Chapter Text
All Father wasn’t in the great hall when I walked in, and neither was Heimdall. I knew they had to be in All Father’s study, having their usual meetings no doubt, as that was the only reason both of them wouldn’t be eating in the great hall.
Mother looked up at me when I entered, with her tear-streaked face, and she only nodded at me upon seeing my expression. One that I didn’t doubt showed determination or anger. I walked out without a word to anyone, not that anyone was speaking anyways.
**
The door to All Father’s study was closed when I got there, I was about to bang my fist on the door when I heard murmuring on the other side.
Without thinking, I pressed my ear to the door. Curiosity getting the better of me.
There was silence, then All Father spoke. “Thrud, I know you’re there.” I sighed and leaned away from the door. “All Father, I need to talk to you.” My voice had venom in it, an anger that I barely knew was there.
“Is it that urgent? I didn’t think a child, like yourself, could speak with such malice.” Heimdall chimed in, his voice only fuelling the bubbling anger in my chest. “Stay out of this, Heimdall, I’m not talking to you.” I snapped without thinking, hitting my fist against the door.
“Alright.” I heard All Father speak, along with the screech of his chair moving against the wooden floor. “If you must, Thrud.” I pushed open the door before he finished his sentence. “Well, you certainly must have an urgent topic to address.” All Father glanced Heimdall, then shooed him away. Heimdall sighed angrily and bumped into me on his way out, no doubt on purpose.
I walked to All Father’s desk as he sat down again. “So, what did you need me for, Thrud.” All Father sounded disinterested, but I didn’t care. I was going to get the explanation I needed out of him whether he was interested or not.
“Why are you doing this?” I glared at All Father as I spoke. I knew that he’d know what I was talking about.
He sighed, leaning his elbows on his desk before speaking. “Whatever you think is going on, Thrud, you’re wrong.” He said firmly, as if he was ordering rather than telling. “I’m not, I know it.” I leaned my palms on his desk, looking him in the eyes.
“No, you don’t.” All Father’s serious expression didn’t waver. “You’re a child, you don’t know anything.”
“Why don’t you just stop this? Magni’s already suffered at the hands of these giants, what if the same happens to Modi? Or Baldur?” All Father stood up from his chair, glaring back at me now.
“Thrud, I suggest you leave this topic before you hurt yourself.” All Father ordered, his voice growing angry. “Are you threatening me?” I pushed off of the desk, backing up only a small bit. “I said leave it alone.” I couldn’t care less about what All Father told me to do. “No, I’m not stopping until you give answer-“
“Oh you stupid, insistent child!” All Father slammed his fists on his desk in his outburst.
“I am done tolerating this whining from you! You are a child and you will show me respect!” All Father yelled loudly, but it was controlled. I assumed that he didn’t want the people eating in the great hall to hear him. “Listen here, You can’t just barge in here when you feel like and start telling me what I should tell you.” All Father slammed his fists against the desk again, but lighter this time. “Especially in a time like this, right in the middle of Heimdall telling me about Modi-“ All Father stopped talking abruptly, before sighing and cursing under his breath.
Modi? What happened to Modi?
“Modi?” My stomach felt like it dropped to my stomach, I hoped with everything in me that this news wasn’t what I thought it was. “What happened to Modi?” I stepped closer, practicaclly standing against the desk.
“Thrud. leave.” All Father glared at me as he stood up. “Tell me what happened to Modi.” I gritted the words through my teeth, my voice quiet.
“He’s dead!” All Father screamed at me, waving his arms up. “Modi is dead. Heimdall found his body at the bottom of a pit in one of the abandoned mining rigs in Midgard.” All Father sat back down after speaking, as if what he just said wasn’t of any importance.
Modi was dead.
Modi. He was dead, his body found in Midgard.
Did the giants kill him too? Or was it something else? Did he succumb to the injuries father gave him? No, it couldn’t have been the injuries from father that killed him, they couldn’t have been that bad, and those draugrs in Midgard wouldn’t be able to beat him like that.
Those giants killed both my brothers.
“I told you to stop before you get hurt.” All Father stared at me, before shooing me away. “I don’t have time for you anymore, leave.” I turned and left without thinking, all my anger and energy to argue had seeped out of me like a tap.
I could hear mother waiting outside the door, what was I going to tell her now…