Chapter 16

Loki decided that he was done cooperating in any way, shape, or form. During his history lessons about ancient times on Asgard before the people had been united under one ruler, he'd read of one group of Asgardians taken captive by a warlord and made into slaves. One month of work was all the warlord had gotten out of them when they suddenly...stopped. They'd stopped working, they refused to eat, they wouldn't use the quarters given to them, they wouldn't even wear the clothes they were given or speak to their overseers or captor. He'd tortured and killed a few of them to frighten them into acquiescence again, but it hadn't worked. They'd simply sat in the courtyard of his keep, not looking up, not speaking, not moving. Lashings hadn't worked, beatings hadn't worked, and starvation didn't seem to matter. Even the women and children had been just as stoic as the adult men, and often they'd been able to keep their countenances when some of the men had struggled to keep their faces blank. The writer of the history had praised the captives for their passive resistance since it had the desired effect: the warlord had been willing to negotiate their release with their former lord. He'd been able to keep the land he'd snatched, but not the people to work it.

Loki knew it would be extremely difficult to carry through this plan, but he knew that it would make his captors desperate. He was a lalta, which meant he was doubly precious to the people keeping him prisoner, and when they realized he wasn't eating and refused to speak to them...Idly, he reflected that they deserved all the worry after what they'd done to him. Kidnapping him like that and treating him like a child and declaring that he was now one of their people...Oh, yes, they deserved to suffer.

He'd yet to find a way out of that place. He'd been down to the stables several times in the past few days, but he'd been unable to find the opening that led to the outside. He'd examined the walls and even the floor to find the way out, but all of the walls were as solid as could be. Either they'd been opened by magic, or the stables had been moved to a different cavern (although it was the same size and shape he remembered), but he couldn't find the way out.

He'd taken to waking up early and creeping out of the young adults' quarters almost every day to search for a way out. He wandered the passageways and corridors, and had once wandered so far that he'd reached uncut caverns. The living areas in the mountain had all been shaped smooth and uniform and lit with those odd crystal lamps they used, but there were areas that had not been touched and had been left unlit. Since he couldn't be sure of not getting lost, he'd limited his explorations there for the time being. If he wanted to try finding his way out through some fissure or opening in the unused caverns, he'd need light, rope, and provisions, as well as a sturdy pair of boots. He knew that some cave systems could be so immense that it could take days, if not weeks, before you found a way out, and you needed food and the right equipment to make your way through them.

The easiest way to get provisions was to go to the kitchen. He couldn't let anyone see him and try to feed him since he was going to refuse to eat, but he could easily make himself invisible and sneak some food when no one was watching. He could keep a stockpile somewhere hidden, and if he decided that he would have to find a way out through the caverns, then it would come in handy. Either that, or he could wait in the stables until someone left, and he could follow them, but vehos seemed just as good as horses at scenting something unseen. Well, he'd have to think about it.

At the moment, he was in bed, but his internal clock told him time was ticking away. He got up, made his bed, washed and dressed, and headed for the exit that would take him away from the quarters he shared with everyone else. He'd reached the door and started down the tunnel and had to utter a quick spell to hide himself when Deerda came into view, pushing the cart that held their breakfast. The smell of toasted bread and sausage made his mouth water, and a second later his traitorous stomach grumbled. With the more confined space of the tunnel, she definitely heard it and stopped, looking about. "Is anyone there?"

Loki stayed quiet and pressed himself further into the wall behind his back. If she moved forward just a few inches, he'd be able to get past her and out.

Deerda put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "I know someone's there, and I have a good idea who. Best come out, or I'll make you scrub pots for pulling a prank."

Loki didn't budge or make a sound. Carefully, very, very carefully, he used his magic to make one, single raindrop fall on the other side of her. It fell with a loud plop and she turned toward it immediately, freeing up some space. He tiptoed cautiously past her and hurried as quickly and quietly as he could down the corridor. He kept moving, hiding when he had to, and he made his way to the kitchen. He really needed something to eat to hold him over, especially if he was going to be using his magic. That took energy as surely as any other exercise.

He was passing the great hall when he heard his name. Intrigued, he stopped and listened.

"...and I just don't know what to do with him," Arust was saying to Amaira. "The child's...incorrigible."

"He's dealt with a great deal of upheaval in a relatively short time," Amaira reminded him. "First, he learned he was Jotun and he had to settle in with a new family, and then we took him. He'll settle sooner or later; we just need to keep him here."

"Deerda says he's not eating much, and he's sneaking out of the dormitory whenever he can. Gairagh says he'd be a very capable scholar if he were in class. He's difficult for anyone to keep an eye on in the normal way, Amaira. I think we need to come up with a new plan."

