Canute and his four warriors road none stop for six nights and six days to their destination, even through a snow storm where Thor lead Canute in the right direction and the other four followed Canute without even questioning it.
Finally they faced a massive fortress created by ice, recently created by Jotunn sorcerers belonging to the larger tribes.
Canute and his following stood in front of the massive gate looking up, he breathed a deep breath. "I HEARD THAT ALL CLAN LEADERS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO THIS PLACE TO APPOINT A NEW KING!" he shouted. "I myself am a clan leader! CANUTE! Of the clan Canute!" he shouted loudly. "Let us in!"
For some time there was silence, then finally up above a hatch was opened and a Jotunn looked down.
"I never heard of any Canute! Or Clan of Canute!" The Jotunn above huffed.
"Nevertheless. That is who I am, and the clan is mine." Canute replied. "Let us in! You would want all clan leaders to acknowledge the new king!"
The Jotunn above sneered as he closed the hatch and vanished.
It took a while, from his perch Thor could see what was going on inside of the foretress. How Jotunns were running around, and then suddenly Jotunns started to accuse each other.
"I didn't invite him, you must have!" "I did not!" "How could he have known we had this summon." "Let him in, his clan shows promise, it would be good to have him swear loyalty to the new king as well." "He is going to claim Kingship." "We wont let him, he has no right to it!"
After a lot of buggering and huffing finally, the gate was opened and Canute along with his following road inside on their snow wolfs.
He road in with a raised head, not looking at the Jotunns whom stood to greet them. All sneering and huffing until Canute was finally in front of the biggest Jotunn of them, the one who seemed to be the leader here. He was even bigger than Canute and Canute had to looked up to see him.
The Jotunn who stood in front of Canute narrowed his eyes. "You." he hissed. "So you live after all."
Canute smirked. "Good to see you again. Hyma." he spoke. "So, finally you have your shot at being King."
Hyma sneered, his hand tightening around the hild of his sword.
"I know that is always what you wanted." Canute commented amused. "You were jealous of Laufey, you wanted his throne."
Hyma huffed, his eyes burning.
"But the throne was never yours to take. Hyma!" Canute huffed. "And I will not let you have it! I know what you are like. Stepping on those weaker than yourself to assert your power. Not out of need, but out of malice. To make yourself feel bigger than you are. Jealous and greedy. For as long as I breath. You will not be king!"
Hyma seethed. "You threw away your claim as you ran!" he exclaimed. "Where have you even been?" he asked in a sneer. "hiding in your new little settlement. Coward!"
Rygul and the other warriors huffed and the bystanders were standing ready for the conflict to come.
Thor gulped, the tension was immense, at any time it could break out.
"You really think they will give you the throne? After what your father did?" Hyma asked.
Canute. "I had nothing to do with that! He was a fool, I wash my hand of his foolishness!"
"You think it is that easy?" Hyma asked. "You think changing your name will just wash away the sin? No. You had been better served staying hidden. Bylestir Laufyson!"
Thors eyes widened, his heart stopped. A big gasp sounded from the people around them, people were wide-eyed looking at the young Canute… No. Not Canute. Bylestir!
Thor couldn't believe it. This was Laufeys son? So that meant… That meant. Thor looked at the young Jotunn again and noticed his slender build. His angular face and long fingers.
They looked similar… They actually looked similar!
And now Thor remembered, one of their earlier talks.
"My father died more recently. Killed…. By an Asgardian."
Frigga had told Thor, that Loki had killed Laufey! That had happened only a week before Thors talk with Canute… By the norns!
What was going on? Was this fate or chance? Thor had a hard time grasping it.
"I cast away my title of Laufyson!" Bylestir shouted. "He was the utter fool who lead Jotunnheim to its destruction. I have vowed to do the opposite, to re-build Jotunnheim anew so we may rise again. The city I made, I made with my own two hands! It is rightfully mine. Not given to me, build by me!" he stated. "I no longer want anything Laufey ever had to offer. I only want the things I can rightfully say I created myself."
Rygul nodded. "My lord speaks truth! I saw it with my own eyes. He build our city, he protected our people. All by own hand! I have no loyalty towards Laufey. But my lord? No matter what his name is. I shall follow him."
Bylestir glanced at Rygul then back at Hyma. A sneer on his face.
Hyma sneered as well, fuming. The tension was high. Then finally Hyma stepped aside. "Show Laufyson to his some guest chambers." he muttered. "Let's see how the spoiled Prince will hold up."
Bylestir huffed. "I told you. I am no Laufyson." he stated glaring at Hyma. Before finally following Jotunns the way he was shown. His four warriors faithfully walking behind him with their hands on their spears.
Thor swallowed… Canute had been Bylestir this whole time. So Malik was actually Helbindi. Obviously.
And they were Lokis biological….
Thors head squished, a lump formed in his throat as his eyes grew misty. This could not be a coincidence, Thor was supposed to see this. To witness this. Learn from it..
Thor shook his head as he tried to wipe away the tears. No wonder he had felt so attached to Canute.
Not only did Bylestir look like Loki. They had the same pride, the same wit. They were not the same, of course. But they were similar. And Thor smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Who-ever allowed me to first see him." Thor breathed. "Thank you."