Lokasenna

Chapter Four

When Mjölnir did not return, Thor started to panic. He immediately ran as fast as he could out of his chambers, past busy servants and even a few early arriving guests, down to the steps of the Asgardian palace where he quickly mounted a horse and took off for the Bifrost. He had no idea why his faithful hammer had not returned to him, therefore he considered it conflict.
      Thor arrived at the golden gates. That's where he finally found it, and it was laying lifeless on the edge of the bridge. If he had put in a little more power to his swing, the hammer would have slid into the ominous waters below.  Why had it not returned to him? He quickly picked up Mjölnir and caressed it before he finally noticed the woman laying in the crevice beyond the gates, almost even hidden from sight. She was unconscious. Thor went over to her and felt for a pulse, which she did have. The only injury she sustained appeared to have been her head, and at a glance, it seemed extremely detrimental. With a blow from Mjölnir, it would take a lot to survive an injury to the head. Thor quickly picked the woman up and carried her seemingly lifeless body in one arm while he used the hammer to fly back to the palace.
     "I need a healer, healing stones, anything!" He shouted frantically at the guards as soon as he set foot in the halls of the palace, who eventually brought in a few healers, as well as Eir, the healer in charge.
     "What has become of her?" Eir asked as Thor carried the woman to the healing room, gently laying her down on the table before the soul forge before Thor could give her a full explanation. Eir and a few other ladies immediately started examining Artemis, and quickly found the indentation in her skull. Thor looked over the woman and took note of her features. She was quite tall for a woman of Midgard. She had light brown hair and slightly pale skin, with a defined face and freckles.
Eir then looked up at Thor after her examination, who swallowed nervously and gripped his hammer.
    "It appears that she has been struck by a hammer," Eir said with a suspicious tone, eyeing Mjölnir.
    "It was a complete accident," Thor begged. "I was simply throwing it for practice, and I threw it so far that she must have gotten bludgeoned by it, and-"
     "She will survive."
Thor was relieved. "My sincerest apologies."
Eir smiled slightly. "I believe you may want to save that for when she awakes, my lord. However," she arranged a few sections on the soul forge, "she will need rest. My estimate is that she will awaken in two days."
   Thor raised a brow. "Two days? But I thought Asgardians took less time to recover..."
"That is because she is not of Asgard," Eir revealed. "When she awakens, you must find out who she is. It appears she is of Midgard, but how she came to appear like us is unbeknownst."

Thor looked down at the sleeping woman. "Very well." He looked back up at Eir. "I will need to notify my father," he reasoned. "I feel that this matter belongs to him as well.' Eir nodded. "I will need a room prepared for her, as well as for her care," Thor added. "Keep an eye on her."

"As you wish, of course," Eir bowed. "I will notify the servants for you. For now, please enjoy your celebration. May it be joyful in your triumphs."

Thor smiled. "Thank you, Eir." Then, he walked out of the healing room and through multiple halls of the palace to the throne room. He walked alongside the left wing from behind the throne.
"Father," Thor called. At first, there was no answer. He tried again. "Father!"
There was a dim light that flashed just before Thor walked around to face the throne.
"My son," Odin answered. "What has become of you? Do you not have a celebration soon?"
"Why yes, of course, but.... there is a girl in the palace.... A girl of Midgard."
"What would a girl be doing here, especially one of Midgard?" Odin puzzled, sitting closer to the edge of the throne.
Thor exhaled. "I accidentally bludgeoned her with my hammer."
Odin looked confused. "You are my son, you are the grandson of Böhr, my father, and his father before, who all have had great responsibility and strength, and yet here you are, talking to me about how you accidentally bludgeoned a Midgardian girl with your hammer."
"I do not know why she is here," Thor explained. "Eir has diagnosed that she will be unconscious for two days."
"I am assuming you will not fall in love with her?" Odin raised a brow.
Thor shook his head. "Of course not, father. The relationship that Jane and I shared was only temporary, and I have learned many lessons from my mistakes."
Odin sighed. "Very well. You may allow her to stay, but only until she awakens. Then she must go, after we find out why she came."
"Thank you, father," Thor bowed. He exited the throne room and returned back to his chambers, where he opened the wide doors and walked inside. As soon as he shut the doors, he breathed a sigh of relief that the woman was not dead. Perhaps he would visit her after the celebration.

      Later that evening, the palace was bustling with life and noise and the luscious scent of multiple Asgardian delicacies. Thor spent away the hours in the Great Hall at the head of the gigantic feasting table beside Volstagg, who was stuffing his face, as well as Sif and Fandral. Odin sat in one of the thrones that was set up in the hall for the occasion and conversed with the guests here and there.
     "Thank you for saving the world!" Fandral drunkenly joked as two women sat on his lap, laughing along with every good (and bad) joke he told.
     "You are utmost welcome, Fandral, my friend," Thor chuckled. "For that, however, I also give you credit."
     "Aye, but he would have never stood a chance without you!' Volstagg roared, biting into another hunk of meat. Fandral obliged, bowing his head slightly.
"I do have to agree with you, Volstagg."
"I am just glad that our king has returned," Sif complimented. "If I must ask, why do you not want the throne?"
Thor looked down and then back up again. "I do not deserve it."
Fandral and Volstagg looked surprised. "During the battle of the Dark Elves at Svartalfheim, I realized that I did not possess the true qualities and mindset of a ruler. If I was to take the throne of Asgard, I would not be quite as ready," Thor explained. "There was really only one person who was truly ready, and I took him for granted."
Fandral leaned in closer. "And who would that be?"
Thor looked down. "Loki."
Sif put her hand on Thor's shoulder. "I am sorry for your loss," she sympathized. "But with all the death, all the destruction..."
"You are indeed correct, Sif," Thor agreed. "Just as my father said, he wanted the throne too much."
Volstagg took another bite of meat. "Too much of a good thing is indeed bad," he said, soon devouring the whole drumstick.
Fandral laughed. "Just as your obsession with food!"
Volstagg chuckled. "No, no, quite the opposite. Control is the key."
Thor smiled. He took a drink of his mead and set the cup down, grasping the handle as he listened to the sounds of people laughing and conversing in the great hall. All of a sudden, Odin stood up from his chair, planting his scepter beside him. Thor took this as a cue to stand as well beside his father.
"Tonight," Odin beckoned, "We feast because of one man's triumph. That one man is my own son." Odin turned to Thor. "Thor... Odinson... my first born... you have brought peace, prosperity, and light to the Nine Realms. For that, I would like to-"
Suddenly, the doors of the great hall burst open, and two guards clad in golden armor burst through the door.
"My king," one of the guards said as he rushed to the side of the throne, "We have found your son."