Hey guys,

So this is the rewrite for 'A Midgardian Affair.' I have expanded on this idea considerably and have decided to make it into more than it was. It will have most of the chapters from the original spread throughout it, but a lot of it is brand new stuff :D

Midgard: The Village of Devon, 1914

The warm sun of the British countryside beat down on Anja as she made her way down the road that led into town. She was walking along the grassy side of the road, her long brown curls pulled back and away from her face in a pristine braid. She took in a deep breath, the smell of the wild onions that grew in the grass along the side of the road greeting her.

She had been on Midgard for two weeks, living amongst the inhabitants of this small realm and reveling in the knowledge she came upon on a daily basis. Mistress Elena had told her upon her departure from The Academy's realm that this was to be the final stretch of studying abroad before she entered into the last and hardest stages of her training as a sorceress.

The village of Devon was quite quaint, and the outline of gray buildings and thatched roofs greeted her as she kept walking. The inn that she was staying in was not too terribly far from town, but just far enough to keep her away from the bustle that went on within the village. She had little doubt that Elena had seen to that…

Some days, she avoided town all together, simply settling for the simpler life of living in the sun and studying the countless books on Midgard that she had brought with her from the library of The Academy. The sky here was so blue, and the weather was hardly ever dull, and she took full advantage of that as often as she could. With a passing glance up at the sky, she let a small smile slip. It was one of her favorite colors, so clear, so pure. Of course, the green of the grass around her was a favorite of hers for a completely different reason.

Loki was still in Asgard as far as she knew, but she knew for a fact that she would have enjoyed this realm far more with him at her side. She was unsure of how much he would actually enjoy it, but she would have given anything to sit with him in the green of the grass of the fields that she read in. The warmth of the sunshine would have fallen beautifully on his dark hair… and she was certain his eyes would have been exactly the shade of the grass that surrounded her. At the thought of her lover, she grinned fully, smiling at nothing as she made her way further into the city of Devon.

*o*O*o*

"Excuse me, Miss."

Anja looked up quickly from her place at the small Midgardian market, an apple from the fruit stand she had just been at set carefully amongst a book in her basket. She looked for the source of the voice that had just addressed her.

It had been a male voice, one she had never heard before… and as her gaze landed on the lad that had addressed her, she bit down on her lower lip. The boy was young, probably in his late teens, early twenties, honestly almost the same age she was. He had very red hair tucked under a cap and a very, very hollow face. But why was he talking to her?

"Yes?" she said softly, shifting her booted feet the boy walked up to her.

"The name's David Lyons," the boy said, walking right up to her. He clearly expected her to show some sort of reaction, but it was quite obviously not the one she showed him.

"Oh?" she replied, raising her eyebrows in a polite question.

"Uh, yes," he said, momentarily thrown off by her reaction. "My father owns quite a bit of land up the way. Sure you've heard of him, yeah?"

Anja pressed her lips together in a fine line, shaking her head. "I am afraid not," she replied.

"Oh," David said, taking a step back and looking away for a bit. "Then today's your lucky day." David gave her a crooked smile, clearly one that was meant to be charming. "I've seen you around. But I never got your name, Miss…" He trailed off, waiting on her to tell him her name.

"Raeburn," she said, the mortal name slipping easily off of her tongue. It was one she had chosen for herself before she had come to Midgard. "Anja Raeburn."

"Well, Miss Raeburn, how'd you like to take a turn about the countryside with me?"

Anja's eyebrows nearly shot to her hairline at that as she realized what he was asking. "Oh, I really shouldn't," she said quietly, her mind automatically thinking to Loki. This lad had no idea what he was dealing with.

"Oh, come on then, Anja," he said with a smile. He clearly knew something she did not. "I've got my father's automobile. At least let me give you a ride home."

Anja stopped dead at that, jaw dropping a bit at the mention of one of the Midgardian contraptions she had read so much about. "An automobile?" she said, her curiosity piqued.

