Loki and Ingrid 9

So ya wanted to know what was in that riddle? What relic Loki's talking about? More stuff to come, don't worry!

A riddle and a relic—by Sarah B. Priest

I hold the note to the light again, desperately scanning for any more words to me, but there are none. I wearily lie down, holding the paper to my chest. I’ll have to figure out the riddle later. He may think me smart, but I was always bad at puzzles. I have to work on the infinity stone essay as well but that all feels so unimportant now. I’m tired; exhausted really. All the school work and watching Thor and Sif fight made me weary. I read over the last few words again, my fingers stopping on his neatly scripted signature.

I don’t want to finish writing this, but I have to at least try one last time. This note is for if I fail to impress him. I am sorry to be so cryptic but I’m not going to just leave my favorite relics out in the open. You’re smart, and I know you’ll figure it out in time. Keep reading.

~L. Laufeyson

L. Laufeyson, not Odinson. He had killed Laufey, saying his death came by the son of Odin. How could he not see that he was Odin’s son? And Thor’s brother. This note is for if I fail to impress him.

          “Impress him, how, Loki,” I whisper to the darkness, “Impress him with destroying a realm? Impress him with genocide? You’re better than that, Loki. You don’t have to—you knew what was going to happen, didn’t you? You knew you were going to fall—you made the choice. I should have listened to you that day—if you can hear me—I don’t know if there’s a spell for that…”

          “Ingrid?”

          Why is someone calling my name now? It’s probably Colby, the youngest brother, pestering me about his schoolwork again.

          “Not now, Colbs—Calder, whoever you are,” I sigh to the darkness, quickly burying the note and the book under my pillow.

          “Ingrid?” The voice comes louder again, and I realize that it is that of a girl. I sit up, slowly, blinking in the dim light as my eyes fall on the culprit, her dark hair disheveled over her unmistakable battle-worn face.

          “Sif?”

          “Yeah. It’s me.”

          “What are you doing here, Sif? Is Thor alright?” I feel the questions rising, but they hang in the air.

          “Yeah, I guess. I haven’t talked to him.”

          “Maybe you should apologize,” I say stiffly, “I’m with Thor on this one.”

          “Who were you talking to Ingrid?”

          “What are you doing here, Sif!” I bolt upright in bed, my eyes frantically locking on my target, “Why are you spying on me?”

          “Ingrid—”

          “Don’t yell. Just this once. I don’t want to be discovered right now,” I sigh.

          “Okay. I won’t yell. I just wanted to apologize.”

          “To me? Thor is the one to whom you owe an apology.”

          “No, I’m sorry for anything I said about the book, about Loki, about everything—”

          “It’s okay, Sif. I’d like to sleep now. You scared me.”

          I can hear Loki’s voice in my head, “Do I scare you, Ingrid?”

          “Well, at least now I know. I’ll go.”

---

“Thor?” I can hear Sif’s voice in the hallway outside of my bedchamber. I have been in my room for hours, trying to crack Loki’s riddle with no luck.

          “Oh, hello, Sif.” Thor sounds weary from all of the extra training.

          “How is your training going today?”

          “Oh, it’s all right. I passed the tests in geometry and I memorized another star chart. Makes me miss Jane. They had star charts—”

          “There are many other passages; Loki said so, and besides, they’ll get the Bifrost fixed. But once you’re king, I don’t see how you will have time to return?”

          “I don’t know. But I promised. And promises are not to be easily broken.”

          “I’m sorry, Thor. For what I said.”

          “And I am sorry for destroying the floor of the palace library.”

          “Oh. Well, I always hated that old room anyway.”

          After a long silence, I hear Thor say, “Well, I’d best be going, Sif. I have training. It was nice talking with you.”

          “You too. I really am sorry!”

          “And I forgive you, Sif.”

---

“An ancient relic left to hide

Turn the key and peek inside

Within the walls, treasures untold

Inside a heart of green and gold,”

I sigh, putting the book down in frustration. “Loki,” I sigh, “Why did you have to make this so hard? I don’t have a key, and I certainly don’t have a relic! And I don’t know what’s in your heart, but I just want—”

          Inside the walls…the castle walls? He had spoken of many secret passageways before but are infinite possibilities inside the castle walls. Turn the key and peek inside…what does that mean? Where is this key? I don’t have a key, and he never mentioned a key. Inside a heart of green and gold? I can’t begin to realize what that means….

          Of course! Queen Frigga’s ancient locket—shaped like a heart. An exterior of green, an interior of solid gold! But I still don’t have a key, nor do I know where it is hidden. Legend has it that the locket has the power to see anything, in the nine realms that your heart desires. My heart begins beating quickly. Maybe there isn’t a key after all. An ancient code, is all, and knowing Loki, that will be easy to crack. In fact, he wrote it in an ancient Elvin language on the back of the paper. That’s the key! I get up excitedly and grab the clues. Inside the walls…if I were Loki, where would I hide a locket? Which spot in the wall would I choose? Then I remember it, with a blinding flash of green light—I grab my pen and scribble a note for Thor or Sif. Gone to library.

---

I reach into the small hiding place tucked into the wall in the library, fingering the locket. “Thank you, Thor,” I whisper, looking at the destruction around me. “Made it all the easier for me to look.”

          I pick up the locket cautiously prying it open. Is this a trick or a trap? After the way he betrayed Thor—. No, I don’t have time to worry about that. I slip out one of the back doors and crouch behind a tree on the edge of the woods.

          I cautiously speak the code in the ancient tongue as the locket begins to glow a soft green. I pry it open slowly, suddenly blinded by the golden light coming from it. A small, neatly folded piece of paper falls out.

To whom it may concern: This is an ancient relic of unseen power. DO NOT TOUCH UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. DO NOT MAKE A SOUND. The Frost Prince is watching. To any who dare use this relic you will be annihilated immediately by great power. This relic is not intended for rash or careless use. If used properly, can grant the power to see all of the realms in their glory, and speak with anyone within the realms. It also has the power to destroy realms with the blink of an eye if properly accessed, but you must sacrifice a loved one to succeed, so it isn’t worth it to destroy Jotunheim. Anyone deemed unworthy who attempts to use this relic will be annihilated immediately. In order to use it, you must pass the three trials at the heart of the enchanted forest. Only then will you be granted access. Good luck Let the games begin.

~L.