Going to Nidavellir

Dreufey did as Freya had told her. She replaced her regular bath soap with the shampoo she had received. Every morning, she filled her bathtub with warm water, stepped into it and soaped herself in from top to toe. Soaked in the warm water, she could see her skin turn darker.

Dreufey's colleagues found her transformation amusing; the way she turned darker by the day.

"If you keep this up, you'll turn pitch black," Varg said with a grin on his face.
"That's pretty much the idea," Dreufey replied. "We're aiming for a dark brown complexion. I also got these green contact lenses I'm going to wear."
"Really?"
"Yes. With slits, like cat eyes."
"Oh man! You got to show us this. We want to see what you look like as a Dark Elf."
"No. I don't think that's a good idea."

It was weird enough to have her skin turning darker. Adding cat eyes to her transformation would make things even weirder. However, her colleagues kept insisting.

"You should do a costume rehearsal before you go," Gertrud suggested. "It will be fun for us to see, and it will give you an opportunity to try out your outfit before you go."

Dreufey wasn't convinced by their arguments, and she didn't change her mind. Not even when her hair was cut and washed into a jet-black bob. However, when she got her new outfit delivered to her chamber, and she tried it on, she was so impressed by her transformation that she felt like taking up Gertrud's suggestion, nevertheless. 

She put her contact lenses on. Then she walked back and forth a few times in front of the mirror on the door of her wardrobe. She hadn't worn high heels in a while and needed a little time getting used to them, but it didn't take long before she was back in form.

She scrutinized herself from top to bottom.

The grey skirt and blazer looked better on her than she had feared. A small red hat lifted her overall appearance, as did her brown leather shoes and brown stockings. A handbag in thick rust brown fabric with flowers embroidered in green, red and yellow completed the picture.

"Not bad at all," she thought to herself.

Her outfit was outrageous compared to Vanir fashion. But she had seen considerably worse fashions in Munich, especially during the final years of her time on Earth. Compared to that, this was positively conservative.

Dreufey figured she might as well delight her friends and give them the costume rehearsal they'd requested. She decided to wear it for her upcoming lunch meeting.

"Wow! That's crazy hot," was Alf's immediate reaction on seeing Dreufey in her Dark Elf disguise.
"Definitely quite daring," Gertrud said, visibly impressed by Dreufey's transformation. "If I hadn't known about this, I don't think I would've recognized you. Especially with those crazy eyes of yours. They look so real."
Varg agreed. "Nobody will doubt for a second that you're a Dark Elf."
"Have you ever seen a Dark Elf?" Dreufey asked.
"No, I haven't. But you sure as Hel don't look like a Vanir."

Dreufey sat down with her colleagues to eat.

"My only concern is that I don't have the body of a Dark Elf," she said after some deliberation.
"How's that?" Alf asked.
"They're tall and skinny with tiny tits."
"Is that so?" Gertrud asked. "Where's the fun in that?"
"You'd be surprised," Varg replied.

Everybody turned to Varg.

"Don't get me wrong," he said. "But some guys like it that way."
"Which way?"
"Tall and skinny."
"And tiny tits?" Alf asked.
"Yes. City dwellers like their girls that way."
"You must be kidding me."
"That's what I've heard."

They ate a few mouthfuls in silence before Dreufey once again broke the silence.

"Ivaldi's city is the largest city in the universe."
"That's where you're going?" Varg asked.
"Ivaldi and his sons live there, so I guess so."
"You see! That explains it."
"I'm sure Dark Elves aren't all tall and skinny," Gertrud said. "It's probably just a fashion, thing. I'd be surprised if they all look the same."
"Even then," Dreufey replied. "I wish I was more of the type they consider fashionable down there."
"If your appearance was that important to the success of your mission, I'm sure Freya would have chosen a different agent," Varg said as a matter of fact. "You're a beautiful woman. I don't think you have much to worry about."

Alf nodded in agreement. "You look positively hot. Only a complete moron would let you down. You'll have those guys wrapped around your finger before you know it."

Dreufey was happy about the compliments from her colleagues, but she was undeniably of a different type than what Dark Elves seem to prefer, and the thought of it nagged her. However, she didn't get much time to brood on her imperfections, because one of Freya's maids called on her door the very next day, asking her to get ready for her departure.

"Freya is expecting you in her quarters in half an hour," she said. "Make sure you're dressed for your journey, and that you have your things packed in your handbag."

Dreufey had already put her perfume, lip stick and shampoo into her handbag, together with the recipe that Freya had given her, so she needed only to get dressed for her journey. Half an hour was plenty of time to get ready.

She put on her outfit, and she hung her gold necklace with its red ruby around her neck. She put her contact lenses into place. Then she took a good look in the mirror. She was ready to go. Once again, she was leaving her chamber for a different world entirely.

