Chapter Five
The training continued, though with your adjustments, which made everyone's lives a lot easier. The soldiers were better able to recover when learning new skills and Loki and his Einharjar trainers did not have as much stress.
The greatest issue you faced however was the weight of the sword you were expected to work with. It was far heavier than you had anticipated, and there was nothing you could do to alter it, it was standard issue, making it almost impossible for you to train with it. Loki simply watched as you attempted to swing the four foot long blade, but at not much passed five foot yourself, it was incredibly oversized.
"How can you expect to attack if you cannot even lift the damn thing?" One of the other soldiers named Vidar scoffed.
"One weapon does not make the soldier." You retorted.
"Oh look, you can actually speak, I thought you mute Bjórrson." He laughed. "You will not be a soldier long if you cannot attack."
"Worry about your own ass, and I will concern myself with mine."
"Everyone needs to concern themselves with everyone else's ass as well as their own, and Vidar is right Ragnar, you need to at least be able to attack." Loki barked from the sidelines.
"I do not require a sword, much less one the length of myself to do such with." You responded just as harshly, glaring back at the prince.
Loki cocked an eyebrow at your insubordinate tone, filling you with fear as to the ramifications for such an act. Even the other soldiers and Einharjar looked between you both, unsure as to what would happen. He walked over and took your sword from you, throwing it to the ground and indicated for one of his Einharjar trainers to stand in front of you. "Prove it." He smiled cockily.
You looked at him unsure and he nodded to tell you to do as he commanded. "Fine." You stated boldly with a shrug, then you lunged forward, using the shield to protect against the raised sword the trainer was attempting to strike you with as you stood purposely on his foot, preventing him from taking a step back before thrusting your shield into his chest and caused him to fall to the ground, grunting in shock as his helmeted head connected with the floor. Swiftly you stood over him and struck the shield down, allowing it to stop only a bare centimetre from his exposed neck. You paused for a moment before pulling up the shield and standing back and turning to face Loki. "As I said, my prince, I need not a sword to kill a man."
"You said attack, not kill."
"Is that not the same, I doubt you wish for us to take prisoners. Besides, they will be more than happy to kill us given the chance." You shrugged, your tone somewhat defeated. As much as you hated to admit it, it seemed more likely by the day you would end up having to kill others or risk being killed yourself.
"Indeed. I really cannot see the Jötnar wanting prisoners, unless they wish to see how long Aesir can withstand the cold of Jötunheim before they perish." He looked at you for another moment. "But that does not exempt you from having to train with a sword Bjórrson, so I suggest doing what you do best and figure out a way to make it work." He handed you back your sword with a cold look before turning and walking off, leaving you glaring at the back of his smarmy head as he did so.
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That evening, having unsuccessfully managed to figure out how to deal with the sword situation, you sat in your tent, your shoulders aching from trying to hold up the oversized weapon, you remained scowling, wanting to kick Loki squarely between the legs for forcing you to do something that clearly could not work.
"Ragnar Bjórrson." A deep voice called from outside the tent, looking to the door, you could see a shadow of an Einharjar on the other side.
Sighing deeply, you forced yourself to your feet and walked over, pulling the flap aside to look at the man. "Yes."
"His highness requested you join him immediately. He has more matters to discuss with you." The guard informed you. With a nod, you grabbed your boots and a pelt and threw them on before walking up to Loki's large tent. Upon your arrival, the Einharjar took up his post outside and left you to enter alone.
"You wished to discuss something with me Your Highness?" you called out, making sure Loki heard you before you went any further.
"Ragnar, come in." was the blunt reply. Pushing through another set of canvas doors, you walked into the small room and stopped and stared for a moment at a bare-chested Loki. Your eyes took a moment to scan over his lean muscular form before you were able to force them away, allowing you to look at his face. You had to force your blush to stay at bay as he looked at you with a raised brow. "I need to speak with you regarding your attitude this afternoon." He stated, as he stood straight, his face stern.
"What of it?" you asked, squaring up to him.
He looked at you for a moment walked forward angrily. "You see, that is the problem. You are but a mere soldier and I; a prince of the realm, as well as your commander and yet you challenge me." He stated.
