Chapter 2

At least Loki had managed to convince Thor to wait until the next morning before leaving, to give them time to prepare sufficiently for their 'adventure' ahead. It was truly remarkable what Thor had failed to take into account. If it was down to him then they would set off to face the Sky Serpents with nothing but the clothes on their backs, a sword in hand and their steeds to ride upon. He would have been lamenting the lack of foresight to bring food within the first hour. This left Loki to make a list of items they would need while his brother looked over his shoulder.

"Food, healing stones," the elder prince read, "rope?" He looked at his younger brother. "Why in the Nine Realms would we need rope?"

Loki sighed, amazed that he could be related to such a fool. "We are going to a ravine and you plan to clamber around it—that is why."

"There is a path; I have heard the men in the tavern speak of it."

"Which leads through a mist so thick that even Heimdall's gaze cannot pierce it."

"But, we have the Eye; we'll be able to see."

"And if we are separated? Or it only allows me to see? We don't know how it works. What if one of us needs to wander? What if the road is too damaged to be used? It's not been maintained since before the Sky Serpents came two thousand years ago. Have you taken any of these components into account?"

Thor shook his head. "You worry too much, brother."

Having had enough, Loki dropped his quill, crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair. "No rope, no me."

Thor sighed. "Very well, I will find some cord-"

"Not just one among all of us. Make sure we each have a coil," Loki insisted, "and a good length. Bring the thin rope that's been strengthened; we should be able to take twice as much that way."

"You worry too much," his brother grumbled again.

"And you not enough."

"Which is why I have you," Thor tried to flatter his sibling, but Loki only rolled his eyes in return. "Anything else you would like to weigh us down with?"

Loki frowned down at the page. "Make sure we have enough food for at least two days." He picked up his pen again. "…Perhaps a roll of bandages would be prudent. Money, naturally. Flint for fire, blankets…" as he continued on, Thor continued to pull faces.

"So much?" He asked when Loki had finished. "Shall we take horses or a wagon?"

The younger, and infinitely wiser, prince ignored the jibe. "Horses and saddlebags will suffice for the six of us. Now we will have to think of an excuse for Mother and Father, which will also dissuade them from sending guards with us. I think a picnic under the Great Oak should be adequate…"

Despite Thor's complaining, he and his friends did as they were asked, knowing that they had little choice in the matter. The next morning they were in the stable yard at the crack of dawn, ready to go, but not particularly happy about the early start. Sif was still pulling her hair back into a high ponytail when she arrived. They each sent Loki withering glares as they swung up into their saddles, horses prepared by the early morning stable boys. Hogun was the only one who refrained, looking fresher than all the others, bar Loki, combined. Really, they were the ones that had wanted the adventure—Loki was just ensuring that they did it properly.

Fandral looked by the far the worst. His usually perfect hair was mussed and he had apparently left his normal coquettish and loquacious self in bed. Out of all of Thor's friends, Loki found that Fandral usually was the most agreeable. He was always willing to talk and banter, though perhaps only because the blond liked the sound of his own voice. He did have an extraordinary ego even larger than Thor's that was distasteful to Loki, but at least he was easy to talk to. It was almost the reverse with Volstagg. The large boy's genial attitude and good-humour made him hard to dislike, though his appetite went some way towards countering that. However he had nothing to say to Loki and vice versa. The only common ground between them was Thor, not a topic that lent itself to casual conversation.

Loki pulled his cloak tighter against the chill in the spring air, nudging his horse forward to catch up to his brother as they trotted through the city. The streets were quiet, not yet awake but merely stirring. They could see the lanterns from behind closed doors of shops as the owners prepared to open for another day of business while the food stores were already setting out their wares for the servants' early shopping before their masters woke and demanded breakfast. They only stopped once, when they passed a bakery and Thor was enticed by the smells, demanding that they break their fast with fresh sweet bread, and Volstagg heartily agreeing. It only set them back a few minutes, and with clear streets, they made it out of the city within the hour, emerging onto the South Road.

It was busier here, unsurprisingly. There were a few travellers, but most were merchants and farmers making their way to the market with their wares. The Sun had cleared the horizon, chasing away the chill, as Loki watched the world around him move. It was so different from how he'd seen it in the past. Out among the common people, with no guard or royal signal, no one saw the princes of Asgard. They were just a group of friends, possibly wealthy, out for a ride. It gave the young prince a whole new perspective on the world, on the realm outside the palace. He had thought that the lack of attention would annoy him; instead he found it rather thrilling. Here he rode, and not a single person realised that they were passing their princes. In fact, it was Sif who was recognised.

