Tiny brush, thin precise strokes. Giving life to an otherwise dull canvas. For her it wasn't hard, it was a skill all her own... this ability to create surreal life on an otherwise useless piece of parchment. Slightly larger brush, similar point. This one was to fill in the color of the lips, the eyes, and shade the skin, of course she would have to wait for the paint of the latter to dry first. She had been doing this for hours, just pondering the results of her prior actions.

She supposed she should have been punished in a much harsher manner, but at the same time she didn't quite understand her current punishment either. She wasn't going to complain about it... but she couldn't help but continue to think about it...

:-:

She had watched him go, and that had been painful to her, because not only did she get that gut feeling that said something bad was going to happen but she hadn't wanted him to leave. She sat against the back wall of her cell, pondering on this feeling, hoping it would go away. She sat and thought of this for hours in silence, until she heard it... The sound of that door opening. And then there were footsteps and the alarms were going off all over. She knew who it was long before he spoke.

"Where did they go, Frost Elf?" he asked and she frowned. "To Melekith, Allfather. They went to face him." She said and he frowned deeply at her. "Did you know of this beforehand?" he asked and she looked up at him. "No, I had no idea until Thor came here to recruit him. If it makes it any better, he was going to take me first; but I almost froze the woman who deface the portrait of Frigga I had painted." She said and Odin watched her carefully.

"I see... And he took the traitor with him?" He asked and she frowned. "Loki only wished for Frigga's death to be avenged..." She said and Odin frowned at her. "Are you sure that's all he wanted, Elf?" he asked and she frowned at him, her eyes not breaking from his for even a moment. "No... that is not all..." she said and Odin tilted his head to watch her curiously. She glanced down to her fingers and rubbed them together. She looked back up at him and gauged his potential reaction based on the look in his eyes. When she didn't see anything that meant her any physical harm, she opened her mouth to speak.

"He promised me the freedom I will never see, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?" She said and Odin watched her in silence, his eyes disbelieving and angered. "Loki selflessly promised me that he would free me, but I know that I will never be free... This is where I've been promised to live out my days." She said but he frowned, his anger and the searing look of disbelief leaving his eyes. All anger became hidden and he sighed deeply. "No, not any longer... Come with me. We shall await his return..." Odin said and offered her a hand. She carefully took his hand and he nodded as he pulled her from her cell.

"He will come for you..." Odin said and she started up at him in confusion, she didn't quite understand what he meant. She didn't think he would come for her because he had more important things to worry about, but it seemed as though Odin was going to explain it to her... "When Loki says something, he always does it. I have Heimdal watching him now..." Odin said and she watched him for a moment. He seemed hurt, tired, and beat down.

That is what she saw behind that lone eye. All of this was finally catching up to him and she knew that this was why she wanted Thor to become king of Asgard. That way he could retire and live out the remainder of his days in peace, but she had a feeling that it wasn't going to go the way he'd planned. He led her down a hallway and into a small room with a maiden. "Find her something presentable. We can't have her looking like a slave." Odin said and Syndra stared at him for a moment, then her eyes found the window in the room.

Syndra felt her form go heavy, and she collapsed. Darkness was the last thing she saw, darkness and sympathetic eyes.

She woke about an hour later in the same room, the maiden rushing around the room and gathering things. "What happened?" she asked and the blonde maiden rushed to her side to remove the patch covering her left eye. "Well, miss... you have a condition and light is harsh on your eyes-" the woman began and Syndra nodded. "I know this, why did I faint?" she asked softly and the maiden nodded, understanding that she wasn't being rude in the slightest.

"We were not expecting the sun to have such a bad effect on you. Forgive me, I should have closed the window." She said but Syndra shook her head. "No need, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. This is something I have always had to deal with, to be honest... maybe one day I can truly walk among those of you who thrive in the light." She said and the maiden smiled. "Maybe one day." She said and helped Syndra stand.

"Thank you, miss..." Syndra started but realized the young woman hadn't said her name yet. "Kyra." She said and Syndra smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Kyra." She said and the blonde smiled back at her. "Same to you, miss Syndra. Now, let's get you looking presentable shall we?" she asked and pulled the green dress off the hanger from within the closet, a pair of black leggings with intricate gold designs following suit.

