Like Lambs to the Slaughter

He sat on the floor examining his toes. They were quite interesting - though despite his acute study he could not quite grasp their purpose. Making a mental note to ask his older brother - for he always knew the answers to everything (even the most complex of matters) - Loki stood and dusted himself off. It was not that the floor of the palace was so filthy that dirt and grime inevitably attached themselves to one's person but the fact was that Loki had not just been sitting quietly. No. He had ventured abroad and crawled under, over, through, and between every piece of furniture he could fit past and being but four that was quite a lot. While Thor was accompanying Father in walking about the village - an occupation that Loki found boring at best - he had to amuse himself. The young prince would much rather be exploring 'caves' and battling giant monsters - more commonly known as 'dust bunnies.' Though these escapades were slightly harder when one did not have a playmate, Loki managed quite well and in the process, had invented a grand new adventure for Thor and himself to go on - once his brother returned.

He ran his fingers through his tangled, black hair to brush away any cobwebs that had nested there from his exploits. His fingers snagged on the curls knotted well past his shoulders. Loki was proud of his shining raven hair; it set him off as different from his brother. Though he didn't see why his mother seemed to love stroking his locks when he sat upon her lap before bed. Every night she paid particular attention to the winding curls near the end.

Having finished with his own impromptu brushing, Loki darted to the banquet hall in the next room, where a lavish dinner was being laid out. He slid under the nearest table and reached his small hand up and over the edge. Blindly he searched for the nearest plate of sweets and so intent was he on his mission that he failed to notice the pair of boots that were suddenly standing in front of his hiding place.

Volstagg took a tart and placed it at the end of the table. He raised his eyebrows as the small hand snatched it up and nipped back under the tablecloth. He then helped himself the several handfuls and dare I say, pocketfuls of the same flaky sweets. He had to admit that running messages had its perquisites…

Without making a sound, Loki poked his head out at the far end of the long table. Upon seeing the older youth standing by the tart tray, Loki gave a small sigh of relief - fortunately, his thievery had not been witnessed. He had only known Volstagg for a short while but Loki had made it a point to avoid him. Moreover, while Thor seemed greatly to enjoy the attention that the older youth paid him, Loki didn't care for him or his friends. This fact could have to do with their first meeting several months ago…

It had been late in the evening and though Loki and Thor both knew it was close to their bedtime, they had managed to evade their mother, Frigga, and slip into the vast hallway. Thor decided that if they remained flush with the wall they would go unnoticed. They did just that and crept off. Thor rounded the corner first and Loki was about to follow, when a large hand came in front of him and stopped him in his tracks. He jumped backwards startled and stumbled away from his captor. There were several hearty laughs and then the owner of the hand spoke, "Where are you little princes going?" Volstagg, as he would soon know him by, pulled his hand away as Thor peeked from around the corner to see what was keeping his brother.

"We're on a mission," Thor answered for the both of them. He was referring to the imaginary game that the brothers had been playing before Frigga so rudely tried to send them to bed.

Another young man with blond hair and a flashing smile joined in the conversation, "What sort of mission?"

"We are invading Jotunheim!" Although at Thor's age, the exact pronunciation came out sounding more akin to 'joken-him…'

Loki did not like it when the two older lads laughed again - they were laughing at them! He crossed his arms and dropped his head, looking up at them as dangerously as a little mite could. That was when he noticed there was a third - they were surrounded!

"Jotunheim? Well that is a dangerous place to be - those Frost Giants can be rather unruly," Volstagg rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully.

"How would you know?" Loki muttered, still glaring at the young adults.

The blond, Fandral, quickly answered, "Why we've been to Jotunheim. Haven't we, Hogun?"

The other lad raised an eyebrow but made no response to his friend's proclamation.

Loki rolled his eyes dramatically but Thor practically jumped up and down, "You have?"

"Of course we have!" Volstagg said.

"Tell us!" Thor was standing on tiptoe in his excitement.

The three older youths shared quick glances before they willingly sat down in the dark hall and told all their adventures on Jotunheim. Alas, having never been to that frigid land themselves, this task proved to be difficult but also interesting.

Although the gore was slightly exaggerated and the exploits bordering on ridiculous, Thor drank in every word they spoke. While the stories thrilled Thor to no end, Loki felt his entire body chill at their vivid descriptions. He could even feel himself shaking out of fear at the terrifying images that their artistic tales weaved throughout his mind. It was not the Frost Giants that scared him so, but the other creatures that resided on Jotunheim. The images of gnashing teeth, so very close to enclosing around Asgardian flesh, was what set his skin crawling.