"Little Sif!" The group turned round in their saddles to see a patrol man, a captain if his cloak clasp was anything to go by, trot up to them. He slowed his horse to ride beside the young woman, his patrol riding a respectable distance behind them. "What are you doing out so early this morning? Looking for adventure?"

"Naturally," their friend replied, all ease and pleasantness. Loki doubted she would be if she could hear the slight patronising tone that coloured the man's comment. "One does not become a great warrior and hero by sitting in the parlour and embroidering dresses."

The man chuckled. "Much to your mother's dismay, Little Sif."

The girl winced, changing the subject. "I'm not little anymore, cousin. I'm sixteen."

Ah, so this was Captain Herleif, only son of the Lord Commander and, of course, cousin to their good lady friend. Loki saw the similarities now, a likeness in their features, not close enough to be siblings, but enough for a vague family resemblance. Their hair was exactly the same shade though: that deep, bright blonde that looked like spun gold. That colour made Sif the envy of all the women of court. Hair that, when twisted and played with between her long fingers, got her whatever she wanted… Loki hated it. There was no wit behind it, no intelligence. Achievement should come from clever words and skill. It should come from a sharp mind and smooth words, not pretty locks or long lashes. It was a tactic below the female fighter and demeaned her, not to mention being counter-productive to all she strove for.

Loki believed that it was the Captain's house, or more specifically his father's house, that Sif had been sent to as ward. He supposed that the girl's father had hoped the move would quash the girl's inappropriate interests.

The captain laughed. "You will never be anything but 'little' to me. Even when you are four thousand and are the most feared and bloodthirsty warrior in all the realms."

Sif huffed. "And you will forever be the bane of my existence."

The man's eyes flew wide. "I? Your bane? Who taught you to wield a sword?"

"Oh, so now you are willing to admit it."

"Only outside of earshot of my father and uncle. Though considering all, I believe one day I may proudly declare to all my hand in your rise to glory."

'All things considered?' Ah, yes. Sif's interest in a warrior's path had led her along the same path as Thor. Undoubtedly her family prayed that this friendship would blossom into more. Loki smirked. For that to happen, Thor would have to remember that Sif was a girl and not just another one of his male friends. Besides, the lady was not currently concerned with such matters; her energy was spent on other battles. If she wanted to achieve her dream, she would have to do so with only her own drive to aid her. Sif's determination was admirable, even when she went against her kin's wishes. The strength she displayed was so different to Thor's, but at the same time was never paled by it, not in Loki's opinion. It was just a shame that she was so cantankerous at times.

Sif missed the implication in her cousin's words though, subtle as it was and caught up in the more overt conversation. "You only taught me because you have no brothers and tired of a house full of women."

"Naturally," and he reached over to playfully ruffle her hair, or as much as he could with it tightly bound back. "Aye, little Sif, you are the brother I never had."

The girl pushed away the hand moodily, but the twitch of her lips and the bright sparkle in her eyes betrayed how pleased she was by the comment. When she spoke again, it was to address the 'little' comment. "If I were on Midgard, I would be married by now."

Loki sighed as Herleif threw back his head and laughed. Really, Sif, that was not the best comment to make to prove any of your points.

"I did not know that you were so eager to wed." The lady blushed a furious crimson. "Do not worry, I am sure that father and uncle will be thrilled by this news. Especially if it results in a union between you and a certain-"

Loki did not need to be half as clever as he was to know what Herleif was about to say. Fortunately for them all, he choose that moment to look up and around at her group. As soon as his eyes landed on the two princes looking over their shoulders from the front, he snapped his mouth shut. His eyes widened, in genuine surprise this time, while Loki resisted rolling his. Really, was it such a revelation? He sincerely hoped the captain conducted his patrols with more thought than his conversations.

Captain Herleif hastily bowed as much as he could when mounted, his fist over his heart. "Your Graces, I did not see you. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I meant no disrespect."

"There is nothing to apologise for," Thor brushed aside the apology. "This was far droller."

The anxious look only faded a little, his eyes flittering between his cousin and prince. "I was not alerted that you would be travelling today."

"A small fancy that took me this morning. I wished to ride out."

"So early?" It would appear that the good lady's cousin was not stupid—Loki would give him that much.