"Arust, it's not like we can force him to like us."

"What if we forced him to spend time with us?"

Loki peeked around the edge of the doorway and saw Amaira blink in surprise. "And how exactly would that help? I'm sure he would just resent us for doing that."

"If he spent time with us, sooner or later the vairairha would kick in," Arust pointed out. "He wouldn't have much choice, would he?"

There it was, spoken aloud, just as he and Ahna had spoken about. Shuddering, Loki continued down the corridor and toward the kitchen, intent on some food. There was no way in all the hells he'd let them get away with that. If they tried it, they would have a problem on their hands.

The kitchen was insane chaos as workers darted back and forth preparing breakfast and making preparations for lunch. He had to dodge and edge his way through the room, and twice he had to duck under the nearest table to avoid knocking into someone. When there was a lull around him he would crawl out and head towards the pantry again, and soon he was able to stuff some bread rolls from yesterday and some fruit into his pockets. There was an area where they were boiling eggs, and Loki grabbed two from baskets waiting to go upstairs when the nearest workers' backs were turned. A small piece of white cheese and he had his breakfast. He got out of the kitchen as quick as he could and headed to the unfinished caverns to eat, happily munching away on rolls stuffed with egg and cheese, with apples for after. They were nice and juicy, somehow still sound after being in storage for who knew how long, but Loki had other things to think about than the mountain clans' food preservation techniques.

He wandered for a while, well past the lunch hour and closer to dinner looking for exits and putting up his invisibility when needed, hoping that his absence from "approved" activities and meals would make his point clear: he wasn't going to play along anymore.

He was near the bathing rooms when Dakan and Talo appeared, walking side by side. Since he'd been in one of the main corridors he'd put up his invisibility as a matter of course. There was no way he could get past them and if he didn't go back the way he'd come, they'd bump into him for sure. He headed back, looking for a doorway or another room he could duck into, knowing already that this was a blank area of corridor, simply a space to get from one place to the next. He continued, keeping his steps and his breath light so he wouldn't be heard and keeping his eye on two of his abductors. He was so busy watching them that he didn't realize there was someone coming the other way until they were almost upon him. It was Arust and Makal, both of them walking side by side. Within two minutes the two groups of men stopped only a few feet from each other, and there was nowhere at all for Loki to go.

Makal glanced at his friend. "Are you sure about this, Arust?"

"Oh, yes, very sure," Arust assured him, and then he looked at Dakan and Talo. "What do you think?"

"It's possible."

"I agree," Arust said, and then he reached forward.

The invisibility fell away as Arust grasped his shoulder, and Arust gave a triumphant smile when he saw Loki. "Why, hello, little prince. Been out for a walk?"

A snappy retort was on his tongue, but Loki kept silent.

"Oh, there's no need to glare at me," Arust said. "We've been looking for you all day, so we were bound to find you eventually. Well done on staying hidden so long. Now, Deerda tells me that you've not been to breakfast or lunch, so you're going to have dinner, whether you like it or not."

Dakan and Talo stepped back aso Arust could get past them, and Loki started to run. There was no way he was going to...WHAM. The air left his lungs and he dropped the floor, coughing, glaring up at Dakan who'd held out his fist. Loki had run right into it and knocked himself breathless.

"Well done, Dakan," Arust said, picking Loki up and carrying him. "Next time you try to run from someone, little one, make sure that person's friends can't reach you."

Loki wheezed and coughed and tried to focus on breathing, and he felt something in him snap. Within a second, Dakan was drenched by icy water, and he was left standing in the corridor, swearing. Arust shifted Loki so he could look him in the eye. "Don't do that again. Do you understand?"

Loki didn't answer, and Arust grasped his shoulders and shook him once. "Do you understand? You're not too old for a whipping."

Loki couldn't stop glaring, but he nodded. Arust carried him a little longer and then set him on his feet, keeping hold of his arm. Loki tried to pull away a few times, but a sharp tug back made him decide that a dislocated shoulder wasn't worth it. Once they got to where they were going and Arust let go of him, he could run then.

It took Loki too long to realize they weren't going to the dining hall. Where were they heading?

He found out a minute later when Arust led him into a sitting room that also held a table and chairs. A fire was burning in the fireplace, a few shelves held some books, and leather-covered furniture made it seem a homey place. To complete the picture of perfect domesticity, the piping hot meal on the table beckoned from the table, where Amaira was seated.

