A/N: First chapter of Wildfire. Please note, this story will be an Avengers AU with aspects of Norse mythology and canon material included as I see fit. For example, in mythology, Loki is occasionally half-Jotun rather than full and Laufey is actually his mother - not his father. As you'll notice below, I've kept true to one and stuck with canon material for the other. Enjoy!

P.S. Jotnar is plural for Jotun and I'll only use accents for names.

965 AD

The Allfather stood tall, gazing solemnly upon the frozen wasteland that was Jotunheim. From his vantage point at the tower's uppermost level he could see the entirety of the former battleground. Weapons and corpses were strewn about - left as they were while the invasion drew towards its inevitable conclusion.

The war had ended at last, leaving the Aesir victorious and the Jotnar crippled. Odin very much doubted they would recover within the next millennium. Especially taking into consideration the fact that Laufey's two sons had both been lost in the battle. Without an heir, the Jotnar would face infighting the moment the Aesir warriors departed from the realm.

Odin glanced down at the small babe in his arms - the one he planned on using against Laufey should he foolishly threaten war again. Hours old, and already great tragedy had befallen her. Cast out shortly before the battle for the misfortune of being born weak and female, the child had been left to die of exposure. The one-eyed king would not have even an inkling of her existence had he not ascended the tower to investigate the cause of its mother's death.

The mother, an Asgardian woman held prisoner over the last two years, had jumped to her death mere minutes after the newborn's birth and shortly before the battle. She had known that she and her babe would only know death at the Jotnar's hands and sought a quick death for them both on her own terms. Unfortunately, her child had been taken from her before she could ensure the infant the same fate.

Odin had obtained the story from a heavily injured guard and had to shake his head at Laufey's foolishness. His rival king had been attempting to create the ideal warrior - one with the best traits of both races. Instead, he was left with a tiny girl whose milky pale skin and dark feathery hair gave the impression of fragility.

The Asgardian ruler could sense a great potential for magical prowess in the young one, but doubted she'd ever be especially large or strong. In the end, circumstances worked in Odin's favor. He would raise the child as his own, away from the Frost Giants, and use her as leverage against Laufey. In the event that the Jotnar once again sought war, Odin would return the girl to her birth father in return for peace. Laufey was unlikely to produce another heir and even if he disliked the idea of an Asgardian sympathizer as queen, he could arrange her marriage to whoever he chose as his successor, ensuring that the crown went to someone he approved of.

Of course, all that would only occur should all Odin's other measures fail - which was unlikely. Through her mother, the newborn was the granddaughter of one of Odin's fallen generals. He felt he owed it to the man he'd called a friend to do all he could for the baby Björn's lost daughter had come to love.

The infant sniffled pitifully and Odin cupped her tiny cheek. 'Loki,' he thought with some humor. It was the name Sóldís had chosen when she'd briefly held her child, according to the guard he'd interrogated.

"Wildfire," the Jotun had spat, "As if giving it such a name would make the runt a threat to us. The bitch was glad it'd been born weak, said no child of hers would ever give in to what we wanted. The nasty thing's probably already dead like its filthy mother." He'd then coughed, spewing black blood as he did so. Odin had ended the guard's life at that, seeing no need to spare him when the Frost Giant was sure to die anyway.

Miraculously, when Odin reached the top of the tower, the half-breed child had been alive - dangerously cold - but alive. He held the girl close and watched as she tried to curl further into his warmth. It brought a small smile to his face, for even amidst all the death there was life - something Odin dearly wished to remember.

He gripped the Casket of Winters in his left hand and the girl in his right and glanced up at the sky, knowing Heimdallr was watching. A moment later and he was striding across the Rainbow Bridge, leaving Heimdallr to bring the remainder of his soldiers home.

"My prince, please come back." The servant-girl gathered her skirts in one hand and stumbled after her young ward, all the while cursing his seemingly boundless energy. The boy was small, barely out of his infancy, yet already he moved with the confidence and purpose of a warrior. It would have been impressive were it not her job to watch over him and make sure he attended his lessons. "Please, Prince Thor, you've only a single lesson left - you can visit your royal sister once you've finished."

"No," the prince declared with all the surety and arrogance of someone who knew they were of a higher station than their audience. "I will visit her now. She's always asleep by the time I finish my lessons and I want to play with her!"

Dagny bit her tongue and inhaled through her nose to calm herself. She knew she was ill-suited for her duties as a caretaker but hadn't thought the prince would vex her so. He was every bit as handsome and energetic as the other servants had claimed, but the boy's attitude left much to be desired. Had she known how wild and haughty the child was, she very much doubted she'd have accepted the position - regardless of her need for pay.

"If I allow you to visit briefly with the princess, do you promise to return to your maths tutor immediately afterwards?" She held her breath as she awaited his answer.

"No," he said resolutely. "I'm done with lessons for today. I won't go."

He tried to stomp off, still heading in the direction of his sister's nursery, only coming to a halt when Dagny blocked his way. "Then I'm afraid I won't allow you to visit Princess Loki." She was tired of catering to a child's whims. Refusing a direct order from her prince might prove unwise in the long-run, but the servant-girl couldn't bring herself to care. "It is my job to make sure you meet with your tutors and I won't accept anything less than your acquiescence."

The child's bottom lip trembled and Dagny felt vindictive satisfaction run through her.

"So you are the one charged with watching over my son." The voice was deep and rough. "I must admit, your attitude is not what I'd expected."

Dagny turned slowly, heart in her throat, satisfaction all but forgotten. "Please, forgive me Your Majesty," she said. "I overstepped my bounds." She curtsied low, praying for mercy to all the gods she knew. Her charge was silent behind her.

"Not at all," the Allfather said, voice thoughtful. "I think you're exactly what my son needs. Carry on." With that said, he nodded his farewell and strode off down the hall.

Both Dagny and her charge were left gaping at their king's retreating form. It was only when Odin finally turned around a corner that Dagny let a smile creep upon her face. She was giddy with relief and the knowledge that she practically had permission to discipline the prince as she saw fit. "Well," she said, turning to Prince Thor with her hands on her hips. "You heard His Majesty. Off you go - your tutor's waiting."

A myriad of expressions came over the young prince's face before he finally settled on sullen resignation. "Fine," he spat. "I'll go." He scowled somewhat nastily before turning on his heel to start walking towards the main library.

'Caldr's not going to believe this,' Dagny found herself thinking with considerable glee as she followed.