Jotunheim's King, Laufey, and another frost giant walked together a few feet from the edge of a deep, icy precipice, the snow and frost crunching under their feet as a chill wind buffeted them. The information that had been shared with Laufey by his well trained spy on Agard who was adept at the art of magical concealment was concerning but not a complete surprise. Laufey had already been considering various ways to deal with possible difficulties that could threaten his enterprise that may well arise due to the connection that he had been informed had sprung up between the caretaker of the queen's feeble mother and the prince of Asgard.

"The situation is precarious and delicate. It must be handled precipitously yet cautiously and carefully." Laufey said to his Jotun companion.

"Those are words that do not fare well together." the Jotun replied to his king.

"If it is handled in the wrong manner, it could jeopardize our agreement and thus the recovery of the Casket. If dealt with too late, she may succeed in convincing him to withdraw from our bargain. I leave the matter to you. Do not fail me." Laufey told him. The Jotun glanced over at the gorge yawning to his right.

"I would not think of doing so."

Revna had placed a chair at Frida's bedside which Loki now made use of, facing his grandmother's still form, his hand placed over her own, looking to her despairingly. Revna stood at his side, her hand on his shoulder.

"My son…" a familiar voice said from the doorway to the bedroom behind them. Both realized they had not even heard anyone enter the cottage, their attention and thoughts wholly absorbed by the dying woman.

"Mother." Loki said as he rose from the chair and turned, Revna's hand falling from his shoulder. Revna could hear the slight quavering in his voice that she knew he was attempting to disguise. Loki approached Frigga, tears welling in the Queen of Asgard's eyes.

"I'm so glad you've been here with her." Frigga said. Loki felt a twinge of guilt, something not common for him, that he had in fact not been there at the time Frida sensed her life ebbing and had taken the drug that now left her catatonic. He knew that Revna was right, however, that his presence in the cottage would have made no difference. Despite his mastery of Asgardian magic, he could not stop death and had he been present, he would have most likely either been reading or sleeping at the time and unaware. Knowing Frida as he did, he was sure she would have been unlikely to have chosen to make him aware of her condition. Loki escorted his mother to the chair he had vacated as Thor and Odin entered the room after Frigga.

Revna looked to both of them in awe. She had been introduced to Odin by her father as a young girl, that being the only time she had ever been in his presence. He struck her as just as intimidating now, his presence as strong and commanding even in the setting of the simple cottage's bedroom, as he had been that day, though he had visibly aged quite a bit since then. She had never met Thor, though she had seen him previously from a distance in times far past. Loki was by far no weakling, but she could easily see how Loki, with his svelte frame, much like her father's had been as evidenced by how well her father's old clothing had fit him, might be grieved comparing himself to his brother even without Odin measuring him against the God of Thunder. Revna, where physicality was concerned, actually preferred those of Loki's body type over the broad musculature of Thor, but knew she was likely in the minority. Seeing the two so close in proximity, it struck her that they did not favor each other in the least. It was difficult for her to believe they shared the same parentage.

"Brother." Thor said in a serious and mournful tone, without the boisterousness in which he usually greeted him, or anyone for that matter. Thor and Loki embraced as well, which somewhat took Revna aback after the manner in which Loki had spoken of him. It was clear to her that Thor cared for his brother, and Loki for Thor, at least in his own way, the embrace was not stiff or stilted, though she was aware that such occasions often stripped away any acrimony that existed between family, for a time at least. Loki and Thor ended their embrace, Loki turning to face his father.

"Father." Loki said simply, acknowledging him.

"My son." Odin returned the acknowledgement. Revna noted there was a clear chill between the two and that they did not embrace. Odin walked past Loki to stand behind Frigga. Revna had moved to the foot of the bed.

"She has taken a hypnotic without my knowledge. I was unaware she had it in her possession." Revna told those that gathered at Frida's bedside. "She feels no pain and is likely unaware of our presence, though it's possible she may outlast its effects."

"I hope it is so. Though I wish her to be free from any pain on her journey, I would like to speak with her once more." Frigga said as she took her mother's hand. Revna left the foot of the bed and approached Loki who now stood behind the others gathered.

