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Here is our second chapter, again, a disclaimer that I do not own any of these characters and that I am simply taking them out to play.

Merick

Part 2

"The casket resides in the hands of an organization that calls itself SHIELD." Thor nodded, recalling the men who had first tried to stop Jane, and who had then put her in their service, recognizing her talents. They were brave men who had stood against the defender when Loki had sent it to destroy him. Thor also remembered his admiration of them, and their purpose. Heimdall continued his story when bidden by Odin, his king. "I have had glimpses of it, though someone is attempting to shield its exact location from me." His deep, monotone voice emphasized the seriousness of the situation.

"Loki." Thor whispered.

"I believe as much my prince. There is a scientist, one of the men who has worked with Jane Foster, he is called Eric Selvig. He has been asked to examine the casket, but as I have watched him, I have seen times when he seems to understand more of the device than he should. And just as suddenly that knowledge seems to flee from him. I believe that he is under the control of Loki."

"To what end do the humans seek knowledge of the casket?" Thor asked his father, wanting to put all the pieces in place. He had learned that rushing to conclusions was not the most prudent method of action; and that there was no shame in asking a question to garner information from another. He had left his pride in the New Mexico desert, and a measure of his foolhardiness as well.

"It is to the same end as all the others who have taken it. They believe that if they can harness its power that they will have an advantage over their enemies."

"All but you Father." Thor noted.

Odin nodded slowly. Ever since his acquisition of the casket from the Jotun, Odin had kept it sealed away, guarded by the magic of Asgard, so that none would be tempted by it, none but Loki.

"Do they have the ability to direct its power?"

"They are our kin, separated only by time, it is by no means inconceivable that one of them could summon its magics."

"Loki himself may offer them the key, as a method to gain their trust."

"Another possible outcome my son."

The two men stared into the abyss, as if they could glimpse some of what Heimdall related, pondering the implications of their own statements about kin. Odin's forehead wrinkled and his shoulders sagged with the burden of his knowledge.

"He must not be allowed to do this Thor." His heart was heavy as he spoke. He had no wish to send one of his sons against the other, but it seemed that again there was little choice.

"Then I too will jump from the Bifrost, and hope that my landing takes me to Midgard, where I may stop my brother." A hand on his forearm held Thor back from the edge.

"There may be another way Thor." His father's voice was calm, and his words resonated with ancient wisdom as he turned from his son, back to his loyal friend. "Thank you Heimdall for your continued service to the realm."

Heimdall bowed silently to his king and then his prince and finally cast his all-seeing eyes outwards. The other two men turned, again Thor falling in step behind his father, his mind still unsettled, but with a warmth in his heart that somehow he might yet return to Midgard to find his brother, and fulfill his promise to Jane, and Agent Coulson, to be the protector of their world, as once his father had been.

"Yggdrasil offers many branches to travel between the worlds; though they remain hidden to most, unless sought out by great need or by magic." Odin spoke as he walked, not looking back to his son, but knowing that Thor would hear every word, and understand every nuance.

"Such were the paths that Loki used to make his bargains with the Jotun."

"And he opened them with the strength of his desires."

"My desires are no less powerful than his Father."

"I know this to be true my son, but your powers are different. Mjolnir is not a subtle weapon, and such things open hidden pathways far more easily. You will take Sleipnir. His footing will be steady and will deliver you to Midgard quickly." The eight-legged beast was the pride of Odin's stables, and had ridden to Hel and back with the All-Father, he feared no mortal or immortal. His connection to Loki was also not lost on Thor, not that the gods spoke of his birth very often. It had been a calculated action on Loki's part, and no more was said.

The men strode through the ground floor hallways of the palace, now lit by torches, the sun having set fully, not stopping for anything, not that anyone would dare to interfere in the path of the All-Father and the prince. They bore determined looks on both their faces, minds racing with the task at hand and how it might be accomplished. They passed straight through to the stables at the outer courtyard of the building, servants bowing their heads respectfully and opening the vast doors. Odin's stables were massive, he had hundreds of horses, enough to carry a vast army of his warriors to any corner of the realm, but no horse was as strong, or as large as Sleipnir, and Odin insisted on saddling the beast himself, dismissing his groom with nothing but a look.

"My son," He began, knowing Thor would understand his implied haste. Though Loki had been in Midgard for many months, his actions had suddenly drawn the interest of Heimdall, and Odin knew that meant that Loki was either becoming reckless out of frustration, or purpose, either motivation indicating that whatever his plan was, that it was growing close to action. "The safety of all the realms lies in returning that casket to Asgard, where it can be kept from evil action."

"I understand Father."

"But Loki is your brother, if anyone besides your mother can make him listen to reason and return to his family it is you. Please Thor, bring him home."