Loki was more than thankful when Frigga found them sitting in the middle of the hallway. He was even more grateful when she bent down and picked him up before telling Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogan to take their frightening stories and go home. Loki clung to her and buried he his head against her shoulder while his brother practically bounced in excitement as visions of battles to be fought and won danced through his head.

No. Loki did not like Volstagg… Not at all. Though Volstagg was quite unaware of this undue disdain - he unquestioningly thought that the child was shy and held a small soft spot for the withdrawn little boy.

Loki wiped the crumbs off his face with his sleeve and quickly left the room, before any of that large boy's comrades appeared. He did not intend to be subjected to anymore 'entertaining' tales...

He went to one of the large windows overlooking the city below. His small shoulders moved up and then down in a deep exhale. He was bored now. That was not a good mood for him to be in any day. For when Loki was bored, he got creative. And when he got creative, he got mischievous. And when he got mischievous, he got in trouble…

However, Loki never got the chance to get into trouble… At that moment, Thor burst into the room full of unquenchable, untamable, energy as usual. He had something behind his back. Cocking his head, Loki questioned his brother, "What's that?"

Thor pulled out a large pair of shears that the ram herder's use to shear their flock, "Father wouldn't let me try them while we were out - so I brought them home."

Loki didn't bother to ask Thor how he managed to bring the object in question back - there was no need… What Thor wanted he mainly received - if not from Father from someone else. "What are you going to use them for?" Loki observed the sharp blades with a wary eye.

"We can each cut a piece of our hair and give it to Mother."

"Why would we want to do that?"

"Girls give Fandral bits of their hair all the time. He seems to like it - so should Mother!"

Loki didn't like that his brother was so fascinated with the older youths. Thor was supposed to be his playmate - not theirs. Those three were not as wonderful as Thor imagined they were. What Thor found so amazing about everything they did was beyond Loki.

Nevertheless, Loki loved his brother and his brother's ideas were usually good ones - even if they were inspired by those Loki found distasteful - he decided to go along with it. He nodded tentatively.

"I'll go first," Thor said, gently pushing Loki down so that his brother was sitting and he had a better view of his project.

"Why do you get to go first?" Loki asked, gulping slightly as he gazed upon the shears.

"Because," Thor looked absolutely thunderstruck, "I am the oldest."

Loki wrapped his hand around his right knee, gripping it tightly as if having a lock of his hair cut was going to hurt. He gulped and closed his eyes, "Go ahead…" Though he said it, he didn't really mean it.

Thor stood behind him and slid the shears behind the mass of black hair. He intended to use the inner part of the clippers to snip off a smidgen of the black mane. He would let Loki go next and then they would have a present for their mother.

Slowly moving the shears little bit by little bit, Thor heard the distinct metallic, crunching sound that the scissors made across his brother's hair. He had just cut a little patch - perfect for Mother. That was until his hand slipped…

The shears lurched forward and snapped shut - taking the bottom half of Loki's hair with them. Thor was too startled to gasp. His brother's hair lay in a pile at his feet and the crooked, sloppy line that was before him was quite horrendous to gaze upon.

Loki opened one eye, "Are you done yet?"

Silence.

"Are you done yet, Thor?"

"Um."

"Wha?"

"Hold on. I just need to even it up a bit. Sit still."

"What do you mean?" Loki said, a slight edge to his voice. He tried to crane his head around to look at his brother but Thor quickly put his hand on the back of his neck to keep him facing forward.

"Sit still, brother," Thor hastily lifted the large shears again and slipped the left hand side of Loki's hair between them. Snip. The scissors cut cockeyed again and now, while the right side listed downwards, the left side jutted up at a sharp angle.

Thor's normally cheery, little face was grim - what was he going to do? Maybe - if fortune smiled on him - Mother would not notice… He looked at Loki's slaughtered hair again - fortune would not be so kind…

Slowly, Thor laid the shears down on the floor beside his brother. "Loki," he paused - how could he tell him that he - who was supposed to protect and guide him - had mangled his hair? "Loki - I need to tell you something." Surely, his brother would understand. After all, it was only a mistake - and it would grow back… He hoped.

Thor stepped back and let a now standing Loki see the heap of hair behind him. Loki blinked several times before crossing his arms and plopping back down on the ground. Thor cringed - he could not stand to have his brother angry with him. What to do? What to do? It was as if lighting struck him! Thor had a plan!

"I'll be right back," he called as he ran out of the room.

