Common Problem
"Gi- erm...Lord Gimli. Lord Gimli !"
Gimli looked up from the commissioning papers that Eomer had sent him for the second Helm's Deep horn. His gaze met that of Borin's youngest son, fifteen year old, black-haired, Farin the second.
Glad for the interruption, Gimli raised his eyebrows. "What is it, Farin me lad ?"
Farin shuffled his feet, "I went 'n met Master Gamgee, Mistress Rosie and, um-" A bright blush. "Miss. Elanor 'n the others a half an hour ago. So's Miss. Elanor and I we went for a walk. When we came back Ana was shoutin' 'n the Odinson and Loki are having a fight out on the hill. Master Gamgee ain't too impressed, but 'e's scared ta get hit by somemat."
This was becoming a common problem and the news made him sigh. Ever since Ana had introduced Odinson to him, only three days ago, Loki and Odinson had fought twice, counting Loki's punching the Asgardian the first day, and now thrice. That second time had resulted in Odinson getting a mouthful of hare and flowers. Funny, that one was, as he hadn't even suggested it to Loki.
He got to his feet, leaving the papers for later, and rushed out of the limestone study. Of course, he rushed past Sam, Rosie, Elanor, Frodo and Rose and arrived just in time to see Loki arc fifty feet into the air. Sam pulled him backward seconds before Loki hit the stone leaving a crater not two feet from the Glittering Caves entrance...where he'd been standing.
Grateful, he glanced back at the blond hobbit. "Thank-you, Sam, that could've hurt a bit."
"Aw, it was nothing, Mr. Gimli."
The response made him chuckle and he thumped Sam on the shoulder. "'Ow many times have I told ya to call me Gimli ?"
"Too many times, Mr. Gimli, sir, just like Mr. Loki does."
Rosie and Elanor giggled at Sam as twelve year old Frodo and ten year old Rose wandered down into the Caves.
With a shake of his head, he moved to stand over Loki and looked down. Loki pushed himself up then panted, "Move out of the way, Gimli."
"Not 'til ya tell me what this is about. I'm not having you two dumb-footed boobies ruining our home - look at that crater he made you leave."
The jotun smoothed his hair, glaring over his head at the blond-bearded Asgardian. Loki huffed, "First he abandons me, now he refuses to let me accompany him to Asgard to retrieve Great-Grandfather's Casket, despite that he is taking Ana there already. He explains about Ana to Odin, but didn't spare a thought for me." Softly muttered curses in Jotish left the blue lips.
As he replied, "Well, I'll just have ta see if he'll let me do it for you, Loki. After all, the Asgardians don't have a right to keep it from ya." he smoothed a hand over the mithril piece's pouch. This would be a time he really needed it to show its lucky streak.
Up on the hill a dull smack echoed as Ana slapped Odinson. Ana exclaimed,"What did I tell ya about fighting Loki, ya daffodil-mouth ? Loki used to love you, he deserves some respect from you no matter what His Odouriness says."
His Odouriness, it was enough to make even Odinson chuckle briefly. Slowly, he made his way up the hill, looking over his shoulder at Helm's Deep. The Deep hadn't changed a day since he and the others had taken up residence in the Caves as they repaired any broken sections and such when they found them. Odinson had decided that the Caves were too bright for him to sleep in, so the blond had taken up a place on the ramparts. When he'd repaired the ramparts he'd made sure to repair the culvert as well.
It made him shake his head slightly as he made his way past Ana to Odinson. This time Odinson's eyes weren't amused or arrogant, but serious as they met his.
"Why won't you let Loki go with, Odinson ? Why da ya think you've gotta fight ?"
Odinson looked uncomfortable and admitted, "It is not that I did not want him with, Lord Gloinson. It is my father that refuses to knowingly let one of the Jotnar set foot in Asgard. Were Loki to go to Asgard without King Bergelmirson's permission Father would be able to throw him in the dungeons. Know that while my feelings regarding Loki are not what they once were, in the last days I have seen your care for him and I would not separate you. While I said what I did three days ago because I was an idiot, Father truly believes that they are monsters."
