Sacrifice 16

His nose itched. An honest to goodness tickle up and down the length of it, making him go cross eyed as he tried to look at his nose. It had been itching for a full minute now, steadily driving Rufus mad with the impulse to scratch it. He tore his eyes away from his nose, to offer a side long glance at the Goddess standing off to the side. Freya’s face was all serious in intent, eyes focused on the leather bound ledger she held in her arms, fingers flipping through pages. To the front of him was a man, a sculptor whose name he had forgotten, eyes staring at the large block of granite to the left of him, seemingly ignoring Rufus for the moment.

No one would notice, Rufus realized, even as his nose continued to do it’s maddening dance. His hand trembled, Rufus trying to move it discreetly, a slow unhurried pace. “Don’t even think about it.” Freya murmured, not even glancing up from her ledger.

“But Freya…” Rufus hated the hint of whining to his voice, letting his hand stay where it was. “He’s not even doing anything right now.”

“Lord Rufus, I need you to hold your pose for just a little while longer.” The brown haired sculptor spoke up, raising his chisel to work away at some imperfection he had noticed on the face of the statue of Rufus.

Rufus sighed, not failing to notice the way Freya’s lips twitched, the Goddess holding back a smile. He had been standing in this sunlight flooded room for over three hours now, locked into the same position for a good portion of that time. Gungnir was held in his right hand, the double bladed lance feeling like a lead weight to his arm, as he held it up before his chest.

“It’s your fault for putting it off for so long.” Freya said in response to his sigh. Rufus started to nod, but froze as she let out a warning tsk. He didn’t know why he was bothering with this, why he allowed the Goddess to talk him into allowing a statue to be made in his likeness. It was not as if he couldn’t simply look in a mirror, and see his own face. But Freya had insisted, saying it was practically unnatural to not have any statues of him decorating his hall.

Even worse according to the Fertility Goddess, was going this long without visual representation down on Midgard. She and the other Gods were simply astounded by how long he had been neglecting setting up his temples, and getting the word out about himself. As far as the mortals were concerned, Odin was still King, and his temples were flooded with worshippers wondering why their God had abandoned them.

But Rufus didn’t want any worshippers, didn’t want the mortals looking on him in adoration and fanatical devotion. He most definitely did not want to bother with tearing down Odin’s temples, and rebuilding his own in their place. Content to remain anonymous as far as the humans were concerned, he had put off doing anything to set up his religion. And yet here he was, practically pinned down by the golden haired Goddess, stuck in a robe that was lavish even by the standards of what he normally wore, forcing himself to strike a serious, brooding expression.

He was going to go mad, Rufus felt, his nose still itching like crazy. In fact the more he thought about it, the more it tingled, taunting him. He had to distract himself, turning his thoughts towards his favorite subject. Alicia. He knew that at this moment she was probably having a lot more fun than him, thinking it about the time of day where she liked to practice her archery skills. The girl had surprised but pleased him when she shyly confessed to wanting to learn to shoot like him, Rufus delighting in taking time away from his duties to teach her the finer points of archery.

Alicia was progressing along quite nicely, seeming to have a natural affinity with the bow. It wasn’t the sword like he had hoped, but at least she was learning some manner of defense. She could even become good enough to one day be able to join in the hunts, except for the fact her blue eyes had filled with wetness at the thought of killing an innocent animal. For all her talk of the farm, Rufus realized they had been the type to rely on crops and cow’s milk, and not the slaughter of animals.

The archery lessons were nice, allowing him to get close to her. There had been no further incidents of an attempted kiss, the mood simply hadn’t been there. Not that he didn’t think about it often, almost impatient for a chance to get closer to her. It was now seven weeks since he brought her to Asgard, and things seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace. She wasn’t remembering, and she wasn’t warming up to him past feelings of friendship.

Rufus simply did not know what to do, feeling he was running out of ideas to show her how much he cared for her. Another glance at Freya, the Goddess still engrossed with her paperwork. He knew that in addition to being a Fertility Goddess, love was one of the areas she covered. But he couldn’t imagine asking her for advice. She’d simply laugh in his face. Rufus had tried approaching some of the other Goddesses, even asking some of the ones who didn’t deal much with love. They were women after all, they had to know what Alicia would want from him.

He got many answers, wide and varied. Lofn, the Goddess of Forbidden Love had grinned, telling him Alicia would want passion. He didn’t think she could handle any more of his passion, seeming ready to leap out of her skin at a mere touch from him. Sofjn wasn’t sure she could help him, finding her duties were more towards reconciling fights between married couples. But she had paused, thinking it over, and at last proclaimed flowers always worked towards easing a frozen heart.

