Back with the gods

Dreufey went down to the rose beds at the far end of the garden where, quite out of the blue, a gust of wind hit her from above. A large shadowy creature landed next to a tall tree in front of her. It was Odin in his eagle form, with Idun, the goddess of youth, sitting on his shoulders. She was dressed in a red robe, with gold trimmings. Her long blond hair cascaded freely down her back. Her blue eyes sparkled with life.

Idun swung down from the eagle's neck with the agility of an athlete.

"Oh, how you've aged Dreufey!" she said. "Look at you. A little old lady, that's what you've become."
"That was part of the deal. I couldn't very well go around eternally young down here, could I?"
"Of course not. But you can't hitch a ride with this hunk of an eagle without some youth in you, so I've brought an apple for you. Here! Take a bite."

Idun handed Dreufey a golden apple, and Dreufey wasted no time biting into it.

"Oh, that's good," Dreufey said. The sweetness of the apple filled her with energy. A tingling sensation rushed through her body.
"What a hungry little girl you are!" Idun said with a smile. "But we have no time to waste. Can't sit around here for a picnic, can we? We better get going before someone sees us."

Idun took hold of the eagle's neck. With a jump, and a kick of her foot against the eagle's wing, she got back into position. The eagle grabbed hold of Dreufey with its enormous talon and set off for the sky. So swift and forceful was the move that Dreufey lost the apple she was holding. But there was no time to think about that. A flash of lightning passed by them so close that everything around them turned blindingly white. They could feel the pull of the air-current, and for a moment, they themselves were glowing with electric sparks.

"What the heck, Thor!" the eagle rumbled in a deep voice. "Couldn't you wait just a little longer?"

A torrential rain set in. It soaked the three of them, but this didn't stop the eagle from ascending ever higher; up towards the clouds, through a rain-soaked mist, and into the blue beyond where they were met with bright sunshine and clear skies as far as the eye could see. Pretty soon they were hovering far above the storm.

"There he is!" Idun shouted with excitement.

She had caught sight of Thor in his chariot and his two enormous goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr that pulled the chariot through the air at breath-taking speeds. Thor was racing around just above the clouds and throwing his hammer down to Earth all over the place. His long blond hair and beard were pulled back by the wind; his rust-brown tunic contrasted the clouds below him and the sky and sun above him.

"Oh, the energy!" Idun said with wonder.

The eagle dove towards the chariot where it landed next to Thor. It gave Idun and Dreufey time to step aside. Then there was a flash, and Odin was back to his human form, dressed in his usual hunter's outfit.

Odin, a tall man by any standard, was dwarfed by his son who stood more than a head taller than him, bursting with muscles and strength.

"That's quite enough, thank you," Odin said. "Let's go."
"To Vanheim?"
"To Vanheim!"

Idun showed Dreufey into a place at the front of Thor's chariot where they could sit together, protected by Thor and Odin.

The men stood tall behind them, and Idun took the opportunity to lean against Thor's strong legs. She held onto Thor's muscular calf which she tapped with satisfaction. Then she picked up a small box with two apples in it.

"Take another apple," Idun insisted. "We want you back to your former self before reaching Folkvangr."

Dreufey picked an apple out of the box and bit into it. It was as delicious as the first one, and the pleasant tingle returned to her body. For every bite she took, her whole being became younger and more energized.

"You really are the sweetest of all goddesses," Dreufey said. "Where would we be without you and your apples?"
"We'd all be dead. Only my apples are keeping us from growing old and eventually dying."

Dreufey ate the rest of her apple.

"I don't think I need another one," she said. "I think we can leave the last one for later."

Idun took a good look at Dreufey. She scrutinized her from top to toe.

"I think you're right. You look very much like yourself. Are you feeling refreshed and young again?"
"I had almost forgotten how good it feels to be young."
"But now you remember?"
"Absolutely, and it's fabulous. But what do I do with this apple core?"
"You can eat it or toss it overboard. It's up to you."

Dreufey picked the seeds out of the core. Then she ate the rest of it. The stalk and a couple of seeds went into her breast pocket as souvenirs.

"Oh, perky!" Dreufey said with a smile on noticing the firmness of her new self. "These apples really do the trick."
"Of course, they do! That's why everyone craves them."

Odin interrupted their conversation with a word of warning.

"Hold on! We're leaving Midgard," he said.

The two women huddled together in the front. Then there was a blue flash as they left the realm of Midgard.

Idun and Dreufey peeked over the side of Thors chariot to see if all was clear. Then they stood up to admire the view. The huge green ball behind them was Midgard, slowly receding from them. Jormungandr, the world serpent moved in its predictable wave around it. In front of them was nothing but a dark void. To their side, they could see Yggdrasil in the distance. Its enormous trunk with three roots and six branches glowing red like embers.

"What an incredible stillness," Idun said with a whisper.
"The enormity of it. It's mind-boggling."

Then, Thor did something unexpected. He swung his chariot around and headed straight for Jormungandr's head. With a good grip of his hammer, Thor arched his back. Then he threw his hammer with all his might straight at the monster. Jormungandr was hit right above his eye, and he coiled back in pain. Then he turned and lashed out at Thor.

