A/n: HELLLLOOOOO READERS! Once again I have to thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows, seeing your remarks and enthusiasm toward the stories is always one of the greatest joys I receive. Your encouragement constantly inspires me to create. For that give yourself a pat on the back!Truly you are awesome! This chapter was difficult. The concepts were hard to bring together. I labored over it from start to finish, but it has been a labor of love. I wrote it with you in mind and I truly hope it is one that you all will like as well.
BIG SHOUT OUT TO: Lokifan1988 and Priestess of Freya :D
Happy Reads, Writes and God bless.
Loki blinked vivid green eyes trying to reorient himself with his surroundings, there was nothing to become oriented to though, he was cloaked in impenetrable bleakness. Loki thought he'd slept, although it was impossible to tell. The cell was pitch black so there was no difference visually between being cognizant or being dormant. His mind tumbled endlessly it felt as if he was falling through the abyss once more. His head was filled with dreadful thoughts and fears; whether they were visions that plagues his waking moments or nightmares that haunted his limited slumber he knew not, dream and reality were a blur but whether awake or asleep madness seemed to consume him. Loki flinched and twitched. He was uncomfortable; fettered and chained beyond the disgraceful state of one the slaves dragged along in a caravan crossing in Museplehiem. Loki's muscles were taunt and stretch to the point where they felt like they would tear. His limbs trembling from being held in painful and awkward positions for too long. They were stretched wide as if they expected his thin white arms to match the expanse of a griffin's wingspan. The shackles were so tight around his pale wrist that they dug into the flesh and made him bleed cold, damp blood. His neck ached from the weight of the collar wrapped around it that kept him tethered to the wall like the most horrible of leashes. He had not even the freedom to turn his head to the side to see if someone was coming. The metallic taste of rusted iron on his tongue from the bit inside the muzzle was pressed down hard on his mouth made him gag continuously.
Loki snorted with anger and frustration out of his slim nostrils. His mind had spiraled off in tangents. How much time had passed? A few hours? A day? a week? It couldn't be more than a week...could it? He was a wreck, he kept waiting for Thanos to arrive...kept thinking that he would appear out of the darkness and shadows demanding things of him that he was no longer at liberty to give and since he couldn't provide what Thanos wanted, the monstrous overlord of the Chitauri would break his spine to pay for the debt. He could hear the lumbering footsteps of the massive titan. They were so heavy like mountains moving across the mud floor that his feet dangled in. "Comfortable, Little Snake," he heard the titan's hideous, rumbling voice ask with a cruel chuckled as he'd slide his sausage like discolored finger over Loki's jaw line then down over his vieny neck and over his shaking sinewy arms. "Aww are these binds to tight?" the titan would ask his imitation of concern was like a teacher clawing on a chalkboard in Loki's ears. The creature would then pull fast on the chain to tight how it stretched Loki's arms back in an even more uncomfortable position that gave no slack to his tired muscles. Loki would try to avoid the monster's golden eyed gaze, only to feel a boulder like hand clobber him across the side of his face leaving his head reeling and blood oozing from his temple. Thanos would then mock him as he watched Loki's emerald eyes flutter furiously as he fought to stay conscious and reorient himself with his surroundings. "What's the matter, princess, cat got your silver-tongue?" he taunted mercilessly yanking at the muzzle. Loki's eye watered with out restrain and he screamed his heart out feeling the pain as if his prized member were to be ripped from his head.
"Thought you that you could deceive us?" all of a sudden another voice would appear. Loki's eyes noted the image of Thanos' most trusted minion, The Other, the blue skinned 8 finger monstrosity loomed over him. The two broke into fitful laughter at Loki expense as they raised a wicked looking helmet like contraption over his head. "No! NO! Thanos, please!" Loki started to scream beneath the guard set to his thin lips. Loki slammed his eyes shut. He counted. He counted to 1092 before he peeked jade pupils from behind porcelain eyelids and looked into nothing but darkness.
His eyes darted back and forth in the darkness, he quivered and his chains rattled along with his fearful convulsions, but Thanos wasn't there...never appeared. He never showed his dreadful face. Thanos would have not kept him in such suspense. He had seen Thanos unmerciful dealings with the Chitauri, those who opposed him or in the least disappointed him were dealt with immediately and harshly. Pain was all that the outcast titan used for economy and he was a glutton for such riches. Had he been there Loki knew that his suffering would have been instant, his torture would have been constant, his torment imminent never ceasing and inescapable. No, Thanos was not here...yet.
It had been a hallucination...a vision...a dream...a nightmare. Loki shuddered as if he felt the cold sting of ice breath on t his pale flesh. Still thoughts of Thanos and his minions having there way with him had not been as horrific as Thor's words. Thor's word, those words were like a blade that was stuck in his heart and twisted inside of him and then yanked out living his chest with a gaping hole. Mother dead? Mother dead. Mother was dead by his hand? Mother beautiful and warm as sunlight, mild and gentle as the sweet blossoms that bloomed in the jungles where the Valkyrie held their training camp, she was as strong and majestic as the purple mountains that stood as stately pillars of their world...was she truly dead and gone. Had he truly killed her. He hadn't thought he hit her that hard. he hadn't thought period he was just a monster acting out his rage a nonthinking beast that struck on impulse. He twisted as his heart wrenched from with inside him. He let out a mournful groan like a mastodon stuck in a tar pit from behind the metal mask that he's been strapped with once more. Was she really lying cold in a crypt? He couldn't picture her so. He could not imagine her lovely form lying flat and listless in a casket made a glittering crystals cold on an altar. No when he saw her he saw her walking through the golden archways of the palace with her lovely handmaidens behind her as they laughed and talked amongst themselves. He envisioned her in all her finery, dressed in such brilliant gold that she'd outshine even the very sun itself as she sat by Odin's side. He'd see her in the grand sewing room the fireplace blazing warm as she sat by the spindle or working at the loom constructing lovely tapestries that she'd have the servants take home as Solstice presents. Or he could imagine her in the garden. Frigga so loved the garden. The palace was surrounded by many gardens, but one in particular belonged to the queen. It had been said it was just an uncultivated patch of land, an eyesore to the palace's landscape, but Queen Frigga had a green thumb to make such a barren place grow. Mother's garden had always seemed a place of mystery and enchantment to him as a child; it appeared to be just as wondrous as the weapon vault or the hall of relics. Many times he and Thor would play there as boys. They'd rush through the lush vines and hide away in the shrubbery. They'd pretend they were wild jungle beasts or that they'd gotten lost in one of the tropical rain forests of Alfhiem. Some days Loki would come there alone, just to be with Frigga. He'd listen to her talk to her plants. She cared for them so tenderly. If she noticed one was being particularly stubborn and not growing well she'd sing to it. The garden had been a special time for them. When Odin was off with Thor giving him riding lessons or showing him how to hold a blade, Frigga would take Loki to the garden and teach him things. She'd tell him of the plants and their origins. She'd tell him which plants were good for medicine and healing, and which plants were good for making tea. Sometimes she'd let him collect the berries and fruits her garden yielded and they'd eat the bounty in secret together. She'd help him find the right blossoms for the potions described in his books. His favorite moments were when they planted things together.
He'd been young, maybe only the age of 6 or so if it had to be given a human estimate. He'd wandered to the garden after his lessons were finish. Thor usually got done his lessons by the middle of the day and then spent most of the day playing. He however would always stay later with the tutors until the elders would grow tired of his persistent and insolent questions and they'd promptly end the lesson to have the smart mouthed prince out of their hair. Upon entering the garden he saw Odin's lovely wife planting something very tenderly. This was different though. "Mama, what are you doing?" Loki asked with alarm as he waved his bony arms frantically running up behind her.
"Oh Loki!" the queen gasped the exhaled with relief as she saw the thin raven haired boy come and stand by her side. "You mustn't sneak up on me like that," she chided mildly relaxing and placing her gardening tool on top of a pile to the side. The gardens looked like a fantastic winter wonderland. It had only just snowed a few days ago and the snow had been heavy and thick and still the world of the Imperial city was all white and icy from the first frost of the season. "You nearly stopped my heart," she expressed easy smile on her pretty full, bronzed face as she turned to face him. He donned his new evergreen cloak with the gold fringes
"Sorry," the young green-eyed prince stated his bright-colored eyes dropping and a frown etching over his sweet angular features. "But I had to stop you, mama," Loki insisted as he instantly perked back up.
"Stop me?" the blonde woman questioned. "Stop me from what?" she asked playfully her hand's on her hips.
"You were about to make a mistake!" Loki all to eagerly pointed out. Frigga shook head. Loki was quick to point out other people's errors. It was one of the things that the palace tutors often brought up to her. He often caught mistakes that the teachers would make in their mathematical calculations. It always ruffled the feathers of the professors. It was embarrassing for a young child to know more than his learned teachers. "You ...you were about to plant your seeds in the snow!" the little boy pointed out. He pointed toward the small blue seeds that looked like tiny sapphire's in her mother's white gloved hand before he tucked his hand behind his back and puffed out his chest with pride.
"It's not a mistake, Loki," Frigga chuckled as she beckoned Loki to come closer.
"You're silly, Mama" Loki giggled as he scampered toward her. "You can't plant your seeds in the snow."
"Oh, but these are special, these you can," the queen assured her youngest waved her hand flamboyantly in front of his gleaming green eyes. "This is a special plant, Loki," Frigga began with a wink. Loki's little black brows quirked as he tried to guess what kinda plant could grow in the snow.
He thought back to the different stories he heard. Thor always liked on tale from Midgard about a boy who found magic beans, that grew into a stalk so high that they reached to Jotunheim.
"Magic?" he asked excitedly.
"hmm, not quite, but they are very rare and mysterious," Frigga explained wiggling her gloved fingers in the boys face. "They are from Jotunhiem,"she expounded.
"Jotuns have plants?"the little scholar asked quite bewildered. Whenever he looked up book about the other realms and read about Jotunheim, it was always described as a wasteland. He pursed his pink lips and scratched his head.
"Not many," his mother informed him, "ice squash, snowroot, frozen kelp vines," the gave him a few examples. "Those are a few meager vegetables that make up the Jotun diet," she went on.
"Yuck!" Loki stuck out his tongue thinking about the foods his mother had described. Frigga laughed as she looked at her little boy's disgusted face.
The queen pinched up her features as, "I know they do sound awful don't they," she whispered playfully. "I'd much rather have some ripe turnips and honeyed squash," she nodded and licked her lips.
"Our foods here in Asgard are delicious," Loki replied"Why are you planting the nasty Frost Giant vegetables mama?" Loki inquired.
"I'm not Loki," Frigga giggled. "These are Frost Lilies," Frigga whispered as she began pointing to the small, azure balls in the palm of her glove.
"Frost Lilies?" Loki repeated after the golden haired queen a quizzical expression on his face.
"Yes," The queen stated pleasantly as she tapped his chilly, pointed nose. "They are one of the only known floral vegetation to grow in Jotunheim and they are extrememly rare," Frigga explained noting Loki looked interested in the new facts. "They are said only to bloom when children of the Frost Giant royalty are born," the queen elaborated.
"So they are magical!" the green-eyed child declared as he snapped his pale finger in confirmation.
"Perhaps you are right Loki, perhaps they are," Frigga snickered at her skinny son's elation at proving his thoughts were true. She reached her fingers out and squeezed Loki's pointing nose causing him to giggle and snort. She patted his thin cheek affectionately, before she continued. "The Jotun's have carvings in their skin..."
'I know," the raven-locked child chimed in, "they're ugly," once again the young child curled up his features in disgust.
