Imladris

Loki wandered the still green forest around Imladris. Whilst the others had gone on to the city, he'd decided to wait a few hours until the later evening to enter. Lost in thoughts that he had been ignoring throughout the tiring six day ride that he barely remembered from building nerves. Despite the fact that just being here was calming, his thoughts were anything, but such.

'Do I need Father's approval ? Am I that desperate for it when I want it only to say to Thor - I put effort in to get it, unlike you. But, Father's not here and would I really want to go home ? It's the only place I've ever known, yet look at how everyone treated me - Sif hated me because I 'stole' Thor's attention, Father ignored me after he gave Thor Mjolnir and everyone else said I was the, "Useless Prince.", because everyone liked Thor better - Mother's the only one I would go back for. Besides those reasons, I only asked Legolas that to see if he wanted me to stay and apparently he does. I-I don't know what I'm going to do after this !'

A deep, calming voice suddenly intruded on his thoughts, "Something worries you ?"

"Ahh !" He whirled around to see a long black-haired elf looking at him, not staring like he'd feared, just looking.

The elf smoothed his light-purple, embroidered robes as he said, "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you, but you seemed anxious. Are you lost, my friend ?"

He blinked at the elf, "It is not a problem and no, no I am not. It's just there are so many thoughts flying around in my head that none of my new friends will understand. My family, well, my adopted family, nearly everyone hates me or likes my big brother better. Mother is the only who likes me without my having to do something sheerly idiotic for it."

Deep-grey eyes lit in understanding and the elf sat down on a fallen log, gesturing him to sit. "I can understand that all too well, except for me it was my adopted fathers and my twin brother. Tell me of this if you will."

Slowly, he sat down and ran a hand through his hair, "Father likes Thor better because well he's his birth son and thusly can hardly do no wrong - despite the fact that he nearly started a war. Thor is so stupid he hardly thinks forward unless he absolutely must. So, he rushes into everything and I don't know anymore how many times I had to clean up his mistakes ! Did I ever get a thanks for defusing the situtation with Thorgil ? No and who despite saying I did it, never stopped the others from assuming that he in fact did it ? Thor, of course, and then when I correct someone. One of his stupid little friends has the gall to say that I'm stealing the honour that was mine in the first place !"

"Now, that I most definitely know. My twin, Elros, he was nearly exactly like your brother Thor. Never correcting anyone's assumtions about who did what. We were nearly interchangable in his mind, but I felt that way not."

The sound of sticks crunching under foot and then someone called, "Elrond ? Elrond, where are you ? The feast is about to start."

'Oh, oh, Norns and I've just...'

That was when he looked slightly closer to see Father's wisdom and Thor's youth in the elf's face. Quickly, he scrambled up to bow, "My Lord Elrond, I beg pardon of thee, I knew you not. I am Loki Niss."

'Legolas suggested 'Niss' because it sounds more like what he knows of me, its meaning being 'Frost'. I admit it does sound far less arrogant than the one I picked.'

The elven-lord scowled over his shoulder, "Now look at what you have done, Gandalf. Master Loki and I were having a perfectly nice conversation and then you come ruin it by calling me Lord."

"My apologies, Elrond, young Master Loki."

'Gandalf, gand alf, I had no idea wand using elves existed in Middle-Earth. Didn't Legolas mention something about Gandalf being one of the wizards ?'

He turned to look and was surprised when it was not an elf, but a very old and wise-looking, long grey- haired and bearded man in a grey robe and hat, who was carrying an oak staff. Still the words, "Do you know my father ?", slipped out before he could stop them.

Gandalf raised bushy eyebrows, "That depends, Loki, as I happen to know a great many people's fathers."

"Odin Bor's son."

"Know him no, I don't, but know of him ? Yes, I know a little bit."

That tatic, one that he had used countless times, being used on himself just made him burst out laughing. "Fair enough...fair enough, Master Gandalf, you may keep your secrets."

Gandalf chuckled, "I should hope so as I have a great many. Shall we go to the feast now ?"

So it was that in the ever darkening evening, he followed the Lord Elrond and wizard Gandalf into Imladris and, eventually, the great dining-hall. It was huge, airy ceilinged and light-wooded, the giant windows had no glass so the breeze flowed freely throughout. Said hall was filled with chattering elves, bickering dwarves and even smaller halfrold, half-men. or hobbits as Legolas had called them.