Chapter Eight.
Odin's cry for his warriors to seize Loki's attacker was barely heard over Thor's cry of his brothers name, repeated until he fell beside him, hands moving to find the source of the wound. Loki's staff vanished, the younger prince not able to keep enough focus to maintain it. Green eyes watched Thor's face and the myriad of emotions there. Thor, who could never keep a secret or a thought or a feeling to himself, who always allowed everything to be read in the stance of his body or line of his lips or the gleam in his eyes. He'd seen countless expressions from his brother, having caused many of the more exasperated and unhappy ones. He liked to think maybe he'd caused some of the happier moments as well. Loki reached up and grabbed Thor's hand, stopping him from pressing on the wound.
"Thor, stop. It's all right." Loki murmured.
"Be quiet. This is not..." Thor took a deep breath, swallowing against the knot in his throat. "I will not have this kingdom without you."
Loki could taste the blood in the back of his throat and managed a smile. "It was always your kingdom. It was an honor to be a part of it, brother."
Tears blurred Thor's vision and spilled down his face. He grasped Loki's hand in his own and held it against his chest, only then feeling the orb he'd tucked into his pocket. Hope gripped his heart like a vice and he pressed a kiss against Loki's palm before pulling the orb out. The colors swirled within it, green and gold darkening. Thor pulled his brother close.
"What is that?" Loki whispered.
"A new prophecy," Thor answered.
He broke the orb, the glass shattering in his hand only a fraction of the sound and impact than that of the light that escaped, engulfing the throne room. The light rolled to the furthest edges of the room like waves, crashing and dissipating against the walls. The place was silent again, and for the moment the two brothers seemed to be the only two in existence.
Thor opened his eyes, finding that he'd buried his nose in Loki's dark hair as he'd pulled his brother as close as he could get him. He felt his breath hitch as he loosened his grip, the younger prince groaning softly and shifting.
"You don't know what you've done!" a voice called from the crowd, gaining the crown prince's attention. He recognized the man that his father's guards had taken hold of as one of the most powerful sorcerer's Asgard had seen in his day. He had also been his younger brother's final teacher before their father had assigned him to self study. Hoenir, older and now held by Asgardian guards that were freshly released from their own captivity, looked near to mad with something that might have been anger. "If you let him live, you've doomed all of Asgard. There is no escaping it. There's no trick, there's no way out. He is the son of your father's worst enemy and he will bring destruction to our world."
"How dare you-"
"Thor?" Loki managed, gripping at his brother's vest and bringing the elder prince's attention back to him. It was difficult to tell against the dark clothes that he wore, but it looked as if the blood had slowed, but the trickster was pale and shaking, his voice small sounding as he repeated his brother's name again.
"You'll be alright," Thor promised, collecting him gently in his arms and standing. He risked the briefest look back at Hoenir, but knew that he left the former teacher in the capable hands of their parents.
Loki felt the world shift in and out as his brother carried him down the halls to the healing chambers. The only thing that he truly knew for sure was that his brother held him and he clung to that with everything that he had left. Every time he felt his eyes closing he would grip Thor's vest a little tighter and feel his brother's fingers curl around him protectively.
Thor kicked at the door, calling out for Freya to open it. She appeared after a moment, eyes wide. "What-?"
"The orb... why didn't it heal him?"
"Lay him here," she instructed, moving quickly to work. She spoke soothingly as she peeled away bloodied layers and gave a sigh of relief. "Don't fuss at me, Thor Odinson!" she snapped suddenly. "What did I say? Short notice and a hostile take over. It did more good than all of your worrying's done."
Thor smoothed Loki's hair away from his face, the green gaze sliding in and out of focus. He called softly to him whenever he shut his eyes, but Loki was quickly losing the fight with consciousness. Freya worked quickly, her irritation with Thor quickly evaporating as her expression became more concerned.
"Who gave him this injury?" she asked.
"Hoenir." Thor said grimly.
Freya's eyes widened. "I did not know he still lived. This wound has magic in it, it will take me some time to work out what I need to do."
"Nothing. There is nothing to be done," Loki rasped, turning his head towards her. "He never did like me," he added, smiling darkly.
"He could not best you then and he shall not do so now." Thor said.
"Hoenir was the only sorcerer I thought I could learn from, he was not like the others." Loki said. "He's been living in the same village as the seer."
Freya sat back, one hand against her stomach. "The same...you mean the seer who brought down the prophecy? They've been living within a stone's throw of each other all this time? Did they know each other when they were both in the palace?"
"Does it matter?" Thor asked.
Loki frowned and he closed his eyes. "Perhaps," he whispered.
"Loki? Loki!" Thor called, squeezing his brother's cold fingers.
The trickster did not awaken.
"His breathing is slowing," Freya murmured. "Whatever Hoenir did...I need that book on the desk, quickly."
Thor stood, but as soon as his fingers slipped from Loki's he swayed.
"Thor?" Freya asked, alarmed.
He shook his head, intent on retrieving whatever was needed to save his brother. Whatever he had to do or give, he was willing. Thor made it no more than ten steps away from the bed when he collapsed, determination to save Loki his last clear thought.
The first thing he noticed was how warm he was. He shifted, finding himself more comfortable than he had been in... well in quite a long time it seemed. He didn't want to wake, but was, for the moment, content to simply lie there in whatever cocoon he'd found himself in. Much to his irritation, his mind was becoming more alert, even with the piles of blankets all around him. With that increasing alertness, though, came the pain. He cringed, fighting against it. He hurt all over and he wasn't entirely sure why.
