Astyr was sitting in a comfortable leather chair in the billiard room waiting for Glin to show up for their lesson. She was holding one of the balls from the set that were neatly arranged on the polished wooden pool table and was trying to practice passing her hand through it. This was supposed to be working towards being able to walk through solid things like walls, but it was difficult to get the molecules in the ball to vibrate at just the right frequency so that there would be room for her hand to get through.

Glin had only mentioned this briefly at the end of the last lesson but Astyr was too curious to try it to wait for him to get back from dropping off Jenny. Jenny had become a regular fixture at the house over the Christmas holiday and had practically begged to come over today, two days after Christmas, since she hadn't been able to come for the previous three days. Frey had insisted that it was a family holiday and that Jenny should be with her parents, but the fact was, Yule was a special time for the Aesir people and Jenny probably would have run screaming for the hills if she had seen some of the things that had gone on with no humans around to witness them.

Thor and Njord had come for the festivities as well as many of Frey's sisters and their families. The house had been full to bursting with roving groups who moved around from one area to another where there were all kinds of activities going on; from singing and dancing, eating and what Frey liked to call feasting, storytelling reliving great events from the past for the delight of younger family members, gift exchanging which seemed to happen randomly as recipients were found in the melee, to some activities which were wholly Aesir.

These involved a hunt through the woods around the house, which for them meant bare-handed combat against great bucks and boars which had been growing in the forest for years, slaughtering a goat out on the patio and passing the blood around for everyone to take a small drink of before the animal was dressed and sent to the kitchen to be cooked, and a ceremonial drinking of what the humans in ancient times had called the mead of the gods; human blood.

The hunt had been great fun for Astyr. She had never run through the woods trying to catch an animal before and she had no idea how to track one or sneak up on it, but that didn't seem to be necessary. There were so many of them running around in groups of friends, crashing through the undergrowth and treating the whole thing like a big party, that a couple of magnificent animals were soon herded into a clearing and surrounded by everyone all too quickly. Frey was offered the first chance to take one down but as the host, he let Tyr take the honor.

Astyr's heart almost stopped beating as her father walked into the clearing where the wild boar and a full-grown, white-tailed deer were frantically looking for escape. The boar would charge viciously toward the wall of family members encircling the scene, but finding no opening, would angrily stamp his hoof into the ground and shake his head from side to side with his yellowed tusks dripping with saliva.

The buck was no less dangerous; the top of its majestic, eight-point rack of antlers was even with the top of Astyr's head and the animal weighed no less than three-hundred pounds. He was nervous and angry and could have easily taken someone down in his bid for freedom but the bystanders were making sure to put up a shield of energy whenever he got near the edge of the clearing. That was only making him frantic and Astyr wanted to cry seeing her father in the ring with the desperate creatures with no visible means of protecting himself.

She was the only one who seemed to be concerned for his welfare, though; everyone else was making jokes and shouting encouragement to the animals. She tried to take heart from that but the fact was, she had only just found her father and the thought of anything happening to him tore through her like a ragged wound.

Her brain tried to step in with some logic; her father was an ancient Aesir, he could recover from most injuries before Astyr would even have time to notice them. He had even lost his hand once in a fight with Loki's son, who was in the form of a wolf at the time; when Astyr had asked him why he now had two hands, he had laughed and informed her that it had taken a couple of thousand years, but it had finally managed to grow back, although it had itched beyond belief the entire time.

Tyr was now circling the clearing, weighing the threat from each animal and trying to choose which one he was going to go for. He was walking with a slow, sideways step around the edge so that he could keep both of them in sight at all times and he kept his weight low to the ground with his arms spread out to the side. The buck was snorting and grunting in a way that clearly showed how mad he was and the boar was racing back and forth across the small space giving constant squeals of panic.

Tyr moved in his fluid way to a spot that was behind the buck and jumped. He had been aiming for the neck of the large beast but the deer moved before he landed, leaving Tyr standing in a spot in the middle of the circle that made him a clear target for either animal to attack in their frenzy.

The boar took the opportunity to rush at him but Tyr wasn't interested in anything but the buck. Tyr twisted to the side as gracefully as a ballet dancer and the razorback went past him with no contact. When Tyr had stopped spinning, he quickly oriented himself facing the buck. He didn't waste a second in pressing an attack, running so fast towards the animal that it didn't have time to react and grabbing it around the neck as he swept to the side. This jerked the deer's head to the side but Tyr was already behind it and out of range of the deadly spikes of the antlers.

Tyr was wrestling the buck down to the ground but the flailing hooves and antlers were making it very difficult. He finally got the animal down on his side, taking a couple of hits despite dancing around the animal's frantic fight for release; and he reached his arms all the way around the neck and squeezed. The boar was staying clear of the noise as the buck snorted and grunted in desperation but the large deer finally succumbed to Tyr's strength and lay still.

"You would choose the one with the neck!" Thor called out in good-natured mocking. "Thanks for leaving the difficult one for me."

"Well, it is Yule, Thor." Tyr answered with a laugh. "I thought you'd like a little present."

