AN: My thanks for the lovely reviews
To NightwingNinja: Thank you! I felt they either had to be either the best of friends or the worst of enemies. So naturally they wouldn't make friends in a traditional way.
To SapphireBlue: Aww thanks! Means a lot :)
Without further ado, here is chapter seven.
Loki impatiently drummed his fork against the table. He was ready to go. This meal had started half an hour ago and everyone had eaten their fill (save Volstagg who never ate his fill and Nerdanel who had been too busy answering questions) so why wasn't everyone dispersing? Stupid question. He knew the answer well enough: Thor.
He was telling another one of his stories, making everyone laugh, even the people who had been there when it took place, and stalling Loki's exit. Loki didn't really need to go anywhere in particular but he disliked being around people. He had to behave around people, put on fake smiles and mannerisms for people, act like the prince he was for people, and pretend to be happy and confident around people. He'd had a long day of training and he wanted to escape to the library or better yet his rooms. Loki considered slipping out now, unnoticed, but that would look rude and he would be chastised later for it. He went back to drumming his fork on the table
Fifteen minutes later Nera excused herself, something about needing to meet her tutor for lessons. Loki considered asking to accompany her just as an excuse to leave but that would look very odd and would cause more problems than it solved. No, he was better off waiting.
After Nera left Sif asked the room in general, 'What do you think of her?"
"She's good, for her size and age." Volstagg shrugged, reaching for the mead.
Silently Loki agreed with him. She was the second to youngest student Gudolf was currently teaching. On top of that she was a girl and only had a little previous training, making her the smallest as well. The fact she had even been adequate was a huge accomplishment. On the other hand she had almost gotten him dumped off the Log, as it was affectionately called, which was ridiculously easy so she couldn't be all that good.
"As she's a Vanir spy I find it hard to speak civilly with her." Hogun said darkly.
"You find it hard to speak to everyone, Hogun." Fandral countered, putting his feet up on the table and leaning back in his chair, "And she's too pretty to be an evil spy anyway."
"Yes, I assure you she is no spy." Thor said sincerely, "My Father has brought her here for the sake of peace not war." He paused then turned to Loki and added, "What is your opinion brother?"
Loki shrugged in feigned indifference and wished Thor wouldn't try so hard to include him, "She'll do well enough in Asgard. Maybe she really can prevent a war."
A few people nodded and the general conversation drifted towards other topics. But Loki wasn't listening. What was his opinion? Well his first conversation with Nerdanel had been quite unremarkable. He'd almost classified her as an empty headed courtier after the banquet. But then she'd witnessed him fall off that fool of a horse. Loki's cheeks grew warm with embarrassment and anger at the memory. She could have just looked the other way, he would have been fine. Instead she had insisted on humiliating him by fussing over him. Fussing over a prince of Asgard! She had spunk at least. But even stranger she had insisted on being frank. She could have made things so much easier by just letting him pretend to be civil. But apparently she liked doing things the hard, unorthodox way.
Then she'd gotten him flung of the Log and this time Loki had needed no urging to be frank. No one was watching, he could be as brusque as he liked. But when she laughed. Apparently she found their rivalry amusing but Loki had no idea why. And his own behavior puzzled him too. As she laughed he found himself wanting to to join in. The mere memory was making him smile. And then he'd joked with her, acted friendly despite the fact she had humiliated him twice now.
Loki thought over all this and wondered what attitude to take next time they met. His pride wanted him to act cold, well not cold, friendly, but with an undertone of coldness. But his other half thought she'd make an interesting, even enjoyable friend. And he'd already sort of committed to a friendship when he'd playfully teased her. He was torn.
"Well friends," Thor was saying, "I must go now. I will hopefully see you soon!"
Loki seized his chance and jumped up too, "As must I, sadly."
Loki waited impatiently as everyone bid them goodbye and slipped out at the first chance possible. Thor stayed a while longer making plans to duel Volstagg later that day. As soon as Loki was out the door he sagged against the wall and glared up at the ceiling, inwardly groaning. He simply disliked people, particularly rowdy, boisterous people. They drained him. He turned his thoughts to what he was going to do now. The library sounded good. Or his chambers. He normally would have considered going riding but given recent events he disregarded that possibility. Eventually he returned to his rooms and flopped down on the couch to study a magic book. He even tried some new spells but was met with limited sucess.
By after two hours Loki grew tired of being cooped up in his chambers and decided to take a walk. A long walk. And that took some special preparation. He left behind the lively main part of the palace and entered the more deserted areas, the ones rarely used even by servants. Finding himself in a small, dingy corridor he casually pushed aside a tapestry and ducked into a secret alcove behind it. There, on the floor, sat a small bundle of ragged clothes which he kept for just such an occasion. He changed quickly and ruffled his formerly perfect hair, emerging as your average peasant boy. He would be very difficult to recognize now, but just to be sure he put on a hooded cloak which concealed his face.
Thus disguised he made his way to the servants wing near the kitchen where things were busiest. He had become very adept at going unnoticed in a crowd so rather than doing anything in particular he just stuck to the shadows and observed all the activity. He had long ago learned you could pick up useful information this way. And besides it provided a prime opportunity to anonymously spread chaos, something he particularly enjoyed.
