A Gods Favor

The Forest

Elora and Yrsa rode swiftly through the woods with smiles on their faces as they came upon their clearing.

Yrsa dismounted and looked back at her friend as she pulled her horse to a stop. "I will never understand how you can ride through the woods in skirts." The goddess said as she saw all the tiny bleeding cuts and quickly forming bruises on Elora's legs.

"Painfully." Elora said, voice full of merriment as she led her horse to the edge of a large clear pond before darting to the clearings edge, knowing Yrsa would tend to both their mounts.

"You have trousers and leather leggings, if you know we are coming out here why don't you wear them?" Yrsa spoke over her shoulder as she began to pull their lunches from her saddle bags.

"Because," Elora called in a sing-song tone as she skipped. "The tailor has yet to find a way to hide berry pouches in trousers and those pouches are necessary for these visits!"

As Elora reached the edge she dropped to her knees pulling a bag stuffed and stained with raspberries juices from her skirts and opening it as two small bear cubs came bumbling up to eat from her hands.

"That's why we have saddle bags." Yrsa smiled as she laid their supplies out, watching the elven woman roll around with the cubs as the mother bear ransacked another bag of berries.

Elora simply waved off Yrsa comments as she continued to enjoy the playful licks from the cubs.

An hour or so later Yrsa stood near the pond stroking the back of a large stag as Elora lay curled up to the mother bear, the cubs asleep in her lap.

"You seem extra giddy today, El."

"You know I love it when we get to come out here." Elora said, lifting her head to see Yrsa over the bear's rump.

"Of course but I feel like it's more than that. Your whole aura has been vibrating since we left the castle and considering four days ago you were nearly dead on your feet from exhaustion, that's a big shift. Has something changed that I'm not aware of?"

Elora bit her lip as she lay back down on the bear, "Nothing of any significance." She said but let her mind wander back to that afternoon. Loki's hand on her neck as he walked her through the illusion, his gentle encouragement and then genuine excitement when she'd succeeded. Finally his face as he stared at her over her shoulder, eyes flicking to her lips as she swore he started to lean in before the door creaked and he stepped away as Frigga entered.

It was silly, she knew, but she had pined after Loki since the very first night she was in Asgard, when a sweet boy comforted a sad and lonely girl, and now after centuries of daydreams and wishing on stars it seemed he might want her too. She was trying very hard to keep her excitement to a minimum. After all she'd been Odin and Frigga's ward for nearly five hundred years and after that first night Loki would rarely give her the time of day before last week. It was strange, she knew to still feel so fondly for him based on an act of kindness from so long ago but there had been other small moments, little gestures that showed her the boy from that night was in him somewhere. He was also witty and charming when he wanted to be and it didn't hurt that he was also handsome. And for all she knew his recent actions could just be a passing fancy, the prince was known to be fickle and he had a reputation rivaling Fandrals when it came to how quickly he went through lovers.

Elora heard a snapping sound.

"Are you even listening to me?" Yrsa said, sitting down in front of her friend and snapping her fingers.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

Yrsa stared at Elora for a moment, mouth agape. "Seriously, El. What in all the realms has gotten into you?"

Elora looked down, stroking the fur of the cub in her lap. Yrsa was her best friend, her sister in all but name, and Elora knew Yrsa would never mock her for her feelings for Loki but after so many centuries together she also knew that the mention or even thought of anyone with either of her brothers made Yrsa want to vomit. So she'd always thought it best to never say anything. "Uh, I'm just excited about the upcoming fête, Eir mentioned there would be representatives for the healers guild among the Vanaheim courtiers. I'm eager to meet them."

Only partially a lie, Elora was able to keep her face composed as she spoke. She was not excited for the fête, she was a terrible dancer, but Eir did mention there would be healers coming from Vanaheim and she did hope she would get a chance to speak with them.

"Has Fandral asked you to go with him yet?" Yrsa asked casually before calling a fox to come sit with her and Elora's responding laugh nearly spooked all the beasts from the clearing.

"Why in Odin's name would Fandral ask anyone, let alone me to accompany him? He wouldn't be able to flirt with every available being in the castle if he had an escort."

"Because he fancies you, of course."

"Yrsa, Fandral fancies everyone in all the nine realms who is in the least bit attractive and willing to bed him, that doesn't mean he's going to ask them all to the fête."

"While you're not entirely wrong," Yrsa huffed, finally calming the fox down enough to lay back down beside her. "I know for a fact he plans on asking you."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because Volstagg told me."

"When?"

"This morning, when he asked me."

At that Elora shot up, her movements finally waking the cubs who scurried off of her lap to snuggle up to their mother. "You're going with Volstagg?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I didn't realize you fancied him."

"I don't but you know I love to dance and he's a magnificent dancer," Yrsa held up a finger when Elora made to protest. "Both facts I told him when I accepted his invitation this morning. After which he mentioned it would be lovely if you accepted Fandral's invitation so we could all sit together."

"That makes no sense, we'd all sit together even if you weren't going with Volstagg and I didn't go with Fandral."

"So you're not going with him?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because he hasn't asked me."

"Well when he does ask you, are you going to tell him no?"

Elora stopped and thought for a moment. She couldn't express to Yrsa why she wanted to tell Fandral no and even if she could she had no reason to think Loki would ask to escort her. "I guess I'll decide if he asks me."