"There is nothing like a ride in the crisp spring air."

"No, Highness," but the man seemed no less relaxed, his eyes drifting to their full saddle bags. A little more aware than usual, Thor rushed on.

"Of course, if one is to be up at the crack of dawn to ride, then it seems like a great shame to waste the rest of the day. Do you not agree?"

"A shame indeed," Herleif agreed, though clearly not convinced. "And, if I may be so bold to ask, where are you headed on your latest adventure?"

Thor hesitated, clearly not expecting anyone besides their parents to question them. Loki was tempted to leave him to it, curious to see how badly his brother would handle this. He didn't particularly want to reach their destination, much less embark on their quest itself, but to have it end here simply stole all of their fun away.

"The Great Oak," Loki smoothly cut in. It was an appropriate lie, explaining both their bags and their ropes. The Great Oak was the tallest tree in the realm, as tall as the palace and rumoured to have the most beautiful flowers on the topmost branches. Which was ridiculous—oaks didn't have flowers. So, either the rumour was a lie or the tree was not an oak. No one was sure of this rumour though, as only one man had ever reached the top, and that had been before their father's reign. "We wish to be the first for many millennia to reach its peak and bring back one of the flowers for our mother."

Herleif smiled, but his air did not change much and the manner in which he 'relaxed' was forced. Thor took to the story like a duck to water.

"Yes, we wish to surprise Mother, so you must not tell anyone. Understood, Captain?"

Herleif slowly nodded, knowing when he was being given a command. "Of course, Your Grace, but allow my men and me to accompany you to the Great Oak. The roads can be dangerous and we would not want anything to befall you."

Thor straightened in his saddle. "No need, we…" he shot a glance at his brother.

"As you say," Loki continued, "the roads can be dangerous, and there are many innocent civilians who need your protection. We would not want you to neglect you duties for six young warriors who are more than capable of handling anything that crosses their paths." He threw the man his most charming smile.

The Crown Prince was more effective in ending the conversation when he kicked his horse forward into a trot, leaving the others behind. His friends followed suit, Sif throwing a hasty farewell back to her cousin. Loki let his comrades pass him by, seeing Herleif watch the group go with a worried expression. The younger prince slowed his horse until he was level with the captain, taking pity on the man.

"We will look after your cousin," he tried to reassure the man.

Herleif turned to Loki and gave him a nod of thanks, but emotion still warred over his face—his duty to the royal family, his obedience to his prince's command and his concern for his cousin. The latter won out as he clenched his jaw and turned to the royal.

"May I speak out of turn, Your Grace?" Loki nodded, knowing what question would come next. "You do not plan to ride to the Great Oak, do you?"

Loki smirked. "No, we don't, but who knows? My brother may become rather fond of the idea."

"You ride somewhere dangerous?"

"Most places are dangerous, Captain."

"May I ask where you go?"

The sable haired prince grinned. "That much Thor will not forgive me for revealing." He would, but Loki would have to put up with weeks of sulking from his brother. More to the point, if the captain knew where they were really going, then he would be duty bound to stop them from reaching the gorge. They would not get halfway before they would be summoned back, and it would be centuries before Thor took him along on another one of his expeditions. His brother probably wouldn't talk to him for weeks.

The man looked more anxious than ever. Loki couldn't blame him. His princes and cousin were riding off into danger, not just one prince either, and the eldest boy in the party was only eighteen. Volstagg and Hogun were barely two years Thor's senior. If anything were to happen to the brothers, then their companions would be held as much to blame as the royals themselves.

"Do not fear, good captain. I highly doubt we will reach our destination. My brother is more easily distracted than a magpie. Something will take his fancy along the way, or the 'quest' will be too long and tedious and he will grow bored. We will return home after no more than a picnic and a pleasant ride. Who knows, as we reach the carfax, he may decide that the Great Oak is far more appealing."

Loki nudged his horse forward, to catch up with the others, leaving behind Captain Herleif, who looked significantly more troubled than he had at the beginning of the conversation.

