went Link’s last hope of killing the darkness.

[magewriter]

Rescued

Rescued

I own nothing!

Lena’s been rescued, but recovery is no easy thing.

This is for Thattallnerdybean/Silent_specter! They wanted hurt/comfort, angst, and Supercorp. Not sure how well I covered the angst as that’s not my typical wheelhouse, but I hope they still like this.

Happy Holidays!

________---------------

Lena woke with a cut off scream. Kara jolted awake, tumbling off the bed so she could be between Lena and the door.

“Lena?” Kara turned to her girlfriend.

“Nightmare,” Lena rasped. She took the water Kara had gotten for her.

Her hands were finally healed, fingers once more straight and the nails regrown if still tender. The bruises were gone and the cuts healed to fading scars. She was still in walking casts and her high heels were a distant dream, but her legs were healing.

She took stock of all of this, reminding herself that her nightmare had been just that: a nightmare. The man responsible was behind bars as were those who had helped him. Kara, aided by their friends and family, had rescued her.

It had taken them nearly two months to do so, but they had come for her. Kara had ripped the building apart coming to her aide.

Kara had never given up on her. She had never lost hope that Lena was still alive when everything pointed to the opposite conclusion.

“Movie and cuddles or a bath?” Kara asked softly, taking the empty glass from Lena’s hands.

“Take a bath with me?” Lena fidgeted. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Then you won’t be,” Kara dashed around their apartment, preparing what was needed for a relaxing bath sans wine. “Do you need any of your meds?”

“No,” Lena shook her head. “I’m not ready to sleep again.”

“Okay,” Kara picked Lena up and carried her to the bathroom. “I love your tub. Have I mentioned that, ever? Alex wishes she had a tub like this. She threatened to steal it once. Maggie and Lucy said they’d help her do it to.”

Lena chuckled as Kara told her story. She could see all three mentioned women planning such a heist. Sam would probably help them. If enough alcohol was involved, they might even try it at some point.

She relaxed into the hot water, resting against Kara when the taller woman settled behind her. She felt it as Kara drew nonsense lines and shapes across her skin, her lover slipping into another story. Lena recognized this one as a translation of a myth from Krypton.

“Sometimes I wonder why you still put up with me,” Lena said once Kara’s story had finished.

“I love you,” Kara replied. “That means both the good and the bad.” She snorted. “If your mother continues to fail at getting rid of me, I don’t see why you think some justifiable nightmares would do it.” That was key (in Kara’s mind), reminding Lena that her trauma was valid and she was allowed to be hurt by it even as the physical wounds healed.

“I wish they would stop.” Lena was just so tired of everything. She hated waking up, thinking even for a moment she was still chained in that room. She could no longer stand the feel of silk or satin on her skin. Soft pillows were tolerable only when Kara was with her. Her skirts and dresses hung unworn in their shared closet.

“I know,” Kara murmured, tightening her hold just a little to assure Lena that she was awake. She began to hum, thinking. “We only have PT today.”

“We both still have work,” Lena reminded her, already knowing where Kara was going with her statement.

“I know for a fact that you only have paperwork waiting for you, and you were going to only be there for a half-day.” Kara grinned. “HR loves when I use my off-time. You know, Suzy from HR is almost as scary as Pam at the DEO?” Kara snickered at Lena’s snort. “She is! She yelled at Snapper in his own bullpen!”

“She did not.”

“She did,” Kara nodded. “I heard her do it.”

“Alright, but I still-”

“No, you really don’t.” Kara rubbed one of the spots that were still tender. “Jess will send you anything that absolutely needs your signature. No one who matters is going to judge that we took a day off.”

“And what will we do on this ‘day off’?” Lena gave in. She didn’t really wish to be in her office anyway. She was still banned from the labs until her legs were out of casts completely.

“Well, you still have Disney movies to catch up on so there’s that.” Kara grinned at Lena’s huff. “I also have a surprise. It was going to wait until after PT, but if we’re not going back to bed then I can show you now.”

“Darling, just because-” It was awkward, but Kara still managed to cut her off with a kiss.

“I’ll get some sun later and be fine. Unless you want me to, I’m not leaving you alone. Even if you don’t want to speak about them, nightmares are best dealt with together.”

“Okay,” Lena never argued when Kara used that tone. She knew her girlfriend understood about nightmares. Kara still dealt with them from when she watched her planet explode and her time in the Phantom Zone.

Kara also never gave her the platitude of ‘give it time’. Sometimes she wanted Kara to get frustrated with her, but if the Kryptonian did she did it where Lena wouldn’t hear it.

They got out of the bath and into sweatpants and t-shirts. The clothing was soft and comfortable, a far cry from anything that had originally been in her closet. Kara loosely braided her hair, pulling her own back as well.

“You sit here, I’ll be right back.”

Lena looked bemused at the fact their dining room table was covered in an old bedsheet. It had to be one of Kara’s, given the dried paint splatter and faded crisscross pattern.

“I wasn’t entirely certain, so I pretty much got one of everything.”

“Oh my…” Lena began to giggle, going into full on laughter as Kara piled LEGO and science kits onto one end of the table and the floor beside it. “What is all this?”

“I know you still can’t get into either of your labs, so,” she waved her hands over the pile of choices. “Alex and Winn helped me find them. Although, I think Alex might want to be here when the more explosive ones happen.”

“Is that a dinosaur Kinetic kit?”

“Yep!” Kara piled the five different kits beside Lena.

That was how they spent the next several hours. Lena soon had a small army of parts and finished figures. Kara had amused herself by sketching, mostly Lena.

“Kara?”

“Hm?” She looked up from her sketchpad.

“Thank you, for this.” Lena didn’t know the last time she felt this relaxed.

“Are you feeling better?”

A little confused, Lena nodded. “Yes actually.”

“You never need to thank me for that.” Kara got up, pressing a kiss to Lena’s cheek. “I’m going to get breakfast. Try not to plan a real world Jurassic Park while I do that.”

“Darling, if I created it, there would have been adequate safety features. I also would never splice together different dinosaurs.”

Kara left, giggling over Lena’s continued arguments over the fallacies of a fictional theme park.

[mama-m1na]

Journey of the Chaos Trio: Chapter 2

                                                    ~~~II~~~

The following morning a funeral was held for the king despite it being against the traditions of the kingdom.

“Viren, this is ridiculous,” a member of the high council said as they led the procession, “We are to mourn for seven days before holding a funeral for a king.”

“I understand, Opeli; however, these are times of war, the kingdom needs to move on and plan for the future,” the male retorted.

“Viren, even so it’s too soon! He was just taken from us a few hours ago, look!” the female gestured towards the raven haired maid who walked behind them.

She wore a black dress that with full sleeves under a black cloak with the hood flipped up. Despite that it could be seen that her hair was let down by the few locks that escaped the hood.

Feeling eyes on her, the female’s head tilted up to reveal her eyes dull and face bearing no emotion despite the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

“The people need more time!” the woman spat as they approached the graveyard.

Ignoring her, the mage had the body of the king placed on the pedestal and stepped forward to make a speech.

“Today we woke to a devastating truth, our king has been taken from us. Slain by the forces of Xadia, vile Moonshadow elves,” the male started earning gasps from the crowd and a weak glare from the ravenette from under her cloak, “To me he was more than a king. In his final hours he called me his brother.”

“Wait,” Opeli said with a glare, “Where are the princes? They need to be here.”

“The princes are dead.”

This statement caused pure rage to fill the ravenette.

“We must move forward with strength!”

With every word Viren spoke more of Rhamina’s aura leaked from her body not hiding her emotions at all, unlike her face which remained devoid of expression, not that anyone could see it.

The aura could be felt in the dungeons, in Viren’s study, and in the forests by five females. Four of which knew exactly where it came from.

“Light the pyre,” Viren ordered turning to the other members of the High Council.

“No,” Opeli replied, extinguishing her torch.

The rest followed suite and one by one the flames went out.

