Chapter 3
~Azure of Lupin~
 

 
Azure’s body was carried through the courtyard before Odin's palace.  A guard clad in golden armor ran ahead to the throne room to announce their arrival. 

      Her bare feet dragged along the stone as her eyes moved rapidly beneath her ribs.  She felt herself being lugged around and could hear everything that went on around her.  Her head was rattled by the blow of Hogan's mace, but her body remained visibly undamaged. 

      Her arms were clasped by two of the men that had fought her in the woods while Hogan and Thor supported the others who were dizzy and bruised, blushing when the maids gaped at them, shocked to see them carrying a humanoid figure down the halls like it was a great stag they had caught and killed for Odin's table. 

      The palace was made from golden materials on the outer sides, but the majority of the halls were carved from marble or stone, accented with wooden doors, carved with intricate patterns.  Torch light reflecting off the walls gave the palace a warm glow, basking in the evening feel. 

      It had taken almost two hours for the group to return, and everyone was anxious after the strange collision.  Most people thought it had been a meteor, but after seeing Thor and Hogan personally escort an injured female down the halls to Odin himself… people began to question what had really happened.

     Once Thor and Hogan reached Odin's Throne room, two guards pulled aside the hefty doors and the group began the long walk to the end of the throne room where Odin sat in his great chair, staff in his hands. 

      Frigga stood at his side, shifting anxiously when she took notice of the body they lugged along so carelessly.  As they drew within earshot Odin straightened up, casting a sideways glance at Frigga.

      “Have you found the comet?”  Odin asked, though he already knew the answer. 

      “We followed the trail, my king,”  Hogan said as the two guards dropped Azure.  Her body thumped against the ground and she groaned.  “but there was no comet.”  Hogan finished.

      Azure grunted, eyes fluttering as she used her weak arms to push herself up to her hands and knees, panting.  Her ears flicked and rotated, catching the attention   of Frigga.  Her eyes narrowed as she looked the girl over. 

      “Lõm nē gēm, nē lēz iõ!  Ē fēngõz kēp õgõnwē ē  Lachlan kēp Lupin.”  Azure rasped as loud as she could with her throat burning and lugs heaving.  She pulled a knee up under her and braced herself against it before slowly pulling herself to her feet.  Everyone watched as she stood, each vertebrae crunching in a satisfactory way until she stood tall and proud, eyes fixed on Odin.  (Let me go, I command you!  By the great name of Lachlan of Lupin).

      No one spoke, for now one had understood a word she said.  Azure looked around at them, inquiring as to their silence.  “Gēdēian?”  Azure spoke again, looking around, she received no reaction.  “Plǔlzian?”  she tried again.  “Nrihlirish? Hóbbûian?”  Odin and Frigga exchanged a glance as realization dawned upon the queen's face. 

      “These are languages.”  She spoke aloud, and Odin's brows furrowed before he leaned forward.

      “English?”  he asked.  Azure's brows furrowed in confusion and she cooked her head ears swiveling as she pondered the word. 

      “Why do her ears do that?”  Frigga wondered aloud, bur Odin dismissed this question and addressed the wounded soldiers. 

      “What has happened?”  he asked, eyes mulling them over.  Azure followed his gaze and her lips curled as she snarled at the men.  The first impression she had gotten from these Asgardians was that they were impulsive and irritable.  

      She could understand their frustration, but in turn, they would have to understand hers.  She landed on a foreign planet, was hurt and immediately attacked by the natives of that planet.  Not only was she trained her entire life to defend herself, but she also could not understand a word these people were saying.

      “Father, when we found her at the crash site she attacked us, acting with savage intentions.”  Thor spoke up, raising his voice and displaying his anger to everyone in that vast room.

      Azure snarled instinctively at the noise, muscles flexing as her ears angled downwards in an irritable position.  The sound was all so much for her.  The sound of his voice reverberating off the walls was much louder to her sensitive ears, and the sound of all their hearts beating around her was almost threatening. 

      “Look at her.”  Frigga said and Azure looked around, eyes wide, trying to look for a way out.  “She’s scared.”  Frigga observed, reaching out to the girl's mind. 

      As if sensing the presence of another prying at her thoughts, Azure turned and locked eyes with Frigga.  Azure didn’t blink as she stared, letting Frigga into her head.  There was no hiding the shock on the queen’s face when her thoughts flooded outwards.  There were screams and panicked ramblings in at least four different languages, feeling of pain swam through the thoughts like leaches in a murky pond. 

      Frigga removed her hold on Azure's mind, eyes wide and breath uneven.  Thor glared at Azure, eyes burning into her temple.  “What did you show her?!”  he shouted, raising his hammer threateningly.  Azure whirled on him, lips curling back as he walked towards her.

      “That’s enough!”  Odin called as Thor held out his arm to shield his mother from Azure, she lay on the floor, breathing slowly.  She didn’t move until Frigga drew nearer to the foreign prisoner. 