He had approached Eir, knowing the Goddess was kind and caring, and even though her specialty was healing she had smiled and offered him a few words. “Be sensitive to her needs.” Eir had said. He must have given her a blank look, for she hurried to explain, telling him to find out what Alicia liked, and give her those things. It was good advice, but it was something he felt he had already done, in giving her the tools needed for her hobbies.

He sought out Vor’s advice, knowing she was wisdom personified. Surely she would have something worth knowing. Listen to Alicia, came her words. Be sensitive and kind, but avoid being overbearing. Gefjun had blushed, turning three very interesting shades of red. She had quickly scurried off, not even deigning to answer his question. And as for Var, the Goddess of Contract was quick to suggest several things, the stability of marriage being one of them. It had made him sputter, pointing out Alicia didn’t even like him enough to kiss him, let alone marry him! She had frowned and then told him to buy the girl jewelry, lots and lots of it.

He didn’t dare approach any of the male Gods, fearing it would make him the laughing stock of the pantheon. Kvasir might have been okay to approach, he was the God of Inspiration after all. Perhaps he might be able to inspire Rufus to new lengths in his pursuit of Alicia. However someone like Thor, well Rufus had to bite back a shudder just imagining the uproarious laughter the Thunder God would let out if he questioned him about love.

He became aware of a sound, Freya’s voice droning on, a background buzz to his thoughts. He realized she had been speaking for a while now, going down the list of things on her paper, an itinerary of things he had to do. “And then you will meet with the dwarves to negotiate mining rites. And following that, the Dvergar about their metal work.”

“Hmm.” Rufus said, making a sound of agreement.

“Tomorrow you must meet with Alvis and Thor.” Freya said. “And the day after is Asgardreid.”

“Right…”

“Lord Rufus, do try to pay attention!” snapped Freya, at last looking up from her ledger.

“I am! I am!” He said insistently. “Alvis, Thor….Asgardreid. I will have them all eating out of the palm of my hand, promise.” Her look still remained one of pure annoyance, and he frowned. “Or maybe not…” He muttered as an after thought.

“Asgardreid isn’t even a person.” She said stiffly. “You would know that if you paid attention to my lectures!” She looked very much like she wanted to bop him over the head with her ledger, glowering at him. “It is the wild ride of the Gods’, our annual hunt to celebrate bringing in the new season!”

“Oh that….” sighed Rufus, feeling sheepish.

“Yes that!! Lord Rufus, do you even know what the issue between Alvis and Thor is about?” His nose wrinkled in thought, Rufus drawing a blank. Freya sighed, shaking her head. “The dwarf Alvis wants to marry Thor’s daughter!”

“Thor has a daughter?” Rufus asked, taken by surprise.

His question only served to agitate the Goddess further, Freya placing one hand on her hip as she glared at him. “Thrud!! Alvis wants her hand in marriage in return for continuing to forge weapons for us. Thor is most distraught by the idea. You have to help them work through this, in a way that does not cost us our forger!”

“Great.” Rufus sighed, no joy in his voice. “Anything else I need to know about?”

She didn’t even glance at the ledger, knowing his schedule like the back of her hand. “You still have meetings with representatives of the Elven kingdoms, and the Giantess Skadi to finish up this week. It is a busy time Lord Rufus…”

“Indeed. I will hardly accomplish anything standing around here.” Rufus said, at last moving. She made a protesting sound, even as he scratched vigorously at his nose, feeling immediate relief.

“Lord Rufus, your statue!” Freya said, watching as he stepped off the pedestal and strode towards the granite block.

“Hmmm…” Rufus walked around it, eyes critical. “My nose is not even that big!” He protested, frowning at the face the man had carved.

“Forgive me your Lordship, I’ll fix it right away.” He got out a stool, small chisel in place as he began hammering away at the nose, intent on fixing the fault Rufus had found. Rufus backed away, letting the ether sift back the reality around his arm, casting Gungnir away from him.

“Where are you going?” Freya said, hurrying after him as he strode out of the room. “There’s still the matter of the temples! And you really should start putting in some appearances among the mortals. They need to know what you look like!”

“I’ll do it later.” He said, waving at her from over his shoulder. “The temples and worshipper thing is hardly a pressing matter.”

“You’ve been putting it off for years!” Freya shouted at him, even as he turned the corner, ether seeking to teleport him away from her. He hoped she wouldn’t follow him, Rufus having had enough of the Goddess and her schedules for now.

He reappeared in a different part of Valhalla, surprisingly having chosen not to teleport towards Alicia’s room. It wasn’t that he was avoiding the girl, it was more Freya he sought to escape, knowing the bedroom would be the first place she searched for him. He thought to prove her wrong, to show her he didn’t always go running to Alicia when he sought to leave the worries of the throne behind.