"You'll be having dinner here with Amaira and I from now on," Arust informed Loki, pulling out a chair for him and placing a cushion on it. "It'll be nice to have some time just among the three of us, hmm?"

Loki didn't answer and stood there, telling his stomach to SHUT UP. That meal on the table was pure torture. He'd had the breakfast he'd purloined from the kitchens earlier, and lunch had been a leftover roll, and his stomach was letting him know that it had been too long since he'd eaten and that it was extremely unhappy.

Amaira gave him an encouraging smile and waved him forward. "Don't stand on ceremony, Loki. Have a seat. You must be hungry."

Loki shook his head and turned for the door, but Arust was a step ahead of him and blocked the way. "Don't think your little games are going to get you out of this," Arust said, picking him up and placing him in the chair. "You need to eat, so that's what you're going to do."

Loki sat in the chair like a sack of mud. They could force him to sit at that table, but they couldn't force him to do anything else! He stayed silent while they filled his plate, bowl, and cup for him, but he didn't move to pick up a fork or spoon. Amaira and Arust started their meal, keeping an eye on Loki, but he didn't touch anything.

"Behaving this way is only hurting you, Loki," Arust said in an understanding tone that set Loki's teeth on edge. "Why don't you try a little bit to start? I'm sure you'll like it."

Loki was sure, too. What was on his plate smelled fantastic and he wanted to tear into it, but he couldn't. Passive resistance wouldn't work if he gave in when it got just a little difficult. It wasn't too much longer before Arust and Amaira had finished their meals, but they didn't move away from the table. It was clear they were waiting for Loki to eat.

"Amaira, do you think Loki realizes that we're just as stubborn as he is?" Arust asked after a few quiet minutes.

"I think he's starting to realize it, dear."

They'd thrown the gauntlet down. All right, then. Stifling a huff, Loki pushed away from the table and got down from his chair, heading for the door. If they thought they knew what stubborn was, then he should introduce the two of them to Thor. He was almost to the door when he bashed into Arust, who'd moved once again to block his way. "No, you don't," Arust said, picking him up and heading back to the table. "You're going to eat, Loki."

Arust plunked him down into the chair again and stood there, his hands on Loki's shoulders. A quick jerk and Loki had freed himself, and was scooting for the door. This time it was Amaira that stopped him and took him back to the table to put him into his chair. Once again, Loki freed himself and dropped out of the chair on the other side and ran for the opposite door. Arust grabbed him by the back of his shirt and returned him to the table. Loki went limp, dropped to the floor, and scurried under the table to head for the door, relishing the under-the-breath curses he heard from them both. They went on like that for close to ten minutes, and finally both of them stood by his chair, one on either side, keeping hold of him so he couldn't get away.

They may have won a small skirmish, but not the battle...not by a long shot. They spent the next hour offering him some of all the dishes on the table, but he would knock the dishes out of their hands as soon as any of it got close to his face. Their lack of reaction told him that they were expecting him to react this way, but what they didn't expect was how quiet he was, and he could see that it was unsettling them. He made no noise at all, and even when they put a spoon in his hand and tried to make him spoon up some soup for himself, he was silent. A child would have kicked and screamed and fought, but Loki sat there and refused food, all of it without a sound. They'd been ready for a battle, but not a silent one. Time ticked on and Loki refused every bit of food in front of him, and he could tell that it was getting late.

"Loki, aren't you tired?" Amaira asked after a while. Loki could feel it was past the time he usually went to sleep, and he had a strong feeling that it was far later than that. He didn't respond-he didn't even show that he'd heard the question.

"If you're not, you should be," Arust said a minute later.

"Arust is right," Amaira continued. "You look very tired. I bet it would feel nice to lie down in bed about now. Arust and I can fix a bed for you here, and you can have a tray of something once you're settled. How does that sound?" She rubbed his shoulder, much the same way Frigga would when he was worn out from a long day.

Loki shrugged off her touch and sat there. Arust moved to stand behind him and Amaira disappeared into a room off to the right. He heard the sound of a cabinet opening and the rustling of fabric. He couldn't believe that she was actually making a bed up for him, but when she called, Arust picked him up and carried him in to set him down on the edge of a small cot.

"There are night clothes, too," Amaira said, handing them to Arust. "I'll go and prepare that tray while you settle in, hmm, Loki?"