Odin rarely let his emotions show, and Thor understood that when he did it was a great gesture, and one of pure honesty. Loki was loved and missed, even though Odin could not acknowledge it publically. Other denizens of Asgard did not understand what had driven Loki to do as he did, and they held him responsible for pushing them to the edge of war again. They were not wrong, but they were guided only by their anger. Odin had not spoken out against his youngest son, but he was one of the few. Even the warriors three and Sif had made their opinions known while Odin and Thor had remained mum.

"For your mother Thor." Were Odin's words as he handed the reins to his eldest son. It was understood what was meant. Hammer slung at his hip, Thor stepped into the stirrup and cast his leg over the broad back of the horse, taking up the reins in both hands and patting the beast's withers solidly. He watched as the horse bent his neck to Odin, to receive some whispered communication, then with a whinny and a toss of his head he turned in his stall and stepped out into the vast stable proper, taking his charge to the pathway.

"I shall see you soon Father."

"You have only to call out to Heimdall and we will send horses for you and your brother to return home. Ride safely my son, and beware you do not stop for anything on your journey. The hidden pathways hold their own dangers and temptations. Be not dissuaded from your purpose."

"I shall ride swiftly Father."

Sleipnir's steady footfall turned to a canter, and as he emerged from the building, quickly accelerated to a gallop. The night wind blew through Thor's hair; he had not thought to tie it back that day, not having expected any of what had transpired. The citizens of Asgard stopped their tasks to watch as he passed; speculating on what his purpose might be astride the mighty warhorse, riding outside the city, his eyes focused on something they could not guess at. They could only remark at the fire within them, and wonder if he was off on some noble quest; one that would be told of in song for generations.

Thor had never been prideful enough to believe that he knew every corner of Asgard. In truth in was a vast land, and his life to that point had taken him to many parts of it, but certainly not all. With the speed of his horse he was quickly beyond the great golden city at its heart and rushing across fields where he had played as a child, and learned to hone his skills with his brother Loki, and his brothers and sister in arms, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg and Sif. They had ranged far on their adventures but Sleipnir took him even farther, at a pace that never varied, not until they came a grove of trees, hours into their journey, an ancient grove that once you crossed into nearly blocked out the sky. Only then did the steed slow, and take more careful steps. Thor understood that the passage was there and squinted into the blackness for a sign.

It came as his horse brushed against the largest tree trunk of the copse, and Thor felt the odd sensation of being drawn into a different air mass than the warmth and dry of the Asgard night; suddenly it was all gone. What rose was the dank taste and feel of moss and rot and the vision of a bioluminescence that seemed to spring from the very walls of the passage Thor now found himself in. If Yggdrasil truly was a tree, then this was its root system. Lichen and tendrils seemed to hang from the roof of the place, with hair-like projections from every twisted branch. Sleipnir began to pick his way forward, still steady, but more wary. Thor could see the glimmer of eyes seeming to appear from the earth around them, but he kept his own focused straight ahead, and kept his hand off the pommel of Mjolnir. As the horse ducked, so did he, avoiding contact with all but the smallest and most invasive of the roots. He busied his mind with plans of how he would find his brother, and what he would say to him to convince him to leave off any evil plans he had in Midgard, and to return home. He also allowed thoughts of Jane to creep into his heart, thoughts he had been holding in check, knowing that the importance of his task was not to find her, and kindle a connection he had felt since he had left her behind. But since SHIELD figured in all of this, he knew that seeing her would be permissible in the course of his quest, and he knew that his Father and Mother would understand; especially his Mother who had asked no end of questions about the woman he tried to avoid speaking about.

It seemed a great deal of time had passed to Thor as the two picked their way through the close passage. The silence, beyond the footfall of the horse was beginning to play tricks on his mind he thought, as voices seemed to rise from the walls themselves.

"God of Thunder." Was the low whisper he picked out, words that were repeated over and over, slowly until he was quite certain that his mind was not playing tricks on him, and that someone, or something was calling to him

"Stop and speak for awhile God of Thunder, prince of Asgard."

Thor dug his knees into the flanks of his mount, urging him forward.

"You go to seek Loki, prince of Jotunheim and Asgard." The voices goaded him. "Stop and let us prophesize for you."

He continued forward in silence.

"Will you not stop and hear how your brother tries to seduce the Lady Jane. Will you not stop and hear how she speaks with him?"

Thor's knuckles whitened with his hold on the reins. Heimdall had not spoken of any such relationship. Could he have not seen it? He was all-seeing, but that did not mean that he saw all of what transpired in every world. Could Loki have been hiding his attempts to corrupt Jane to his ways? He could offer such scientific threads as might interest her. But no, she continued to seek him, Thor, her heart was pure. She spoke to the stars for his ears alone. He would not let the voices of the hags draw him into leaving the path, for then he would surely be lost. He kept his hand steady, and tried to quiet a heart that wished to do nothing more than take the mighty Mjolnir and crush the heads of those who tried to turn his heart and mind to poison. With a deep breath he again urged Sleipnir forwards.

Next chapter, a look into Jane's world