Then it hit him.
The invasion. The battle. He'd been injured and they had fled. They'd returned and triumphed, but that triumph had been short lived when his brother was... "Loki?"
Thor blinked blue eyes opened, trying with all his might to focus. His struggle with consciousness seemed to have left him winded, but that didn't stop his brother's name from tumbling from his lips again and again.
"Easy," Freya said, suddenly at his side and pushing him back down to the cot. "Don't strain yourself or you'll undo all my hard work."
"Where's my brother?" Thor managed.
Freya paused and looked as if she were mulling something around before saying it. "He's resting," she said at last. "As you should be."
"No, I need to see him."
"Master Rowen is with him. How else do you think I got you off the floor?"
"I need to see him."
"He is near, Thor, and you cannot rise yet. How you managed to battle through with the wound you received in the first round I shall never know."
Thor struggled to sit up. "I do what I must, now let me see my brother."
Blood was already seeping from the wounds he pulled as he moved. Freya placed her palm against his chest and murmured softly, words that he could not quite make out. A warmth spread through him, the pain dulling and he fell back, still bracing himself on one arm. Too late he realized what was happening. His arm gave way beneath him and he tried to keep his eyes open.
"Please, let me...Loki," he breathed.
Freya did not stop speaking lowly until he was deeply asleep again and then set to cleaning and binding the cuts that had opened. The retaking of Asgard had not been a kind event. After Thor had collapsed Freya had shouted and shouted for help until Rowen and Volstagg had arrived. Volstagg had not come unburdened, the badly wounded Fandral in his arms. Time and blood and men had been lost, both princes fallen like cut strings and only the stretched threads of magic and brotherhood keeping them alive. She was startled when the door was flung open and bounced off the wall.
Loki stood there, looking more than a little irritated at the fact that anyone had kept him from his brother. He was shaking, barely on his feet, and his eyes were bright with fever. He stood in the open doorway for several long moments, unable to say anything as he tried to catch his breath. The short trip down the hall had obviously taken more out of him than he cared to admit. Finally he straightened. "How is he?" he rasped.
"Sleeping, as you should be," Freya answered cautiously. She wasn't sure she could catch him if he fell. "Where is Master Rowen?"
"He stepped out for a moment to see to Fandral."
"And you took your opportunity."
Loki's eyes shifted to his brother, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. A small smile perked the corner of his lips. "It presented itself." He took several unsteady steps towards the bed and found a chair next to it. "Are you needed urgently?"
"No," Freya murmured. "I'll leave you to him."
The younger prince nodded his thanks and eased himself down in the chair. He reached long, trembling fingers out for his brother's still hand and took it in his own, holding onto it and feeling the warmth that showed life. He could feel his resolve steadily breaking with each breath and lifted the hand to press a kiss against knuckles beaten by battle. "I know you can't hear me," he whispered, "but perhaps that is best. I thought Rowen lied when he said you were asleep in a different room. I thought... I thought that horrible curse had come to pass."
Loki carefully shifted to sit on the edge of the bed so he could have Thor's hand in his and run his other hand over his brother's injuries, taking stock of every cut and bruise. He didn't realize he was shaking until he reached up to brush his thumb across Thor's cheek and when his brother turned his face towards the touch even in magic induced sleep Loki felt the tears fall.
"All I've ever done is lay foundations for destruction, even when I wasn't meaning to, when that was not the intention. Even when I was being smarter, more clever...I was just paving the way for darkness to find me. You should have been the first one to cut me from the fabric, the first one to say I was not..." Loki laid his head against Thor's chest to hear the heartbeat beneath. "But you never did and it has cost you so much." he said.
Exhaustion finally won out and the dark haired prince slept, desperately holding onto his brother as if he feared to lose him if he let go. He didn't know how long he slept, but woke to find an arm slung around him and unfocused blue eyes staring. Thor offered a smile and tightened his grip when he saw his brother was awake. "How're you feeling?" he asked, voice still tired and strained.
"Sore," Loki admitted softly. He shifted, thinking he might take inventory of his injuries but then thinking better of it. Everything hurt. He felt Thor's grip tighten again and he couldn't quite meet his eyes.
"Brother?" the crowned prince whispered.
"Hmm?"
"May I tell you something?"
"My saying no will not stop you."
Thor smiled affectionately. "There is no price too high."
Loki turned so that green eyes met blue, a question hanging between them. Thor's smile only broadened and it struck his younger brother suddenly that he had heard his words. The knot of built up fears and worries under Loki's heart loosened and he tried to look away to hide his small smile but Thor jostled him until they were both laughing.
"What would life be, I wonder, if Father had never brought me here?" Loki asked.
"It does not bear consideration. There is no place or time where you are not my brother." Thor answered.
Loki did not bother to hide his smile at that. "No, I suppose there is not. If that were so, the prophecy would have been fulfilled. But here we both are, together and alive if not all in one piece."
"I never doubted this would be so." Thor said.
"Of course not," Loki agreed, even though he knew Thor could tell he was feigning a serious tone.
They talked for awhile more, glad to be in one another's company until they both fell asleep again, alive and together and healing.
END.
A/N: Whew. Well, that was fun. We've got a few new stories on our list to work on, but sadly not in this fandom. Eventually, I'm sure, we'll come back to it, but I made a promise to Gabrielle Day when she agreed to fit this particular story in that we could work on a Person of Interest story next. Then we've got a Les Miserables short, a Hobbit story, and a couple others down the way... It's a never ending queue. =)