"They are odd seeming," Frigga looked at Loki and sighed, "but when a child of royalty is born the flower's petals take on the form of the markings on the royal child's skin and I think these will turn out to be very pleasing to the eye," Frigga tried to explain. "Many years ago, when your father fought the Great War against the Ice Giants, one of the soldiers sought to bring back a spoil of war for his bride to be to prove his love to her. He found one of these legendary flowers just starting to sprout outside of Laufey's stronghold. For many years he and his wife were able to cultivate and tend the plant and when I went to visit with them last week, his wife gave me a few seeds that she'd managed to harvest being that she knew how much I loved gardening. I'm so excited to have this rare plant as a part of my collection!" the queen nodded encouragingly.
"Why would you want anything from Jotunheim?" the youngest son of Odin asked confusedly.
Frigga's smile fell at young Loki's harsh question. She frowned deeply. "These plants are very beautiful, Loki" the queen told him defensively. She pulled out a book from the folds of her thick winter's cape. Loki recognized the book. It was big and old but Mother nomally kept it with her when she was in the garden. The book told of all kinds of plants, from simple weeds and vines, to wild berry bushes and fruit trees and even the most exotic of flowers. The book was well-worn Frigga had used it for many centuries now and she had samples of the plants described in the book pressed between the pages. The book of facts was now precious memento where she could store the bounty of her gardens and greenhouses most beautiful treasures.
There was one flower she'd shown Thor and Loki only a few nights ago when she was reading them a bedtime story. It was a fascinating story about a great plague that fell upon a faraway kingdom. All the people of the kingdom were dying and the great king sent out warriors to go and try to find a cure, for there was a well known prophecy that one day a great plague would come across the land and the most humble of gifts would save the land. but the warriors came back with a young farmboy, who said for centuries his family had cultivated a special crop that was said to cure all ills. But one day an evil and wealthy ruler of the land burned down his families farm in hopes to procure the rare crop for himself. But the greedy ruler ended up burning down all the crop, only one seed was saved. That one seed had grown into a simple bud and it alone was the saving grace for all the people of the kingdom, but the flower alone was not enough, the flowers powers could only be harnessed by singing a simple incantation over the flower. They needed a great magician who would know how to unlock the secrets held with in the bud. The king called forth his wisemen, but none of the learned scholars knew what to do to make the bud bloom. The einherjar quested to a far flung land where there was fabled to be a person of great power. They came offering gifts and tribute, but they were shocked to find that it was truly a woman who posses the power. She sung the magic words. "Flower gleam and glow" and the land was healed. At the end the boys were a little shocked by the story and Thor never believing that a humble farmer and bard could receive more honor that a mighty Einherjar scoffed and started telling Loki that the story wasn't real. Frigga then showed them the remnants of the flower that once saved a people. It was pressed inside her gardening book. It looked exactly like the drawing depicted it on the fable scroll except for the fact that the flower had withered. The picture showed a blossom of great beauty with petals that formed a sun shape and petals that were the color of amethyst and rubies, but the pressed flower was dry and shriveled the amethyst hue had drained and now the color was near that of a prune. The bright scarlet tones had long since seeped from the leaves of the bloom and now all that remained was the color of rust. Mother said that the great use of the flower had caused the plant to wither, but the ancient sages preserved the plant for all time so that perhaps in a time of great need their would still be just the faintest amount of magic left in the dry leaves to perfom one last feat.
Loki though back on his mother's tale as he watched her turn the pages. Rapidly Frigga's fingers flipped over the crinkled edges of the pages. Almost breathlessly Frigga landed on a tattered page that showed the image of the gorgeous bloom. Loki's keen emerald eyes shrewdly studied the picture. The flower look as if it was made entirely of ice. Even from the old depiction he could note how the artist sought to convey how the leaves and stem of the plant seemed to sparkle like diamonds. The petals were as intricate and unique in design as a snowflake. He traced his small, pale finger across the design shown in the book. It wasn't horrific and crude as he had imagined something that was supposed to be patterned after Frost Giant skin would be. "I can tell I am going to love tending this plant," Frigga said earnestly as her gloved hand clasped at Loki's trembling little fingers. She turned to him her loving smile still housed so much warmth. She pride Loki's slender fingers open and slipped the tiny, round, blue seeds into his pale palm. "It will be hard to make them grow here, in Asgard," she explained nodding thoughtfully, "These poor little seeds are so out of their element. There needs are so very different from the needs of flowers that our native to our realm, but with love and time I am convinced that this plant will blossom into something wondrous!" She stated proudly as she tucked his fingers in so that they held firm to the precious seeds. "But I think we are up for the challenge," she stated proudly as she engulfed his small frigid fingers in her large and warm hands. "You'll help me, won't you, Loki?" she asked earnest as her beautiful blue eyes looked loving into his playful jade pupils while patting gently on his knuckles. "I want this flower to bloom just like every other plant in the garden. If we work hard, together, by the time the Royal Flower and Garden Show's rolls around all will see what a treasure this little Jotun seed really is!" she nodded beaming back at him.
"Yes, Mama," Loki nodded eagerly.
"Good. This is a very special plant and it needs a special boy to help it grow," she told him as she dragged her free hand through his midnight locks. Together they dropped the first few seeds into the snow and covered it back up. Loki chose a spot where he thought it would receive the most water and be provided with the right amount of shade. Frigga had warned him that when the summer months came the brilliant Asgardian sun would be too harsh for the foreign cold weather flower. Before the proceeded to leave and go wash up for supper. The queen reminded Loki that they had to chose a song for this new plant.
"What about this one," Loki pointed out perkily. "Flower gleam and glow..." he started his little voice falling in line perfectly with the tune.
"Oh that is a beautiful song, my little love,"Frigga started while smiling fondly at her little boy she managed to raise herself off of the frozen ground. 'You have such a lovely voice Loki," she began stroking he hand over his cheek. "Loki why do you not join the boys chorus at the acedemy?" Frigga prompted.
Loki looked down shamefacedly, "Thor says real princes don't sing, they fight," he explained. "I know he'll tease me about it," he went on brushing his foot through the snow, "Besides I'd rather work on my magic!" he added quickly his face excited.
Frigga let the matter drop, "But that song is for that, flower," she whispered with a playful secretiveness as she turned to the page in her flower book that held the withered healing flower. "This plant needs its own song," she reminded him.
"Sing the one you sing to me!" Loki offered instantly, his sharp young mind never missing a beat.
"Oh Ok," Frigga agreed easily. "Time to rest in your nest, time to hear to your bed, the hour falls now to sleep," the queen started to sing the melody she often hung to both her boys just before bedtime. "It would seem it's time to dream..."
"No," Loki shook his head his soft black hair bouncing with the movements, "The you sing just for me. Our song!" he exclaimed.
"Oh," Frigga nodded a gentle smile pulling on her lovely pink mouth, "You'll be in my heart," she started as she folded her hands over Loki's slim shoulders. "No matter what they say," she pulled the thin boy close and pressed a kiss atop his cold forehead. "You have such a nice voice, Loki sing with me," she entreated her beloved son.
"You'll be here in my heart," he sung his voice harmonizing with her golden tone perfectly, his glittering gem colored eyes watered feeling pride at the compliment she had afforded him. He wrapped his gangly arms tightly around her waist as he felt himself encircled in the unending love of her embrace.
"Always," she whispered ending the song as she rocked him back and forth tight in the hug.
"Mama, can other good things come from Jotunheim too?" Loki questioned as they ended their song and she took his hand and started to guide him back into the palace to get warm and have dinner.
"More than you know, my love, more than you know," she whispered as they raced back over the snow to the warmth and safety of home.
Mother's plant had been a thing of beauty for a time. Yes for a season it bloomed and flourished amongst the other greenery, but the Frost Lily was not meant to live in Asgard, it turned growing sick from the harsh Asgardian sun it became a gnarled and ugly vine that choked the life out of everything. Soon it sucked the life from the other plants until all the place with in 5 feet of it shriveled up and died. It was a monstrous plant that thorns and thistles poisoned the one who tended it. That plant was a monster no matter what mother said. He didn't understand then why she held such an affinity for the foreign flower. She kept trying to work with it. Make it fit...but it didn't belong. Eventually the queen had to up.t the plant or lose the whole garden, but mother hadn't thrown the weed into the furnace a s one of her handmaidens suggested, she kept it's blossom and pressed it into the pages of her well worn book. He was such a hideous plant, why had mother wanted to keep him even after she'd seen that he was little more than a weed choking out the life of all who came near?
Loki's emerald eyes snapped to attention in the darkness. he thought from above he could scarcely make out the sounds of harps being played in the old funeral hymn. He screamed through his muzzle. He screamed and shook, beating his tethered body against the wall. He carried on like that until he exhausted himself tears hot a furious pouring from his eyes like torrential rain. He wailed until he had no voice and shook and rattled his fetters until his weak body had no fight left with in him and his whole form slacked in defeat. It couldn't be true. Mother couldn't really be gone No. It couldn't be true . Could it? Perhaps like Thanos it was nothing more than a nightmare.
The hour had grown increasingly late, but Prince Thor could find no rest. How could he, with the recent developments. He looked out his balcony window. Shouts and screams rang out in the night. Fighting and steal crashing echoed behind the chorus of furious protesting voices. The beautiful lawns that were once lined with flowers and fountains now were teaming with loyal Asgardians. Men and women who would shed their blood for their realm if need be. Frigga's champions who would see that their queen was avenged. Had he wanted to sleep he would not have been able to for. The Imperial City was in an uproar. The people of Asgard were in a frenzied state of commotion, grief and fear. They still rallied outside the castle gates chanting and crying, yelling and clamoring like a pack f wild animals. They were good people, patriots and noble citizens who demanded justice, but no Asgardian was ever raised to be a pacifist and the only justice that any purebred Aesir could see for such vile crimes came in blood atonement. They would be appeased with little else than death. They brought their torches to burn their once prince at the stake. They brought their pitchforks to skewer him right through and their rocks to stone him. The palace guards could scarcely contain the unruly crowd. The sentries had to fight and wrestle down the people to keep them from storming into the royal stronghold and going stampeding down to Loki's wretched and lowly cell and killing him themselves. The Council was in just as much a state unending turmoil as the citizens of Asgard. They barked and demanded, ranted they were a tempestuous sea of rage and fury that could not be settled nor quelled.
Thor could no longer watch the citizens of Asgard gathering in fury outside of his window. He pressed his way from his bedchamber and into the hallway hoping to escape from the outcries of his people who haunted him in the night. His iron clad door engraved with the mighty symbol of Mjolnir squeaked as he opened it. Once he left his room the shouts of his people soon dissipated and he was engulfed in the utter stillness that was the palace's golden corridor.
The golden prince took long, but slow and weary strides to Odin's private study. He and his father had not been able to bring themselves to talk, but it was now time. It was inevitable. Now was the time. Thor arrived at the mahogany door that lead to Odin's study. Thor managed to bring his bronzed knuckles up in a way that formed a fist he gently knocked upon the great wood door. His knock was soft. The knocking of his thunderous heart inside his chest as louder than timid tap he'd made. Thor shook his blonde mane and cleared his throat as he decided to rap upon the wooden fixture once more. Still no answer. "Father?" Thor asked pressing a strong hand against the frame of the door. He waited for a response for only a few moments. He had never been patient. Soon he found himself bursting into the kings lounge without permission. He pushed the door open and slammed against the wall. The push was so hard that it caused to wood to splinter as it collided with the stone wall. "Father, I am sorry for the intrusion, but I must speak wi-" Thor began to ramble quickly shaking his head, but as he brought his blue eyes up to gaze upon his father, who was a wise a great ruler he found that the chamber was empty. His eyes searched frantically around the room. After the last council meeting Thor had been sure that Odin had retired to take some solace in the study. Thor's browse furrowed. He scratched his head in confusion. He frowned bringing his sapphire pupils to fall on the large jasper stone writing desk in the center of the room. Only a single scroll was left on the table. It was rolled up and tied tight with a black ribbon. The warrior prince, reached out his rough mallet wielding to take hold of the scroll. Then he hesitated and retracted his callous fingertips just as they skimmed the edged of the papyrus. He sucked in a sharp, before he willed himself to roughly snatch the document from Odin's desk. He quickly pulled apart the velvety black ribbon. He discarded it carelessly on the marble floor and unraveled the scroll. He watched as the parchment unfolded and fell to his feet. His eyes carefully read through the stylized calligraphy of the document. His bright azure eyes growing wide with panic as he read the harsh, and horrible pronouncement that was held in the document. He shook his head, scurrying his forefinger and thumb down the edges of the fancy, official stationery of the royal decree. "The aforementioned monster," Thor mouthed shaking his head as he came toward the end of the scroll. "Hung by the neck until dead," He read as he drew his eyes away from glancing at the parchment stared wide-eyed with horror at truly nothing. He brought himself back from his fearful stare and forced his eyes to look down at the royal decree again. Father had signed his name in the eternal ink of gold. The ink was still wet. It smeared and stained his copper fingers as he traced his father's name.