David smiled, nodding. Anja pursed her lips, sucking in on her cheek. It was not that she was interested in him, in truth he was but a baby to her. She had wanted to study the so called 'vehicles of the future' for quite some time…. This experience would be a lovely little addition to her report to The Academy…

"Alright," she said finally, not trying to fight the smile on her face. This would be quite an experience… and she reminded herself that she would not have to associate with the mortal lad again afterwards. In a way, she knew that it would be slightly cruel, but she had heard stories about the womanizing Lyons' boy. He would merely be a means to getting what she wanted.

David smiled back at her, offering his arm. She did not take it, merely choosing to follow him down the road and around a corner. The image that was waiting for her was quite the sight, and she smiled widely in excitement as she walked straight up to the waiting vehicle.

"It's mine for the day," David said, walking around to open the door for her. Anja studied the leather interior, eyes wide. "You know, I'm the only boy in the village that can drive."

Anja looked back at him, fighting the urge to roll her eyes before sliding into the front passenger seat. She waited on David to walk back around to the driver's seat, and a thrill shot through her as the car started moving.

*o*O*o*

Listening to David talk was about as interesting as the mathematics lectures that Anja had attended one too many times at The Academy. The lad certainly seemed to like to talk about himself; that much was evident.

So, instead of trying to keep up with the conversation, Anja let him talk while she kept an eye on the trees that zipped by at a much quicker rate than if she had been walking. She wanted to ask about the mechanisms behind the Midgardian vehicle, but something told her that he wouldn't have answered her anyways.

The little red car was only a mile away from the inn she was staying at when the sound of hoof-beats on the grass behind her caught her attention. With her silver gaze wide, Anja turned in her seat to gaze at a beautiful brown horse trotting up alongside the car. A young mortal that looked to be about David's age smiled at them, waving as he held the reigns of the thoroughbred steady.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Anja said, smiling as she waved back at the boy riding the horse. Anja had had her fair share of experience with horses back at The Academy, but this one in particular caught her eye. Perhaps it was the way it held its head, or the beautiful flash of its coat in the afternoon sun… either way, it was a very noble-looking animal.

And yet there was something about the rider atop it as well. In the few seconds of a glimpse that she caught of the two, she could tell that there was a bond besides that of the horse and its owner that the two shared.

She could practically feel David tense up next to her and she turned back to glance at him before gazing back at the horse and his rider. "Come on, Boy," she heard the lad say. He had a very thick accent, probably that of one of the farmers in the area. "Let's show 'em how to fly."

Anja grinned even wider, rising a bit in her seat to watch the two head towards a stone fence. The pair sped up, moving towards the fence at an even faster pace and outrunning the car all together. It was quite clear that the rider wanted the horse to jump the fence, but at the very last minute, the horse stopped short, sending the boy over the fence and sprawling across the grass.

Anja's hand flew to her mouth, covering the gasp of concern. "We have to stop," Anja said quickly.

"What?" David said. "He'll be fine. Ol' Albie's a tough one." It was clearly a statement to keep Anja's focus on him though.

"No," Anja said, turning back. "He may be hurt." David did not seem to mind a bit though. Anja's nostrils flared and, acting on instinct, she placed a hand to his shoulder. "Please stop," Anja said quietly, sending a persuasive spell into the mortal's mind. She hated using it, but she didn't want to leave the boy unattended. She had seen one too many riding accidents back at The Academy.

David's eyes seemed to glaze over for a second… and then his foot moved towards the brake.

*o*O*o*

Albert let out a deep breath as he came to an abrupt stop along the grassy field. He could not remember ever feeling such a rush in his life! The only fear he had was of a possible obvious injury that might alert his mother to his foolery. He shook grass from his hair, leaning back on his elbows as he looked over the fence that Joey had come to stand at.

"Well, you're clearly not gonna be a jumper," Albert said, finally catching his breath.

"Are you alright?!"

A girl's voice reached his ears, and he was quite certain that both his and Joey's heads looked in the direction of the voice at exactly the same time. It was a moment before Albert's vision lighted on a figure in a green skirt and white blouse running towards him.