Syndra removed the old worn clothes and made a move for the newer ones, but Kyra threw a towel at her and motioned for her to the wash room, which was basically in indoor hot spring. "Old asgardian secret hotsprings... Odin figured out how to recreate them and then he made them here. They have healing properties and they're great for the skin." Kyra explained from the other room and Syndra nodded.

"I see, that's why the people are so flawless here..." she whispered as she dunked her toe in. "Flawless? Hardly." Kyra laughed softly. "Half of it is magic, some of the women here use it to make themselves appear younger but it's a lie." She laughed and Syndra made an amused face but tried not to laugh, it was admittedly hard though. "Anyways, you're the prettiest outsider we've had in a long time." She said and Syndra fumbled over her words, a pink tint coming to her face.

Kyra walked into the washroom and smiled at her. "Aww, don't blush." She said as she set the clothes down for her. "Even if you were filthy, you were pretty." She said as she helped Syndra from the spring. "Almost like a battle worn Valkyrie." She said then made her way out of the room so Syndra could dress herself. When Syndra walked out Kyra beamed at her. "You look amazing. Let me help you with your armor." She said and Syndra looked at her oddly. "Armor?" she asked and Kyra nodded. "Yeah, everyone is required to wear protective armor lately. We've had so many losses that it doesn't even bother the civilians like myself anymore." She said and Syndra frowned.

"I'm sorry for what Melekith has done." Syndra whispered softly and Kyra looked up at her with a frown. "Don't apologize, princess, this wasn't your fault. You didn't wake the aether, well... neither did lady Jane, but that was why they were here. Not because of you or Jane... they just wanted the aether." She said as she adjusted the shoulder guards and connected them to the chest plate, which was a solid piece of Asgardian metal that connected around the lower back with metal clasps.

An ebony cloak unfurled from the golden armor and Syndra watched it fall with a certain childlike interest that made Kyra smile. Kyra handed her a set of armored gloves that once they were on, reached her elbows. Kyra had set out a set of ankle boots and had pulled more armor from the closet. The thigh guard was on the left side, which is the side that Syndra would have forwards in a fight, while the right side had no thigh guard. Syndra put on her shin guards and glanced at herself in the full length mirror, she looked like a true Valkyrie.

"It is comfortable, right?" Kyra asked and Syndra nodded as she moved around to get used to the feel of the armor. "That was Frigga's armor." A deep voice came to them from the doorway and Syndra jumped to look at the newcomer. Odin stood in the now open doorway with a pained look in his visible eye. Syndra bowed to him and he motioned for her to rise. "May she protect you, even in death." He said and handed her the helmet that matched the set.

"Follow me." he said as he motioned for them both to follow him. He led them to a room that was filled with sparring people. Three in particular caught her eye as the room came to a still. "Hogun, Fandral, Volstagg." He called and the three bowed their heads. Syndra's eyes lit up as he said their names. "These are Thor's men. They assisted in the escape of Thor and Loki." He said and she looked from him to the three men who stood bound by the wall, a woman with dark ebony hair sat on the floor beside them.

"You are to fight them, if they refuse, they'll face punishment. If you refuse, you'll find yourself in the cell once more. I am not doing this to be harsh, I am doing this because my best men, and woman, betrayed me and my strict orders. And also because I want to know that you will take proper care of Frigga's armor and you will defend yourself if the need shall arise." Odin said and handed her a staff.

The first one he set free was Sif and she wasted no time rushing at Syndra, who ducked back away from the ebony haired woman. "One rule, Syndra." Odin said and she ducked away from one of Sif's blades. "Do not kill." He said and her eyes went wide as she fell backwards. Sif came at her to kill, so she had to fight back or else be severely hurt. Syndra rolled to her feet and began focusing on what Loki had taught her. Three identical images of herself appeared and Sif stopped. Odin watched in interest and set Fandral free.

Then he set Hogun and Volstagg free as well, which startled Syndra, causing her to release her concentration on her clones and they vanished. Her panicked eyes shot from one to the other and then to the next. The one she was truly fearful of was Volstagg because of his stature. She dropped the staff, which confused the group who had all dropped into hand to hand stances. She took a deep breath and focused on her illusions once more images of her appeared all around them and she forced them to follow her movements. She didn't want to fight, but she knew she had to in order to prove to Odin that she could fend for herself.