"Father!" Thor bellowed as he pushed pass the crystal doors that gave entrance into the tranquil hall of healing. The room was a peaceful blue in color. The floor made of transparent limestone In the center of the room was a fountain that overflowed with turquoise waters. The waters bubbled and foamed and then spilled out of the lovely fountain made of pearls and glistening ivory. The fountain was carved in the image of a lovely maiden bearing a great pitcher of water. The turquoise water flowed out from the young woman's pitcher and then down into the pool of the fountain. There it would heated allowing it to bubble and turn foamy and spill over the sides only to siphoned into aqueducts that flowed beneath the panels of the glistening white limestone flooring and flowing like an endless life giving river throughout the halls of healing. Thor had little interest in admiring the opulence of the magnificent room. He stomped in further his heavy and plodding footsteps making the white limestone panels splinter and crackle beneath the weight of his boot. "Father!" he beckoned for the king's presence.
"Thor," Thor great king came from the inner chamber of the healing hall and closed a set of crystal doors behind him. "Thor, keep your voice down," he instructed as if speaking to a young lad. "Healing is taking place," he admonished as he came face to face with the strapping young man who would one day rule Asgard in his stead. "What trouble's you?" Odin asked with desperate concern voice. "Your Mother she..."
The wielder of Mjolnir, shook his head and pressed his lips together hard and tight until it was painful. "Do you know of these ballots?"he demanded of Odin. He shoved the scribbled signature petitioning for Loki's death toward his father's chest. Thor pressed it there until Odin's war weathered hands found the crumpled piece of parchment. Slowly and deliberately the great king of the golden realm brought the balled up piece of paper to eye level.
"My son, listen," Odin said in a hushed tone as a few of the healers frantically rushed into the main healing chamber and pass the two royals.
"Did you know, Father?" Thor inquired once again never once lowering his volume. "The delegates are having secret meetings and voting for Loki's immediately execution." The blonde heir to the throne elaborated.
"Thor, you must calm down," The king hushed.
"Did you know of this?" Thor's bright blue eyes got wide with horror as the question tumbled from his lips.
"This is not the time or place to discuss this my son," Odin raised his battle scarred hands before his eldest child trying to silence him.
"Did you know?" Thor asked gripping the elderly but royal man by the shoulders.
The great king dropped his head for a moment, averted gray/blue eyes for looking at the sapphire blue pupil's of the blonde prince before him. Looking in Thor's eyes was too painful now. Those eyes were so much like his beloved Frigga's. They were round and big and beautiful like her's. Her eyes remained shut. Odin swallowed. Then brought his head up he squared his shoulders. Odin was aged but he was no less strong. His shoulders stretched forth broad and wide and straight a like great plank "Yes" the monarch confirmed his eye did not blink as the staunch word rolled off his tongue.
Thor's face contorted with repulsion he took a staggering step back from his father. "Father, Father how can you let this happen?" Thor remarked.
"The city is in an uproar, Thor!" Odin shouted. "The unhumanity! The Monstrosity of what has occurred demands justice," Odin declared he clutched his hand firmly around Gungnir."
"Loki was set to face Magic Extraction, Father...that is what..."
"It is not severe enough," Odin growled he gripped his staff tighter, "Not now," the wizened king whispered as he let out a sigh."Panic is ensuing amongst the populace. The nobles and delegates are worried..." Odin began to try and explain. "Our good people have a right to feel safe and they have a right see that Justice will be served at that that which jeopardize their peace will be destroyed." Odin nods as if explaining it to himself.
"How can you sign your own son's death sentence?" Thor protested as he pulls out the scroll which bore the royal proclamation of Loki's demise. He shook the scroll violently watching it unravel it's flamboyantly crafted words and feathery rune script could not hide what it was. It was nothing but an epitaph.
"It is what must be done Thor," Odin stated simply allowing his head to hang with the confession.
"Why? Because of the council?" Thor questioned taking a step forward so that he could get a better look at his father's face.
"It is not because of the council, Thor," the great king admitted with a sigh.
"Then why?' Thor demanded.
"What other course of action would you have me take?" Odin asked his voice pained and tormented. He looked into Thor's blazing blue eyes. "Hmm?" his grunt was a harsh challenge. "Would you have Loki's act of villainy go unpunished? Allow his terror to rain blood across the land? Have his madness and anarchy consume this realm like an inferno!" Odin barked.
"No!" Thor shouted back his heart torn as he heard the words. "He deserves to be punished. He deserves to be locked away," Thor tried to expound his tongue feeling heavy and his big lungs struggling to suck n air. "But..."
"He deserves death!" the leader of Asgard stated and did not flinch.
"But you can show him mercy!" Thor bellowed a reply.
"He was shown mercy. He was shown mercy from day one. For he deserved to be stoned for his atrocious acts of treason. For his pitiless slaughter of mortals upon Midgard." Odin hurled back at the blonde young man who stood firm on the challenge of the expressed desire of the council. "Even after he raised his hand and slaughtered one of Aesir blood," Odin shook his head vigorously as he paced about listing Loki's sins. "He received mercy at your mother's hands." the great king paused from his restless trotting. He raised his head toward the heavens. His ever firm jaw began quivering. Thor thought he scarcely heard the king's teeth chattering. "She cared for him so tenderly," Odin muttered his voice nothing more than a breathy hum. "As she always did," Odin said thoughtfully he managed to smile.
"Mother would not what Loki dead," Thor countered immediately .
"Your mother cannot tell us here wants or desires now Thor, she has been robbed of that," Odin growled clenching his strong, but old hands. "You expect me to let your mother's murder go..."
"MOTHER'S NOT DEAD!" Thor roared stopping the kind mid-sentence. The fury took both royal men by surprise . His booming baritone voice shook the room and made the crystal glass doors crack. Odin's one eye flashed back up.
"Thor, you must control yourself," Odin ordered. He did not speak loudly. His tone was firm. The firmness of a general that commanded a battalion that numbered in the thousands. His voice as commanding as that of a king that would address his whole kingdom. It was the same voice that used to still him from carrying on like a terror around the palace.
Odin's face was stern but his hand reached forward and took Thor's. Thor shook his head. He started to apologized, but his chest was heaving so that he couldn't get out the words."Mother may yet come back to us," Thor expressed he looked up at his father, the man he had always looked up too, the steady and dependable rock of their family and realm, now both seemed to be unraveling at the seams. Tear's spilled from the mammoth sized warriors larger ocean blue eyes. It was merely a chance and a very slim one at that. Eir had said that if Mother didn't wake up soon in two more days time than her chances of survival would be slim to none, but there was still there was hope and Thor clung to it like a child clinging to the security of a blanket, but with every passing minute the hope slowly started to wither. "If...If Mother wakes and finds that Loki has been executed... it would surely kill her. Her heart could not bear the death of her son once again, Father... and you know this," Thor declared to Odin. He looked the old king firmly in the eye.
"And if she does not, Thor?" the great king sighed as he felt Thor's body tremble overcome with sentiment as he held his fist. Odin cupped his other hand on top of Thor's to steady the shaking. "We must come to grips with that fact that the head wound is very severe. We may need to prepare for..."
"You cannot say that!" Thor told his father. "You cannot say that," Thor continued turning his gaze from Odin. He pulled his hand from the safety of being cloaked in his father's palm. He marched away from Odin and came to stand in the middle of the room.
"Thor," Odin followed behind the muscular wielder of Mjolnir. "Thor," he repeated in a whisper as he solid and battle hardened fingers came to clamp down on his successor's massive shoulder. "Loki has spilled too much blood not Thor. He attacked your mother! How could I justify allowing him to live?" Odin demanded.
"You will condemn your own son to death, Father?' Thor questioned with disbelief.
"Thor...I must do what is best for us all, that is a decision that I have forestalled, but I can stay my hand no more," Odin reasoned out loud.
"How can you say that?" Thor asked his voice shaking, blonde locks bouncing as he shook his head and mallet carrying hands outstretched and quivering in his face.
"Because I am King," Odin declared firmly before the bewildered prince. "Because I have sworn an oath to the people of this realm, because it is my solemn vow and duty to protect the children of Asgard, to keep them safe and look out for their best interest!" Odin yelled. "This is what is good for Asgard, Thor." Odin roared his reasoning to his strong and strapping son. "I cannot put our family, our people, or anymore lives in jeopardy for Loki." Odin stated. "I cannot allow Loki to unleash destruction on us all. It is a decision you should understand... it is a decision you should support and it is decision you must be willing to make."
Thor merely gulped. His father's words hit him like heavy blows. He thought to when he and Loki had gone to Nornheim to retrieve their sacred helmets. He thought of the vision he had seen there. It was a vision of his aged self, a self that was a proud and stately king, a great warrior and leader just like his father. The vision had posed to him one question and one question alone to prove his merit and to test him. There was one question and one answered that needed to be given to prove if he was worthy to be king. "Would you sacrifice self?" Prince Thor recalled the deep voice of his future self inquiring.
"I'd give my life for Asgard," Thor heard himself so triumphantly proclaim.
"Would you sacrifice another?" the image continued to ask. That was when he hesitated. But in the end he concluded that to sacrifice just one for the greater good was worth it. Then he saw who he would have to sacrifice. He saw the mayhem and anarchy that Loki would create. He saw the trail of blood that Loki would leave in his wake on the road to vengeance and yet even with that knowledge flashing before his eyes. Even as he heard Loki's sickening, manic, cackling ring out as a bell over the cries, screams and shouts of his people. Even as he saw that Loki had completely lost his mind. He still hesitated. He still couldn't bring himself to kill his brother. "Then you are unworthy?" he heard the booming pronouncement echo again in the ears of his memory and bring him to his knees. The temple started crumbling around him. This gilded and marble cased boulders and bricks from the ceiling rained down on him. They struck him and he collapsed to the ground panting and pleadings gasping for breath. Then someone came. Someone caught him. It was Loki! But a different Loki. This Loki was like the Loki he'd seen in the visions, nothing but a wild eyes crazed tyrant. This Loki whispered cruel words in his ear. His articulate tongue was a flint knife through the heart. "Sentiment will be your undoing." Before Thor could respond a sharp blade rammed through his side. And even then, even as he felt the cold tip of the keen sword slice through his silver plated armor and into his fleshy sides. Still, after all that, while he was lying helplessly on the floor he'd still refused to think he could kill his own brother. He still refused to believe that Loki was no more than a heartless fiend. He felt the same now. He'd seen all Loki was capable of. He'd heard Loki spew forth such horrible venom that it would even make the weather battered seafaring vikings who sailed from the far Eastern Black Sea cringe and the way he swore. Still he struggled to believe that nothing was left in Loki but an animal. Perhaps he was unworthy? Possibly he was undeserving. How could he ever claim to be a suitable ruler for Asgard when he would not make decisions in their best interest. What excuse would he offer the Aesir as they watched their homes burn? What rationale could he give to the humans as Loki drove the like cattle as he proclaimed himself their king? What alibi could he fine as he watched chaos and mischief make a rein of terror throughout the realms?