“Claudia,” the mage sighed as he turned to his daughter who chanted her spell, eyes glowing purple, as flames lit the large torches before lighting the body of King Harrow.

“When a ruler of Katolis dies, we mourn for seven days,” began Viren as he turned back to the crowd, “but today we are at war. Today, we must mourn sevenfold for tonight there will be a coronation.”

As soon as the funeral was over Rhamina retreated back to her room with the cloak still over her as she sat on her bed with her knees hugged to her chest just thinking.

Just thinking, until she thought, ‘My sisters, the Princes, they need to know.’

Without putting her shoes back on, the cloaked female made her way outside of the castle to a small pond where she kneeled in front of the water and removed the hood from her face.

She closed her eyes and hovered her hands above the water while letting her energy flow from her hands into the water, praying her sisters were near water.

“Srevir taht egdirb su rehtegot, egdirb em dna ym sretsis,” she chanted as a glow came from the water before dying down.

When the light had disappeared the ravenette looked down to not see her reflection but the faces of Sam, Kerstin, Tijarah, and Chloe.

“Mina, what happened?” Kerstin asked, “Where are you?”

“Why are you wearing all black, Mina, it looks like you were at a funer- oh,” Chloe said watching the saddened expression on the ravenette’s face.

“Dad, is dead,” she whispered, “the funeral was held this morning by Lord Viren but where are the boys tell me they’re with you!”

“Callum and Ezran are fine they’re just asleep,” Sam said as the seventeen-year-old sighed in relief, “Why?”

“Lord Viren, lied then. He said the boys were dead as well,” Rhamina explained, “Anyways just continue to keep them safe.”

“When are you going to catch up with us?” Kerstin asked, “We’re already on our way to Xadia.”

“At this point I don’t know if I’ll be going with you guys,” she sighed brushing her hair behind her ear.

“What do you mean, Mina? I know you actually respect, Dad’s orders and-” “His orders were to stay with the boys and keep them safe,” Rhamina explained cutting off Sam, “And I’m following the second half. Lord Viren is planning something that will make this war worse and I plan on somehow messing it up. Plus if I’m here I can keep you all updated on what’s happening.”

“Mina, the Callum told us what happened with you guys and Claudia,” Sam said, “She’s going to get suspicious.”

“I can protect you all better from here, trust me,” the ravenette tried.

“...You’re planning on saving someone aren’t you?” Kerstin deduced remembering how her sister works, “Fine but you better be alive when we get back.”

“Don’t worry I will be,” Rhamina chuckled before looking at the sun, “I better head back before they start to wonder where I am. I’ll be sure to check in with you guys everyday.”

“Mina, wait what do we tell them?”

“Who?”

“The princes.”

“Oh,” Rhamina said looking down at her hands, “I’ll leave that up to you but for now I have to go. I love you guys.”

“I love you too, Mina.” “I love you, Mina-chan.” “I hoot you!” “Love you, Mina.”

Somehow getting back into her room without being noticed, Rhamina just sat on her bed for a few minutes before getting out a pen and a journal before writing some things down.

About twenty minutes passed before she could hear a conversation from outside her room.

“What? I don’t want to get near that monster!”

“None of us do but someone has to give the elf its food. Orders from Lord Viren.”

Rhamina interupted the conversation by opening her door startling the two bickering maids.

“Miss Rhamina-” “I’ll do it.” “Huh?” “I’ll take the food down to the elf,” the ravenette explained the hood still covering her face.

“Are you sure, I mean he is the one who killed King Harrow,” the older woman said, “will you be alright?”

“I’ll be fine, I need closure and what’s a better way than facing his killer,” the teen said looking down at her hands, “Plus it’s not like we’ll talk much, I’m just delivering food.”

Without another word the female still donned in all black made her way to the kitchen to pick up the meal before making her way to the dungeons.

“Can you give us some privacy?” Rhamina asked the guards standing by the cell that held the king’s killer.

They gave her strange looks before nodding Rhamina patting one on the shoulder as he unlocked the cell door before walking down the hall.

Opening the cell door, the female saw the terrible condition of the elf.

‘Poor thing,’ she thought entering and closing the door behind her, setting the tray of food down momentarily so she could light the torch, ‘He was already beat up from the fight, did they have to make it worse?’

With light in the small room she looked back at the male to see his eyes still closed as he ignored her.

“I’m sorry all this happened to you,” the ravenette spoke quietly as she approached the male.

The male snapped his head up at the new voice and glared, stopping the girl in her tracks.

“Tell your master, I will say nothing,” he hissed glaring at her with turquoise orbs.

“I’m not here to interrogate you,” Rhamina spoke once again, “I’m just here to give you your food.”

She then kneeled in front of the elf as she took out a ring of keys from a pocket hidden in the skirt of her dress before unlocking the chains that held the male’s wrists up.

“What are you doing?” he asked with a glare as the female stood back up and moved towards the tray she left by the door.

“I’m sure it would be difficult to eat like that,” she said placing the tray in front of him before removing her hood, “and no I was not supposed to do that, so I suggest you eat quickly before the guards come back.”

“You!” he gasped as the girl sat against the wall with her face revealed, “You’re the girl from last night.”

“Yes?”

“Who are you?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

“I’m Rhamina Miyu, a maid of this castle,” she said not looking at him, “employed by King Harrow.”

“You know that’s not what I asked,” the male hissed still not moving towards the female.

“Then be more specific please and please just eat,” the ravenette said glancing at him as she brought her knees to her chest, “It’s bad enough with your injuries, I don’t want you malnourished as well.”

“That was the language of the ancients,” he explained, “How does a human like you even know of it?”

The ravenette sighed before turning her head to the male, “Eat first and I will answer your questions, otherwise I will stay silent.”

Slowly, the male reached towards the food on the tray and brought it to his mouth, his eyes not leaving the form of the female who had closed her eyes and leaned back on the wall.

“Mezame sa sou uta o, hito wa kokoro de kurikaesu,” the female began to sing softly as her pendant began to glow a soft purple, “Hikari kie ta sora ni, ai tomosu yo ni.”

“Inori sasage te mo, hito wa ayamachi kurikaseu,” she continued as the glow began to radiate and eventually reach the male who felt a comforting aura surround him, “Da kara yurushiaeru, nan do mo umare te yume o mi te.”

“Owari naki tabi no naka de, dare mo mina sagashi teru,” Slowly the wounds on the male’s body began to heal as the female continued her song and the glow of the pendant became more prominent, “kono inochi no imi o.”

The glow died down the elf was free from all his wounds except for his missing horn and only looked up at the female in shock.

“Why did you-” “I’m not answering until you finish your food.”

The male narrowed his eyes once again but did as told and after he finished asked, “Who are you?”

“I already answered that question-!”

Rhamina was cut off as she was tackled to the floor by the male with her wrists pinned to either side of her head.

“Stop playing dumb!” he hissed hovering just above the female who’s heart was starting to beat faster.

‘Shit!’ she thought, ‘Hot guy in my face! No, kill me now please!’

“And that necklace where the hell did you get it?” continued the male, “The one who gave it to me was a black fox.”

“Mhm, yeah very interesting,” the female yelped as her face began to heat up, “can you get off of me please?”

He looked down as his eyes met brown irises speckled with flecks of gold that sparkled as they caught the light of the single torch in the room and realization hit him.

“You’re that fox aren’t you?” he asked calming down and loosening his grip but at this point the female didn’t move.

She was too flustered for the closeness and the fact she had been caught.

Her head flicked up when she heard the distant sound of armor and she said, “They’re coming, please get off and get back. I’m sorry but I don’t know what I can do for you right now.”

The male agreed while keeping his now interested eyes on the female as she locked the chains around his wrists with a pained expression.

“Please forgive me,” she whispered into his ear as she placed the keys back into her pocket, “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Runaan,” he said earning a confused look from the female, “You asked for my name that day.”

As the female collected the tray the cell door was slammed open by Viren.

