❦𝗪𝗲 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝗕𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲❦

❦Afterword❦

     This story was inspired by Garth Brooks' song that he wrote in 1992 in response to the Los Angeles riots, "We Shall Be Free."
     I looked at Faline and the reader as an unlikely pair, and Loki and the reader even more so. There are so many relationships in this story that are unorthodox, and that contain a unique bond between two or more people. Every character in this book is so diverse, and different in their own way, and it made me think of one of my favorite songs, We Shall Be Free.
     Despite the unlikelihood of each friendship that was shown within this story, they all made the best of friends. For example, Faline is blind, and doesn't have a home. The reader finds empathy within her to take Faline in, but for her own selfish reasons. She doesn't look at Faline as a blind little girl, but a way to help with her own desires. Very quickly the reader learns that she was wrong for using the young girl in such a way, and she admits her faults, and comes to love the girl as her own blood. Even though they don't share the same qualities, and even the same interests, they find a way to stick together, and form a bond stronger than steel.
      In the song, Garth uses many different phrases that portray the strong meaning of the song. The song is about how everyone will be free, when we learn to accept everyone and everything, and take a stand to help our planet and fellow piers. One phrase he uses that really strikes me as something that everyone needs to understand and act on, that portrays to current events, is this: "When the last thing we notice is the color of the skin,
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within."
This lyric strikes deep within the hearts of many, as racism and prejudice has been around for as long as human beings have walked this earth. Garth says that when ever we don't look for race, or discriminate against others, and instead, we look for the beauty of the spirit within each person, we shall be free.
     Let me also make this clear that racism isn't the only way to judge someone. You can judge someone by their reputation, rumors, or even the way that they walk. People are formed and moulded to make quick judgments and accusations, which can often be incorrect. Take Odin and the reader's first encounter. Odin accused the reader of being a thief, which she was. But he did not know the whole story. Even though the reader in fact was a thief, he didn't know the reason behind her ways. He looked at her as if she was a low life piece of scum that was too lazy to work, and immediately cast her into the dungeons. The understanding Queen, Frigga, however, saw right through the reader. She saw straight into the beauty within, and gave the reader a second chance to change her ways, and gave her the opportunity to better herself.
      With all of this being said, please, just be kind to one another. I cannot force you to do anything, and I cannot change your past, present, or even future, but hear this. Before you go spreading rumors, make false accusations, or even just give someone a nasty look, take a moment to see the world through their eyes, and think about how you would feel if someone did the same to you. If you take others into consideration before you act, you, too, shall be free.

~𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑦ℎ𝑒𝑚❤️‍🔥(7-8-21)