Prompt: Father
Fandom: Thor (Marvel)
Characters: Volstagg, Hildy, Alaric, Gudrun, Flosi, Thor, Loki, Odin, Bor, Laufey
Pairings: None
In Asgard, as in all the Nine Realms, the seasons change. Summer turns to autumn, and then autumn to winter. The days grow shorter, and men who have spent the warmer months adventuring, turn their steps homeward. Volstagg the Valiant is comfortable by his own fireside, this winter evening. A mug of ale by his elbow, his children on the hearth rug in front of him, he stares into the fire.
“Tell us a story, Papa,” the children chorus, and Volstagg begins.
“Once upon a time, and a very long time ago it was,” -
“Before I was born?” Hildy cuddles close.
“Before I was?” her brother Alaric asks.
- “Before any of you were born,”Volstagg tells them. “Before Odin was the ruler of Asgard. Long, long ago, when Lord Odin was but a young warrior, and his father the great Bor sat on the throne:
“And it happened that Lord Bor was battling the Frost Giants,” -
“Frost Giants?” Hildy shivers, and some of the younger children squeal.
“Hush, or Papa can't tell the story.”
“Yes, Frost Giants,” he continues. “Enemies of the Aesir, constantly looking for a chance to invade and take our land for their own. Lord Bor had tracked a wounded giant deep into the heart of icy Jotunheimr. But what he didn't know was that an evil sorcerer lay in wait. As soon as he came into range, Lord Bor was turned into a pile of drifting snow.”
The children gasp. Volstagg pats their heads. He takes a gulp of ale.
“It wasn't long before Lord Odin caught up. He saw what had happened, and he vowed to avenge his father.”
“But didn't he stop to see if he could help first?” Flosi asks.
“He vowed he would avenge Lord Bor,” Volstagg repeats. “Lord Odin tracked the evil Frost Giants into the heart of Jotunheimr, and there he slew their king Laufey.”
“But what happened to Lord Bor?”
Volstagg takes a gulp of his ale. “With his last dying breath, Lord Bor cursed his son Odin. He said he would rear the son of another king in his own household. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened.”
“Lord Odin went to the Frost King's castle. There he found a baby, hidden away by his father because of his small size.”
“Small?”
“For a giant,” Volstagg explains. “That baby was Loki.”
“Loki the Trickster?” Hildy looks at Gudrun.
“Loki the Shape Shifter?” Gudrun looks at Aleric.
“Loki the God of Evil?” all the children ask together.
“The same.” Volstagg's voice is impressive. “The one who was raised in the Allfather's palace, and treated as one of his own sons, and who turned and betrayed us all.”
“But you said he was a curse from Lord Bor. Did he know he was a curse?” Hildy asks.
“He knew he couldn't run as fast as the true Sons of Odin. He couldn't lift as heavy weapons as they, or fight as bravely. From the start, Loki's weapons were trickery, and womanish magic.”
“But why is magic...”
“Hush.” Volstagg puts a finger to his daughter's lips. “If Hildy wants to keep interrupting, she may tell this story herself. Loki wanted the throne of Asgard for himself,” he says. “Would you really like that, children? To have a Frost Giant sitting on the Allfather's throne?”
“But what about his own throne then?”
“Oh, who would want that? To have to live in that cold, barren land, even to reign there, wouldn't be as good as just living here in Asgard.”
“Loki wanted the throne of Asgard,” he says again. “He plotted to take it, to destroy the Allfather, and get his brother” -
“Stepbrother.”
- “To get his brother Thor, I say, out of the way. Finally he committed the ultimate offense. He killed his brother Baldur, the most beloved god in all Asgard.”
“Loki paid the ultimate punishment,” Volstagg says. “For his crimes, he lies bound to a rock at the roots of Yggdrasil, with a snake above him, dropping venom on his face, for the rest of time.”
That's what he got?” Hildy sounds outraged. “Why?”
“He was an enemy of Asgard,” Alaric tells her.
“He killed his brother,” says Gudrun.
“Stepbrother,” says Hildy. “And how come it's so bad for Loki to kill Baldur, but no one cares that Odin killed his father?” She stops for a moment. “He killed Loki's father, I mean. Why's it okay to kill Frost Giants, but not Aesirs?”
Volstagg sighs. Telling stories to the children isn't as easy as it used to be, he thinks. He's starting to wonder why he didn't go down to the tavern with Fandral and Hogun instead. Draining the rest of his ale, he stands. “That's all Papa has for you tonight,” he says. Then he goes into the kitchen to find his wife for a hug, and a good pinch on the bottom.