“Rhamina,” he greeted, “What are you doing here?”

“I just finished giving him his meal.”

“I’m surprised you volunteered to come down here,” the male said with a raised brow before looking to the glare of the elf.

“If I was going to get over it I needed to confront it,” the ravenette answered not turning to face the Lord.

“I see, you are free to go.”

Rhamina sent one more worried gaze towards the elf as she exited the cell and ascended the stairs.

Meanwhile, the four other human girls along with the princes and the female elf named Rayla were on their way to the Banther Lodge to get a cube Callum thought would be useful.

“Don’t worry it’s spring there won’t be any humans there,” the prince confidently stated, “It’s a winter lodge and it’s spring right now.”

“Callum, you’re going to jinx us,” Tijarah stated from her spot with the other four girls.

When the group arrived they looked around and Callum smirked.

“I told you,” he chirped as the others only sighed.

“Where is the cube so I can get it?” Rayla asked causing the boy to draw the room on a page from his art book before handing it to her.

“It’s in the game room.”

“Alright, I’ll be back in a bit,” the elf said pulling her hood over her head before moving towards the lodge.

After about ten minutes Chloe flicked her head to the treeline and Sam asked, “Are your Mina senses tingling?”

“No, but I sense danger for us,” Chloe said as a familiar figure came out from the trees followed by her troops.

“Oh, shit it’s Mom,” Kerstin said recognizing the armored female as she approached closer.

“What?” Callum asked turning to the treeline.

“Auntie Amaya!” both princes exclaimed once they saw the general of Katolis.

“I’m glad you all are safe,” Commander Gren translated as Amaya began signing things, “And you girls, isn’t Rhamina supposed to be with you?”

“Um, Mina got sick and wasn’t well enough to travel with us but she contacted us this morning and said she’ll be coming once she’s well enough,” Kerstin said thinking of a cover in literally two seconds.

“Has she been taking her vitamins?”

“Yeah, she just got caught in the rain,” Sam added as she leaned onto Kerstin, “You know how she is.”

“Poor girl and that immune system of hers, well we better get inside,” Gren translated as the female walked towards the door.

“Um, that door is locked,” Callum said, “So you can wait here for a few minutes, however long it takes to find a key-”

Before the male could finish his rambling the male Kicked down both doors with cheers from the four girls about her being a badass.

“I don’t believe in locks.”

After looking around Gren translated, “Someone’s here.”

At this point the group was pretty much panicking as Callum started acting really suspicious until Ezran stepped forward and said, “I skipped breakfast?”

The general gave a disappointed look as Gren translated, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

As the mother like figure walked to the kitchen three of the four girls glared at him as Tijarah whispered, “Next time let one of us do the talking.”

The next few hours went as bad as one could possibly think.

Rayla was discovered and captured; in order to escape Callum had unknowingly offended Rayla.

As the three were going down the river on a boat the four girls found another boat and followed them.

“What are you doing?!” Gren translated.

“It’s our job to stay with and protect the princes!” Sam yelled up.

“It was Dad’s last task for us and we’re going to keep with it!” Kerstin added as they followed down the river for them.

“You found it?” Callum asked as the elf tossed him a cube with runes for the six primal source of magic.

“It’s a toy,” Rayla sighed, “Probably from a children’s game. I hope it was worth it, risking everyone’s lives.”

“Guys, if Mom is going back to the castle won’t Mina be in a complicated situation?” Kerstin asked suddenly remembering their sister back home.

“Don’t worry about her,” Tijarah said as she laid at the bottom of their boat, “She can play it off being the devil she is.”

“And you’re one to talk,” Sam scoffed in reply flicking water at the female who screeched in response.

“At least I’m not thirsting for a creeps dick!”

“Lord Viren can call on me anytime,” Sam replied starting to act really inappropriate.

“Sam cut that out, Ezran is literally in the other boat!” Rhamina’s voice said as all the girls went to the edge of the boat to see the face of their sister in the water.

“Mina, what’s up?” Kerstin asked.

“Nothing, I just had a feeling Sam was being a reverse pedo, again,” Rhamina said, “I have to go though, so bye.”

Back in the castle Rhamina sighed as she looked back to the basin of water then back to her reflection in the mirror.

She was wearing one of her better looking dresses due to Viren’s unjust coordination.

“I really hope he burns,” she muttered as she put her hair into a low bun with two hair sticks, “But I have to keep up an act for now until I can get Runaan out and myself out safely.”

Rhamina stood in the crowd by the gates looking up at the balcony as the male stepped forward.

‘Oh how I wish to burn you to the ground,’ she thought as she felt a snarl build in her throat.

“People of Katolis, King Harrow’s death has wounded us deeply, but the loss of his sons is a greater injustice,” he spoke once again bringing rage to the female who fought to keep her aura restrained, “By taking the heirs to the throne, our enemies sought to leave us without a leader.”

“It would disgrace Harrow's memory to allow the kingdom he loved to be lost in darkness,” he continued as the female caught feeling of two familiar people, “Though it is a heavy burden, I will humbly take up the battle in Harrow's name. I will become Lord Protector of the realm.”

Rhamina could feel herself smirk as the sound of horses echoed throughout the filled courtyard and Gren exclaimed, “Stop! Stop the coronation! The princes are alive!”

“Mom!” the ravenette exclaimed as she looked up to the female general and her helper.

In a few minutes she, Viren, Rhamina, and Gren were all gathered in the throne room as Amaya began to chew out Viren for being shady.

“Then why don’t you take the throne?” Viren suggested, “I will support you one hundred percent!”

“The throne stays empty until the princes are found,” Gren translated causing Viren to leave with a huff.

Rhamina watched as the door closed before launching herself at the woman who was the only one to not be knocked over so far.

“I missed you, Mom!” she chirped as she looked up into the woman’s dark brown eyes.

“I missed you too but you knew about the princes being alive right? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Mom, my final orders from King Harrow were to keep Callum and Ezran safe,” Rhamina explained, “I can’t do that without a head now can I?”

The woman sighed before wrapping her arms around the seventeen-year-old tightly.

“Thank God you’re smart.”

At around midnight the ravenette made her way back down to the kitchen to grab a few slices of meat and bread before going back to the dungeons to be faced with the guards again.

“Miss Rhamina- what are you-” the male was cut off by his vision going black as his body slumped to the ground.

“I’d say sorry but it’s not like you’d remember this happened anyway,” the ravenette spoke as her pendant stopped glowing.

Quickly finding the ring of keys, Rhamina hastily unlocked the cell door and was met with open turquoise irises.

“Why are you still awake?” she asked as she walked over and unshackled his wrists.

“I should be asking you that question,” he replied as she stretched while the ravenette looked him over.

“No new injuries that’s good, did he ask what happened to your wounds?” Rhamina asked as she sat in front of the male.

“No, that man just seemed adamant on asking me repeated questions,” Runaan replied while watching the girl pull out a small parcel from her pockets.

“Here, it’s better than what you had earlier,” she said unwrapping it to reveal fresh bread and meat.

“Are you actually a human?” the male asked picking up the food.

“Of course I am, why do you ask?” Rhamina questioned as she played with the ends of her long hair.

“That aura from this morning and just a few hours ago,” he started in between bites, “That was yours. Humans cannot generate such strong auras. Along with the fact that when I first met you, you were a fox.”

“Who says it was mine?”

His raised a brow and the ravenette sighed, “Yeah, it was mine.”

“As for the fox thing though, magic does a lot,” the female shrugged who earned a small glare from the male.

“Must you keep lying?”

“If it avoids confrontation then yes,” Rhamina chuckled, “I suck at confrontation. Please forgive me.”

“I will if you answer me this,” Runaan said as he set down a piece of bread he was working on, “Why did you save me then and why do you continue to do so now?”

“There was no reason to, especially now,” he continued, “I am your enemy and I killed your king.”

