Author's Notes: Sorry about the poor spelling recently. Since I've been in school I've had to write it on paper first, and I'm awful at typing something from paper like that. Plus, I have no spell check. :/ I'll try to start paying more attention to such things. Thanks for pointing it out to me, otherwise I probably never would have noticed.

So, I guess it's time for the return journey. It makes me kind of sad to think my story is going to have to come to an end soon. But once they get back to Asgard, I guess there isn't really much more I can do. I've had fun writing this and hate to see it end. But at least I have a few more chapters to go still. :}

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, worlds, things, etc. Too bad, that would be fun. :) But alas, 'tis not meant to be. :'(

Loki, Thor, and the four warriors quickly started down the side of the mountain away from the frost giants. They traveled much slower over the ice and snow, but at least they had the temporary advantage of traveling down hill. They just had to take advantage of this all they could.

The small group was half way up the next mountain when the frost giants reached the top of the previous one. Here the warriors paused for a moment. It was the perfect opportunity for them to delay the frost giants.

Taking extra care on maintaining his focus, Loki cast mirror images of their group on two other nearby mountains. The frost giants looked around at the illusions with great confusion. After arguing amongst themselves for a moment about which was the real targets, they took off running towards the projection on the mountain nearest to them.

Once the frost giants' backs were turned to them, they began climbing with a renewed haste. Loki no longer bothered with the second image which had been ignored for the time being. He was also careful to make sure the projection the frost giants had elected to follow continued to move up its mountain at a steady pace. It took all of his concentration to keep the illusion going. Thor had to half-carry half-drag his little brother as they continued their own climb.

When the company reached the top of the smaller mountain they were now on, the warriors went on down the other side, but Thor and Loki stayed there. Loki would not be able to keep up the trick if he went on any more. It was already difficult enough as is, and the longer he was able to keep it up the more time it would take the frost giants to figure out where they had really gone. So, they waited until the warriors reached the base of the mountain before Loki let the projection go, thoroughly confusing and angering the frost giants.

Loki and Thor ran and slid over the edge to get out of sight before the frost giants could figure out what had happened. This side of the mountain had looked icy but other than that relatively harmless. On their way down the warriors had checked for any sharp drops or other such dangers. Upon reaching the bottom without having found anything they believed to be too problematic, the warriors signaled to Thor and Loki that it was safe. Trusting they had not overlooked anything, the brothers slid down the hill on their backs.

It was steep enough that they picked up great speed as they slid. Twice Thor went through patches of loose snow, which slowed him down and showered him in snow. Loki encountered one of the sharp drops they had hoped to avoid. It was not so bad as to cause him injury, but it take his breath away.

As he neared where the ground began to flatten out, Thor managed to get his feet under him. He ended his slide with an unsteady run, but it left him standing on his feet near the warriors none the less. Loki on the other hand had been progressively gaining speed as he went and did not so much as try to stop himself, which was probably wise on his part. Even once the ground had already flattened out, he continued to slide across the slick snow. When Loki finally came to a stop he was nearly entirely buried in the snow and had gone a considerable distance past the warriors and his brother.

It took the group roughly fifteen minutes to make the walk over to him. All the while Loki simply lay there, waiting. Once they caught up, a warrior stood on either side of him, and each taking hold of one of his hands, they pulled him free of the snow. Loki shook the snow off of him, laughing all the while. The warriors could not help but to chuckle as well; the boy's laughter was contagious. But the warriors were then hit by the sobering realization that he really was still just a boy; he was no more than a child even now. They could hear the threatening shouts of the frost giants somewhere in the distance. Jotunheim was no place for a child. These boys should never have come here. It was only a matter of time before the frost giants caught up to them, and if any of them would make it past that meeting was something they could only guess at.

These thoughts of the frost giants had brought them back to the cold reality, and their smiles faded. "We should be gettin' goin' now. Don't fancy havin' to fight 'em off meself."

Loki followed the others as they resumed their long walk home. He was happy to be going home. Even if they were still in great danger, he was in considerably higher spirits now. But as excited to finally be going home he was, and even though there was not a single frost giant in sight, Loki never completely turned his attention from the frost giants he knew to be not far behind. He could not see them, even with his magic, but he could do enough to know they were nearby.

And they were getting closer...