Lezard's Triumph

It started with the creak of a floorboard, ancient wood making a protesting sound against tip toeing feet. Hushed voices were heard, little more than a murmur that intruded on Alicia's consciousness. The sound continued, bringing forth noise of a door opening, and a muffled male's laughter, followed by a heated hiss for silence. The demand came too late, intruding on the princess' sleep, her eyelids slowly opening.

Almost immediately, she squinted them close, a protest against the sun shining brightly in her face. Someone had left the curtains tied back for the night, allowing the sun to cast it's golden rays directly into the room, falling across the bed where Alicia lay with her husband. The look on her face must have been comical, for Rufus was laughing softly, sitting up to block the sunlight with his body.

Alicia ended up eye level with his bare chest, blinking her eyelids rapidly as she tried to adjust to the changes in the light. "Morning..." Rufus said in a husky whisper, a hint of that laughter to his tone.

"Morning." Alicia repeated, slowly raising back her head to peer up into his handsome face. He was smiling at her, eyes twinkling with amusement. "What's going on?" She asked as Rufus leaned in to kiss her, the half elf pausing with his lips hovering over hers. "Why is it so noisy so early?"

"Not so early." His lips brushed against hers with each word he spoke, Rufus smiling at her. "It's almost noon."

"Noon..." Alicia blinked, then squealed as Rufus pressed his lips more insistently against hers. "Noon!!" She exclaimed when he pulled back, consternation on her face. "We slept in again?!" She couldn't help but frown, not liking that they were making a habit of sleeping the morning away.

"Hey relax." Rufus said, reaching forward to run his hand through her golden tresses. The petting did little to calm her down, Alicia shaking her head no at his next words. "We're newlyweds. It's expected we'd spend most of the morning in bed."

"Maybe..." She said doubtfully, Rufus continuing to stroke her hair.

"Maybe? I know so." He grinned, his other hand dropping to her waist, fingers nudging at the blanket pooled around her hips. "When else are we supposed to sleep if we're up all night?" Before she could come up with a protest, he was tickling her side, coaxing giggles out of his wife. Soon his hand fell from her hair, touching her back for support, holding her steady as his fingers brushed against her, finger tips doing their best to make her wiggle and writhe as Alicia tried to escape his tickling.

Alicia grabbed onto Rufus' shoulders for support, half attempting to push him away as she fought to get her breath back, still squirming to avoid his hands. "But Rufus!" She said in between laughter, her body in constant movement. "We are guests at Lydia's house. We should get up when everyone else does!"

"Who says?!" demanded Rufus, more interested in the way her body moved than the words that she spoke.

"Well..." Alicia gasped around giggles, trying to think. "It's proper manners."

"To Hel with proper manners!" laughed Rufus, though his fingers began to cease their tickling motions. "In case you haven't noticed, wife dear, I am not a proper manners kind of guy!"

"Yes, so I've been told." Alicia grinned at him, and now it was Rufus' turn to frown.

"Who's been telling you that?"

"Oh...just people..." She said mysteriously, taking this opportunity to slip out of his arms. Alicia inched her way towards the edge of the bed, naked body easily sliding across the cotton sheets.

"People, what people?" Rufus asked, watching her with appreciative eyes as she stood and stretched, her arms raising above her head. "Was it Dallas?!"

"Hmm, maybe." She teased him with neither denying nor confirming what he wanted to know, walking over to the vanity. Alicia sat down on the stool, unmindful of her nudity as she reached for a hair brush. "But really Rufus...as long as we are guests, we should try to get up at the same time as everyone else. Listen to how hard they are trying to not wake us up!" She ran the brush through her hair, Rufus quiet for the moment as they both listened to the sound of hushed voices speaking.

"Not to mention it's really quite rude of me to leave Lydia to do all the cooking." Added the princess, watching her husband's reflection in the mirror. "Dallas is just learning, and we can hardly call what Arngrim makes edible!" Rufus was climbing out of bed, looking for a clean pair of pants out of his satchel. He found them, and hurriedly put them on, reaching for a shirt as well.