But then he remembered as his feverish mind had been cluttered with images of roar and death, rage, blood, carnage, anarchy and madness. So much madness, but in the midst of that he had heard Loki's crisp voice talking to him and trying to beckon him back to reality. And Loki had returned. Loki hadn't left him to die. Loki came back...maybe Loki would come again. Thor was hopeful, but maybe Loki wouldn't...maybe Loki couldn't... maybe Loki was too far gone. He's attempted to slay their mother?
"Loki is not the same Thor... he is not who he was..." Odin warned placing his hand out to silence the prince. He watched his son's handsome, full lips seem to form a protest. "He is sick and twisted. He is dangerous! " Odin told Thor and started to pace about. "He is...he is... like a dragon. A dragon which waits and bides it's time, it lurks and looms and then strikes. And when the dragon unleashes his fury, it can not be quieted...it cannot be quelled. There is little other course of action left to be taken now Thor," the great leader explained. "Loki is a threat," once again the king tried to tell. "He is a threat to us, he is a threat to Asgard, he is a threat to all the nine realms and to himself," the father expressed sorrowfully.
"He is still your son!" Thor shouted back as he watched the king adorned in white turn his back toward him. For a moment there was a pause. The two members of the royal family spoke not a word. "Father," Thor's normally booming baritone voice seemed small and unsure. He walked over to Odin. He stood taller that the king now, but he touched his strong bronzed hands to Odin's elbow, much like when he was a boy and came and sought his Father's guidance and wisdom. "Father?' he called desperately to the regal one before him. "He is still your son," the bulky thunderer offered once more. "Is he not?"
"No," Odin breathed shaking his head, his back still turned toward Thor.
"What?" Thor asked gently, purely out of ignorance for the mighty king's voice was so weak and frail sounding that Thor could not make out the simple word.
"NO." Odin growled spinning on his heels and looking his eldest son in the eye. His old blue gray eyes were raging and Thor could see the water gathering and brimming beneath the surface.
"Father," The hammer bearer gasped.
"My son would never do these damnable deeds. No. That wasn't the person that your brother was. Loki is gone! Do you understand? He's gone!" Odin shouted. Thor's eyes were wide with horror as he heard his father's declaration. He took a step back as if his father's words were fist punching him in the face. The words were nothing new. They were words that had been tossed around for so long now, but something about hearing father proclaim it with such authority made it seem so etched in stone and undeniable. "He's gone," Odin repeated, but this time he was roaring it. It was a timid acknowledgment of an ugly truth one that Odin took no glory or pride in. "That disgusting creature that resides in the bowels of the dungeon is not my son," Odin reported he pointed his finger down at the floor signifying Loki's position. "That," the ruler of Asgard stressed. "is an animal... a rabid, savage, ravenous hound!" Odin exclaimed.
"I know...I know Loki is dangerous," Thor began he took a step back and batted blue eyes as if he was in a daze from the blow of his father's words. "I know that we cannot merely let Loki roam free," the crown prince confirmed, "But there is still extraction! Magic Extraction was what we agreed upon! It is the next measure, before death father let Loki atone by loosing his magic," Thor interceded.
Odin pursed his lips thoughtfully as he heard his son's words. "You know that is not enough. You know that the council will feel the punishment is to mild," Odin cautioned. He raised his crinkled rough looking tanned finger in the air. Odin snorted and stomped away from his golden haired son. He crossed his old, but still toned and muscular arms across his chest. "It will not rest well with them," he reminded Thor in a low voice as if it was a whisper that he did not want to leak into the ear of servants and healers who lurked just out side the hall of healing's entrance chamber door. "It will not rest well with the people," Odin went on shaking his head. The hairs of his gray beard bounced with with movement. "Magic extraction is not the act of mercy that you think it is Thor," Odin warned. "In some cases it can be a fate worse than death," the sovereign of the gilded realm continued to explain.
"But it would not be death!" Thor countered immediately. "At least it would show the people of Asgard that Loki's life still has value. That Loki is still salvageable," Thor pleaded in earnest.
"Is it?" Odin asked quickly and curiously. His staunch question quieted the quarrelsome muscular man who dared to challenge royal decree. "He's a monster now..."
"He was not always so!" Thor instantly defended his little brother.
White-haired ruler of the Aesir heaved a sigh from his chest. It came from the very base of his lungs and made his shoulders sag even deeper once the exhale had fully escaped his body cavity. "Loki could still die from extraction, my son...it is a dangerous process and not many survive," Odin explained.
"At least it would give Loki a fighting chance. At least there would be hope that he could reform and he could change...he'd have a shot at redemption," Thor's words came out frantically and desperately. He wished he had Loki's gifted tongue to craft and weave illustrious pictures and beguile people to his side even when he merely spoke piles of lies, but Thor had not been blessed with a silvertongue, his tongue was fleshy and clay prone to error, but full of earnest desire. Thor's bright baby blue eyes, eyes that were so like his mother Frigga's pleaded the case that his mouth was never skilled enough to argue. Odin turned to see the way his handsome son's eyes filled with water. "In your heart I don't believe that you truly want your son dead" Thor's statement came out more as hopeful question.
King Odin turned to face the strapping Viking prince before him. "Thor," the king spoke his voice commanding. "As king you must learn to serve the greater good and not just that which makes you feel comfortable. I will let you decide your brother's fate." Odin breathed. Thor's mouth hung open and his eyes batted as he was floored by his father's pronouncement. "I don't want you to make this decision in haste Thor." Odin admonished. "I want you to truly weigh the consequences. Save your mother die," Odin posed. He watched Thor's jaw clench and saw how the young man twisted away refusing the words. Still, the great king did would not stop. He was like the oracle the vision Thor had spoken to, in what had seen eons ago, in the Temple of tribute. "Save the Magic Extraction does not take well and Loki sink deeper into his madness," the wizened leader proposed. "Save he awaken Ragnorok," Odin whispered the thought so real now that he dare not speak it for fear that it would come to pass.
"Father, enough," Thor interrupted hardened as he was from the battles he had thought such words, such predictions made the skin near his spine prickle and crawl.
The king quieted his mouth only for a moment as his only eye sized up his son, who soon would rule Asgard alone. "Whatever decision you make, whatever happens next Thor, you will bear the weight of those consequences alone," Odin confirmed. Thor gulped. His thick knot of Adam's Apple plummeted down his throat like a stone sinking in the water. He managed to make his gaze meet the pensive look of his father's. Once again Thor was faced with a test. He knew not whether he'd pass or fail.
"father, I," the crown prince faltered like a little boy. Only a year and half ago he'd been so eager to take the throne. So eager to wear the crown and collect the glory, but he now knew that the crown was not simply a prize, it was not merely a bobble or trinket to be donned only when one wanted to look the part, but the crown was an ornament that one could never take off and the responsibilities that came with it were those that could never be shirked and never given back.
Odin held a firm hand silencing his son. "I will return to your mother's side for a little while tonight," Odin reported. "The council and myself will a wait your decision in a day's time." he said placing a warm but shaky hand on the shoulder's of his muscular child.
"A day's time!" The bulky blonde was aghast. "Father surely this decision needs more time to be weighed...to be considered!" Thor forced out desperately as he shook his head and grabbed hold of his father's own shoulders.
'There is no more time!" Odin declared as he struck Gungnir on the ground. Thor quickly straightened into the posture of a prince. One who had been given the authority above all other's in the realm and not that of a beggar. "If you cannot make the decision, Thor," Odin paused. He had seemed so rigid and firm. He'd slammed the beautiful staff down with such resolute determination, but now Thor saw the flicker. Thor saw the hurt in the old king's eye. He watched the tear trickle down the wrinkled, bronzed, leathery cheek, only to be followed by another that dampened the beard. "Then...then I...I...I shall," Odin avowed.
Thor nodded slowly the heaviness of what was at stake landing heavy upon him. He closed his eyes allowing the weighty words to take root in his heart and mind. Odin clasped his finger's around the shoulder pads of his Prince Thor's tunics. He gave a firm pat and nodded before he began a slow walk back toward the inner hall of healing where the queen lay barely breathing and unconscious. "Father," Thor's normally strong and bold voice seemed but a breathy murmur in the room that's only sound was that of a trickling fountain. "before either of us come to a decision," he breathed noting that the noble stride of the king had come to a halt. The massive muscled golden-haired prince stretched forth his hand as if he wished to catch his father by the hem of the cape, but he stood to far off. He lowered his arm back by his side and cleared his throat, making his voice once again come out sturdy, "Shall you not see your son?" he inquired. The simple question was left to dangle in the cool air of the healing chamber. Thor attempted a hopeful smile. Odin rolled his head back and looked up at Thor's boyish and trusting face. He could not return the expectant expression. The king turned his back toward his son and continued to march back to be by his dying wife's side.
Thor stood in the gymnasium. His barbells strewn about all about him as if they had been tossed about in a tornado. His javelins and discs lunged and launched at the gilded wall. They stuck out like jagged edged on a steep gold cliff. With a gallant roar Thor hurled his magnificent weapon at the back wall of his gymnasium that spanned more than an acre, with track and field, arena and chamber for sparring and pool for dipping. Mjolnir crashed against the golden bricks and bust down the back wall. The gilded stones crumbled before the might of the mighty hammer. The prince's heart nearly burst from the powerful throw as he let out a pitiful cry. The great thunderer dropped to his knees in utter defeat. He pounded his huge and fist slammed into the sandy turf and caused craters as deep and thick as if there had been an explosion by 5 catapults. He pressed his head into the ground. Raking his hand through his sunlight locks before he stretched forth his right hand only to summon the mighty mallet back to his hand. Mjolnir obeyed the call as it ever did and the impact of the iron hilt hitting again his palm was of some comfort. It meant that there were something that were still the same even as all seemed to spiral out of control in foreign patterns.
Thor dropped the hammer by his side, before his sat up straight brow furrowed and his always pleasant sunny expression was sobered pained. He heaved a sigh and loudly managed to choke back a sob as he heard booted feet traipse in and enter from behind him. Soon he felt the a presence behind him. He gave a rueful, bitter and weary smile as he kept his back toward the one who had just entered. His shoulder moved up and down as he let out a chuckle on to keep from giving into a waterfall of tears. "I know, I know," the blonde prince murmured to himself. "You were right. You were right," Thor insisted as he slid his eyelids shut over glistening blue eyes. He exhaled harshly. "He is...he is all the things you have said he was...he is," Thor confirmed before this person. "He is vile and despicable, he's like a savage...I...I" Thor faltered. "I know, I know," he continued to nod, his beautiful gold colored mane bobbing off his shoulder blades with the profound wagging of the head. "Come on let me hear you say, my friend," Thor continued his pained chuckling. He lifted his brawny hand to push back the falling blonde locks and cup around his ear. "I know you ached to say it. You have always been one to gloat and one to rub things in my face. But it is something that I like most about you, that you are able to best me, even as a woman," He let out a cheeky smile proud of his own quip. "Tell me, Sif," Thor asked. "Say you told me so."
There was a moment of quiet and the feet proceeded to walk closer toward the very distraught future king. Hands cloaked in leather and brass came to rest on Thor's pitifully slumped shoulders. "I have not come to say any of that," a deep hoarse sounding slightly accented voice uttered.
Thor gasped and blinked hard. He spun his head around fast and his gold locks whipped in his own face. He blew the fly away strands of sunkissed mane from his bright azure eyes as he looked up at the form of a warrior clad in black leather pants and dark blue tunics, his armor polished and glistening. "Hogun?" Thor managed.
"The city is a madhouse," Hogun announced. His voice was not frantic or nervous. Such emotions did not register with the silent and noble young Einergar, a master of the mace and deadly bolas. Hogun merely dropped his head. "Things are getting out of hand," the strong and state warrior confessed. "A guard just severely battered a civilian," Hogun reported.