      Azure looked up at Frigga, chest heaving with exhaustion as she spoke again.   “Nē lõm gēd ē dõprõd ēkõ.”  Azure spoke, slowly and firmly.  She over enunciated each word (I did not mean to come here).  “Dõprõd ē fõnkē dēzmõ rērmõ.”  She looked around, eyes darting over possible exits and threats, fear and confusion dominant in her brain.  (This is supposed to be an empty void of nothingness).

      Frigga met the girl's eyes and searched her mind behind them.  She could not disappear the babbling language the girl thought in, but she could detect the fear and confusion that marbled her tone.  She knew that Azure didn’t want to be here, that much was obvious. 

      Before anyone could stop her, Frigga knelt down at Azure's level and pointed to herself.  “My name is Frigga.”  She spoke, tapping her chest.  “Frigga.”  She repeated. 

      Azure’s eyes narrowed as she tried to decipher Frigga’s words, but her eyes soon widened with understanding.  “Frigga.”  She echoed, pointed to the queen.  Frigga nodded with an encouraging nod.

      Azure lifted her bruised hands and pointed to her own chest.  “Nē Azure kēp Lupin.”  She spoke then winced and tilted her head. Still pointing to herself.  “Azure.” Frigga held out her hands, and Azure furrowed her brow before placing her hands upon Frigga’s. 

      Frigga didn’t stare much at her claw like hands, and she didn’t mind the scratchy pads of her palm and fingers on her own, and instead stood, holding her hands and guiding her to her feet.

      “Her name is Azure.”  Frigga said to King Odin, turning to face him as the girl stared up at the man on his throne, jaw clenching. 

      Odin nodded and furrowed his brows as he leaned forward on his throne.  “Can you ask her where she came from?”  Odin asked and Frigga’s eyes narrowed in thought and turned to face Azure again.  Azure looked nervously from Frigga to Odin, unsure of what they’d asked one another.

      “How did you,”  Frigga asked, tapping Azure’s chest, “get here?”  she then gestured to the palace around them.  Azure’s brow furrowed and she tilted her head, ears flicking from side to side as she tried to understand what Frigga was saying. 

      “Nē tēk fēd.”  Azure spoke, shaking her head. (I don’t understand).  She could hear the inquiring tone, but she knew not what she had asked of her.

      Odin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  “We should place her in a secure location.  In the dungeons.”  Odin spoke.  Frigga stared at him in horror.

      “She is hurt and confused, I’m nor sure locking her up is the wisest decision.”  Frigga argued calmly.

      Thor steeped forward pointing his hammer at Azure accusingly.  “How are we to know if she is only the first of many to approach Asgard?”  Thor asked, his voice raised.  “She could be a spy!”  he growled.  Hearing the growl in his gruff tone, Azure’s eyes zoned in on him, pupils diluting and irises widening to overcome the whites of her eyes.  Her lips curled as a snarl escaped her throat.

      “She has already proven to have aggressive tendencies.”  Hogan pointed out.  Azure’s frightened sate, drew the attention of Frigga who played her hands on the girl’s shoulders soothingly. 

      “It’s alright.”  Frigga said calmly and placed a hand on her chest.  “Be calm.”  Frigga whispered.  Azure’s eyes fluttered before returning to their average state.  Azure placed took Frigga’s hand and placed it on her chest, fingers crossing over her collarbone.

      “lõnēp.”  Azure said taking deep breaths.  “lõnēp."  (Breathe.)  Frigga nodded, and turned to Odin. 

      “I wish to study with her, and learn what I can about her.”  Odin shook his head as he looked down at his loving wife.  “I don’t believe she is any threat to us.”   Frigga added, placing a hand on Azure’s back.

      Azure finished away with a gasp, twisting as she placed a hand on her back hissing in pain.  Thor moved to shield his mother bit stopped when he saw the blood.  Dark crimson blood stained her palm.  They looked at Azure who drew her hand across her back and brought them up to look.  Her hands were stained with blood as well, thick and dark on her pale hands. 

      “We need to get her medical attention immediately.”  Frigga spoke, voice slightly raised to convey the urgency of the situation.  She did not care for the blood on her hands and instead took Azure’s arm, turning to escort her out of the great all.

      Odin stood and began to follow.  “Frigga, I cannot allow you to walk alone with this woman.”  He spoke.

      Without looking back Frigga shook her head and kept walking.  “Thor.”  She called and her eldest son was quick to follow after her.  Odin sighed, defeated as Frigga and Thor escorted Azure out into a hallway with white marbled floors and golden pillars.  There were quartz vases of flowers atop podiums beside paintings that framed the left side of the hall while the right looked out onto a courtyard through large rectangular windows. 

      “My son, run on ahead and tell the nurses to ready the soul forge.”  Frigga said with a firm tone that deflected any argument Thor had prepared.  With a quiet grumble Thor quickened his pace, jogging down the hallway and turning around the corner. 

      Azure lifted her hand, examining the blood that coated her fingers.  “Fētēn.” Azure mumbled, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together. (Blood). Frigga nodded slowly and held up her own bloodied hand.

      “Yes, this is blood.”  She spoke, taking an educated guess of what Azure had spoken of.  One thing was for certain, Frigga was determined to find our what this girl was and where she had come from…