It was rare to see Odin so angry. Thor and Loki could barely remember seeing the All-Father in such a rage after he had arrived in Jotunheim to save them from their folly. To challenge Laufey himself, to kill Jotun without mercy or regard or the peace treaty Odin had worked so hard on. Thor and his band of warriors had justly become famous for their exploits, but this was not one that would be remembered with any pleasure or glory.
The moment they arrived back from the Bifrost site, he marched off without even looking at them. Thor stepped forward, about to call to his father, but the weight of Loki's hand on his arm stopped him.
"I think it best if we leave him for the moment. I sense our father is mighty displeased with us all following our exploits." he counselled his brother.
Thor's brow furrowed as they followed the All-father, ignoring Heimdall's disapproving gaze. "But we did nothing wrong. Those Jotun creatures broke into our vault! They are the ones at fault! What were we meant to do? Stand aside and let them insult us?"
"Somehow I doubt that Father sees it that way."
Subdued by their father's wrath they followed him back to the palace to face the consequences of their actions.
Thor and Loki waited outside the throne room while Odin ranted and raved at Sif and the Warriors Three. They had been in there for at least an hour and their father was subjecting them to a rant that would have brought tears to the eyes of hardened warriors. Loki winced as his father voice rose in anger once more.
"He's furious. I have never seen him in such a rage-" Thor said, watching the door and waiting to be called in.
"We shouldn't have gone to Jotunheim." Loki replied dry as ever.
"I admit 'twas not one of my best ideas."
Loki didn't bother to correct his brother that it wasn't his idea and that he had planted the notion in his head. It was best he never found out the reason why the Jotuns had found their way to Asgard in the first place. That would spark many awkward question he had no intention of answering just now. Even for one of his schemes, things had got out of hand. All he'd wanted was to disrupt his brother's coronation briefly and prove that Thor was in no way ready for the honour. He hadn't expected to end up causing havoc in Jotunheim and end up punished for his pains. Not one of his most successful schemes, to be frank. Perhaps he was losing his touch. And as for the troubling moment when his forearm had been touched by the Jotun and had turned blue in sympathy, well, he did not want to think about it, or what it might mean.
The door opened and Lady Sif came out, followed by the rest of the group looking rather hangdog.
"What happened? What said he?" Thor asked at once.
Her mouth pulled into a severe line. "He charged us to make reparations. His Grace will talk to you both in there."
Loki and Thor looked at each other, puzzled by Sif's words.
Reparations? What was she talking about?
Thor sank to his knee in obeisance. Loki followed, sensing a show of humility in the face of Odin's fury might be a wise move.
Their father paced back and forth."Have you any idea what you have wrought?"
Loki knew it was going to be bad. Odin was using his deadly quiet voice. He prayed Thor would have to sense to just take the lecture and not attempt to justify himself, as it would not go down well the mood their father was in.
"You could have started another war! Do you not think that Asgard has suffered enough? You are all nothing but irresponsible children!"
"There was a good reason I have forbidden any of our kind to set foot in Jotunheim since the war and you and your companions deliberately flouted me-"
Thor couldn't keep silent at that. "But, All-Father-"
"Do not interrupt me!" Odin thundered, raising his voice above his, and cowing him into submission. Thor gripped Mjolnir and said nothing, but it was a struggle not to argue back.
"Laufey is demanding your heads and right now, I am in half a mind to grant him them. How could you both be so rash and foolish?"
"Father, I was the one to blame. I wanted to go to Jotunheim." Thor started again.
Loki wished he would have some sense and keep his mouth shut, but perhaps he was hoping for too much.
Odin's lip curled in scorn. "Why am I not surprised by this? And you-" his attention turned to Loki, who had been trying to keep quiet and tactful in the face of his father's rage.
"- you're the intelligent one. Why did you not attempt to stop this great lummox? Did you think it would be amusing to court war with our sworn enemies? Have I taught you both nothing?"
Loki thought that was slightly unfair. He had tried to alert one of the guards to notify Odin before they left, in the vain hope that he would reach them before they left to their folly. Something must have happened. If all had gone to plan, they should have never got to Jotunheim in the first place!
"I am sending you to a realm in flux. A realm in need of heroes. Perhaps you might learn to temper your valour with wisdom there. At the moment I cannot bear the sight of any of you."
"You're sending us on a quest?" Thor said, face brightening. Trust him to only hear what he wanted of Odin's tirade.
Odin looked down his nose forbiddingly. "You are all being banished to learn some compassion and humility. Since you want to go explore new worlds at least go to one which could do with help, rather than our sworn enemies. You would do less damage there."
"How long must we stay there? What mission do you require of us?" Loki eventually asked.
"It will take years to achieve." Odin replied. "- and perhaps I can convince Laufey that your trespasses have been suitably punished.
"Years?" Thor sounded rather taken aback by that. It certainly was not the slap on the wrist he was expecting from the king.
Loki had to hand it to his father. He certainly had perfected the cruel yet unusual punishment.
Odin ignored their interruptions. "You will go to Westeros as common men, not as princes or representatives of Asgard. You will earn a living and build a reputation of your innate skills, not by accident of birth. It has come to my attention that you both are rather privileged, and that may be the cause for your rashness."