Once she was gone, Loki and Arust locked eyes, two foes measuring each other. Arust knelt down in front of Loki. "I know what you're doing and why you're doing it, but I can tell you that this course of action isn't going to do you any good, little prince. You've a cunning mind and I'm sure you can come up with countless plans to resist, but even the most determined man in the universe can break, given enough time. We will not be returning you to either Laufey or to the All-Father. Our clan cannot do without you. You're here to stay, so making yourself miserable will only serve to make you miserable. Amaira and I are willing to be your family, and we'll do the best we can to make you feel loved and accepted, and if that means fighting you every step of the way, then that's what we'll do. I hope you understand. Now, are you going to dress yourself for bed, or do you want my help?"

Loki took the clothes and waited for Arust to turn his back so he could change. They were presenting a united front against his resistance, and that wasn't good. The two of them together would last a great deal longer in the face of his resistance, and being united was a good way of resisting. It was likely they already had plans in place should he change tactics. He would have to be on his guard every waking moment, and most likely while he was asleep. He was outnumbered and at the moment, he'd been out-thought.

"Here we are," Amaira said, carrying in a tray. Somehow, the food was still hot, and Loki allowed himself to be tucked in and the tray to be placed over his lap. He waited exactly ten seconds before he pushed the tray aside and settled down into the pillows.

"Still being stubborn, hmm?" Arust said, his voice holding a trace of grudging respect. "All right, then. We'll try again at breakfast."

Loki didn't say anything. Arust and Amaira both left the room one at a time to prepare for bed, and soon Loki found himself sharing a bedroom with his captors. Soon, he heard their breathing slow and deepen, and he could tell they were asleep. Cautiously, he got out of bed and reached for his clothes and shoes, but they weren't where he'd left them. He patted about in the dark for a few moments, decided it wasn't worth the time to search for his clothes, and cautiously headed for the door. When he reached it he tried the handle, but the door didn't budge. They'd locked it at some point. Vehemently thinking every curse he knew at the pair of them, Loki cast a quick look behind him at their sleeping forms and decided to risk it. He breathed a spell to unfasten the lock, yanked the door open, and ran like hell. He could hear Arust waking up behind him but he ran faster, hitting the doorway to the living quarters at full speed and pelting down the corridor. He cast invisibility as soon as he could and ran as if his life depended on it, taking turns and bolting down corridors in an effort to lose Arust. He chanced one look behind him and spotted Arust barreling along behind him in nothing but a short pair of pants, and that sight was enough to make him run all the faster.

He didn't know when he lost Arust and he had no idea when he got lost, but as soon as he judged it safe to stop, he realized he had no idea where he was. He was in one of the unformed caverns, but which one? How far had he gone? Worried now, Loki turned on his heel and called up a small ball of light to look around. No, it was no cavern he recognized. He'd gone well beyond any territory he was familiar with.

How many times am I going to get myself lost on this world? Loki wondered with a disgusted sigh. He turned in a circle, hoping to spot something familiar, but it was clear he was completely lost. Deciding to risk it, he headed back the way he'd come, but after ten minutes' walk, he still had no idea where he was. Had he gone down the wrong passageway? Had he picked the wrong direction? Loki doubled back and looked around again, picking a different direction. There were several tunnels branching off the area where he'd stopped, so one of them was bound to lead to a way out.

He was on his fourth passageway when something began to look likely. The cavern floors were all smooth to the touch except in areas where gravel or sand had accumulated, but this passageway was different. There were hardly any grooves or ledges, and absolutely no sand or gravel, which meant that it was traversed regularly. It was very high and wide and Loki didn't really remember a passage like that, but he hadn't been paying much attention to anything except getting away from Arust. This was the most likely way he'd come.

There was an odd sound, almost like air rushing, and Loki paused, uncertain. He didn't remember that. Was it an underground river he was hearing? He held up his light and looked ahead, catching a glimpse of a large opening in the rock. The light glinted off of something...two somethings...and the rushing sound stopped.

Stopped?

Too late he realized what a traversed corridor deep in a cave combined with the sound of air moving and two glinting lights could mean and he doused his light, carefully backing away from...whatever it was. He couldn't run since running would attract its attention, but he couldn't stay there, so he inched his way back, being careful not to make a sound. When he heard whatever was there shift and start to move, Loki whirled and ran for his life, daring to put up a light again so he could see where he was going. The cave floor sloped downward and he put his left hand out for balance, the angle of the floor making his footing difficult...no, wait, he'd gone the wrong way! It was a dead end!

He heard the creature come up behind him, and he whirled, unable to keep his back to it. Hoping the light would frighten it, Loki poured more power into the light-ball, brightening it until it was almost too bright even for his eyes.

A deep growl filled the cavern, and Loki felt his knees start to shake and he got a good look at the size of the creature. There were horns, a jaw...oh. Oh, Frost GIANT...that was where the name had come from…

Oh, shit.