The Guards laughed and tipped back another mug of ale as the dice clattered across the table. Their full attention was on the dice game of theirs and it was too easy for a small black haired boy to slip across the doorway and continue his walk to the armory.

For too long now, Loki had gone around unarmed. The Asgardians were a warrior race; all of their kind wore steel, all but Loki. Not anymore. He had his magic now but as Nira had so perfectly proved, he needed steel. Or Vibranium since steel was so fragile to Asgardians.

Technically, this was stealing and Heimdall could be spying on him and telling Odin even now. Loki wasn't worried though. Heimdall might be able to see everything but he could only look in one place at a time. With all nine of the realms to look at Loki thought it unlikely that Heimdall would be looking in this small armory right now.

The doors to the armory were locked. Loki crouched down and used a spell to unlock things. It worked. Smiling, he opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him. He turned to look at the spoils.

There wasn't much but Loki had purposely picked a smaller armory knowing it would be easier to break into. No shields or armor to speak and only two bows, their quivers hung up beside them. He walked by that. Further along were swords in their sheaths but he only looked at them for a moment.

His prizes were lying on a table as if tossed there and forgotten – daggers. They didn't look very dangerous, most were no longer than a foot, their hilts plain silver. Nira had proven just how lethal they were and if she could use them then so could Loki.

He picked up one and unclicked it from its sheathe. It was a straight blade about nine inches long with no designs to speak of at all.

The other blade that Loki claimed was obviously a throwing blade, its sheathe was made so you could wear it on your arm and hide it under your sleeve. They would do for a start. He put both in his small knapsack and snuck back out.

The Guards were still going at their game and Loki made one more stop before he left. The inventory records were sitting on a shelf and with a little spell, Loki was able to change a few figures so no one would notice the missing blades.

It was awkward holding the throwing blade, Loki would admit. He knew that in order to throw it you needed to have the tip of the blade between your fingers but every time he tried that his fingers got cut when he threw it. "I have got to be missing something," he grumbled as the bleeding stopped again and walked over to pull the blade out of the door.

He tapped the blade on his thigh, thinking back to the books he had read about throwing blades. No useful facts surfaced. "Wonderful," he rolled his eyes and walked over to throw it again. The only thing to do was practice and hope he figured it out sooner or later.

Just as he raised the blade above his head, someone knocked on his door. He lowered his blade and sent out a senseline. It was Frigga. "Come in mother," he called.

Frigga carefully poked her head inside. "What are you doing in here? I told you not to use your magic yet."

Loki hid the blade behind his back, glad that the other one was still in his knapsack out of sight.

"Let me see your hands," Frigga sighed as she walked inside, noticing Loki's guilty look.

Now what was Loki going to do? He was holding his blade. Well, he decided, mother is helping me with my magic maybe she can help me with this. She used to be a member of the Valkyrie's before they were disbanded and for a squad of all girls they racked up a lot kills. Slowly, he held out his hands. The bandages had been removed from his arms but they were still around his palms and wrists.

Frigga eyed the dagger. "Where did you get that?"

Loki didn't answer. "Um, I uh, I borrowed it?"

"Borrowed it from where?" Frigga asked.

"One of the armory's?" Loki kept talking before Frigga could. "I changed the inventory records so the Guards wouldn't get in trouble if someone noticed them missing. I can't practice my magic now anyway so I thought I could work with it. Can you help me? I cut my fingers every time I throw it."

Frigga gazed at him. She had seen this coming. It was because of Nira. It was good, she supposed. Loki wasn't made for a sword but daggers would suit him fine and now that he was showing interest, real interest, in weapon work Odin might go a little easier on him. Now where were the other blades? This was just a throwing blade and Loki had said 'them.'

"All right," Frigga nodded. "But only if you focus solely on the blades and don't use any magic until it recovers from the Tesseract. Deal?"

"Deal," Loki smiled.

