Okay, so I know I said this would be the chapter that they yeeted into Vanir but decided to bounce between Loki and Eir's settings. Please let me know how you felt about that btw, not really sure how well it turned out honestly.

Loki sunk into his bed, entwining his fingers together behind his head. Guilt buzzed in the pits of his stomach while he thought about the recent revelation. His mind wandered to the night that paused their friendship, mentally slapping himself for being so naive.

"I am a fool." He muttered to himself.

No matter how much pride he held, Eir's place in his heart was undeniably special. There was no other being that took to Loki so easily, except maybe his mother of course, but even she had boundaries with the prince. Eir was truly unique and everyone that encountered her knew it, Loki especially. She was incredibly kind to anyone she crossed paths with, her loyalty to her friends never wavered and the thirst she had for adventure was impossible to fill. As much as he hated admitting it, the two complemented each other like a coordinated outfit.

He continued to ponder everything she'd told him, not being able to follow completely through with why she was so upset. Confessing certain feelings and a kiss were genuine reasons for things to turn sour, that he understood. She hadn't returned the kiss or confession though. However, she did mutter a very quick apology and bolt in the opposite direction. If anyone should be upset, shouldn't it be him?

A series of knocks swayed his thoughts, and at the sound of his door opening he shot up.

"Mother, why knock if you walk in anyways?" The prince walked out of his bedroom, making sure to shut his door completely. He didn't need her prying eyes to land upon either of the books she'd given him. It would only raise questions.

"Because I would like you to know someone is coming in at least." Frigga floated towards her son.

"And if I were to be doing other activities?" Loki snapped back, a light flush crept up his cheeks.

"Darling boy, surely you've learned to lock your door during such moments. You remember last time." She replied, unbothered and placing a hand on his shoulder. His forehead furrowed at the gesture. She wanted something. He raised a brow in question. "Where are the Lucky Seven going tonight?" The Queen asked, emphasizing the nickname the group had given themselves long ago. "Your father is still upset about the last adventure you all went on, it would be wise to call it off."

His face warped in confusion. It was already dusk, and he'd yet to hear word of a journey. Even an impulsive one would be out of tune for the group with how late it was becoming.

"Mother I-" He started, ready to reassure her of no adventure when realization dawned on him. Eir. Thoughts clouded his mind, unsure of what he should tell the woman in front of him. The woman who was now glaring daggers at him.

"Loki." She warned, daring him to lie to her.

A sly grin spread across his face and he let out a breathy chuckle. "I assure you mother, I will go and let them know." The grip tightened on his shoulder as he began to move away.

"Son, this is not something to take lightly. It is a warning. Had your mirage faltered and the elves caught wind of it, the lot of you would be dead right now because of your last trip." Frigga's hand dropped to his chest, counting back to the last adventure he'd been on. "Your father is the one that has to explain the outcome of these adventures to not only their families, but all of Asgard some of the time. Take that into consideration, he may truly punish your actions now that you lot are growing up." She finished, but kept a close eye on her son while he slowly nodded his head in agreement.

After several moments of uncomfortable silence Loki finally let out a deep sigh.

"I will go a let them know mother, I swear." He gave her a reassuring smile, hoping she'd let him leave before it was too late.

"If they still choose to go?" She countered, taking a few steps back to give them both some more room.

"I will send for you, it can be stopped before it truly gets started." The Queen seemed to finally buy his response as she made her leave towards the door.

"I mean it Loki." Was the last thing he heard before she was gone.

Loki looked at the clock on the wall, they've already left. The pounding of his heart began as panic set in. He quickly slid his boots on and darted out of the room. Eir actually lied to him and got away with it.

She hurried towards the courtyard in hopes Loki wasn't following her. Due to the emotional state she'd left in, she wasn't particularly worried.

"Eir!" A lively voice called from the opposite end of the corridor. A smile graced her features as she headed towards the refreshing face, meeting him midway and right in front of the foyer.

"Oh surely you aren't running behind as well Thor?" She mocked while clinging into his arm.

"Me, late? Absolutely not." He played along, noting her sarcasm.

For as long as he could remember Eir had always been around. Thor was not nearly as close with her as his brother, but he was rather fond of the girl and simply took her as part of the family. They got along easily, and she was always quite eager to learn new fighting styles from him. After a while he'd grown a bit attached and it wasn't very long before their friendship began to truly bloom.

