Chapter 7
Thor wandered the halls of the palace, trying to calm down. What he wanted most was to summon Mjolnir, smash the walls of the dungeons and fly his nephew to safety, but he knew that that wouldn't do any good. Odin seemed convinced that Fenrir was a danger and would insist on hunting them both down. And, since Fenrir had decided that he hated Thor, he might decide that imprisonment was preferable to an escape with him.
Thor passed a statue of Ysgadril and impulsively put his fist through it. The sound of smashing stone drew servants and Thor left them to deal with the mess. Before he knew where he was going he found himself back at his own rooms.
Thor went inside and paced for a while. He fought against his urge to run back down to the dungeon. After everything Fenrir suffered he deserved to have some control. If he wanted Thor to leave then he would leave. For a while at least.
"Thor?" Sif said, entering the room. "I was hoping I'd find you here. I heard what happened at the stables."
"I suppose Fandral told you," Thor said.
"No, I haven't been to see him yet, is he alright?"
"He'll be fine. He'll probably be back on his feet by days end," Thor said, continuing to move around in circles.
"And how are you?" Sif asked, following her friend as he paced around the room.
"I can't believe that he would do something like this. I never would have thought him capable of something so heartless."
"Thor," Sif stopped in front of Thor, blocking his movements. "I know that you had high hopes for how this would all turn out. But you had to know it was a risk when you brought him back."
"How could I have known this would happen?"
"It's not as though this is the first time Fenrir has attacked someone. I know that you wanted to believe in his goodness but there was always the chance that he was going to strike out again," Sif said, reaching out an arm to comfort her friend.
"Fenris didn't do anything," Thor growled, pulling out of Sif's grasp. "The Einherjar attacked him. All he did he did in self-defense."
"Did he tell you this?" Sif challenged. "The entire palace is talking about it, Thor. Over a dozen people saw him go after Tyr and if there was any aggressor then it was Fenrir."
"They're wrong," Thor insisted.
"And is the All-Father wrong too? Thor you should know your father well enough to know that he wouldn't sentence someone to the dungeons who didn't deserve to be there," Sif said. "Your father knows what he's doing. Trust him, even if you can't trust me." For a moment Sif thought she might have gotten through to him, but then he spoke.
"I trust Frigga, she believes in Fenrir, and so do I," Thor said.
"Then it would seem that I'm wasting my time here," Sif didn't stay for long after that, and Thor was glad to have the room to himself again.
Thor dropped down onto his bed, feeling completely exhausted. What they were saying in the palace was nonsense. There was no way that Fenrir would begin a fight and he was tired of people trying to convince him that he had. He looked around the room and his eyes landed on the pile of blankets that Fenrir had been using as a bed.
Thor had offered to have another bed brought into the room, and later to arrange for a second room, but Fenrir had always turned him down. He'd insisted that he was more comfortable on the floor. Thor groaned as he fell backwards on the bed. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
Thor turned to look back at the blankets and saw something sticking out from between the folds. He got up and moved the blankets to take a look. It was a book of legends the Fenrir had been reading the night before. It was one of Loki's and so far it had been the only thing that Fenrir had allowed himself to take from his father's room. Thor picked it up and decided that he would bring it with him when he brought Fenrir his supper.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Fenrir jerked up when he saw the door open, but relaxed when he saw that it was only his uncle.
"I brought you dinner," Thor said, pushing a tray across the floor.
"I'm not hungry," Fenrir said, curling farther into the corner where he was sitting.
"Perhaps later then. I brought you something else as well," Thor said, offering out the book.
The moment Fenrir saw what his uncle was offering he snatched it from his hands and held it tightly to his chest.
"Thank you," He whispered.
"I could bring other things if you'd like. More books or something," Thor offered, wanting to regain his nephews trust while he had the opportunity.
"No, I don't… I don't need anything," Fenrir said, so quietly that Thor almost missed the last word. For a while the two men sat in silence before Fenrir spoke again.
"I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier. I shouldn't have done that," He said, as quietly as before. "It's not your fault that I'm here."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to defend you," Thor said. "Fenris. Fenris, look at me." Thor waited until he saw Fenrir's eyes to continue. "You are not going to stay in this cell. Even now Frigga is speaking on your behalf. We will have you released."
"It doesn't matter. Nothing has changed," Fenrir sat back against the wall and pulled his legs up to his chest. "It was my own foolishness. I knew what would happen when he woke up but the way that you and Frigga spoke made me believe that his feelings might have changed."
"Odin is acting from the belief that you are a threat. As soon as he can be made to see the truth he will care for you as he once did," Fenrir looked at Thor in confusion for a few moments before speaking.
"Odin always hated me. He was more than happy to send me away, when given the chance."
"I know that it must seem like that now, but you must remember that there was a time when Odin cared greatly for you," Fenrir continued to stare at Thor in disbelief.