"Go into stance as if you are going to throw it," Frigga ordered.

Loki did so, holding the blade a little above and behind his head, fingers curling around the blade's tip.

"Stop," Frigga called. "A beginner's mistake, look at your fingers."

Loki moved the blade into his line of sight and did so. "What of it?"

"Your fingers are curled around the blade. I know it will feel like you have a better grip but you are going to get cut every time." Frigga moved his fingers so that they were pinching the blade.

"I feel like it's going to fall," Loki told her.

"Good," Frigga nodded. "Now try." She stepped aside so Loki had a clear shot.

He hesitated then threw it. It thonked into his door satisfyingly. Even better, Loki's fingers weren't cut. He smiled. "Thank you mother."

"Glad I could help," Frigga smiled. She had an idea but was unsure if Loki would do it or not. "You could talk to one of the Star Guard. They may not use daggers but they know how to. It is required training that they do."

His mother's suggestion was sensible but… "They'll tell father."

Oh, of course he didn't want Odin hearing of this. It wasn't a sword. "I know one that won't," Frigga smiled. "THe one that's teaching Thor, Captain Eirill."

Loki gulped. The one who called him a servant's child…

Captain Eirill Bófison glared at the drunken guard as they left. He massaged a temple and sighed. Sometimes he really hated being a Captain but he did have one thing to look forward to, his lessons with Prince Thor. Thor was quite lovable and would no doubt make a fine warrior when he grew up.

That of course made him think about the other prince, Loki. Loki had not yet gotten close enough for Eirill to apologize. It had been embarrassing mistaking the prince for a servant's child. He's too busy fighting off Maraduers, taming Infinity Gems, and saving Asgard likely. Loki wasn't a bad child either.

One thing Eirill had noticed was that Odin hadn't jumped in and corrected his error of Loki's identity. If Thor had not been there he might never have been corrected. He had noticed that Odin seemed to favor Thor but something about the way he did it seemed wrong to Eirill.

Seeing Loki in the courtyard aroused him from his gloom with surprise. Even more surprising, Loki didn't disappear as soon as he saw Eirill. Loki actually walked toward him. Where Thor's eyes were warm and rich with emotion if naïve, where Loki's eyes were colder and sharp with logical intelligence.

"My Prince," Eirill greeted him as soon as he was close enough, adding a salute and slight bow.

Loki looked amused for a moment. "Captain, may I ask a favor for you?"

"Of course," Eirill said. "I wish to apologize for before…"

Loki shook his head, quieting him. "You are not the first to call me a servant." But you may be the last, he thought, looking at his bandaged hands and thinking about everything he had done this past week. I hope you're the last. " "Do you know much about dagger work?"

Eirill was not expecting that question. "Y-yes, tis required for all Academy students. I was never the best but I learned all of the techniques."

Loki nodded and looked at his boots. He flicked his hand and caught the blade that fell from the sleeve. "Mother showed me how to throw it correctly but I need a real mentor."

Eirill leaned back in surprise. "Why me?"

"Mother suggested you," Loki shrugged. "You have been teaching Thor to fight of late. But you can't tell anyone, especially father. He'll be upset."

"Up-upset? Why would he be upset that you are learning blade work?" Eirill frowned.

"It is not a sword," Loki murmured. "Father wants a sword wielding warrior general, one in armor and daylight. That's Thor's style. You learn a lot more when you watch from the shadows and strike from them."

Eirill thought that Loki was being a little harsh on Odin but then he remembered how Odin had not bothered to correct his error of the Prince's identity. "Very well."

Ta-Da! Loki is using daggers and magic, sound a little like the grown-up Loki you know yet?

Heh, this one is short to. But two short ones equal a long one! One of my friends talked me around into writing something other then Marvel because she's not a marvel fan. :(

I've written one in Sword Art Online and am working on a How To Train Your Dragon story. I think i might start posting the dragon one. Is anyone interested in that stuff?