Idun and Dreufey dove back into their safe space. Thor made a sharp turn. Jormungandr missed them by an inch.

"Holy Moly!" Odin said, his voice like a distant rumble. "Why did you do that? You could have had us all killed."
"I swear, I'll kill that guy one day. I promise," Thor said. "I'll do it even if it means the end of me."
"I know. But seriously, don't do this again. Not with guests and all. What's the point?"

Thor laughed. "You know I'm way too quick for him. He'll never catch me."
"But even so. Show some restraint! You're scaring everybody. We don't need this kind of excitement."
"Okay dad, calm down!"

Thor set course for the great void ahead of them. Midgard was left behind with Jormungandr roiling in pain, unable to hit back at Thor who dodged his every attempt at getting even. Pretty soon, they were out of Jormungandr's range. The giant serpent settled back into his predictable wave-like motion. Midgard receded into the distance with Jormungandr becoming nothing but a dark wavy line circling a green ball at the outer reaches of one of Yggdrasil's two lowest branches.

"That there is Vanheim," Odin explained once the two women dared getting up again to look at the view.

Odin pointed to a glowing blue ball held in place by another one of Yggdrasil's enormous branches. It grew larger and brighter in front of them as Midgard grew smaller and dimmer to their rare. Pretty soon, they entered the realm of Vanheim. Here again, there were stars and galaxies everywhere, rushing past them at tremendous speeds before they reached the planet of Folkvangr.

They came in low to better appreciate the beauty of Folkvangr's mountains, oceans and fjords; its rivers, green fields and lush pastureland, dotted with picturesque villages and towns.

Up a wide valley with a river flowing down from tall mountains in the distance, Sessrumnir with its gilded domes came into view. Framed by snow-capped mountains in the distance, it stood majestically on the top of a hill. Thor made a low pass around the palace. Then he landed on a pasture immediately to its back.

The pasture was covered in lush grass and wildflowers, and it was connected to Sessrumnir by a stone bridge that elegantly arched over a gorge that separated it from the palace.

A large gate, fashioned from thick boards of oak, was set in the wall of Freya's palace at the far end of the bridge. The gate had a door in it, and it was through this door that Freya came out to greet her guests. She was wearing a dark blue gown, and Brisingamen, her favourite necklace, studded with rubies, shone brightly in the light of the sun as she walked confidently towards them.

"Welcome home," she said, her arms outstretched. "Come with me! We have much to celebrate."

"You go!" Thor said to his companions after greeting Freya with a big loud howdy. "I'll be right there with you, I just need to release Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr from their harnesses."

Once his goats were set free to graze, Thor set off in the direction of Freya and her guests, and he was so quick that he caught up with them even before they had reached halfway across the bridge.

They entered through the door in the gate, which brought them into a great hallway with a lofty arched roof held up by tall pillars.

"My private quarters are over there where that manservant is standing guard," she explained. "I suggest we all freshen up for the evening, and that we celebrate Dreufey's return with a good meal. Shall we say in an hour from now?"

Freya turned to Dreufey: "Make sure you put on something more fitting for a feast than this strange outfit you're wearing."
"But of course, my lady."

The other gods left for their separate quarters, which gave Dreufey the opportunity to ask a favor of Freya in private.

"May I wear this gold necklace that you lent me? I've grown fond of it, and I would like to wear it this last time."
"I wouldn't want it any other way. In fact, I want you to keep it. You've earned it."
"That's very kind of you. You've been so generous towards me, the way you set me up in that apartment in Munich, the gold coins you lent me. It made all the difference. I had a great life in Munich."
"I'm glad to hear that. It means that you've mastered the art of Seidr. You know how to use your will and foresight to make the most of what is given to you."
"Thank you, my lady. I'm honored."

Dreufey was about to head for her chamber. Then she stopped and turned to Freya.

"I meant to return your gold. But Freyr took it with him. Has he returned it to my chamber?"
"But darling, that gold was yours to use. If you still have some gold, it's all yours. Trust me, it was but a small investment on our part, considering how much good you were able to achieve. Besides, Freyr hasn't been here for months. If he took your gold, he's still in possession of it."
"And where is he now?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out. Now... hurry up and get ready for our feast."

Dreufey did as she was told, and she found her chamber unchanged from the day she left it. She opened her wardrobe and found all her clothes hanging there, as fresh and clean as ever. She picked a long green gown and a matching robe with a fur lining to wear for the evening. The colors suited her, and they contrasted well with her gold necklace.

She went over to her window to admire the view. Decades had passed since she last lay eyes on Folkvangr, but the view from her window was unchanged. Everything was as beautiful and harmonious as ever.

Dreufey longed back to Freya's gardens.; to work there again as Freya's servant; to live a life of predictable routines in the service of her lady. But then she was struck by the realization that it wouldn't happen. She wouldn't return to the simple life that she had lived before her adventures in Midgard, at least not in the foreseeable future. It was easy to see, because if that was what they had in store for her, Freyr would have returned her gold to her chamber, and that had not happened. Freyr was somewhere else.

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