"You can make it up to her later." Rufus said, walking towards her. He set his shirt down on the vanity's table top, pausing to kiss her cheek, but his expression was absentminded as he cast about for his boots.

"You left them over there." Alicia said, pointing with her brush.

"Thanks." Rufus smiled, walking towards the discarded boots. He set himself down on the edge of the bed, pulling the leather on. "But really Alicia, you worry too much. It is our honeymoon, we should be allowed to spend it however we see fit. Even if we are delaying things to help out a friend." He added with a grumble, lacing up his boots.

"I know." Alicia said, once again brushing out her hair. "Just be patient a little longer. We'll see Dallas set off right, and say our good-byes to Arngrim and Lydia. And then..." She trailed off, but was smiling.

"And then..." Rufus' eyes met her in the mirror's reflection, a brilliant smile on the half elf's face. "It'll be just the two of us."

"Yes!" exclaimed Alicia happily, setting down the brush. She reached for the shirt he left by her, pulling it on. It made Rufus laugh to see her, seeing how it trailed down past her knees, and covered her hands.

"So what's on today's agenda?" Rufus asked, watching as Alicia approached him.

"Um...I believe Lydia wanted to take Dallas shopping again." Alicia said, sitting down on Rufus' lap. She had the brush in her hands, and she was reaching upwards to place it against his green mane.

"More shopping?" groaned Rufus, exaggerating his facial features as the brush glided through his hair.

"Well...you and Arngrim missed out on yesterday's excursion. And we really could use the extra hands to carry things for us." Alicia explained, leaning in to playfully kiss his lips.

"All right, all right, fine." Rufus sighed, giving his consent to the shopping trip. "Just as long as we can do something fun afterwards!"

"Fun?" She arched a golden brow at him, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Define fun?"

"You know, get some beers, look at a few boats..."

"Boats?" Alicia wrinkled her nose, pausing in brushing his hair.

"Yeah, for Arngrim." Rufus said enthusiastically. "He's looking to finance a new ship for his new lifestyle."

"And this is your idea of fun?" A disappointed Alicia asked. It was then she saw his lips twitching as he fought not to grin, and she smacked her hand against his chest. "OOOOOH!! Rufus!!" Annoyed with him, she leapt off his lap, stalking across the room to throw down the brush. Laughter followed her as Rufus got up, his long gait quickly catching up with her.

"Now Alicia..." He purred, wrapping his arms around from behind her. "You know my idea of fun is spending time with you."

"..." She said nothing at first, lips pressed tightly together as she refused to be swayed by his words.

"Especially like this." He added, kissing the curve of her ear. "Just you, me, and a bed. Or the floor. Or the couch. Or up against a wall."

She couldn't help herself, giving in to the giggles that threatened to take over at his words. "Rufus! You are insatiable!"

"So are you!" Rufus told her, spinning her around to face him. "You just don't know it yet."

She smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Rufus?"

"Yes Alicia?"

"I love you." She said happily, the princess pressing herself against the half elf in a tight squeeze.

He laughed, returning the hug. "And I love you." He confirmed, bending slightly in his quest for her kiss. But before their lips could meet, something strange happened. "Alicia..." He gasped at her, the sound anything but pleasant. She blinked back her confusion, staring as he let go of her to back away.

"Rufus?" She took a step to follow him, bare feet silent on the floor. He was looking far too pale, and his face scrunched up in pain.

"Something's wrong." He said, lifting up a hand before his face. They both gasped together, seeing it turning translucent. One minute solid, the next see through, the effect traveling down his arm and onto his body.

"Rufus!" Alicia cried out, taking a hurried step towards him, arms stretched out as she tried to catch hold of him. But to her horror, she passed through him, crashing into the bed. "RUFUS!" She shouted louder this time, quickly spinning on her knees, reaching out pleadingly to him.

"Alicia, I...I..." Rufus let out a scream, his whole body translucent now. "I don't want to go!" In a blink of the eye, he was gone, only the shirt on her body and the rings on her finger to signal he had ever been there in the first place.

