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This work does NOT belong to me, but I think it deserves a wider audience than it had up to now. Since the author wishes to stay anonymous she has given permission to publish it somewhere else other than on livejournal as she has no intention to. I will leave a link on livejournal to this post for the author, so make sure to review.
Original can be found here:
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WARNING this work contains mental und physical non-con, massive internal conflict, PTSD. You have been warned!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The guards sent one of their number back down the tunnel to where Thrym was waiting at the first door.
He listened with wide eyes to the report and then sent a runner to fetch Laufey.
Then he sent one squad to each of the air shafts and other exits, and a small band of demolition experts to clear out the tunnels that ran beneath the Asgards' feet and then wait for orders.
Down in the tunnels, the runner arrived at the huddle.
"Asgard!" He gasped. "They're here in numbers! Odin is demanding to speak to you, your Majesty."
Laufey rose from where he sat, face serious. Loki straightened and looked hopefully at the King.
"How many numbers?" Laufey asked.
"We do not know for sure, we could not see beyond the tunnel entrance. At least two dozen, but maybe the whole army." The runner reported.
Laufey nodded.
"I will have to go and speak with him." He paused, thinking. "But first, get a large party together and instruct them to carry the dead from the tunnels to the River of the Long Sleep. Even Odin won't attack a funeral procession, and they can report more accurately on numbers when they get back."
"Yes you Majesty." The runner said and departed.
Laufey turned to walk down the tunnel. Loki stood up.
"No, I don't think so." Laufey said, seeing him. "Goupr, a moment?"
Goupr came over and they talked in low voices for a a few minutes. Loki could tell by the way Goupr glanced at him that he was the topic of conversation. Then Laufey left and Goupr turned back to him with a gentle smile.
"He thinks your presence will inflame the situation." He said. "Our whole population is down here, if we start to fight, we have nowhere for the children to go, or the elderly, and bloodlust can cause men to do terrible things."
Loki wanted to say that the Asgard were different, but with Thor as the shining example of Asgard restraint, even he couldn't tell that lie. There were some in the army who might go berserker in battle, and any children trapped in the tunnels would be slain without mercy.
"I want to see my father." He said.
Goupr reached out and rubbed his back gently.
"Not today. It is the wrong time. If Laufey can smooth this over maybe you can see him later."
"I could tell them not to attack." Loki pointed out.
"But would you? Really? Would you go up to your father and tell him you wish to stay and not to take any action on your behalf?" Goupr asked.
Loki held his gaze for a second before looking down. He couldn't agree to that.
"Stay here Loki, Laufey will sort it out." Goupr said.
The funeral procession was long and slow. With great ceremony the Jotun guards carried each of the dead from the tunnel entrance to the Rive of the Long Sleep, a glacier that ran on the far southern side of Utgard. Each person was laid down gently and with reverence. In time the slow moving glacier would carry their bodies far from the city out to the semi frozen sea, as it always had. It moved so slowly that Jotun mates who died a century apart could still be laid beside one another, the first body still preserved only an hour's walk down the River. A day's stroll would take you to where Farbauti and Kolga lay in each other's arms. On his death the queen had been placed beside his husband so that they might face the next world together.
It was over two hours before the guards finally finished moving the dead. The Asgard soldiers watched them silently the whole time. By the time the last Jotun was laid to his rest the guards had an accurate count of Asgard numbers, not just by the tunnels but near the Bifrost site and in the Castle.
Thrym then reported that if Laufey gave the signal, Asgard's King and its crown Prince would be buried under the ice in seconds. The demolition squad had carefully undermined the tunnels that ran beneath their feet. Although that did nothing for the rest of the army, which would still need to be fought off in a long and difficult engagement.
He had also begun to sneak some Jotun warriors out of the air shafts. With two hundred to choose from, the Asgard had not found them all. Now they were circling around, slowly cutting off the Asgard group at the main entrance from their reinforcements.
Laufey finally decided it was time to appear.
He strolled as casually as he could to the final gate and leaned as insultingly as possible against the mouth of the tunnel.
"Allfather." He said with a nod.
"Laufey, where is my son?" Odin demanded.
Laufey let confusion crinkle his features. Then understanding dawned insultingly on his face.
