Author's Note: Translations: Laukr - general term for 'plant', Ol - 'Ale' aka beer.

Wary

Drunk, Loki glared blurrily at the mug of pale purple jotlaukrol. His voice echoed in the dining hall that was empty, but for Hailfalla, "He hates me, Father lied and Thor hates me !"

Hailfalla shifted his weight, the look on the younger jotun's face very uncomfortable from what he could see. "I'm sure he doesn't mean that, everyone says things they don't mean to when they're angry."

"Don't you dare contr-contradict me ! He didn't say it and he doesn't have to."

So, he started to explain as best he could at the moment, what had happened.

Flashback

For the first time since he'd been stripped of his Asgardian lies and illusions, he was again in his most familiar form. The nine and some feet tall Hailsturm rumbled, as he looked down at the unconscious Einherjars Olaf and Erik, "Why cannot we kill them, Prince Yfirloki ?"

Gently, he nudged Olaf's body out of the way, so that he could throw open the golden-doors of the weapons vault. When he had done so, he replied, "We are not here to start a war, we are here to get our property back. The Destroyer is here somewhere, I will distract it and get Ymir's Casket."

Eight-foot tall Ennsturm murmured, "That may be so, but what if it tries to kill you ?"

He didn't answer the question, but walked down the sand-colored steps, looking down the long hallway at the eight-foot tall being that was made of ribbed-silver, with new eyes. 'If it can tell that I know what I am, will Father order it to kill me ? Will Hailsturm and Ennsturm end up fighting to protect me from angry Asgardians ? Thor ? Father lied to him, Jotnar aren't always vicious, blood-thirsty, murderers. They might have different customs - like Ymir worship and abandoning runts for a few days to see if they're strong enough to survive if they're not eaten - but Frabauti and Laufey care about me. Jotnar might not have many uses for fire, but th-we are civilized without it most times.'

As he approached the Destroyer, he knew that set on the short pedestal behind the Destroyer, backlit by the brown-framed window, would be Ymir's Casket. The ice-casket would be covered in many varieties of black, cracked-ice patterns. Inside it would swirl the white and deep-blue magic of Ymir. Though it hadn't bothered him before, now knowing it was an heirloom of his birth family, it angered him that the casket's beauty was obscured. It was blocked by thick, metal handles that enabled the Asgardians to touch it without being burned by ice-'fire'.

'At least, I know now why I felt like I was being drawn to it all these years. Why Father always, especially, told me to leave it alone. He didn't want me to find out who I really was. Eitri knew when he gave me that ring, Father probably took it because he didn't want the colors to trigger any memories of Father and Mother.'

The Destroyer's triangle-like head moved to 'look' at him. Nervous, he edged around the being, eyeing the spear in its hand. When the spear didn't move and it didn't rotate itself and summon the white-hot lava to kill him, yet, he sighed in relief. Still, the handles would be useful to him. First, he brushed his fingers over the top and that impossibly, powerful and now, familiar magic flowed through him with a rush of giddiness; also, the magic was cold enough that he shivered. Ymir's Casket didn't weigh a thing to him now as he picked it up, whereas surely, it would have been impossible for him before.

An echoing crash shook the floor as he moved around the Destroyer to see that Ennsturm was picking himself up as Hailsturm backed towards them. Ennsturm moved to stand by his right side, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears as suddenly Thor stalked down the vault's steps. 'It's too bad he doesn't look at all happy to see us. I wanted to introduce him to Mother since she knew Bor.'

Thor's voice, normally as warm as it was deep, was shockingly cold, "What do you think you're doing, Jotnar ?"

That last word being spat out like it was poison-water, it made him want to hide his face, but not for the reasons one would think. 'He is still just blindly listening to Father. Norns, Thor, I thought you were smarter than that after all these years. No, just listen to him because you don't know that he lied and you're believing him when you've never even met the Jotnar before. At least, I had the 'get herded to Mother' experience to wonder about them, you don't even have that. This is why I always end up cleaning up your brash mistakes. I love you, but I would love you even more if you would gain more brain-power than a rock one of these days.'

Hailsturm growled back, "We're retaking our stolen property. What are you going to do about, Princess ?"

'You really shouldn't have called him, 'Princess', Hailsturm. He hates being called that and it's all because of Sandr's thinking Thor's feats were over-compensation. Which they really are if one thinks about it when I'm invovled. The one time I agree with that red-haired idiot because it's true and Thor threw him into my lake, even though Sandr can't swim.'

A second later, Mjolnir met Hailsturm's face thus knocking the giant jotun over and Thor's response was, "It's not stolen, it was given to us.", as the hammer returned to him.

