Hel made sure she was polished and perfect before arriving on the streets of Sparta. It might be a bit risky; she was unused to the heat and it didn't do good things to her makeup, or the delicate skin deftly hidden underneath. If she had to, she would take the food back home to eat it.

Food was what had brought Hel here in the first place. She was hungry for traditional Greek food. Dinners in the Underworld with Nyx and Erebos had made her appreciate the local cuisine, and she had woke up that morning craving it. While she knew she was more than welcome, she didn't want to just show up at Hades' gate and beg a meal. She was a big girl now, and there was no reason she couldn't go get something herself.

( She chose Sparta because she had heard it was easier for a woman to travel alone. )

Anubis was in one of his moods. Some days what happened really bothered him. He knew it had all happened a very long time ago, but sometimes the sting of it was still there. He had been the ruler of the Underworld. Sure, he had been young, but he thought he had been doing a good job. All the dead were where they were suppose to be. Ammit was well taken care of, too. Everything was done right.

( so why did they take it all away from him? )

Hel was getting worried.

When Daddy brought them to Asgard, he told her and her brothers that this was their new home. She had figured that their mother would be joining them soon. At first, there was a lot to explore and learn about this new place, and filled with excitement, the days passed. Hel was too young to have any real concept of time, but she began to realize that her mother really should have been here by now. There had been too many sleeps, of that she was sure.

( So she went to find Daddy. )

Note: a few weeks after this

Hel missed Hades. For as lovely as Nyx was, and how welcoming her family had been, Hades was different. Nyx was a friend, but she was also almost a mother figure to Hel, whereas Hades was just a genuine friend. Whether or not Hel sort of, kind of had a crush on Hades might have had a bit to do with her wanting to see him.

( Okay, more than a bit. )

(Note: After this.)




Nyx could admit it: she was a little nervous. It was not that she thought her children would misbehave. In spite of their aspects, she'd taught all of them manners and demanded that they were used. Even when there wasn't company. After all, shouldn't your family be treated with at least as much respect as a guest?

And she certainly wasn't worried about her husband. He was charming. Occasionally too charming, but that only happened from time to time with pretty goddesses that didn't understand that he was not flirting with them. Nyx set them straight very quickly. But that would not happen tonight because she knew he viewed their guest in the same light that she did, so his charm would be entirely paternal.

( Nor was she overly concerned about the girl upon whose arrival she awaited. )

Hel had ridden Helfest hard for hours. They had shot out of the stables, past the mansions of the dead, over the gates, and finally across and out of Niflheim. Through villages and isolated woods, without a care for who might succumb to the pestilence the steed might spread. So what if they caught the sickness? It meant more soldiers for her father, and he was going to need them. For the same reason she had taken to saddle and rode off without a word, not that she had anyone to report to. She was the Dread Queen, and her actions were her own.

Hearing Helfest's labored breathing, Hel slowed him down, and stopped altogether beside a lake. She turned him loose that he might drink and graze as he would. For herself, she sat down, staring at the sky for a moment. It was a downfall of being who she was- a ruler could not just succumb to her emotions and break down whenever she felt like it. Now, under the cover of night where none could see her, she gave in and began to sob.

( Hel had never had an easy life. )

Thanatos had a very thin grasp on the passage of time, but the goddess that was currently traipsing through the Underworld had been coming around for a while now. He knew that. The exact number of years didn't matter. Than just knew he recognized her. He could tell when she was around now, in the same way many gods seemed able to sense one another. And, from the few, vague words Hades had offered about her, Than knew she was a friend to his king. ( That was all Thanatos needed to know. )

Sitting on the rock under the warm sun, Hel took a deep, cleansing breath. She had almost forgotten how blazing sunlight felt, or the warm summer air. She'd all but lost track of the time since moving- or rather, being moved, to Niflheim. Very few birthdays had passed since Odin had sent her to rule an unknown and harsh world. At first, it was made easier by her father's visits. Then, gradually, they became less frequent and now she understood why.

( Her father had gotten married again. )

Hermod could not remember a time when he had been more tired or more terrified. He and Sleipnir had been riding for days. He had actually lost count of how many had passed. He had to do this, though, no matter how long it took. It was for his mother. And maybe a little bit for himself as well.

It all happened after one of his brothers killed the other. Hermod knew there was probably more to the story, Hod wouldn’t just kill Baldr like that without someone making him do it. But he couldn’t stay to hear the reasoning behind what had happened. His mother, Frigg, had asked for someone to go to see Hel and offer a ransom for Baldr. When no one else came forward, Hermod did. He would save his brother for all of Asgard.

( He took his father's best horse )

"I don't think I should be here."

Hel had heard the argument countless times. People always thought that, dying in battle or not, they should have gone to Valhalla, or at the very least, Folkvangr. In this case, however, it was quite possible the girl was right.

( Hel supposed she should have realized this would happen sooner or later. )

OOC note: Shortly after Loki takes his children by Angrboda to Asgard

It was a completely different world from what Hel was used to. So far she was so much in awe of it all she'd barely had a chance to miss her mother. The sheer magnificence of the immense halls with their golden roofs still made her catch her breath. But there was one place she was dying to see, one her father had thus far refused her entrance to-Valhalla.

Hel had already learned of the apparently dazzling Valkyries that served there, and the ever growing number of dead warriors. She didn't understand the point of keeping them around, but she supposed the dead had to go somewhere. Daddy told her that she was too young, but she was a curious child, as most were, and where she was told she couldn't go was exactly where she wanted to be.

( She toddled along the road... )