Author's note: Sorry about the delay! To make up for it, I'm giving a double update. Chapter 4 just kept getting longer and longer, until I thought it was never going to end, so I had to split it into two chapters.
Many thanks to all those who have read and reviewed and/or added this fic to their favourites/alert list/C2!
– CHAPTER 5 –
Enemies
A couple of weeks passed and Loki remained in Angrboda's abode, still showing no sign of wanting to leave any time soon. He spent most of his time with Fenrir and Angrboda.
Truth be told, the two major reasons why he had come to visit his giant family early were that Sigyn had been driving him crazy back home (she could be so fussy sometimes) and that he had actually begun to miss Angrboda. Loki had, after all, always preferred Angrboda over Sigyn, and it had been an awfully long time since they'd last slept together. Loki appreciated that Sigyn always did her best to please him, but sometimes her attentions were such that they made him feel smothered. Besides, he just didn't feel as comfortable with her as he did with Angrboda. Perhaps it was because Angrboda was a giant like him, so he could identify with her better.
Similarly, Loki didn't feel awkward at all with Fenrir. He knew Fenrir loved him unconditionally, and Loki honestly enjoyed his eldest son's company. Loki was not above favouritism, and Fenrir had always been his favourite child, though Loki kept that thought to himself. It probably helped that Fenrir's personality was more similar to his own. Every day, they'd leave right after lunch to play and forage outside till night fell. Loki was a little disappointed that they never encountered Fenrir's new friends again. He made a mental note to bring that up when the opportunity arose.
Sometimes, during meals, Loki would make an effort to interact with Hel. She seemed more at ease in his presence these days, so he responded in kind. She was always with her nose buried in a book or trying to cast a spell. Loki was impressed. She was a natural! He felt... something like pride for her. His smiles when he watched her were now fully genuine. He had never cared much for little girls, or little children in general, but Hel was just so adorable! He felt a little foolish just thinking about it, so he didn't say anything out loud, but he did make a point of praising her whenever she successfully cast a spell, no matter how simple it was. On those occasions, she would blush and smile timidly, but delightedly, and Loki had to fight the ridiculous urge to glomp her.
The problem was his youngest son, Jormungand. He seemed to be avoiding not only Loki, but the world in general. Loki rarely saw him around, even during the meals. One might even forget that he existed.
At the moment, Loki was busy finishing his lunch, slipping scraps over to Fenrir without Angrboda noticing, and watching Hel cast some kind of spell on her water. He did feel something – or someone – was missing, but didn't give it too much thought.
"What are you doing, Hel?" he asked.
"I'm trying to turn the water into ale," she replied quietly, her focused gaze never leaving the water.
"Ale?!" Loki arched an eyebrow and threw Angrboda a mock-stern glance. "Is that what you've been teaching your child? And you say I'm irresponsible!" It was good-natured teasing, of course, and Angrboda gave him an amused, quiet smile in return. He actually approved of Hel's choice of spell. Maybe there was hope for her yet, hope that she might turn out to be as interesting as himself.
"Hey, Dad!" said Fenrir eagerly, wagging his tail. "Are you done yet? Can we go out for a stroll now?"
Loki opened his mouth to say, "Of course!" but Angrboda beat him to it.
"Actually, Fenrir, your father and I have to talk, and he won't be able to play with you today."
Uh-oh, Loki thought. That sounded unpleasantly ominous. Nothing good ever followed those words and that tone of voice that was neutral and unassuming, yet had an underlying hint of something that, to Loki, just screamed I'm Not Amused. What had he done wrong this time?
"Oh," said Fenrir, clearly disappointed. "All right..." He gave his father a curious look and left. Hel sensed it was also her cue to leave and silently followed her brother, still holding the water cup.
Loki slowly turned to face Angrboda, expecting to see her glaring at him or about to burst into soppy tears. He was surprised, then, to see that she was smiling at him – and a genuinely happy smile it was.
"I'm really glad that you're warming up to the children at last," she said. "And also that you've been here all this time, after so many years!"
Loki shrugged. Saying that he was "warming up to the children" was, in his far from humble opinion, an overly optimistic way of putting it. But it seemed to make Angrboda happy, so he kept silent and just waited for her to get to the point.
"You're even getting along with Hel," she continued, being too optimistic again. Her smile faded. "But I don't understand why you've been ignoring our youngest son."
"Who, Jormungand? I haven't been ignoring him!" Loki defended himself. "It's not my fault he's never around. If he –"
"You're avoiding him," said Angrboda with a hint of reproach.
"No," said Loki slowly and pointedly. "He's avoiding me."
"He is a little shy, but if only you would reach out to him..."
"Angrboda," said Loki in a tone of finality, "I don't think he likes me very much. In fact, it's quite possible that he hates me."
The giantess shook her head in earnest. "That's not true, Loki! He's your son! He loves you! How could he not love you? He's such a polite, sweet little boy –"
"– snake –" he corrected under his breath.
"– who could never, ever hate anyone, let alone his own father!"
"If you say so, Angrboda..."
"Please, Loki," she beseeched. "Stay with your son at least for one day! He needs you!"
But I don't need him, Loki mentally protested. He didn't usually go out of his way to be friendly to anyone who couldn't serve him any kind of purpose. Whether it was to get something he wanted or simply for his own amusement, there was always a reason for him to approach anyone.
Then again, he reflected, he just might benefit from getting along with his youngest son, after all. Angrobda was very happy that his relationship with their two other children had improved. One more and Angrboda would unquestioningly fall back into his arms, just like in the old days.
With a sigh, he went off in search of Jormungand. It took him a while to find him. How could such a large snake hide so well, he wondered? This only added to his suspicions that Jormungand was deliberately avoiding him.