He turned and handed Ymir's Casket to Ennsturm before he walked slowly to stand in front of his brother. Whether Thor truly didn't recognize him or Thor was rejecting him, there was no recognition in those blue-eyes. Never had he thought he would see the day when Mjolnir was likely to be used on him, yet it seemed that day had come.

'I don't want to use Blodbita on him, but I will if I must.' Blodbita rested in a sewn-in sheath on the side of his kilt for easy access. Slowly, he started raising a hand as he shifted back into Asgardian-form and answered, "It was not given, Thor, Hailsturm speaks true, it was stolen.", while he stroked the bearded cheek.

When they were far younger he'd been jealous of that too.

Flashback

The small, rapid waves hitting the shore mirrored his fading sobs as Thor held him, it was so warm in the sun. He tilted his head from Thor's shoulder to look up at the blond, distracted when his cheek brushed against something rough on Thor's.

It made him inquire, "Did Fandral cut you sparring with him before you left ?"

A rather adorably confused look on Thor's face before he answered, "No, not that I know of."

So, he leaned closer and spotting the culprit huffed in annoyance, "Even Sif has more stubble than I do and she doesn't have any."

'Yet another reason I'm a freak, Fandral, Hogun, Sandr and now Thor. They all have some and I don't even have one hair.'

"Actually, she looked incredibly hairy after you left. Perhaps, brother, you can steal hers when she's asleep tonight."

That had him bursting into laughter then it faded and he asked, "Thor, what if Mother cheated on Father with an alf ?"

"Why do you think that ?"

"Grundsol doesn't have any stubble and he is never going to have any. Whilst I as well have never had any, what if I am part-alf ?"

Thor's hand brushed against his too-smooth cheek, replying, "You're not, just wait another week or two and there'll be some, you'll see."

"But, what if there still isn't any ?"

"There will be, trust me, brother."

End Flashback

Thor blinked at him then asked, "How do you know ? W-why are you helping them when they kidnapped you ?"

"Besides yourself, Mother and sometimes Fandral I've been the outcast always. On Jotunheim I'm not a freak anymore and they have respect for me, unlike here. Ymir's Casket belongs to the Jotnar and Father stole it, Thor, before either of us was born. It needs to be returned home, unlike Father said they're not murderers all the time, they're people. Father would never lift the ban so that we could get it officially, so it has to be this way."

His words got a rapid head shake from the blond, a hand warily moving to cup the nape of his neck through his hair. The way that Thor was ready to jerk away from him in a second hurt and the pleading way Thor said, "You weren't, you have to stay, you can't go away again !", felt like both a command and an insult.

Took his hand off Thor's cheek and hissed, "I was, I explained why years ago ! Norns, Thor, you're such a stupid cow and you're still not listening to me ! Then again, you only ever listen to Father, so why should I expect anything different when it's obvious that I'm, that I'm just a monster to you, now."

When Thor put a hand on his chest to stop him there was still pleading in those eyes, but some horror too and he shoved past Thor. Instinct had him unsheathing Blodbita before he opened the door. After he pushed the right door open he thrust Blodbita up before him, slicing through the spear that was thrust at his face.

Mother hissed, "Olaf, what are you doing ? Let Loki through, he's not going to hurt you.", as she strode over, her golden clothes glowing in the sunlight.

He sheathed Blodbita and looked from her to Olaf who spluttered, "M-my Queen, but he's a jotun !", as the einherjar waved the broken spear-haft.

Mother punched Olaf in the face knocking him to the ground, "He is still my son, Einherjar Olaf ! You will take him and the other Jotnar to the Bifrost so that they may leave without harm."

Olaf looked like he was going to protest and then Father's voice cut through, "I believe that your Queen just gave you an order, Einherjar. Obey it, now."

As he carried Ymir's Casket with Hailsturm and Ennsturm on either side of him, with Olaf in front of the group, all the way to the Bifrost he felt Thor's stare on his back.

End Flashback

Shook himself from the memory to throw the mug of jotlaukrol on the floor. It gave a rather satisfying smash, then he laid his head on the black-ice table. 'He hates me, he hates me now. All because of Father and Father will never let him come here. I'll never see him again. Why couldn't you have just let Pink-eyes kill me or ordered the Destroyer to kill me, Father ? Least ways, then I would not have to suffer for your mistakes.'

Hailfalla answered, "I beg pardon, but my Prince, your brother sounds like a fool."

Someone new put another mug on the table in front of him and he looked up. When he saw those eyes, despite the fact that he hit the floor once, he managed to lunge at and pin down Pink-eyes. 'Father may have let you go, but I won't.'