"He's right beside you, Odin, but on your right side. I can see why you lost him with that missing eye of yours."
Odin's remaining eyes narrowed.
"You know well who I refer to, where is Loki?"
"The Queen is resting." Laufey said. "It's been a long winter and he's very tired. I'll give him your best wishes."
"I want to see him." Odin said.
Laufey took a deep thoughtful breath.
"Nnnnnooooo. I don't think so. I think I will call your bluff. Two thousand warriors setting up camp on my realm, and more waiting in Asgard I've no doubt. It will be very embarrassing to send them all home again. Unless you want to attack us? Really Odin? Is that what you *want?* You will be fighting in a bottleneck, we will be standing inside this lovely tunnel here with some very sharp swords and spears."
Odin stood stiffly, he was controlling his breathing with an effort.
"Or," Laufey continued. "You could starve us out. Wait until we were desperate for food and just gave in. Very noble, very *Asgard*"
Thor growled under his breath and tightened his grip on his hammer.
Laufey smiled at them.
"Your decision Allfather? I would like to know whether we should move the children inward to be safe or outward to see the sun. It's been so long since they laid eyes on it and they get quite sick without the light."
"I will not be leaving Laufey until I have seen my son." Odin said dangerously.
"Then I hope you brought plenty of food because we won't be sharing ours." Laufey snapped.
He turned and disappeared back into the tunnel.
"Keep Loki away from them, all of them. I swear the only thing stopping Odin from killing me was that he couldn't grab Loki and take him back through the Bifrost straight away. As long as he doesn't know where his son is, we are all safe." Laufey said softly.
Thrym nodded.
"Where do you want me to hide him?" He asked.
Laufey pulled a face as he considered thought.
"I'll take care of it." He said at last. "But Loki's not going to like it, and I need a dozen of your finest warriors as his guards."
Thrym pulled a face of his own. He knew where Laufey was thinking of.
"No, he will not like it. Hopefully you can convince the Asgard to leave before he spends too much time there." He said.
Loki looked up when Laufey returned to the huddle. He leaned forward slightly where he sat, hoping that somehow they had managed to reach an agreement.
"Apparently your father wishes to negotiate." Laufey said. "To help him with this mission of peace he has brought his shiny army, to show them some new sights and let them breathe air not tainted with gold."
"Can I see him?" Loki asked.
"No, not this time." Laufey said and reached down a hand. "Come with me."
Loki looked at him suspiciously.
"What are you planning to do?" He asked.
"I'm going to escort you to a better location. If fighting breaks out I want you in the safest part of the tunnels." Laufey said.
Loki reluctantly raised his hand and put it in Laufey's.
"Please let me see him." He asked as Laufey led him down the tunnels to his new location.
"No Loki, your presence will be the undoing of your brother, I'm sure. It is better that you see him under controlled conditions."
"Controlled by you." Loki said.
"Of course, do you really think Odin would let me visit Asgard with two thousand of my closest friends? This is my realm, he is an invader and I will not allow him control. That is just good sense."
They walked down to an area Loki had not seen before, Laufey kept going as the light grew dimmer.
"Where are we going?" Loki asked again, more nervously this time.
Each step was taking him far from the surface and far from the light. The air smelled stale.
"These are the prisons." Laufey said, ignoring Loki's sudden halt at his words.
He tugged on Loki's arm and pulled him the remaining distance.
"You will stay here until Odin leaves." He said.
Loki's eyes were wide with fear.
"Laufey don't, you said you wouldn't, Laufey please!" He said as the King sealed the door, locking him inside a small cave.
He stood on the tips of his toes to see out of the thin gap carved into the doorway. Laufey looked back at him sadly.
"I will have the servants bring you furs, food and your books too. Loki I do not wish to confine you but I must keep you safe. These walls are designed to hold dangerous people, they will keep out the Asgard army. Stay here and stay calm, I will let you out into the sunshine the second they are gone, I promise. Goupr and the children can come and keep you company, in fact most of the Jotun will start to bring their children down here, you'll hear them arrive soon. This is the safest part of the tunnels, it is only by accident that they are also the prisons, the criminals have been moved, you are safe here."