The pair began a merry skip down the stone way, heading to the stables. Even though she was being practically dragged more than halfway through, a fit of giggles filled the trail. The lighthearted laughing stopped as the two noticed Lady Sif stride, angrily towards them.

"The same time every trip. How is it that you three always manage to be late?" Her arms were crossed while her feet tapped away on the ground.

"There's only two of us this time..." Thor started by raising his hand, but let his voice trail off at the disapproving look he was being given.

"There are only going to be two of you correct?" Sif's attention was focused now on the other girl. With a quirked eyebrow and piercing gaze, she was demanding a response.

Eir didn't dare drop her stance. She didn't want Sif to even know she'd ran into The God of Mischief. "Correct, are we ready to go?" The blonde directed her question towards the stables, heading to see the rest of the crew.

"Kari." Loki began, rushing into the barn giving the keeper an icy glare. "Where did they go and how long ago?" He cut right to chase, knowing the stubborn man wasn't one to give direct answers immediately.

"Who?" The curly haired stable keeper asked.

"Kari, I am not here for your games this evening. This is a direct order from The Queen." Loki warned, noticing the man stiffen at the mention of his mother. "Where did The Lucky Seven wander off too?" He held eye contact with the older man and took a step towards him. There was no time for this.

Kari swallowed dryly but kept a cheeky smile on his face before answering. "Prince Thor wouldn't budge on their whereabouts, but they seemed to head east from what I could tell. Den is saddled up and ready to ride if you must go."

Loki didn't respond but strode into the stables and towards the familiar stall, mounting the stallion as quickly as he opened the door. He steadied himself, being sure his swift movements didn't startle the creature. The last thing he needed was another delay.

"When should I expect you back?" Kari called as he raced out on foot.

"No idea!" Was the last thing the stable man heard before Loki was gone.

The crew hopped off their horses as they encountered a thick brush, knowing the animals wouldn't go through it all without difficulty. They tied them off several trees and looked into the wooded abyss.

"If the map I have is correct, once we're through this we should be at the top of a hill. It looks like that's where the city begins!" Hogun said while he looked over a battered piece of paper. Sif scoffed and jumped over a fallen branch, beginning their journey into the forest.

"You'd think with this being a forbidden town it would have more security." She noted and cut through a few vines. The crew was quick to follow, not wanting to get separated.

Eir thought back on what Loki had told her about the town being heavily guarded. Surely it wouldn't be as easy as rolling down a hill. What if they did notify The King? That really wouldn't be good.

"And if there are guards?" Eir asked. She wanted to run into as little problems as possible.

"We battle them until we can pass." Thor's voice thundered behind her.

"You said you were going to find information from the palaces library didn't you Eir?" Hogun questioned. His comment caused the company to make a slight pause and look towards her.

"Find anything?" Sif cocked an eyebrow, pressing for information knowing she wasn't the best liar.

"Nothing. I ran into Loki, didn't want to risk him poking around." Eir tried brushing off the questions. She was already going behind Loki's back by even making the trip, she wasn't going to break his trust even more. Not until it was necessary at least.

Sif hummed in response, then turned back to pushing through the woodland ahead of her. Eir jumped at a hand brushing against the middle of her back. A goofy smile spread on her face when she noticed Fandral leaning down a bit.

"You're sure he isn't suspicious?" The blonde warrior practically whispered. He was always a bit more wary of Loki's mischief than the others but never seemed any different towards Eir. A part of her always questioned why, she just never cared enough to look any further.

"Probably." Eir shrugged, not leaving the topic open for discussion and quickly moving away. Fandral had a nasty taste stain his mouth at her response. He wasn't positive, but sensed something about her answer.

"Son of a bitch." Loki cursed to himself when he noticed six horses tied off of several different tree branches, confirming the crew had already been here.

He knew he didn't have much time and weighed his options. If he turned around now, the chances of anyone making it to the group before they walked into their death traps were slim. Even if he continued there wasn't a guarantee he'd make it in time. All of it was risky.

The prince took a deep sigh and swung off of the horse, tying him up before going into the almost pitch black woods. If nobody came back, surely his mother would notice.

"Do we have a plan of action if there are guards or are we just-" Hogun began,

"We fight. There is no time for confrontation or bargaining." Thor interrupted, clearly frustrated by how long it took them to make it through the bog.

The company had been only a few yards from the woodland war zone when they, unbeknownst to them at the time, entered their next war zone.