Aevintyr Elds

After a while of patting Bjorn's head, Loki looked at the horizon. She noticed that the sun was already setting… 

She then looked at Bjorn, whose head was being patted by her small hands. The teen in front of her has his eyes closed, while basking from the warmth of her hand like a baby seeking the heat of their mother. She noticed that Bjorn was also smiling softly, which gave him a serene feel.

For a moment, the two stood in silence, one patting, one receiving. 

Since the sun was setting, both of them knew that it was time to stop, so they stopped. Bjorn opened his eyes and looked at the grinning Loki.

"Seems like you enjoyed my pats, huh?"

Bjorn softly smiled.

"Yes, Goddess. It was warm and a bit…. Wet?"

"Hehehe, that's my sweat!... You know, it is technically considered as… Holy Water…"

"Pffft! Really? Then should I buy it? How much is it?"

"Well…. How about a billion valis for a drop of my 'Holy Water'."

"Really?! Too much! I can't afford it, my Goddess… how about a million valis?"

Bjorn gave Loki his signature puppy eyes.

"Well…. No discounts!"

The two joked around and laughed with one another. 

After a while, they both stopped since it really was turning into night.

"Hey, Bjorny. As my reward for patting you, carry me towards the kitchen and cook for me."

Bjorn smiled towards her, moved his bags to his front, then showed her his back. He then knelt down, so that Loki could climb.

Loki grinned at this and climbed his back. Normally, Loki's loyal steed was Bete…. However, since Bete is at the expedition, Bjorn's back would do.

Once Loki climbed Bjorn's back, Bjorn started to walk towards the manor.

"Hehe, I have a new steed! Come on, neigh for me!"

Bjorn, still walking, turned his head towards her and showed her an expression which said 'Really?"

"Hehe, don't look at me like I'm a psycho… but please?"

Loki showed her closed eyed puppy eyes towards Bjorn.

Weak to his Goddess contraptions, Bjorn eventually succumbed to it. 

"Neigh?"

"Come on! With more conviction!"

"Neeeeigh?"

"Louder!"

"NEEEEIGH."

"That's what I'm talking about! You are the goat, no, the horse!"

Loki laughed her lungs out. 

Looking at his laughing Goddess, Bjorn was relieved. You see, the expression on Loki's face was full of sadness, regret, and longing…

It was kinda hurtful for him to see his Goddess like that… way different from her usual self.

He wanted Loki to be happy, even though he sacrificed some of his dignity. If it's all to make Loki happy, then it is worth it.

Of course, Loki knew about this. She knew that Bjorn was attempting to make her happy. She was proud to have a child like him… 

Loki, unconsciously wrapped her arms around Bjorn's shoulders. She noticed this but made no changes to her arm position…

"Hey…."

"Mhmm?"

"I do not know…. I don't know why I felt so comfortable with you… Even to the point that my arms were unconsciously wrapped around your shoulders…. I really do not know…"

"Me too, Goddess… I feel comfortable too."

"Well… I do not know why though? Maybe it was connected to the first time I saw you?.... It was comfortable, really…. Like… Hmmm how do I describe it?"

"Like finding a missing piece of yourself?"

"Yeah! That! You feel it too?"

Bjorn nodded.

"Yes, Goddess… I also felt it during the first time I saw you… in my village."

"Really? Then you being in my familia is fate? That's good…"

Loki put her head down and thought… After a while, she raised her head again and said,

"Alright! From now on, I will knight thee my personal walking comforter!" 

Bjorn smiled and decided to play with her.

"Then, it is a great honor to be your personal walking comforter. I would do anything to bring you comfort, comfort, comfort, and nothing but comfort."

"Hahaha! Good! Hug me or carry me at least once a day!"

Bjorn thought.

Hehehe, it is a win for me too!

The two continued talking and joking with one another.

After a while, they had reached the kitchen of the Twilight Manor.

The kitchen was large in size, like those from the Victorian kitchens. A high ceiling, with an island table in the middle. The kitchen was not busy since there were no people within the Manor.

Bjorn put down Loki on one of the chairs in the island table.

Loki immediately slouched forward, with her arm on the table and fist on her cheek.

"So Bjornyy… what will you cook for this beautiful Goddess?"

Bjorn put down his bag and grabbed numerous paper bags from it.

