Loki Passage 6

6.

Loki had often slept in the barn not for its comfort, but to be away from his so named half brothers. Since he was age of four, he was often awaken by them in the middle of the night. They complained of mumblings during his sleep that disturbed them. He can’t help himself as in his dream state, he was met by the ones he had found love. Most times when he closed his eyes, he found himself at the cold valley where a house that was bigger and higher than the one he shared with his half brothers. He would run to the house to meet the occupants; a family of four who loved him. They were a couple with two older boys.

“Mother, it’s me.” Loki would call out to the lady seated there. She looked so much taller, and bigger compared to Frigg. She would scoop and laid him on her bosom. It was then he would feel the tugging of his limbs by the two lads asking him to go and play with them. He would jump off her bosom and followed the duo to the door of the house. They would run outside, and found themselves facing a group of riders with weapons. Loki turned to run and saw the elder duo have charged out.

“No!” Loki remembered the next stage of the dream. It was happening like it did every night. The riders speared the two elder before they could reach the horses. Then the next to fall were the two young ones. Loki screamed but the riders ignore him. They just turned their horses and rode off.

Loki would then wake up with his body covered with sweats.

She would be there.

The lady would be wearing the green gown and the red striped cloak.

The lady would hold out her arms to him.

It was only her who could comfort him.

“Loki, you are protected by me.” The lady named Gullvieg told the boy.

“Who are you?” Loki asked when he first met the lady in his dream.

“I am your Godmother.” Lady Gullvieg replied. “I knew your parents before they were killed. I would take care of you now that you are alone.”

“You knew my parents? Who are they?” Loki was adamant on knowing his true origin. He rushed to the lady in his dream but she disappeared. She did for a few times whenever he had the same dream, until one day, she remained there to explain to him. She told him of his parents and how they died.

“You lied. My father is Odin. He brought me here.” Loki denied the words spoken to him while the Lady left him at that. She was to avoid him while he underwent the same dream for nights. One night, she appeared back to him but did not speak. He approached her and asked her to tell him the truth.

“What I had said is the truth and be it you believed it or not, does not matter. I am still here as your Godmother.” Lady 

Gullvieg replied to him. “I would comfort you like your mother.”

Soon he forgot about the issue with his parents, while he found new comfort with the Lady. Lady Gullvieg was later to show him some of her crafts. He was taken in by her, and soon become her apprentice. She taught him some magical spells, mostly on talking to the creatures in the forest. She told him, that the basic communication with them could yield results. He began to talking to the creatures close to him like the hare, and then the mice. He found difficulty He moved from there to the smaller creatures in the forest.

But his tranquility was disturbed by Thor’s remark, and made him question his origin again. He was back at the lake, when a stranger approached him. He had seen that person before but were never told who he was.

“I am Njord, Loki.” The man told him while he took the place next to Loki. “I am …..Odin’s friend.”

Njord held back his words from father to the name, for he feared that the boy would not take to him if he said Odin was the father. He sensed conflict in the boy’s mind, and did not want to pursue it more.

“I would …” Njord tried to tell the boy, but he had stood up to move away. Njord tried to stop the boy, but he held back. He then heard the voice behind him.

“Njord of Vanir.” Lady Gullvieg appeared before him. “Loki is mine. You would not interfere in the child.”

“Volva!” Njord called out on the ancient nickname for the Lady. “You have poisoned his mind.”

“Nay, I have not. I am just trying to put right a wrong for the child. He is not of Asgard, but of the Frost Giant. Odin think by taking care of him would relinquish him of his guilt, he is wrong.”  Lady Gullvieg argued back. “Loki would be his bane.”

“Volva,” Njord refused to call her by her name. “What did Odin do to you that you would have your vengeance on him?”

“It’s none of your business, Vanir.” Lady Gullvieg turned to move away. She then stopped herself in mid-stride. “The child is mine.”

“Odin is the lover of my daughter. His issue is also mine.” Njord shouted out and then called on the spell of fire to strike at the lady, but she had vanished. His fire dissipated on the ground where the lady stood. He scanned the area for her 

magical trail, but there were none seen. He looked to the trail taken by Loki but the boy was also not seen.

“I must seek to know this boy more.” Njord muttered to himself.

Unknown to him, Frigg had also sensed the vibration in the land; she was also like her father, a sorceress. She checked the place for her son and also of Loki. Then she saw him standing by the barn. He was talking to someone but she could not see who. It was then she got the feeling that the vibes came from Loki. She tried to recalled the day, and remembered it was end of Loki’ fifth year. It’s was like turning a new phase in his life. She had loved the boy, but she was never comfortable when he grew. She had reservation that he may be their enemy one day. Thor never liked the young one, and often find faults with him. It was that which drove her to get to know Loki more.

It was the beginning of Loki new phase and the concern of three person into his life.