But Lord knows it was difficult to stay away! Rufus wanted nothing more than to be in her presence, knowing that for the most part just looking at Alicia relaxed him. Her very nearness soothed his soul, eased the agitation of his mind, and it had been weeks since he had had an angry outburst of emotion. She made him a better person, and for that he was grateful.

~Now if only I could get her to remember!~ He thought, barely paying attention to his surroundings. To him the time seemed to be going by too fast, they were almost into the third month, and she still only held bits and pieces of Alicia’s life in her dainty little hands. She seemed no closer to remembering, and he harbored nightmares on what would happen should the year complete itself with Alicia still wanting to return to Midgard.

So consumed in his thoughts was he, Rufus barely noticed his surroundings, didn’t even hear the footsteps till they were almost upon him. “Lord Rufus!” An excited female giggle, the girl stumbling backwards as he crashed into her. “Where are you off to in such a daze?”

“Hello Frei.” Rufus said, blinking back into the present reality. The young Goddess was dressed in brown, auburn hair tied back in a braid. She was grinning, smiling from ear to ear as she looked at him, always one of the few deity’s to look genuinely happy to see him.

“I know!” Impossible, but her grin grew wider, the young Goddess leaning in to whisper conspiratorially to Rufus. “You’re going to see Alicia, aren’t you?”

“Erm….maybe later.” Rufus said, and she pouted.

“Oh….why not?” She gasped. “Are you hiding from my sister again?!”

“Is it that obvious?” He asked, watching as she bobbed her head up and down in a fast nod of agreement.

“Freya is too serious.” Frei complained. “She never stops to enjoy life, not since Odin passed away. Don’t let her work you into a stupor….especially when you have such a cute girl waiting for you in your bedroom!” She winked at him, still wearing her happy grin. Rufus marveled at the differences in personality between the two sisters, Frei was friendly and informal, while Freya was stiff, paying rigid attention to titles and decorum. Privately he supposed he needed that stiffness to keep him in line, but he’d never admit that out loud.

“Frei…” Rufus hesitated, knowing love was not exactly her specialty. Like her sister she was a Fertility Goddess, but she was young, lacking experience when it came to the matters that plague the heart. But then…for Goddesses whose business was love, they hadn’t seemed to know what they were talking about either! “Frei.” he tried again, seeing her look at him curiously. “You’re a girl…”

“So glad you noticed.” She teased him.

“Come, be serious now!” Rufus told her, watching as she pouted at him. “This is important! I want….I want to know if you have any ideas for how I can woo Alicia.”

“Hmm…” She paused, expression actually turning serious as she thought it over. “You’ve tried flowers, and giving her things that she likes. But have you thought about actually taking her out on a date?”

“A date?”

“Yes silly!” Frei laughed, surely amused by the look on his face. “A date! How about dinner and dancing? I know! We could have a ball!” Her eyes lit up with excitement. “We haven’t had one in oh so long!” She clasped her hands together, practically dancing in place as she thought about it.

“I don’t know….I don’t think Alicia is ready to be around so many Gods…It might make her uncomfortable, and cause her to close up on me.” Rufus said, watching as Frei’s face turned crestfallen.

“You’re right…She is a little shy. Hmm….maybe a private dance between you two. Dinner by candlelight?” suggested Frei.

“I like that idea, but we eat together all the time.” Pointed out Rufus. “It will hardly seem special.”

“Hmm…” She made a face, thinking hard. “Would she be more comfortable among her own kind?”

“Yes, I think so.” Rufus said.

“Then there’s the solution!” Frei was once again smiling, slamming her fist into the palm of her right hand. “Take her to the dining hall where the einherjar have their nightly feast. That place is always alive with entertainment. There’s good food, and song…and wine…”

“And dancing?” asked Rufus, to which Frei nodded.

“Oh Alicia will have so much fun!!” Frei said, eyes shining with glee. “You simply must do this for her Lord Rufus!”

“Yes…yes I will.” He agreed, a smile slowly blossoming on his face as he thought about how happy this might make her.

“Although…” Frei looked at him, eyes turning critical as she eyed his elaborate clothing. “You must wear something simpler than that if you are going to do this. You are too overdressed, Alicia is not impressed by wealth and displays of it. And if you show up looking like that, the einherjar might be too nervous to party properly. It’s better to tone it down, try and go incognito.”

“I think my green hair sticks out a little too much for that.” Rufus said wryly.

“It’s all about attitude.” Frei was quick to assure him. “If you carry yourself confidently, no one will even look twice at you. Although…” She touched a finger to her lip, thinking again. “Alicia is such a beautiful girl, she’s bound to attract attention.” Rufus was unsurprised by the hot flash of jealousy that surged within him at the thought. Frei was looking at him knowingly, surely guessing where his thoughts lay. “But if you treat her right, she’ll not want to leave with anyone but you!”