Every day she had continued to practice her exercises, and she knew one day they would come to use. She fell into an unfamiliar stance to the Asgardians and took a deep breath. She was never any good at fighting, but she was good at running, but running she couldn't do. She lunged at Sif while her clones lunged at the others. Sif deflected every one of her open palmed hits, Sif whistled at the other three fending off her illusions and Syndra frowned as Sif grabbed her arm roughly.

Volstagg then brought his fist down on her, but Syndra held her free hand out and the room chilled. Odin sensed the change swiftly and called out to Syndra, who blinked and turned to look at him, her hand dropping in the process. "That was all I needed to see, thank you Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun. You may resume your duties." Odin said and they nodded as they stepped away from Syndra, who was trying to catch her breath.

"What Frigga thought was true... Loki was teaching you to control your abilities." He said and she looked up at him from her knees. "Good, I was hoping something would have come of it. come, follow me once more. We are done with the fighting and wasting of energy. I have some recreational things to ask of you." He said and she stood and followed along behind him. He led her to a room where Kyra handed her a large box. It was of art supplies.

"Would you be so kind as to repaint the portrait of my dearest Frigga...?" he asked and she smiled. "Of course sir." She said and began setting up her needed tools. She sat cross legged on the floor and set up a canvas. She began penciling in the outlines of the image, her eyes closed as she did so; which intrigued Odin. She was recreating the image from memory alone. A smile adorned her lips as she continued to work.

About two and a half hours later... Heimdal stepped within the room where Odin was peering out a window, while she was painting an image of Thor and Loki with Frigga with the art set that Odin had provided her. Various finished paintings of Frigga, Odin, and Thor were setting on the walls to dry. The moment Heimdal's footsteps were heard, her fingers trembled, and the paintbrush hit the floor the metal binding hitting the ground was the only sound she heard. Her eyes had begun to burn before the words had even left his mouth.

"Loki sacrificed himself to save Thor... Last I saw he took the man who killed lady Frigga with him." Heimdal said and her hair blanketed her features as her head fell, but her sobs were not hidden. She hit her knees and her hands found her face to attempt to muffle her cries. Kyra ran over to her and hit her knees as well. Kyra held her close, trying desperately to figure out why those words had hurt her so much.

"Syndra." Odin's voice called, his voice held the slightest bit of masked pain; but Syndra heard it. She knew he was hurting deep down as well. She bit her lip and looked up at Odin, who had a deep frown covering his features. "Why do you cry for him? You knew him for less than a year..." Odin said and she forced a smile, although she was still visibly upset. "I was everything that he could have been... you could have imprisoned him like you did me... But you were sympathetic... You loved that boy..." She whispered and Odin sat on the steps, his pain flooding his lone eye.

"I loved those boys with all my heart... And now I'm exhausted. I can no longer uphold the responsibilities of the father they need..." He said and she nodded. "He works his way in... He gets in before you even realize that he's made it into your heart..." She whispered and Odin watched her in silence, the way her lips trembled with every word she spoke made his heart hurt as well. He clutched his chest lightly as he leaned back to take support in the steps behind him.

"I can no longer take control of my sons..." he whispered, but realization hit him and his head dropped forwards and he grit his teeth. "Son... My son... I only have one now." He said and she saw the tremble of his lips. That pained tremble mirrored her own. "Let him go..." She whispered and Odin stared at her in a sort of silent shock, but after a moment he sighed and looked to his hands once more. "He loves that Midgard woman... Jane foster..." He said and she smiled slightly.

"My mother used to tell me stories of Midgard..." She said softly as she moved to sit beside Odin. He held a hand out to her and she carefully placed her hand in his older, calloused hand. "Tell me of this... Midgard. I want to know what this place is like. My son seems to very much adore this realm." He said softly and Syndra smiled softly. "According to my mother, the realm of Midgard is called Earth." Syndra began as she placed her other hand over Odin's larger one.

Kyra also came to sit and listen to her speak. "There are felines on their planet, ranging in size from this tall," she began taking her hand and holding it about a little over a foot off the ground. "To this tall." She said moving the hand to nearly three feet from the floor. "I'm told they can get even bigger than that and range in colors. Some are ferocious beasts, while others are calm and are domesticated as pets. Like your war horses, but you can't ride them." She said and Odin listened intently.