“Okay, first off you aren’t my enemy,” Rhamina said, “You’re just another living being who is doing as their told. You haven’t done anything to me and I don’t think you will.”

“Second, I saved you because, well…” the ravenette sighed, “I don’t know. Back then I was just focused on surviving because I lived on the streets, well that’s what I kept trying to tell myself but I always found myself doing shit like that even if it could cost my life. It didn’t matter because back then I thought I was worth nothing so I had nothing to lose. Even now that the stakes are higher and I know I should just stay in my own business… I just don’t want this war anymore and the violence between the races. Personally though I think I got attached to you.”

She looked up at him as she continued, “It’s one of my many flaws, I get attached way too easily… I’m just… fuck me… I’m just fucking weak.”

“Even if I know I can’t do anything I still try and I’m disappointed by the results even if I knew it would happen,” she muttered, “Fuck, just kill me.”

“That’s not a flaw,” the male said watching the female start to spiral, “It’s a good trait to care for others the way you do. It’s a trait I wish the rest of your race had. Had it been that way then maybe this could have been different.”

“I like you,” she chuckled looking up to the male with a large smile, “I don’t care if you don’t see me the same way but you’re my friend now and there’s no escape.”

“I don’t think I would mind that,” he smiled back.

“Are you sure?” she asked with a raised brow, “I’m a handful and I’m really annoying.”

“I’m sure I’ve had worse,” the male chuckled as his mind went to a certain female elf in his team if assassins.

“... Bet,” the ravenette smirked, “I am able to drive off the forces of hell with how annoying I am.”

“So, who is this ‘worse’ you speak of?” Rhamina asked after a few moments of silence.

“Rayla, she’s the youngest elf on my team,” Runaan began with a small smile, “She’s like a daughter to me.”

“She was the elf that was with the boys, right?” the teen asked somehow remembering the female’s name amongst the chaos of the previous night.

“Yes, she’s very skilled. Perhaps more than any of us; however she hesitates,” explained Runaan as the ravenette nodded.

“I’m guessing that she’s still pretty innocent then,” she concluded, “Must be nice to actually value life like that. I’m jealous.”

“What do you mean?”

“As of now I could either kill with no meaning or have emotions override and I couldn’t bare the thought of taking a life,” the teen explained looking down at her hands, “I’m the ultimate hypocrite, I want this war and violence to end but at the same time if I was put under certain circumstances I would enjoy taking part in it.”

“Have you ever taken a life, Rhamina?”

The ravenette shook her head before speaking, “No, but I’ve come close and I don’t know how I feel about it.”

“Then you still have that innocence in you as well,” the male spoke earning a chuckle from the teen.

“I wish,” she replied looking longingly into nothing, “I’m only innocent in one aspect. My mind is broken and it will never be repaired. It broke quite a long time ago.”

“What is Xadia like?” she immediately asked again wanting the attention diverted from herself, “I’ve heard stories from the people here but I’m sure they are one hundred percent wrong.”

Still curious as to what the female meant, Runaan begrudgingly went on to describe the lands of Xadia that humans could no longer visit peacefully.

He described the beautiful forests, mountains, and lakes.

He described how magic was almost everywhere one could look and how his home village was.

“That must be so nice,” she sighed as she laid on the floor while looking up at the male, “I mean here isn’t that bad, there are some good people, some bad people that’s how it is. There’s a balance and people will try to disrupt it but it will always equal out.”

“Can I suggest something weird?” Rhamina asked as she sat up and turned to face the male.

“Go ahead.”

“The concept of Good and Evil doesn’t exist.”

“What?”

“I mean if you think about it those who are classified as villains do what they do for a cause they think is just in their moral system and actually see the hero as their villain,” she explained, “And vice versa. The concept of Good and Evil actually depends on all perspective. So if someone were to see both sides as they were there would be no Good and Evil only two people making changes based on their ideals.”

“However, there is no true way to completely understand this concept,” Rhamina sighed, “Because prejudice will always get in the way, even if one thinks they are completely unbiased they will always have an opinion that will sway them one way or another.”

As they continued to converse the sun began to rise and the ravenette sadly had to lock him back up before giving him a quick hug.