Ana asked, "Then why not let him come with and prove your father wrong ? If he wants to throw Loki in the dungeons he'll have to throw me 'n cousin Gimli in too." His red-haired cousin glared up at her suitor daring Thor to object.
Briefly, the shadow of a hawk flew over them before continuing into the cloudless sky, perhaps towards Edoras, Eomer and Eowyn or possibly Gondor. Noticed that the Asgardian too watched the hawk for a moment before looking back down at him and Ana then past them.
Reluctance in Odinson's eyes before he called, "Loki, do you still wish to come ?"
Loki quipped back, "That would not really be appropriate considering where we are and who we are with."
Ana bit her lip to stifle her snicker, while he coughed and smoothed his beard. The curly blond Asgardian shook his head with an amused smile, muttering, "He still loves his double-meanings I see."
Despite Loki's quipping the jotun still eyed Odinson warily as they approached. Rosie, Sam and Elanor all blinked up at Odinson. Equally wary, Sam put himself between his wife, oldest daughter and Odinson.
Fifteen year old, floral dress-clad, Elanor ignored her father and stepped around Sam. Instead, she stretched up and asked, "Mr. Stranger why were you fighting with Uncle Loki ?"
That led to Odinson crouching then saying, "Your...Uncle Loki is going with me to my home, we were fighting because I did not want him to go. You see my people are very...distrustful of his and he could be hurt."
"Why would they want to hurt him ? He hasn't done anything ta them, right Uncle Gimli ?"
He nodded, "He hasn't, but he and Prince Thor's fathers don't like each other."
Elanor turned to look at Sam, "It's because Uncle Loki looks like an orc isn't it, Father ?"
"Well, that's certainly part of it, Elanor."
Rosie reached out and smoothed her daughter's curly blond-hair. "Maybe you should go see what Frodo and Rose are doing, Elanor. You could go ask Mr. Borin to show you the Hatchling Vine that Uncle Loki showed your father afterward."
Elanor nodded, "Okay, Mother. Be careful Uncle Loki." She hugged Loki then turned and ran through the limestone doors down into the Caves.
Odinson rose and turned to look at them, "I think that you want to leave already, Loki. Shall we go then ?"
Loki responded, "Wait until we get over the hill to call that what did you say his name was ? Oh yes, Heimdall...who helped your father steal the Casket of Ancient Winters to open your Bifrost."
What was Bifrost ? Once again something with a name that he didn't like at all. Well, it couldn't be something with actual frost or else Odinson would've been either very cold or frozen solid.
Before Odinson could think of something to say Rosie stated, "You all be careful. If you don't come back we'll find some way there, you mark my words."
Sam agreed, "Yeah, 'n then those Asgardians are gonna regret it. Uh, begging your pardon, Mr. Thor, sir."
What Odinson said next sounded rather like something that Gandalf would have said. "You have great spirits for ones so small. Should it be required I think that they would be quite wise to worry."
Perhaps he and Ana would have to find some way to make Loki and Odinson apologize meaningfully. Instead of the two's becoming riled up at near every word out of the other's mouth. Ana, Loki and himself bade Sam and Rosie good-bye before they trekked back over the hill. As they stopped on the grassy plains he fiddled with his pendant. Surely something would have to go right today. Some giant, rainbow-coloured, fire-work light type...thing suddenly surrounded them.
"Gah !" He found himself gripping Loki's hand as they were floating quite quickly up into the sky. Seconds later, they were beyond the blue...into the starry blackness of night, what strange magic was this ? Why couldn't they use a boat like the Elves did to go to Valinor ? That would've been a lot safer.
They landed in a golden chamber with many gears on the walls. Stood on a pedestal in the middle of the chamber was a dark-skinned man, likely one of the Far Southrons, in golden-armour.
Loki looked down at him and gently teased, "Not the beard ! Oh Gimli, look what you did to your beautiful beard. I thought you only did that when you were scared."
That referenced all the stories that Loki had listened to of his and the others journey through Moria. He let go of Loki then quickly smoothed his beard with both hands and countered, "I do not, Loki. I was merely making sure that my braids wouldn't come out."