"What is the use of an animal you can't take to battle? Something that small wouldn't do harm to anything but kill a measly little-" Kyra asked but was cut off by Syndra's laughs. "On earth they have no need for war animals." She said and Kyra blinked. "They have weapons and vehicles that help with their wars. Similar to yours, but they aren't that advanced yet." She said and Kyra looked at her oddly.

"So why do they need them domesticated then?" she asked and Syndra smiled softly. "Loki said they kept them as pets, treated them like family." She said and Kyra grinned. "So they treat them as family?" she asked, then another thought popped into her head. "So they let them sleep in the same bed with them?" she asked and Syndra blinked. "I'm not sure... Loki and my mother only told me that they love and care for the animals. That's pretty much all I know..." she said and Odin nodded.

"Did they say what the people were like? Are they all like Jane?" he asked and Syndra frowned. "Loki of course said he didn't like any of them. Thor said that there were humans that were friendly and of good company, much like the people of Asgard, but they're mortal. They don't live as long as you all." She said and Kyra frowned. "That's a shame..." she whispered and Syndra nodded. "They never get to see what happens in their lifetimes... they grow old swiftly and then they die... they can't heal quite like you all can. There are some Midgardians with extraordinary gifts though." Syndra said softly and Odin and Kyra listened intently.

"There was one group Thor spoke of, the Avengers... he said there was a man in a metal armor that they called Iron man. He could fly without wings like Thor." She said and Odin nodded. "So he was bound with this armor or did it remove itself?" Odin asked and Syndra shook her head. "I believe he said it would come off because he said something about it being odd seeing the man in Midgardian garb." She said and Kyra nodded.

"And then there are Black Widow and Hawkeye. Thor said they didn't have any real powers, just that they were exceptional fighters. He also said that the man, Hawkeye, couldn't hear without this tiny little artifact in his ears." Syndra said and Odin continued to listen in silence. "He can read lips without it, but he can't hear a word they spoke until he put the thing in his ears. I think it is unbelievable that they can have such flawed but talented warriors on Earth." Syndra said and Kyra nodded animatedly.

"What of the land, what is the land like? I wish to picture the beauty of this land." Odin said and Syndra nodded. "My mother told me that it had vast bodies of water, much of it you would be unable to drink because it was unsafe. Then she told me of the vast jungles, then of the deserts. Deserts were made of sand and the sun never seemed to stop shining, she said. It was hot there." she said and opened her mouth to speak once more, but before she could say anything else a group of guards rushed in.

She stood along with Kyra. The guards rushed at her and grabbed her hands. "Miss we need to return you to safety, we have an intruder." One of the guards said as he ushered her along. "Keep her here... I want to know who this intruder is... and I want her here with me for extra caution." Odin said as he stood and the guards hesitantly nodded, they slowly released her and turned to Kyra. "Madam. Follow us." They said and the front guard held out his hand to her. "Be safe, lady Syndra." She said as she grasped the guard's hand. Kyra vanished from sight and Odin held out the Valkyrie helm to Syndra.

Syndra braided her long white hair into a braid down her back then slipped the helmet on and took the Asgardian spear he handed her. "If these are the ones who took my son, I will need you to help me fend them off." He said as he grabbed his own spear. She nodded in silence, the pain returning once more. She had distracted herself from that pain for a moment, but now it was back. If this was the ones who had taken Loki from them, she would spare no mercy. She knew Odin wouldn't either, seeing as now they had not only taken Frigga, but Loki as well.

She clutched the staff to her tightly as she stepped to stand beside Odin, who had sat back in his throne. "And now we wait." He said and she nodded. It wasn't long before footsteps echoed down the corridor, making Syndra grasp her spear tightly. Heimdall had by now returned to his post and Kyra was supposed to be safe in the civilian's quarters. It was now just Syndra, Odin and the intruder.

The man stepped in and ran a hand through his hair and it took everything in Syndra's power not to rush at him with her spear in hand. The hurt anger that was rushing through her veins was understandable in all reality. She figured Odin probably felt the same way. Her eyes landed on Odin, who stood and made his way towards the intruder. He held a hand up to her, motioning her not to react just yet.

"Loki." he greeted and the ebony haired male offered him an exhausted look. "I was informed you had been killed. It seems I was deceived." Odin said and Loki repressed a sneer. "I bet you would love that, wouldn't you, father?" he asked, his tone filled with venom on the last word. It seemed as if the word burned him to say it to Odin. Syndra saw the hurt flash through Odin's eyes, but it vanished as soon as it had appeared.