“I’ll see you in a few hours then.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

~~~Fin. Chapter 2~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warnings: None

Songs used: “Song of Healing” - Lost Song

Picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/153966880982052569/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[musetotheworld]

Supercat: Cat must help a dying Kara after she is stabbed with a kryptonite knife when she was protecting Cat (happy ending ofc).

Honestly, Kara is going to kill Cat one of these days.

(Okay, so the wince she made at even thinking that meant it probably wasn’t going to happen, but still. The woman is tiny and distressingly human, and yet she insists on provoking her enemies as if she has Kara’s invulnerability. And after the third time she’d had to save Cat from said enemies, Kara had been getting tired of it.)

On one hand she gets it. Cat’s greatest weapons are her words, and she wields them without hesitation. And angry people make mistakes, overlook the facts of a situation, and generally don’t think clearly enough to win. Especially when faced with a superpowered Kryptonian with a personal stake in the fight.

But on the other, angry enemies would fight harder than a calm one, and were far less likely to listen to reason. When Cat finished pissing them off, the only way to end things was with Kara knocking someone unconscious. And when the other side were humans, was almost harder to accomplish than when she ended up fighting aliens. Most aliens she could put through a wall or two, but humans weren’t built for something like that.

This time she’s pretty sure her opponent is alien, or maybe metahuman. She can’t tell for sure, but the strength behind the punches she’s taking is definitely more than a human can throw. The man appears relatively indistinct, dressed like any other corporate office worker she’d passed on her way to work.

He didn’t fight like one though, there was a confidence in every movement that spoke to years of practice, and his strength is clearly beyond any human in the room. Still, Kara can’t use her full strength to end this quickly. The last time she’d taken out a wall at CatCo she’d heard about it for a month.

After that she’d decided there was a definite downside to Cat knowing the truth, because the lectures hadn’t been limited to an occasional evening meeting on the balcony. No, she’d been lectured any time they crossed paths in the CatCo building. Any time Cat could slip in a comment about carelessness or attention to detail.

It didn’t help that the lecturing set the slow development of their relationship back what seemed like half a year. After the Daxamites, after the return from Washington, Kara had been sure they were heading somewhere specific. Towards something more than just boss and employee. And she’d really been looking forward to it.

Then the attack, and the accident, and the minor structural damage to CatCo’s main executive conference room. Suddenly the level of cutting comments went right back to around the time Siobhan had been Assistant #1, and Kara hated it. Even the fact Cat never went back to calling her Keira no matter how she sniped could make up for it.

The worst had only lasted a week, but that was enough for Kara. After that she’d been a lot more careful where her opponents landed after she landed a blow. Nothing was worse than an upset Cat Grant. At least when Kara avoided property damage someone else could take the blame for the disruption.

At times like these she wished Cat would make that a little easier on her, but then again if Cat kept quiet Kara would probably be worried she’d hit her head at some point during the attack. The woman had a system by now, one Kara had become far too familiar with for comfort.

A quip tossed out during the initial posturing, one that pissed off the threat of the week and got them to wax poetic about why they felt the need to come after the CEO. It would start with back and forth usually lasted about two minutes, and gave Kara the cover she needed to slip away unnoticed (Cat had pointed out with almost uncharacteristic kindness just how obvious some of her departures had been over the years, and since then Kara was making a concerted effort to be more discreet).

After that Supergirl would appear, seemingly attracted by the raised voices. A few quick introductory blows would be traded, Kara carefully gauging her opponent’s strength and physical durability while Cat watched from the sidelines, temporarily silent.

Once everyone understood what they were up against the fight would start in earnest. If things were calm enough Kara would try to talk whoever it was down and get them to surrender. It didn’t work often, but she felt better for trying.

More often than that, whatever the newest attacker had spouted off during the first exchange of words had Cat ready to spit fire. When that happened, as soon as it was obvious Kara wasn’t horribly outmatched Cat would chime in from the sidelines. No matter how Kara glared it never changed anything, and today was no exception.

“Cat, you’re not helping,” Kara calls as the woman tosses out another comment, ducking another blow before returning it with one of her own. She can’t quite find the right level of strength this time around, every punch she’s landed so far was shaken off as if it were nothing.

That resistance is a little concerning, but Kara isn’t too worried. The speed and strength of the man’s punches aren’t anywhere near dangerous to her, and the DEO is on the way to help if this takes much longer. Cat knows to call them in if the fight lasts longer than five minutes, and by Kara’s count they’re heading towards minute seven. Between two superpowered aliens and Alex’s personally trained strike team, even a higher damage resistance won’t be enough to protect the guy.

“Well obviously I’m not helping, do I look like I can kickbox in this skirt?” Cat says from where she’s crouched behind her reinforced desk. Kara might recognize that keeping Cat quiet during a fight is a lost cause, but she’s not going to let the woman remain unprotected while she tosses her comments around. A specially reinforced desk designed to stand up to even Kryptonian blows (at least the first few) and strict orders to stay behind it until the fight is over have managed to keep her safe so far.

“It’s not your help fighting I want, it’s-”

Kara stops talking abruptly as she feels a moment of disorientation, refocusing her complete attention on her opponent just in time to watch the Kryptonite blade sink into her stomach.

The sound of shouting echoes in the distance, barely audible over the rushing of blood in her ears as Kara sinks to her knees, one hand lifting to grab uselessly at the knife. She doesn’t have the strength to pull it out, not when she can feel the poison beginning to rush through her veins as the radiation spreads through her bloodstream.

A fist swings at her head, and Kara can’t move out of the way in time. It sends her sprawling back, a new wave of agony washing through her as the knife in her abdomen shifts. As she lands the room starts to spin around her. That seems like a bad thing, but Kara can’t focus enough to say why. Her brain feels like it’s floating away from the rest of her body, connected only by a line of pain that sends off sparks every time she takes a breath or shifts even slightly.

Warm hands cup her cheeks as new sounds start to make it past the pain. There are bullets firing, and familiar voices calling orders. The DEO must have arrived to finish the fight. That’s good. Alex and J’onn can handle the threat, and Kara can rest. Rest sounds wonderful right now. She can just close her eyes and drift off, and leave the pain and fighting behind for a while.

“Kara, you stay awake, do you hear me? Open your eyes, you are not dying on me.” If it were anyone other than Cat, or if Kara didn’t have years of responding instantly to a command from that voice, it wouldn’t have done any good. But Cat is asking something of her, and Kara would never want to disappoint. Not when Cat needs her. Not when Kara would fight the sun itself to keep a smile on Cat’s face.

“Okay,” Kara manages to slur out, forcing her eyes open to meet the concerned gaze.

There are tears in Cat’s eyes, and somehow that hurts more than the Kryptonite still poisoning her. Cat shouldn’t be crying. Kara is supposed to keep her happy. That’s all she’s wanted to do for years now. First as Cat’s assistant, and then as whatever they are to each other now. Maybe someday she’d have the chance to keep Cat happy as something more than just friends. But whatever the case, Kara hates to see Cat cry.

“You said no crying at work,” Kara says, moving one hand from where she’d been clutching the knife to trace along Cat’s cheek, trying to wipe the tears away. She leaves a streak of red behind that makes Cat flinch, and it takes a moment for Kara to realize it’s her blood. She’s bleeding. She shouldn’t be bleeding.

“I’m the boss, I get to make an exception,” Cat says, reaching down to press against the wound in a way that makes Kara hiss. “I’m sorry, I know, but we have to keep the pressure on until Alex can get here. She’ll know what to do.”

“Take it out,” Kara begs as a new wave of pain rushes through her. She can feel the Kryptonite steadily weakening her, and she needs it to be as far away as possible as quickly as possible. “Please, Cat, take it out.”

“If I do that you could bleed to death, we need to wait for Alex,” Cat whispers, looking torn. “They’ve almost got him, Kara. Just hold on for a few more minutes.”

“If you take it out, I’ll heal,” Kara promises. “Please, Cat.”

The seconds of indecision are agony, but Cat Grant has rarely hesitated in the face of crisis. Today is no different, and when the pleading in Kara’s voice finally breaks through and makes the decision for her, Cat acts quickly. With a single quick tug the knife is gone, and a quick toss has it spinning across the bullpen until it’s far enough that Kara doesn’t feel it anymore.

She can feel the lingering effects of the poison in her bloodstream, but without the actual substance nearby she’s starting to feel better already. The steady waves of pain from her abdomen are receding, and Kara knows the wound is slowly closing. She’s in no shape to rejoin the fight, but she trusts Alex and J’onn to take care of that.

