Vili walked through the steadily darkening woods, alone. His weakly lit torch offered more smoke than light. If his younger brother, Odin, were there he’d offer an explanation in such a way that made it seem like he was looking for a fight. But Odin was not there with Vili. He had not been seen for days. This was nothing new; Odin would often disappear for weeks at a time only returning home for reasons only known to him. No, it wasn’t the length of time that Odin had been missing that concerned Vili, it wasn’t even the creeping cold that was known for stealing the lives of sleeping men. No what worried Vili was the Guardian
Who would have thought the years being locked in a cage would be the happiest time of my life?
I used to dream about gliding- my wings spread wide as I rode the breeze over a horizon that went on forever. I would wake in the dark and scream out in frustration, hoping that someday I could sing my real song.
The nights became longer and the dreams became unwelcome. You see, when I'm too caged in, fantasies are more like nightmares, taunting me, teasing me; a blatant reminder of what I can never have.
Freedom.
It was all I wanted. It was everything.
I escaped the first time the opportunity presented itself. Barreling through the unlocked door, I