Return From The Past

Laura walked up the stairs to her twenty-one-year-old daughter’s bedroom. She knocked on the door and poked her head in the room. “Holly,” she said, “sweetheart, Nick Fury’s downstairs. He came to see you.” “I’ll be down in a few minutes, Mom,” Holly replied, without looking up from the papers in front of her. “I just want to finish this.” She was laying on her stomach on the bed with her feet up in the air. “What is it?” Laura asked her. “More of your drawings?” She stepped into the room and glanced around. The walls were painted a soft pale green and the floor was covered in a plush deep green carpet. A desk was against one wall by the door, the bed was by the window, and an entertainment center was across from the bed. “Yeah,” Holly looked up, some of her blond hair falling over her emerald green eyes. “I think I finally know what they are, what the dreams I’ve been having my whole life mean.” Laura sat down on the edge of Holly’s bed. “I think they’re memories.” “Memories?” Laura asked. “Think about it, Mom,” Holly said, an exasperated look on her face. “It makes more sense than anything those various shrinks I’ve been seeing since I was six have come up with. They kept saying I was delusional or having crazy fantasies or other crap like that. Wouldn’t memories of another life make more sense? Especially since I’ve had these dreams since I can remember and been drawing them since I was old enough to hold a crayon?” Laura placed her hand on Holly’s arm. “It does make more sense now that you mention it.” There was a knock at the bedroom door and Nick Fury walked into the room. “May I join you ladies?” he asked. “Uncle Nick!!” Holly launched herself off of her bed and into his arms. “I’ve missed you!” she cried, beaming. Fury laughed as he returned her hug. “So, what are these dreams you were just talking about?” “Why don’t you tell us about them?” Laura suggested. She noticed that Nick had left Holly’s door open about six inches. “Now that I know it all, I think it's going to be a long story,” Holly said. “That’s okay,” Fury grabbed the chair from Holly’s desk. “We’ve got all day.” “Alright then,” Holly jumped back on her bed and looked at the papers she had been working on. She put them all in a stack and put the stack where her mother and Fury could reach it. “These are very good,” Fury said as he looked through the stack of drawings. “It looks like Viking era clothing on these figures.” “That’s because they are,” Holly replied, leaning up against her headboard. “These drawings are what I see in my dreams. I’ve tried to put them in order. Somehow I know that the girl in the drawings is me. “Anyway, it starts about one thousand years ago and I was little, like eight or nine. I was living in a village with my parents and older brother. There were probably twenty families that lived there. There was one farm outside the village walls where all the food and milk and eggs were produced and provided work for the villagers. Everyone shared what the farm produced. "I spent most of my time playing by our house while my brother learned how to fight. Now that I think about it, our roof had grass all over it." "I think those are called thatched roofs," Fury interrupted. "Okay," Holly nodded her head. I'll remember that, she thought. "Anyway, there wasn’t much for kids my age to do. But one day, while I was playing by the well in the center of the village, arrows started falling on the ground and houses and all the adults started running around, getting weapons, and heading towards the village gates. My brother was watching me, as he usually did, when my parents were working at the farm. He was sharpening his sword while I drew pictures in the dirt. Our parents came running up to us and told him that the village was under attack and to get me out because they had heard stories about this particular group of raiders: they didn’t take any prisoners. Then they left and joined the rest of the adults. “My brother held his sword in one hand and my hand in the other and we ran in the opposite direction from the fighting. We got outside the village walls and had just reached the safety of the forest when my brother noticed that we were being followed by part of the raiding party. He told me to keep going and to hide in one of the trees because he didn’t think they had seen me and that when they were gone to find a friendly village to live in. “I didn't stop to think. I just did what he said, only looking back once to see him getting ready to fight. I ran as far as I could and climbed one of the trees, using the overlapping branches to hide myself. I heard the clashing of the swords and I knew my brother was fighting the bad guys. Then there was silence. I waited until the sun was almost set but he didn't come looking for me. Then I knew what had happened: my brother, my parents, my