By the time Odin had finished explaining and answering questions, Esmeralda was not sure if she were supposed to be surprised, happy or simply baffled. It was neither common nor customary to have Aesirs knocking at your doorstep without you knowing it and their mere presence seemed to have shook her being. And for moments later she was delighted in honor by their stay and she offered them a hearty meal and Odin was glad with her hospitality. True enough, the three Aesirs and the “now-assumed-to-be-a-Vanir” had much to talk about, and Esmeralda was more than honored by having her home as lodging for them.
It helped that her father was on a three-day hunting trip so she would not be bothered by him giving vulgar comments, drinking so much and disappointing the divine guests. And it would also not help that her father would not be able to stop himself from telling someone that Aesirs and an assumed Vanir is staying in his house, that his daughter nursed an injured Vanir and more. It would be too embarrassing for her and she was afraid it would disappoint the gods. Odin was so kind… And so handsome indeed.
Esmeralda sighed.
He looked like a god indeed. He was so gentle. He was so calm. He was such a gentleman.
And she began to blush.
The cauldron began to boil in the fire as it hung on the stove to her right. With large potholders on her hands, she lifted its cover and began stirring. The beef was cooking well, she thought and she was pleased. She would cook a wonderful meal for Odin… And his group, of course. It might not be a feast but at least it would be hearty and tasty. Perhaps they would come back or bless her if she served them well.
“Excuse me…” Loki’s voice came from the kitchen door, “…Where is Nataku?”
“Oh!” Esmeralda turned, removing the potholders and wiping her hands on her apron before bowing, “I do not know for sure, my lord, but I think she went out.” Loki raised his eyebrows. Must everyone bow to him like this? Then he uttered a small “Thank you” before motioning to go out.
And he found Nataku sitting on the swing in the front porch as she looked up into the starless night sky. At first he hesitated but managed to walk up to her and say, “A penny for your thoughts.”
“Master Loki… I…” Nataku motioned to stand and bow when Loki landed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back to sitting. The battle Aesir said nothing and Loki wondered why there wasn’t any sign of insisting her respect on him but he bothered not to ask. The god of darkness sat and the wooden swing rocked a little.
The moments passed but neither of the two spoke. Loki was feeling awkward with the silence and said, “The hydrangeas are pretty, aren’t they? They used to be your favorite.”
“They still are… How do you know?” Nataku asked, a bit of curiosity in her tone. Loki bit his lip and stuttered but before he could grasp for any excuse whatsoever, the goddess of war then added, “Yet the hydrangeas do not suit a battle goddess.”
“That’s not true…” Loki said lowly.
“Who could have sent the Valkyries?” Nataku asked out of the blue, looking at the hydrangeas instead of Loki. She was asking no one in particular, probably only speaking to her self but Loki was bothered by it anyway.
“I give the orders to the Valkyries. Aside from me is Master Odin.” Nataku whispered, “And… I could not think of any other Aesir… who could… give such orders…” Then she bit her lip and turned away.
Loki was hurting. He was no fool not to know that it could have been either his Father or his Mother that could have sent the Valkyries. But why did they have to manhandle Goku like that? And why did Persephone attack him as well?
“I wasn’t informed about any of this…” Nataku continued, “I wonder why news never reached me about the Valkyries. Mercury could easily swoop down from Asgard and…” The battle Aesir stopped talking again and she gripped the chain of the swing suspended from the ceiling. Loki was not sure what else to say but Nataku spoke a little later.
“I have been loyal to the court of Asgard for as long as I could remember.” She recounted lowly as she continued looking at the night sky, “And this is the first time my Valkyries were sent out without me knowing why…”
“There was no war. No emergency.” Nataku continued, “The Valkyries were never sent out without authority. Cerberus came before the Valkyries did. If somebody did send them there, he or she should have known that… That the Valkyries were no match for Cerberus without strategy…”
“Yes, I agree…” Loki nodded accordingly and crossed his arms across his chest, “But it did not seem that the Valkyries were after Cerberus…”
“Indeed.” Nataku murmured, “They seemed to be after Goku. But why?”
Moments of bothering silence came again. Loki was getting uncomfortable with it coming and going. He was looking at Nataku and she seemed to be thinking.
“Could it be that Goku poses a threat to Asgard?” Nataku was talking to her self. Loki said nothing and she continued, “He was… He was sleeping on a rock… And for Asgard to send the Valkyries… Could he be a threat? Was it something so urgent that they could not inform me?”
“But…” Nataku continued, “If Son Goku did pose a threat to Asgard, why does he bear the mark of Gaea, the spirit of the Earth? And why did Persephone attack him with Cerberus? I do not understand.”
“The Effluence…” She muttered and her eyes widened as if coming to conclusion.
Loki said nothing.
“Is there something I shouldn’t know?” She asked in confusion, feeling a little betrayed by whoever sent her soldiers out and for her lack of briefing. Loki gulped hard and his heart thumped with it. His hands were sweating and he did not know what to say. And when he did not answer, she leaned towards him, looked him in the eye and asked again, “Is there something I shouldn’t know?”
Loki could see the betrayal she felt in her eyes but her sense of respect, her feeling of subordination and her upbringing of authority was stopping her from saying anything else. In her deep blue eyes showed questions she could not say and some of which he probably could not answer. But he hated her eyes this way. The mystery in her eyes was seeping out and the life it brought up was swirling away. All that’s left were confusion, hurt and betrayal…
And yet, the Aesir of Darkness did not know what to tell her. He had no proper answers for her. And for a moment he hated Asgard. He hated what his Father or his Mother did. He hated Persephone and Cerberus. He hated Silent Melody and he hated Fenris Fenrir…
“Nataku…” he whispered, taking his gaze away in fear of seeing more of the hurt in her eyes. The mystery suited her well but he did not want it there.
“I’m sorry to have intruded…” she straightened, gaining back much of her usual self as she straightened. Then for moments on, silence covered them thickly like a blanket. Then Nataku got up saying, “I am a soldier and the authorities make the decisions. I should not question them whatsoever.”
“Nataku.” Loki said, catching her wrist firmly and she stopped, “That’s not true.”
“It is not my business. I was not put in position to think of such matters.” She said again, not facing him, “I was put in position to carry out orders. Forgive my intrusion.”
“You were never my soldier, Nataku.”
“If you have no more orders, my lord, I wish to take leave.”
Loki said nothing and released Nataku’s wrist and she left the god of darkness thinking and sitting on the swing. He looked up into the night sky and there he found a single star making itself known as the first star to shine that night.
Could it be possible? That Son Goku was the bearer of the Ragnarok? The new Fenris Fenrir?
There are things about the Effluence that were never made clear. And he was not sure whether or not this search had any meaning or not.
But there are things that they said Nataku should not know…