intotheshadowblog

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter XV Laufey

A few months later…

Írimé and Loki had become inseparable, they were the personification of the opposite poles of the Universe magically attracted until they merged into one. They were the two sides of the same thing and so they were the same thing.

She the light, the purity and the peace, he the shadows, the cunning and the chaos.

They had found their union in their differences. They were born to be together

Sometimes they both stopped to think about how they had come so far, sometimes they remembered that moment when they had met for the first time and laughed together knowing they were so much in love.

That morning Loki had woken up early, there, in the highest mountains outside Asgard, in that place they had made their own home and where they felt safe, far from everyone, in that cabin in the middle of that frozen place

Irime was still waiting for news from Alfheim and continued as ambassador of her world in Asgard and every once in a while, she and Loki escaped together towards those mountains where nobody could disturb them.

They had their own world there and it was just the two of them.

Íirmë had remained in bed, covered by the furs and next to that magically suspended fire in the air, which Loki always lit when he left. Because when he walked away the cold tormented young woman and then he left that magic bonfire until his return.

She was holding the book on her lap while writing, she had decided to put into words that distant encounter with that baby in Jotunheim, with whom she no longer had any hope of reunion, even so it was impossible to forget:

"And there was little Jotnun frozen by the cold of the mountains but safe from all ...

And suddenly a warm breeze enveloped her and she closed her eyes guessing who it was, when she opened them Loki's hair brushed her skin while listening to his voice that was continuing the paragraph:

"... on that bed of leaves that had sheltered him with sweet magic and kept him alive ..."

Irime turned her face to meet Loki's sweet eyes and mischievous smile, which stroked the writing with his index finger.

-It's beautiful ... it look like us right? Nestled in an icy mountain, safe from all ... magically intertwined ...

He said mischievously and Irime clapped him gently on the shoulder

-Loki ...

He laughed pretending innocence

-What? What did I say?

She smiled again as she stroked his hair, but he returned to the paper with his gaze fixed on those words ...

-It's really very beautiful ... I can see it ...

Young woman sighed ashamed

-The little Jotun who slept on that laufey who at the same time protected him ...

Irime frowned

-Laufey? What does it mean?

-It is a word that we use figuratively to say a bed of leaves ... it is poetic ... in this case we could say that his mother turned into a bed of leaves gave him shelter until you found him ...

Irime looked at him with more sweetness than before

-It is very beautiful…

She told him without caressing his hair, then he gently surrounded the face of young woman and brought his lips close to her.

-Like you…

They both brushed their noses with love

-Loki ...

She murmured in a whisper when she knew what followed that warm approach of their naked bodies that already throbbed for their proximity.

-You'll find him…

He said to her in another whisper but she didn't answer, she couldn't think about it at that moment because it would flood her soul with sadness and she had decided to allow herself a little happiness. Because she had given up that hope when she had accepted her love for him, deep down in her soul she still looked for him and sometimes woke up in the middle of the night believing that she had found him, so she looked at Loki beside her, calmly asleep and she felt that somewhere else his other Jotun could be asleep next to someone else and then she would rest her head on the pillow to go back to sleep with the image of his love before her eyes and the memory of the one she had lost forever.

The book fell to one side and they both melted into a magical kiss ... they made love because it was all they had, that was all they wanted, they had each other and they didn't need anything else

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter XIV  Where shadows meet light

Írimë was in the palace library.

 She had always found peace in the libraries in Alfheim and in Asgard things had not changed.

 Reading recreated her spirit but this time her reading had a different objective.

 At first she had tried to find out more about Heimdal, because even though it had been a long time since that meeting and how much it had cost her to recover from that episode, her heart was still clinging to the idea of ​​finding out what her fainting had meant.

 She couldn't remember anything more than that but she understood that there was something else and that everyone was trying to hide it from her, either because they were afraid it would hurt to find out or because they didn't understand it.

 But seeing that there was no progress on that topic and abandoning the idea of ​​someone helping her with that, her heart resumed her pirmer and only objective since she had memory and was to find out the whereabouts of her protégé, her helpless Jotun abandoned in that temple .

 She had traveled many worlds and searched all of them, perhaps in Asgard, whose library was the largest of the nine kingdoms, could find something that would bring her closer to her search.

 Also in the last two days she had not heard from Loki and this saddened her greatly.

 Since her arrival they had spent almost every day together, except for that estrangement after the visit to the temple in the mountains they had not separated again, until now.

 They had toured the gardens, had visited the outskirts of the city, gazed at the stars from the palace terrace, and had even dared to go further by crossing some portals to other kingdoms.

All this with the greatest complicity and provoking the inevitable approach that had led them to see themselves as more than just the guest and the host.

 Maybe this was what had caused the estrangement, she thought.

 And as she turned the pages of that book that told the story of the creation of Midgard and its inhabitants, Loki's harmonious voice made her heart beat. This feeling even though it was still new to her was becoming familiar to her and she had stopped wondering why she felt it.

 -This is my favorite place too ...

 He had said as he stood next to her.

 Irime bowed to him and turned her eyes to the book, Loki realized her indifference

 -I'm sorry I left these days, I had some business to attend to

 Irime looked at him for a few seconds and gave him a forced smile, she turned her eyes to his book, Loki sighed

 -May I know what you read?

 He said approaching her, but Írimë stepped back and closing the book she looked at him seriously

 -Why would you want to know?

 Loki shrugged but did not reply.

 -Why would you really want to be by my side?

 The prince's eyes denoted his puzzlement

 -I know how you feel Loki ...

 She continued with a frown and those words seemed to surprise him.

 -I am a guest in your world but I am not welcome ... I know that you have been kind to me and I have enjoyed each of our meetings but I am not going to ask you to feel the same, I release you from the obligation to accompany me only out of courtesy ...

 Loki smiled almost relieved because for a moment he had feared that she had entered his head again

 -I don't do it out of courtesy, I really appreciate our moments together ...

 Írimë looked at him and twisting her head to one side she smiled

 -You are still gentle ... I appreciate that but ... you don't have to keep pretending

 -I'm not pretending why do you think that?

Irime put the book back on its shelf and looked sadly at Loki.

 -I come from a different world from yours, my nature is not at all what you have known until now ... I am a stranger in Asgar.

 Loki listened to her in silence

 -I don't expect you to appreciate me, I know how you feel about the Jotnar ... our history separates us ...

 And saying this she walked away, she had only taken a few steps towards the exit when she heard his voice again

 -Sorry…

 She turned with deep sorrow and smiled sadly

 -I can understand it ... you don't have to worry ...

 Loki hurriedly shook his head

 -You don't understand ... it's not that ... I know you're a friend of the Jotnar and that you see them in a way that I can't see them but that's not what has kept me away these days ...

 Írimë shook her head at the sides in confusion.

 -Then what is Loki? I came to feel pleased with our walks, I feel comfortable with you but I want to clarify my ideas ... there is nothing to say ...

 And pointed to the library shelves

 -You know what I was doing? I was looking for something to take me to my protégé, my baby Jotun ... I am desperately looking for a Jotun ... And he is no longer a baby, I know that... if you helped me find him, what would you do? Would you greet him with a hug? What would Thor or Odin do? He would be an enemy and then they would face me ...

 And while saying this her eyes were wet, Loki remained silent.

 -You see it? This is my life, I am the last person you want to be with ...

 Loki ducked his head before speaking and when he raised it Irime could glimpse all his sadness but still his gesture was majestic.

 -And you think that we would be enemies if this happened ... because you would always choose him ...

And he said this with immense sorrow, Írime raised her eyebrows upon hearing it

 -It's my destiny Loki! What else could i do? I have chosen to protect the Jotnar a long time ago, at first it was because I felt indebted to them but then ... they began to be part of my family ... I knew that this was my place in the world ... it still is ... and if ...

 And as she said this s felt her soul break into a thousand pieces

 -I would choose him ...

 Saying this, Loki took a breath, seemed to want to overcome what he had heard, at that moment he knew how much he cared about that young woman and how much suffering it caused him to hear her say that. He had fallen in love with someone who would always see him as an enemy, that's what he felt.

 In turn, poor Irime felt that her soul was shattered into a thousand pieces, she could feel the pain of the tear. The pain of seeing Loki with sad eyes was terrible and she could hardly bear it, because in reality she had not answered him with the truth, she knew it just then.

She had said out loud that she would choose the Jotun because that was her duty but within her soul, her voice had shouted the opposite. She had said in a desperate cry that no, that she chose him, Loki, that she broke with the eternal bond that bound her to her protégé and that with this she broke with her own nature.

 Loki had not heard her say this but knew that Iluvatar had heard her, all hope of reunion, of forgiveness, all possibility that her lord would allow her to meet again with that soul she had chosen so long ago, vanished in an instant and she knew she had definitely failed, she no longer had hopes of recovering her beloved Jotun but she also renounced that her love for Loki would see the light someday, again, like that night in Jotunheim, in a second she had lost what she loved the most in the world twice.

 She did not know that it was that interior response that had told Iluvatar that she was ready for the reunion with her protégé, because she had chosen him to Loki beyond what she supposed as her duty to Istari, Irime had chosen Again who to protect and it was Jotun himself, even though she didn't know it, her choice had been confirmed

And after all this, Loki sighed again and nodded approvingly at her words.

 -I understand that you feel that you would not be on my side ... and maybe you should face Thor and Odin but you do not know me Írimë, I am not on anyone's side ... my side is the side I choose when I decide to do it and if you asked me, I would be on your side to face whoever, even if it means being on the side of my enemies ...

 Írime frowned when she heard him, she couldn't believe that he was offering her help for something so opposite to him.

 Loki continued:

 -I have dealt with hatred, contempt and even with the desire for revenge, I have known how to defend myself from insults and I have struggled not to succumb to the pain caused by having forgotten my past ... I have never felt that I belong anywhere .. ... and I have accepted that ...

 Irime was deeply moved by his words, for the first time he was confessing his pain, his frustrations, it was more than she had expected.

 -I have acquired powerful skills, I have become more dangerous than anyone imagines ... but I have never felt safe ... until you arrived ...

 Irime felt a pain in her chest, a combination of joy and sorrow at the same time

 -And even when you see me as an enemy, I am not ... I would not face you because I have never faced anything like this ... I have been able to face the shadows ... I walked between them ... but I had never faced so much light ...

 He said almost as if his voice were tearing at that phrase

 -That's the answer why I walked away ... I'm afraid if I don't walk away my shadows will reach you and my darkness will turn off that light forever ...

 The Istari felt her eyes fill with tears, she stood there for a few seconds, saying nothing, then took a breath and slowly approached him, reached out her tremula hand and tried to touch his face while his own face came close enough as if to mix their breaths, he remained still and silent, she almost got dizzy from his proximity, she could not help approaching him and realemte she wanted to kiss him

-You are not my enemy Loki ... and if you can see my light maybe I can dispel your shadows ... let me help you ... don't stay away from me ...

 Irime's words reminded him of Frigga's advice, perhaps his mother had seen that this was possible, he did not know, but he could not accept it, could not risk destroying what had captivated him for the first time in life , so as soon as her hand almost brushed his cheek and her face had almost touched his he moved away avoiding her contact

 -You can not help me…

 He said firmly.

 The young woman felt terribly hurt by his rejection and also left his side, trembling, letting out tears that were gathering in her eyes, looked at him and broke into tears, walked away as fast as she could.

 She ran downstairs and crossed the halls of the palace, went out into the gardens and did not stop, even though she heard Loki's voice shouting her name did not stop running or crying.

 Loki stood there calling to her, standing, until his entire being forced him to go after her.

 He understood that if he did not do it he would lose her forever and even when he did not want to do it and he knew that extinguishing her light was the same as dying, and that he was willing to die but not to cause any harm to her ... even knowing that at that moment he surrendered at his will and he only knew that he had to go after her.

Irime got into that beautiful maze of ligustrines that was in the middle of the huge garden and kept running, until she felt someone grab her tight and push her towards one of the leaf walls of the maze.

  She was agitated and bathed in tears, and squeezing her eyes she tried to wriggle out of Loki's arms that held her tight

  -Sorry, I didn't want to ... let me go ...

  She said to him between sobs and with her head down because of the shame she felt for having come so close and showing her feelings

  -I can't ... I can't let you go, it's too late for that ...

  She felt how his hand forced her to raise her head and slowly opened her eyes, she saw Loki's eyes through her tears and he was also crying, suddenly the pain stuck in her soul and his crying was more important than anything else. she could have felt and felt terrible for provoking him.

  -We are lost ... both of us ...

  She heard him whisper as in her terrible confusion she saw him approach her and she almost lost consciousness when she felt the warmth of his breath mix with hers and his lips brushed her lips, they felt frozen like frost and she jumped when feeling them but he prevented her from walking away squeezing them in a tender kiss first and then passionate. Then they became hot and burned her like a burning flame.

With her eyes closed again she let herself be carried away by that strange but incredible feeling, she felt that kiss in every corner of her soul, every fiber of her spirit was shaken invaded by that intrusive and inexplicable feeling. Her soul searched the depths of that darkness and tried to dance in its shadows, she wanted to connect with that abyss that enveloped him and that for some reason was not alien to her. She faced that ancient pain and stroked it so that he would understand that from that moment her arms would always be there to shelter him. And before she returned, she left her torch on so that the mists began to dissipate.