(&)

As the morning drew on, the spring chill lifted from the air to be replaced by pleasant warmth, stirred by the occasional breeze that prevented the day from becoming too hot. The main road had been easy and swift to travel on, taking them a quarter of the way in a little over an hour, but they soon turned off onto a smaller road that would take them east northeast. They passed the crossroads that they could have taken to the Great Oak after four leagues, without Thor so much as hinting that he'd remembered their cover story. It was a little too much to hope for, but there was still time for the prince to lose interest. In the meantime, Loki was enjoying the company and banter of the group as they travelled down increasingly neglected roads. With farmlands and meadows as far as the eye could see, Thor was free to talk as loudly as he liked about their plans. Not that anything ever stopped him anyway; if Thor wanted to discuss something, he did. He rode at their head, between Sif and Fandral, fantasising about all the glory that would await them when they returned home victorious. Just behind him, Volstagg would add his own details to the spiel while, at the back, Loki and Hogun listened in silence.

"And titles," Volstagg threw in. "We shall have titles. 'Thor the Mighty!'"

Thor grinned, looking pleased with himself. Loki merely rolled his eyes. Sif was quick to rush in to make her opinion known. "No, it would be 'Thor the Sky Serpent Slayer.'"

"That is rather a mouthful," Fandral objected. "'Thor Serpent Slayer' has a better sound to it, do you not agree?"

Loki's brother pulled a face. "That sounds tame. 'Sky Serpent Slayer' has a grand ring to it." Loki didn't dare point out that there was no guarantee that Thor would be the one to slay the creature, if they even reached the valley and if they encountered a serpent at all. "But what of you, my friends?"

"I am already 'Fandral the Dashing,' to the ladies at least." There was that inflated ego again.

Sif snorted. "That is not what I hear them call you."

"I did not want to seem too arrogant with 'Fandral the Irresistible.'"

"It did begin with an 'I,' but it most certainly was not 'irresistible.'"

A look of shock and horror crossed Fandral's face, far too dramatic for it to be sincere. "Why, my good Lady Sif, you wound me with your words."

The friends laughed in good humour, Fandral's indignation slipping away as he was unable to maintain the act.

"What about me?" Volstagg asked.

"'Volstagg the Strong,'" Thor declared.

"Or 'the Stout,'" Sif suggested, enjoying this new game.

"'The Rock,'" Fandral's more poetic suggestion came, and Loki could no longer resist his own contribution.

"'Volstagg the Barathrum.'"

The heavy youth thought for a moment before trying the name out on his tongue, his voice rumbling dramatically in a manner that not even Thor could manage yet. "'Volstagg the Barathrum'… I like it!"

"It means 'insatiable' or 'pit,'" Hogun informed them, his tone so level that Loki could not tell if he disapproved of his suggestion or not.

Thor certainly didn't, as he threw his head back and laughed. "That is apt." He turned back to his sibling, beaming with approval. "Well played, brother."

Loki could have sworn that there was a little relief in those blue eyes as well, but before he could think too deeply on it, Fandral chuckled. "You cannot deny that it is a most accurate description of you."

Volstagg grinned. "Alas, I cannot, and I challenge anyone who would say otherwise. No one can match my hunger. Perhaps I should even take the name now."

Sif looked back to Loki, the barest hint of a sneer in her manner. "And what shall we call you? 'Loki the Reader'?"

The younger prince frowned at her in return. If the other boys, Volstagg included, took his comment in good humour, then why should she not?

Thor was watching him thoughtfully. "'Loki the Sharp.'"

Loki smiled back at his brother, thankful that the older boy simply ignored the girl's jab, or did not realise that it was one. He wasn't in the mood to hear his brother defend him unnecessarily. He inclined his head a little. "Thank you, but I am perfectly content with Loki Odinson."

"Then what of Hogun?" Thor rushed on.

"'Hogun the Silent,' of course," Fandral brushed aside the question. "What I am more curious to know is what we should call Sif." He grinned at his friend. "'Sif the Stringent'?"

"'Sif the Swift' more like. I am twice as fast as any of you."

"Ha, you have been dreaming again."

"You think so?" She suddenly kicked her horse into a gallop, calling over her shoulder, "Beat me across the bridge then!"

Fandral nudged his horse into action with a shout, Thor following after them, unable to resist a challenge, even if it had not been issued to him. While Volstagg sped up to a trot, he did not seriously take part, but rather shouted encouragement to his friends. Loki grinned as he shook his head. This certainly was more entertaining than his books. He could see why Thor had taken to spending his weekends on his 'adventures' if this was what it was like. Maybe it was time for him to join his brother more.