Everyone was laughing at the friendly exchange but nobody moved from the circle as Thor entered to take on the large angry pig. Tyr stayed with the buck but didn't move to help; Thor was more than capable of handling one angry boar by himself.

Thor had a much harder time cornering the two-hundred pounds of solid muscles on hooves now that the animal had seen what was coming but he seemed to be enjoying it more because of it. There was a loud crash as Thor threw himself at the beast without any of the style that Tyr had used with the buck.

Drops of blood started to fly through the air as Thor rolled and grappled trying to get the animal down for good, but it wasn't clear if the blood was coming from him or his adversary. Everyone was cheering and shouting, someone called out, "I bet you wish you had that old hammer, now!" But Astyr couldn't tell who in all the noise.

After several long minutes, the grunting stopped as Thor got the animal down on its back and thrust his arm into the belly of the struggling animal. He pushed in harder and there was a sickening, wet, cracking noise before he pulled his hand out with the heart of the wild boar held tightly in his fist.

He jumped up and raised both arms in the air like a prize fighter after a knock-out while everyone laughed at the spectacle and cheered for his success.

Astyr paid no attention to any of that as she ran over to her father who was standing beside the dead deer. She threw her arms around his waist and held him like she was afraid he would disappear.

Tyr gave a small chuckle and laid his cheek down on the top of her head. "You weren't worried, were you, dear?" he asked in amusement.

She pulled back and looked up at him. "I was, and I'm not embarrassed to say so. I haven't had enough time with you, yet; I don't want to lose you now."

Tyr looked down into her eyes and smiled, his eyes were just as moist as hers and they started to laugh at how silly they felt.

"You're not going to lose me, Astyr." He told her gently. "I wouldn't do that to you, I promise."

Astyr pressed her face into his chest and he bent his head down and kissed her head.

The gifts he had given her later in the house had brought her even closer to tears.

The first was a gold necklace with a large dark blue aquamarine gemstone set in a heart-shaped pendant surrounded by small white diamonds. As beautiful as it was, this was actually a practical present. The gold in the chain would act as a conductor and the beryl with the iron ions in it could focus any errant electrical currents away from Astyr to keep her safe. It was also a good way for her to tell if she was taking in too much energy; the gem, which was called a maxixe, would fade to white in the presence of too much radiation. This had been what Tyr, Grima and Laure had discovered in their search for some way to protect her.

The second was a big surprise for Astyr who had grown up an orphan, basically living off the kindness of strangers; a credit card in her name. Tyr had set up a trust fund for Astyr before she was born and now that he had found her, he gave her the credit card so that she could have access to some of her money. She was shocked speechless when he explained this to her, all she could do was nod and squeak out a thank you.

Even though Astyr had been well-taken care of since moving in with Grima, even having a small allowance, this was financial independence for her. Even if the worst happened and the wonderful new life she had now was taken away from her, the credit card was linked to a numbered Swiss account that only she would be able to access so that nobody could take this safety net away from her. She didn't even have to deal with making payments for it; any balance on it at the end of the month was paid automatically from her trust fund.

Of course she had received a little teasing about it from Hakon and Glin, who almost burst her bubble when they told her that most of their kind had trust funds.

"You see, Astyr," Glin stated in a bored voice, "It was our kind who invented the concept of banking for the humans and so most of the better families have accounts that have been sitting there earning money for centuries. Considering who your parents are, you can hardly be surprised that you have been provided for."

Astyr just ignored him. She didn't care if it was common because she was just too happy that her father had given her a way to take care of herself if she needed to. Growing up the way she had, she had learned to prepare for the worst and to be grateful for the good things when they came along. Maybe Glin was bored of his life but she wasn't going to let his attitude infect her.

The final gift that Tyr had given her had been the best by far, in her opinion. It was a silver framed photo of her parents together. It had been taken when they first started to fall in love and that had been in the beginning of the twentieth century. The picture was in black and white and her parents were dressed in formal evening wear that was elegant but wildly old-fashioned. Her father looked exactly the same as now but was dressed in high-waisted trousers with a matching black vest over a white shirt that had a high collar and bow-tie. Over that he was wearing a knee-length jacket that was opened in the front to show off the gold chain of his watch. His long hair was slicked back underneath a tall top hat.

What really stunned Astyr, though, was her mother. She looked almost just like Astyr with the same pale silvery-blonde hair. Her build was just like Astyr's, slightly tall but slender and curvy and it was emphasized by the Edwardian-era empire waist gown she was wearing. The square neckline worked together with the high bodice to show off how nice her figure was. The bodice was part of what looked like a black lace, long-sleeved jacket that was cut away in the front, from the bottom of the bodice down, to reveal a white, beaded under gown that pooled on the floor and peeked out from under the jacket that stopped at her ankles. Her long, graceful neck was completely exposed since her hair was piled up on her head and covered by a large, deep-crowned hat that was adorned with black and gray feathers.

Nobody said anything as Astyr sat and stared at this, her one and only connection with her mother. The only proof she had ever seen that her mother had really existed.

