Mother Dearest

Celebration

After the funeral, everyone gathered in the dining hall where an enormous meal had been prepared in celebration of Odin winning the war. The place was packed full of people, and the air was filled with joyous conversation, laughter, music, and the smells of different meats and other luscious foods. Candles and torchlight cast a warm, inviting glow over the hall's interior, making the golden accents and décor sparkle and gleam.

Frigga admitted that the funeral had been beautiful, despite the sadness of saying goodbye to loved ones and friends. There was an empty place in her heart for those who would not be joining them in the festivities. She still expected to see them seated around the table, or telling wild tales in the corners of the room while they drank mead and flirted with the maidens. Odin was right, though. Their lost friends and comrades would want her to move on and not dwell on the sadness. They had known the risks even before they went into battle. They chose to do what they did and gladly gave their lives for freedom.

As Frigga walked to her place at the table, she kept one hand on Thor's head and held Loki in her other arm. She leaned over close to Thor's ear.

"I want you to be on your best behavior," she whispered.

""Kay," he replied.

"Sit here," she said, moving a chair out so that Thor could crawl up into it. She seated herself in the chair next to him. On her right sat Odin, who was busy talking to some of the other warriors seated around him. The feast had already begun and was in full swing, trays of meats and platters of vegetables, fruits, and pastries being passed around with servants trying to keep up with them. There were also huge jugs of mead being poured out into large silver and gold goblets and mugs, some of the men already having drunk two or three mugs full and starting on another one.

Loki sat on Frigga's lap and watched the events with wonder, not wanting to miss a moment. He didn't understand what everything was about, just as he hadn't understood what the funeral was about, but he stared anyway. There were men dressed in armor and women dressed in dainty gowns and rich dresses. Most of the men busied themselves with shoving food and drink into their mouths, while the women huddled in groups and chattered and laughed. One group of women wore armor and silver winged helmets and decorative headgear. They carried swords and large battle axes and bows and quivers of arrows on their backs. Loki noticed that they kept to themselves, staying as far away from the men as they possibly could.

Musicians stood in the background and played music loudly, which coincided with everyone's talking and made the place unbelievably loud.

One male warrior near Loki chewed off huge chunks of meat and filled his mouth with mead before he even got through swallowing half of it, ending the whole debacle with a large belch. What didn't make it into the guy's mouth, loosely hung in his blond, braided beard. Loki furrowed his brow as he studied this monstrosity, eventually turning away in utter disgust.

Frigga picked up a spoon and handed it to Loki. He grasped it with both hands, glad to have a new distraction from the gluttony going on around him. He immediately put the utensil in his mouth and sucked on it. Then he took it out and looked at its polished surface. It was pretty, he thought, and shiny. Squeeing with excitement, he flapped his arms and waved the spoon around, nearly missing Frigga's arm. She cupped her hand around his and forced it down, kissing his head. Loki clutched the spoon as if he were afraid she'd take it from him, but she didn't.

When Frigga went back to eating, Loki commenced to flapping his arms again and playing with his spoon. He gummed it, fondled it, and banged it noisily on the table and the nearby plates, which resulted in Frigga closing her hand around his hand again and pulling it away from the table. He eyed her questioningly. Everyone else was making noise. Why couldn't he? It's not like anyone could actually hear it with the din that was already going on.