The Bifrost.
“It’s been a long time, brother,” Heimdall spoke as he broke from the treeline and reached the edge of the bridge. “Will you finally enter Asgard?”
When Vali was young, he would travel to the Lower Branches without his mother knowing just to steal a glimpse of his father’s domain. Even from the concealment of the wilderness bordering the god’s realm, Heimdall could see him. The guard could see a hundred miles in any direction, hear the grass grow and the time pass. But he never questioned Vali, just let him look upon the Aesir stronghold before sneaking back to his home.
Seeing the watchman dressed in fluorescent white robes was a welcoming sight. The sunlight made his skin sparkle, nearly matching the paleness of his hair and the white staff in his hands. His eyes were gold, like Vali’s, but so were his teeth. He was a fellow son of Odin, his half-brother and the only one who considered him one.
“Yes, Heimdall. I am ready to enter Asgard. Will you tell Odin I am here?”
The watchman waved a dismissive hand, a sheen of golden light trailing his path through the air. “He already knows. He watches you, always.”
“Wonderful,” he replied dryly.
“He has been in particularly good spirits the past few weeks. Would that have anything to do with you and your mission?”
Vali swallowed against a dry knot in his throat. “Nothing gets past you, Heimdall.”
The white god howled a deep laugh into the clear sky. “I sure hope you’ve finally achieved your calling, Vali. You belong here with the Aesir. Demigod or not, you deserve to sit amongst the gods and be worshipped as one after finding the Tether.”
Vali tried not to wince. He had no interest in joining the Aesir or becoming a god. He was fulfilling his calling to be rid of it, not for a title and certainly not for Odin. Hebelongedwith the fae, with his family.
“We shall see,” he only said.
The watchmen nodded knowingly and stepped aside to let him pass. Vali was accepted by the Bifrost as soon as his feet stepped across the spectrum, the refracted rays of light establishing beneath his boots. No matter how he felt about the Aesir or Odin, he was powerless against his admiration for Asgard. The beauty of this realm was rooted in every aspect of its functioning, from the bridge to the twelve halls splitting the massive realm into the stronghold it was known to be. The wall built by the hands of a deceptive giant, impregnable and unscalable, was as much of a masterpiece as it was a fortification.
Heimdall escorted him along an extended, paved path broken up by several staircases. Asgard was built on a mountain towering over the rest of the twelve territories dividing the realm. Odin’s home stood proudly at the crest, so high it could be seen over the wall. His open-air palace was lined with gold roofing and marble columns. The land here was the most fertile in all the Nine Realms, every inch of the landscape was covered in thick greenery and flowers the colors of the richest jewels.
It made him think of Ailsa trapped in a dark dungeon, and how she would have loved to see this view.
“Gods below,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head to clear the face of her phantom. Heimdall snuck him a curious look but did not comment.
“I’ll bring you to the Well of Urd. The gods have already held their council, but Odin lingers there often, watching over mankind in the waters.”
“And we will avoid the other gods in the process,” Vali spoke the unsaid.
The watchman shrugged. “Best if no one knows you’re here unless Odin wishes it to be known.”
“The Allfather is still ashamed of me?”
Heimdall sighed. “Shame is not the word I would use. Don’t let them get to you, Vali, leave the past in the past.”
They continued the endless path to a sprawling garden, every kind of plant, tree, or flower grew across the miles of tended fields stretching below Idun’s hut. Her golden apple orchard stretched across the main strip, lining the way to the well. Heimdall lingered near the goddess’s home, letting Vali approach on his own.
Odin was leaning against the stone border, studying the images floating beneath the surface. His patched eye was to Vali, but the god knew he was there by the way his shoulders stiffened. He took a moment longer to finish the vision before pushing away.
The first thing Vali noticed about his father was his youth. The immortal fruit of Idun’s tree kept the gods young, and Odin appeared no older than himself. His golden hair spilled down his back, matching the color of his sight. His eyes were the only thing Vali inherited from the god, and he was grateful for it. There was nothing else he wanted from him.
“Vali,” Odin smiled. “How good it is to finally see my long-lost son in the flesh. You look well. Strong.”
Vali said nothing. He did not move or return niceties. Odin laced his hands behind his back and paced around the well, his pale blue robes skimming the trimmed lawn. “I know you must think poor of me, what your mother must say of my absence in your life. But know I couldn’t leave Asgard even if I wanted to, and I could see you were doing just fine without me.”
Vali let loose the heaviest of sighs. “We really don’t have to do this, Odin. I’m sure you saw what happened and why I am here. Will you spare me the breath and just tell me if you will help or not?”
Odin didn’t answer at first. He sat on one of the empty benches and gestured for Vali to follow. The elfin took the seat at the edge of the bench to claim as much distance as possible before Odin spoke again. “I used to watch you, but ever since you found the Tether my sight of you has been obscured, and I am unable to see past Gullveig’s runes. She protected her power since the beginning, which is why she was so difficult to find in the first place. I see you sometimes, but then something gets in the way and the vision cuts off. You’ve been on quite the adventure these past few weeks.”
“That is the understatement of the century.”
Odin was quiet for a long time, and Vali listened to the breeze slip through the orchard. He finally asked, “Where is it?”