village, all were gone. I cried myself to sleep. “The next morning, I remembered what my brother had told me to do, climbed out of the tree, and headed in the direction I had been running the night before. I walked until my shoes were gone and my clothes were almost falling off. I found a stream where I got something to drink and some berries growing near it that I knew I could eat. After resting for a few minutes, I continued walking. I finally found a village that was much larger than my old village. There were multiple farms outside the walls and livestock wandering around. There were also guards patrolling the perimeter of the farms. One of them saw me coming out of the forest and offered to take me directly to the village chief so I could tell my story and then get a change of clothes. “After talking to the chief, whose name was Ragnvald, he and his wife, Sunhild, talked between themselves. In the meantime, I was given a bath, a new set of clothes, and a good meal. When they came back, they told me that they had had a son several decades before, but he had died and they had been unable to have any other children. Because of this, they felt that my arrival was a sign from the gods that they were to take me in and raise me as their own. I had nowhere else to go, so I didn’t object. It was several years before I noticed the difference in my social status as the chief's daughter. “The rest of the drawings are from growing up in that village. I would play in the fields and the forest outside the walls. I would sit and listen to the elders as they would tell the legends about the gods: Odin, the king, his wife Frigga, their sons Thor, God of Thunder and Loki, God of Mischief and Deception, Idunn, who guarded the golden apples of eternal youth, and a load of others. I also learned about the different realms: Asgard, home of Odin and Frigga; Jotunheim, home of the Frost Giants, a race of enormous beings who could manipulate ice; Nidavellir, home to the dwarves who make the weapons for the gods in Asgard; Hel, the realm of those who died of old age or illness; Valhalla, the realm of those who died in battle; and several others. "I learned how to ride a horse and use different kinds of weapons. I would go into the forest with some of the adults to hunt game when we wanted something other than chicken or beef. At first they weren't too thrilled to have a female in the party but I soon proved that I could get closer to our prey then they could so they wouldn't leave without me. They started thinking of me like a lucky charm because whenever they went out without me, they didn't come back with much, if anything, and when I did go with them we found enough meat to eat for several weeks. They started letting me go out hunting on my own. I would find plenty of deer, squirrel, and sometimes bear, put them where no other creature would find them, and go back to the village to get someone who could carry the meat back. "When I was around thirteen, I found a clearing in the forest. I started going every day to that clearing and would watch the birds and squirrels chase each other or lay on the grass and watch the clouds. “Four years after I found the clearing, when I was seventeen, I went there like I always did, but this time I wasn’t alone. There were two men standing there with their backs to me. One had straight blond hair down to his shoulders and a red cape while the other had wavy black hair just a little shorter than the first man’s and a dark green cloak. They each held a helmet in one of their hands. They were talking about some battle they had just won and if they had to return home right away or if they could mingle with the locals for a while. “I quietly drew my bow, notched two arrows and took careful aim at their heads, the only part I knew was not armored. Then I stepped into the clearing and demanded that they identify themselves and tell me what they were doing there. “They both spun around to look at me. The blond smiled and laughed. He was wearing bluish-black leather armor with silver circles along the front and a hammer hung at his belt. The other man just stared at me, like he was studying me. He was dressed in varying shades of green, with gold accents. Neither of them seemed too concerned that I was prepared to fire at their heads if I felt the need. “My apologies, fair maiden,” the blond one said, the smile still on his face and his blue eyes twinkling. “My brother and I were merely passing through your realm after our recent victory.” He was about to introduce himself and the other man when a beam of rainbow-colored light appeared. “Sadly, it appears we must return home. Perhaps we shall return and share a drink one day.” With that, they both stepped into the light and were gone. “I walked to where the light had touched the ground and saw an odd pattern burned into the grass. I