Forwarning: This story moves along quickly and yes,I skip over several days instead of dragging it along by hashing out the boring details of endless walking. Fill in the details of such walking yourself,I'll keep you posted on the highlights ;)

Day 2

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Thor was not used to long silences,so it was no real suprise that by the second afternoon he began regaling the Frost Giant with tales of his heroism. Mainly to fill the silence than anything else. Loki didn't speak much or even look at him much at all,to which Thor took to mean that he could continue.

"Finally Fandral and I had the beast pinned,then," Thor paused in his telling,allowing his mind to wander at how rediculous this was. Telling a Frost Giant tales of Asgardian adventures. As if he really cared. He might as well save his breath.

"Then what?" Loki inquired,turning to look at Thor for the first time in hours.

"What do you mean,then what?" Thor returned suddenly, a bit taken aback.

"Well,you and Fandral had the bilge snipe pinned," Loki filled in easily,his crimson gaze still upon the Aesir. "So then what happened?"

"Are you serious?"Thor asked,still in disbelief. Thinking perhaps this was some sort of joke. "I've been rambling on for hours and you've been listening this whole time. I mean,not just politely listening,but actually paying attention."

"Of course," Loki returned eyebrows furrowing at the question. "If I was not meant to listen to your words,than perhaps you should keep them to yourself."

"No,no," The Asgardian shook his head,then another thought popped into it instantly. "Wait. You're only listening to develop tactics to use against me later aren't you."

He was awarded a full on eye roll by the Jotun as Loki now shook his own head and continued trudging through the snow.

"I knew it," Thor proclaimed truimphantly,taking the other's silence as admition. "You're studying my fighting skills through my stories. Oh,ho,hoooo,you will not glean such information so easily from me Jotun. I have ommitted the most important parts just in case."

"You mean embellished," Loki returned flatly.

"You dare call me a liar?" Thor growled warningly and without thinking,stepped forward and snatched the Jotun's arm,causing him to stop in his tracks and turn to face him. Thor's immediate reaction was to let go before he was frost bitten,but he fought the urge,instead waiting this time to see if it would happen or not.

"Is this going somewhere?" Loki asked flippantly raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know ,Jotun,"Thor closed the distance between them until they where practically nose to nose. "Is it? I mean,where exactly are you taking me? Back to your camp to imprison me no doubt."

Loki couldn't help but laugh openly at the Asgardian's reply as he pulled his arm free of the other's grasp. "Ha! As if Laufey king desrves Odinson's golden boy served up on a platter. Don't be so paranoid will be able to finish our war eventually,and along side our rightful realm,no less."

"You speak as though you enjoy this war," Thor spat once again trailing after the Frost Giant.

"It beats the alternative of being dominated," Loki returned,disgust now ebbing into his voice as well.

"We do not seek to dominate you," The Asgardian disagreed vehemently. "We only seek to bring peace to your world."

"World peace under your terms is world domination,Odinson."

Thor stalled,huffing in defiance as he tried to think of a valid argument against what Loki had just presented him. How could he not see that there was a better way to live and exist than this? He raised his head to tell him,but the path before him was empty. For a brief second he thought the Jotun had deserted him,leaving him to die in this icy waistland. Then he noticed the hole in the snow path before him and rushed forward,sliding onto his belly as he peered over the hole's edge.

Dangling by one hand holding firmly onto what was left of the rocky ledge,swung the Jotun.

"Loki,"Thor breathed half in relief as he reached into the hole and grasped his arm. With a heave,he pulled the small Frost Giant back up to safety and they both sat side by side against the rocky trail giving way had been a sort of wake up call that there was real danger out here and brought them both back to the present.

"If it's all the same to you," Loki jibbed finally, a smooth smile painting his features. "I do believe I'd like to hear the rest of that story now."

Thor chuckled openly and found it easy to fall back into the telling as they regained their feet and once again continued their journey.