“Oh, thank God,” Cat exclaims as the last of Kara’s skin heals over. “You aren’t allowed to worry me like that ever again.”

“I don’t think I can promise that,” Kara says as she slowly sits up, Cat helping until they’re both sitting upright and leaning back against one of the sofas. Cat’s arm is still around Kara’s shoulder, and in the distance she can hear sounds of victory from the DEO agents. That means Alex will be running through the door any second now, but Kara has a few moments.

It’s long enough to press a soft kiss to Cat’s lips, long enough to wait through the startled gasp at the contact, long enough for Cat to return the kiss. They’d been circling around this for far too long, and after today’s events Kara isn’t interested in circling any longer. She wants this, and they can figure out the rest later.

And maybe while they’re figuring that out, she can get Cat to stop taunting every second rate villain of the week and making Kara’s job harder.

After all, she has far more effective methods of persuasion available to her now. Ones Kara doubts Cat will argue with.

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Shieldmaiden, pt4

Word Count: 2511 Tags: @outside-the-government @distinguishedqueenofbooks, @anyakinamidala @dirajunara @anotherotter @youdonebeengarthed @auduna-druitt @samaxraph99 @rayleyanns @sistasarah-sallysaidso @feelmyroarrrr @kitchenwitchsuperwhovian @little-study-bug @graysonmalfoy @rampant-salamander @goodnightwife @ha-tep @fantiomaticsupertolkienlover

“I told you he would come around.” Fandral was smug. Coupled with the stooped walk he adopted as he chased Leif, Eira couldn’t help but laugh.

“He is still angry with Loki,” Eira countered. Fandral scooped Leif in his arms and stepped over the bench to sit down beside her. Leif crawled over his shoulder and reached for Eira, who was holding her hands out to the boy.

“Aye. That is going to take longer to blow over, Eira. Understandably.” Fandral gave her a pointed look. Eira nodded.

“But they are brothers, Fandral.”

“Isn’t is always a woman?” He winked. She rolled her eyes and stood.

“I should find Loki. He’ll think you’ve stolen me away,” she laughed. Leif reached for Fandral again, his cheerful smile falling away. Fandral rose as well, and rubbed his nose against Leif’s.

“Now, now, my boy. Be strong. Uncle Fandral will be here for a while, and anytime Mummy needs a break, you can come play,” he cooed. Leif’s smile returned, and Fandral looked over the ginger curls to make eye contact with Eira. “Truly, Eira. There is peace for now. Should you and Loki need time together without Leif, I would be happy –“

“No, Fandral. Loki needs to understand that there is to be no courtship here. We are wed, we have a child. There are no child-free escapes. He chose that for both of us. I appreciate the offer, but Loki needs to learn to cope.” Eira felt guilty saying it, but she wanted Loki to be able to stand on his own as a parent. He would need to be able to, since she was to remain a Valkyrie.

“The offer stands. Anytime, Eira. He is a sweet boy.”

Eira shook her head, a smile creeping across her features. “Who would have thought it would be Fandral who loved children so well? Fandral, the eternal bachelor, playing uncle to the littlest prince.”

“Don’t tell anyone. I’ll be dragged off to the altar before I realize what has hit me,” Fandral laughed. “Truth be told Eira, I love Leif. But I’m not over-fond of other children.”

“I think he is lovelier than other children, Fandral, but he is mine and I have a mother’s bias. Despite that, I don’t know why you think higher of him than other children,” she laughed with embarrassment. Fandral kissed Leif’s forehead and then pressed his lips to her own forehead.

“Must be my fondness for the biased mother, then,” he teased. Eira scoffed.

“Oh please!”

“Truly and sadly, you are immune to my charms. You are well-loved, Princess.” He leaned in to kiss her forehead again, and froze, his lips just a fraction away from her head. He stepped back and nodded over her shoulder, suddenly awkward. Eira saw the rigidity in his posture and turned, meeting Loki’s cold stare head on.

“She is well-loved, Fandral. By her rightful husband, an heir to Asgard,” Loki snarled. Eira flinched. Leif tensed in her arms, and threw his chubby arms around her throat, burying his face in hair she’d left loose. She could hear him sucking his fingers.

“Yes, that is what I was just saying. You must make your wife happy, Loki, that she can be so completely oblivious to my flirtation,” Fandral’s easy laugh was not strained, and Eira could feel the tension leaving her as he didn’t rise to Loki’s bait. Loki quirked an eyebrow at Fandral, and then the stiffness melted from his posture.

“I am a fool for doubting either of you. Fandral, you have always been honourable with Eira. Accept my apology,” Loki sighed. “I haven’t been sleeping, and have always been prone to suspicion.”

Fandral pulled Loki into a relaxed embrace. “A little mead, mixed with Valerian, and you will be sleeping soundly in no time. Eira taught me that when I couldn’t settle after I was wounded with that cursed blade.”

“Perhaps I will try that then. If you’ll excuse us, Fandral. I must have an audience with my wife.” Loki held out a hand to assist Eira to her feet. She gave him a confused look and called Leif to her before trailing after him back to their rooms. Loki poured her a glass of mead while she settled Leif for his nap. He was pacing in front of the table filled with her medical volumes when she came out of the nursery. He walked towards her with purpose and took her hand wordlessly. He led her to the edge of their bed and gestured for her to sit, then knelt in front of her.

“What is going on, Loki?” Eira’s brow wrinkled. “You emanate tension.”

“I am –“ he paused and huffed out a deep sigh. “I find myself –“ He trailed off again. Eira smiled, and took his hands in hers.

“Just speak, Loki. Without concern for how you say it.”

“I need to go,” he blurted, almost before Eira had finished speaking. Eira flinched.

“Where?”

“I just need to go. I have an itch, and before you, when I would feel the pull to wander, I could just go, and be gone. But with Leif, and you, I’ve been trying to stay, but I cannot sleep, I have no appetite. I’m a terrible husband, and a worse father. But I need to go, Eira.” The words came in a rush. Eira recoiled as though she had been slapped.

“Is it something I have done?” She blanched. She hadn’t felt that she was needy, but going from the freedom to do whatever he chose to being saddled with both a wife and a child might have been too much.

“No, Eira, that’s what I am trying to say. I have always been this way. I need isolation, at times. Just enough that I can focus my magic, focus my thoughts. Father will tell you, I’ve often gone and taken leave of court and Asgard. I have been trying to ignore the pull because of you and Leif.” Loki leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “I would not go, but my health is suffering.”

“Loki, I will not lie to you. I do not want you to go. You are only just becoming comfortable with your son,” Eira began. Loki drew in his breath to protest, and Eira laid her hand across his mouth to silence him. “But I have noticed how you are never in bed unless it is to make love. Your colour is poor; you’ve purple beneath your eyes. I have been trying Valerian in your evening mead with no effect. If you feel this will restore your health, you must go. I have your mother. Your brother is speaking to me again. I have my sisters. It will be well, so long as you are restored.”

“I am always taking from you, Eira. I truly do not deserve you.” Loki kissed her again. Eira nodded.

“On that you are correct, my prince,” she laughed. “How soon will you go?”

“I would like to leave tonight.” He was asking her permission. She nodded.

“I need to ride to Valkyrjahús before you go. I can be saddled and gone immediately.” Eira rose and gathered her small sack before turning back to Loki. “I will be back before Leif wakes.”

Eira hadn’t bothered to change into clothing more appropriate to riding, but instead hitched her skirts to mid-thigh as she mounted Fleygur. She galloped out to Valkyrjahús as fast as the horse would carry her, and rather than stabling him, she tied his reigns to the post by the main door. She headed directly to the armour room, knowing the women would be polishing dull steel, or sharpening blades, as they always did when the peace lasted too long. Bryn leapt to her feet when she saw Eira, dropping the leg armour she had been polishing.

“Sister! There has been no call,” she hugged Eira close. Eira returned the embrace.

“I have need of something from my kit,” Eira explained. “Loki is going off world for a journey, and I am in need of a durable memento. Who knows what trouble he will get up to. A scrap of my skirt will hardly suffice.”

She headed to her armour stand and unlaced the bronze plates of her torso armour, intending to take one from the skirt. Her hands stilled and she re-laced the loosened plates, instead pulling a dagger from her boot, and cutting one free from elsewhere on the armour. She slipped it into her sack before turning to leave.

“Surely you aren’t leaving already?” Kara complained. “We haven’t visited. I haven’t told you about Hrist and your brother!” Eira stopped dead in her tracks, and spun to face her friends.

“Hrist and my brother?” She asked, staring pointedly at Hrist. Her friend flushed and looked away.

“It just kind of happened, Eira. Last time we were in Valhalla,” she offered. Eira let out a loud laugh and shook her head.

“Of course it did.” She shook her head. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Oh yes.”

“Then you can tell me all the details when I come for a visit, tomorrow. But today, I need to ready my husband for his journey,” Eira smiled. She turned to head back to Fleygur.

“You’d best bring that boy of yours, Eira!” Bryn called after her. Eira waved in acknowledgement and spurred Fleygur back up to a gallop. She reined her horse in at the hilltop behind her mother’s lands, where Loki had first shown her the power of her magic. She slid from Fleygur’s back and sat, cross-legged, at the peak of the hill.

