"Brother! We must find the ruffians and show them the meaning of honor!" The eight year old Thor bellowed, storming across the courtyard.
"Honor! Honor! Honor!" The tiny five year old Loki parroted after him, trotting along the cobblestones. His fingers sparked with tiny green sparks, magical aptitude already showing at such a young age.
They reached the Throne room, and began pushing at the door, making very little progress, small as they were, even together.
The guard by the door smirked to himself. These boys. How Odin handled them, he didn't know. Slyly, arm barely outstretched from their usual position, he pushed at the door with one hand, helping it open whilst allowing the boys to believe it was their own feat of strength.
The tiny princes beamed at each other as the door slid open much easier now, their little feet running at it to create momentum.
"Told you Loki! Told you i was strongerer than you thought!"
Once inside the golden room, the boys stopped, for a mere moment. Somehow, despite seeing it nearly every day, the sheer size of the throne room never failed to surprise them.
"Shhh!" Thor giggled, hand outstretched, pointing to the shifting shadows in the corner. Their prey.
Little Loki grinned, his magic coming naturally, helping him blend into the walls of the grand room. Thor humphed. He wished he could do that.
Together, Thor keeping track of Loki by the soft pitter patter of his tiny feet, they crept around behind the glittering Throne, closer and closer to their target. Then Thor let out a mighty cry.
"WE WILL SMITE THESE JOTUN MONSTERS!"
Loki, knowing this to be his signal, pelted forwards, head down, straight for the enemy. Thor leapt as high as he could, grasping held of the red hair of the atrocious monster. The two brothers fought side by side, battle cries mixing together, as their captor released pleas for mercy.
"No! The mighty asgardian heroes have vanquished me!"
The deep voice of Odin spoke, though his chuckles were barely restrained. He allowed himself to be pulled to the floor in a rare moment of open indignity. He stayed for a moment, until he felt the boys were tiring of beating him into submission with their tiny fists. He was concerned they would hurt each other by accident, and so he twisted round, pulling Loki from his legs, where the youngtest prince had a tight hold, and removing Thor from his beard. He held the boys in his arms.
"And now I, the evil Laufey of Jotunheim, have captured YOU. And your punishment is to be..."
Odin refrained from laughing out loud as he saw the looks of terror that crossed their faces at the thought of punishment.
"Ice cream!"
Two simultaneous grins greeted these words. Thor was practically glowing with pride, both for himself and his brother.
"You see brother? Our bravery shall be rewarded! I mean...punished" He corrected, grinning up at his father. Loki giggled happily, still clutched in Odin's right arm, as the almighty Allfather took his little adventurers to the kitchens for ice cream, and then inevitably, baths.
His boys. His brave little warriors.