Fated Encounter Prequel: A Thousand Years

The Forest of Fólkvangr

A/N: Ista heals herself via also tending to Yggdrasil. However her songs draw in the young knight that has gotten lost in her woods. Unknown to either of them, an encounter, ordained by fate's red thread begins to be woven as the conditions for the Creator's return draws near.

The ninth is Folkvangr, where Freyja decrees

Who shall have seats in the hall;

The half of the dead each day does she choose,

And half does Othin have.
~Grímnismál Poems

Song Kairos Sings: "The Heritors of Arcadia" from FE Echoes.

....................................................

That song.

That beautiful, otherworldly song.

The deeper he went into the forest the louder and clearer it got on the spring breeze that February afternoon. The moss covered trees soon gave way to the biggest meadow of inteyvet lilies he had ever seen. At the center was the massive tree that was glowing a gentle rainbow hue. The wisps of souls vanished into the massive trunk causing it to bloom. Almost like this was the Urðarbrunnr itself from his childhood stories. But that couldn't be real...could it?

Yet...the evidence was here before his eyes as he felt this place was very rich in elemental particles of all the elements. Including that of an unknown element that was otherworldly to him. He had heard stories of the nations of the archon worshipers gaining these strange trinkets that let them use the elements. Peh! What nonsense that was to him, bending to the whims of something not human. But Dainslief could only marvel at the splendor as he followed the ethereal melody, taking notice the centers of the flowers were glowing in first seven colors then a brilliant gold.

What had startled him was the trail of blood and tracks in the earth. Some of the blood stained the petals petrifying them. With a single touch they turned to dust, almost like the flower had been taken outside of Khaenri'ah borders. While on the earth the footprints were not large, belonging to a woman petite in stature. However they were unsteady and being dragged every few steps. "Is somebody injured?"he thought in dismay. There have been a lot of strange happenings lately. A lot of them he now knew were coming from here, this forest that shouldn't be here. Then a thought occurred as he picked up the pace searching for the owner of the footprints: This was no ordinary place. Was this the fabled Forest of Fólkvangr!?

"No it can't be...it's just an old wives' tale..."he whispered. If this was indeed that fabled meadow and this tree was Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life and Souls. Then...he had wondered right into—Dainslief could only stare in disbelief at what he saw. Standing, softly silloutted by the setting sun within the sea of Inteyvet lilies was a maiden, angelic and fair. Like a valkyrie had fallen from Asgard to the mortal plains. The wind caressed making long pale pink, gold glowing hair dance softly past six beautiful gold fairy-like wings. Eflin ears, not large but enough to poke out her long flowing bangs. Small doves cooed as they came to perch on her shoulder and hand. Her clothes had hues of white, gold, blues, and nebula-like patterns in the back of her silver cloak. Gentle side braids with inteyvet lilies and cicilias gracings her braided hair. Parts of her armor, silver in hue, gave off a soft glow. Eyes of brilliant gold glowing bright as she sang.

"...Freyja...."he found himself whispering in disbelief.

His voice caught the woman's attention as her melody stopped. Vanishing from sight only to see the fair maiden glaring down at him from a low branch of the tree, her legs crossed. One hand holding a scythe with an hourglass charm of crystal sand. "How did you get here? This is the Meadow of Eden, where all life starts and returns to when their time ends, Child of the Ash Tree."she swiftly interrogated.