All that he got in reply was the faintest of smiles. The stranger, Heimdall, spoke then, "You know how His Majesty feels about the Jotunn. He will not be pleased to see who you have brought with Prince Thor."
No wonder the Jotnar didn't like the Asgardians. They couldn't even respect the name that the Jotnar called themselves by, but invented one of their own making. That comment made it almost official - the Asgardians were worse than some of the Elves.
In response, he barked, "They're called the Jotnar, ya bright-armoured idiot, not the Jotunn."
Heimdall just looked down at him, "Right though you are, Lord Gimli of the Glittering Caves, we are ordered to call them such."
Ana huffed, "Well, let's go teach His Odouriness some manners. Lead the way, Thor."
Thor took the lead and they walked along a strange rainbow-bridge that left gold fire-work foot imprints in their wakes. Asgard's buildings were most golden and quite a few were towers of one kind or another. Had he mentioned how sick he was of towers after seeing Isengard and Barad-dur ? Just seeing all these towers made him sick as he remembered all the pain and death those two towers had caused.
Eventually, they made their way into a cobble-stone, brick and stone district. All the Asgardians attention seemed to end up on Loki. Why ? If the people they passed didn't stop and glare at Loki then they pulled their children away with terrified looks.
Most of the whispers were about, "Just look at that ugly beast." or "What haven't the Einherjar captured it ?" Like Loki was some animal that would mindlessly freeze their children. It angered him and he glared right back before thinking of something else.
Slowly, he reached out a hand which Loki took, the jotun let himself be pulled down into a kiss. Pale-sapphire hands entwined in his hair and he parted his lips as Loki's tongue slid over them. The kiss ended and amused approval was visible as Loki's eyelashes fluttered. More angry, shocked and disgusted murmurs filled the air when black-haired prince rose and they caught up to Ana and Odinson.
Fast, but not fast enough, they passed through the rest of the city up toward the many tiered and towered palace of Asgard. Asgard's palace was not really impressive if you had already seen the castle of Minas Tirith because Asgard's looked simply like someone had just placed a random series of golden towers all in a row. At least, the white stone of Minas Tirith had a good, solid shape instead of just towers. If one set oneself to taking down Asgard it would be far easier to melt Asgard's palace to the ground instead of having to labour to knock down Minas Tirith's castle stones.
The indoor throne room they entered, according to Odinson a few existed, had many columns, wide dimensions and open terraces like one of the rooms in Rivendell. At the end of a long, red carpet was a golden half-throne bordered by a flight of steps. Sat on the throne was an old white-haired and bearded man in golden-armour, wearing a winged and horned helmet and holding a spear. Two ravens rested on Odin's shoulders, briefly he wondered if they were related to Erebor's ravens. Well, before he decided that it would be an insult to Erebor if the two were anything like Odin was.
He and Loki especially walked proudly beside Odinson and Ana to stand before the King of Asgard's throne. One of the ravens croaked harshly as Odin gave Loki a disdainful look. Obviously, Laufey and Odin had quite a lot in common. From the experiences of those around him it seemed like being a prince was a hardship that most common folk didn't want to know of.
After all, according to Father, Thorin had gone crazy though helped by the dragon sickness. Legolas had started out an arrogant, dismissive thin-iced jerk. Meanwhile, Loki was a, sometimes, arrogant, very successful liar and manipulator, though according to Frabauti it had died down since they'd met. Odinson was more arrogant than Legolas and Loki put together. Also, Odinson seemed even more hot-blooded than most dwarves, except for that moment with Elanor and presumably when he and Ana were alone. Over all, it seemed that one was, at least, slightly arrogant when one was a prince no matter where they were from. Not, of course, that he was free from arrogance himself, but everyone had pride, no matter how small, in where they were from.
Odin asked, "Why did you bring these strangers to Asgard, Thor ? Why do you dare to bring a jotun into my throne room."