"If you are referring as to how I merely stated that as a smaller soldier, I cannot wield such a large sword, and then was able to show you I did not need one, upon your own insistence of course, then your use of the word 'challenging' is incorrect." You retaliated in a calmer tone.
"Is that so? And what would you call it?" he asked snidely, not taking his eyes off you.
"Stating the obvious, as you have stated before, I have somewhat of a gift for saying what I think." You kept your eyes on his, not wanting to show any sign of weakness.
"Your tone is completely unacceptable." He snapped. "How dare you use such with me, I am a prince, and you…"
"If I see something that is clearly bullshit, I will call somebody up on it, and I do not care if they are a prince, a pauper or even the Allfather himself." You glared up at him, as now he was only mere inches away from you, staring down at you.
His stare altered for a moment before a grin graced his lips and he chuckled disbelievingly. "You really do not care do you? I should have you whipped for your insubordination, but you would just continue to glare at me with that same contemptuous look the entire time wouldn't you? I cannot but admire your conviction Ragnar, but it is not one that belongs in the army."
"Then do what you must, if I am to be whipped, then get it over with so I can begin to heal sooner. But no, I will not alter myself for even Asgard, no matter how hard you try to break me." His eyes did not seem to meet yours. "You're not going to have me whipped are you? Why? Why am I so different from any other?" He looked at you for a moment, then you realised. "None have ever spoken to you like I have, have they? It fascinates you too greatly as to why I am so different and you cannot figure out why I do not do as I am told like a good little peasant."
"I'll confess it is odd not to be feared by someone of lower rank to myself. And I have never had anyone ever talk back to me before."
"Well sadly you will have to whip me to the death then, for I will not yield who I am for you or any other."
"I truly do think you would rather die than alter yourself. Your poor mother, you must have had her heart broken when you were an adolescent with your rebellious nature." He chuckled again.
"I have been told many a time it is I, not her age that has turned her hair silver." He laughed at your words. "Though I doubt I am alone in such, after all, it is not I that is known as the God of Mischief."
"I will have you know I worked hard to earn that title. Perhaps that is why I like you so much Ragnar, you are so very like myself. You have heart." He sighed. "You really should follow orders."
"And you really should just listen. Give me a smaller sword, or some daggers, you use such yourself. Why not simply train soldiers in what they are best at? Some soldiers may not be the best at one thing, but far greater at another." You asked.
"You have to be competent at all areas of fighting." He answered.
"Within reason surely, there is no physical way for me to even carry that lump of metal, much less fight with it."
"You should have thought of such before you came here." Loki shrugged dismissively.
"Seriously, that is your response? Have you forgotten that for all bar about two people, none of us want to be here? We are being forced to fight for Asgard, hence the term conscription. I would never have considered this a career option for myself; it was only that I have to be here, and I can clearly see you would not be here either given an alternative."
"None the less, you are here and you need to know how to fight."
"And I can fight, but not with that. I was trained to fight with a rapier, what you are expecting me to use is a long sword, have you gone blind, the blasted thing is nearly the height of me!" you were nearly frantic trying to get such a basic point across, but yet the usually intelligent prince did not seem to comprehend something so simple.
"You are trained with a sword?"
"Yes, my father trained me to use a rapier, I just said that." You looked at him for a moment trying to figure out why he seemed so shocked. "Oh, so because he lost his arm makes him useless is it? Do you think he sits at home all day and does nothing but reminisce about the past?"
"No I do not; you have stated already that he hunts and the like, but I find it interesting that he would have taught you to fight."
"Why? He wanted me to know how to defend myself."
"But you are so small, he could not have harboured any ideas of you joining the army."
"No, but he believes every Asgardian should know how to defend themselves."
"I see." Loki took a moment to think before looking at you again. "Fine, use a rapier, you're right, you are too small for a long sword. You may leave now." He conceded.
"Thank the Norns." You stated to the sky. He looked at you with mild annoyance. "It took you a full evening to see basic cop on. I always thought you to be more intelligent than most." You added just as you walked out, leaving him standing there, open mouthed at your words.