The afternoon wore on. Several maids found that their hair refused to stay up and more than one page tripped while transporting especially precarious loads. All while passing a hooded figure reclining in the shadows. But no one put two and two together. Aside from pranking people Loki also heard some interesting things. For instance the servant's gate, normally closed to anyone who didn't have special permission to enter or exit, would be open to everyone all day and into the night. Apparently some visiting nobles were not aware of the restrictions and were repeatedly sending their servants out into the city on errands. Loathe to deny powerful people of their wants, the steward had lifted the normal restrictions.
Outside the afternoon heat peaked and then, as the sun began to drop, became less oppressive and still Loki stayed, his occasional pranks sufficient in keeping him from boredom. As the afternoon grew old the excitement in the kitchens heightened with preparation for the evening meal. It was still many hours distant but Asgardians loved extravagance and they loved food; so of course they ate extravagant food which naturally takes time to prepare.
Loki was still at his post where he had been for nearly two hours when she appeared. With all the commotion he didn't hear her until she was practically right beside him, looking around with bright curiosity. She looked like she might have gotten lost on purpose, just for the thrill of it, and wound up here through sheer randomness. She also looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself though, to Loki's sudden panic, she leaned back against the wall not two feet away from him like she intended to stay. Too late Loki remembered he had taken his hood down five minutes ago to get some air and hadn't put it up again. He was still fumbling with it, furiously trying to get it back on his head, when Nera glanced over at him and her eyes widened in recognition.
"Lo -"
He quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and gave her a warning look. "Not here."
Her eyes, which had lit up with anger when he touched her, softened with understanding. She nodded and he dropped his hand. "Sorry," he apologized, "that was necessary."
She didn't seem to hear him, or if she did she chose to ignore it. Instead she wrinkled her nose and asked, "Why exactly are you dressed as a peasant?"
"Why do you think?" he demanded, annoyed with her lack of perceptiveness. But he changed his mind before she could answer and said, "No, actually I was going to sneak out of the citadel. Want to come?"
For a split second her eyes lit up but then she gave him a skeptical look, "Why?"
Loki shrugged, "I'm bored, you're bored, why not?"
"I'm guessing it's against the rules?"
"You got it." Loki responded cheerily.
She stared at the ground a moment, considering it. She was taking this way too seriously. Loki began to regret inviting a girl along. They worried too much about rules, even Sif who was the best girl he knew and perfectly capable of beating him up. "Okay, I'm in." Nera announced at last, looking up.
Loki felt a grin spread across his face, "Let's go."
He grabbed her hand and dragged her through the crowd, weaving in and out of the hoard of servants who clogged the hallway. However he quickly realized the trafic was too thick and it was going to take too long so he ducked into a side corridor and went the long way round. Five minutes later they emerged blinking in the sunlight, twenty yards from the citadel wall and fifty from the servant's gate. Loki glanced back at Nera who was panting from the furious pace he'd set. "Alright back there?" he asked.
She nodded happily, "Just fine, and ready for more."
"Well we can't go so fast for this part. Act casual. They're letting everyone through today but that doesn't mean they won't ask questions if you look suspicious."
She nodded but said, "I have a question."
"Oh?"
"I'm... I'm in noble dress and you look like a commoner. That's bound to look odd. And they won't let me through alone. That would look even worse."
Loki realized she had a point. High born woman took an escort with them wherever they went. A girl of noble birth traveling alone warranted an almost an automatic questioning. Loki looked down at his own tattered clothes. He was too underdressed to play the part of her servant boy/escort. They would never buy it. Nera seemed to read his thoughts because she said, "Look, you're new, just arrived. I'm taking you out to pick up some decent clothes while I shop. How's that?"
Not bad Loki had to admit. But he would have to act older than he really was. On the other hand he was tall for his age so that should be easy. He quickly agreed and took his place a little behind Nera but close enough so he could jump in if there was trouble; where escorts always stood. She met his eyes and without speaking they went into character.
Nera stood up straighter, her posture erect and began to glide across the grass the way grand ladies, or those who think themselves grand, do. Loki hastened to follow her, trying to keep his head down so no one would recognize him and at the same time appear confident. It was no easy task. Their progress was slow since Nera had to take small steps, but also determined. As expected when they reached the gate the guards barred their way. One said, "I'm afraid we'll need to ask you some questions Lady...?" in a kindly manner. Probably because he didn't want to offend Nera in case she was someone important.
"Nerdanel." Nera snapped, "And do so if you must but make it quick. I haven't got time for this nonsense."
The first guard hesitated and the second one jumped in. He had a much more confident tone, "What exactly are you doing here with that peasant, Lady Nerdanel?"
Nera looked utterly miffed, "A peasant? A peasant? Do you know who my father is?" The guards glance at one another uneasily and didn't answer, "Well long story short if you don't want to be unemployed like that" she snapped her fingers, "I suggest you refrain from calling his help peasants!" The guards were too stunned to respond immediately giving Nera an opportunity to continue to rant, "If you must know he" she jerked her thumb at Loki, "just arrived today and I would be getting him some clothes right now if I weren't being senselessly held up here. Now if you'll excuse me.."