Loki sat with his head down in shame; he wiped angry tears from his eyes with his hand and huddled into himself. Why did he let his brother talk him into this? How he wanted to chop off Thor's hair now! However, as quick as that thought entered his mind, it vanished - Loki didn't want to make Thor as miserable as he was. If only it were someone else! Then he would have no qualms about subjecting them to wretchedness!

Thor came back presently, carrying several bits of ribbon; Loki assumed they were their mother's for tying her hair back. Scooping up the mound of black locks, Thor speedily tied the mess into a bundle. He looked at his handiwork with a sense of pride, then took another ribbon, and tied it to the bunch as well. Using the same ribbon, Thor then attached it to the remaining shreds of his brother's hair. He surveyed his creation. Not bad. Not bad at all. Well... At least it was better than what it was...

"It's fixed!" Thor said, smiling at Loki. Now his brother would not be quite as upset. He felt his shoulders relax and his chest felt lighter.

Loki reached back and touched the makeshift repair. He gulped down another small sob and nodded at Thor. Trying to force a smile, he felt his face sag under the weight of the strained action.

Thor could tell that Loki was still experiencing regret at his loss. But what more could he do? He dare not cut it again. The only thing he could do was leave it as it was and give his brother time to recover. Feeling like he had done all he could and wanting to let Loki have some space, Thor laid the shears over his shoulder and carried them out of the room - leaving Loki to his own devices once again. Loki hid behind a large chair.

He remained that way well into the evening and halfway through dinner. Lying prone on his stomach, Loki tried to keep his thoughts off his indignant haircut. Although, the more he tried not to think about it - the more he thought about it… How could he face anyone when his own, young self-respect was shattered?

It was amidst these thoughts that Loki heard the sound of footsteps approaching his hideaway. Frigga came around the chair and looked down at him with loving eyes. Loki, who had twisted his head around to see who was invading his privacy, turned away, refusing to meet her gaze.

Frigga knelt down next to him and stroked his back. "Thor told me what happened when you didn't come for dinner. He is very sorry, Loki." When Loki did not respond, Frigga continued, "Come here." She lifted him under his arms and pulled his stiff, unwilling body to her. She passed her fingers through what was left of his hair, smiled slightly, and said, "It's not so bad. We can fix this."

Loki hung his head and his mother wrapped her arms around him and scooped him up, carrying him to her room. She set him down on the bed. A moment later she brought over a pair of scissors - far more delicate looking than the unfriendly shears Thor had earlier. Though it broke her heart to do so, she gently snipped away at his hair; lessening the sorry state that it was in and making it much more pleasant to the eye. Although reduced from its former glory, Loki's locks were presentable.

While Frigga held a mirror for Loki to see his reflection, he looked from his own face into hers, "Is Thor in trouble?" And while he truly wished that she was not angry with his brother, Loki hated the part of him that hoped she was.

Laying the mirror down at her dressing table, Frigga turned back and looked at her son, "No. However, I intend to set both of you down and let you know how foolish and dangerous your actions were. Neither of you are to play with those again."

Loki nodded sheepishly - he had not thought that he was as much to blame as his brother, being as how he was the one victimized. Upon further consideration, he knew deep down that he should not have agreed to Thor's suggestion in the beginning.

Sliding off the bed Loki took his leave, Frigga following close behind. Motherly instinct told her that her youngest son would suffer unjust teasing. She hoped that Thor would not allow his little playmates to torment him - harmless fun as they thought it was. She didn't doubt that the three young men Thor admired would be kind. Roguish as they were, they had good hearts. Thor followed them like a playful colt and Loki followed Thor like a lost lamb. The image brought a smile to her lips and Frigga swiftly stroked the back of Loki's head one final time.

She had ample faith in Thor's good judgment on the head that he would not let any taunts plague his sensitive brother. But when it came to Loki's head - or hair to be more specific - she doubted Thor's shrewdness…

Tucked away in a small drawer at her dressing table, lay a little bundle tied up with a ribbon - one of her most precious possessions…

A/N Somehow I feel like I should apologize… This is my first "Thor" story and I am not sure how it turned out… Anyway - thank you for taking the time to read it and I hope that you enjoyed it. I hope that they were in character but I cannot swear to it. Little uns' are slightly different from adults and I hope that Loki wasn't too well behaved and Thor wasn't too reckless or thoughtless… Also I'm just following the live action movies (as well as the animated "Thor: Tales of Asgard" - I know - I'm five… ) - I'm not really going by the comics (not that I wont in the future)… I don't know exactly how much older Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun are supposed to be in the movie - but they don't appear to be too much older. I figure they are about late teens (in Asgardian years…) here, whereas Thor and Loki are more akin to five and four respectively.