Alicia knelt there shell shocked for the moment, just staring at the spot her beloved husband had last been seen in. "Hey Rufus..." She said shakily, her breath coming too fast. "You can come out now..." She brought her hands forward, focusing on the spot she had seen him, concentrating on her soul materialization powers. Nothing happened, and she frowned. "It's not funny you know..." A hint of hysteria was to her voice, and she once again thrust out her hands, trying to exert her will, to force him to appear before her.

But nothing happened. With a sob, she brought her hands to her chest, slumping to the floor as she stared off to the front of her. "Rufus..." It was a soft whisper, followed by a heart breaking cry that echoed throughout the house and onto the streets. "RUFUS!!"

--

A new day had dawned on Asgard, and as usual it was the epitome of a perfect spring day. The sky was a liquid clear blue with nary a cloud in sight, and a balmy breeze blew, stirring up the trees and causing the flowers to release their sweet scents. It was the sort of day to leave one feeling calm, even lazy. And yet the atmosphere surrounding Asgard was anything but, Gods and einherjar rushing to and from the great halls, hurrying about as they prepared for war.

The iron smiths of Asgard were up at all hours of the night, their heavy anvils dropping to crash against stone slabs. Sparks were in constant flight, brought forth as they worked the precious metals to form armor and weapons worthy of the soldiers of Asgard. While the smithies burned brightly with the intense heat of the forge, warriors worked in the great halls, practicing their weapons of choice, again and again, until they perfected their deadly arts.

And through it all, Lezard wandered, stopping to watch approvingly at the controlled chaos around him. He was especially interested in the magic users, watching as skilled witches and powerful wizards performed their spells in controlled spaces, making sure they knew the offensive spells needed for combat. He stood before a large window over looking the courtyard, the explosions of magic being dispersed reflecting in the panes of his glasses. Lezard's face was expressionless, neither showing approval nor disapproval, his lips pursed together in a thin line as he watched the proceedings.

Chimes rang out behind him, the sound of a God teleporting into the corridor. "Report." Lezard barked out, not tearing his eyes away from the window.

"We have finished calling back our einherjar from their posts." Began Vor, the sound of papers rustling as she rifled through them. "All our accounted for, and are being prepped for battle."

"Good good." Lezard said. "What else."

"Lord Lezard..." Vor hesitated, a frown on her lovely face. "Are you sure it's wise to remove the forces that have been stationed in Muspelheim and Nifleheim? Those border patrols were the only thing keeping the fire people and Hel's undead minions from sneaking in to Asgard!"

"You know we need each and every available soldier for the upcoming battle with Jotunheim." Lezard retorted, at last turning to look at her.

"Yes it's true but..."

"But what?!" demanded Lezard impatiently.

"If we concentrate all our forces on Jotunheim, we may be leaving ourselves open to attack from the other realms!" Vor said, her voice terse as she tried explaining this to him yet again. "You must realize this!"

"I'll not have the other realms thinking they can take from me." hissed Lezard, purple eyes flashing with unrestrained emotion. He didn't say it out loud, but his private thoughts were that Asgard be damned so long as he got Lenneth back. They could always start over, find a new home, so long as they were together. But to voice such thoughts would cause mutiny among the Gods, so Lezard remained tightlipped.

"Jotunheim must be taught a lesson, made an example of." Continued Lezard, turning back to the gaze out the window.

"No one is arguing with you there." Murmured the Goddess with a sigh.

"Glad to hear it." Lezard retorted. "Now continue with your reports."

"Yes..." More rustling of her papers, Vor trying to find her place. "We've starting building up the defensive walls along the land that surrounds the rainbow bridge. The giants will have to bring down those walls to proceed further into Asgard. It is slow work, but the einherjar need time to rest and practice." Lezard merely nodded, and she continued. "We have watchers all along the rainbow bridge, positions hidden from sight, alert to any signs of intruders. Gjallarhorn will sound at the first sign of the giants. They will not sneak past our people."