"Just one more question, My lady, and you can be on your way." the second guard interrupted, "Why are you using the servant's gate?"
Nera's eyes flashed dangerously, "It was closer you idiot." she glared at the guards who glanced at each other nervously and, after an awkward silence, raised their pikes. Nera swept past them looking utterly disgusted with Loki trailing along in her wake.
When they were out of earshot Loki let out his pent up breath and whistled, "Well somebody made an impression."
"Was it good?"
"Yeah, really good. But we may not want to use that gate again. They're bound to recognize us."
"Mm... So what do we do now?"
Loki grinned, "Follow me."
He led her out of the crowded streets, dodging carts, horses and pedestrians as he did, and into a rough looking alley. He happened to glance back at her while they were in the alley and noticed she looked on edge. It surprised him for he'd long ago ceased to fear these places and had forgotten some people still did. From the there he slipped out into a lonely street and then darted into a second alley, darker than the first. A few more twists and turns found them still in the alleys but by a rickety looking ladder, built into the wall of one a building. Here Loki stopped, "You first."
Alarm spread across Nera's features as she realized what he wanted her to do. But she suppressed it (which pleased Loki; she had a little courage after all) and started up the ladder. Once she was safely on the roof he went up himself and stood by her. For the first time since they'd left the gates she spoke, "So why exactly did you lead me through there?"
"You'll see. It's worth it I promise."
She looked doubtful and he thought he heard her mutter, "Wandering around in the alleys with a strange boy... what would Mother say?" This amused Loki more than it ought to have.
From where they stood on the roof it was only a few hops and a short walk to the end of their trek. Granted the hops involved thirty foot drops if you missed but he and Nera were more than capable. When they at last found themselves on a tall building with a wonderful view of the activity in the marketplace Loki plopped himself down and said, "Alright choose someone from the crowd."
Nera gingerly sat down beside him and after some thought pointed to a farmer driving his cart of wares across the square. Loki chuckled inside. This one would be easy. He stared down at his lap a moment, selecting a spell. He was aware of Nera's eyes on him the entire time. Then he looked up and muttered the words he'd chosen under his breath. The cart stopped in its tracks. Nera's eyes widened as she put two and two together, "You're being trained in magic?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No I'm just... never mind." She turned her attention to the farmer and so did Loki.
At first he thought his animal's had stopped pulling for some reason and tried flicking his whip above their heads a few times, to scare them. Then he seemed to realize they were straining as hard as they could so he hopped out and took a look at the wheels. All clear. Now he was really puzzled. Nera broke out into a fit of giggles as he got down on his hands and knees and examined his wheels even closer, perhaps searching for a miniscule pebble which could be obstructing them. By now he was holding up traffic. People were shouting at him to get a move on. Loki saw his flustered look and couldn't help himself; he chuckled too.
When the wheels were beyond a doubt not the problem the farmer circled back around to the horses, perhaps hoping to find that one had lost a shoe. But the horses, like the wheels, were in pristine condition. Now Loki was finding it hard to breathe for laughter and Nera, beside him, was in exactly the same state. They were thoroughly enjoying themselves. The farmer, failing to see what was wrong and with a long line of angry people behind him, waiting to get by, appeared to conclude that his horses were being lazy and climbed back on the buggy board to urge them forward.
He pulled out the whip again but instead of merely cracking it over their heads he actually began to beat them. The horses began to whinny in distress and strain forward with every ounce of strength they possessed. Loki found this even funnier than before but realized, suddenly, that he was laughing alone. Nera was watching with her lips pursed and a concerned expression. One of the horses screamed and she turned to face Loki, "Stop it." the other horse screamed too, "Stop it now!"
"Why? It's only just getting to-" the whip cracked again and both horses screamed in unison.
"It's not funny anymore! Let them go!"
Loki realized she was genuinely concerned and shrugged, "Have it your way." He muttered a quick phrase under his breath and the cart shot forward so fast the farmer almost fell off. Several pedestrians narrowly avoided being run over before he got the horses back under control and rounded a corner, disappearing from sight.
Nera heaved a long sigh and stared up at the sky. She didn't look at Loki but sat there, composing herself. Loki realized she had been truly shaken by what they'd witnessed. He snorted under his breath. She had seen nothing yet. If this upset her she was going to be in living hell when she faced a battle. Then he remembered she probably never would; her training was just for show.
After a few minutes Nera turned and faced Loki again, giving him a weak smile, "How about no more pranks, okay?"
"Whatever you say."
She stared off into the distance again but only for a few moments before asking, "So how much magic do you know?"
"Just a bit. Enough to spread chaos when I want to."
"So I've seen."
"Yeah... I'm not officially studying it yet but I'm hoping to get a tutor soon. I find I have a talent for it."
"So I've seen." she repeated. Loki wasn't sure if she was trying to be funny or just didn't remember she'd already said that.
He glanced up at the sky and saw they still had over three hours to sun down, "So," he said, "what do you want to do next?"