   All that Irime did while that eternal moment of connection between the two lasted.

   When his kiss consumed her breath and each beat of her heart told her how far her incandescent spirit nature had fallen, then she opened her eyes little by little and at that distance Loki's wet eyes seemed like suns that exploded in the gap of the horizon , flashing a sunrise that she had never seen but that she wanted to continue seeing forever.

   Neither of them walked away as if they were tied by an invisible but powerful bond that bound them inevitably, entity.

   Words were not necessary.

   Then Loki began to walk away slowly and even brushing his lips with hers he said in a sensual murmur.

   -You have found the way to my shadows ... I can no longer let you go ... forgive me

   And Irime trying to catch some breath she forced herself to pronounce the words that didn't seem to want to stop dancing in her dizzy head.

   -Don't let me go ... never let me go ...

   She said and he kissed her again passionately

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter XIII Írimë finds a friend

After that conversation with Loki things had been very different for Irime.

 Now she harbored a firm hope about her mission, thought that the possibility of having failed was perhaps not real, she was clinging to a new hope.

 Time had passed and the young woman was already recovered, her Lady Elbereth had not returned from Alfheim and the mission had taken a different turn.

 Suddenly the idea of ​​new negotiations had been left behind and the meetings with Odin to discuss the truce had not been repeated.

 Irime constantly received news from Alfheim and expected new orders but these were always the same, she had to wait for the return of her lady and meanwhile generate good relations with the inhabitants of Asgard since they king had decided to allow her to stay in his kingdom, perhaps At the queen's insistence, everyone thought.

 Irime imagined that this had a meaning, that her Lords had not forgotten it there but were meditating on the next movement. So over time that idea became a conviction and little by little those days of doubt and obligation were behind us.

 What had not changed was that feeling of betrayal her soul felt, she was still a guest in the house of her enemies.

 For this reason, she tried to make it clear who she was and constantly watched Thor.

 She had befriended Lady Sif, his wife, and was constantly having conversations about Jotunheim and her version of the stories told by Odin

Lady Sif was someone she had learned to trust.

 Her relationship with Loki had also grown, as had her certainty that by now she was hopelessly in love with him.

 Loki was still elusive and taciturn, with that lost look and that darkness that enveloped him every time young woman tried to approach him.

 It was not a real rejection, it was not that he did not feel something for her, that was clear, she could feel it, but something took him away from her, it was a fact that she did not seem to be able to change.

 Loki remained hidden behind his shadows.

 That morning Irime and Lady Sif had met in the palace and conversed assiduously while drinking mead.

 -I love listening to your stories, they really are revealing to me

 Irime replied with a bow

 "The pleasure is mine, Lady Sif. It is an honor that you wish I share my stories with you, especially when ..."

 And she stopped because she felt that she shouldn't go too far in her statements, but Sif understood her discomfort and smiled

 -Especially when I'm Thor's wife?

 Irime felt ashamed, the lady was too kind to attack her in any way, having her friendship was really valuable to her and she did not want to disturb her

 -I didn't mean to offend you ...

 -No…

 Interrupted her

 -I understand what you mean and I also understand that it must be difficult for you to start these conversations with me, but let me tell you that I do not ignore the things Thor has done in Jotunheim and I do not approve of them either

 Irime breathed relief

 -I do not defend my husband in everything he does, I have my own opinions ...

 And took a sip of the drink

-In truth, we have always been told that the giants of Jotunheim were our enemies and it never occurred to me to doubt it but the things you tell me have completely changed my way of seeing them, believe me Irime, I am willing to accept that some things are not as they told us ...

 -It is encouraging that you are able to understand, it means a lot to me ...

 -I know…

 Lady Sif continued

 -I can see in your eyes how much you love them, your words are sincere and I have no reason to doubt what you say ... but believe me Irime, in reality Thor is not as evil as you can believe, even his mother was a Jotun, he responds to Odin's orders and attacking Jotunheim has always been aimed at showing who is in command and it has not been something he has decided to do of his own free will… in fact, he even admires you…

 Irime raised her eyebrows upon hearing that.

 -It's the truth, more than once, when he returned from Jotunheim and confronted you, he has shown his respect towards you, he knows that you have fought bravely for your convictions and he recognizes that you are powerful too, Thor has a habit of respecting his opponents even when you don't love losing the battle ...

 -I never wanted to hurt anyone ...

 -I know ... and you've tried to reason with Thor more than once ... he told me

 Irime nodded sadly

 -But if he has not accepted, and I am not justifying his actions, it was because Odin never allowed him to do it ... a truce with Jotunheim is something that has never been in the plans of the Father of everything ...

 Irime nodded again now with more regret than before

 -I'm sorry to tell you this dear Irime but none of us consider that your mission can be successful ...

 Irime ducked her head nodding at her words, she better than anyone knew that Odin would be unable to accept the union between the two worlds and she knew the reasons

Lady Sif sighed before continuing

 -Well ... Thor is not really the only one who admires you ...

 Irime raised her head upon hearing her say that

 -Loki has turned his attention to the stories of Thor when he returned from a trip to Jotunheim and I have seen that flash in his eyes every time he mentioned that mysterious protector of the Jotnar

 Irime blushed at hearing her say this and Lady Sif wouldn't let it go

 -And from what I see the desire for attention is mutual ... which seems incredibly revealing to me too ...

 The young woman was nervous to hear this and tried to get away from the conversation

 -It is very flattering for me that the princes of Asgard have so much respect for me ... I have only been faithful to my nature and ...

 -You don't have to explain anything to me ...

 Both ladies looked at each other for a few seconds in silence then Irime was the one who spoke

 -I wish you were right, I really want Loki to feel comfortable with my presence here but I think I have done nothing but disturb him ...

 Sif frowned at her

 -He is very kind to me and he has never told me otherwise but I can feel his desire to keep his distance ... I know how much he hates the Jotnar and I am very afraid that he will never see me as someone with whom I feel like being ...

 Lady Sif sighed again

 -Loki has always been complex to understand ... do not worry about his disdain, I think that over time you will discover that he hides from those who matter most, the rest only serves him to make mischief ...

 Irime almost smiled at her words but said nothing and Sif respected her right to remain silent.

 -But what I don't understand ...

 She said trying to change the tense atmosphere in which the conversation had sunk

 -It is because Odin would lie about the Jotnar ...

 Irime was silent once more but Lady Sif insisted

 -I would like to know your opinion without fear that I may betray our trust

Young Istar�� doubted again but her spirit gave her the confidence to trust that Sif did not represent any danger.

 -Maybe because he knows they are powerful ...

 Sif nodded thoughtfully

 "Do you think Odin fears that the Jotnar may usurp his throne?"

 Irime smiled

 -No, and if he believed it he would be in a huge mistake, the Jotnar would never take anything that was not their, I think he wants to keep them away for something else ... maybe he fears that the Jotnar reveal something  he does not want to be revealed ... keeping them away ensures that his secret is safe ...

 Sif nodded again

 -Maybe I should be more faithful to our king but the truth is that I have never completely trusted him, he exerts too much influence on Thor and I try to keep the balance between his strength and his mercy, Thor is benevolent but Odin's angry character dominates his will ... I have always tried to keep him away from that anger that drags him towards madness ...

 She paused again

 -Also I know that Odin keeps secrets, I have been aware of this for a long time, I would not be surprised if some matter with the Jotnar is one of them.

 Now it was Irime who nodded and deep in her soul she felt enormously happy because she recognized Lady Sif as a valuable ally.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter XII “ Feel safe”

When Írimë opened her eyes she felt dizzy and weak, her head was spinning and her vision blurred. Little by little, her vision cleared and Loki’s bright eyes were there to illuminate her. She smiled at him but still felt very far away.

-You’ve come back …

He told her with a charming smile.

She tried to sit up on the bed and did it slowly, loki put a cushion behind her back.

-Thank you…

She told him while frowning confused.

-What happened to me?

Loki raised his eyebrows.

-I expected you to explain that to me.

She looked at him and shook her head in a gesture of denial.

-I can not remember, I just know we got to that place where Heimdal was and … that’s all …

Loki sighed and turned to a small table next to him took a jug and offered it to her.

-Drink, it will do you good.

She took it and he brushed his thumb over the edge of her hand, she watched him do that and he smiled. She did not say anything else, she was too stunned to reason if that had been intentional.

She drank, that drink was really horrible and she coughed when she tasted it.

-I know, it’s unpleasant but I ordered it to be prepared because I know it’s good, it’s a recipe from my mother for when you drink too much, I never told her but in spite of being so horrible it always worked with me …

And a feminine and sweet voice was heard from the door.

-Well, you always have time to find out about things …

She was the queen, Írimë wanted to get better while she was saying:

-It’s delicious … your majesty. Loki smiled when he heard it.

-You do not have to be nice dear but it’s true what my son says, if it worked with him it will work with you …

Loki looked at her annoyed because he understood his mother’s sarcasm, his control over the drink was one of those things he would not brag about.

She sat next to Irime and smiled. Loki hastened to say:

-We must postpone meetings with Odin until she is better …

Frigga looked at Loki and smiled sweetly, did that sound like he was worrying about her?

-I have spoken with Odin and he will take advantage of this moment to accompany Thor on his trip.

Írimë looked at Loki instinctively but he calmed her with a negative gesture of his head, and the queen also hurriedly calmed her down.

- They will not go to Jotunheim ..

Irime regained her composure.

-They will go to East and the king sends you his respects and his wishes that you better soon.

Irime shook her head gratefully and the queen looked at Ìrimë and said:

-Loki told me that you fainted.

The young woman remained very dazed but tried to answer.

-I can not remember what happened to me.

-Surely you are tired and the responsibility that  lady Elbereth has left you weighs on you, but it is a great job that you have been commissioned.

-I know.

Said Ìrimë trying to smile.

- Have you had any fainting previously?

She shook her head.

The queen did not mention the strange episode that Loki had told her because she did not want to disturb her, if she could not remember that she had a reason.

Frigga took carelessly while speaking a cloth and rinsed it in the vessel that was on the table while smiling.

- Sometimes fatigue does those things, when I was younger I used to feel very weak, well, raising two children so active is not easy.

She saidit  laughing and it looked like she was trying to cheer her up.

-It is exhausting, hold a baby, feed it …

She said while she soaked the cloth and folded it, Ìrimë and Loki watched her in silence.

- You have held a baby in your arms Ìrimë?

The queen’s words took her by surprise and she was still dazed but that memory hurt her soul again.

-Once…

She said sadly.

Loki looked at her but she avoided his gaze, fearing he would discover her pain.

-Then you know what I’m talking about.

Irimë smiled heavily.

-Well, let me see … what do you have. She said when he had finished soaking that cloth.

The queen was famous for her healing gifts, it was obvious that Loki had gone in search of her to help Irime, really that in the house of Heimdall had left him very worried.

Frigga approached Irime and smiled warmly.

-You let me?

She said bringing that wet cloth to her face, Írime nodded and Frigga wiped her face with that cloth that felt warm and comforting.

Then she left the cloth on the table next and smiled again while putting her open hand on the girl’s forehead.

Irime closed her eyes, the queen did the same, after a few seconds Frigga sighed.

-Poor girl…

She said almost in a whisper, Loki looked at her frowning.

-There is so much pain inside you …

When he heard her say this he reached for Irime’s hand and took it gently, she shuddered to feel it but did not move, she responded to that touch and both hands tightened warmly.

Then Frigga became serious, her face had completely changed, Loki became more frightened and whispered very slowly so that Irime could not hear him

-What happens mother?

The queen did not respond, she continued with her eyes closed and her hand on Irime’s forehead.

Her gesture was difficult to translate into words, it was as if little by little, a sweet happiness began to modify the hard and sad contours of her face, she, who was so beautiful, had always looked sad and exhausted, from time to time radiant Queen was seen and everything gleamed around her with her presence, but most of the time she was in darkness. This description could be very similar to the description of Irime herself, whose beauty was evident but it was hidden behind her shadows.

Loki saw that her face seemed to want to draw a faint smile, her soul was smiling, that was what her face tried to reflect, but Loki felt confused and worried about that strange silence that told him so many things.

And after a few seconds she opened her eyes and stared at her as she pulled her hand away from her, Frigga had wet eyes.

Irime also opened her eyes and raised her head, Frigga was still staring at her, both ladies kept their eyes one on the other for several seconds.

After Frigga sighed, she smiled as if she felt deeply relieved and standing up she kissed the forehead of the bewildered Istari with sweetness and approaching her ear said softly:

-Welcome Home…

Irime frowned, Loki had not heard the words of the queen but was extremely confused by her attitude.

Frigga and Irime looked at each other for a few seconds and then the queen stepped away from her and bowed her head.

The queen had bowed to her and in that gesture she had seen a great respect, a kind of deep gratitude that Irime did not understand but could feel in the depths of her soul. After Frigga looked at Loki and said.