Like himself with Laufey, Loki was angry at being ignored. Loki stepped forward and snarled, "I am no mere jotun. I am Loki Laufeyson, Crown Prince of Jotunheim ! You degrade me now and yet you would have kidnapped me had my mother not intervened. Obviously, you did not believe it wrong to kidnap a child for some political purpose. What would you have done ? Hmm, Allfather. Pretended I was your second son and had me kill your enemies ? Kill them before you would reveal that they were my mother, my father, my half-brothers ? Do tell what you would have done, you hypocritical, old fool."
Odin rose from the throne and walked down the steps. The man looked past Loki and stated, "So, you are the one that Thor thought he loved. No, young Laufeyson, I would not have made you kill your family. My only plan for you was to show the others that apart from your ice you were just like us. I thought that if I revealed and returned you to Laufey after enough years had passed that he would be grateful enough to agree to end our war."
"Not my family, but you would still have had me kill the other Jotnar. You would have manipulated my, mostly, loving family into years of grief and possible suicide just to end a war that the Midgardians started. You are utterly mad ! You could have ended that war before it started by simply asking my father why they were attacking the village. Return my birthright, the Casket of Ancient Winters, and I will see what can be done about peace."
"I will think of it."
Ana broke into a string of curses about Odin's father being either an orc, a ring-wraith, Sauron or all three at once. When Ana finished, Odinson growled, "No ! No more thinking, Father. You have no use for the Casket it sits in the Weapons Vault when it belongs to Loki and his people. Return it and end your paranoid hatred of the Jotnar once and for all."
"They. Are. The. Enemy. They killed your grandfather ! I was willing to overlook your...involvement with Laufeyson, but now you dare to side with them ?"
A brief blur as Thor threw the hammer and it slammed into Odin's chest sending him crashing into the stairs.
While the magic hammer returned to Thor the man roared. "They are people ! Mother said that Bergelmir tried to save him. Yes, Father, Bergelmir failed, but he still tried. Overlook ? Overlook ! Threatening to murder Loki and destroy Jotunheim if I did not leave him is. Not. Overlooking. Anything ! I let you decide that my position of Crown Prince was more important than my love once. No more ! You will leave Ana and Arda alone as you will return Loki's Casket. Refuse and know that I would rather have Ana and happily live the rest of my life in a cave than with a father who cares nothing for my personal happiness."
When one of the ravens swooped at Ana he unsheathed his axe and chopped the stupid bird in half. His gaze moved to Loki as he wiped the blade clean and, again, sheathed the axe, the jotun looked like he was in shock.
Slowly, Odin picked himself up and said grudgingly, "Fine, he can take the Casket, but how do you know that dwarf is even female ?"
"Trust me, Father, I know that she is."
Disgust filled him he certainly did not need to know about his cousin's sexual habits. Without another word the four of them left the throne room. Sconce-embedded golden-walls shone as did the brown-tiled floor when Loki and Thor drifted to the back of the group.
Still in shock, his voice wavering, Loki whispered, "T-that's why you cheated, well, seemed to ? Why you said all those horrid things ? T-to keep me, to keep Jotunheim, safe. You...really meant...the apology of three days ago ?"
Thor answered with a simple, "Yes."
He looked back, noticing that the two had stopped, then saw the pale hand resting on Loki's cheek and a trace of Thor's former love for Loki.
Beside him Ana scoffed, "Can you believe that man is King of Asgard ? He's madder than my magic hare if his head got chopped off 'n he lived. In a way though I am glad for his madness as yourself and Loki are better suited for each other than Loki and Thor were."
He nodded, "Aye, in that way it was a good thing. Thor where's this Weapons Vault of yours ?"
Thor looked surprised at that, well, the man did call him Gimli and had meant his apology to Loki. Twenty minutes later and quite a few turns later, the golden-walls turned into a dead-end hallway. Embedded in the right-side of the wall were a pair of golden-doors. Stood before the doors were two of those Einherjar or whatever they were. Of course, when they approached the doors and Loki seen the guards crossed their spears.
Instead of letting Loki or Thor handle it, he walked up and shoved the right guard over. A clatter of armour as the man fell and stared as if he couldn't believe it, pushed over by a dwarf.