"What?" Thor balked at the news he instantly sprang to feet. "How could that happen?" Thor demanded. "The guards were charged with merely controlling the citizens." the prince pointed out.
"The citizen was a butcher," Hogun began to divulge the little he knew of the situation. "He was drunk and hurling his meat-cleaver about. He was trying to breech the courtyard wall. He was leading a pack of belligerent pack with him. The guard struck him. It caused a fight between the guards and the citizens. The Einherjar have managed to disband most of the people." the spiky haired warrior stated.
"The city is in turmoil," Thor replied as he bit his fleshy lip and clenched his fist together.
"You know the people of Asgard will keep uprising until the all-father makes a decision," Hogun insisted quietly as his almond shaped ebony colored eyes followed Thor's hulking finger that walked covered to the marble steps that served as bleachers for the lucky guest of the palace who would sometimes come upon the good fortune of watching Prince Thor spar.
"The decision is not Odin's to make," Thor's deep voice rumbled like distant thunder. Hogun merely lifted his rough looking eyebrow as he tried to ascertain what the blonde man before him could possibly mean. Thor shuck his head as if he could sense the questions tumbling through his dear friend Hogun's mind. Hogun had never been one for many words, as children Thor remembered spending many afternoons playing with his friends and brother. He remembered long days when Hogun would scarcely make a peep and somehow to a small extent the prince had learned to read into his friend's silence. He wasn't flawless with it. He'd never been very intuitive as he could hear Loki's sharp tongue explain. "Father, Father has left that decision to me," Thor uttered with shiver. He plopped his heavy bottom down on the cool marble bleachers. He rested his elbows on his knees and sank his head into the folds of his capable and calloused palms. He allowed his head to flop. His head hurt and he massaged his temples as he raked rough warrior fingers through his fair hair.
Hogun just stared at the Crown Prince for a moment. He twisted his head getting a better angle and watching how Thor's shoulders slouched and slackened. In the years that Hogun had known Thor he'd never seen the eldest son of Odin so beside himself lost in thought and worry. Thor had always been brash and rash the type to jump right into something; usually only considering the glory at first then secondly counting the rest of the cost. Hogun trotted over to where the Prince sat, his gait was someone off balance, Hogun was slightly bow-legged and walked with a bit of a limp. Before long he was sitting next to the prince, but he wasn't sitting right beside Thor, he maintained a respectful distance. Minutes ticked by and Hogun remained seated and quiet. He patted his foot as if he was keeping time. He polished the weapons that he had in his pocket. The famous warrior of the realm allowed dark colored eyes to rove around the room as he recalled the memories that he had in this very chamber. Finally, Hogun let out a pent up sigh. "Then what do you intend to do?" He whispered, ever so slightly turning his glance toward Thor.
Thor let out a sigh that was so deep and gusty that it sounded like a wind blowing off the seas. He rolled his sky blue eyes toward the white gold plastered ceiling. "I know not," Thor thick voice shook as he spoke the words. "What Loki has done...all the things he's done...they are so heinous I can scarcely speak of it," the prince uttered. "Still, still...despite all the awful crimes he committed, I still believed, Hogun," Thor confessed to his old friend. "I still believed." Thor ground out bitterly and slammed his might fist on his thick strong thighs. He whipped his head around to face Hogun. The proud member of Thor's ever present entourage could help the frown that made even deeper furrows in his normally cross mouth as he looked a burly, masculine prince's sapphire eyes fill with tears. In the centuries he'd known Thor he could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen the stately prince cry, there had been that time when they were young still children in school and Loki dropped a cannonball by revealing to Thor that Julenissen was not real. Then there had been the time when Thor had first led a battalion of fresh new soldiers into an enemy stronghold to fight against the dwarves in Alfhiem who were crushing the elfin armies and would soon take the capital city of the woodland elves who resided in the north. They had underestimated their opponents. What the Dwarves lacked in stature they had made up for in their battle strategy and weaponry. They new troops of the Aesir ended up having to retreat. They were overwhelmed by the dwarf forces who attacked from the front and the rear. They surrounded the Asgardians. During the treat when Thor tried to regroup his troops he noticed that half the battalion had been lost.
The most recent time had been only a few months ago. Hogun suspected Thor cried at some point during Loki's funeral, but he hadn't expressly seen it. No, he hadn't actually seen the tears until several weeks after. They'd been riding through the woods preparing for an afternoon hunt. It was an uncommon activities of the band this time of year. No one had dared to breathe Loki's name to any member of the royal family since the ceremony had ended and the last rights had been read many days ago. They had all been riding along merrily. Volstagg and Frandal had broken into a battle over who had the better singing voice which oddly enough wasn't an uncommon occurrence between the two. Sif was calling both of them squawking pelicans and proceeded to show off her fine set of pipes. Thor laughed heartily and then started to join in the singing game. His voice drowning out the others, but all of a sudden the deep thunderous bellow fell silent. Lady Sif and the warriors three rode on none the wiser for few moments. Finally, the noticed the prince wasn't with them. Sif turned around calling to the blonde over her shoulder. She saw that Thor had brought his stunning chocolate steed to a halt. The now sole prince of the realm stared off into the distance. His blue eyes fixated on a point in a thicket. Frandal trotted his steed back over to where Thor and his horse stood. Thor scarcely registered his friends' hand on his shoulder. He thought he heard his name being spoken near his ear, but he couldn't seem to pull himself from his own thoughts long enough to make his mouth respond. Rather his lips sputtered out "Loki," Hogun and the other warriors looked back and forth at each other bewildered. Before any could make inquiry they found that Prince Thor had leaped from the back of his horse and was bolting toward the thicket. Thor was merely a blur of red flashing through the hedges of green shrubbery. His companions called to him, but Thor didn't stop. Not until he came to a very small cave nestled in the back of the underbrush. Dangling from vines that hung over the entrance of the cave were 5 smooth, speckled stones. Thor scrambled toward the little cave. The cave was small, the mouth was only large enough that it seemed to be able to allow children to enter. Thor crawled on his hands and knees scurrying into the cave. He started shouting his deceased brother's name. "Thor! Thor!" Sif began as she hopped down from on top of her own speckled gray mare and going to his side. Frandal, Volstagg and Hogun followed suit and grabbed Thor by the shoulders and started pulling him out by the shoulders trying to pry him from the mouth of the cave. They finally managed to drag him away. Thor batted his eyes dully at his four friends who surrounded him all of their faces were etched with deep and sincere concern. "Thor?" Sif said quietly as she put her rough, but small hands on his neck in a comforting gesture. Thor merely shook his head and pulled away from the touch. "Loki...Loki is..." she hesitated to saw she let her head fall as her fingers trailed slowly from Thor's neck and down his breastplate.
"Loki and I..." Thor started. "We were boys...and we were playing in the woods... we were playing hide and seek..."
"Where were we?" Volstagg inquired curiously. Frandal gave a swift elbow to the redhead viking's plump middle.
Thor laughed and shook his head, "I don't know...Loki and I were playing a lone. The weather wasn't good that day..." Thor went on. "It was the rainy season and a storm was coming in, but I had just gotten this new trap and I wanted to try it out right away...I don't know why I couldn't wait...I just...couldn't" Thor nodded profoundly and took a swallow. "Anyway," he continued wagging his head like a dog shaking dry. "We got separated...the storm came... the lightening and thunder cracking through the sky and the rain teemed down," he wiggled his fingers as if making rain in a gesture from a child's nursery song. "Anyway I tried to find Loki but the storm was getting so back I could hardly see and I knew I had to find shelter. I found this cave," Thor cocked his head to the side. "Well Loki was in there," the blonde prince bust out laughing. "We were both so elated to have found one another. After we started the fire and got warm... I told Loki how lucky it was that we found each other. I was so worried about him. But Loki explained that it wasn't luck...it was magic. He'd used his lodestone to lure me to this spot. This became our meeting spot...if we ever got lost from each other...we'd always come back...come back and meet here," the prince nodded, his voice cracked. "Loki set up these stones the next morning so that no matter what we could always find our way back to this spot and each other," Thor explained to them all. All of them set dumbfounded not knowing exactly what to say after Thor had shared the personal memory. Thor chuckled for a little while. The smile was full and wide and beautiful it seemed so genuine that Sif and the three warriors couldn't help but chuckle alone.
"I...I...I remember Loki and his lodestones," Frandal started to get in on the mirth of old memories, but before he could tell his story Thor's chuckling turned to immense sobbing. The strong warrior prince wept like a baby openly into his hands. He doubled over on himself feeling the crushing sense of grief engulf him once more. He felt hands on his shoulders, rubbing his back and patting him down. He didn't know how long his truest friends set there with his as he cried like a child. It was finally Hogun, the most reserved of them all who spoke up, "Come, Thor," was all he said as he slowly helped the prince to his feet and escorted him back to his steed.
"But what has happened now," Thor's big voice called the strong and silent type warrior back from his thoughts, "Loki's attack on our mother...I...I...I...if mother doesn't live... If mother dies..." Thor shuddered. "how could I justify not having Loki face the gallows? He would have taken the life of Asgard's queen...I its instant death for even an attempt on a royals life...I" Thor shook his head. "I cannot allow Asgard to suffer anymore...I cannot put our people through anymore upheaval. I cannot allow worlds to come crashing down...I...I" Thor sputtered. "I know he is wicked...I know he is little more than an animal now, but..."
"He is your brother," Hogun stated simply his almond eyes gazed at Thor sternly.
"What would you do?" the prince asked desperately. Hogun was reflective for a few minutes. Thor felt anxious with the silence. He racked his sturdy tanned fingers through his glistening mane. He drummed his fingers against his knees with impatience as he waited for the silent soldier to give a reply to his question which was literally a matter of life and death. Thor stood to his feet, shaking his hands in the air as if he had something icky on them that he had to remove. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Thor muttered with agitation turning to Hogun and then turning away and stomping down the marble steps and beginning to pace across the sand floor. "It's not your burden to bear, Hogun...it's not...it's not your burden to bear," he muttered to himself.
"I always liked to watch you and Loki play when we were boys," Hogun breathed a confession. He shook his head as if he was disappointed in himself for allowing such a revealing statement to arch from his lips. Thor stopped his pacing about. He grew still listening to his normally still tongued friend speak such open words. Thor couldn't help that his yellow eyebrow arched up with interest at the statement. "Sometimes I just sat and watched silently because I wanted to learn what real brothers were. See I had no real knowledge of the word,"
"You are an only child Hogun..." Thor attempted.
The almond eyed warrior merely shook his head. "I was not always so...my family herded goats," Hogun announced in a low tone. Thor swiveled as he heard his friends whispered. Hogun was not one to give up much information about himself. It was not his way, he was not a person to waste words idly. He didn't believe in talking about his past. It was his past and the way he had seen it it had little bearing on his present. Thor nodded and walked back to the marble step where Hogun still sat. The slant eyed warrior was looking at his long Thor had been drawn back to sit by his friend's side.
"I don't remember much. " Hogun continued his voice never raising above a murmur for fear that some servant or bystander may over hear the personal information he dared share. "My father was a drunk," the mace wielding Einherhar curled his lips with the statement. "My mother was the same I suppose," he shrugged. "They worked hard though... goatherds are poor too poor to waste time making memories with their kids," Hogun quipped quickly. Thor knew that the conversation must have been making the other warrior nervous for Hogun had never been one to crack many jokes. "I had two baby sisters, twins," Hogun explained. "I don't remember their names," Hogun sighed his voice was still hushed as he rubbed a rough black leather gloved hand down his face. "I had a brother..." he added.
