Dear Reader,
This morning I am going to share with you another tale that my mother told me. She said it was told to her by the hidden folk of the land as she was gardening. As we all know, caring for the land makes the hidden folk who live there quite kindly inclined towards us. Thus, they gave her this gift that I pass on to you, though it is bitter.
Loki and Farbuti
One day, young Loki was playing in the ashes of the hearth-fire as his mother stepped out of their home to fetch wood to kindle and burn for the day. He enjoyed drawing pictures and making them move like the puppet his mother had made for him last Yule.
"Boy, get out of those ashes and come with me," Farbuti ordered in a thunderous voice. Slowly, Loki got up. As he walked to his father, Farbuti's large hand gripped his right arm and dragged him closer. Loki could smell the sour scent of ale on his father's breath. It was not long after daybreak and Farbuti was already deep in his cups. "You're going to stop playing with magic," Farbuti growled.
Loki looked up at his angry father and swallowed hard. "It's womanly. Do you want to be ergi?" Farbuti continued. Loki's form shifted like a dancing flame as Laufey came in with her armload of wood. She hadn't heard what Farbuti had said, but she gasped in surprise at Loki's transformation into a comely girl. Farbuti shook his child in fury, certain this was one of Loki's illusions. Flaxen hair shook as the child's unchanged green eyes looked up at him with a combination of terror and fury. Farbuti smacked the girl-child in his grip once across the face. "You are to be a man," Farbuti roared with rage, "I sired no daughter."
Laufey dropped the wood to the floor with a clatter, catching Farbuti's ear. He turned and shoved Loki in the direction of his mother. "This is your fault," he growled, stalking forward. Laufey put her child behind her as she took up the spear she kept with her walking stick.
"Get out," Laufey said quietly. Farbuti reached to snatch the spear out of Laufey's hand when she struck him about the head and shoulders with the butt of it. "I said leave," she ordered him, "And never come back."
"Who are you to order me?" Farbuti snapped.
Loki transformed again, this time into a dragon just small enough to wrap protectively around his mother and fit into the house. Spitting acid and flame at his father as he spoke, Loki said, "She is my mother and mistress of this house."
Farbuti looked at the dragon in horror. He edged his way towards the door. Loki's cat green eyes watched him just as his mother's did. "Leave," Loki hissed. Farbuti fled the place he had come to call home after long years of wandering. Loki moved to follow him and Laufey patted the dragon on the snout.
"Let him run, you have a mess to clean up and then we'll have breakfast," Laufey said. The dragon transformed again into a red headed boy. As he began stamping out the small fire he started, his mother spoke again. "Loki, you can be what ever you choose. You will always be my child and I will always love you." Loki looked over sheepishly as he stomped.
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