"They better not." Lezard said, his tone ominous.

"I do worry that we are spreading our forces too thin." Vor said, eyes cautious as she watched him. "As it stands now, we barely have enough warriors left to form up the reserve troops, our soldiers are simply too limited in numbers without a Valkyrie to bring in more people." She sighed in frustration at his silence, taking it as refusal to appoint someone as Valkyrie.

"There's also the matter of our current strategy for war." Vor continued. "The best I've been able to come up with is one that calls for complete defensive maneuvers. Everything will fall apart if we cannot hold ground at the rainbow bridge." Another sigh from her, shaking her head no. "We are not prepared for a long siege should our forces be forced to retreat inward. We do not have the time nor resources for a drawn out war."

"Then we will strike quick and fast." Advised Lezard.

"Tyr could do it." She knew the look in her eyes was crafty, Vor watching Lezard carefully. "He has a keen mind for military maneuvers, he would be able to make do with the resources at hand to mount an impressive attack. Please Lord Lezard...at least allow me to consult with him!" Her voice was almost pleading, Vor quick to point out that it would cost nothing for Lezard to at least allow her to talk with Tyr.

"And how can we be sure he will not guide us wrong?" demanded Lezard, turning to look at her. "Hmm?" An arched eyebrow as he studied her, asking, "He could see this as a chance for revenge against me."

"He would not jeopardize Asgard for the sake of one person!" protested Vor. "However...how about adding to the stakes. Put him out on the field, right in the midst of battle. In order to ensure his survival, he will have to make sure the troops perform to the best of their abilities."

"Hmm, yes..." She could see the thought amused Lezard, the man actually quirking a half smile at her. "That is an excellent idea. Go Vor. Go and get Tyr ready for battle. Give him our finest armor and sword. And tell him this, should he be successful I may even consider restoring him to Godhood."

"My Lord!" breathed out Vor, amazed by his generosity. "I will...at once!" She turned to leave, but a word from Lezard stopped her.

"Vor...has Loki returned yet?"

"No, my Lord." Vor said with a frown. "He has yet to return from the task you appointed him."

"I see." Lezard said, turning his back on her dismissively. He waited until he heard the chimes of her teleportation ring out, and with a sigh, leaned forward against the window, his brow pressing against the glass pane. He felt disheartened by the lack of news on Lenneth's whereabouts, impatience curling his nerves into tense strings. He wanted nothing more than to send a party to rescue her, and yet without a location he would be casting aimlessly about in the dark.

Unbeknownst to Lezard, someone else was skulking about in the shadows, putting forth tireless effort to tie together Lenneth's disappearance with that of another's suspicious behavior. Forseti, God of Peace, Truth, and Justice paused before the entrance to the rainbow bridge, the sounds of voices a distant buzz in his ear. Einherjar, men and women both, labored to complete the wall they were constructing around the base of the bridge. Their conversation was good humored, but nervous, harried task masters bellowing at the laborers to cease their gossip and concentrate on the task at hand.

Forseti paid them little mind, walking along the perimeter of the wall, trying to pick up the fading after signatures of dispersed ether. There was much to be found, Frei and Kvasir had freely discharge the divine energy, and even now, days after the attack and subsequent kidnapping of Lenneth, Forseti could still taste the ether on his tongue.

There was also an even fainter trail of ether, almost hidden completely by Frei and Kvasir's power charges. But the foul taste of the Trickster God's power was unmistakable to the God, Forseti allowing a grim smile to cross his face. Loki had been here, apparently hoping to cloak his teleportation here at the place where battle had occurred recently. The power trail led Forseti to the base of the bridge, and there the trail grew cold, fading away. It seemed Loki had decided to walk to wherever his destination was, a fact that was all to suspicious to Forseti.

With one last look at the working einherjar, Forseti adjusted his cloak, pulling his hood up over his head. The material cast his face in shadows, leaving his identity in doubt. With a sigh, Forseti began to move, walking those first few steps onto the bridge. He was determined to track Loki, and he only prayed that this wouldn't prove a futile waste of time.