Common Family

As he straightened from the bow, Gimli eyed the Elves around himself and Loki. It was unnerving that the Elves hadn't looked worried or shocked to see Loki in person. Since he knew all too well how much his love looked like an orc.

Loki's hand rested on his shoulder then, the jotun quipped in a whisper. "Stay calm, don't move or they'll...burst into dance."

Found himself guffawing as, stood beside Loki's shoulder, Lord Elrond whispered back, "I should hope not as I cannot."

It had him doubled over laughing even harder as Loki startled which was a rarity. Loki's braid swished as his head turned and the ruby red-eyes darted to the grey-eyed elf lord. An elf who admitted that he had flaws was yet another rarity. Of course, Father had told him stories of Elrond after returning from Erebor, not that he had believed them back then.

When he'd caught his breath and re-straightened he looked around the packed, incredibly long, grey-walled courtyard. Before the White Tree, Frodo and the other hobbits still stood on the grass, then he saw Father's white-haired head. The old dwarf was talking to the brown-haired hobbit about something. When had Father arrived ? Impulsively, he walked through the crowd towards his father and littlest friends.

Father grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, chuckling, "Hail Gimli, Lord of the Glittering Caves."

Pippin whispered, "They sure do look-alike, don't they, Merry ?"

Exasperated, Merry stated, "That's Gimli's Father, Pippin. They're supposed to look-alike."

"Oh, that explains it."

Father having spotted Loki and Lord Elrond asked, "That Icicle ain't here somewhere is he ? Why I could chop 'im down to size even now if'n he'd get off his great blue ass 'n fight me." Father ended it by throwing a slew of insults at Jotunheim's King, including fourteen for coward. Circumstances of Loki's blood aside, he laughed at them all.

Flashback

Under the curving wings of grey stone - the way to which was lined with great columns of twisting black-ice - Laufey sat on the white-ice throne. Said throne refused to melt under his glare and cause the jotun to fall on his ass. Set in the dark-sapphire skinned face the glowing, blood-red eyes flicked over him to Loki.

Laufey continuing his rant growled, "Why do you do this to Jotunheim, Loki ? Do you think the rest of the Jotnar would accept being ruled by a dwarf ? Even for a hundred years they would not. They do not share your...love for this thing. It is a greedy, hairy, foul-mouthed, stone-muncher just like all others of its kind. It is not worthy of your courtship even if its claim of being descended from Dwarven Kings is real, which I doubt, it is not a prince itself."

Being ignored had already made him annoyed, hearing Laufey call him, "It." was too much. Furious, he roared and rushed at the jotun king's throne, jumped onto its arm and swung his double-bladed axe at Laufey's neck. Only because Loki pulled him off the throne did his strike miss; the King of Jotunheim's face was smug.

Loki put him down and snarled, "Jotunheim ? You forget that you taught me how to lie. This is not about Jotunheim, this is about you. I am three-hundred years old, Father, not one-hundred and fifty as such I can make my own decisions. Perhaps by the time I return you will have accepted Gimli because I will never love one of our people as I do him."

He picked up his thin, mithril-chained pendant and cradled the odd jewel. Said jewel was half-ruby/half-sapphire and surrounded a brown-diamond - before willing himself back to Arda.

End Flashback

Father and Mother in contrast had happily accepted Loki into their family. As Loki had never known much of his family, besides his father and mother, having common family with anyone else was a boon to his love.

Gladly, Gimli answered, "No, the Icicle is not here. He's still stewing in Jotunheim."

Behind him, Loki greeted, "It's good to see you again, Gloin. I've missed you."

Father patted Loki's hand and squinted up at the jotun, "Aye, I've missed you too, lad."

Frodo spoke up, "When did you two meet, Gloin ?"

As Father thought he scratched at his beard, "It was about...oh, a year ago I'd reckon considering it was just before Gimli and the others moved to the Glittering Caves. Right, Loki ?"

Loki agreed, "It was about that time, yes. You five should come with us when Gimli and I return home. We managed to get a few of Jotunheim's plants to grow in the deepest, coldest caves I think you might enjoy seeing them, Samwise."

Sam, who'd been silent so far, shuffled his feet. "Gosh, I really would like to see them, Mr. Loki, but I don't know about Mr. Frodo. He hasn't liked underground places much since he got stabbed by Shelob, see ?"

Frodo countered, "I think that I could handle the Glittering Caves, Sam, they're not like Shelob's lair. After all, aren't they supposed to be lined with uncut jewels and huge blazing lanterns, Gimli ?"

He nodded and replied, "That they are. Ya'll be fine, Frodo, you've got your family with ya."

So, they made plans to depart the next week from Minas Tirith for the Glittering Caves.