“I hope so Frei….I hope so!” Rufus said, giving a slight shake of his head.

“I know so!” Frei said, catching at his hands. “Now…go and see about inviting her out. I’ll be sure to run interference with my sister!” Her eyes twinkled with determination, the young Goddess taking her self assigned task seriously.

“Thanks Frei.” Rufus said, pulling his hands free of her grasp. “You’re one in a million!” She nodded, waving at him to hurry, and he found himself stepping backwards into ether, reappearing outside Alicia’s bedroom door. He always made it a point not to teleport directly into the bedroom, wanting to give her a sense of privacy, and allow her the right to admit entrance to him. He still had the bad habit of using bringing her breakfast as an excuse to come in and watch her sleep, but for the most part he behaved, knocking on the door and waiting for her okay.

It was slow in coming today, Alicia having been out in the garden when he knocked. She opened the door, a tad breathless from running, and he looked at her, seeing her dressed in brown leather, a short mini dress the type female warriors often wore. It was jarring to see her like this, to see her in something that loosely resembled the type of outfit she would have worn in her previous life with him. He had grown used to the gowns, seeing her dressed in semi extravagant wear.

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, waiting for her to step aside before walking into the room. Over by the window he could see her bow, a simple design made out of the lightest wood he could find. It was a training bow, one that would slowly help her build up the muscles in her arms as she carried it, and practiced drawing back the string. Sometimes he wondered if he should sneak her into one of the einherjar’s training classes, though she would stick out, woefully behind in skill. But what she lacked as an archer she made up for in enthusiasm.

Eyes sparkling, Alicia led him outside, eager to show him her progress. He stood back, watching her shoot off a couple of arrows, and though she did not hit the center of the bulls eye, she did manage to clip the outside edge of the wooden target. “That’s great.” He praised her, and she nodded, a hint of a blush to her cheeks at his words. “We’ll have you ready to compete in beginner’s tournaments if you keep at it.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Alicia said, shaking her head. “I still can’t hit deeper into the target.”

“But at least you’re hitting it.” He pointed out, and she had to agree. “Alicia…” He said, noticing her smile faded slightly at hearing that name from his lips. “Uh…do you ever find yourself….well wanting to get out more?” Rufus was surprised to find he felt nervous, skirting around the edge of the topic.

“Oh yes…I’m tired of being stuck inside Valhalla all the time.” She admitted, then hastily added. “Not that I don’t find it a beautiful place, it’s just….there’s not a lot for me to actually do here.”

“I see…” Rufus said, trying not to frown as his thoughts turned inwards towards what else he could find to occupy her time. “Well….would you like to go somewhere with me?” Before she could answer, he was rushing on ahead, words tumbling out one after the other. “Like a…Like a date?”

“A date?” She stood there blinking at him, looking surprised.

“What?” He wanted to know, and she smiled shaking her head.

“It’s just you don’t usually ask. You just tell me to come along with you.” Alicia said. “It’s a nice change.”

“Oh yeah…” Nervous, he laughed, his hand on the back of his head. “Well…then…would you like to go on a date with me?”

She actually made him wait for her answer, standing there thinking about it, eyes serious. At last she nodded, saying, “All right Rufus. I’ll go on a date with you.”

“You will?” Relief flooded him, even as he privately wondered if she had agreed merely for a change of pace from her daily grind.

“Yes.”

“That’s great….wonderful!” Rufus said enthusiastically. “Now…we’re going somewhere different, so don’t get too dressed up.”

“Would something like this be fine?” She asked gesturing at her brown leather mini dress.

“Er…” Rufus realized she would fit in among the einherjar dressed like that, but at the sight of her bare legs and bare arms, he found himself getting jealous. It might be foolish of him, but he didn’t want her showing off so much skin. “Maybe a little more dressy than that. Perhaps like one of the dresses you have made.”

She was surprised, but Alicia nodded her head. “All right.”

“Right…..so uh….I’ll be going now.” Rufus said, eager to get away before Frei lost track of her sister.

“Already?” She almost sounded disappointed, which made him grin.

“I still have to see about clearing off some of my work schedule. I want to get as much paper work done as I can, so that Freya won’t be able to find anything to complain about.” He explained. “But I’ll be back early this evening to pick you up.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t forget now!” Rufus added as they walked back into the bedroom.

“I won’t!” Alicia promised.

One last glance at her, and then he was out in the hallway, closing the door behind him. A spring was in his step, and he whistled a merry little tune under his breath. Surely he was still grinning, and the sight of him looking so happy had the einherjar smiling back at their Lord. Not even the thought of all the paperwork that sat untouched in his office, could crush his good mood, so determined was he to see that tonight was absolutely magical for himself and Alicia.