Characters: Volstagg, Hildy, Alaric, Gudrun, Flosi, Thor, Loki, Odin, Bor, Laufey
Pairings: None
In Asgard, as in all the Nine Realms, the seasons change. Summer turns to autumn, and then autumn to winter. The days grow shorter, and men who have spent the warmer months adventuring, turn their steps homeward. Volstagg the Valiant is comfortable by his own fireside, this winter evening. A mug of ale by his elbow, his children on the hearth rug in front of him, he stares into the fire.
“Tell us a story, Papa,” the children chorus, and Volstagg begins.
“Once upon a time, and a very long time ago it was,” -
“Before I was born?” Hildy cuddles close.
“Before I was?” her brother Alaric asks.
- “Before any of you were born,”Volstagg tells them. “Before Odin was the ruler of Asgard. Long, long ago, when Lord Odin was but a young warrior, and his father the great Bor sat on the throne:
“And it happened that Lord Bor was battling the Frost Giants,” -
“Frost Giants?” Hildy shivers, and some of the younger children squeal.
“Hush, or Papa can't tell the story.”
“Yes, Frost Giants,” he continues. “Enemies of the Aesir, constantly looking for a chance to invade and take our land for their own. Lord Bor had tracked a wounded giant deep into the heart of icy Jotunheimr. But what he didn't know was that an evil sorcerer lay in wait. As soon as he came into range, Lord Bor was turned into a pile of drifting snow.”
The children gasp. Volstagg pats their heads. He takes a gulp of ale.
“It wasn't long before Lord Odin caught up. He saw what had happened, and he vowed to avenge his father.”
“But didn't he stop to see if he could help first?” Flosi asks.
“He vowed he would avenge Lord Bor,” Volstagg repeats. “Lord Odin tracked the evil Frost Giants into the heart of Jotunheimr, and there he slew their king Laufey.”
“But what happened to Lord Bor?”
Volstagg takes a gulp of his ale. “With his last dying breath, Lord Bor cursed his son Odin. He said he would rear the son of another king in his own household. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened.”
“Lord Odin went to the Frost King's castle. There he found a baby, hidden away by his father because of his small size.”
“Small?”
“For a giant,” Volstagg explains. “That baby was Loki.”
“Loki the Trickster?” Hildy looks at Gudrun.
“Loki the Shape Shifter?” Gudrun looks at Aleric.
“Loki the God of Evil?” all the children ask together.
“The same.” Volstagg's voice is impressive. “The one who was raised in the Allfather's palace, and treated as one of his own sons, and who turned and betrayed us all.”
“But you said he was a curse from Lord Bor. Did he know he was a curse?” Hildy asks.
“He knew he couldn't run as fast as the true Sons of Odin. He couldn't lift as heavy weapons as they, or fight as bravely. From the start, Loki's weapons were trickery, and womanish magic.”
“But why is magic...”
“Hush.” Volstagg puts a finger to his daughter's lips. “If Hildy wants to keep interrupting, she may tell this story herself. Loki wanted the throne of Asgard for himself,” he says. “Would you really like that, children? To have a Frost Giant sitting on the Allfather's throne?”
“But what about his own throne then?”
“Oh, who would want that? To have to live in that cold, barren land, even to reign there, wouldn't be as good as just living here in Asgard.”
“Loki wanted the throne of Asgard,” he says again. “He plotted to take it, to destroy the Allfather, and get his brother” -
“Stepbrother.”
- “To get his brother Thor, I say, out of the way. Finally he committed the ultimate offense. He killed his brother Baldur, the most beloved god in all Asgard.”
“Loki paid the ultimate punishment,” Volstagg says. “For his crimes, he lies bound to a rock at the roots of Yggdrasil, with a snake above him, dropping venom on his face, for the rest of time.”
That's what he got?” Hildy sounds outraged. “Why?”
“He was an enemy of Asgard,” Alaric tells her.
“He killed his brother,” says Gudrun.
“Stepbrother,” says Hildy. “And how come it's so bad for Loki to kill Baldur, but no one cares that Odin killed his father?” She stops for a moment. “He killed Loki's father, I mean. Why's it okay to kill Frost Giants, but not Aesirs?”
Volstagg sighs. Telling stories to the children isn't as easy as it used to be, he thinks. He's starting to wonder why he didn't go down to the tavern with Fandral and Hogun instead. Draining the rest of his ale, he stands. “That's all Papa has for you tonight,” he says. Then he goes into the kitchen to find his wife for a hug, and a good pinch on the bottom.