-Nothing bad happens, she will be fine … something tired, it’s all …

Loki looked at Frigga because he had noticed that she had seen something and that something had changed her sad look for a brighter one that he had almost forgotten, a look that had been in the past, many years ago, a happy look.

Frigga apologized and went to the exit of the room, Loki pressed once more the Irime hand and with a sweet caress released it saying:

-I’ll be right back…

He escorted Frigga out of the room and once he had closed the door he looked at her severely.

-Do you tell me what happens?

She sighed and stroked sweetly Loki’s face

-Nothing…

He put his own hand on his mother’s

-You can not fool me … I’m better than you with the deceptions …

She smiled at his words

-You have attributed yourself the fame of the God of deceit that Odin has been given to you in Midgard …

-Go well with me …

Frigga shook her head as she disapproved

-Maybe a little but you are much more than that Loki … you are wise, you are good, loyal, you have a noble heart … you deserve that someone treats you like all that and not just like someone who does pranks to have fun …

-Tell this to Odin not me, I just want to know what you saw in Írimë.

-What I saw in Irime is not bad, what I see in you is that you are worried about her.

-She lit up like a torch up there and spoke in a language she does not know and said things that I could not understand, then she fainted and now she does not remember anything, of course I’m worried about her!

The queen nodded and tried to calm him down.

-Believe me please … She is a different being from us, her nature is something that we may not understand, but she is well,

Loki sighed but shook his head at her words.

-Your look changed … you saw something you do not want to tell me and I do not know why you behave like that, like Heimdall, you both know something you do not want to talk about and I’m going to find out what it is …

He said firmly.

-Maybe that is what must happen, that both find out …

She said and returning to caress his face and she left, Loki stood there, took breath, he was very upset.

She had made a few steps when she stepped and turned to Loki.

-Stay with her … do not move away from her side.

She said to him and he looked at her even with his brow furrowed but he nodded, he felt that she was wanting to tell him something else with her words. She sighed and smiled again, after this she walked away.

—————————————————————————————————–

When he returned to Irime, he gave her a smile.

-She has those things, she is irritating when she wants …

Írimë smiled.

-I’m discovering that the most special people can be very irritating too …

Both looked at each other in silence after this confession.

-But there was something in her …

Irime said thoughtfully.

-A kind of sweetness that … I do not know but it gave me a lot of peace … she felt a deep peace …

And sighing she looked at Loki who was also watching her thoughtfully

-I can do things like that …

She said almost apologizing

-Some times … I get to feel what others feel … it’s not just on purpose … it happens …

-I will try to remember that …

He said with his wicked smile again, Irime smiled again

-But you look better … at least you’ve recovered your color … She nodded and suddenly that memory that had brought to her memory Frigga shadowed her again, Loki noticed it.

-Well, it’s not that I have your gift but it’s not hard to feel your sadness.

She looked at him in silence.

-And you do not have to say anything you do not want, I understand that, but only if you want …

He said and she felt that she could talk to him about it, somehow she knew it, after all he had made a big confession, she could give him back the trust.

And she sighed.

-I am an Istari, I have been created with a specific mission, all my people have been created with a purpose, we are the guardians of the souls of the mortals who have an influence in the course of the destiny of the universe, each istari must join a mortal, not any mortal, a special mortal …

And she took a breath before going on, Loki sat back in his seat to listen

- Sometimes Iluvatar, the creator, unites us to that mortal, sometimes …

And she made another pause.

-We sometimes choose him ourselves …

Her words were haunted by silence and this told Loki that it was extremely difficult to express for her, he felt honored, it was something very unusual that someone to place such trust in him.

-Once this happens, the Istari never … never separates from that mortal, remains at his side … forever …

Her eyes filled with tears, she used to remember that story every second of her life but she had never done it out loud. - Many years ago, in a temple in Jotunheim I … I found that mortal, it was …

And her tears mingled with a sweet smile, it was as if she was seeing the images of what she was telling.

-It was a beautiful baby Jotun … as beautiful as the night itself, so pure … it was the sweetest thing I had ever seen in my life … I was very small but I chose it … I knew I wanted to join him … He was alone in the middle of a war and I protected him for three days … I cradled him, I sang songs to make him happy, I held him in my arms so he would not be afraid … those days were those that made my life worthwhile, time stopped happen when I was separated from him. …

Irime could not take it anymore and broke, Loki came closer to her side and although with many doubts the beginning, he put his arms around her and she rested her head on his chest.

-From then I do not know where he is, I do not know if he’s okay, I can not reach him … I looked for him in vain … I could not found him, I … I do not know why he did it, because Iluvatar separated me from him, that should not happen … I had to protect him… but I failed …

Loki frowned when he heard her, he did not fully understand everything she said but he knew that it caused her a terrible pain. He thought that this was not the time to find out anything else, she just needed to talk and he was going to listen to her. So he held her, there on his chest, he held her next to him while she cried, like a little girl, maybe that same girl who had been in that temple that time, she cried because she needed to do it, and he tried to be strong.

He held her there and held his arms until she began to calm down. He felt that she really cared, he did not understand why he did not want to understand, he knew that he had to move her away from his shadows but something profound and irresistible drew him to her, something he had never felt for anyone and feared that he did not know any tricks to escape from that.

She took a deep breath and wanted to hold back that moment, she felt safe in his arms, safe … that feeling was absolutely new to her but she knew that it was the most valuable feeling she had felt in a long time.

Then she recovered her breath little by little and looked at him, their eyes met again in the silence, her desire to kiss him returned but she knew that he had moved away once, so she tried not to think about what she was feeling, she tried of refusing to admit that she wished with all her soul that he would kiss her.

Then he said in a sweet and calm voice

-I do not know who is Iluvatar, I do not know why you were separated from that child or because he was alone in the middle of a war but if something helps you I’ve been abandoned too, I have no memories of my chilhood before arriving in Asgard but I remember a voice It was a clear and sweet voice that sang a song whose music is in my mind but I can not repeat … At first I thought it was Frigga’s voice but I discovered that it was not … someone loved me before I got here and even though I did not I can remember nothing, I remember that voice and in the darkest moments, I try to think about that, I try to bring that melody to my memory and the shadows disappear … Irime looked at him and tears kept coming from her eyes.

- Maybe you did not fail, who knows if he does not remember those moments with you and that has helped him to survive?

Irime looked at him and her soul lit up, for the first time in her life she knew what it meant to hold on to something real, solid, he was telling his story and giving shape to a tangible hope, maybe that was possible.

She did not realize that his face had come close enough so that she could feel his warm breath but when she noticed her heart burst into thousands of colored notes, she let herself be carried away by the tide of desire that he caused her to she and could almost feel his lips on hers while the little Irime´s heart said: - “Maybe he reminds me … maybe he’s fine …” - The heart of the adult Irime  repeated “-Kiss me, I want to be with you forever …-” and even when she couldn’t understand this she was carried away by that new feeling that completely flooded her.

Loki wanted to press her against his body and kiss her with passion, he had already felt this once and now he was feeling it again with much more strength. His soul was on fire and while he thought: “-I would like to kiss you so much … I wish we could be together and be happy at last … you and me …-” His mind told him that this was impossible, if he felt something good for her, then he should let her go.

She could have heard his thoughts but she did not want to discover that he did not feel the same, from that moment both would stop entering their minds for the same reason.

At last Loki stopped again and bowed his head while with his nose brushed her cheek, as if it cost him so much to get away but he was forcing himself to do so.

írimë tried to regain her composure, and it was almost enough for her, to feel the touch of his skin on hers. She closed her eyes to feel his caress and when they moved away from each other she opened her eyes and tried to smile.

-Thank you…

She said in a whisper.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter XI “Strange revelations”

After that day in the temple of the ancestors Írimë and Loki had hardly spoken. She began to believe that maybe he was sorry that he had made that huge confession and that's why he stayed away. It got her attention that he did not even try to communicate mentally. Irime had begun to feel sad. She was surprised at herself, understanding that she missed his presence, Asgard no longer seemed so beautiful.

Her thoughts were upset, he was a Jotun, everything made sense to her. But he did not understand why they had abandoned him, she definitely refused to believe in that.

But that night, just before she decided to go to bed and while she watched the landscape from the huge window of her room, a servant had brought her a message from the prince. Irime felt happy. It was a letter and she sat on her bed while unfolding the paper, she saw that there were two papers together, one older, decided to start with the most recent, the letter said: “I apologize to you for such an overwhelming confession, I have decided to walk away because I wanted you to make your ideas clear. I’m not sure I did the right thing but I almost never question things from the right side. I know that the Jotnar are special for you and that is why I do not ask you to understand what I feel, but if you have doubts about what happened here I sent you a letter that my mother wrote when I arrived in Asgard, maybe it will help you understand my feelings . Please read it but never tell my mother to show you this. If you still want my company and my help, my offer still stands, we can find ourselves in the balconies of the main hall, I will be waiting there in case you decide to come "Loki

Irime remained a few seconds thoughtful, smiled knowing that she would see him again and almost in a sigh said: "But I understand what you feel …” She took her eyes to the other letter and she read:

“Oh what an inexplicable feeling I felt when I had you again with me! So long hating myself for leaving you there, even though I never really got away from you, even though I always found the way to see you, you were so far from me, and there was so much pain in my soul, so much guilt. I knew that your father would take care of you and I do not explain how he could have done something similar, the Jotnar do not abandon their family, I knew that when I fell in love with him. I write these lines because I want to retain this feeling, I want to tell you when you grow up what happened. Odin is a good king and has been a good husband, his relationship with Jord enraged me and although I understood that I could love Thor and raise him as if he were my son, I thought that revenge would be the best option, never is it. But sometimes things do not go as planned, or maybe someone else plans them for us, I do not know, the fact was that I fell in love with that Jotun and revenge cursed me. When I found out about my pregnancy I got scared, but this gift of seeing the future helped me understand. I told Odin the truth and he was not able to understand, that’s why I left you in Jotunheim, I knew that your father would give you the love you needed and that you would not have here. I want you to know that he loved you with all his soul, and his last act is a mystery to me .. I think Odin will be a good father after all, I challenge my visions and I know he will be the best for you .. Now that you are back, now that Odin has accepted your return, I am happy, we will be a family at last. "Your mother who adores you, Frigga.

ïrimé dried her tears and sighed.She felt honored by his confidence, this letter was very private and he had decided to show it her.

She still could not believe it but Frigga had confirmed the story of Loki, she had come to believe that Odin had lied but did not think the queen would be able to do it too, she knew that Frigga was telling the truth.

____________________________________________________________

Irimë found Loki on the balcony of the palace’s main hall. She approached silently and stopped without saying a word. He turned around and smiled

-Did you come…

He said as if he had been doubting it. She nodded

-Thor told me you’ll stay until your queen returns.

Írime nodded again.

-My queen can not stay out of Alfheim for a long time, I will be her representative and I will continue the negotiations.

Loki smiled again amused.

-Negotiating with Odin, only a fool would be able to accept that challenge

She looked at him seriously

-Odin does not scare me …

-I did not mean you…

He replied

-It would be fun to see how you tear him apart

Ìrimë remained serious although this time she wanted to laugh

-You have not understood yet, right? This is about avoiding war and not provoking it …

Loki sighed annoyed

-Yes, yes, yes … I understand but do not ruin the fun.

She did not answer. Then sue pressed her lips and extended her hand to him and handed him the letter he had sent her that was written by his mother.

-The letter from your mother.

Told him. He put his eyes on the paper and took it delicately.

-I know you think that telling me your story was a mistake but it was not.

A sudden flash lit his eyes, but that was it, then his expression turned cold and his eyes stopped shining. Even for someone like Ìrimë, who knew how to see beyond the pupil, it was impossible to see anything but darkness.

He ducked his head silently and that was it. She knew he would not talk about it again. She could understand it and knew that one day he would open his heart again, she could wait.

Then he raised his face and that carefree expression had taken the place of the shadows.

-Do you still want to know more about Heimdall?

She nodded

-I thought maybe we could pay he a visit, it could be enlightening.

Ìrimë hesitated a moment, never thought about going back there, she realized that that scared her.

-I will go with you…

He told her and she felt that strange but pleasant sense of security again. Even though this was against her nature she felt that it were truly nice.

-If you come with me … then I’ll go …

Loki smiled honestly this time, that someone trusting him was also against his nature.

___________________________________________________________

Loki and irime arrived at the celestial Castle, Himinbjörg, and surprised Heimdall with their arrival. The Aesir was not in a good mood and looked at Loki angrily

-Why do you hide from my eyes?

He asked him visibly annoyed although with his usual solemn tone

-Because it’s fun…

Loki replied

Heimdall changed his stern look when he saw Irime coming forward and stopping next to Loki in a majestic gesture, she opened her arms and one of them was ahead of Loki, anyone would have said that that had been a protective gesture. Even Loki frowned when he saw this and maybe at first he thought it was funny, but suddenly the Istari began to emanate from her body a silver and incandescent light, it extended beyond her fingers, illuminated her body completely, she looked at Heimdal with a terrible look and with a voice that could be heard like thousands of voices and in a language that Loki recognized as the language of his ancestors, that same language that she had told him in the library that she was not able to understand ,She told him:

- I am the protector of the wind, the victory is by my side and you, Vadhler, you are the last resort.