"I should take my leave." she said quietly to him. "If I'm needed, I will be in the garden."

Loki gently took hold of her arm just as she began to move away.

"You have cared for her and spent much time with her. She would consider you as much family as any of us." Loki told her in a hushed voice. Revna looked down, shaking her head.

"I am not one for vigils. I am satisfied she goes to Valhalla to join those she has loved and lost….and that loved her in return." Revna said before continuing on her way to the door, exiting the room. The last part of her statement stung Loki. He knew by the inflection in her voice that she meant more by it. He thought of how twice now she had confessed her feelings for him and in neither instance had he been able to vocalize a return of the sentiment, the last time in fact his response had been to wound her as if he had sunk one of his daggers into her heart. Why had he done so? He wasn't sure. He only knew the words had sprung up from the cold depths of the darkness within him and escaped him before he could arrest them. It was as if whatever it was inside him refused to accept the love of another or allow him to love anyone in return, refused to believe that anyone truly could.

Before leaving the cottage, Revna had retrieved a basket and now carried it to the garden, entering the space that bursted with color and life. The vegetables that Frida had been harvesting previously and noted needed more time were now fully ripe and Revna silently worked at plucking them from the vines as she listened to the sounds of nature surrounding her. As she had once told Loki, she knew not what she would now do with her time. The garden would still need tending but that would only take up a small fraction of her days and the growing season would eventually end. Once again she was facing a great loss and once again that loss would lead her life to fundamentally change.

She had progressed down the row of trellised vines, her basket now half full, as she saw a sullen Loki approach out of the corner of her eye.

"Has the end come?" Revna asked, pulling another vegetable from its vine and depositing it into the basket with the others.

"Not yet." Loki replied.

"You should be with her and your mother." Revna said, continuing her harvest.

"What I said before, I didn't-" Loki began before Revna interrupted him.

"What is it you fear?" Revna asked.

"I fear nothing." Loki said. Revna glanced at him cynically.

"Do you wish to know what I fear? That when my day arrives as Frida's has I will not have what she has. There will be no one by my side, no one to mourn me. Much has been taken from me and little returned. I have lived my life as if I am a bucket of water to quench the thirst of others and there has been no one to refill it. I am now on my last dregs." Loki was silent for a moment, processing her words, contemplating how to respond to them.

"I can't say what it is I feel. I need time to be sure." Loki explained. "But of this I am certain...if the day you speak of were to come this day, I would mourn as I have never mourned another."

Revna looked from the vines before her to Loki. Placing the basket on the ground at her feet she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms about him, laying her head on his shoulder. As she did so, the flurry of images placed into her mind by Frida flashed through it once again. Loki felt her stiffen in his arms.

"I must ask you again...just once more...this thing you plan to do...don't...stay here with me...at least a little longer...perhaps it will be the time you need…"

"She has awakened." Frigga's voice reached them from the garden's entrance. Frigga looked to the two embracing with an expression of surprise at the unexpected sight. "She wishes to speak to Revna."

Revna raised her head, stepping back from Loki with equal surprise.

Having followed Frigga into the cottage, Revna saw Odin and Thor standing outside of the bedroom.

"She has requested to see you alone." Frigga told her. Revna could not imagine what Frida would have to say to her that would be worth sacrificing the limited time she had left to be with her family. Revna turned her head to glance at Loki who had trailed behind them into the cottage before entering Frida's room.

"Close the door." Frida said weakly from the bed where she lay. Revna closed the door and crossed to the bed, seating herself in the vacant chair at its side.

"I'm here." Revna said, placing her hand atop Frida's.

"In my time of dying, as my mind was away, I have been shown more. To see glimpses of what is to be, what could be, is a dangerous thing. If such visions are misinterpreted, or even if they are not, to pass them on to another can be disastrous. That is why I did not warn him outright of what I had seen in his future. One must choose their own path."

"I have seen them as well." Revna said.