"Something much tastier than Mama Mia's food."

Loki's eyes lit up. 

"Really? Then what is it?"

Bjorn grabbed one of the wrapped packages within the paper bag. He then unwrapped it. There, a glistening salmon was seen.

"Woah, salmon? You'll fry it?"

"No, Goddess…. I'll make something much better… but before that."

Bjorn grabbed another stuff from the paper bag… this time, it was a set of glass beers.

"Goddess…. I'm sorry if this stuff is cheaper than what you drink…"

Loki grabbed one of the beers. She noticed that it has a metal cap, so she rested the cap unto the edge of the table, then slammed it with her elbow. 

Fizz immediately went out of the bottle. 

Before any more beer could be wasted, Loki immediately drank it. 

"Ah! That's good! Even though it was cheap, strangely… it was much better than most beers I had."

Bjorn smiled towards his goddess…. He then gathered the remaining ingredients he needed to make his food… leeks, potatoes, carrots, dill, butter, and water.

Firstly, he grabbed a potato and peeled it.

"Goddess… if I may ask…"

Loki opened one of her eyes and looked towards Bjorn, whilst still drinking.

"Hmm? Fire it away."

Bjorn diced the potatoes into small pieces. He then also did the same with the carrots.

"Why…. were you sad….?"

Loki… looked down and sadly smiled. She then grabbed two beers and opened it. She then gave the other one to Bjorn, who gladly drank from it.

"I'm not sad…. Just regretful…"

Loki looked at Bjorn, who was now cutting the salmon into largish chunks, with its skin removed.

"You see… I did a lot of bad things… You know, I was once the most hated Goddess in heaven… There... I killed a lot of people…"

Bjorn stopped for a moment, before continuing his cooking. He then grabbed a soup pot and melted the butter there. After it was melted, Bjorn then sauteed the leeks.

Bjorn then grabbed another saucepan and put water inside of it. He then put the salmon skins within the water, in order to make a simple fish stock.

He then went back towards the leeks, which he continued moving around in order for it to not be burned in one side.

While his back was facing Loki, he then shared something.

"Goddess… in my past life… I… also killed a lot of people…"

Loki raised her eyebrow. She knew that Bjorn was not lying since her instinct tells her he is not.

"Really? How?"

Bjorn continued moving the pan.

"It was my job, Goddess…. No… it was once my job…"

Loki thought about it for a moment then said.

"Were you a soldier?"

Bjorn, still his back facing towards Loki.

"Yes, goddess… but…. I betrayed my country. I was considered a deserter.."

"Could you tell me why?"

Bjorn grabbed a spoon from a drawer. He then ladled a small portion of the broth, blew onto it and tasted it.

Tasting that it was still not adequate, he returned to the leeks and moved it around.

"Goddess, you see…. I saw a lot of things… Things that were sickening… things that were inhumane…. things that may form any nightmare… Long story short, I defied my superiors… because it was sickening…"

Bjorn tasted the broth again, then continued speaking.

"We were tasked to burn a village…. A village full of innocent civilians… well some insurgents too… But… it didn't sit well with me. So, I barged into the commander's office and said my piece…. You know what he said? He only said… 'So?'...."

Bjorn tasted the broth again and found it still inadequate… So he added a pinch of salt into the broth. He then tasted it again, and found it close to what he was looking for.

"After that… I deserted my post. It was stupid, yes… but the outside world must know. I contacted a friend of mine who was into investigative journalism to publish the happenings but…well… before he published the article… he was killed."

Bjorn then moved towards the leeks, but noticed that one part of it was slightly burned since he didn't move it enough.

"I was titled as the enemy of the state…. My former colleagues, friends, my war buddies…. Now turned against me. I fought for my country… for my justice… but it was for naught… At the end of it all… I regretted that I did not get to publish the article… I… was lost… The fire of my heart dwindled…"

Bjorn tasted the broth and found it excellent. He then lifted the pot and strained it into the sauce pan with the leeks. He then added the different ingredients, potatoes, carrots, dill.

Bjorn then sat at a chair just in front of Loki, grabbed his beer and took a chug.