Loki remained, for the first time in his life, without words but Heimdall did not seem unfazed by this, on the contrary, he stood up in a majestic gesture and said in the same old language:

-I have waited for you, Sigyn, and although our missions are opposite, I was created with the hope of your arrival.

Loki was allusive to this scene, he could not understand it but it fascinated him, then irimë staggered and the light began to wane, Loki arrived in time to hold her in his arms, she had almost lost consciousness, Heimdall bowed his head silently. Irime …

He told her in a whisper and lifted her into his arms she began to react, Heimdall then approached and prepared to help

-Feel her here

He told Loki, who took her to a bed covered with thin golden blankets

Loki laid her there while she barely looked at him, she was pale and trembled from head to toe, he stroked her face for the first time and she regained life completely.

She looked him for a moment, it was the first time she was so close to his eyes.

-What happened?

She asked with a broken and weak voice and Loki understood that she had not been aware of that, only he had witnessed it because he were afraid that Heimdal was not surprised.

Loki whispered calmly

-Shh … rest …

And saying to Heimdal in that ancient language Loki asked him:

-What happened here?

Heimdall looked at him for a few seconds before answering, Irime moving her eyes from one to the other.

-There are things that can only be revealed in their time, I can not tell you anything else

-I’m demanding you, doorman …

Loki told him with the imposingness of a king

-It is not me who must accelerate events, she will understand when she must understand, the plan of the universe has been set in motion, we are only pieces in a big board … Loki made a gesture of disapproval

-I’ll find out what it’s about, doorman -he said- -You will, said Heimdall

The he turned his gaze to Irime who clung to his body as if she were in a very high place and afraid to fall.

-Let’s go Irime … I’ll take you home …

Irime could hardly keep her eyes open, her whole body trembled but hearing Loki say that flooded her soul with happiness, he would take her home, which house? Asgard was not her home and she felt that Loki thought the same, she could only weigh, and this did not mean that she understood that thought fully, she thought while she felt Loki lift her up again in his arms and she gently rested her head on his chest, "I’m home.” and sighing she smiled.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter X “Light and Shadow”

Írime looked at Loki with bewilderment, he just bowed his head and kept silent. She did not interrupt him, she knew he was keeping his own conversation and did not have to go into his thoughts to know.

After a few long moments he seemed to come out of that reverie and looked at her with that evil look again.

-Don’t tell me you do not have secrets …

She was slow to respond, she knew that carefree attitude was protecting him from something that hurt him in the depths of his soul, it was his shield, she thought, now she could see this clearly. For some reason he felt that she wanted to hear him, wanted to free him from that appearance and make him feel safe at her side. Why had this idea crossed her mind? She simply responded to her instinct nothing more.

- Yes, we all have secrets … and sometimes they are so terrible that we believe that by keeping them we can hide them from ourselves …

She said almost in a whisper. And with this she told him that she also suffered, that there was also something in her life that did not make her proud, she told him that she was as miserable as he was, she told him many things.

Then he nodded and took a breath and stood up.

-Come with me… He said extending his hand, she hesitated a moment but he waited patiently for her response. Finally she took his hand and after shuddering to feel that cold skin again, stood up.

Their eyes met for a few seconds but neither of them said anything. It was Loki who broke the silence

-I want to show you something.. They walked a fairly long stretch, they crossed the city and all this without saying a single word. By the time she turned her head, the flowery streets had been left far behind.

Loki was down but every now and then he turned his head towards her to smile sweetly.

Maybe, she thought, this had been the most beautiful conversation since the day she had met that particular prince. She would never forget his hand squeezing her hand and his eyes transmitting that sweet complicity.

In the distance, in the middle of a flowery valley rose a beautiful construction with gigantic doors that shone from the distance.

When facing them Írimë looked at Loki with amazement.

-It’s a temple …

He told her smiling, she nodded in wonder.

It was a construction worthy of admiration. It stood majestically boasting its doors carved into the rock with inscriptions of gold and precious stones, bright as the stars themselves.

Loki approached and caressed the outline of diamond-encrusted runes in the center of the huge door that opened slowly opening the way.

Írime hesitated again, but he gently squeezed her hand and gave her another warm smile.

-Do not be afraid. Told him

She looked at him with her sad eyes. In all her life she had only entered a Temple and had returned to it tirelessly. She had never set foot in any other temple than that in the mountains of Jotunheim.

She remembered her own words the first time she had entered there, she had said exactly that, - “Do not be afraid” -, She was able to recognize in that request the need of someone who fully wants to gain confidence.

She tried to recover from a memory that was very alien to that moment and with her trembling body she allowed herself to be driven inside.

It was beautiful. The walls were bathed in gold and many statues surrounded the central hall that was completely lit with huge stand-up chandeliers.

-This is my favorite place … I’ve been here since I can remember … and I’m not saying it figuratively … It’s a temple dedicated to the ancestors …

He said pointing with his arm extended to the sides and with an almost mocking tone that told her he did not feel any respect for them.

-All the great lords of Asgard are here …

Írime looked around and felt chills, maybe that would not be her favorite place after all.

-When I was a child, my mother brought me frequently, she wanted me to understand that even when I felt different, here was my blood too, She wanted I would can feel the voice of the ancients to help me understand …

Irime looked at him with a frown, there was something in the tone in his voice that told her that this was very sad for him, so she listened with reverence, without thinking about her own pain.

He took one of the candles and held it close to a huge Syrian standing beside a kind of stone altar. He lit it and, bowing, walked away and looked at the young woman who was watching him in silent -I never did, I never understood anything or heard their voices, they never meant anything to me …

He said with a more severe voice now.

- Anyway, I went back whenever I could, anything was better than enduring the mistreatment of Odin … at least here I found some peace …

He said sadly again.

Then he approached her and warmly took her hands, she was thrilled again to feel his cold touch, then he moved his hands and a flash of light appeared between them, slowly the golden sparks began to form a sphere transparent light, írime was moved by that magical act, then as he moved his hands in delicate circles the sphere that was suspended in the air began to turn and show inside what appeared to be a white flower that írime recognized quickly, it was the flower of Lorien’s gardens, Her flower among all the flowers, its white petals shone and above them drops of dew that looked like pearls, when the vision cleared up she saw that that flower danced magically in a landscape covered by ice, the frost dimly blurred the crystal of the sphere, she was amazed but confused. -Alfheim and Jotunheim ….

He said pointing to the sphere that was suspended on the palm of Irime’s hand

-Here we are both …

She looked at the sphere and although she was amazed she did not understand it.

-You say you love the Jotnar and I hate them, as everyone here just a little more …

Irime felt that the soul was cringing just to hear him talk like that.

-But my mother, she once loved them, at least one of them …

Irimé felt her heart speed up. Was he telling her that the queen had loved someone more than Odin and that she had been a Jotun?

- Do you understand now why there will never be peace between Jotunheim and Asgard? It is not only because of the attacks on Midgard, it is not only because of the wars, Odin will never allow the Jotnar to stop being enemies, He will always keep them away from Asgard … I am the fruit of that love that Odin will never forgive, there will never be peace…

Írimë went back to hit her back with the altar stone, the sphere that was still suspended on her palms fell and smashed to the ground, she looked it anguished but turned her huge eyes towards Loki and her heart seemed to get out of the chest. -You..

She said babbling and with her eyes about to burst into tears

-You are a Jotun …

She said in a broken and barely audible voice.

-That’s why the cold … that’s why I …

And she stopped because she had to put ers ideas in order. He was telling her that the queen of Asgard had loved a Jotun and that he was their son, he was half Jotun, she could understand why she had felt that scorching cold since she had arrived in Asgard, it had not been her memories, it had been the Jotnar wanting to tell her that they were at her side, it was the presence of a Jotun that had made her feel that. Now she understood why her spirit had never alerted her to danger when she was with him.

Maybe she should have been happy to hear about it, but it was so sad that he told what it had been impossible for her to feel any happiness.

She tried to force herself to ask a question even though her voice was shaking

-And your father..?

Loki sighed at the half-finished question and walked to the end of the altar.

-She never said it, it was a curse anyway, she got rid of me when I was not more than six years old, I lived with him in Jotunheim, that had been the treatment according to my mother, and one day he brought me to Asgard and he went, he never came back … She shook her head when she heard it.

She knew the Jotnar, understood their costumes, and knew that they were incapable of doing something like that.

-If you want to know something else, that story must have been a lot for such a small child because my memories begin here, in Asgard, I am unable to remember anything that happened before my arrival in the realm of the Aesir …

After saying this he returned to take breath.

-Maybe this answering your question, because I never refer to Odin as my father, he has been anything but that …

Írime remained quiet for a moment and thinking.

She knew that what he was saying was impossible, she knew that no Jotnar would ever abandon one of their children, she could not believe that any of them would be able to do it.

-Once the Odin and  joined our blood, I was very small but I can remember that, he told me that after that we would be united forever, he and I together, we would be family … that never happened … maybe he tried, I do not know , but he could never love me … However she tried to calm her own confusion because Loki’s pain was piercing her soul, it was stronger than anything else she could think or feel at that moment. So she took a breath and crouched next to the shattered sphere at her feet, took the pieces of glass between her hands and with a magical movement of her fingers joined them, the sphere returned to shine as beautiful and radiant as before, such more time because now the magic of both had dadp life. She lifted it gently before Loki’s gaze that was also covered by tears, deposited the beautiful sphere on the stone stone altar and taking breath approached Loki slowly, he looked at her in silence.

She approached and raised her hands to his face he made himself back but then he stayed still, understood what she wanted.

He let her put her delicate hands on his face, which turned white as frost at her touch, he felt ashamed but soon understood that this was not the right feeling at least not in front of her.

Irime caressed his face and both shivered at her touch, she knew that his face was as cold as his hands, that cold ice and so warm at the same time that she had only known in Jotunheim. He was one of them, but he concealed his appearance, he wanted to be an Asgardian because he repudiated those who had abandoned him and although she knew that it was a mistake, that he was wrong to believe this, she understood it and felt sad at the glimpse the magnitude of his grief.

-I understand your pain … I have also walked in the shadows Loki … At that moment he knew, for the first time in his life that she understood him, he knew that there was something in her that did him good, he knew that he felt safe.

They both felt an irresistible desire to kiss, they were so close, not just their bodies, their souls were dancing at that moment, they caressed each other in a game that was sweet and seductive, their eyes met, he knew she was special, that began to feel something that he had never felt for anybody, he did not want to enter into her thoughts, since that time he would never do it again, because he would not want to know if she felt the same for him, he thought that she could feel sorry, she was too kind, Maybe she felt sorry for his story, he did not want to know that, he would not go back into her thoughts because he would not be able to accept her compassion.. He knew that she was a pure soul, that even if he wanted to kiss her and have her in his life, it would not have been fair to her, he was too dark for so much light.

She also had felt that touch between their souls, she did not feel any comparison, she was beginning to see that being hidden behind the carefree Loki and she was falling in love with him. Even though she had not felt that feeling before, even though she was far from understanding that, she waited, she wanted him to kiss her and she wanted to hug him, she felt that terrible need but she did not move, she just waited.

Then Loki did his first altruistic act and his radiant blue eyes flashed with a slightly green luminosity, closed for a few moments as if trying to contain all his cravings, his skin regained its color and lost that icy whiteness and his hands rested on her arms of Irime and gently moved away, when he opened his eyes the Jotun was no longer there. She was saddened by his rejection but accepted it.

-I’m made of shadows …

He told her almost in a whisper.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter IX  “Heimdall”

The first night in Asgard was lovely for Irime. She had gone through the library and some flowery places in the palace gardens next to Loki and after that she had been very grateful for the walk, they had been fired in the Hallways of the palace and she had been led to a room specially set for her .

She had slept soundly looking at the night landscape she could see from her bed behind the huge windows of the room. She was exhausted and had not bothered when when placing her head on her bed a sweet voice had told her in a lovely whisper -Good night milady- Contrary to getting angry with herself for having forgotten to close that way of communication, she sighed in a gesture of amused resignation and had responded with a "Good evening my lord," she had almost seen Loki's mischievous smile and had smiled before falling asleep thinking about him.

In the morning she had decided to take a walk around the city. That world was really beautiful and although she preferred its pearly white beaches and its frothy and perfumed coasts, Asgard had its own beauty.

Its stone constructions were harmonious and the Sun shone on its golden domes. The streets were huge and carved columns rose at each step forming roundabouts crowned with flowers that floods the morning air. The temperature was ideal, an ideal warmth that encouraged to live outdoors. That's why when she feels that cold again, she sees her body shudder.

-They told me that you would be in the city...

When she turned around she saw Loki approaching and then, for the first time something disturbed her.

She had associated that sudden coldness to her thoughts about the Jotnar but she had not thought about them at that moment and yet the cold had come. She realized that Loki was also there every time she felt it, so she felt confused but did not say anything about it.