Thor opened his mouth to interject something. "Older," Hogun qualified, "I do remember his name...it was Joren," Hogun paused and turned and looked at the prince. His coal colored eyes stared deep into Thor's before he cleared his throat. "My brother is one of the only clear memories I have of my life before I went to live in the orphanage," the warrior expressed. "He was several years older than me I think. He was almost a teenage while I was still a young boy," Hogun nodded allowing the long forgotten memories of his boyhood to resurface for the first time in many many centuries.
He saw himself sitting in a field full of goats, playing with simple stick toys. He caught the glimpse of his mother's dirty skirt. He saw an older boy running and leaping helping his father gather the unruly flock. He watched the blurry images replay in his mind of how he got up and brought his stick figurines over to the older child who'd stopped to rest under a tree. He was happy and smiling. He babbled something that was definitely not coherent. He watched the older child's face twist in rage as he attempted to explain his toys. The bigger boy smacked the tied together sticks from his hand and then slapped him across the face. Hogun looked bewildered, but he didn't cry, his pensive black eyes just stared back at the older lad.
"I talked late as a boy..." Hogun finally stated after shaking the earliest memory from his head. "Joren didn't like that much," the black haired warrior shuck his head like he tasted something bitter.
"He would always say, 'you're dumb! You're dumb and I bet you're deaf too I can't stand you... you dumb, def, mute!' he'd hit me or throw dirt clods at me," Thor winced he couldn't imagine being allowed to say things like that to Loki. "I would try to talk, but...I stuttered and Joren made me feel so stupid...I just stopped trying after awhile,"
Thor thought of when Loki was first learning to talk. Loki Loki talked early as a baby, he was saying words before he was completely walking. "C'mon Loki say Thor," the toddler prince encourage his little brother. They were sitting a thick white bear skinned rug in the nursery, several soft toys scattered between the two of them. Loki looked at him and giggle, his bulging green eyes wide with excitement about something new to learn. "Say Thor!" the older child expressed as he played with Loki's hands.
"Errgghh," the baby attempted after a few more moments of prodding
"THHHHOOORR," the elder prince would pronounce slowly for his younger sibling.
"ORRGGHHH," Loki would try and repeat just as loudly.
"Ok almost," Thor nodded, reaching out small hands and ruffling Loki's soft midnight hair. "Try again," Thor nearly demanded from Loki who seemed to be more interested in the ball by his side. Loki reached out his hand to grab at it, but Thor yanked it away. "You have to say m name first," the bigger toddler teased and waved the shiny red ball in the baby's face. Loki let out an annoyed sound as he desperately tried to reach for the toy... Thor held the ball over his head where Loki, who was still small for his age could reach. "Say Thor!" he demanded.
"Ggoorgg," the small toddler tried again.
The little blonde haired boy pursed his lips his brows knitting together as he thought hard. "I got it," he cried pride at his eureka moment. "Loki say, mama"
"Mama," the green eyes baby would repeat and point at Frigga who sat on the couch loving watching her two little princes play.
"Good," Thor nodded back, "say papa?" he instructed.
"Papapapa," Loki started excited clapping his hands.
"Ok," Thor laughed, "Say apple?" he stated slowly for him.
"Abbowl," Loki enunciated assuredly. Frigga giggled.
"Say banana," Thor went on.
"Nah-nah!" Loki clapped still excited at their game.
"Good boy Loki" the older toddler pinched his baby brother's plump cheek. "Now say THOR!" the blonde haired son of Odin stood triumphantly to his feet and declared raising his index finger in the air. The lovely queen burst into fitful giggles as she watched her eldest son. he'd make a fine king someday he certainly had the lungs for it.
With enthusiasm Loki followed after his older brother's movements. He clambered to his feet using the his hand to push off the ground and managed to gain his footing on wobbly legs. He raised his fist in the air and shout "DLOHGGRR!" he giggled as he lost his balance and feel back on his bottom.
"No Loki!" Thor stomped his foot in frustration as his body loomed over his brother. Loki looked up wide emerald eyes and gaping mouth with his finger pressed to his lips. "THOR!" the elder prince yelled in the infants face. Loki's eyes glistened with water.
"Thor!" Mother called over to him. "Play nice, that's your baby brother," she reminded him.
The blue-eyed child sighed looking at the trembling jade eyed baby sitting on the bearskinned carpet amidst the blocks and ball. "He's never gonna say it," Thor shrugged in defeat letting his head sag. Loki's shrewd green eyes darted over to his older brother sadly, his thin bottom lip trembled.
"Oh," Frigga said pushing herself up off the couch and going to stand by Thor's side she rubbed her delicate finger's through Thor's hair. "Yes he will dear," she planted a kiss on top his blonde mop. "just give him a chance, hmm, take a little break, why don't we all get ready for lunch?" Frigga suggested perkily. Thor immediately looked up and beamed at his mother nodding emphatically as he did so, She ruffled his golden mane. "Alright, run on a head," she instructed before scooping down to pick up Loki.
"Normorbordor" Loki babbled as Frigga placed him in a satchel around her chest. He said the words very deliberately. He started kicking and squirming as Frigga tried to situate him comfortably. "TOR!" he cried.
The fair-haired prince swung his head back around. "Listen Thor!" the queen called to the eldest prince of Asgard.
"Tor!" the baby in the blonde woman's arms started exclaiming. "Tor! Tor! Tor!" Loki repeated over and over frantically kicking his feet and pointing at the older child. Squiggled and squirmed right out his mother's arms scrambling down on his plump pale legs and running as quickly as he could over to his big brother who stood with an ecstatic grin plastered on his face. Loki tackled him with a hug. "My Tor," Loki confirmed. Loki took off talking in leaps and bounds after that. Thor felt like Loki was always talking by the time Thor was the Midgardian age of 6 and Loki 3 they had about the same vocabulary. By the time Loki was the human equivalent of 6 his Vocabulary much outshined his older siblings and it was now Thor asking for help pronouncing certain words. What if he'd been Like Hogun's brother? In many ways he'd realized he had.
Hogun nodded and licked his lips. His throat felt odd he hadn't talked this much in one setting in a very long time. "My parents and baby sisters died in a house fire. Iwas 200 years of age (4)" Hogun's eyes were fixed on a point in the back of the gymnasium where the light glistened off of one of Thor's early trophy's. "They burned the whole village,"
"For about month me and Joren traveled to the nearest city. Joren would catch fish... he wouldn't share. I ate berries or the scraps left on his fish bones. We made our way to the port city of Fijore. Joren managed to get a small job on the dock. He told me to steal if I wanted to stay with him...mother wasn't there and I needed to pull my own weight. So I stole." Hogun simply shrugged.
"At 200 years old?" Thor managed to ask aghast. He never knew anything of Hogun's past. He knew that Hogun lived with his elderly cousins when they were growing up. As a boy it had never mattered to him why and it never mattered ever as an adult.
"I was quiet," Hogun looked up his slant eyes focused, "The perfect thief," he winked. "We lived in a big cargo box left on the dock. One night a skinny man there. He handed my brother a bag and then grabbed me. I struggled 'Jo-jo please!..don't let him take me!' I begged my older brother. It was the first time i'd talked since the fire. 'Please Joren! I talk...I talk...I'll pull my weight. We stay together Joren...we're brothers!'"
" 'For nothing but a dumb, deaf, mute, you fetch a pretty penny,' my brother just laughed as he counted the coins in the money purse. A bag was slipped my head, I felt faint...when I came to I was in the house of Broderick (Brothers).
"I was scared," Hogun admitted a little shamefacedly. "I kept thinking that Joren would come back for me. That he'd pick me up, hold me, tell me that he was my brother and that he would take care of me..." Hogun smiled as he reminisced.
Another memory raced through Prince Thor's mind. It was of the time when Loki had turned him into a dog. He suppose in part he had been to blame. He kept coming into Loki's study pestering him and deliberately mixing the potions just to be annoying. he just missed his brother. When Loki started concentrating on one of his experiments their was no prying the magic wielding prince from his lab until he perfected. "So these little vials, are supposed to make you shape shift?" The older prince asked still laughing as he watched his thin sibling scramble to file his tonics back in alphabetical order.
"Not me," Loki explained giving the muscular lad who stood in the far corner of his laboratory and annoyed look. "I can shapes hift fine on my own," Loki insisted. "Its for others," the dark-haired prince explained as he blew out an exasperated breath. "It's an experiment for my combat magic class, at the academy," Loki explained feeling his nerves calm down now that he assembled most of tonics back in proper filing order.
The blonde blew a few stray strands of his golden hair out of his face. "Magic isn't combat, Loki," Thor reminded his brother. Loki's narrow shoulder's cringed under the words.
"Yes it is!" the frail 13 year old looking boy shot back furiously. "Yes it is!"
"Loki how is you being able to take the form of a cat warfare?" Thor countered.
"UGH!" Loki growled, "You're such a moron!" the young magician grabbed at his head to keep it from exploding listening to his brother's simpleminded thought. "A whole army could transform into snakes and slip into an enemy camp and bite all the soldiers poisoning them...and"
"And that's your idea of battle?" Thor quirked his yellow eyebrow. "Loki that's the most cowardly thing I've ever heard!" the warrior in training protested.
"It's not cowardly!" Loki shot back balling up his fist and getting red in the face.
"Yes it is," Thor continued. "sneaking into an enemy camp, warriors of Asgard don't sneak, that's such a cowardly way of..."
"It's not cowardly!" Loki shouted once more. Thor stiffed at Loki's outraged cry. "It's...It's cunning," Loki explained trying to compose himself as he smoothed his hands over his forest green tunics.
"Do they work?" Thor asked playful grin over his face that was forming some stubble.
"Yes." Loki said immediately. Thor grinned wider. Sometimes he could see how Loki's shape shifting could come in handy mostly for pranks. He and his brother were often organizing pranks of scaring delegates at royal functions Loki would turn himself into something creepy and crawly and all the young noble women would have fit. Thor picked up a container once Loki's back was turned as he busied himself putting the books back on the cedar shelf. "Well," Loki began, "there are still a couple of kinks to work out, but..." Loki started. Thor didn't have a chance to hear Loki's disclaimer as unscrewed the wooden cork from the shiny glass bottle. He downed the contents and then let out an obnoxious belch. Loki immediately turned around eyes wide with horror. "Thor what di you..."
"I don't know if this stuff works, Loki but it is pretty tasty," Thor giggled all of a sudden feeling in a very cheerful mood. "It kinda taste like, nectar and grape juice," the big blonde giggled again. He stuck his finger inside the opening and his beefy finger got stuck. Wiggle his hand desperate to shake the vial off of himself. In his frantic flapping motion he ended up breaking the glass bottle against the wall. He guffawed loudly as he watched the vessel shatter into tiny glittering pieces. "ANOTHER!" he demanded finding the situation unexplainably amusing.
"Thor what did you drink?" Loki asked frantically rushing over to him and dropping the books that were in his hand carelessly across the table.
"The purple bottle," the elder prince giggled feeling himself sway drowsily.
'Thor why would you do that?" Loki demanded like a fussy parent. "I just said that I hadn't perfected the potions yet," Loki he went on his eyes wide as he looked at the scattered pierces of broken glass lying on the stone floor.
"Never fear, brother," Thor responded back all too chipperly. He waddled over to stand in front of Loki and gather's his brother's thin face in his big clumsy palms. "Hic-if-if the potion doesn't work...Hic...you can always sell it at market as a new juice," Thor giggled. His eyes drooping as he started to fall to floor. He felt lanky arms slip underneath of him and catch him as he drifted into slumber. Loki dragged his older brother's muscular and heavy body over to the couch in his study.
"Thor? Brother are you ok?" Loki hovered over the elder prince's body desperate to rally him. "Thor," he patted his brother's cheek frantically watching Thor's eyes dully bat and open. "Good," Loki took a sigh of relief and swiped the back of his hand across his brow. "It seems you only drunk a sleeping potion," Loki expressed thankfully. Loki was continuing to speak when all of a sudden he noticed Thor's glazed over expression. 'Thor are you alright?" He asked he quirked his eye brow as he watched Thor's tongue flap out of his mouth. "Thor?" Loki inquired once more. His brother's response was a high pitched bark. Then all of a sudden Thor leaped up from the couch and on top of Loki.