The guard at Freya's door didn't recognize Dreufey right away. It was only when she spoke to him that he lay the connection between the Dark Elf in front of him and the person he was told to let into Freya's quarters.

"That's one amazing disguise," the guard said on opening the door for Dreufey.
"Thank you. I'm glad to hear that," she replied.

Freya, who stood out on her balcony waiting for Dreufey, was equally impressed.

"You really do look great in anything," she said on seeing Dreufey entering her quarters. "Come out here! I want to have a good look at you before you go."

Dreufey walked casually across the hall. She imagined herself in Nidavellir, approaching one of Ivaldi's sons, and her little performance put a smile on Freya's face.

"That's hot," Freya said once Dreufey was out on the balcony with her. "You'll knock them dead for sure."
"You think so?"
"I'm positive."

Freya led Dreufey over to the balustrade of her balcony.

"You can call yourself Dreufey" she said. "It's a fairly common name among elves. You don't need an alias on this mission."

A black cape covered in feathers lay across the balustrade next to Freya. She took it in her hand and gave it to Dreufey.

"This is my falcon cloak. Make sure you give it to Freyr when you meet him in Nidavellir. He'll return it to me once he's finished showing you around and giving you our final instructions."

Freya stepped away from Dreufey.

"You know how it works, right?" she asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Keep my brother in mind, and you'll know where to fly."

Dreufey felt at once all nervous and excited at the same time.

"Now?" she asked.
"Now!" Freya answered.

Dreufey threw the cape over her shoulders.

An immense lightness filled Dreufey's whole being. Her vision became incredible sharp. Her other senses equally so. She jumped into the air, threw out her arms, and to her amazement she could see that they had become wings.

Dreufey headed higher and higher. Sessrumnitr became ever more distant. Pretty soon, the whole area around Freya's palace became but a map beneath her. Then she thought of Freyr, and she knew exactly where to go.

She soared towards the sun. Then, as if someone turned a switch, it was dark all around. Dreufey was no longer in Vanheim. Everywhere, there was darkness, except for a shimmering red glow to her side. Yggdrasil was glowing dimly in the distance.

Dreufey headed due north, towards a brown sphere held in place by Yggdrasil's east pointing root. She flew parallel to Yggdrasil's trunk. She was heading for the underworld, and she was at once scared to think what it might hold. Maybe it was true that Svartalfheim was as terrible a place as Helheim or Niflheim. But the thought of Freyr, waiting for her soothed her nerves.

All alone between realms, flying steadily towards the brown sphere in front of her, she became aware of a warm current, catching her and propelling her all the faster towards Svartalfheim. She had caught one of the major Elvigars that flow between realms. The current was going directly from Muspelheim to Svartalfheim, and it shortened her journey considerably.

Once inside the perimeter of Svartalfheim, stars and galaxies flew past her in a flash before she slowed down over planet Nidavellir. The sun in the sky above her was unlike that of Folkvangr and Earth. It was large and red. The glow was moderate. It reminded her of summer evenings, but the sun was straight above her. It was midday in Nidavellir, yet strangely dark everywhere.

Dreufey came in low over an immense ocean. There was nothing but water to be seen anywhere. But she knew she was heading in the right direction. She thought of Freyr, and it was as if he was calling on her in the distance.

She came in over land, and there were fields of wheat and other crops everywhere to be seen. Nidavellir was not at all a lifeless planet. There were villages and towns, all of them dreary looking but otherwise well kept.

Flying in a straight line, Dreufey came in over a wide river. A city emerged in front of her. It started with houses and buildings packed along the riverbanks. This became increasingly dense and widespread. An enormous port with ships moored everywhere along it came into view on the north side of the river. Industry and commercial buildings surrounded the port in all directions. Then, in the distance, skyscrapers appeared; huge, towering buildings, one next to the other as far as the eye could see.

With Freyr firmly in mind, Dreufey swooped in among the skyscrapers, many of them residential high-rises, much taller than anything she had ever seen before. She passed one high-rise after another as she progressed ever closer to her target.

A towering building appeared in front of her. She could see the apartment that she was heading for. It had a balcony with green plants growing in pots on its balustrade. The French window leading into the apartment from the balcony stood wide open.

A man sat relaxed in a sofa inside. His skin was dark, his clothes comfortable looking. It was Freyr in disguise. He too as a Dark Elf.

Dreufey flew in through the open window. She landed in front of Freyr, removed her cloak and was immediately turned into her Dark Elf form.

"Welcome to Ivaldi's city," Freyr said with a smile, his cat eyes looking every bit as natural as those of Dreufey.

The man was wearing beige slacks with a black leather belt and a white linen shirt with the top two buttons open around his neck. He tapped the seat next to him with his hand.

"Why don't you sit down and tell me all about your journey?"

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