The girl had a basket in one arm, her free hand holding her skirts up as she made it to him. He smiled up at her stupidly, nodding as he got back up on his own two feet. He was still a bit dizzy, but he didn't feel like showing it right about now. Now that he was able to focus on his surroundings, he was able to see David Lyons waiting by the parked red car a few meters down the road.

"Yeah," he managed. "I'm fine. Joey just got a bit spooked I 'spose." Albert was slightly taken aback by the unusual silver of the woman's eyes as she peered back at him with concern.

The girl nodded, biting down on her lower lip. "You gave us a fright."

Albert laughed again, feeling Joey's nose bump into his back as if begging for attention. "Well, I'm fine," Albert said, patting Joey on the nose as he grabbed the reigns once more. "Oh, this is Joey," Albert said with a smile… and a little bit of innocent pride was in his tone as well. "And I'm Albert," he said extending a hand to the woman? Girl? He wasn't even sure. She looked more like one of the people of the fairytales he had grown up with than anything else.

"Anja," the girl replied, shaking his hand. Her basket seemed to tip for a moment before a shiny red apple fell out… and landed on the ground near Joey's feet. Almost instantly, the horse dipped down to pull the fruit into his mouth.

"No! Joey," Albert said quickly, bending down and dusting the apple off before he could hand it back to Anja. Anja smiled, taking the apple from Albert as Joey's nose all but followed it.

"He's quite a magnificent horse," Anja said quietly, studying the long-legged creature with a soft smile in her eyes.

"Finest there is," Albert replied with another proud smile as his chest swelled out.

Anja laughed. "I am sure," she replied. Then she looked back down at the apple in her hands before turning her silver gaze back to Albert's. "May I?" she said, indicating that she wanted to give the horse the apple.

Albert raised both eyebrows, nodding as he took a step back and let Anja offer the red fruit to Joey. He did not miss the slight whisper that escaped her lips as she held the fruit out, fingers spread so the horse's teeth would not graze her fingers on accident.

As Joey finished the treat, Anja turned back to look in the direction of the car. "Well, I must be going."

Albert nodded, tossing his bangs out of his eyes as he retook Joey's rains. "Yeah, me too. Thanks for giving Joey the apple." He studied her carefully, with curiosity more than anything. "He'd thank you himself if he could, I'm sure."

Anja smiled back, stroking Joey's nose gently and waving to Albert before turning back towards David. Her thoughts dwelled mainly on the horse. It had seemed to be quite human in its mannerisms. She was certain it would be a wonderful companion to anyone that owned it.

*o*O*o*

Midgard: The Village of Devon, Two Weeks Later

Loki bent over awkwardly, silently cursing the thick wool of the British soldier's uniform he had been forced into earlier that day. The hot afternoon sun was beating down on his back as he straightened back up from his place in line, looking over the heads of the shorter mortal officers with ease.

He grimaced inwardly as he thought through the events that had led him here. Why in Valhalla his father had seen fit to send him to Midgard as punishment for his mischievous tendencies, he had no idea. It had just been a bit of fun, that prank he had pulled with Lady Sif's hair. To be reduced to such a lowly state for the next month seemed like a slight overreaction on his father's part to such a harmless prank. He stifled a laugh as he looked back out at the ranks of mortal men, the thought of Lady Sif's face when she had woken up to discover a headful of dark dwarf hair permanently replacing her once golden locks lightening his spirits considerably.

"Next!" he heard one of the mortals at the desk say gruffly. The man in front of him stepped up to the table to check in, shifting from foot to foot nervously.

Pathetic…

These whimsies of the Allfather often grew tiresome for the two princes of Asgard. Since the two brothers had come of age, Odin had taken to trying to make them more worldly. Loki just found it annoying. He hated not having his magic for extended periods of time. He hated having to associate with mortals, even if some of them were slightly amusing at the best of times. But this time Odin was definitely trying to punish him.