"I am who passed them to you. I was wrong, not about what is to happen and why, but that he should be moved from his path. Do not try to stop him. I doubt you could in any event. All that will happen must happen." Frigga said to her.

"He must die?" Revna asked, sorrowfully.

"The body he now inhabits...yes, but his end will not be the end of his journey."

"What do you mean?" Revna asked, confused.

"I will say no more. Let events take their course." Frida raised her hand from beneath Revna's and placed it again upon her forehead. Revna felt a lifting of the weight of the anxiety and dread she had been experiencing. A calm descended over her despite what Frida had spoken regarding Loki's fate. "Thank you for the care you've taken of me."

"I will miss you." Revna said, tears beginning to spill from her eyes.

"You will not miss me long." Frida said. "Go now to him. Enjoy the time you have together. It will pass all too quickly."

Revna rose to her feet and with a last look at the frail woman, turned towards the door.

As Revna spoke privately with Frida, Frigga took hold of Loki's arm and led him back out of the cottage. Once they were outside of it, Frigga looked to her son with concern.

"You have become close with her." Frigga said.

"Yes. What of it?" Loki asked, somewhat defensively. He feared that Frigga was soon to express her disapproval, though at the same time, Loki knew it was not like his mother to be judgemental.

"You are aware of her past?" Frigga asked, seeming to confirm Loki's fears.

"She has shared it with me, at least some of it….her father fell at Harridan, her mother in her grief took her own life-" Loki began to list off the confessions Revna had made to him before Frigga interrupted.

"She did not merely take her own life. I know only what I have been told. She wished Revna to accompany her to Valhalla. Her mother administered to her a deadly poison. It was at first thought she would not live. It took her quite a long time to recover." Loki appeared stunned. "She was not the same afterwards...of course one would not expect her to be with the loss of both of her parents, but it was something more. She made two more attempts on her own life after her recovery. She has done well here, but there is still a risk she could do so again. With mother gone, left to her memories, her thoughts...I wish to warn you…" Frigga said to him. The door to the cottage opened, Revna exiting.

"You should go to her now. I do not think it will be long." Revna informed her Queen. Frigga turned from Loki and walked past Revna. Revna looked to Loki. "Go be with your grandmother and your mother. They both need you more than I do at the moment. I am returning home. You will come to me, let me know when she has passed, when her body will be given over to the flames?" Revna told him.

"Of course. Are you sure you wish to be alone?" Loki asked, recalling what his mother had just told him, knowing that the impending loss of Frida was difficult for her. "You would not think to do anything rash?" Loki asked her.

"No, of course not. I have chores to attend to. I've learned it's best at times such as these to remain occupied." Revna told him.

"I will come for you." Loki told her. He took her head between his hands, kissing her forehead. Revna gave Loki a sad smile before she turned, heading off towards the path into the forest. Loki watched her for a moment, feeling uneasy, before turning to join his mother and the others at Frida's side.

Revna had just exited the forest, moving up the path towards her abode when she heard a loud disturbance in the forest behind her from whence she had just come. Peering into it, she saw movement, then the sound of a snarling growl, followed by a blood curdling roar. A creature somewhat similar to the one Loki had conjured though larger, bounded through the trees in her direction. Could Loki be playing another prank? She wished not to look a fool in front of him again, yet she couldn't imagine even Loki doing such a thing on this day under the circumstances.

As the beast grew nearer, Revna turned, her heart pounding in her chest and sprinted as fast as she could will her legs to move towards her dwelling. She heard the beast's snarls closing on her. Reaching the door, she threw it open, rushing inside, slamming the door closed behind her and quickly locating the long iron bar whose purpose was to secure it, though she rarely felt the need to do so, lifted it and placed it in its moorings across the door.

The beast threw itself against the entrance, growling and snarling in a frenzy. Revna, breathless, searched frantically with her eyes around her abode, trying to think of what she could use as a weapon if it were to succeed in breaking through….or discovered the weakness that was the one window, though Revna thought it was likely too large to fit through it. She then remembered...racing to her bed and diving to the floor she reached under it, pulling out a long, hinged wooden case. Opening it, she grasped the hilt of her father's sword.