She bowed in a gentle bow and he smiled at her act.

.-It is not very sure that a lady will walk alone in an unknown place.

Írime looked at him in silence, it amused her a little that he thought that she needed someone to protect her, he was far from understanding her true nature. The Istaris were protective spirits, they protected and were not used to someone protecting them. At the same time she felt a deep sorrow because she remembered that once there had been someone who had wanted to protect her and things had not ended well for him. Axe, the Jotun, had taken her away from him the night she had come to Jotunheim and she had always believed that if she had not left him alone he would still be alive. 

That time in the world of the Frost Giants she had lost twice.

Even so she did not show her grief and smiled with a sarcastic smile.

-So you think?

She told him and she continued walking while giving him to understand that she accepted his company with a gentle gesture.

He smiled again and they both started walking through the huge, flowery streets.

For a few minutes neither of them said anything, she hurried to block her thoughts and he just smiled at noticing that. Suddenly he said:

-Oh by the way, I borrowed a book that the king keeps under lock and that tells a story that could be of your liking.

And moving his hands in a delicate gesture he made visible a small golden book

-These are stories that Odin writes about the worlds he has visited, legends and things so he arranges at his convenience and tells the mortals of Midgard ... there is one that talks about the doorman...

Irime raised her eyebrows at his words.

-You told me you wanted to know more about Heimdall, well, he is here and even though it does not bear his name, I know he is him ...

She  doubt a few moments

- Is it okay for me to read it? If it is locked, it must be very private.

Loki shrugged.

-Maybe but it will be the closest thing to the truth that you hear about him before Odin decides to modify it, I know he has not done it yet and that's why he remains under key

She nodded. She was not sure if that was correct but her curiosity was bigger than her sense of right so she accepted it. Besides, she found the gesture charming that he remembered her request.

So she took the small golden book that he offered but before opening it she frowned and said:

-Why does Odin change the stories he tells the mortals?

Loki shrugged again.

-Protect his image, I guess...

She looked at him with a gesture of disapproval.

- Lie ...

She replied.

He just smiled again, it was very bold that someone dared to call the king a liar and that far from bothering him, he loved it. She was definitely very brave, he thought.

She sighed and opened the book while her eyes scanned the written words, almost all crossed out and stained with drops of ink.

She stopped suddenly with her frown as she read:

"He arrived at the moment when the Bifrost had been finished, I understood that his arrival was not accidental and I asked him his name and where he came from- Vindhler is my name and I come from a distant place, I am the one that protects against the wind, the son of the nine mothers- His words were confusing but I understood that his presence meant much more than it seemed, so I asked him: - As king of Asgard I demand, Vindhler, that you tell me that he brings you to my kingdom- And He responded with an amazing immutability: -You are the king of Asgard but I respond to my Lord, he is the Creator of all things and he has ordered me to accept you as my king, my mission is linked to your fears, Odin Allfather , and I will be the one to fight on your side when the time comes. Although I wait for the arrival of who can avoid it-

Irime stopped in her reading and tried to mentally review those words, Loki watched her in silence

she went on:

"I could not understand the totality of his words but I knew he was talking about something that nobody else knew but myself, so I accepted his words with reverence and entrusted him with the care of Bifrost, we both knew what we were talking about when he spoke of my fears, I only fear one thing and he knew it, I had to respect that, maybe I had been waiting for it. The story I will tell will be different because the true nature of this being should not be revealed, it will be Heimdall who illuminates the world, the guardian of Bifrost. "

Loki smiled at seeing the young woman so devoted to her reading.

-Has it been useful?

He asked her and she looked at him for a few seconds in silence.

-Odin is afraid ...

Said almost thinking loudly, Loki returned to draw that smile that brushed the malice and said:

-Only one thing ...

Írimë sat on one of the huge steps they had reached, behind them a gigantic construction stood majestically, Loki sat next to her. When she looked at him he quickly said:

-And I do not know what it is ...

She sighed in disbelief.

-I'd tell you ... if I knew it I would tell you ...

He clarified, this time guessing her thoughts without getting into her head.

Írimë smiled

-But I do not understand what it means, Heimdal, the doorman ...

She said remarking the last word and making Loki smile again.

-He seems to be someone very important, first of all, where does he come from? He talks about a Creator and I can only think about ... but that is not possible, he talks about taking Odin's side, as if he were referring to a battle and ... who is he waiting for?

- There are many questions ... we should go in parts, do not you think?

Irime frowned when she heard him say that.

-You mean you would help me find out?

Loki shrugged again.

-Well, I brought you the book, did not I? I also do not want you to get into trouble. ...

She looked at him raising her eyebrows and with an expression that made him understand that she did not believe absolutely in his words.

-Well, Odin would prohibit research on this issue and I hate obeying orders from Odin, besides things are very boring here in these days ...

She smiled nodding, this seemed to convince her more, she was already realizing that Loki liked to cause some problems because he considered it fun.

Then she looked at him silently and said.

-Odin, the king ... you mean him very solemnly to be your father ...

Loki looked at her in silence and with a seriousness that caused her to immediately repent of her words.

-I'm sorry ... I did not want to be indiscreet.

And she gave her eyes to the book, and was about to return to its pages when she heard him say almost sadly

-Maybe because he is not my father ...

He told her and she looked at him again with that perplexed look that seemed to be looking for something that was beyond his gaze.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter VIII “Sigyn”

Írimë’s stern look made Loki smile proud, it seemed that annoying her had been fun for him.

-I did not want to bother you …

He told her although the girl had persified the opposite.

-My brother Thor is good at spreading rumors so I’ve heard a lot about you …

Írimë looked at him seriously, but after listening to him mention Thor, she thought there was no point in hiding the truth, especially because he would find a way to get back into her head and one day he discovered that she was there against her will.

-My Lord Manwe has thought that to send me in this mission of peace was a good idea and I am not who to disobey him but I am not your friend …

His look was funny, even when the conversation was far from it.

-And tell me Írimë, are you always so obedient?

Loki’s words adopted a sarcastic tone and although Írime was unable to understand his mischief she knew he was mocking.

-If it were, you would not have called me as you called me, but maybe I have disobeyed the commands of my people too long …

And she said this ducking her head as if admitting that really would have made her feel ashamed.

And although this did not happen very often, Loki was deeply moved.

-If you are better than my brother to keep secrets, he will never know that I have always admired you …

His words caused her to raise her head immediately.

-I’ve always thought you’re very brave …

He said showing a kinder smile and she asked almost in a whisper.

-To protect the Jötnar or to confront your brother?

“Both, although I admit that at first I thought that doing one thing or the other was really stupid, over time and seeing that every attack on Jotunheim was a failure, I began to wonder who would be the hero who was capable of humiliating a army of Asgardians led by the great Thor … it started to be very funny and I figured we could get along someday …

Írimë observed him confused, there was something about him that was attractive and enigmatic at the same time. He had that careless way of saying things, as if it were not important if they caused a bad effect and he responded in the same way, he did not flinch at the slightest comment.

-I never thought that hurting your people was fun, I only defended mine, that’s all …

-Yours…

He remarked and she nodded her head

Loki watched her carefully this time, it was possible that he was trying to get into her head, this was what Írimë felt at the insistence of his penetrating gaze, after a few seconds he sighed as if resigned

-They really are not monsters for you …

He said as if he had confirmed something that was obvious but that maybe he refused to believe

-I see monsters in Asgard …

She told him, adopting that careless way of saying things. Loki nodded approvingly.

-My lord is very wise and speaks with the words of the Creator, that is why I have agreed to come to your world, I want to believe fervently that there is a possibility of a truce, that there is a place in Odin’s heart for peace …

And she took a breath before continuing

-But if we do not succeed and the hopes vanish, if there is a war between both worlds …

And she raised her head even more giving her face an expression of majesty

-Then I will not be on Asgard’s side …

Loki nodded again and bowed his head while he was silent, Írimë had to make an effort not to apologize, Loki’s silence caused her a great sadness.

When he returned his gaze to Írimë’s gaze there was a different flash in it, something of that immovable appearance had disappeared, his eyes showed a brighter light.

-They’re lucky…

Told him.

Írimë did not respond immediately, she observed it again with that strange curiosity. She returned to focus on that new light that emanated from his eyes, made his look charming and maybe a little vulnerable, without it, without that radiant light, anyone could have said that it housed a flash of evil, but Írimë had learned to see beyond . -I wish we could live in peace …

She said almost like thinking out loud.

- Do you think the Jotnar have the same desire?

She looked at him in silence and then shrugged.

-No…

She finally said and he nodded because he knew she would say that.

-Then this mission was doomed from the start.

Írimë shook her head with a gesture. Failure was something she could not deal with, not again and that is why she had learned to live with overwhelming hope that forced her to live even after feeling lifeless.

-The hope is the weapon of the brave, without it they would never dare to fight, because the bravest are the ones who have more fear but face it, do you know how they do it?

She said with tears in her eyes.

-With hope, they cling to it because it is more powerful than hundreds of spears and without that it would not make sense to fight …

She had said that in a heartbreaking tone and Loki had heard it without jokes, without sarcasm because he could see in her words an ancient pain that he could not understand but that he knew was there.

-That is why they triumph … with hope in their hearts they are the owners of the victory …

Loki reclined on the edge of the stone balcony, put one of his arms on it and stared at it, she was truly brave, he thought.

But the atrium was filled with guests. The welcome ceremony was equal to both worlds. There was music, food, drink, everything was fun. Írime was sitting next to her lady Elbereth, observing those who cheerfully cheered. Everything was fun but Írime did not have fun. She had forgotten how to do it a long time ago. Every time something caused her happiness, she thought of her little Jotun abandoned and all joy vanished. She wondered where he was, if he was, because she could feel him inside her soul and knew that he was not happy, wherever he was suffering and that’s why she could not be content to feel happiness, even when she wanted that with all her soul. -Don’t let your grief destroy your heart Írime.

Her lady told her in a warm whisper that tore her from her dark thoughts.

-You must keep it whole …

Írimë tried to smile.

-My lady … can I ask you a question?

Elbereth moved her head affirmatively

- Do you really think there is hope that this mission will succeed?

Elbereth looked at her for a few seconds and then said.

- Do you keep hoping to find your protege again?

Írim felt that her heart was shrinking, hearing about it aloud shocked her

-I never lost it.

Told her.

-Because the Írime hope does not live in our thoughts, but in our hearts … do you understand?

The Istari nodded, talking to her radiant lady of the West always gave life back to her soul.

Írimë’s eyes could not stop observing the prince, even when he turned to look at her, because he did it, it was hard for her to look the other way. It was a new feeling and she was not sure she could handle it.

Elbereth smiled when she noticed it and although Írim did not notice this, the lady of the West sighed immensely happy.

Neither of them saw  Thor, Odin’s son, approaching until he was standing in front of them.

-Ladies…

He said bowing in a gentle bow

-I wanted to give you the welcome personally, it’s a pleasure to have you in Asgard.

And then he looked at Írim¨ who observed him seriously.

-If we are going to talk about truces we should give the example

He said looking at the Istari, she nodded, that cool cold returned to invade her, definitely bring to her memory the Jotnar was giving her that. She tried not to think about it and showed him respect by responding to the reverence but was unable to utter a word because Loki’s voice prevented her from doing so. -If you allow me brother …

} He said putting aside Thor

-I’ll take the Protector of the Jotnar, I think if I invite her to take a walk and stop you from talking, maybe she do not want to take off your feet off the floor ..

Írime smiled and Thor frowned when he heard it, maybe the joke was not very funny for the great Thor.

Loki extended his hand to Irime and she took it. The moment their hands touched, they both felt something extraordinary. It was like an unexpected outburst, neither of them had been prepared to feel it. But besides that, Írimë realized that his skin was amazingly cold. He tightened his grip on her hand preventing her from releasing her because he had foreseen that the cold would surprise her. He held his hand firmly and a few seconds and then Írime noticed that it was as warm as her own hand.

Outside the great hall they stopped and both looked at each other with curious insistence.

-Where we go?

Írime asked and knew that she liked that Loki still held her hand

-You should thank me for saving you …

He said with his eyes on her and the young woman took a while to respond but soon reopened the lucidity

-To begin with I’m not sure that rescuing me was necessary … and I was not going to do what you said …

Loki laughed quietly.

-What a pity, it would have been fun …

Írime shook her head with a gesture of disapproval

-For you the worst things are fun …

He just smiled. She felt comfortable with her hand in his, the memory of that cold touch returned to her mind, it had not seemed natural to be an Asgardian but she did not mention the subject.

Loki’s eyes  across her face in a charming way, with that mischievous smile that drove her crazy and then they fixed on her eyes and crossed them like an incandescent sword.

-I thought you would like to go out a bit, I do not feel comfortable among many people and I did not think you were having fun.

Írime did not respond

-Do you like to read?

The young Istari nodded in sorrow

-Now I know the perfect place

- Is it okay to get away from the party?

She asked

-Well, let’s just say that the one who needed to be rescued was me …

Írime could not help smiling at hearing him and agreed to his invitation by letting himself drive through the palace gardens. Írimë loved books, she adored libraries because they were the heart of wisdom. She had spent her childhood in those beautiful places and even her soul was thrilled to do so.