She touched the glass covering the image of her beautiful mother and felt warm tears spill over her cheeks. It was too much for her to take. She couldn't stop the swell of sadness and despair that threatened to overwhelm her. It was just too unfair that she had never been able to see that lovely smile in person or feel those arms, so like hers, wrapped around her in comfort.

Astyr forgot about everyone else in the room as she hugged the photo to her chest and sobbed silently over the loss of the most important woman in her entire life. The tears fell unchecked as she cried for the childhood she had missed out on with the amazing creature who had given her life.

Tyr felt his own heart break again seeing his precious little girl in so much pain. He reached over and pulled her into a tight hug and let her cry against his chest.

She stayed in his comforting arms for a long time, long after the sobs had finally subsided. Being held by her father reminded her that she wasn't alone. She wasn't even alone in her grief for Arianna; Tyr had clearly loved her very much.

When Astyr was finally able to trust her voice, she pulled away from Tyr and looked up at him with a loving smile.

"Thank you, Dad." She meant it for more than just the presents, she was also grateful just that he was here for her but her emotions were still too unstable for her to be able to say the words. She just hoped that he understood. She gave him one more fierce hug before excusing herself to go put her gifts away and to go spend a little time alone.

Hakon walked into the billiard room, dragging Astyr away from her reverie and back to the present. He looked at the dark blue ball in her hand and got a quizzical look on his face.

"Are you planning on beating somebody up with that?" He asked. "Can I recommend Glin?"

Astyr just rolled her eyes. Glin and Hakon had been getting on each other's nerves a lot this past week. Glin had stuck to Astyr like glue when there were visitors in the house and Hakon refused to leave her alone with him for even a second. This resulted in her trailing the two of them around like a pair of oversized, over-yappy lapdogs, and she was more than a little fed up with their sniping at each other.

She looked at Hakon seriously and told him how she felt. "Hakon, it really bothers me that you two fight all the time. If you want to do that, then please stop following me around while you have a go at each other; I'm really tired of it."

Hakon looked at her in surprise but then got a sheepish look on his face.

"I'm really sorry, Astyr." He said softly, coming over to where she sat and taking her hand and pulling her up so that he could kiss the hand he was holding. "I never meant to do anything that made you unhappy. Please forgive me."

Astyr wanted to laugh at how formal he was being but the look in his eyes stopped her. He was dead serious and really upset that she had been cross with him. As she stared into his eyes, her body swayed closer to him until she could feel the heat coming off his body. She tilted her head back so that she wouldn't break the eye contact but he misunderstood and leaned down towards her.

His lips were so close to hers, hovering just the tiniest fraction of an inch away. She could see the heat in his eyes as he waited to see if she would close the distance. Did she want to? Her heart raced as she thought about it; there was no denying that Hakon had been there for her from the beginning. There was also no denying that he was appealing on so many levels, his body was as perfect as his personality.

But what about Randy? Why on earth was he running through her mind at a time like this?

She pushed that thought away forcefully; Randy had done nothing but use her and betray her. He didn't deserve her respect or loyalty. If she wanted to move on and find real love, then he was no reason to stop her.

Before she could commit to the kiss, Hakon was jerked roughly from in front of her and sent flying into the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Astyr looked around in surprise to find Glin standing in the doorway with his hand raised to Hakon who seemed to be stuck to the wall.

"Leave him alone!" Astyr screamed at Glin. "This is none of your business!"

Glin lowered his hand and walked slowly over to her. He stopped right in front of her and looked down at her menacingly.

"Everything about you is my business." He said coldly.

Before she could reply, Hakon jumped across the room and crashed into Glin sending both of them slamming into the chairs set against the wall. They both seemed to forget about everything they had ever learned about combat; it looked like they were more interested in airing their feelings through the good old-fashioned method of knocking the stuffing out of each other. Astyr was shouting at them to stop but they completely ignored her as they rolled around on the floor landing punches at every opportunity.

The noise and commotion soon brought reinforcements for her. Gerda, Grima and Laure ran into the room in shock at hearing the house being torn apart by the two boys.

Grima and Laure wasted no time in jumping in and pulling them apart.

"What is going on in here?" Grima asked sternly.

Glin answered in a petulant voice, "I came in and found him trying to kiss her!"

Astyr almost groaned out loud as nearly every eye turned to her in amazement. She resisted the urge, however, when she noticed that the amazement on all three of the ladies' faces wasn't the judgmental, condescending kind. No, they were looking at her kindly and almost apologetically.

Just when Astyr thought someone was going to say something to break the silence, Frey rushed into the room.

"Odin and Frigg have just arrived." He said quickly, taking in the scene with a puzzled expression. "They have news about Loki. They're going into the dining room."

Everyone turned to head to the other room but Glin and Hakon took one last opportunity to glare at each other as they made their way out with the rest of them.

Odin and Frigg were just taking seats at the dining table with Tyr as the rest of them came in. Only the briefest of greetings were exchanged since everyone was so anxious to hear what they had been able to find out about Loki.

"So what have you found out?" Tyr asked them bluntly.