sat next to it wondering if what I was starting to think had happened was possible. I decided to keep it to myself. “Several days later, when I returned to the clearing, I found the dark haired man who had just stared at me waiting there for me. He was dressed the same as he had been when I had first seen him. He was facing away from me when I entered the clearing and greeted him. He turned around rather quickly and studied me again. I made use of the several minutes that went by studying him as well. After what seemed like ages, he finally spoke. “My apologies for our parting the other day,” he said. His voice was soft, like the breeze. “As well as for my rude behavior. I am not used to being snuck up on once, much less twice. I am curious as to how you have managed it.” “His bearing told me he was a member of the upper caste, possibly even royalty, so I took a few steps closer and curtsied. I then apologized for sneaking up on him as I hadn’t meant to. I introduced myself and he smiled. “Gersemi,” he mused. “A fitting name. Your stealth alone is a treasure to your realm.” He gestured and two ornate wooden chairs appeared beside him. “Come,” he said, “sit with me. I wish to learn more about this treasure I see before me.” He was studying me again, like I was a painting he had never seen before. “Not wanting to be rude, and curious about him myself, I sat in one of the chairs and placed my weapons within view but also within reach should I need them. “My lord,” I said, once I was seated, “you know my name. May I have the privilege of knowing yours?” “He chuckled and waved his hand, his cloak disappearing as he did. “I am Loki,” he sat in the other chair, “of Asgard.” “I am honored to meet you, Prince Loki,” I said, trying to keep the surprise off my face. I knew from the legends that Loki was the son of Odin All-Father, the king of the Norse pantheon of gods. I also knew that things did not always end well for those who piqued the interest of the God of Mischief. “Was your companion when we first met Thor, the God of Thunder?” “A look of mild annoyance crossed his face as he said yes. “However, I did not come here to discuss my brother. As I said, I would rather learn about you.” “The next few hours were spent with me answering his questions. As the sun began to set, he stood and I followed. He waved his hand and the chairs disappeared. “There is more I wish to learn of you, Lady Gersemi. May I return tomorrow to continue our conversation?” he asked. “I am honored that you wish to spend your valuable time in the company of a lowly mortal such as myself, your Highness,” I replied with a curtsey. “Until tomorrow then,” he said with a smile. He looked at the sky and said, “Heimdall, open the Bifrost.” “The same beam of rainbow-colored light as before came down. He stepped into it and was gone. I picked up my weapons and made my way back to the village. “The next day I went back to the clearing after breakfast. This time I was the first one there. I was glad of that and that I was dressed more appropriately for meeting a prince, instead of for hunting game. When you know you will be meeting the God of Mischief, it is not wise to keep him waiting or give him reason to tease you. I set my weapons down and looked around the clearing, waiting for my guest to arrive. It seemed like every other time I had been there. Birds were singing in their nests and squirrels were chasing each other from tree to tree. The grass was rustling a little in the breeze. “After about fifteen or twenty minutes, the Bifrost opened and Loki stepped out of the light. He smiled when he saw me and waved his hand, causing the two chairs to appear beside him. I took a step forward and curtsied, greeting him. “Hail, Prince Loki.” “He walked up to me and raised me to my feet. “Well met, Lady Gersemi.” I looked at him and saw his smile had widened and his green eyes were sparkling. “Shall we sit?” He held out his hand. “Keeping my cool, I nodded my head slightly, took his hand, and let him lead me to the chairs. I sat down in one and he sat in the other. “Where were we?” he asked. “By the end of the day he had learned all I could tell him about myself. As he stood to leave, I gathered my courage to ask him a question of my own. “Prince Loki?” “Yes?” “If I may ask something of you?” “Of course.” “We’ve spoken at great length about me, my lord. If it is not being too presumptuous, may I learn some of you? We can speak of whatever you wish to, perhaps some of the legends we mortals have, but from your perspective?” I asked, carefully choosing my words so as not to alter the mood of our meeting. “He grinned, wider than I had seen yet, and his eyes danced with glee and not a little mischief. “Oh, I think I would like that very much,” he replied. “It may be some time before I am able to return to this pleasant clearing but, rest assured, I