"Why have you come here then, Loki?" Odin asked and the look of irritation did not leave the ebony haired man's eyes or face. "It's a long story, and I doubt you'd understand in the slightest. However it seems you've had Syndra quite busy down there since I've been gone." Loki said as he looked around at all the paintings. "Seems she's been painting everything that pops into your mind, hasn't she? Poor dear, must be exhausted answering to your every artistic whim." He sneered as his eyes landed on the portrait of himself, Frigga, and Thor. In that particular portrait, he and Thor were children surrounding Frigga.

"Get to the point and explain why you are here. I don't have time for this with Melekith stampeding about." Odin cut in and Loki looked up at him with an annoyed look. "It is simple enough, to be completely honest with you, I'm surprised you haven't already figured it out." Loki said as he dusted off his outer coat gently. He looked up at Odin and the subtle smirk that crossed his lips was enough to make her chest hurt. She had trusted him and she never should have... he was a wolf in sheep's clothing, as Thor had told her. The smirk vanished however when Loki opened his mouth to speak once more.

"I seek the girl... I promised her, that I would help her get her freedom..." he said and her heart jumped and her jaw fell open the slightest bit. She couldn't have heard him right. She couldn't have. She blinked and shook her head slightly as if she was hearing things, but he said it again, but the next statement was what hurt her once more. Her eyes became downcast and she bit her lip lightly as she grasped the spear even tighter than before.

"And the only way I see her getting that... Is over your dead body, father..." Loki said and Odin frowned at him. "It doesn't have to go this way..."Odin said softly and Loki frowned at him, his eyes filled with distrust. "You know it does." Loki said, his tone filled with anger causing Odin to prepare his spear. Loki lunged for Odin, but Odin cast a spell right at him, but something stopped it. Odin's eyes mirrored the same shock that was in Loki's eyes as he saw that she had jumped in front of the beam.

When Odin had stopped the spell it was already too late. A smile slipped across Syndra's lips as every part of her acquired Asgardian armor shattered and fell away. Everywhere that a fragment of her armor fell, a spot of burning light formed and began melting the ground beneath her feet. Piece by piece her armor fell away and a bright light engulfed her form. As the last of her armor fell off she apologized to Loki before she fell into the portal, his hands barely brushing past hers as she vanished within. Loki hit his knees on the spot she had vanished digging his nails into the hard rock door beneath his hands.

It had taken a moment of Loki staring at the floor where she had vanished before he spoke even a word. His fingers gently brushed the place where she had vanished to. His trembling fingers halted and his blue eyes trailed up to look at Odin slowly. He was so confused. He didn't understand this in the slightest. "Why?" he asked. He repeated his question when his eyes met Odin's. "You..."

"You were going to exile me?" Loki whispered questioningly. He didn't understand this in the slightest. Not an inkling of this made sense in his mind. He was an intellectual mind, so some of this he should come to understand, but this... he just couldn't wrap his mind around it in the slightest. He sat back onto his feet and looked directly at Odin. "I'd come fully prepared to kill you, but you were going to spare me... Why?" Loki whispered from his place on his knees. A look he had never seen Odin show towards him appeared and he couldn't help the tears that threatened to fall.

"Because, Loki..." Odin began and Loki bit the inside of his cheek. "You are my son and I love you..." he said and that caused the dam to burst. He had spent so long forcing himself to hate this man because he felt he would never be anything in his eyes, but Odin was treating him just like he had Thor... he was looking at him the way he had looked at Thor... he bit his lip and dropped his head so he could keep whatever dignity he had left, if he even had any that his father's eyes hadn't burned away upon seeing his tears.

"Now I want you to pay for your crimes..." Odin began and Loki's head jolted up to look at him. "I... Odin the Allfather... Banish you... Loki laufeyson... Until you learn what makes a true king." Odin said and Loki stared up at him in a mixture of fear and surprise. A small smile crossed Odin's lips at the look he got from his son. He had never seen the dark haired man so confused. Never. It suited him being confused for once. It suited him looking human. He didn't look right filled with rage.

"Go find her." Odin sighed as he turned to sit upon the steps by his throne once more. "Goodbye my sons... I'm letting you both go... You both have much greater things to accomplish in this life than being inclined to obey this old soul's every wish." Odin said softly. "I will see you when your return, my sons."