Gimli snarled, "He's with yer Prince, ya thick-headed idiot, he ain't stealing anything. We're taking what's his with that damned thief's permission."
Thor brushed aside the other guard and threw open the doors revealing a long silver and column-lined hallway. At the end of the hallway on a silver pedestal was a casket, if that casket wasn't made of ice than he wasn't a dwarf. Even from where he stood, he could see that it pulsed and quivered with blue and white hued energies. Behind the Casket was an eight-foot tall silver-gate, there was an air about that gate that he didn't like. The Weapons Vault's floor was of a square chain-mail as they walked onto it. Loki seemed drawn to the Casket not noticing the recessed alcoves they passed that held other strange weapons at all.
When they got closer to the Casket he noticed some either accidental or deliberate cracks in the front surface. Extending up from the sides were two smooth, dark-grey stone handles. As Loki approached the swirling blue and white energy seemed to speed up. Loki said something in awed Jotish then, hesitantly, Loki reached out to take it before clutching the Casket to his chest protectively. Someone would have to kill Loki to take it now.
It reminded him that this was the first time that his love was seeing it that which represented the Jotnar's connection to the Coldness. Loki only called it the Coldness so that it could be understood in the Common Tongue. The same day they'd said their, "I love you."'s, Loki had explained Jotish to him.
Flashback
"Is it not beautiful, love ?"
Loki finished the words with a radiant smile. Nervously, he looked down a thousand feet below to a rock, snow and ice-covered shore before it transformed into...more ice. Wind whipped past them and he shivered before pulling the blue, wolf-diamond pinned, cloak tighter. It reminded him of Caradhras, just with less evil wizards sending avalanches down.
"Ah...I suppose so. It's kinda cold up here ain't it, Loki ?"
"My apologies, Gimli, I am not used to people being bothered by the cold and wind."
What happened next confused him there was the sound of a shrill wind, but no actual wind came, followed the sound of distant cracking ice. Suddenly, Loki spun on his heel and the harsh sounds of close, crushing and cracking ice left the jotun's lips.
Even more confused, he turned too to see Loki's half-brothers Helblindi and Byleistr looking down at them.
"He. Is. Not. A. Bug, Helblindi !"
Byleistr nodded and agreed, "Of course he is not, Loki. He simply looks very small as he is even more so than you. Young Gimli looks more like a strange, tiny, auburn and silver boulder than a bug."
Loki slid a palm over his face with an exasperated sigh, but said not a word. So, he'd gone from being compared to tiny, but, at least, living bug to a tiny, inanimate rock. The joy was overwhelming, the Elf would've been doing back-flips.
The jotun slipped past his brothers and he followed to ask. "What was that ?"
"Jotish, it mimics the varying sounds of the ice, rock and winds so that our prey and predators do not notice our approach as they think it normal."
End Flashback
Loki lapsed back into the Common Tongue, "All my life I hated the Asgardians for stealing the Casket of Ancient Winters. I only wanted to be a good son and get it back, I wanted to find someway into Asgard. I wanted to watch it freeze solid as they begged for mercy that they didn't deserve. Then when the Terror Beast was chasing me, I fell into that chasm with it...onto a mountain, nearly into a lake. While the Beast and I were blinded by the light, oh how it burned, Thor saved me. For two months I didn't want to kill them anymore...until Thor broke my heart and I wanted to tear his out. When I saved Gimli I forgot about the Casket briefly. I thought that when I finally stood before the Casket of Ancient Winters for the first time it would be with Asgardian blood on my hands. Yet, here I stand with only a small amount of blood shed and violence. Father may not appreciate my returning however brief, but he must appreciate what I bring. I will meet you all back at the Glittering Caves."
The Crown Prince of Jotunheim disappeared in a flash of blue-white energy. Ana, Thor and himself used the Bifrost to return to Arda and the Caves. When Loki returned to the Caves they would have some very good reasons for another feast. He set about making the arrangements before going back to his study. It was time to return to work. Eomer and Helm's Deep deserved the best horn that the Glittering Caves could make. That meant having Noro and Kor design it. So, he sat back down at his desk and started re-reading Eomer's commission down to the very last detail.