The libraries in Alfheim were majestic, the walls were lined with thousands of shelves that seemed infinite. The library of the palace of Asgard was no less majestic.

Both stopped at the same time when crossing the threshold of the enormous enclosure, both felt the need to revere in the silence to such a wonderful place.

It was at that moment when Loki noticed that he was still holding the Istari’s hand, so he released her gently smiling and made him in a gesture that was a real caress, she shuddered again but tried not to show it.

She tried to distract her mind with the image that was rising in front of her eyes and she breathed deep

-I will always love this smell.

She said taking a deep breath.

-It’s the perfume of intelligence …

Loki told her in a whisper and she looked at him smiling.

- I never thought that the Asgardians… …

She said but stopped quickly because she did not want to offend him but he was ahead of her apologies

- That the Asgardians could love culture?

She was about to say something but Loki came back forward

-The majority thinks that it is better to spend time in the arena exercising for battle but there are a few who … prefer to exercise other parts of the body …

Írime returned to smile.

-It’s a beautiful place

She said softly as she came forward and walked watching the enormous walls boarded up with books. Some were only suspended in the air, these especially called her attention.

Those are the magic ones …

Loki said he was following her closely. Írime observed the group of books that were spinning in a kind of circle suspended above her head, it was wonderful.

The young girl left fascinated and toured the huge room, Loki stood there just to observe her. -She is very beautiful … - he thought. There was a special magic in her that fascinated him, it was delicate and although her appearance was that of someone living in grief, there was an almost childlike vitality in her, at that moment he could see that, there was a girl inside her soul, a little gir that wanted to be happy.

Irime had moved away, distracted by the thousands of shelves, laughing with each step and caressing the backs of books gently and Loki had decided to approach and walk with her. Suddenly that strange cold invaded her again and every vestige of happiness disappeared. Loki noticed and hurried to run to the other side of the library, did not want to overshadow the scene that had pleased him so much.

-Oh! here you will find books about the Nine Realms … to see …

He said sharpening his eyes to the shelves that were more down on the opposite side of the room.

-Here is … Jotunheim Realm of the Frost Giants …

Írimme watched him crouch and then stand up with a huge book in his hands, the cold was gone.

-Come…

He told her and they both went to a huge golden table in the center of the room, placed the book on it and opened it. The cold returned, but Íirme paid no attention to it because she was hallucinated with the beautiful moving drawings that appeared in the pages, they were images with a life of their own and seemed to be narrating a story.

Írime¨se was dazzled by that. She caressed the letters engraved on the pages with an extraordinary delicacy.

-I do not understand this language …

-It’s very old … it’s no longer used in Asgard …

-But you know it …

Loki nodded

-I have learned to speak it but not with fluid …

And putting his hand very close to hers he began to read:

- "Beyond the roots of the Yggdrasil the Realm of the Frost Giants rises, it is a cold place and the sun never shines in its skies, there are dark and deep valleys and mountainous peaks where it is always winter.The wind lashes wrathful those shady landscapes. Írime watched him as he read. His voice was sweet and melodious and had a majestic dignity of a king, the cadence and rhythm that attributed to his words turned them into music.

Loki continued reading without noticing the look dule that Írimë had adopted.

- "The ice covers everything, from the highest mountains, the frozen forests are its greatest beauty …”

The Istari shook her head in a gesture of disagreement when she heard him say, to utter those words whose beauty was only in their way of pronouncing them and not in what they meant.

-It has not always been like this …

She said

- There was a time, a long time, maybe too much, in which the rivers were clear and flowed through fields immensely green and leafy, with mountains of icy peaks and green valleys … there were birds in their skies and fish in their rivers … “

Loki watched her for a moment in silence, as if he had not wanted to interrupt her thoughts.

-I have never seen that Jotunheim …

Írime smiled again with that sweet sadness that began to move the spirit of Loki more and more

-I did and it was beautiful … but no one will remember that here …

Loki frowned in a confused gesture

-How old are you?

Írime¨lo looked smiles now

-My age is not something that you can easily understand, like my true nature, we do not count the years as you tell them, we do not even really count them, we do not live like mortals because we are not …

-We live thousands of years but you are immortal …

He said as if that seemed fascinating to him.

-Is not a gift for us, immortality can be very sad when you’ve seen so much …

I have paused that Loki respected.

-Some of our people have decided to give it up

Loki almost laughed.

-Give up to immortality, why do something like that? "For love,” she said in a sigh, “many of my people have felt love for some mortal and once you feel love you become truly eternal, you can not imagine a life if it is not with whom you love … there were those who chose that eternity.

Loki did not respond to that, although he was not able to fully understand her words, he thought they were beautiful.

Írimë looked at the book as if she wanted to change the subject of conversation and an image caught her attention, the magestuosa and radiant figure of that first Asgardian she had met on arriving at Asgard appeared on that page.

-What do you know about him?

She said pointing to the white-shining armorer, Loki took his eyes to the figure and snorted.

-Heimdall, the gatekeeper

He said contemptuously

- Why is he in this book?

Loki snorted another

-Heimdall, the son of the nine mothers, is everywhere, he is a voyeur and he does not allow you to keep any secret, he can hear you even if you are standing in the most distant world, and what I say is not figurative …

Írime said

- Is he seeing us and hearing us now?

Loki smiled with a gesture of satisfaction.

- No, because I do not allow it … in fact … - he said slowly - no one can see or hear us … we are hidden from everyone’s eyes …

The Istari looked at him in silence

-But do not fear … I’m not so evil as to hurt you even if they say the opposite of me.

The Istari smiled again.

-I do not believe what they say, I know you’re not evil.

And although Irime said it making reference to her inner power that warned her of an imminent danger,  Loki was not dangerous and she knew it, Loki took this as a praise and responded with a gentle bow.

Loki  went to the figure of Heimdall.

-Why did you ask about him?

Írime shrugged First of all,  understanding what he does in a book that talks about Jotunheim …

-It is easy to explain, he is the guard of the Bifrost bridge and since this bridge communicates Asgard with Midgard, its other side concludes under the roots of the Yggdrassil near the source of the wisdom, some think that the Frost Giants could use it to cross Asgard and Heimdal must avoid it …

- What nonsense …

Irime said laughing.

-And in second place?

Loki asked her that he had been very attentive to her words, Irime sighed remembering that confusing first encounter but did not tell him the feeling of fear that he had transmitted to her.

-I do not know, when we arrived and he welcomed us he called me in a strange way, he told me Sigyn … do you know what it could mean?

Loki laughed.

-He did not confuse you with any of his girls, I’m sure he do not have any, he’s not goes out house.

And he laughed again at a joke that only he understood.

"I’m sorry,” he said, clearing his throat. “You’ve already noticed that we’re not friends …”

And he laughed again

-But we´ll see … Sigyn …

And he pursed his lips in a funny gesture that indicated he was thinking, Irime thought it was charming.

-I do not think it’s a word, it’s actually a pretty strange guy but …  the first part sounds familiar … let me see. He went to another corner of the great room and looked for some books. Írime stopped feeling the cold that she had been feeling and frowning again she looked at the book and put her hand on its pages, she thought of the Jotnar, she did not want to stop feeling that, she reminded her loved ones, but it did not work this time. At last Loki seemed to find what he was looking for and came up with his book and opened it by putting it on the table, she was still caressing the pages of the other book and suddenly the cold returned, the Istari sighed happily.

-This is a book of very old languages, there are words here that nobody remembers … and you say Sigyn and it reminded me of Sigr … what it meant …

And he searched with his long, delicate fingers in an index of words.

-Here is, yes, it is “victory” Sigr is victory and the end of the word “Yn … I just know that as I hear it reminds me of the friend word, a” female friend “, but I’m sure it is written differently , let me see…

And he was looking

-Here, -said at last- the word is "Vina” but it would be pronounced as “inn”, He could have called you “Friend of Victory” and this may have been a good wish for your mision  , it’s quite hopeful …

Irime frowned not so convinced.

-But he told me  it just me, he should have said that to Elbereth, not me … and he really wanted that I realizing it …

Loki sighed

-From the weird Heimdall everything is possible.

Irime felt an extreme curiosity, something told her that there was more in those words than she imagined and that he was not referring to the msision of her people, it was something that concerned hier personally, maybe hers was a different victory, perhaps her lords had not chosen her because yes, she suddenly felt a terrible need to discover what that meant.

-Tell me more about Heimdal please …

Loki looked at her with a gesture mixed with surprise and disapproval but nodded to her request.

-If you want…

And the young woman smiled.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter VII "Presentations"

Lady Elbereth had met with Odin alone. They had been talking for a long time, listening to stories from the old days. The king of Asgard seemed to be a good host, at least that was what he wanted everyone to think.

. -This truce that your lord proposes to me … He said - It’s a good thing, or it would be … You must know the Jotnar have committed acts that should be punished. 

Elbereth nodded.

- “Are those acts the cause or consequence of their behaviors?” 

Odin smiled mockly.

- “We protect Midgard, it is our duty, they have bound that world and they have murdered many people, that has been the beginning of our enmity … but You should already know that. He said emphasizing this last sentence. Then Elbereth looked towards the window, towards the distance.

 - The battles must be counted by both sides and we have only listened to yours

. - Are you implying that what I say is not true ?. He said with a more severe tone.

 -Not Your Majesty, I’m saying that I’ve only heard your truth. 

Odin looked at her for a moment in silence.

 -And in any case, mercy is a quality in a wise king … 

This seemed to please Odin so his gentle gesture returned to his face. 

-"Assuming I decide to accept the truce your propose, there are other reasons why the Jotnar are considered enemies of Asgard, there are certain prophecies …

” He said with a more subdued tone but stopped, then Elbereth continued.

-We have heard about the prophecies of which you speak but in our world we believe that it is the present that forges our future.

Odin leaned back in his seat.

- Are you telling me that you believe that prophecies can be avoided?

- “What has not yet happened has not happened and also this prophecy was revealed in special circumstances and we believe that this is somewhat deceitful but that does not make this prophecy wrong.

The lady continued.

-For our part perhaps events have already been set in motion that can change the course of these events …

” Odin frowned when he heard her.

 -It is precisely because of these prophecies that we have come to ask for a truce between the two worlds, the fate of the universe depends on those prophecies not being fulfilled.

 Odin nodded at Elbereth’s words.

 -A truce … Odin said as if he was thinking a loud.

_____________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, the welcome ceremony was taking place in the guest lounge. Long tables full of food had been arranged around the room, hundreds of candles gleamed on the walls, hanging from the ceilings, garlands of color adorned the windows. Írime had decided that the view from one of the balconies was more pleasant. She had a good time with her eyes fixed on the horizon. But she saw further, thought of the gardens of her world and the smell of its shores and also thought of the cold of Jotunheim, the cold that had been forced to suffer since the Chest of the Ancient winters had been stolen. 

And it was perhaps that thought about her beloved Jotunheim that made her feel that cold embrace again. 

She shuddered to feel it and was startled to hear in her head the voice of that Asgardian with whom she had maintained that mental conversation and who already knew was one of the princes of Asgard. He was by her side.

-I did not want to scare you … 

He said even with his silent words. She took a breath and bowed her head in a curtsy, tried to smile, but that was all she did before returning her gaze to the horizon.

 -I know what it feels like … He said taking his eyes to the distance too,

 Írimë had forgotten to close her channel of communication and he had entered her thoughts again. She was annoyed by this and closed that way of communication.

 -You know?. She asked aloud and he nodded and then his mouth drew a smile to understand that she did not want to continue sharing her thoughts. 

- To miss home … He answered her and then she looked at him.

 -You can read my thoughts but not understand my feelings … I do not miss my home, because home is where our heart is … so we never really get away … 

-And your heart is in Jotunheim … He said and she felt sad again.

 -It is … She confirmed him, even knowing that this could cause her some problem, she did not forget that he was an enemy of her people although for some reason she did not need any defense, her spirit did not warn her of any danger when he was close. 

He nodded and smiled wider. 

Oh by the way, we have not been formally presented, I’m Loki … 

-Prince of Asgard … I know. She told him. -I am Írimë … 

-The mysterious protector of the Jotnar … He continued and she looked at him in silence. -I know … 

He told her returning her own words, then smiled

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter VI “The meeting”

The retinue had reached Asgard. It was composed of Lady Elbereth, queen of the stars, Írimë¨, who walked behind her with the greatest of sorrows and a group of elves

They met an Asgardian who wore a shiny silver armor who welcomed them.

-I am Heimdal, guardian of the Realm of Asgard, welcome beautiful people of Alfheim

He said with solemn reverence.

-We are grateful for your hospitality.

Lady Elbereth said, but Írime barely heard her.

Her heart was too sad and she felt that her presence in Asgard was a betrayal for her beloved Jotnar. Even if the mission meant peace, they were their enemies.

Írime could not think clearly and the encounter with that first Asgardian had made things more difficult.

There was something in him, in his eyes, something she immediately identified with danger.

She remembered that night in Jotunheim, in the Temple, felt the same fear and could not understand this.