Eira laid the bronze plate on the grass in front of her, and then focused her magic. She had never used it for anything but healing, but she hoped that because her intentions were pure, the strange spell that had popped into her mind as soon as Loki had announced his need to travel would work. She dropped a few small slivers of a number of roots on top of the plate, and cupped her hands over the items. She pushed safety, strength, and love through her hands, and the roots, into the plate. A quick flare of heat made her pull her hands away, and she saw the roots had burned. When she brushed the blackened remains out of the way, they’d left a scar on the metal that looked a little like the first rune of her name had been combined with the first rune of Loki’s name. Satisfied that her spell had worked, she collected the plate back to her sack and remounted Fleygur for the ride home.

She strode back into the palace from the stables, and reached their rooms just as she heard Leif stir to crying from his nap. Loki was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and headed to the nursery, only to find Leif standing at the edge of his crib, watching Loki, who was sleeping in the chair beside the crib, a forgotten book in his lap. Eira’s heart softened. As hurtful as she was finding Loki’s departure, she had been worrying about him. She pressed a finger to Leif’s mouth to hush him and lifted him from his bed.

She was stretched out beside Leif on the floor, helping the drowsy boy play with a small wooden horse and longship when Loki shot out of the nursery, alarm etched across his pale features. He strode into the room, and when his eyes fell on Eira and Leif, he stopped, placing a hand against his chest.

“I don’t know what I thought, but I woke and Leif was gone,” he started, collapsing into the chair nearest him. Eira nodded.

“I didn’t want to wake you.” She gathered Leif’s toys and rose, hoisting the boy to her hip. “Maybe he will fall asleep now that he’s not got someone to try to wake up.”

When she returned from the nursery, Loki had removed his boots, and loosened the tie at his collar. His long legs were stretched out in front of him. He held a small mead cup up to Eira, and when she took it, tapped the edge with his own. “Health.”

“Strength,” Eira countered. She settled in beside him, nestling under the crook of his arm. Careful not to spill her drink, she placed it beside her before she rummaged in her sack for the bronze plate from her armour. She pulled it free and placed it in his lap.

“What is this?” Loki asked. Eira knew that he recognized what it was, that he was asking what it meant.

“That is from my armour,” she offered. Loki reached for it, and when he grasped it, immediately dropped it.

“You’ve enchanted it.” He traced a finger along the marking the spell had left, slowly wrapping his hand around it. She could see the tendons on the back of his hand raise as he grasped it. “It’s very basic, Eira. But strong. How did you learn this?”

“Healing is not but protection after the fact, Loki. Rather than attempting to cure harm, I have just charmed it to prevent harm.” Eira shrugged. The spell had come, unbidden.

“As a novice to forms of magic other than healing, you should not have been able to work a spell so strong, Eira. Even some of your healing magic is not this strong. There must be more to it. Did someone help you?” Loki’s tone was curious, and without accusation. Eira smiled.

“My healing magic is strongest for those I love. Healing magic draws on love, empathy, compassion,” Eira explained. It was insight she’d discovered on Vanaheim. Loki leaned back and gazed down at her.

“But this is so strong, it burned and then bound itself to me,” Loki breathed.

“Is it so hard to believe I could love you?” Eira laughed.

“I have lived in a shadow my entire life. I pulled you from his golden light to take as my own. I struggle to soothe my son, and am about to run from every trouble I have and abandon you. I do not deserve the love you are so freely offering.” He looked away, his eyes filling with tears.

“And yet I love you. And I would see you home again soon,” Eira took his chin in her hand and turned it back to force him to see her. “It is time you accept that you are deserving of love. And if you still feel unworthy of it, rise to the place where you can be proud to take my love freely. I hope you find peace while you are away, husband. You will be missed.”

Loki leaned down and kissed her softly. “My bed will be cold tonight without you,” he murmured against her lips.

“Then take me there now and be warm for the last time before you go. You can depart on the morrow,” she whispered back. “But stay tonight, and try to leave me with another babe in my womb.”

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Fallen Valkyrie, pt9

Word Count: 2785 Tags: @outside-the-government @distinguishedqueenofbooks, @anyakinamidala @dirajunara @anotherotter @youdonebeengarthed @auduna-druitt @samaxraph99 @rayleyanns @sistasarah-sallysaidso @feelmyroarrrr @kitchenwitchsuperwhovian @little-study-bug @graysonmalfoy @rampant-salamander

Brynhildr and Kara had been waiting at her home, talking with her mother when Eira returned with Thor and Loki. She bid the brothers goodbye, and stole into the workshop where she could hear her friends talking with her mother.

“Eira, you are just in time. I was telling your mother about this new plant and Bryn and I found while you were occupied healing Fandral.” Kara pointed to a large plant lying across Halla’s workbench. It had a bouquet of white flowers clustered together amongst its leaves that sprayed out from a common stem like a parasol. Eira looked at it closely, and felt the leaves. She smelled the flowers, which had a faintly sweet aroma.

“What is it, Mother?” Eira asked. Her plant identification skills were still weak. Halla smiled.

“You won’t believe it. We brought it simply because of the name,” Kara laughed. “It’s called Valkyrie’s Weed!”

“What is it for then?” Eira laughed. Kara flushed and Brynhildr laughed.

“It stays the pains from your flux, and also keeps men safe from the seduction of witches,” Halla explained.

“I do not understand how the name makes sense.” Eira was confused.

“Midgardians think we often seduce men to Valhalla, helping them to choose to die of their war wounds, rather than fight their wounds and live. A man who carries the root will not be lured by our apparent magic. And of course, if we are seducing their menfolk, we must be ensuring we are in happy condition, and not pained by our fluxes,” Brynhildr laughed.

“We have much attributed to us,” Eira stated, shaking her head.

“We thought you and Halla would want it for your garden, to see if it truly helps with the pain from our cycles. I would happily lure a Midgardian man to his death to be free from pain then,” Kara laughed and Brynhildr and Eira joined in agreement. Halla finished writing some information about the plant in her journal and took it to the garden to plant.

Kara and Brynhildr were about to leave when Eira remembered she had been planning on riding out to them.

“Before you go, sisters,” she started as they turned to the door. “I am in need of assistance. I must dress for a feast at the palace tonight. I have little to wear.” Eira felt a pang of desperation. She truly was not in possession of a single court dress.

“Lead us to your rooms, that we may see your clothing,” Kara demanded. Eira led them to where she stored her clothes, and Brynhildr and Kara began to rummage. Soon they had thrown a number of items across her bed. Brynhildr rummaged in a basket of jewelry while Kara sorted the items on the bed.

“This is your nicest undertunic, Eira. Look how white it is! Like you’ve never worn it. And the embroidery is so fine and beautiful. With this red hangarok, you will look stunning. We must put your hair up though; a lady never leaves it down at court. Bryn, does she have hair pins in that basket?” Kara tilted her head and appraised Eira carefully before shoving her down in a chair. She found a comb and started working through her hair, pulling and tugging and generally making Eira wish she could just leave her hair in the messy braid she preferred. Brynhildr handed Eira a pile of hairpins to hold and disappeared from the room without a word.

Kara finished tugging on Eira’s hair and then helped her change her clothing without destroying the careful work. She took the brooches and bead festoons that Brynhildr had chosen and pinned the straps of the hangarok to itself. Brynhildr swept back into the room breathless.

“I remembered that tunic and hangarok, Eira. It was the one you wore when you were welcomed to the Valkyries,” Bryn spoke, her eyes dancing. Girls did not begin to ride with the Valkyries until their courses had been regular for over a year, at which time a ceremony was held to welcome the new rider to the dozen. Eira hadn’t been far past childhood when her flux first became regular, so her special ceremonial dress still fit. And because of the beauty and expense of it, she had never felt comfortable wearing it for treating the sick. It had only been worn the single time. Bryn pulled a long rectangle of green wool from her pouch and unfolded it. She turned it so that Kara and Eira could see it.

It was covered in embroidery and appliqué. There was a large golden tree at the centre of the panel that Eira recognized was Yggdrasil, it’s limbs and roots and twisted and knotted. Surrounding the tree eternal was a beautiful circle of embroidered knots in all the colours found in the Bifrost. There were tiny gems sewn into the knots of the rainbow bridge that glinted when the sun hit them. Eira was breathtaken, and put a hand to her chest.

“The embroidery on your clothing was so beautiful, Eira. Is so beautiful, that I knew I had to make this panel as a gift to you to complement your hangarok, and the cuffs of your tunic. I poured years into it, working on it bit by bit, hoping you would find the honour to join us in your calling. Every time you rode out and escorted the dead, I added to it, hoping one day you would join us completely and there would be a time for me to gift this to you. And now you have. So this is my gift to you, sister, on your commitment to the sisters of Valhalla,” Brynhildr explained, and then stepped forward to pin it under the brooches of Eira’s hangarok.