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Day 5

The two had developed a steady rhythm of rising at dawn,walking till dusk then camping on whatever clear ground they could find. Often having to clear the snow away themselves in order to find that ground. During the days, Thor often told tales of his home on Asgard, Loki only interupting him to ask questions from time to time to help clarify some ungrasped portion of his stories. Otherwise,the Jotun remained mostly silent.

Along the narrow passes,Loki led the way with Thor following closely behind. When the path widened,they could now be found walking side by side. The long days of traveling forcing a truce between the former enemies and out of that truce formed a sort of comfort in each other's presence.

Thor delighted in his Tales of Asgard, Never before had he had such a captive audience. Oh,people heard his stories back home,but never before had anyone actually listened. It was in part of this that he often found himself wondering of late, what their lives would be like if the two realms where not at war. He imagined as his tongue wove the details of what he would show the Jotun back home, the sights they would see,the feasts they would eat.

It was because of his wondering imagination,that he did not notice Loki's hand on his chest,stalling his feet.

"Wait," Loki stated causing Thor to look around cautously for some sign of danger. He only saw the rocky path before . Why were the rocks showing? Where was he snow? As though in answer Loki suddenly removed his hand and ran forward around a small bend in the mountain."Oh thank Valhalla," He exclaimed as he disappeared.

Thor rushed after him only to skid to a halt as he caught up to him on the other side. The Frost Giant was just sinking his chest into a steaming pool of water, a contented sigh escaping his lips as he did.

"Well come on,Odinson," Loki urged,sinking all the way up to his neck as he leaned against the opposite edge of the hot spring. "Do not tell me they have no baths back in Asgard?"

"What? No,of course we do," Thor replied quickly shedding gear and disgarding it next to Loki's. "I just did not think...well you being a Frost Giant.." He paused his words as he sank into the welcome warmth. "Ahhhhhhh."

Loki's chuckle brought him back to reality again and he opened his eyes to meet the dancing ones now facing him from across the pool. "Do not tell me you think I would melt?"

"No,"Thor argued quickly. "Of course not. I just didn't think you'd enjoy such things."

"There appears to be a lot about us Jotun you do not know," Loki replied smoothly. "Perhaps you should learn a bit about a race before you go about trying to decide it's fate."

"Then teach me," Thor responded quickly. He had actually been looking for a good lead in to ask the other questions that plagued his mind.

"Me?" Loki almost scoffed,squashing any hopes Thor may have had. "Teach you?Oh I doubt that very much."

"Why?" Thor urged "Why would you doubt me? You do nothing but insist we Asgardians are in the wrong,but I offer a way for you to show me different and you refuse?"

"Perhaps," Was Loki's only reply as he once again allowed his eyes to drift close.

Thor knew it was useless to continue to push for more. Loki was a man of few words,but those few words often told more than entire speeches. The tone mostly set the stage for what was truly going on in the Jotun's head. The latter stated that he was thinking it over. Thor just smiled smugly to himself as he himself allowed his eyes to drift shut in the warm comfort of the pool.

Loki allowed his eyes to crack open a bit to take in the form soaking across from him. Thor's blond locks dampened by the steam clung to his masculine bronze foreign skin seemed to glisten in the water and Loki found himself suddenly wanting to touch,to feel, to explore the other's massive chest.

Quickly he shook off the thought as it tightened in his stomache. Why was he suddenly so comfortable with his former enemy? Why was he even having such thoughts about him? Obviously they had spent too much time in only each other's company. This had to be the answer. Just days ago they were fighting fiercely and now they often acted more like friends rather than foes.

Loki once again closed his eyes as a smile painted his lips,thinking back to the battle. Never before had he faced another with such prowess and vigor to match his own. He had purposely drug out the battle,pulling punches and holding back power ,not wishing for it to end any time soon. He had delighted in finally finding a formidable adversary. But now,the smile faltered a bit, could they really just go back to fighting? He had learned almost too much about his enemy. So much that he found he wanted to learn more,to see the alien things this other man spoke thought of taking his life and never witnissing such things troubled him deeply. Oh why did they have to be in this bothersome war anyway?

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