The Asgardian named Heimdal stopped his eyes on her after responding with another gallantry to Lady Elbereth.

His gaze was cold and terrifying, írime thought. Something in him told her to take care of herself, he was not someone she could trust. she recognized him as an enemy as soon as she saw him, a bad start for a mission that aimed at peace.

Once the welcome was over, the delegation headed towards the city of Asgard but when Írime passed by the Asgardian, he dedicated some words that made her stop.

-Welcome to Asgard, Sigyn. lrime observed him perplexed, she did not understand why he had called her that, her name was not Sigyn so she knew that it meant something different.

But even when their eyes met and they both felt that they did not belong on the same side, Írime pretended to hide her feelings and speak friendly, that required great effort on her part.

-I am sorry mylord- she said humbly - but my name is Írimë

The Asgardian nodded and shook his head in a gentle bow.

-Welcome Írimë, Sigyn …

He insisted. It was clear that this was not a name but a denomination but the Istari observed him still not understanding, She had to continue on her way and that she did, a few steps later she turned her head to meet Heimdal’s gaze again. What would he have wanted to say? she sighed, she would find out later, she weighed.

They passed through the huge golden door, an incomplete wall of enormous proportions rising up on either side.

The heart of Írimë was distressed, she walked with her head down, she did not want to be there.

Entering the palace worsened things. Two guards opened the way for them and when crossing the enormous doors they found a huge golden room that was surrounded by a crowd of heavily armed soldiers. At the end of the great hall rose the majestic throne and seated on it Odin, the king of Asgard.

Írimë returned to her head-down as soon as she saw it, She recognized Thor at his side.

But none of this mattered because what she felt later distracted her from anything she could see there.

She felt the same cold embrace she felt every time she came to Jotunheim.

This was not possible at all, she was very far away from there. Then an idea made her feel better. Maybe the betrayal of her people, her beloved Jotnar, is not real, maybe they were letting her know that. She was part of their world, and although she had lost their appearance, she still felt like a Jotun. Then, they were reminding, in her heart, that they were at her side at that moment. Maybe they understood, in their enormous wisdom, that she was fulfilling an order and that her presence there, although against her will, was good for them.

This sentiment eased her grief and she was able to continue the path less sadly.

But the cold grew stronger as she approached the throne.

She had never felt that outside of Jotunheim, it was very strange.

What happened later was even more so. While walking behind her queen, with her head looking at the bright floor of the palace, Írimë heard a firm voice that said with a tone of disapproval -“What a waste of time! Peace? They will not find peace in Asgard-”

Írmë raised her head immediately. It was impossible that she had heard someone speak so clearly at such a distance and yet the voice was clear and strong, she knew that it came from inside her head.

Írimë could read the thoughts of those who shared her gift, could not enter the minds of everyone, only those who could also do so, it was like a communication channel that was little used by her.

Someone in that room shared her gift and had entered her head.

This scared her because if someone had been able to do it, maybe he would soon discover that she did not feel any love for them and this could jeopardize her mission.

The cold embrace, as she called it, was increasing.

But now she was worried about looking for the owner of that voice. Her eyes scanned the room, perched on each of those present.

She then looked forward, Odin sat majestically on the throne, on his left Thor and two other Asgardians she did not know, on his right a beautiful woman who understood was his wife, the queen. And then she heard the same voice again. -Someone should tell them to return to their world … -

Írimë’s eyes stopped at the Asgardian who was standing next to the queen and when they did, he returned her gaze with a confused gesture.

He was dressed in green and gold and his head was covered by a helmet with two huge horns.

When their eyes meet Írimë felt something different. Who was he? Why did he provoke that feeling? Because she had discovered that she did not feel any rejection of that Asgardian. That if it was new for her.

She stopped in his bright eyes. They were beautiful, the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, but they were so sad . It was as if those eyes were pierced her soul

They stared at her with an almost amused curiosity. Then she heard his voice again

-Can you hear me? He asked her, and she nodded her head slightly while he raised his eyebrows in a gesture of surprise.

-Oh! Well, I did not want to scare you, I was just thinking, it’s not my fault that you could hear my thoughts …

Írmë thought that it was quite haughty to be someone who aroused in her such a pleasant feeling.

-Your words have not scared me, I’m not the one who has decided to come,My Lord Manwe has sent us, he believes in the peace.

She told him using the same way of communication.

He smiled when he received her words and respected in the same way.

-Well, your lord is very optimistic or very naive.

This offended her a lot but she decided that she would not show it

-It’s very wise and that makes the difference.

He stayed a few seconds watching her.

- But if he is so wise? He should not see that your mission will fail ?

Írime nodded her head in a majestic attitude.

-Your vision may be too short.

And with this she decided to end the dialogue. She knew how to close that channel of communication when she wanted it. However, he smiled a mocking smile almost mocking, it seemed to her.

The lady next to him noticed this exchange of thoughts, Írimë observed her and knew that she did not share her gift and she was relieved that she had not heard her, even though she felt ashamed, maybe she had been too rude in her response and she did not intend to offend anyone, so she looked at her and bowed her head in reverence, the queen did the same.

It was not worth anything to írime to close her channel and prevent him from continuing in her head, because he was still there. Her thoughts were upset, she was not used to feeling something like that. She knew that even though she had forbidden him to continue urging in her mind, he was still in her mind because she could not stop thinking about him, his sad look and even his mocking smile.

She tried to concentrate her attention on the words of her Lady Elbereth, announcing their peace message.

-My Lord Manwe sends his respects and thanks for allowing us to enter his Realm. Odin nodded to Elbereth’s words

-It is an honor for us to have such distinguished guests.

He said.

It was the first time that Írime heard his voice, the first time she stepped on Asgard, and what she felt pierced her heart like a dagger.

A strange shudder ran through her body, each of her fibers tensed, her muscles and all her senses were placed in a position of alertness. She could not understand it, but her Istari spirit had prepared to attack.

To who? Odin? She could not understand it.

This is how the Istaris reacted to a threat, that was the signal that alerted them to danger. She knew that Odin was extremely dangerous.

Her gaze turned to the strange Asgardian next to the queen, for some reason she needed to know that he was fine. He also looked at her but with a gesture even more confused than before. Írime tried to recover her calm. What was happening to her?

Maybe having accepted that mission had not been the best of ideas.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter V Asgard

Írimë grew up. She became a strong and intelligent maiden. Her power had grown over the years as did her love for the inhabitants of Jotunheim.

Far away in time that night when she had met little Jotnar, but in her heart time had stopped just there.

She had searched for the little boy in every corner of the universe. She had asked in her world the reason for their separation, but had only received by reply that the designs of Ilúvatar were mysterious and that it was not possible to envision the end of all the stories.

She had lived with that pain ever since and with the sad acceptance that it was the first of her ancestry to fail. She had abandoned her protégé.

For this reason, the debt to the Jotnar was enormous. She decided to dedicate every second of her life to protect them. In each Jotun that she protected, she saw her little and defenseless baby. She felt better knowing that at least she was protecting his people.

The Jotnar themselves knew nothing about that baby, they did not know who could belong and many times they had believed that this had been the product of írimë’s imagination.

Her old friend Ax had died during that battle and all connections she could have with that night had disappeared

The only thing she knew about that old battle was that it had been fought between several worlds and that Asgard had been one of them.

Farbauti and his two sons had died at the hands of the king of Asgard and the throne of Jotunheim was empty since then.

Írimë had decided to protect  inhabitants in the absence of the king and that is what she did since then.

Asgard always found reasons to attack them.

Led by Odin’s son, Thor and his warriors visited Jotunheim and murdered entire families, maybe they did this for fun, maybe they wanted to prove who was in charge. Nobody knew the real reasons. The fact was that they arrived at Jotunheim as enemies and many times Irime did not arrive in time to avoid all those deaths.

When she was present Thor and his people could not touch the Jotnar, she surpassed them greatly in power and over time she became “the mysterious protector of the Jotnar”

Many times she had tried to reason with the Asgardians but had never managed to make peace with them. Son of Jord, as she called Thor, was an irrational being.

Perhaps this was the reason why one day the Lady Elbereth and her lord Manwe sent for her, at least this was what they told her.

-Írimë

Said the lady of the stars with a solemn voice

-We know about your trips to Jotunheim, the kingdom of the Frost Giants …

Íirme bowed her head when she heard that

-We understand that your love for the Jotnar is great and we know that you have avoided many deaths

The Istari raised her face to face her Queen face to face, proudly confronted those facts

-That’s why we think you’re the one to accompany me on the mission that Iluvatar has entrusted us.

Írimë was excited and surprised at the same time

Now Lord Manwe spoke:

-Ilúvatar has ordered that we must interfere in an issue that threatens the future of the Universe. Asgard is enemy of Jotunheim and this rivalry could come the end of time, we must travel to Asgard as messengers of our creator to ask for a truce between both worlds. We know that this is difficult but we must carry out the mandate of Iluvatar and we have decided that you will accompany your Lady in this mission of peace.

She felt her heart speed up.

-My Lord, my Lady …

She said dedicating them both a solemn bow

-I am honored by your decision but I have tried to reason with them and it is not possible to do so, they do not want peace.

Manwe nodded to her words

-We know it, they believe that the prophecies must be fulfilled and we believe that these can be avoided, they are only possible futures and not inevitable, but we must fulfill the desires of the creator.

Írime frowned when she heard her lord mention the word prophecy but did not dare to ask anything that had not been said, she knew that Manwe’s words were the words of Iluvatar.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter IV The first separation

Írimë remained in that temple for three days. She did not move from the side of little Jotun except to look for food. He was too small to eat solid food, so she made a porridge with plants and fruits and fed him.

She could recognize in that baby a deep story that had not yet arrived.

-I will not leave you…

She told him while the boy’s bright eyes watched her with fascination.

-You and I are united forever …

She said caressing his face, pale and soft.

-I’ll be your protector and I will not let anyone hurt you, I promise you

Irimë did not know that this promise will tormented her for so many years.

And cradling the little boy in her arms she began to sing:

“The stars in the sky will shine and your dreams in their hands will hold.

Will sleep lulled by its light, you will sleep without fear of the night, you will sleep in peace. ”

The boy narrowed his eyes while smiling, he would never forget this song.

Then a thunderous noise was heard and rumbled throughout the room. A blinding light entered through the entrance to the temple and then a strange fog.

Írimë knew that this represented a great danger.

She clutched the little one more tightly in her arms and stood up.

A dark figure approached threateningly.

The girl could not see his face and if she saw him she could never remember him, the darkness covered him and fear pulsed in her brave heart that did not allow her to surrender to this danger. Because she knew that the strange appearance was extremely dangerous.

-Stop!

She shouted

A silence crossed the entire temple.

- I will not hurt you

He told her trying to listen benevolently, she caused chills to hear him.

-You can not hurt me but him, and I will not let you touch him.

Again the silence. She did not see his face covered by fog but she knew that he was meditating his next words

-That child is mine and I must take him

-Never!

She assured

-This child does not belong to you and I will not allow you to hurt him

-I will not hurt him

Little Istari knew he was lying. Maybe at that moment he did not know this but she knew that this was not true.

- But you will

This came from deep within her heart, she knew that this would be the case.

Then she deposited the little one gently on a mattress of leaves that she had fixed for him and smiled at him for the last time.

When she brought her eyes to the figure her face had stopped being sweet, the figure approached, then she with a gesture of her hands hit the invader without touching him, sent him against the rocks in a burst of light.

But he soon stood up and came back, she hit him again, this time with more force than before.

-You are a powerful girl

Said the enemy shaking off the dust

-But you can not stop this that I’ve come to do.

These words resonated in the place and the soul of Irime, for some reason she knew it was true but she could not understand the reason.

An Istari was never separated from his protege, that had never happened. What happened next was inexplicable for Ìrimë.

The darkness covered the temple, a cold and strong wind lashed every corner, she tried to take the child again but a powerful force prevented it. This force did not come from that figure or from anything that existed in Jotunheim, she could recognize the strength of her own world operating in that moment.

How was it possible that her own people were preventing her from fulfilling her destiny? Could Iluvatar separate two souls that had been united by the force of the nature?

She could not answer that, but she could not help being dragged by that powerful wind as she saw that horrible figure approaching the child and heard him cry inconsolably.

She screamed, she cried, she implored, but her prayers were not heard, she was forced to return to her world

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter III Írimë meets her destiny

She was annoyed because she had left her friend alone.

She would have preferred to stay by his side and fight with him. She knew that she would have been much more useful there, in the middle of the battle  that at the top of that mountain.

What could the Jotun plan be? She was sure there was no plan.

Anyway, she decided to keep her promise and stay there until she seemed appropriate to go in search of Axe.

She pushed through the leaves that covered the front of this huge place and stopped before the imposing entrance. She did not have to cross her threshold to understand that it was celled with a spell.

She has heard the stories that told about the temples of the Jotnar. They worshiped their ancestors. They believed that they protected them from the other side, they were their guardians. And she as a guardian by nature, has always been attracted to those stories

She had her own wisdom, she knew that the souls of the living traveled to the Estancias de Mandos in her world, but she wondered where the souls of the Jotnar would go.