"And what of my loyal friends?" Thor asked. "We shall not be sent to this world alone?"
"I will go one better, since you all went to Jotunheim and flouted my express command, they will join you. They will share in your exile and you Thor will be responsible for them. Perhaps that responsibility might make you grow up a bit."
Loki knew there was more to the situation than his father had said. If they were going to be far away from home for several years in exile, then what would happen to them as they needed Idunn's apples to rejuvenate? Would they age and die?
"What happens if we do not succeed in this quest?" he asked.
As usual, Thor would not even countenance failure with that innate self-confidence that too often bordered on arrogance. "Of course we will! We must think positively or we are defeated before we have begun. You must not be so negative, brother!" he said with a clap on the back which nearly sent Loki flying.
Loki glared at his brother in resentment. It was due to Thor's rashness they were being exiled-there was no other word for it- and he still would not take responsibility for his actions. Always relying on me and my silver tongue to get us out of trouble.
"With all due respect, All-Father, you never answered the question."
Odin started at his younger son's question. "What question?" he barked, eyeing him with irritation and annoyance.
"What happens to us if we do not succeed?" Loki pressed.
Odin evaded his glances, dismissing him as he strode away the heavily gilded door slamming behind him. "Go from my sight, and think about the consequence of your behaviour. I cannot bear the sight of either of you!"
It didn't make Loki feel any better.
Loki was working in his room, when he heard a knock on his door. Thinking it was probably his mother, he opened with a lazy wave of his hand.
His father stood at the threshold, waiting for admittance.
Loki rose in respect, surprised by the appearance of his father in his private quarters. Frigga often dropped in and she knew she was welcome, but he did not have that easy relationship with Odin that he had with his mother. If he was here, it was for a reason. "All-Father."
"Are you alone?" he said stepping past the wards.
"Yes. Thor and the others are on the training grounds at the moment." Probably working off their frustration at being reprimanded.
His father looked round with a look of faint disapproval. As if distrustful of his magical studies, though grudgingly impressed by his skills.
"You asked me a question in the throne room, son." He said taking a seat by Loki's desk.
Yes, a question, you refused to answer. This does not bode well for us, I suspect. Something he didn't tell them at the time for fear that Thor would react badly to whatever Odin said.
"Why would you not tell us what would happen if we do not succeed in our mission?"
Odin sighed, seeming suddenly older. Loki saw that all this weighed heavily on him. He didn't want to punish his sons, but his hand had been forced.
"There are things you need to know about your quest to Westeros. Things that it is best that you know."
"But not the others? Why not?" Loki questioned with a keen-eyed glance at his father.
"Thor and his friend charge in. They don't think about subtleties and strategies. But you... have a certain knack for it." he said, praising Loki begrudgingly. "I can trust you to take what I'm saying on board and use the knowledge for the good of the group."
Why was Odin entrusting him with his counsel? His father was up to something for sure, Loki thought. "You're telling me this on a need to know basis?"
"You could say that." Odin's mouth twisted in a wry parody of a smile. "- Yes, you will have a limited supply of the apples. I admit it. There is a likelihood you will age without them."
"And if we do not succeed in this mission? What happens to us then?"
"You are not without intelligence. Tell me what you think will be the end result of failing the quest I have set for you."
Loki thought, letting himself run through the options and coming to the worst conclusion.
"If we do not return and rejuvenate, in time we would become mortal. Is that so?"
Odin nodded, confirming his suspicions. "In time you would forget you were of Asgard. You would forget this realm and you would die on Westeros. As simple men, not princes."
The punishment was elegant in its cruelty. Loki trusted that had Laufey heard of the punishment they had earned, he would be suitably satisfied.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
"You're the intelligent one, the diplomat. I trust you to keep the group on the right track, Loki."
He felt the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders already pinning him down even before he got there.
"We must prepare for our journey. It will be a long and we know little about this new realm that is to be our home."
Loki had started to do a little research on this strange new world they were being sent to. After an extensive trawl of the Palace archives he had found a few dusty volumes right at the back dealing with Westeros and its culture.
I am expected to keep us all alive for long enough that we can succeed in our mission. If Thor and his bunch of friends had any idea of the stakes, they would not be as confident as they are. This is a slow miserable exile, and our chances of success are slim.
"Are you not excited by our mission, brother?" Thor said , barging into his rooms. "We have the chance to explore a new realm. To achieve great deeds in a world that needs heroes! Things have turned out well, have they not?"
Loki looked up from his tome. "Since it is meant to be punishment, no I am not, Thor-"
His brother had the grace to looks slightly chastened for a moment before his own natural exuberance took over again.
"Father is giving us the chance to earn back our honour and aid a beleaguered realm. We will all be together again. It will be a great adventure!"
"More like it will be a great inconvenience." grumbled Loki, losing his place in the spell-book for the fifth time. He closed giving up on the subject for now. It would be impossible to concentrate with Thor bouncing round his room like an over excited puppy. He simply couldn't help himself.
"Come, we must make sure we have everything we need. This is going to be a long quest and we must be prepared." he contented himself with saying
Like or not they were on the way to this new realm and they would have to make the best of it. The knowledge that their return and survival hinged on their success and they would be no more than mortal men troubled Loki.