"I was his bastard grandson and a constant reminder of his son's short comings. If it had been up to him my father never would have brought me home."
"How can you think that?" Thor asked, stunned at what he was hearing.
"Because it's true. I heard them fight about it more than once. Odin wanted my father to send me away, but he wouldn't," For a moment Fenrir seemed lost in a memory. "I was his. I was his and he would never give me up."
"You must have misunderstood. You were only a child, you may not be remembering correctly," Thor insisted.
"Perhaps." Fenrir said, suddenly seeming to be exhausted. "I've been wrong about a lot of things."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*
It was two more days before Frigga could return to the dungeons. Upon entering she went straight to her grandson and kissed him on the forehead. He leaned into her touch and, for a moment, Thor was jealous at the trust that his mother was able to bring forth so effortlessly.
"How are you?" She asked, kneeling to sit beside him.
"I'm fine. Thor's been bringing me meals," Fenrir said.
"I'm so sorry that you've had to endure all of this, but it won't be for much longer."
"Does this mean that you've gotten father to see reason?" Thor asked, hopefully.
"It is almost done. I must return to him shortly but I wanted to see you," She said, kissing Fenrir again. "And I need to speak with you." She said turning to Thor. "Would you escort me out?" Thor rose to join his mother and walked her out of the cell. They were only a few paces away when she stopped him.
"You said that you would do anything for Fenris. If you have any doubts then you need to tell me now," The look in Frigga's eyes left no doubt as to the severity of the question.
"I meant what I said," Thor said.
"In some ways things are going better than I'd hoped," Frigga said, relaxing slightly. "I have been able to convince your father to consider an alternative to imprisonment. But he still insists on so many conditions that his fate would hardly be an improvement on what he has now. One way or another, it will be decided by the end of the day."
Thor waited for her to explain her plans to him but she seemed determined to keep him in the dark.
"I hope you're successful," He said, at a loss for what to do.
"I don't think I've ever been more proud to be your mother than I have been in this past week," She said, smiling and embracing her son. "I must go and finish what I have begun. Try and reassure Fenris. He's doing his best to hide it, but he's terrified of what might happen to him." Frigga began to leave but Thor stopped her.
"Before you go there is something I need to ask you. It is something Fenris said," Frigga stood and waited for her son to speak. "Fenris said that, as a child, he heard Loki and father fighting over him. That father wanted him sent away but Loki wouldn't allow it. Is this true?"
"Your brother's situation wasn't exactly typical." Frigga said. "It would have been different if he'd married the girl. Then it would have just been seen as an act of romance. Without her…."
"So he was ashamed of him." Thor said, stunned.
"It was more complicated than that," Frigga said, sadly. When it became clear that Thor had nothing else to say Frigga left. Thor continued on in the hall and tried to understand what he'd just learned. How had he never known this about his father? It was true that most men in Loki's situation didn't choose to raise their children themselves, but there was no harm in it.
Thor continued to process this new knowledge as he walked back to the cell but the sight he saw when he entered pushed all other thoughts from his mind.
Fenrir's neck was covered in blood and he was clawing at his flesh. Thor rushed over and pushed his nephew's hands to the floor.
"NO!" Fenrir shouted, struggling to free his arms.
"What are you doing?" Thor demanded.
"I want it off!" Fenrir screamed. He continued to struggle and finally Thor slammed a hand into his chest and pushed him to the floor.
"Stop!" He commanded. The impact seemed to have the desired effect and Fenrir calmed down. "What's wrong?" Thor asked.
Fenrir's eyes filled with tears at the question. Thor let him up and his hands immediately went to his neck. Thor was about to grab him again when he saw that his nephew wasn't trying to hurt himself. Now he was merely pulling at the steel collar that he'd been wearing since he'd been captured. The metal was covered in runes that prevented Fenrir from using his magic and also stopped any attempt he might have made to leave the cell.
"Please take it off," Fenrir begged. "I promise I'll never use magic again."
"Only Odin can take it off," Thor said. At this, Fenrir began to cry in earnest.
"Why couldn't you just leave me alone?" He sobbed.
"I couldn't let you hurt yourself," Thor explained, as he searched the room for something he could use as a bandage.
"I meant on Svartalfheim. You should have just left me there."
"You were being tortured. I couldn't just leave you."
"It was better. It was better before," Fenrir insisted, as he got to his feet. Thor saw that he'd begun scratching at his neck again and went back to pull his hands away. "I knew that I was never going to leave. I knew that I was going to be in that cell until I died. I had accepted that. I was resigned to it. Now it's going to be worse than ever."
"Fenris, we're going to get you out of here."
"Was it fun? Dragging me all over the palace," Fenrir snarled at his uncle. "Showing me all the things I used to care about. Showing me all the things that could make me happy and knowing that you were just going to take them away again?"