Axe had told her that she should enter the Temple, did not he know of the spell that guarded it? How was she going to get in if she could not get through?

She thought it was a good excuse to leave but suddenly a strange sound caught her attention, it was the muffled and sad cry of a baby.

She sharpened her ear and stood there by the side of the pillars that stood on either side of the huge opening of the Temple.

It was possible that someone else had taken refuge there.

And then she heard it again.

It was definitely the cry of a baby.

She moved a little closer to the entrance, she could feel the magic flowing in front of her.

Again the silence.

She thought that it was not a disconsolate weeping, it was not constant, it had seemed more like a tired weeping, exhausted from so much to be heard, it was the crying of someone who had surrendered to abandonment.

She did not understand well because she had that strange feeling. He could be with his mother and that's why he was not desperate. Even so, that was what conveyed that sound and did not ask again why.

Nor did she question why she gently extended her hand to the invisible barrier that guarded that entrance, which, as soon as it was caressed by the palm of the Istari's small hand, flashed in thousands of lights.

Then, taking a breath, she went back to the entrance and this time she raised both hands in the direction of that barrier of light that she could not see but that she knew was there.

she did not know the spell to break that spell but did not need to know it, because as soon as her two hands rested there, suspended in the air, as if pushing an invisible wall, the light flashed again and a small gap opened before her as Sediendo the step.

she had not uttered any spells, the barrier had opened before her as if he were waiting for her. For a moment she hesitated but then the courage returned to her soul and he walked inside.

she had not taken more than three steps when that luminous barrier flashed and closed again.

she was inside.

The Temple was imposing. It was illuminated by candles that burned everywhere, even in the cold of the stone, its flames remained lit as if by magic, there was definitely magic there and it was a protective magic, she could recognize it. Whoever was inside was being ported.

she walked hesitantly through the gallery that opened in her path. she looked at her sides and saw all those huge statuettes carved in the stone. They were beautiful. Hundreds of faces seemed to observe her from all corners.

she continued with a slow but firm step towards the center of the gigant place, she discovered that there was no one.

she frowned in confusion. It was not possible that there was nobody, she had heard a baby cry.

-Hello?

she dared to say and her voice resounded on the walls and produced a harmonious echo.

-Don't be afraid, I want to help you ...

she kept saying, but nobody answered.

she stopped for a moment to observe that place more closely.

The Temple was huge but had no enclosures other than the one where she was standing. There were no tunnels or any door that would indicate that the site continued beyond those walls. If there was someone there he could not be far away.

she could not see anyone but she could feel the cold that enveloped her every time she was near a Jotun, who was there was definitely one of them and she was very afraid.

she could feel that in an intense way, that baby was very scared.

In a corner in the back of the room something called her attention. The entire enclosure was built of stone and the torch lights shone incandescently, illuminating almost the entire place except that corner that was almost in shadow.

írimë was attracted by the brightness of a huge plant that seemed to have its own light, still far from the flames its bright yellow color shines.

She had heard about that beautiful plant, in her world it was known as "Light that burns" because its flowers flashed with an extraordinary brightness and because with them an mixture could be made to heal wounds caused by fire.

For a little girl who knew magic, this was not an invention but she could not understand how that beautiful plant had withstood the cold of Jotunheim, much less the darkness of the enclosure. Definitely there was also some kind of magic operating.

She then approached, cautiously, to that place and saw that bright green leaves were piled up beside her stems. she knelt by the mound and when her little hand had moved closer to the leaves, she did not have to remove them to know what was under them.

Then with trembling hands she gently drew back the piled leaves to meet face to face with the weeping, weary face of a little baby Jotun.

His eyes were reddened but they were immensely blue, just like the eyes of all Jotnar but even brighter and sweeter. His skin was white as frost and was covered in concentric lines. He was definitely a Jotnar baby but much smaller.

The baby made a gesture that made him look even sweeter, tried to give her a smile.

Írimë covered her mouth with her hands. How was it possible that somebody had left that little boy in helpless baby? The Jotnar did not do those things, it did not make any sense.

The boy returned a sweet look, his eyes alternated in a flash of blue and green at the same time, they were beautiful.

Írimë took a few minutes to think.

That baby was there for a reason, someone had left for a good reason. she thought of all the possibilities.

And only one seemed acceptable. Maybe his mother or someone else decided to hide it because he or she was afraid that something bad would happen to him in that battle that was taking place downhill. He had made sure he was safe, every corner of the Temple was covered in magic.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a funny sound coming from the child's mouth, he was wanting to get her attention.

Írimë smiled sweetly and putting her hands carefully under the child, she joined him as delicately as she could. she brought him to her chest and looked at him closely.

He was definitely smaller than any Jotnar baby she had seen but much larger than any she had ever held in her world.

The eyes of both children were in the middle of that dark room and it was the beginning of something wonderful.

But first I will make a brief synthesis of the nature of an Istari.

For a long time, from the beginning of time and until its end, the Istaris had as sole mission to save the soul of a mortal who had interference in the course of the Universe. As  Lady Estë had explained to Irime, they had to guard the souls of the inhabitants of Arda, that part of the world they shared with the Asgardians and that was an alternative dimension of what they called Midgard.

The souls of those moratales were chosen by Iluvatar, the One, the creator of all things.

Each Istari accepted their protege and joined him in a special way. An unbreakable link held them and both destinations united into one. The Istari took the shape of their protege immediately and remained at his side.

Once every so often, an Istari was allowed to choose his protégé, and once made, that union became as unbreakable as that of his entire species.

This union was powerful and its birth was produced as a burst of thousands of suns. An invisible bond united their souls with the strength of all the stars, enveloped them in light, and transported them through the air in a magical dance. Both could feel this, they were united forever.

Returning to the children in that Temple, Írimë was an Istari and at that moment, her soul decided that this little one would be her protege. She was not aware of whether his nature was linked to the destiny of the universe but she had decided that he would be the one she would take care of then.

Perhaps the power of her race was beyond the understanding of the girl and she had known that this was possible, even with the differences that separated her from the rest of the cases of her people.

The baby was not a mortal of Arda and she, who had long since taken the appearance of a Jotun, suddenly began to lose the pallor of her skin and each of the lines that had been drawn in it, she could not understand it but It had happened. She had left the giants appearance and although this saddened her a little, she accepted it, because she knew that one day she would understand.

That union was felt in every corner of her soul, her spirit shuddered in that encounter and she knew it was done, Iluvatar had accepted her choice.

she looked at the boy with sweetness and caressed his beautiful face.

-I have fear also…

Told him

-But we'll face it together ... I'm here ... with you ...

she told him and little Jotun who had abandoned his sad and exhausted look, perhaps an effect of that feeling that had also reached him, smiled again.

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter II And so it begins

It was so cold that night! It wasn´t a icy cold, sad and dark as in the years that followed. It was a terrifying cold, one of those that freeze blood. This was how little Írimë felt as her feet covered the still thick carpet of fresh grass that covered that distant land, over the mountains, in that place called Jotunheim.

The cold came from somewhere else, the girl thought, She could feel it. It was the cold of a terrible grief..

She had been there so many times! That gift of walking between dreams, as some defined her strange power, had allowed her to visit the land of the frost giants again and again. That place had been hooked, even without being aware of it, in her place in the world, her world.

It was forbidden, She had grown up knowing that but she had never obeyed that mandate.

The Vala Lorien had given her whole family the gift of traveling through the worlds, she could travel the Universe in ways no one had found, could even penetrate the dreams of mortals and walk within them. It was a precious gift and she had used it to escape to Jotunheim.

But that night …

She felt strange, she was an Istari, a spirit of light, feelings were strange gifts that mortals received from the creator. But she had decided to have them, even without knowing it had decided to join her existence to the existence of the inhabitants of Jotunheim.

She has learned about love, hate, sadness and now fear.She stopped for a moment, something moved behind her. Her fist closed capturing the power of her magic that began to escape between her little fingers. Whatever stalked her was in real trouble.

But then her body shuddered to feel the cold that she loved so much and could recognize. He was one of them, he was not in danger.

She turned to face Axe’s face.

The girl smiled at him but the Jotun did not return the smile this time, she frowned and fear returned to seize her spirit.

-Go away…

Told him

-No place for a girl to be in the middle of a battle

Írimë did not move

-I’m not a girl … you know

She told him making allusion to her true nature

-írimë, we are under attack (attack us), you have to return to your home …

the girl looked at the old Jotun with sadness

-This is my home…

Axe approached her and getting on his knees and shook her little body in a warm embrace. She stopped being afraid for a moment. When the Jotun moved away from her, he caressed her face with sweetness.

-I’ll stay and ‘I’ll skip to your side …

She said with a courage that moved the old Jotun, maybe he did not know the real powers of Írime, maybe he did not want any risks, but when he looked into her eyes he discovered that she was willing to stay so he put his cold hands on her shoulders and said:

-If you are going to stay to fight with me, you have to do what I tell you

The girl nodded excitedly

- Run to the top of this mountain and stay there until I say, you will find roads between the rocks and crevices in the slopes. Up there is a Temple, if you get to it you must enter and stay there until you hear me call you.

-I will not leave you…

-You will not do it, but you have to do what I tell you

Írimë was not sure that Axe was counting her as part of his army, but it seemed to her that he was trying to protect her.

-When I say you, you must run as fast as you can and not look back. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Írime nodded hesitantly

Noises of swords began to get closer and closer, the Jotun pushed her gently

-Go!

He ordered her and the girl did what he had asked, ran up the hill as fast as she could, stopped near the top, the Jotun was no longer there.

______________________________________

She had followed what Axe had ordered and was already at the top of the mountain.

The cold and the fear invaded her again.

She searched for those crevices in the hillsides but found none.

Suddenly in the distance she saw a blue light. -"In the top there is a temple, if you get to it you must enter." - She remembered the words of Axe and she smiled

[intotheshadowblog]

Chapter I Írimë

Írimë had been born in Valinor, how they called to her world before the arrival of Odin to these coasts, after that everybody called it Alfheim. She was a spirit of light, her appearance was difficult to explain with words, she was ethereal and incandescent like the stars, her energy was powerful and she was blessed with the gift of magic, she was all magic, pure and radiant. Her age was unknown, she could be hundreds of years old but for her people she was still a girl. She spoke many languages ​​and loved knowing different cultures, traveling through the universe looking for beings that could teach her about them. But what she loved the most was a world that was beyond the limits of her own, beneath the roots of the Yggdrasil, and that world was Jotunheim. Therefore the little opted to take their appearance, she hoped that it was taken by them as a sign of union between their worlds. And so it had been, the Jotnar had come to love her as one of them and had welcomed her with enthusiasm and warmness. Each week she had to visit the Estë Lady’s rooms and learn about the world of the men she was in her nature to protect. But Írimë was not the best of the students, her interests were not the interests of the other children and that is why the Lady Estë used to call her alone to talk more calmly about some important issues that had to do with her education. On that occasion she was sitting next to the imposing lady who watched her carefully and somewhat curiously. The Lady Estë had the power to heal all hurts and weariness, her nature was to be understanding, she tried to understand the actions of the little one, because she knew that not everything was what it seemed and that behind her strange behavior there was something more than Iluvatar had prepared for the destiny of the universe.

-You are an Istari Írimë

Lady Estë had told the little girl

-And an Istari must never question her fate, you are a protective spirit. You come from a noble lineage of guardians who have managed to maintain the balance of the Universe. Your mission is to save the soul of the mortal assigned to you, it is important that you know it because the fate of many will depend on that.

-But I do not want to go to Arda, I want to go to Jotunheim

Lady Estë looked at the girl hesitantly. She knew well that Iluvatar’s designs were mysterious and that sometimes they took winding roads.

-We, here in Valinor, are responsible for the men who live in Arda, Jotunheim is one of the Kingdoms ruled by Odin of Asgard, the guardians of Midgard, it is not in our hands to change that ..

Ìrimë looked at the lady with a frown

-Odin is not the king of Jotünheim, Farbauti is

-Ìrimë, the government of Odin reaches the nine kingdoms, we here do not recognize his reign and yet we are called Alfheim because he has decided that it should be, he is the father of everything and Iluvatar allows it because it should be.

The girl raised her shoulders as if that was not important

-But he is not the rightfull king of Jotünheim …

She repeated

She sighed understanding that the little Istari was firm in her convictions and glimpsed that this was something more than a whim.

-What I want you to understand is that as Istari you have a destiny and that destiny is to keep the soul of a mortal of Arda, in no other world is it allowed to interfere.

-But I want to go to Jotunheim …

The little girl repeated as if she had not heard it.

Lady Este sighed.

She knew that this was forbidden and she also knew that Irimë had the gift of traveling through the worlds, she could cross portals that nobody had crossed, she knew she would find a way to travel to Jotunheim even if she was not allowed to do so.

-Why?

She asked at last trying to understand

-I love them…

Answered Írimë

[intotheshadowblog]

                                                                                                                                “I am grim of mind and wrathful of spirit and I have no desire to be nice to anyone,”