For a brief time, the concerns about Nimue and politics fall away. There is only this—the forest, the run, our bond and shared exhilaration.
We run for hours, the landscape changing as we approach Odingard. Small settlements appear, the market, then the great gates of Odingard’s Palace. Home.
The sentries atop the wall spot us immediately. I see them straighten and hear them shout to open the gates. The smaller side gate begins to open as we reach the base of the walls.
Astrid follows my lead, and through the gate. She presses closer to my side as we navigate the courtyard. I lead us through gardens and inner courtyards, heading for a private entrance I've used since childhood.
In a secluded courtyard blooming with my grandmother's favorite winter roses, I pause. We shift here, I communicate to Astrid. My grandmother will have clothes waiting.
I don't know if I can shift, her anxiety spikes through our bond. And the people. You’re too close. They all are.
Before I can respond, the courtyard door opens. Frigga glides toward us, her hands raised. "Wait," my grandmother commands, her voice gentle but firm. Golden light flows from her palms, creating a translucent dome around Astrid. "This will protect everyone, child. You can shift now."
Feel our connection, I encourage through our bond. Watch me, then follow.
I concentrate, drawing my human form back to the surface. The change reverses. Fur receding, bones shifting, until I stand upright once more. The cold evening air hits my naked skin, but I barely notice it after centuries of shifting in all conditions.
Astrid watches, her wolf form trembling slightly with concentration.
"Focus on your human form," I murmur. "Your body knows."
For a moment, nothing happens. Then, with a shudder that runs through her entire body, the transformation begins. The golden shield pulses, feeding whatever it is her magick needs as her shift releases. Within moments my mate kneels before me in her human form, naked and shivering in the cold air.
Frigga's dome dissipates in shimmers of light.
I help her to her feet, pulling her against me for warmth. "Well done," I whisper against her hair.
"That was..." she starts, then shakes her head, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Exhilarating," I supply with a smile. "It gets easier each time."
Frigga approaches and removes a ring from her finger. A band of twisted gold set with a deep blue stone with starlight swimming inside it. A galaxy gem. Only Odin can make them.
"For you, daughter," she says, offering it to Astrid. "This will create the shield whenever you need to shift, containing your magick so it harms no one. And it's enchanted to remain with you even in wolf form, so you won’t lose it."
Astrid stares at it, then at Frigga. "That's possible?"
"Many things are possible with the right knowledge," Frigga says with a smile. "Take it."
Hesitantly, Astrid accepts the ring and slides it onto her finger. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“You’re very welcome, dear.”
"Where are the clothes?" Astrid asks suddenly, seeming to remember her nakedness as she tries to cover herself with her hands. Then she steps quickly behind me to hide.
Eir appears in the doorway behind Frigga, carrying folded garments. “I have them.”
"My dear," Frigga says gently, "In Asgard, nakedness is just a given when shifting. Everyone here is a wolf."
Astrid peeks around my shoulder. "Everyone?"
"Well, nearly everyone," Frigga amends. "The Valkyries are not. But you'll find our people are far less concerned with such things than humans tend to be."
"Great," Astrid mutters, "an entire civilization of casual nudists."
I can't help but laugh, which earns me an elbow in the ribs from Astrid. I take both cloaks from Eir and turn to wrap one around Astrid's shoulders. She clutches it gratefully, pulling it tight around herself.
"Thank you," she says to Eir, her cheeks still flushed.