"UMPH," Loki cried as his back slammed against the cold cobblestone floor. Thor's big hands were pinned to Loki's chest as he bark once more before he began licking Loki across the face. "Thor!" Loki screamed feeling his brother's tongue against his cheek and nose. "Ugh!' he shuddered finally managing to push the bigger and stronger teenager off from on top of him. "What...?" Loki's staggered over to the broken pieces of the vial once more, he shifted through them and finally found the piece that held the label. "Oh no," the dark haired prince gasped. "Thor you think your a..." he turned back around to look at the young warrior who was rolling on his back wiggling across the floor. "Dog," Loki finished.
"Loki," all of a sudden the younger prince heard the Great King's call to his from the outside of his black pine door.
"Oh no!" Loki gasped. "Father!" Loki panicked quietly. "Thor quick you need to hide he declared as he began pushing and prodding his dog like brother under the counter and behind the couch, but from every area Thor who was strapping and tall for his age had limbs sticking out. "Ugh!" LOki groaned in frustration. "Quick Thor, the closet," he expressed patting his knees and pointing toward the door. Thor let out a happy yap and scampered clumisly toward the closet. He was a big and awkward sloppy dog at best.
'Loki? Is everything alright in there?' Odin asked with concern.
"Yes...Yes fine father," Loki's voice sounded strained from behind the black oak door and hie tried to push the closet door closed to hid Thor who was acting like an animal. "Yes! Yes! Come in!" Loki nearly yelled once he had secured the door.
'My son, are you sure everything is alright...I...I thought I heard dog noises?' The great king asked his only eye surveying the room.
'Dog noises?" the green eyed child played at innocence lifting his shoulders and palms in a shrug as he leaned heavily on the door to his magic cabinet. All of a sudden Thor let out a pitiful whine.
"Yes," the king of Asgard responded his voice clipped. "Like that" he pointed out.
"Oh...Oh that, that's just me father," Loki did his best to immitate the noise after he coughed. "I...I have a sore throat," He lied rubbing the column of his neck.
"Really?' Odin pursed his lips. "That sounds very nasty Loki," He confessed as he strode toward his youngest son and placed a consoling palm on his head to feel for fever. "Hmm," he hummed noting that there was no sign of temperature. "Perhaps you should see the healer. Your mother and I were going to go and visit one of the nobles. I thought perhaps you and your brother would like to come, but perhaps it is better that you rest for the day," Loki nodded. "What of Thor have you seen him,"
"No." Loki shook his head. "But you know Father I have a feeling Thor is not feeling completely himself either," Loki admitted.
"I see," Odin's voice sounded curious. "My poor boys. Well rest today. Your mother and I will see you tonight," Odin announced and gave Loki's raven hair a brush through before he exited the magicians lair.
Loki slid down to the ground allowing Thor to escape from behind the closed cabinet door. Thor burst out happily yip and yapping running in circles. "That was close," the younger prince announced. "Thor you are going to have to lie low until i figure oout how to undo the spell...ok," Loki said turning toward the blonde haired teen who was crawling around on the ground his nose pressed the the floor as he sniffed. All of a sudden he lifted his head to the air as he caught a whiff of something good. He took off running after the smell. "THOR COME BACK!" Loki called behind the prince runniing down the steps ad halls on his hands a knees. Thor ran to the kitchen and saw a fresh from the oven goose on the table.
"My prince," a servant girl bowled noticing the prince coming toward her n all fours. She looked curiously at him, "can i get you something your highness?' she asked watching as the blonde licked his chops his eye solely on the goose. Before long the prince had leaped over the girl and on to the table. His limbs flying out everywhere as he dug his face into the goose. The kitchen hand screeched watching as the royal boy devoured the goose.
"You Must excuse him," Loki said coming in behind the horrified looking maiden. "It's a growth spurt you see, and he's just hungry...you see...growing prince...he needs to eat," he explained to the palace worker.
"Yes, of course Prince Loki," she stuttered to say completely appalled noting that all that was left of the goose was the skeleton. Loki slinked over to the table that his brother was still upon chewing at the bones of the torn up good.
"Come come come brother," Loki expressed grabbing Thor by the collar of his tunic and roughly yanking his head away from the bones he was enjoying. "You must show some decorum, brother," He whispered in Thor's ear. "You're a prince of Asgard," He explained between gritted teeth. 'Be a good boy and come along," He reminded his dog of a brother as he dragged Thor away by the collar on all fours. Thor servant girl followed the two prince with her eyes as she watched Prince Thor crawling on his knees eagerly trailing behind the green eyed prince. She shook her head before going to the sink and washing her hands.
Loki took Thor to a secured corner of the hall where he chided him. "Bad boy! Bad Dog!" he scolded. Thor whimpered and dropped his blue eyes in a humbled position. He dropped the bone he had been holding in his mouth at Loki's feet then looked back up with a hopeful puppy like expression. He cocked his head to the side and panted happily wanting Loki to be pleased. "Alright," Loki gave in to the sweet look etched on his brother's face. He dropped down n one knee and affectionately patted Thor on the head. "But you have to listen," He pointed at Thor's nose. Thor licked his hand the picked back up his bone. "C'mon," Loki gave summoned with a whistle as he started to walk to the library where Loki could begin to research about how to change his brother back. Also that was a place where Thor could keep a low profile until he was completely in his right mind. Thor obediently trailed behind the boy.
For a long time Thor was good while they were in the library. Loki tethered him with a sash he found in Thor's closet to a bookcases. Loki poored through scroll after scroll looking for away to reverse the spell. Thor started whining though after so many hours went by. He brushed his blonde head against Loki's hand. "What Thor?' LOki asked in annoyance. "I'm trying to figure out how to change you back...you wanna stay a dog forever?" he remarked. Thor walked as much as his leash would allow him over to the window when he got close enough he howled longingly. "You wanna go out side?" Loki determined. Thor barked perkily and leaped on top of Loki knocking him down once more and causing the scrolls to fling from his hands and fall off his lap. 'Ok, ok down, down boy," Loki instructed mildly pushing his big brother's strapping body of off his own lanky frame.
Loki snuck Thor through back passageways not wanting more people than the young kitchen girl to see the crown prince of the realm acting like a mongrel leaping and frolicking on all fours. He took him to one of the more isolated lawns on the palace grounds. He figured none of the servants or courtiers would be about this time of day. It was nearly noon and most would be at midday meal. Thor ran about outside. He barked at butterflies and rabbits who flitted across the yard. he chased squirrels up the shady willow trees and chased his own tale. He rolled on his back in his royal attire and sniffed baout with delight. Loki settled in a shady spot under a tree still reading through book after book trying to find and elixir to undo the potion Thor had drunk. Thor soon came traipsing back to the raven locked boy and dropped a stick at his feet. "Go play Thor," Loki instructed dismissively waving his hand shooing his brother away. Thor nudged the large stick closer to Loki's black boots again. He looked up big eyed and hopeful at the young scholar. He finally gently brought his pink tongue to lick at Loki's porcelain fingertips. His eyes big as medallions, pleading for his best friend to play with him. Loki gave in. He could never resist Thor's puppy-dog look even when Thor was acting as a person. Now it was impossible to deny the gorgeous youth. The two played for a long time. Thor dutifully rushing back and forth to collect the sticks Loki threw. They ran and raced through the field playing a tag like game. Loki would hid behind trees and make himself invisible and Thor would frantically search for him and when he couldn't find Loki he's howl pathetically untl the boy reappeared.
When they finally went back inside it was nearly dusk and Thor was filthy. He was covered in dirt and mud, grass stains all over his clean trousers. "You need a bath," Loki announced bringing his into the washroom inside his chamber. Thor looked curiously as he watched the green-eyed magician drawn water into the tub and fill it with bubbles. "Come on Thor, good boy..." Loki coaxed waving a bath toy and trying to lure Thor into the tub. It worked once Loki squeezed the rubber hammer and squeaked and he threw it into the sudsy bath. Thor splashed right in after it clothes and all. Loki laughed watching the blonde flounder in the tub Loki the wrestles Thor fighting to pry him out of his garments. Loki ended up falling in the bath as well and Thor barked happily as he shook himself getting Loki wet. At first Loki looked annoyed he was dripping wet in his fine silk threads. The clothes were ruined, but he couldn't stay angry watching Thor splash about.
After Thor was dried off and in more loose fitting sleep garments Loki noticed Thor's eyes drooping as he stretched on all fours and lifted his rear in the air. 'Sleepy?" the prince asked as he came and sat next to Thor with one of the scrolls and scratched him behind the ears. Thor looked up and him fondly eyes tired smacking his lips together as he rested his head on Loki's lap. "You take a nap when you wake..." Loki pasued to let out a yawn himself..."I'll have you changed back in no time,"
Loki came to an hour or so later only to find Thor not at his side. He looked around at his room it was a complete wreck. Books thrown all about chairs and furniture overturned. The post of hs bed had teeth marks in it. The middle of the carpet soaking wet. Loki then turned to fiind Thor chewing on his wand. Loki's green eyes bulged in horror he rushed over to Thor and attempted to grab the wand from his mouth. Thor thinking it was a game kept playfully tugging back at the wand. The wand snapped in two. Loki became so angry He threw the piece of the wand at his brother. He shouted at Thor. "Thor! You dumb dog!" the young enchanter yelled as he threw the nearby book at the cowering boy on his hands and knees. Thor whimpered and if he had had a tail it would have curled up between his legs. "Get out!" Loki ranted. Thor ran away, ran out the palace. He got lost. A caravan a gypsies found him in the woods.
"The boys a lunatic," the old man of the band announced noting the how he was acting like a mongrel. He'll make a nice addition to our side show. The threw him in a cage and slammed the door. They beat him and gave him little food for the two days he was apart of their circus. Thor howled mournfully in the cage, the caravan was due to leave the Imperial city in the morning and he'd be lost for good.
"Pst-Pst," Thor heard a whisper from the top of the cage. "Thor!" he looked up and saw Loki with a small file sawing away at the bars. Thor barked happily and chased himself in a circle. "Shhh Thor. You'll wake everybody up in the camp," Loki told as he continued to saw away. The dog Thor couldn't help his enthusiasm his best friend had come for him. He continued barking and wagging his back end as if it was a tail. "Thor sit!" Loki command and Thor obediently did so. Eventually Loki open the bars and Thor ran out only to jump on top of the frailer lad and nearly lick him to death. "Alright Aliright Thor," Loki cried trying to keep his voice down as he head his brother's tongue drag across his face. "Good boy, good boy I missed you to...you knew I'd come for you right?"
"He never came." was the warriors simple confession. Hoguns words rallied the prince from his memories. He was shocked. How could a brother not come. "I kept dreaming of having a could big brother. One who would never just throw me away, leave me behind, one who I could laugh with, joke with, play with, argue with, but in the end know that he cared. I would make up stories like that of me and Joren in my mind, but as day after day passed I realzed that all they were were fantasies. Joren was not a brother. When I was taken in by my cousins and brought to the palace, I used to watch you and Loki play...I learned what brothers were," Hogun concluded. He turned to look at the wide eyed blonde before he got up and started to walk away.
"Hogun!" Thor called when he noticed the warrior clad in dark armor push against the gold gate in an attempt to leave. Hogun paused in his progress. "Thank you," Thor replied. The spike haired Einherjar turned around to face the prince of his realm. A small and shy smile trickled across his then lips. He snorted out his nose making a sound similar to a horse. He gave a nod that reminded the prince of a salute before he thumped his fist across his breastplate and gave a bow. Then he was gone without another word.
"I cannot go through with it it," Dagmar protested balling up her fist and showing them back down at her side resolutely.