"Laufey please, let me see him, let me talk to him, Laufey!" Loki shouted after him as the King walked away.
Laufey hurt to hear the panic in Loki's voice, but he couldn't afford to let him run around free. Loki would try to reach the Allfather and that would be the beginning of the end.
He made his way back up to the entrance to the tunnel.
Odin watched him with narrowed eyes as he leaned once again at the mouth of the tunnel.
"And what, exactly, will it take to make you leave, Odin Allfather?" Laufey said calmly.
"My son." Odin replied seriously.
Thor was twitching in an effort to stay patient, the long delays were driving him insane.
"That is impossible, he is my mate. He was my betrothed before he was your son, and just out of interest, foreign law being a hobby of mine, did you ever formally adopt him after murdering his parents? I'm just curious." Laufey said with an infuriating smile.
Odin took a deep breath.
"King Laufey, it is my great desire that we discuss this matter formally, as two Kings. There must be something you want more than my son. I would like to negotiate." He said.
There was a strain in his voice. The Allfather did not want another war, but Laufey was making other solutions impossible.
"There is one thing I need more than a queen." Laufey admitted. "But I sort of need the Queen to get the Heir. I can see how that concept may confuse you, what with your second heir being stolen from a foreign temple. I guess in Asgard you only have a queen because they're pretty."
Thor took a menacing step forwards. Laufey just smiled as Odin stuck his arm out warningly.
"Once you had an heir would you let him go?" Odin asked quietly.
Thor's eyes bulged in disbelief.
"Father-" He started to say but Odin silenced him with a gesture.
Laufey hunched his back over and glared at the Allfather through lowered eyes.
"This is not your world." He hissed. "This is not your throne, these are not your people and these are not your customs. You seek to twist them? To change them to suit your liking? Loki is not yours, he was never yours. One heir is not enough Odin, what if he should die? Will you send Loki back to have another? My entire court is made up of my siblings, what will my heir do if he is alone? No, Odin Allfather, I will not let him go. This is Loki's home and I still do not understand what you were thinking when you stole him away."
"I was thinking a small child would not be loved in a land of monsters." Odin said quietly. "I was wrong."
"I should get that in writing, maybe send it as a royal declaration to the other realms." Laufey snapped.
"Please will you let me speak to my son?" Odin asked quietly, sadly.
Laufey regarded him for a long time.
"Not now, not with an army at your back." He said. "Make war or leave, but choose wisely because I do not have much mercy within me."
Odin nodded slowly.
"I still wish to negotiate with you."
Laufey tossed his head back in frustration.
"Not for Loki, I can see you will not consider it, but for visits, and maybe trade between us. My son sits at you side Laufey, if we will not go to war perhaps we can reap the benefits of peace." Odin said.
Laufey watched him with narrowed eyes.
"That I will consider. In one hundred days. Until then, I expect to see no sign of Asgard."
Odin nodded slowly in agreement.
"Please may I wish my son well?"
"No, come in a hundred days." Laufey said and returned to the tunnel.
"Watch them, see if they go." He said quietly to Thrym, who nodded seriously.
"If they do not, what is our plan?"
"We will wipe them out." Laufey said. "And then there will be war."
He looked serious.
"I do not want that, the last one took such a toll on us. But I cannot give up Loki."
"I know, there is not a Jotun who would forgive you if you gave him up." Thrym said.
"I can think of a few." Laufey said. "Of course they are the ones hoping for my death and their advancement."
"They are insane. Their opinions are hardly credible." Thrym pointed out.
The Asgard army slowly began to depart.
"Father, we can't leave him here. We came all this way!" Thor protested.
"We have achieved as much as we were going to." Odin said. "Laufey sees our strength and he has agreed to negotiate."
"Not for Loki." Thor pointed out.
"No, for peace." Odin said as they walked slowly back along the Bifrost. "Thor, to take Loki we must first break the binding spell. My spy has told me as much as she can about it. I could feel it as Laufey and I spoke. More time in his presence will enable me to see it properly and then break it. When that happens we must be in a position to take Loki immediately. Laufey has worn the spell for a long time, he will feel it shatter. But once Loki is back home he can claim sanctuary. We can protect him and keep him here. The other realms will be nervous but it is better than a war, far better. Our other option is to kill Laufey, and that will plunge Jotunheim into a civil war. The consequences will be disastrous for *all* of us."