His head snapped up at the sound of the man at the desk calling him up to the desk, pen in hand and ready to sign him into the mortal military unit that he would be in for the time being.

"Name?" The lieutenant at the desk was short and to the point, looking up at Loki without so much as a sideways glance. How unfitting for a god! Loki suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He was at the mercy of this unit until his father saw fit to bring him home… might as well try to make things easier for himself at the very least.

"Captain James Nicholls," Loki said curtly, the mortal name that his father had forced upon him falling all too easily from his silver tongue. At least he still had that particular power, he thought to himself with an inner chuckle.

The lieutenant scrunched up his brow, the bristle of a mustache wiggling up and down under his rather large nose as he went down the list of recruits. He pushed his glasses up further on the bridge of his nose as he found what he was looking for before looking back up at Loki.

"Alright, Captain Nicholls," the man said gruffly as he stamped and signed the papers in front of them before handing them off to Loki. "Give that to your company commander before you head to the barracks." Loki slipped a long-fingered hand out to take the parchment from the lieutenant, nodding curtly.

Midgard had to be one of the strangest worlds he had ever had to stay on. He looked around at the military men that were scuffling around him in preparation for whatever war the Midgardians found themselves in now. He repositioned the leather satchel on his hip before placing his officer's cap on his head. Loki still had extremely green eyes, the rest of his face the same way it always had been. His collar-length raven hair had been replaced with a reddish blonde, soft curls carefully combed back and away from his high forehead but cut extremely short near his collar. How ironic that his father change his hair from its usual style when he had done so much more to Lady Sif's! It had been worth it, he inwardly thought. After all, a month on Midgard was nothing to him as a god.

"Excuse me, Captain Nicholls?"

A rather irritating voice had called out his name, and Loki turned around from where he had been standing to see a shorter mortal coming up to him from the desks that everyone was still signing in at. Loki cleared his throat. "Yes?" he said shortly.

"Captain Charley Waverly, at your service, Sir," the shorter man said with a nervous laugh. "I'm told we are to be suite mates." He held out a hand for Loki to shake. Loki hesitated slightly before humoring the mortal. This man was unlike anyone Loki had ever seen. He was not the typical soldier of Midgard, that was for certain, but he did not resemble anyone of Asgard either. He was as much an oddball here as Loki was on Asgard.

Loki fought hard to keep his upper lip from curling at the thought of potentially having to share quarters with someone. "Really," Loki said politely, masking his emotions like he always did back home.

The mortal Captain nodded. "I was actually just looking for Major Stuart. Have you seen him? We are supposed to report to him."

Loki raised an eyebrow, silvertongue quickly weighing in to the conversation. "Ah, no. I am afraid I've not," he said carefully. "I only just arrived myself." From a very great distance, he reminded himself.

Charley nodded again, scratching his head under his cap. "Well I'll be on the looks about for him then," he said cheerfully. "Ah, and where are you keeping your horse until we head out? They were saying that we will need to be able to get to them rather quickly when they call muster this afternoon."

Loki blinked once. Hard. "A horse?" he said thickly, a bit of aggravation shooting through him. Why hadn't his father told him of that pretty little detail?!

Charley nodded, waving at a few of his friends behind Loki. "We are a cavalry unit, after all!"

Loki nodded once, lips pressed together in a fine line as he deliberated how to answer the young man. "I've yet to decide," he answered plainly. There, that was a simple answer for this obviously simple mortal.

Charley nodded with a smile, a set of mannerisms that seemed to haunt this young man. "Then I'll be seeing you, Captain Nicholls. Safe travels."

Loki forced another smile out, one that quickly turned into a grimace as the small mortal left him. A horse? How in Valhalla was he supposed to attain a horse? Loki knew enough about this realm to know that the horses were prized in the field of battle. While in Asgard, brute strength and stamina seemed to be more of the qualifying attributes to a warrior, most Midgardians did not have those capabilities. Cavalry combat seemed to be one of the safest choices for men going off to war in this realm. How interesting that the Midgardians had found such unique ways to kill each other off while Asgard had retained its fighting traditions since the dark times.