"Dagmar, the king and Eir personally requested your help in this endeavor, you have been working with Mistress Eir all this time..." Lord Aldric pointed out.
"I know...I know Father and I thought...I thought I would be able to do it, but...I" Dagmar's silver eyes flickered down as she fought to hold in her tears.
"What are you saying, Dagmar," the elderly Vanir nobleman asked his slender face contorted in a perplexed expression. "Think you that you aren't well enough to perform the extraction?" The Prime Minister asked tenderly as he reached out his slim fingers to brush against his daughter's creamy cheek.
"I am well enough Father, I suppose," the raven-haired noblewoman began her voice was timid.
"Think you that you that your arts aren't strong enough?" Lord Aldric's expression was worried.
Lady Dagmar shook her head and slowly made her way to sit on her rose colored beds. "It's possible," the young enchantress mumbled as she looked down at her pale hands that she placed in her lap. "Loki's magic is stronger than my own," she whispered.
"You were Loki's apprentice..."
"Exactly," Dagmar looked up defiantly into her father's eyes. Her pomegranate lips set firm and tight. "Loki taught me magic!" she protested. "How could I take it from him?" she questioned boldly her silver eyes brimming with tears.
"Dagmar what are you saying?" Lord Aldric shook his head. He gripped her roughly by the shoulders.
"It would be the ultimate betrayal," she explained her voice pained as she choked out a sob and clutched her heart through her blue velvet gown.
"He has betrayed you!" Lord Aldric yelled in her face only to watch her full pomegranate colored lips twitch as water unabashedly ran down from her cloud colored eyes. "His betrayed his entire realm!" the Vanir noble elaborated.
"Father it would be like taking the life of one who gives you life," the beautiful Vanir maiden expressed. She reached out her lovely porcelain fingers and grabbed her father's hand. "Like spilling the blood of a parent," she whispered rubbing her smooth as silk thumb over the leathery feeling back of father's hand.
Lord Aldric snatched his hand away from his daughter's tender strokes. His brown eyes stared bewildered back into the bright gray eyes of his only daughter. "The same abominable deed that that soulless wretch had no problem committing!" He screamed at her as he pointed his finger in her face, just before he turned from her.
"No!" Dagmar insisted. She pushed herself from the bed and flung herself toward her father's back. She gripped onto his dark purple robes with her milky fingers, "No, Father," she protested further. "I cannot believe that Loki would intentionally try to kill the queen," she shook her head violent. "He loved his mother," she persisted nodding her head as she made the declaration, but the declaration wasn't strong, the Vanir enchantress found herself sinking to her knees and weeping. "When...when we were young..." she whispered from her knees her voice sounding so frail that the Prime minister had to strain to hear his daughter's words. "Loki...Loki wanted to court me..." she finely spoke.
"What?" Lord Aldric looked stymied by his daughter's confession.
"He gave me Frigga's ring as a sign of his devotion to me," Dagmar expressed reflectively. She remembered Loki's hopeful emerald eyes shinning up at her as he slipped the glittering gold and sapphire ring on her quivering finger. They way his palms were all sweaty a his articulate tongue kept stumbling over words. She could almost feel once again the way his chilly thin lips ghosted across her alabaster flesh of her hand in the most delicate and intimate of kisses she'd ever received. "I...I...I" Dagmar sputtered as she clumsily brought the tips of her fingers to swipe the moisture coming from her eyes. "I've...I've hurt him so much," she mumbled so low her father wasn't quite sure he caught all her meaning. "I couldn't...father...I couldn't do it again," she shook her head as she sobbed harder with the confession
"Dagmar," Lord Aldric called to his daughter his tone tender seeing her distress. He dropped to his knees and knelt beside her gathering her in his arms like she was still a small girl. She turned her lovely face toward the smooth satin of his cloak and pressed into the embrace. His arms seemed so tight and secure. "Dagmar, my child," the prime minister's words sounded gentle and cool in his daugther's eardrums. His old hands rubbed through her midnight colored mane lovingly. "You must do this if it be asked of you," he admonished her mildly as he came to rest his whiskered chin atop the silken tresses that crowned her head. "He is dangerous Dagmar, what you will do will be for the good of all the realms, you understand Dagmar it is what has to be done. All of Asgard is looking to you, Odin is counting on you, your husband to be wants this of you..."
"Olaf," Lady Dagmar spewed his name from her mouth like it was a foul tasting substance. "Father what he did..."
"Was in your honor," Lord Aldric cut her off. "Dagmar, I expect this of you," Aldric nudged his beautiful daughter's wet chin up so that he could look into her trembling silverlining pupils. She was looking at him the same way she had as a little girl at night after a bad storm. "It will bring great honor to our house Dagmar, you will be a hero you will be protecting us all from Ragnorok. I would never ask anything of you to bring you pain, my sweet, the boy you knew no longer exist, Loki is consumed by darkness."
"Father," she clung tightly to his royal amethyst garments. "Please," she whimpered burying her face deep into the folds of his satin cloak. "I lo..."
"Hush, Dagmar, my angel," he cooed back to her still stroking his back and hair with affection. "Loki will most likely be executed and nothing will be required of you."
Eir's white eyebrows knit together as she placed her sweaty palm on top the queens cool forehead. She chanted the words along with the rest of her healers. Her hair snowy hair glowed to match the magical crystal water. She pressed her forehead on Frigga desperate to allow her energy to convey over to the queen. Her lips kept moving over and over as she rapidly repeated the healing charm. Moments past as the other nursemaids and attendants in the room watched the ancient wise woman work her magic with baited breath. Eir's chanting grew louder and more furious as she closed her eyes and poured all of herself into the her work. Then, suddenly she stopped her round blue eyes burst open as if she had been hit by a bolt of lightening. Eir whipped head back, her flowing snow shaded locks lost their glow and were now drenched with perspiration. Mistress Eir shook her head. Dagmar watched as the muscles in the elderly woman's face contorted into a harsh grimace. "She doesn't have much time," the healer announced. She placed her delicate needlelike hands and squeezed tight to Lady Sigyn's shoulder. Lady Sigyn had served as a Lady in waiting in Odin's palace since her courtship with Prince Loki. They courted for several years and it seemed likely that she would become a princess of Asgard. Loki proposed and then broke off the engagement. Sigyn was disgraced but queen Frigga had allowed her to maintain her honored position amongst noble ladies in the realm. "Go and alert their highnesses," the wise woman nodded in confirmation of her sad proclamation. "They should see the queen now," she closed her eyes and a tear slide down her cheek. Sigyn ran off to do as she was told.
A shadow slipped into the bedchamber. The room was dully lit. Only a few candles burned their fragrance dying in the air like the flickering flames and the regal woman who lied still in the opulent king-sized bed. Her room was arrayed with all sorts of cards and scrolls and pictures drawn by those wishing their beloved queen well. It looked like an art gallery. The shadow's eyes observantly scanned over the collection of portraits drawn for the queen. He bit his lip feeling as if he would be unable to step in any further. The eyes flashed downward from looking on the wall and down to the floor. Flowers arranged in in the most beautiful of bouquets. They littered the room with life and energy, that was much needed in a room that was far to dormant. The flowers lined the foot of the queens bed it looked as if her whole garden had been picked and brought forth to be laid at her feet. The sweet fragrance wafted into the narrow nasal passages of the shadowy figure who hung frozen at the entry point to the chamber. All the flowers had beautiful aroma's but their was a scent that seemed not to stir above the bunch. A sweet smell that he longed to inhale. The sweet scent of Lilacs and plums. He inhaled once more his nose he was like a bloodhound hot on a trail and he would sniff it out. The the fragrance came to him. It was so small, so slight, like it was barely there. It made him nervous the scent was so light it was a breath and it seemed like it would fade away, and her very essence would be no more; it would slip through his fingers like the running water in the stream.
The shadows normally graceful feet stumbled and faltered. He hesitated, not wanting to approach. How could he now. Now it was too late. He could feel the power of the spell slowly draining. He could feel his imprisoned body calling his wandering mind back to itself. Psyche projection was a hard feat to achieve even for a master of magic such as himself. He'd done it several times. The last being during his time on Midgard when he'd had his brief confrontation with The Other, but even in his ability to have such out of body experiences time was of the essence. He could only muster enough energy to make the spell last for but a few fragile minutes and the slightest disturbance could cause it to end. It had been had to reach the meditative state require for such a mysic feat as this in the first place when his body was shackled and beaten like a savage beast. No he hadn't much time. But he had to see her. He had to say good by.
Somehow he found himself by her bedside. He looked over at her form. The covers that were the color of the reddest rose were drawn around her tightly, Frigga's normally tanned face, looked paler than moonlight. Her lips slightly parted and they did not look moist and silky, the looked dry and cracked. She was so still. She moved not a muscle, she did not stir nor did the tiniest moan escape her barely ajar lips. Bright jade eyes batted back tears. He noted a chair was at her side, but he couldn't bring himself to use it. He sank to his knees and reached out his finger tips still tainted red with her own vital juices to graze the flesh on her hand. Loki bit harder down into his lip, her skin felt so cold. She was never cold, no there was never a moment when he could call her cold. She was warm from the inside out. Never had her tone been icy, never had her attitude been frigid she was always the warm fervent heat of love. Her hand was lilke ice though now. He held it tight and brought it up to rub again his slender cheek. His silent tears running down on her dainty motionless fingers. He nestles into the cold hand. "Oh Mother," He whispered his voice so strained and choked now. "You must fight, mother you must be strong," he entreated her. "You are the queen of Asgard," Loki expressed best her could smiling down at her and stroking her hair back behind her ear. "Your people need you. See you not how much they love you?' Loki asked misty eyed as she gestured his hand about wild across the room. "You have to wake now mother," he explained "You must open your eyes...so so then you can see..." he prompted rubbing the back of his hand across her cheek. Frigga gasped. Loki panicked. He could not get healer, he was merely a shadow. "No!" he shouted. His eyes roamed around the room for something, some ointment or potion. Then he landed on it. he got up and rummaged through mother's drawers thinking that perhaps the healers had left a medicine viail about. He found no such trinket. Rather he found and old, well worn book. "Floras Divinas," he read the title. Tear's stung his eye's a he feverishly flipped through the tattered papyrus paper He finally came to the back of the book where he found the old flower. Withered even more now she that it was little more than dust. Loki gingerly lifted the remnants of a flower from the center fold of the book. His touch was light on the dry leaves but still the crumbled to little more than ash in his hand. Loki nearly cried. His hands shook and he sprinkled the crusted remains of the flower across Frigga's body. "Flower gleam and glow," he started to sing, "Let your power shine," his voice quivered as he pressed his forehead toward his mother's. "Heal was has been hurt," he continued his handsome voice becomgin mellow as he became comfortable with song picturing the two of them singing together in the garden. "change the fates design...save what has been lost bring back what once was mine," he pleaded the magic words over the withering pieces. He dropped his head down on her chest. It didn't rise, he could not hear her too strong heart beat from with in the chest cavity, "No!" Loki cried as he squeezed her stiff body. "No! MOTHER NO!" he screamed through tears that ran like hot waterfalls on to the queens chest. "PLEASE!" he hollered. "MOTHER DON"T LEAVE ME!" he wailed his hot tears splashing down on the dust particles of the once enchanted flower. "Mother I love you...I LOVE YOU," he cried so desperately as he felt his enchantment lift he scrambled trying to hold on to her, but he couldn't, saw his mother's still form fade from sight, "I'm so sorry Mother," he called to her asthe walls of her room collapsed around him like a falling building.
With a jolt he was back in the cell. Chained and tethered in squalor. He wept like a baby His chest heaving and convulsing in sobs despite the iron bonds. Even though his mouth was gagged and muzzled like some ruthless hound he managed to hum their lullaby through his tears.
The ash of the flower poured on Frigga's body, started to glow
