twenty-six.

                                    

                                          
Long time no see. 
                          
* * * * *

                          
Three weeks ago
                          
Heimdall's POV
                          
"IT'S UH- IT'S A PLEASURE TO  meet you," I slowly started, "I'm Heimdall." I reached forward to shake his hand and he broke out of his theatrical bow. He grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously. Phelan then broke into a smile. 
                          
"Would you care to return to my home and we could maybe talk there? I was just out grabbing some early dinner," he said, lifting up two dead rabbits attached to his belt. 
                          
My eyes travelled to his belt and I couldn't help but notice his clothing was a little peculiar, even for whatever world this is. His shirt and pants were a dark grey and looked to be made of wolf fur. He wore very large, thick black snow boots and his belt was a deep brown and looked to be leather, with many hoops and holes for items. The two rabbits he had caught were tied to the belt behind his back and he had a knife and ax tied to the sides. 
                          
"I suppose so. Thank you for your hospitality, that's very kind of you," I told him. He scoffed and waved a hand at me before quickly making his way back to his hut. 
                          
"Come on in, I don't bite," Phelan laughed loudly to himself, clearly proud of his inside joke. I was secretly hoping he wouldn't notice the large slit in his wall, but all he did was give it a glance and wave his hand at it. The slit mended itself as I gave him a weary look. 
                          
"What?" He asked, untying the rabbits from his belt. 
                          
"Where am I?" 
                          
He chuckled. "You've got to be messing with me, Heimdall. No one just ends up here, you either sneak in or you're summoned. Everyone knows that."
                          
"What world is this?!" I demanded. 
                          
"Woah, woah. If you're going to talk to me like that then you can kick rocks. I'm simply here to help." Phelan raised his hands in surrender again. 
                          
"Is it Natenheim?" I whispered, my eyes drifting to the floor. The Allfather couldn't have banished me here.. he couldn't have...
                          
"Yes," was all he said. 
                          
I sighed heavily. "The BiFrost has to be connected to this planet. That's how I got here. I was banished by the Allfather and-"
                          
Phelan stopped skinning the first rabbit to interrupt me, "Wait, you were banished by... Odin? Isn't that, like, pretty bad?"
                          
I shrugged, deep in thought, and started to pace. "Considering that he's more known for sending people who break his trust to Hel, I am lucky."
                          
Phelan hummed in response, too busy with preparing dinner. 
                          
I continued pacing around the room, thinking back to when the Allfather first approached me. 
                          
"You are a good-for-nothing gatekeeper!"
                          
"You have absolutely no worth to me anymore."
                          
I cannot believe my only excuse was that there are secret passages. I cannot believe I had an excuse at all. Although it is true. I did not see Azeli's mother enter into Asgard. When the Allfather came to blame me I was completely astonished. 
                          
I wasn't thinking straight at the time, I mustn've have. Something did not feel right... like something was missing... 
                          
"Are you on her side?"
                          
I must admit that I was not surprised when he accused me of treason. After helping Thor, Loki, and Azeli escape Asgard in Malekith's enemy ship, he held a trial against me, Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif with some high ranking members in the council. We were sentenced to the dungeons forever unless Thor returned to Asgard, proving our plan to be successful and not in vain. It was then that Odin had released us but given us fair warning that if we so much as committed theft, we would rot in Asgard's dungeons.