Thor caught him as he crumpled to the ground. "I believed you." Fenrir said with a sob. "I believed everything you said about how I was safe. How happy I was going to be. I believed all of it," Thor pulled his nephew into a hug and, for the first time, Fenrir didn't pull away.
"I don't want to be locked up again," Fenrir said. "Please, I can't do it again."
Thor continued to hold him while he sobbed; knowing that whatever answer the Allfather gave he was getting his nephew out of this cell.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*
They were still like that when Frigga came back. Thor, sitting on the floor with his arms around his nephew, and Fenrir slumped against him.
"Has he made his decision?" Thor asked.
"He has," Frigga said, sitting down in front of them and placing a wooden box beside her. "Odin has agreed to change your sentence to banishment, instead of imprisonment, as long as you are willing to agree to his conditions."
"Anything," Fenrir said, straightening up.
"The first is that you not use your magic," Frigga said, opening the box and taking out two gold manacles. "You must agree to wear these. They are similar to the collar you've been wearing. They will suppress your magic."
"Will I be able to take off the collar?" Fenrir asked, fingering the metal around his neck. Frigga nodded, and he took the manacles without complaint.
"After your banishment you will be forever barred from returning to Asgard. Once you leave this cell you must go straight to the Bifrost. If you should ever return to Asgard, for any reason, then-" Frigga struggled to finish her sentence. "If you ever return to Asgard then your life will be forfeit." There was a moment of silence following Frigga's admission.
"Has he said…Where does he want me to go?" Fenrir asked, nervously.
"He has agreed to let you go to Midgard with Thor," Frigga said. She turned to her son for her next piece of news. "All of this is dependent on your agreeing to be his guardian. You will need to be responsible for him and if he were to break the terms of his banishment then you would share in his punishment."
Thor couldn't believe this. He'd been expecting his part in all of this to be some terrible task and all that was being asked was that he watch over his nephew! Nothing could be easier. Thor smiled at Fenrir.
"It looks as though you won't need to miss me after all," He said. Fenrir looked at his uncle and then down at the floor.
"Fenris, will you agree to go with Thor?" Frigga asked.
"Did…Didn't my father try and begin a war with Midgard?" Fenrir asked. "Don't you think they might be mad?"
"The only people who will need to know of your parentage will be my teammates, and they would never hold you accountable for something that you didn't do," Thor assured him.
Fenrir still seemed uneasy but he agreed to go live with his uncle on Earth.
"The last condition concerns your father," Frigga said. "Odin won't stop Loki from knowing that you're alive, even from trying to contact you, but you can never go with him. If Loki is ever seen to be in possession of you then Odin will send down the Einherjar and you'll be in the dungeons within the hour."
"You speak of him like he's a sword," Thor said, confused.
"I'm only trying to make your father's ruling clear. This was the point that he was most firm on. He's convinced that if you and your father are reunited then you would attempt to destroy Asgard."
"I wouldn't do something like that," Fenrir whispered.
"We know that," Thor said.
"The rule is only that you can't live with him. As long as the two of you don't appear to be plotting destruction then there is no reason he couldn't come and see you," Frigga said. "I made sure of that."
"I agree. I agree to all of it," Fenrir said, quickly.
"Is there anything else?" Thor asked.
"No."
"Then when can I take him out of here?"
"Fenris can leave as early as tomorrow, but once he leaves this cell he must be taken straight to the Bifrost."
"Then that is when we'll leave," Thor said, standing up. "I'll go prepare for our departure." Thor said, rising from his place on the floor. "I'll return in the morning. Will you be alright alone until I return?" Fenrir slid a hand along the scratches on his neck before pulling his arm down to his side.
"I'll be good," Fenrir said, with a nod.
"I'll come to get you at first light; you have my word," Thor promised.
"Are you sure that you'll be ready to leave so soon?" Frigga asked, when Thor joined her in the hallway.
"There isn't much I need to do. Say good bye to my friends and gather a few things. There is a chest in Loki's room that I think Fenris would want to have. Besides that I could leave now."
"I'm glad. The sooner Fenris is away from here the better," She smiled at Thor. "I know you'll keep him safe."
"There is one thing I must know," Thor said. "You kept asking me what I would be willing to do for Fenris and how far I would go to see him free. Were you really so concerned that I wouldn't take him to Midgard with me?"
"No. I knew that if I could convince Odin to agree to banishment then you would do what was right," Frigga said.
"Then why did you keep asking me for a pledge of devotion?"
"We both swore that we wouldn't allow Fenris to be imprisoned again," Frigga said, taking a deep breath. "If Odin had refused to set him free, then I would have had to ask you free him yourself."
Authors Note: Let me know what you think. What's working for you and what isn't. It's the only way I'll grow as a writer.
