Together all the Asgardians had moved into the strong hold in the mountains.

It was secret, a place to retrieve to exactly in case of an invasion. It had only one big entrance that soldiers could defend.

And several smaller tunnels going to different places where civilians could escape if they were found.

Thor swallowed as he walked around, looking at all the people, sitting in the corners. Hugging each other, trying to calm down their children.

Soldiers and healers moving around to see where they could be of help.

Then a blond came running up towards Thor, Fandral. Sporting a big blue eye and a swollen lip. In spite of all of that he was still smiling, same as always. "Your majesty!" he grinned. "You made it out! Praise the norns!"

Thor sighed relieved. "Fandral." he sighed then his smile turned to a frown. "How are things?" he asked.

Fandral sighed. "Well, so far no one seems to be seriously hurt." he stated. "And seems like most people made it out. No one has really counted yet." he admitted. "The food storage was unbreached and doing fine, so we should be able to make due for a couple of days." he sighed as he crossed his arms.

Thor frowned. "What is it?" he asked.

Fandral exhaled deeply. "No sign of Loki, Hogunn or Sif." he admitted.

Thor stood stiff.

"It seems Sif stayed behind to buy the all mother and all father time to escape." Fandral informed. "I'm sorry Thor, it doesn't look like she made it out."

Thor closed his eyes then nodded, then he looked up. "How do you know she stayed to buy the all mother and father time?" he asked.

"Oh! Right from the source!" Fandral grinned. "Come on, at least there are some good news." he waved Thor with him and Thor willingly followed, through a few tunnels and hallways until they were in a small cave and Fandral stepped aside allowing Thor to walk in.

The same second he looked in his eyes was drawn to a frail old man laying in a alcove and the woman sitting on her knees next to him. Frigga turned her head as she looked up at Thor. "Thor." she gasped.

"Mother!" Thor gasped and he rushed inside, fell down to his knees and embraced her tightly.

Frigga sniffed as she returned the hug, tears dripping from her face. "Oh my son." she breathed. "You're safe."

"Mother I'm sorry I…" Thor sat back. "Loki he… He stayed behind. He told me to get out!" he sniffed. "I couldn't go help him I…"

"I know dear heart." Frigga put a hand on his face. "You wouldn't leave him behind, not if you had a choice."

Thor closed his eyes, feeling the warm hand on his face, then a frail voice.

"My… Son…"

Thors eyes opened wide and he turned. "Father!" he gasped

Slowly Odins one eye opened to reveal its bright blue.

"Oh thank the norns." Thor gasped. "Father… I… I don't know what to say."

"Help me sit up." Odin asked. "Please."

At ones Thor complied as he moved forward and grabbed Odins hand, only to realize how skinny and frail it felt in his, and so did Odins body as he slowly managed to sit him up. Only for Odin to cough into his hand.

"Father…" Odin gasped. "Are you not well?" he asked. "Did something go wrong with Odin sleep?" he asked.

"It wasn't completed." Odin managed to get through his coughs.

"Then… What does that mean?" Thor asked.

"Forgive me my son." Odin breathed as he leaned back. "I wont be able to aid you much."

Thor closed his eyes, then groaned slightly.

"The Jotunns are playing a dangerous game." Odin breathed.

"Well they started a new war." Thor sighed.

Odin shook his head. "Why do you think they kept Ymirs heart in its container in the previous war?" he asked. "Now you're seeing its power, no Aisir can even go near the palace now just because of the cold…. If they had just used it in the first war, free of its container. We wouldn't even be able to approach their armies."

Thor looked up.

"The heart… Is a double edged sword." Odin breathed. "The powers of the heart, wild and uncontrollable. They can't control it."

Thor swallowed as he looked at Odin. "They seem to think Loki might be able to."

Odin smirked. "If anyone would have a chance, yes that would probably be him." he admitted. "How-ever, not even he would be able to control it for long…. They should never have removed it from the casket. All they have done is signing their own doom."

Thors eyes widened. "What… What is going to happen?" he asked. "Loki is still at the palace. They want him to harness the power of the heart."

"Loki is intelligent." Odin breathed. "We can only hope he shows as good judgment as he usually does…. Though, his entire plan of making Laufey submit was rather misplaced."