will return.” He held out his hand and I placed mine in his, unsure of what he was thinking. To my surprise, he raised it to his lips and placed a single kiss on the top. “Until then, my dear,” he said before turning his gaze to the sky and once again calling, “Heimdall, open the Bifrost.” “When the gate had closed and I was alone again, I looked around the darkening clearing and noticed that the chairs we had been sitting in were gone. I hadn’t brought any torches with me so I made my way back to the village, thinking about the past two days. When I got back, one of the warriors I had grown up with, Gymir, saw me first and ran to greet me. He noticed that I was lost in thought and asked if anything strange had happened to make me so pensive. I smiled at him and told him I would tell him all about it when I was sure I wasn’t simply dreaming. He smiled back and offered to escort me back to my rooms to which I agreed. “I had learned growing up in the village that there were three types of guys. The first type, the one Gymir belonged to, was the typical knight-in-shining-armor type: always acting proper toward women, helping when they could, never intentionally making them uncomfortable or anything like that. The second type was more like normal guys: they liked to joke around and sometimes made crude comments around or about women but would never actually try to cause a problem. The third type, on the other hand, were the jerks: they felt they were a gift to all women from the gods and they were going to find a way to get what they wanted whether the women involved agreed with them or not. Thankfully, there weren’t a large number of type three there. “The next week was uneventful. I went about my duties and spent my free time in the woods and the clearing like I always had. I was lying on the grass watching the clouds one day when I heard the sound of the Bifrost and saw the light out of the corner of my eye. I stood up and brushed myself off as quickly as I could. “When the light was gone, Loki walked up to me, a smile on his face. He seemed a little different than he had on his last visit, but I couldn’t place what the difference was. He stopped in front me and stopped me mid-curtsey by taking my hand and kissing it. Then he placed his hand on my hair and when he pulled it back, he was holding a few blades of grass. “What were you doing, Lady Gersemi, that would have left grass in your hair?” he asked, a sly smile spreading across his face. I blushed a little, I’m sure, but told him that I had been lying on the grass watching the clouds go by and must have missed the grass in my hair when I stood and brushed myself off. He cocked his head to one side and looked at me. “And what do you see in the clouds?” he asked. “Different things, my lord,” I replied. “Sometimes I see birds or fish, other times more legendary creatures. If the prince would like to join me, perhaps he will see things that this mortal’s mind could not imagine.” “He seemed to like that idea so he asked me to show him what I had been doing. I sat down on the grass and he sat next to me. I then leaned back until I was lying on the ground. He sat for a moment, just watching me, and then laid back himself. “And now?” he asked. “Now we look at the clouds and see if we see anything in them,” I replied. “We laid there for quite some time before he said, “I do believe I see Mjolnir, my brother’s hammer.” He pointed at one of the clouds. Without shifting his gaze from the sky, he asked, “What do you see?” “It took me a few moments to answer but, when I did, I pointed to one cloud and said, “That cloud looks like a flock of birds. That one,” I pointed at a long, looping cloud behind the first one, “looks as I think Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent, must look in his ocean home.” “That’s all we did that day, watched the clouds and tried to see who could find the most fantastic thing in them. I had brought lunch with me, so when we got hungry we sat up and ate, then laid back down to stare at the sky again. “As the sun began to set, he rose, helped me to my feet, and brushed the grass from my hair. “Thank you for such a pleasant day,” he said with a broad smile. He looked more relaxed than at any of our previous meetings. “This was more fun than I would have imagined.” He kissed my hand again and told me he would be back the next day and he would answer any questions I wanted to ask. He wished me pleasant dreams and left while I made my way home. “I met Gymir at the edge of the forest and he walked me back to the village. We were quiet for a few minutes before I decided to let him in on my meetings with the God of Mischief. His eyes widened in surprise that I would have the undivided attention of the most infamous of the gods. I asked him to keep what I told him a secret for the time being and he agreed.

Notes