Reminiscence  

Kratos sighed as he stared past the stream at the majestic stag grazing at the field on the other side, seemingly at peace with nature. Its lightly furred silver coat and shiny blue antlers reflected in the shallow waters of the gently flowing stream.

'Let's make a promise'

He shook his head, as he turned around to find his companion behind him kneeling before an ashen tree. He walked up to her crouched form and observed as she performed a small ritual her palm on the bark of the tree, glowing slightly golden.

'I will listen to your voice in my head when you're not there, to guide me. And you will do the same.'

Shaking out of his thoughts again, he observed his companion take a deep breath as the glow around her palms faded and she gathered herself, standing up in front of him searching his face for something for a moment. Whatever it was, she found it and she gave him a soft smile.

He grunted again and motioned her to lead.

Rolling her eyes, Freya shook her head as she led him up a narrow path deeper into the woods. He followed behind her silently.

"The last tree is just this way. Is this really what you want to do?" She asked without looking back, but she knew his decision had already been made.

"Yes." He replied, his voice touched with a tinge of sadness. "You do not have to follow."

"There is nothing left for me here either," Freya replied sadly, as she made her way following the path along the stream. "This is the last tree that needs to be marked."

She turned to face him, as Kratos retrieved the bucket hanging from his belt and coated his palm with the glowing golden liquid. When it was sufficiently coated, he looked at his friend, and as she extended her hand toward him, a soft sad yet content smile adorning her face.

Kratos placed his palm over hers, gently brushing the cool liquid onto her palm as she chanted a low Nordic spell, as its glow turned brightest.

With a final nod and a smile, she turned to the tree and knelt still chanting the spell, and placed the palm on the bark of the ashen tree.

Kratos observed her for a while, gratitude, and sadness filling his being. He closed his eyes, as a soft sigh escaped his lips, and turned to observe the forest again.

This time, a little ahead in the distance, he spotted a few large bears lazily prodding a fallen beehive with their claws and jaws. The honey had been licked almost entirely.

He noticed a smaller bear approach one of the larger ones, presumably its mother, as it nuzzled her thick brown fur around its mouth slowly licking the dripping honey off its fur.

'Atreus…'

His eyes softened as gazed at the bear cub, now with a belly full of honey as it curled around its mother and drifted off to sleep.

"It is done." He heard the soft voice of Freya beside him and felt her hand on his shoulder as she tried to provide what comfort she could.

"It is time then." He finally said and turned to face her. "Let us gather our things and finish the spell."

She watched his face again, noticing the far-away look in his eyes, as gazed forlornly at the bears in the distance.

"Let's head back to the lodge," She finally said and gently grasped Kratos' hand as she led him through the forest to the home he had built.

As she guided him through the forest, she wondered whether they would ever return.

'Only if Atreus comes back,' She mused, as her thoughts strayed to her friend's wayward son.

It had been a couple of years since the events of Ragnarök since Atreus had departed on his journey. He ventured far in search of the Jötnar, and after a while, even Angrboða had joined him.

She had attempted to return to Vanaheim for a time after she had taken her sister Gna's life. Another tragedy that haunted her. But the realm remained entirely foreign to her, memories of a past haunted her wherever she went. Memories of her people, her marriage, her sister…. her brother.

She had returned to Midgard, to Kratos' home and he had become a semblance of familiarity and comfort for her. Yet, she knew he too was grieving, in his own way.

They arrived at the lodge, and she unclasped her hand from his. Kratos rumbled and nodded appreciatively as he finally snapped out of his trance, and they made their way inside the home.

"Ah, brother! Yer back!" A voice sounded, and Kratos nodded at Mimir. The head had been reading a few of the poems of Kvasir that they had retained on their journey. "It is done then?"

Kratos nodded and made his way to the barrel on which the head had been placed, he grasped the rope that hung between his horns and swung him onto the familiar position on his belt at his hip.

"Gently now, Brother! Let me get a good look at the place." He chided softly. "I don't know how long I will be dangling off the hips of the bloody Protector of the Realms this time."

Kratos' grunted in annoyance.

"Now, now, brother. It is only right. You earned that name here." He remarked.

"Enough," Kratos commanded and made his way to the far side of the wall where a familiar axe was hung. Kratos gently grasped the handle as his fingers touched trailed the golden engravings on its pommel and blade, as he felt the cool touch of ice that lingered by it. He deftly placed the axe into its familiar position as it hung securely in the slot of his leather pauldron.

Kratos turned to the side and stared at the blade that also hung loosely off the wall. Once a symbol of his curse, that had now become a constant reminder to him to be better.

He grasped both the blades in his hand and felt the familiar fire that coursed through them. He was quick to return them to their position as well. Even though he had come to accept them, he did not like the feeling they exuded. The curse of the blood that was stained on them, despite the veneer of the golden engravings that decorated them, was an ever-present reminder of his actions to him. He would not repeat the mistakes of his past.

Finally, he turned to the dresser by his bed and pulled out a small pouch from within. It had once carried Faye's ashes, as he had journeyed to Jotunheim to spread her ashes with his son. He would cherish her memory, but she would remain here, in their home waiting for whenever it is that he would return.

Replacing the pouch into the dresser, he took a deep breath and turned around.

Freya was waiting for him by the door, a single candle in her hand as she had extinguished the rest inside. Her two swords were in their strap at her back, and her tunic was ready for travel.

"Let us leave." He said, not wanting to wait any longer.

Freya nodded, smiling softly as he made his way out of the home. He watched her exit, and she turned to the home.

"Heimili!" She chanted and the trees around the home that they had marked earlier glowed very brightly, nearly blinding Kratos for a few moments, before they grew dim, and faded, but Kratos could feel the protective enchantment take hold.

"There, now none bar those that call this place home shall enter here," Freya said, nodding resolutely at her work. She then turned, and made her way to the entrance of the door to the realm between realms that she had placed deliberately just outside the protection stave, and looked at Kratos. "Shall we?"

Kratos grunted in affirmation and walked up beside her.

"This is it then, brother," Mimir said as he had a clear view of the little lodge he had called home for so long. "I will certainly miss this place."

Extracting the key to the gateway from his satchel, he summoned the door and stepped through not taking another look behind him as he said goodbye to his home.

The cold yet comfortable chill of the realm between realms greeted them, and Freya spied Ratatoskr, on a few branches below them as he tried to train the children of Nidhogg. She noticed the guardian of the Yggdrasil look at them, and give a cheery wave as if in goodbye and she waved right back.

Kratos led them to the edge of the branch, as he stared out into the vastness.

"Do you have the key that Tyr gave us?" Mimir asked softly. "This is a one-time only, this is your last chance brother. Have you thought this through?"

Kratos grunted in affirmation "I have it, do not worry, should we need to, we will find our way back on our own."

"If you're sure brother, I am ready when you are."

Kratos looked at Freya as if giving her one last chance to turn around.

"I am with you, Kratos." She said resolutely and smiled.

Kratos nodded and pulled out another key, much similar to the one he used earlier to summon the door to Yggdrasil, only this one was larger and pulsing gold.

Upon activating the key, an ethereal golden door appeared, out in the distance into the void. The light from it illuminated the edge of the world tree, as it grew outward to meet it. The pale branches of the Yggdrasil enwrapped the door of golden light.

Taking a deep breath, Kratos walked into the light, as it pulled him and his companions deep into the unknown.