"You know of that?" Thor asked.

"When I am in Odin sleep, I see all that happens within the walls of Asgard." Odin replied. "I know… I saw your struggles as king. And I saw Loki.. Struggling as well."

"This isn't all Lokis fault." Thor stated. "I am the one who gave them back the casket of winters."

Odin lifted a weak hand. "What is done is done my son." he stated. "It helps not to linger on what has already been done, now we must think of how to proceed."

Thor shook his head. "Father…" he hesitated. "Perhaps not all things should be forgotten." he stated ."I… I found out about Bestla. Your mother… My grandmother."

Odin closed his eye.

"I would have loved to hear about her." Thor stated. "I still would like that."

Odins eye was still closed, then a single tear rolled down his cheek as his eye opened again and he looked up at Thor. "Forgive me." he asked as he raised his hand, touching Thors cheek. "Bestla was… A gentle soul, kind. She really believed that one day Asgard and Jotunnheim could be at peace. She would invite Jotunns to the palace, and arranged dinners where Jotunns and Aisir would sit next to each other."

Wide-eyed Thor listened intensely as Odin spoke in a voice that nearly broke.

"Her eyes were blue." Odin informed in a sad smile, his eye on Thors very blue eyes as well. "And had this warm light when she laughed." he informed as his hand slipped from Thors face and he leaned back, sighing deeply. "I helped destroying her dream… And I did it so badly that I didn't know how to ever breach that divide which had been created. So much hurt… So much pain."

Thor was quiet as he listened.

"Then that babe…He was just a small little babe." Odin breathed. "All alone, needing help. He was an innocent." he stated. "I thought… Maybe. If people learned to know him, learned to love him." he stated. "But the people wouldn't allow a Jotunn within Asgard, they would demand his removal if they knew." he sadly shook his head.

"It was a dangerous game to play father." Thor sighed.

"I know." Odin admitted. "But ones I picked him up I couldn't bear to let go. And how excited you were to have a little brother, standing guard by his bed when he had a baby fever."

Thor smiled amused as he shook his head. Then glanced up. "You should tell him all those things."

Odin nodded. "Aye… I pray to the norns that I shall have the opportunity."

"You will." Thor stated. "I wont let him stay their prisoner. I'll get him out, somehow. He's my brother."

Odin smiled lightly. "And you love him. That's good, that's very good." he groaned as he leaned back.

"Rest father." Thor asked as he helped Odin laying back down, then gently pulled the blanket over Odins frail body and Odin breathed deeply, already back to sleep.

Emptily Thor looked at his father.

Odin… Odin whom had always seemed so powerful and strong to Thor! And now, he was anything but. It was… hard to comprehend. And Thor closed his eyes as he turned away, Frigga putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You need rest to my son." Frigga stated.

Thor shook his head. "I have duties to.."

"You need rest." Frigga insisted. "Lay down, I shall look over the both of you."

Thor sighed, but finally took off his cape and armor pieces, before laying down on the ground and pulled his cape over his shoulders as a blanket.

And he had to admit, he was exhausted. And soon, the exhaustion took him as well.

The Jotunn sorcerer was standing still, like a statue, his mouth open, his eyes in a permanent shocked expression and in his hand was Ymirs head.

Laufey frowned as he looked at the sorcerer, he moved closer, examining the frozen body. Then he reached forward a hand, and slightly pushed the sorceress head.

Like a statue the sorcerer fell to the ground, and then shattered into a thousand pieces… A thousand pieces of ice.

The heart gliding across the floor and landing at the wall, now sitting there, pulsing.

Helblindi looked down at the now shattered former Jotunn sorcerer. "So… Is that what is going to happen to everyone who tries to use the heart without a container?" he asked.

Laufey shrugged. "Who knows." he asked.

"Well, we are fresh out of sorcerers." Helblindi commented now kneeling over the mess.

Laufey frowned annoyed. "Loki…" he stated. "We need Loki."

"He doesn't seem to like us much." Helblindi commented, still looking at the shattered remains of the sorcerer.

"It's all about persuasion." Laufey stated.

Helblindi smirked, then shook his head in resignation. "Of course." he sighed.