How was he to go about solving this predicament? With a sigh, he turned to the city he had found himself in. It was really no more than a village to be perfectly frank, a place for Midgardian farmers to come to sell and trade their harvests. It was a place of the past, even his foreigner's eye could see that. It was a place unaccustomed to the moving 'automobiles' that the Midgardians took such pride in, let alone the countless soldiers that had flocked the streets.

With another sigh, Loki turned away. One month. That was all he had to endure of this hellhole… and quite frankly it could not come soon enough…

That was, of course, until the green hem of a Midgardian gown caught his attention in his peripheral vision… and a head of dark curls made his head snap up to study the woman more closely. Sure enough, a tall woman with broad shoulders and a long braid of dark curls was picking her way through the crowded streets. He realized that she was carrying a stack of three or four books… leather bound in the shining midday sun.

It couldn't be her… not here. Not when this realm was in such a state of unrest. Surely The Academy was not that stupid as to allow its students to take trips here. But as he watched the back of the retreating figure's head, Loki knew that his time here was certainly about to get more enjoyable, if not more interesting.

He moved through the crowds gracefully, long legs propelling him forward despite the unusual clothing he was wearing. The closer he got to the dark-haired girl, the more he realized that she was so very familiar to him. Turn around, Anja….

Of course, his thoughts did not transfer to hers. His powers were hardly active, let alone powerful enough to achieve any form of spell. He was as mortal as mortal could be in that respect.

It had to have been the Norns' will then, when the girl stopped short upon being bumped into by a rather gruff group of boys heading towards the tables that Loki had just come from. She wavered, trying to balance the stack of books she had in her hand and maintain her dignity. Of course, the books went everywhere, scattering on the ground as the crowd of mortals continued about their lives around her. Loki lunged for the first one he could see, not noticing that the dark haired girl had bent down to pick it up as well.

He could feel her fingertips brush softly over his own as both of their hands went down to pick up the book. Gently, without looking up, he picked the book up, rising fully before looking down at Anja. The last inkling of a doubt that it was his old lover was gone in a heartbeat as silver met emerald and Anja's lips broke into a pleasantly surprised smile.

*o*O*o*

Anja peered back at Loki, the soft smile on her lips turning into a full blown grin as she looked him over from her place in front of him. At first, she had not been certain that this man was him. But then he had smiled at her and she had known it was her lover.

"What, pray tell, are you doing here dressed in such a fashion, My Prince?" she said softly as he handed her the book he had picked up for her. She hadn't seen him in far too long and she fought the urge to throw herself into his embrace right there.

Loki pressed his lips together, fighting a smirk. No matter his circumstances, Anja seemed to always be able to make him feel a tad bit better. "My father decided I needed a lesson in… character building."

Anja raised an eyebrow, bending down to pick up the last of her books from the mud. "Character building," she said flatly.

Loki shrugged, reaching down to uncurl one of her arms from the stack of books that were clutched to her chest. He looked down at his promise ring, bright and shining on her left ring finger. Pride shot through him to think that she was still wearing it for all to see. No doubt it was merely a common pretty thing here on Midgard, but to him… oh, to him it was so much more.

"Yes," he said as he pressed his lips to the green stone on the ring. "It appears Lady Sif cannot take a joke." Anja furrowed her brow, clearly not understanding. He released her hand, letting her place it back to the stack of books. She was dressed in a dark green Midgardian skirt, a white collared shirt covering the top portion of her attire. He noticed a bit of grime on her cheek, and he reached up tenderly to wipe it off. "What brings you here?" he asked softly, pulling her further out of the way of the oncoming mortals and beneath a small overhang outside one of the taverns that bordered the streets.

Anja smiled at that, looking down at the books in her hands. "Mistress Elena allowed us a bit of time for independent study before we go into our final stretch of learning."

Loki raised an eyebrow at that. "You are here alone?"

Anja bit her lower lip, still smiling as she looked up at him. "Quite."