When Thor first started venturing away from home, Loki had been relieved at the peace his brother's absence granted him. With no Thor constantly by his side chattering and dragging him off to one place or another, he had been free to read all he liked and do what he wanted. He had more time to practice his magic, a skill that Thor failed to appreciate sufficiently, and his finesse with the art had greatly increased over the last couple of years. When he realised what this peace was costing him though, he tried to join them, only to be told unequivocally that he was too young and that he should stay with his books. More recently, Loki had simply been out of place amongst the close rapport of the group, leaving him feeling isolated and increasingly distant from his brother. Better to hide away with his own interests and see his brother when he had him to himself. No friends, no boredom from dull and idiotic subjects, just him and his brother. Now though, he could see what drew Thor; he could see the potential fun with this group.

"Is it always like this?" He asked, relieved that his question came out sounding amused rather than wistful. He didn't take his eyes off the race, watching Sif comfortably in the lead.

"More or less," Hogun admitted.

Loki turned and flashed him a grin. "If I had known then I would have joined you on one of your 'adventures' before now." Hogun's expression remained carefully blank—too blank. "What is it?"

"Nothing. We should catch the others before they get too far ahead."

Loki matched the other boy's trot, but didn't drop the subject, careful not to scramble his words as he rose and fell with the motion of the horse. "That's a sure sign that I want to know."

Hogun looked over at him before turning his eyes back to the road. "When I suggested that we ask you, I did not think you would join us."

The young prince scowled. "Just because I read does not mean that I do not enjoy more active pastimes. I welcome being out as much as the next man."

"I meant no offense. I merely thought that you-"

"Would rather spend my time with books than my brother?" he finished. "Would be too scared to join you?"

"I would have said, 'had more sense than this.'"

"Oh," was all Loki managed, feeling more than a little embarrassed at his harsh tone. There was no reason to jump on the older boy when he had never shown hostility to him. Not per se, that was. Hogun barely said anything to him, or to most people, so it was hard for Loki to gage what he thought of most things, which made it hard in turn for the prince to know how to judge the elder boy. Though it was clear that he liked Thor and the others; Loki didn't measure Hogun as the kind of person to spend time with people that he disliked. Though what the stoic boy thought of Loki was anyone's guess. "If I walked away every time my brother had an idiotic plan, then I would never see him again. Though, I suspect that I am here for the same reason that you didn't object to this 'quest.'"

Hogun looked at him sideways, questioning enough for Loki to know that he should continue. The prince nearly sighed. Really, they were almost opposites, though not in the manner that he and Thor were. Hogun did not like to use words, while Loki did not like to let actions or anything else speak for him when he could do that perfectly well himself. Hogun would never use two words when one would suffice, and Loki never used two when he could use ten. The older boy's reticence was not due to lack of ability or astuteness; from what he had seen, Loki was certain the other boy had a brain and no deficiency in common sense. In fact, he seemed to be the sensible one in Thor's little band, and for that Loki had to give him a least a little respect.

"You and I both know that Thor will not see this to the end. He will become distracted by one thing or another along the way and run off to chase that instead." It had made playing games together very frustrating for Loki when they were young. They would go from playing Ice War to tree climbing in a heartbeat and then to brick stacking and finally back to war games. "That, or he will grow tired of the long journey and decide that we should run off on another 'adventure.' My brother does not have what one would call a substantive attention span. He has more zeal than dedication."

Hogun nodded, but his words were not so agreeable. "I think that we may both be mistaken this time."

Loki shrugged, ignoring the echo of his mother scolding him for doing so. "Then he will grow bored in the valley. Five and twenty minutes of limited vision and he will be dejected and demand that we leave again."

"Perhaps," Hogun's tone implied that he thought otherwise.

"I am certain. In the meantime, I intend to make good use of this trip away from a host of guards and enjoy our small outing."

"Loki! Hogun!" Thor shouted from what was clearly the finish line of their short race. "Have you fallen asleep? Hurry, or it will be midnight before we reach the valley. Not that it will make much difference to our quest," he added with a laugh.

Loki shot Hogun a grin. "Best do as he says. We do not want to upset Thor the Mighty."

A/N: Thank you very much everyone who fav'ed ad followed the story last chapter. Extra thank you to everyone who commented :D

the joker: Your question has most probably been answered in the chapter already, but no, this isn't a Thor/Sif fic. It isn't anti-Thor/Sif, it's just before either of them has anything like that on their minds. Not giving too much away, there really isn't that much room for it in this fic. However you are free to interpret her actions, and later PoV, as the beginning of more romantic feelings if you wish :). Sorry if this disappoints.