"So you cowered him into agreeing to speak with you." Thor said.
"The army helped our cause, yes. Laufey does not want a war any more than I do. With Loki to unite us, Laufey is willing to try for peace."
"We will be bringing him back, won't we?" Thor asked suddenly.
His father was a good king, sometimes at the expense of his family. A burden Thor had thought he was ready for. He believed differently now.
"We will. I will not leave my child with Laufey. I cannot." Odin said, his voice cracking slightly on the last word.
###
Loki had screamed until he was hoarse. He had banged on the door and cursed Laufey with every breath he took.
It was only when he heard the sound of children arriving that he stopped. Laufey had said they would bring their most vulnerable here, he had not lied.
Goupr had arrived with a spy bowl and an armful of furs. Helblindi followed him with a tray full of food to share and little Býleistr had entered last with two of the books in his arms.
He put them down and ran to give Loki a hug.
"The Asgard are here!" He said fearfully.
"It's okay, they won't hurt you." Loki soothed.
Býleistr looked up at him with terrified eyes.
"They'll take you away from us." He said, tightening his grip.
Loki felt a lump in his throat and hugged Býleistr tightly.
"I'm here, right here. It's okay, they just want to talk to me." He said.
Goupr rested with his back to the door, conveniently preventing Loki from banging on it further.
"Uncle Laufey will make them go away, don't you worry, my baby, everything will be alright." He said.
Helblindi looked worried.
"What if they attack?" He whispered. "Father's up there."
Goupr held out his arms and Helblindi crawled into them. He looked younger and fearful.
"Your father once took out an enraged Grur with nothing but a rock the size of my head. He'll be fine." Gourp said, giving his eldest a hug.
Laufey and Thrym came to fetch them several hours later.
"They're finally gone." Laufey said.
Loki tried to keep the sadness from his face, but he shoulders were slumped and he looked like someone had taken all the air from his lungs. Laufey smiled kindly at him.
"Let's go into the light." He said, holding out his hand.
The whole group made their way up to the surface and surveyed the damage the Darkening winds had caused.
The castle was still only half repaired. The more damaged sections were crumbling.
"We'll get the army on that, it'll be good for them to co-ordinate." Thrym said.
Utgard was covered in snow. Jotun adults were already starting to lift it onto sleds to remove from the streets. Children jumped in it. In places it was so deep that they disappeared entirely.
Loki was having trouble making his way through the snowdrifts. Laufey leaned down and picked him up. He swung him up until he was sitting on Laufey's shoulder, high above the ground.
The Jotuns who saw it gave him a cheerful smile. The children tried to play their game but the snow was too thick and they kept tumbling when they tried to lunge forward to reach the King.
Loki looked across and found Býleistr and Helblindi had also hitched a ride on each of their mothers'.
The city was covered, but undamaged. After their inspection Laufey took Loki back to the castle and up to their chambers.
"Home." He said as they walked through the door.
The servants were still shovelling the snow from the floor. It had blown in through the window and piled up high against the bed. Laufey sat down at the table and leaned back.
"We will spend the next few weeks cleaning up, then the planting begins. When the plants begin to break through the frost we will go out to see the farmers. First in the north, then beyond the eastern plains. The southern lands will take us a while to visit, they are quite extensive but the western plains are much smaller. The mountains block us from extensive planting."
"You'll spend a lot of time away from the castle." Loki said.
Laufey looked up at him.
"Your punishment should be over by the time we leave, if not it will be soon, you can catch up to me. In truth the most exciting part of the year is the Hunt and the Celebrations. Now we must concentrate on what we must do to survive the next Darkening."
Loki nodded. He was beginning to lose hope that he would see Asgard again before the next Hunt.
Laufey could sense his mood. He wished there was something he could do about it. He thought about telling Loki of his conversation with the Allfather, but Odin had turned from loving father into mercenary-king pretty quickly. Laufey did not know how to break the news to Loki, who would surly take it as a major blow.
In the end they sat there in silence, each one thinking their own thoughts until the daylight dimmed and they retired to bed.