“You mean for me to keep this?” Eira breathed.

“She has made a panel for each of us, Eira. This one is yours,” Kara smiled. Eira felt tears flood her eyes, and her lip began to tremble.

“I know not what I have done to deserve such love from you, my sisters. But I am honoured and glad for it.” She dashed the tears away and ran her hand across the beautiful handwork of the panel.

“All you have done is accepted your calling, finally. With grace and courage.” Brynhildr leaned forward and kissed her cheeks.

“You now look fitting of your role, Valkyrie. You are among the most beautiful in all the realms for the hardship of your labours adds to the flame of your allure,” Kara laughed. It was a line repeated when a woman was welcomed as a Valkyrie, and one Eira had forgotten. Eira laughed with her friends.

“You must be off, Eira, or you will be late to the merriment!” Brynhildr started, looking at the sun low on the horizon. Eira rushed to finish readying herself before riding to the palace.

The gates of the palace swung open as soon as Eira came near them, and a palace guard stepped out to greet her.

“Lady Eira. His Highness bids me escort you to the feast hall.” He offered her an arm. Eira took it wordlessly and let the guard lead her through the maze of the palace. When he led her into the hall, he nodded to Loki and turned to Eira. Eira saw him right away, but could not see Thor amongst the people gathered.

“Thank you,” she offered.

“I will leave you now, Lady Eira. Good night.” The guard bowed lightly and left. Loki stepped up to her side.

“You are a vision, Eira,” he complimented her. She blushed and looked around the room. She felt underdressed. Many of the women had more formal attire on, flowing gowns with trailing skirts. Eira’s dress, while beautiful, was a more functional garment. She said as much to Loki and he scoffed.

“You wear the traditional dress of our people, and you bring honour to it. You will not be the only one dressed thusly. Watch. You will see,” Loki foretold. Eira glanced around the room again, pretending to be admiring the other women’s dress, but actually looking for Thor. Fandral approached her, a light limp only visible to her barely slowing him. He threw his arms around her familiarly and kissed her loudly on both cheeks.

“Lady Eira, my salvation. I know Thor intended this as a celebration of my recovery, but I truly feel the honours tonight belong to you. And to Loki, of course,” Fandral nodded at Loki. Loki smirked his infuriating half grin at his friend.

“But more to Eira because she is a pretty girl, correct?” Loki teased. Fandral laughed and clapped him on the shoulder in agreement before walking to the mead casks to refill his drink.

“Loki, I hate to ask, but –“

“Thor has not arrived yet, Eira. He frequently plans these gatherings, but rarely makes it before the food is served,” Loki interrupted.

“Oh, I was confused, the guard said he had been ordered to escort me here,” Eira puzzled aloud.

“By my orders, Eira. I knew you were unfamiliar with the palace,” Loki sounded highly irritated.

“I am sorry to be a burden,” she stiffened.

“You mistake my ire, Eira. I’ve no quarrel with you. Just with the oaf I call brother for leaving you to flounder on your own.” Loki softened, and slipped his arm into hers, patting her with his free hand. “Come, there are many here for you to meet, and if Thor is so foolish as to be late, I will gladly do the honours.”

Loki took Eira around to the small groups of people socializing and introduced her. It was funny, and at the same time awkward for her, as he took great delight in informing people that the Midgardians were calling her a goddess. Some of the people were overly impressed with the introduction and immediately became obsequious, which delighted Loki even further, but mortified Eira. It was during one of those awkward introductions that she felt an arm slip through her free arm and looked over to see Thor smiling down at her.

“I must apologize. I got torn away to assist the Allfather with a task.” Thor kissed her cheek in greeting. Eira flushed and looked at her feet and then up to Loki, who suddenly dropped her arm. His easy-going smile vanished and the self-satisfied smirk he so often wore when he was annoyed appeared.

“I hope you have a lovely time, Eira. It was nice to mind you while my brother was busy.” He dipped his head in a mocking bow and backed away from the people they had been standing with.

“Loki, please wait.” Eira reached out to stop him, but he was too quick, and in a flash was away from them. She stared after him, wanting to stay with him but not really knowing why. He was moody and this was another time when his temperament hurt her. She bit her lip in frustration and watched as he made his way across the room. Thor squeezed her arm.

“Eira, don’t borrow trouble by worrying about Loki when he is in one of his moods. Come, you must try the mead.” He excused them from the couple that Eira and Loki had been talking to, and steered them toward the mead casks. He served her first, and then led her to the head table and seated her beside him for the feast. The meal was every bit as decadent as the feasts she served in Valhalla. Between courses, Eira tried to get Loki’s attention from where he sat on the other side of Thor, but had no luck. He was determinedly ignoring her.

The feast had been cleared away, and the room was filled with boisterous, socializing people. Loki had been right. When Odin and Frigga had entered for the meal, Frigga was wearing a similar outfit to her own. During the meal, Eira had been reassured by seeing many women dressed more traditionally. The elaborate dresses seemed to be more favoured by younger women seeking flirtation.

Fandral was positively draped in long, flowy dresses every time she saw him. Thor was deep in conversation with someone whose name she’d forgotten immediately upon introduction, and she cast her gaze around the room, seeking familiar faces again. She smiled as Fandral caught her eye. He waved, winked and patted his knee in invitation. She laughed, unlinked her arm from Thor’s and made her way to where Fandral sat. She gave a low mocking curtsey as she approached, a broad grin on her face.

“I believe you beckoned my presence, dear Fandral?” She teased. He laughed and pulled her into his lap.

“I am in my cups, my Eira. Should I apologize now for how I plan to love you?” Fandral flirted in response.

“I somehow think I have little to fear from you, fallegurstrákur,” she laughed. Fandral laughed and kissed her cheek.

“You admit you find me handsome, Eira!” He crowed. “I hold out hope that you might fall to my charms!”

“Everyone thinks you are handsome, Fandral,” she sighed, shaking her head. Fandral laughed again and waved a serving girl over.

“We need mead, for tonight we celebrate my resurrection at the hands of a goddess!” Fandral’s voice boomed across the room. Thor looked over, finally noticing Eira had excused herself and raised an eyebrow in question at her. She shook her head. She assumed he was wondering if she was content. When he nodded in return and turned back to his conversation, she knew she was correct. The serving girl handed a mead cup to Eira, and refilled Fandral’s large tankard from a pitcher she also carried. One of the girls who was hanging on Fandral’s every attention took careful assessment of Eira and spoke.

“You dress so traditionally, Lady Eira. You must be from the country.” The girl quirked an eyebrow at Eira’s dress and smirked. Eira immediately felt awkward, and stiffened. Fandral caught the slight and rubbed a hand on Eira’s back.

“Yes, Herleif. Eira’s manner of dress reminds men what they fight for, and makes them long for home when they are on campaign.” Fandral’s voice never lost its genial tone, but the words must have stung like a slap. The girl rolled her eyes and stormed away, her gaggle of friends following, leaving Eira and Fandral alone.

“Thank you, Fandral,” Eira murmured.

“Tis the truth. Whoever crafted your story panel is a remarkable talent. The gems make it shimmer just like the Bifrost at sunrise.” Fandral traced his fingers along the circular knotwork, stopping before he accidentally touched her breasts. Eira laughed again.

“For all you like people to think you are a rake, I suspect you are quite noble, Fandral.”

“Don’t let the ladies find out, my friend,” Fandral grinned, emphasizing the last word. “I would make a terrible husband, and they would suddenly seek to be wed.”

“I can’t see you banking a home fire for long, Fandral.” Loki appeared beside Fandral and Eira. Eira smiled broadly at his reappearance. She rose from her place on Fandral’s lap.

“Loki, I’ve been trying to track you down! Well, until Fandral distracted me with his huge ego and pretty words.” She reached for her friend’s arm. Loki offered it and excused them from Fandral, who was left quite sadly, alone. Eira knew it wouldn’t be for long. Loki led her to the cool air of the balcony. It was remarkably quiet.

“I owe you an apology, Eira,” Loki began. “I was unfair to you when my brother arrived. My words were unkind to you.”

“Loki, please, it-“

“Let me finish, Eira. Had those words been used against me, I would have felt like a burden. You are anything but. I am just frustrated that Thor feels it necessary to interrupt us so often. There is much I would learn about your magic, and I think much I could teach you. And it seems every time we are beginning to get somewhere, he interrupts,” Loki explained. Eira smiled.

“You don’t need to apologize, Loki. I would like very much to learn from you. As fond as I am of Thor, I was also frustrated when we were interrupted today.” Eira squeezed his arm compassionately. Loki smiled at her.

“You are better than either of us deserve. I hope he understands that.”

“It would seem that all the men of Asgard are determined to dizzy me with their flattery. What have I done to deserve such praise?” She pondered. Loki turned to face her, and placed a hand on her cheek.

“You are a goddess.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.