"That is until I found you, Goddess…. You took pity on me… a child who has lost his fire… Although you may chalk it to just coincidence…. I think that it is fate… Fated for my Goddess to find me…. Plus, you guys are literally at the forefront of the war against Evilus, the face of injustice in this world… Which makes me admire you more…"

Bjorn then presented his beer to Loki for a toast, to which Loki did. They clinked their bottles and a resounding bottle sound was produced. This is also a sign to pass the floor to Loki.

"Well… my story is quite the same as yours…. Comrades turned to foe… Friends to enemies, etc.... Argh… I really do not know why I would tell you this…. Promise me you will not tell this to anyone!"

Bjorn pinched his fingers together, put it on his lips, and did a motion for 'my lips are sealed'.

Loki snapped her fingers and a box of transparent sound insulation was produced around them.

"Good. You see… I have a loved one…"

Bjorn was surprised. His mouth was open and his eyes wide.

"Yeah, yeah. Even though I am like this…I do have my own loved one too you know? Well… technically, this loved one… is not technically my loved one… but this person is a part of me…"

Bjorn closed his mouth and went towards the food to check it… since the potatoes were still not tender enough, he went back towards the table.

"Long story short, I killed a lot of people… all because they exiled this part of me… They threw him into the void… never to return… never to be seen again… well… I lost it at that, you know?"

Bjorn clinked his bottle with Loki's and went back towards the food. Noticing that the potatoes were already tender, he lowered the heat and dumped the salmon into it. He also added cream and allspice into it, covered it with a lid and let it simmer.

Loki, still telling her story, grabbed another bottle and opened it, and chugged. She then continued.

"I killed a lot of people back then… friends… comrades… all because of my injustice…"

Loki felt down… She grabbed another bottle of alcohol and chugged it down.

Seeing this, Bjorn knew he needed to uplift Loki's spirit. Noticing that the food was already cooked… Bjorn grabbed two bowls. He then filled it close to the brim and presented it to Loki.

Seeing the rich, creamy texture of the broth, with vibrant coral pink chunks of salmon in the middle, with vegetables surrounding the magnificent salmon, Loki knew what it was… she then smiled softly at this.

"Lohikeitto…"

"Yes, Goddess. It is Lohikeitto. This dish represents, not your injustice… but also your resilience and strength. It's warm, comforting, and hearty, a symbol of finding solace after enduring hardships. A reminder that even the bitterest moments can lead to something fulfilling… like us, your familia."

Yes… her familia is now her present… No matter what her past was… her focus will be the 'now'.

Bjorn sat beside Loki, placing his own bowl in front of him. Loki stared at the dish for a moment, her thoughts briefly wandering to the past before picking up a spoon. 

She took a small sip of the creamy soup, letting the flavors unfold on her tongue. The richness of the salmon paired with the subtle sweetness of the vegetables and the aromatic dill brought a sense of calm to her weary heart.

"It's warm and perfect…" 

Loki took another bite, savoring the warmth it brought, not just to her body but to her spirit.

Bjorn smiled softly, glad to see his goddess find a moment of peace. 

"I'm glad you like it, Goddess. Cooking this reminded me of the meals my foster family used to make back in my village. It's comforting, like being embraced by those you love."

The two sat in silence for a moment, the atmosphere warm while savoring the homely soup. Loki eventually broke the quiet with a playful grin. 

"But don't think you're getting off the hook so easily, Mr. Comforter. From now on, you're making me dinner every time I feel down… nah, scratch that, you'll be making me food everytime! So… I dub thee! Mr. Personal Walking Comforter and Chef, hehehehei!"

Bjorn laughed heartily, his laughter filled their surroundings.

"As you command my Goddess. I will be your personal walking comforter and chef!"

They shared the rest of the meal in lighthearted conversation, the weight of their earlier confessions momentarily lifted. For both of them, the evening felt like the start of a bond that went beyond goddess and follower, something deeper, born from shared pain, trust, and a desire to bring joy to one another.

____________________ 

I forgot to write my author's thoughts hahahahahha.

So... yeah, a brief scene of Loki's past was shown... I read somewhere that Loki had rampaged in Tenkai before going down to Genkai.... so I made some story haha. 

The story will also be quite important... well, not now, but in the near future.

So yeah haha, still busy my people.... but I hope you liked the chapter! I tried to incorporate story and cooking together hahhaa.

Well, peace out!