The Queen Of Winter Book One

I remember it well

"Njord" Anna's voice was barely a whisper. She instinctively grabbed on to Loki's arm. He could see a whirlwind of emotions in her eyes. He loosened his arm from her grip as Njord walked closer to her and embraced his lost daughter in a hug. Anna hesitated at first but she soon returned the gestures. The safe familiar feeling she felt in her dreams washed over her. She tightened her grip and began to sob.

"Daughter....Annie my little Annie." Njord pulled away and held his daughter at arm's length. He looked her over and couldn't believe how grown up she was now. "I am so sorry for all of this. I thought this would keep you safe. I am so sorry." Njord pulled Anna in for another hug.

"Cailleach has returned as we feared." Odin broke the awkward silence that had now fallen.

Njord sighed heavily and pulled his fingers through his hair. He looked weary.

"I still don't understand what this has to do with me!" Anna was beginning to lose her temper. She didn't know how much more she could cope with today.

"Daughter, I'm afraid you are caught in the middle of a bitter feud. You see when the Vikings explored Midgard and travelled the seas they prayed to me for safe passage. I spent a lot of time on Midgard amongst them. I quite enjoyed the mortals." Njord smiled at his memories of simpler times.

"The Vikings travelled over the sea to a strange unyielding new land. Alba I believe it was called in their native tongue, Scotland in the common tongue. They settled in a place called Loch Awe. The locals there, worshiped Cailleach the Goddess of Winter. She ruled the lands from Samhain until Beltain. She could be cruel and cast upon the land the most cold and baron of winters that was difficult to survive. She was...her....her beauty was unlike anything I had ever seen before. We were in love. I was infatuated with her beauty and power. We ruled the highlands together and the people worshiped us and we rewarded them with calm seas and mild winters. Cailleach became more and more hungry for power. She wanted more from the people. I saw a different side to her. I spent more and more time back in Asgard but this angered her and she became uncontrollable. She enlisted the help of Bodach, a trickster spirit - " Njord eyed Loki with distrust when he said this. "He tricked the spirits of the water, the Kelpies, into giving up their bridles."

Anna, Thor and Loki were completely lost. They were having a hard time keeping up with the idea of new mythical creatures and Gods and Goddesses. Odin and Frigga were completely unfazed, like this was common knowledge for them.

"Who ever possesses the bridles of the kelpies possesses the power to control them." Njord continued. "She would use the Kelpies to do her bidding. They would lure children away from their homes and drown them in the rivers and lochs if Cailleach so wished it."

"What happened to her?" Anna asked, still searching for her answers.

"The people feared her and stoped worshiping her. Their children were told stories about her and her horses to keep them away from the water. She turned from the light into darkness. She appeared to anyone who should see her as an old withered hag a shadow of her former self."

"Your song....it was a warning." Anna was happy to have at least understood something.

"Exactly" Njord continued "As time passed people moved on and found new Gods to worship and follow. She fell into legend and myth. Waiting in the darkness for her moment to return. I would still visit Midgard to keep and eye on things. Thats where I met your mother. Annie Innis Stewart. My Annie. We fell in love and I was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. But it was short lived Cailleach was jealous. She was still in love with me i suppose. There were whispers and rumours of her return. Your mother suffered terrible nightmares and started wandering in her sleep. I feared I couldn't keep her safe. When she was pregnant with you we came to Asgard. Frigga here brought you into this world."

"And what a wonderful day that was." Frigga remembered it fondly. As the head healer she was often in charge of bringing the children of Asgard into the world.

"Frigga placed a spell over your mother and you to shield you from Cailleach's eye and we returned to Midgard. Everything was perfect and peaceful until the Samhain after your first birthday. I awoke in the middle of the night and you and your mother were gone. I searched everywhere. I looked outside and I saw her. Cailleach and her wretched kelpies. You were in your mothers arms and she was walking into the water. I got there as soon as I could. It was too late for your mother but you survived. Asgardian blood I believe made you stronger. Cailleach and I fought. I banished her to Dubnos, the Gaelic dark world but she vowed to take away all I held dear. That she would never stop coming for you. I tried for years to hid you from her but she was always in your dreams. When you were 4 we were in this very room. Frigga sang you to sleep as Odin and I looked for a way to keep you safe. Calleach had bound herself to me. She always knew where I was. so...." Njord took a deep breath before he continued. It pained him to have to relive this night.

"We thought if I sent you away. If i had no knowledge of where you were then she couldn't find you and you would be safe. But I was wrong.I guess it was only a matter of time really until she found you. She would have been at her strongest on Samhain. Unable to fully escape the Dark World but still have enough power to influence this world."

"The veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest on Samhain." Anna remembered the theatrics from Tonys party. "I saw her. I saw her at Tony's party i didn't think she was real. But how did she find me?" Anna began to pace the floor again. Trying to think. "Hydra!" She shouted "Rumlow said Samhain would be soon so it didn't matter if the arch was destroyed. The drive i decoded it had files about Samhain and horses and coordinates. What if they were summoning her?" Why would they though? I doesn't make sense." In her usual Anna fashion she began to ramble incoherently.

"Why am I not surprised to learn of Hydra's involvement. Their reasoning for things is not one any same person can determine." Thor interjected, halting Anna's ramblings.

"The important thing is you are safe here child. The magic of the Vanir and the Aseir will shield and protect you. Let us retire to the dining hall for supper. It has been a long and tiring day and there is noting more we can do for now. Samhain has passed and Cailleach has no real power here." Frigga suggested.

"A wise thought, my love" Odin agreed with his wife.

"I believe we should celebrate the return of Annabelle Njorddöttr and shall we announce the news of your courtship Loki or am I misunderstanding your relationship?" Frigga asked with the loveliest of smiles on her face.

Anna blushed and Loki smiled. He turned to Njord "If I have your permission Njord, I would very much like to court your daughter. She means a great deal to me and I vow to protect her and keep her from any harm for as long as she will have me."

"Thank you Prince Loki. I give this courtship my blessing." Njord shook Loki's hand. "Love her and keep her safe."

"Always" Loki replied as he took Anna's hand and kissed the top of her fingers lightly.