"And you chose to come here during a time of unrest because…?"

She tilted her head at that, meeting her lover's gaze head on. "This is a time in which I feel I can learn much about the mortals of Midgard, Loki. I wanted to come here."

Loki nodded, pressing his lips into a fine line. "Where are you staying?" he asked quietly. He glanced around, backing her up even further into the overhang of the building. Anja shivered at his proximity. The brim of his cap made his green eyes look even darker in the foggy air.

"There is an inn just on the outskirts of town." Loki nodded, another smile breaking across his face as Anja brought a tentative hand up to the lapel of his uniform. A smile stretched across Anja's features as she took hold of the woolen fabric gently, pressing it between her fingers. "You look awful dashing," she whispered as she stretched up on her tiptoes and straightened the tie that was around his neck. The thought of all the mortals around them seeing her acting like this didn't faze her in the slightest. Her breath ghosted across his lips and she noticed when he suppressed a shudder. She met his gaze once more, reaching a hand up to take his cover off of his head. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in the red of his hair.

"My father decided to enlist me in the 54th Cavalry of the British Army," Loki said wryly. "I suppose my hair was against regulation."

Anja smiled, setting the cap and books in her arms down on a bench that was to their left. She ran her fingers through his curls, and Loki closed his eyes, inhaling her scent as she leaned into him even more. "I quite like it though," she whispered. Loki opened his eyes when she pulled away, smiling down at her. She picked his hat up, placing it back on his head and straightening it. He smirked again, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in a bit closer. Then her gaze turned troubled. "How long will you be here? The mortals have been saying that the fighting is growing in intensity. Have you even got a horse?"

Loki pressed his lips together in a fine line, looking down at her. "I was working on figuring that little detail out when I saw you."

Anja's face was serious now. "Do you have your powers?" she whispered.

He chuckled again, but it was without humor this time. "No. This is my father's idea of a lesson to be learned, I'd suspect. For a month I am officially Captain James Nicholls of the 54th." His attempt at humor was not met with laughter.

Instead, Anja nodded, inhaling sharply as she looked down. "You are mortal then." It was a statement, but worry was etched in it. When he tilted her chin up with his hand, he could see the anxiety in her eyes.

"I am," he said simply. "But only for a little while."

Anja chewed her lower lip, her brow furrowing. "And you've no means to attain a horse?" Loki shook his head as Anja reached into the bag at her hip. When her hand resurfaced, he could see a handful of Midgardian money. She counted the coins carefully as she summoned a leather sack and tossed them into it.

"Anja-"

"That should do fine for a horse," she whispered as she took his hand and placed the pouch in it. "When do you leave?" She didn't let him thank her before she fired her next question.

"This afternoon," he said softly. "That was what they told me, anyways."

Anja nodded. She had never felt this sort of anxiety before for her lover and before she knew it she had thrown herself into his arms, crushing her body against his in a hug. He was stiff at first, but she soon felt his body relax into hers, his long arms wrapping around her torso as she rested her head on his chest. Her ear was against his heart, and suddenly the beat of it was the most precious thing in the world. The wool of his uniform was comforting, but so very different from the leather surcoat he was usually in. He placed his chin on top of her head, inhaling her scent.

"If you need me," she said quietly. "I'll be there." She could feel him nod at her words and she pulled away reluctantly. "Where will you be stationed?"

"A few miles in the east. After that I know not."

Again, she nodded. "Be safe," she whispered as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Loki felt his heart skip a beat to hear her say that. "I promise," he whispered before their lips melted together.

AN: Ok, am I the only one who wanted the girl in the car scene with Joey and Albert to make David stop? xD Sorry, I totally had to get that in there and figured Anja was the girl to do it! Albert's too much of a sweetie to be embarrassed like that :D I also plan on having Joey/Anja interactions throughout this piece and thought this would be a good way to get her on his good terms ;)

Like I said, there will be more like this, just with extra scenes and an all-around better treatment of the plot. I know for sure where I am going with it now and will update as soon as possible :D

-Sirius