AN: I do not own Thor. Sora is mine though.

Chapter 6

Sora took the back passages through the palace when traveling to Merin's rooms, avoiding any guards along the way. She was not yet aware if Loki told them to be on the lookout for her or not and she did not want to risk a run-in with them just in case. Also she felt that it would not bear well for Merin if she was caught talking to him.

She finally arrived in front of a large relief carved on one of the stone walls of a flourishing pear tree bearing fruit which marked a secret passage that led into the study of Merin's apartment. She reached out with her index finger and traced the outline of one of the fruits on the tree. The relief glowed like an aura of gold for a brief moment and then the wall gave way, turning into a door. The hinges swung open revealing a richly furnished study room lined wall to wall with bookshelves.

Stepping into Merin's apartment, the secret door sealed shut behind her, preventing any unwanted visitors from entering. The hearing the magical locks set back into place gave Sora some comfort already. Being in the corridors was dangerous, even though they were the ones less traveled. Sora saw no one in the room and headed for the door to his main sitting room.

"Merin?" she called quietly into the space before entering. There was no answer and the room looked empty and untouched. Suddenly she feared that he might not be in or even worse, that Loki had put him under arrest. "Merin?" she called again, yet she was still left without an answer.

Quietly she stepped over the threshold of the study and into the large living space. Just then the door on the opposite wall opened and Merin stepped out, his gaze soon coming to meet hers.

"Sora!" Cried the old man, "My goodness girl, you gave me a fright."

"Thank heavens you are in here my friend," She sighed in relief, quickly walking across the room to meet him. She then wrapped the older council member in a tight hug. It felt overwhelmingly nice to be in the company of a friend again, considering the heaviness of the current circumstances. Pulling away she saw anxiety behind his tired grey eyes. He must have heard about what had happened between Loki and her in the throne room earlier. Such bad news travels fast.

"We must convene a council meeting immediately, there are dire issues that need to be discussed. Loki is planning on destroying Jotenhiem and we must stop him." She informed him quickly, determination set in her brow. "I am prepared to lead the council in a move to overrule him but I need your support. Will you give it?"

The old man's solemn gaze turned to the floor and he led Sora to sit on his couch as he made his way to his chair.

"This is distressful news indeed, but I fear I can do nothing on your behalf Sora. Loki has requested that you permanently be barred from the council." Merin told her. Sora saw the concern mounting in his eyes and she then began to understand how dangerous it was to even come to him. "I can try to make a motion myself but then again my word is only that of an old man's with secondhand information. Loki will not let you have the opportunity to face the council yourself."

"I should have expected as much," She said, kicking herself for not having guessed that Loki would immediately cut her off from any communications with the council. He had made a mistake of informing her what he was going to do to Jotenhiem and now he was quickly rectifying it by riding her from the political arena. There would be no fight against his decisions. "What else did he say Merin?" She asked, standing up and walking towards the window, knowing that there had to be more. Merin ran a nervous hand through his white hair and leaned forward in his chair to look at her.

"He said to tell him if I saw you and then to immediately report your whereabouts to him," he said, his expression now grave. Sora knew that she was now being hunted down and if or when she was she'd be subdued. A while ago she couldn't imagine Loki forcing her to anything but now she believed he was willing and capable of most anything. She quietly touched the white gossamer curtains which floated against her hand in the breeze as she thought about her current position.

Merin must have read the distress on Sora's face because he quickly added, "I'm of course not going to say anything to him. We need to buy you time so you may get out of here."

Sora nodded, peering back at him with a wry smile, "Thank you my friend, I'm going to leave here as soon as possible. Was that all he said to you then?"

"Yes," he confirmed, easing her away from the window so that no one could spy her looking out it from below. "You know as well as I that he is trying to back you into a corner."

"I know, luckily we can spot this now though," she said, trying to pick out the advantages in this dark situation. It quickly became clear to her that she was going to have to go into exile to escape Loki's grasp. His chokehold on her was ever tightening and she would find much more freedom and room to maneuver if she operated from outside the palace.

"Why did you say anything to him before?" Asked Merin; slightly lamenting her actions.

"Because I believed I could help him." She said, walking further away from the chilled breeze from the window. "At least now we know what he is planning."

Merin watched her with sad eyes, "Oh Sora, I just feel sorry for you. These are dark times and it is a shame you must live to see them."

Sora shook her head in reassurance, her parents had lived through the wars with the Frost Giants and she could live through this. "Do not worry about me we are all in this together Merin."

"Still you must leave the palace. Do you have any place you can go?" He asked.

Sora nodded, the images of her private summer house in the mountains coming to mind. She had spent much time there when she was a child, her parents owned the house and it was only a short hike from the Naridian Falls.

"Yes, I know a place." She confirmed.

Folding his hands into the sleeves of his robe, Merin nodded, "Good, do not tell me where it is, just go there and lay low."

Sora would indeed try to make it to the summer house but she would not lay low while she was there. "Merin, you must know that I'll not stand by idle while everything unfolds. I will help you from the outside. I do not know how yet but I'll manage."

Merin nodded, "How will you get out of the palace?"

"I'll manage." There were ways out of the palace that the guards would not think of. However they were never traveled and highly unsafe. Sora hugged Merin once more and then began to make her way back to the secret door. "Goodbye my friend, you'll hear from me soon."

She knew that once she was beyond the safety of Merin's apartment she would have to run.

AN: Will Sora escape? Stay in tune to find out! PLEASE REVIEW, I really want to know what you all think also it helps me write fasterknowing people are interested!