There was no other way. He was going to have to shout out his name.
"Jormungand!"
This was so undignified, shouting like a lunatic in his own home. Usually it was other people who cried out for him, not the other way round.
"Jormungand! Jormu―Ack!" he yelped when he tripped over something and nearly fell face-first on the floor. As it was, he ended up on his knees and hands. Fuming, he quickly got back up and looked down to see what had caused him to fall. His gaze softened ever so slightly. "Ah, there you are," he said, trying not to sound annoyed.
"I'm sorry I made you trip, Father," said Jormungand, his voice strained.
Loki frowned and noticed how his son was nursing a small coil, realising that was what he had tripped over. "Are you hurt?" he asked.
"Not at all, Father!" Jormungand was quick to assure him. "You were looking for me?"
"Yes," said Loki. He then paused for a moment to choose his words. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out for a stroll with me."
"Really?" Jormungand's voice was surprised and hopeful, but he soon deflated and hung his head. "I'm sorry, Father, but this isn't a very good time."
"Oh, come on," Loki insisted. "It's a beautiful day outside. Very sunny and warm. Snakes are supposed to like that sort of thing, right?"
Jormungand was silent and unmoving, his eyes dull, and Loki had the distinct impression that he had said something wrong.
"I realise we haven't spent much time together," Loki rallied. "We need some father-son bonding time, wouldn't you say?"
Jormungand's body twitched a little. He looked rather flustered. "I-I would be honoured, Father!"
"Good! Um, do you want me to carry you?"
"Er... No, thank you, Father."
Loki shrugged and beckoned at his son to follow him. As they left and went into the wood, Loki watched him from the corner of his eye. There was something odd about Jormungand. Odder than usual, that is. The serpent had never been as lively and active as his brother Fenrir, but he seemed slower than usual now. He looked tired and uncomfortable, and Loki didn't think it was because he was feeling awkward in his father's presence. Even his scales and eyes were duller. It seemed Jormungand had meant it when he'd said this wasn't a good time to go out.
"Jormungand, are you ill?"
His son looked up at him in surprise. "Ill? Why, no, Father..."
Loki let the subject drop, even though he could see that snake's eyes were opaque and unfocused. If Jormungand wanted to pretend he was fine, Loki certainly wasn't going to argue with him. If something was wrong, he'd find out sooner or later anyway.
They stopped at a clearing, the same one where years ago he and his three children had agreed to meet before Thor had showed up and dragged Loki back to Asgard. Loki sat down on a nice, sunny spot and sighed heavily. This was such a waste time! He couldn't believe he would have to spend the whole day like this. He'd much rather be playing with Fenrir or, even better, enjoying Angrboda's company. That was what he had come here for in the first place, after all.
A sharp hiss made him jerk his head up. Jormungand was writhing on the ground, as though he were in his death throes. Loki eyed him and frowned, a little worried despite himself.
"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked.
"Yesss," hissed Jormungand agonisingly. "Just – just a moment..."
Loki grew steadily alarmed when his son began to knock his own head against a rather sharp rock on the ground and rub against it.
"Jormungand, what in the nine worlds –" he broke off when the snake's skin ripped open at the nose and mouth and Jormungand appeared to slither out of his own skin, turning it inside out. It was one of the most bizarre things that Loki had ever seen, and he had seen many bizarre things in his life.
As soon as his entire skin was off, Jormungand looked like a whole new snake. His scales were now bright-coloured and shiny, his eyes sharp and focused, and he even looked as perky as Fenrir. Loki even thought he was smiling, although it was hard to tell on a reptilian face.
"What was that all about?" asked Loki.
"It was time for me to shed. Sorry to keep you waiting," said Jormungand, sounding more cheerful than he had ever before. "I feel much better now!"
"Is that... normal, then?" Admittedly, Loki didn't know much about snakes, only that they liked warmth, hibernated in the winter, and some were venomous.
"Yes, Father. All snakes shed their skins once in a while."
"That's interesting." Loki walked over to the old shed skin and examined it in his hands. It looked like a snake that had been sucked dry – it was a little eerie, actually. Even now, his mind was whirling with thoughts of all the pranks he could pull with this. He smirked and turned to look at his son. "What else can you do that I don't know?"
"Nothing, Father," answered Jormungand, not as cheerfully any more. He quickly recovered, though. "Well, except maybe swallow a rabbit whole?"
Loki's eyebrows shot up. "You can do that? Even an adult one?" It was hard to believe. Jormungand might be the largest snake he had ever seen, but his head was still much smaller than a rabbit, and his body wasn't nearly thick enough...
"Yes, Father," said Jormungand, the pride in his voice bordering on smugness. "More than one adult, actually, if I'm really hungry."
"That's amazing..." murmured Loki, lost in thought. Now he could see why so many people were scared of snakes. He was definitely going to get one – or maybe turn himself into one – when he went back to Asgard and scare the living daylights out of all the gods. Or, even better... "Jormungand, have you ever pulled a prank on someone?"
"A what?" Jormungand looked very surprised. "Oh, er, only the occasional harmless joke on Big Brother – as payback for the ones he plays on me. Why – why do you ask?"
"How would you like to give people a good fright as a prank?"
Jormungand looked completely baffled by the suggestion, which didn't really surprise Loki. Jormungand had always struck him as severely lacking a sense of humour. Fortunately, he was still young and Loki could still teach him.
"Come on," said Loki, gently nudging him. "It'll be fun!"
"If you say so, Father..." said Jormungand, still confused, but now also a little excited.
Smiling, Loki picked him up and let him coil over his shoulders and around his torso. Jormungand had got considerably heavier since the last time, but it was nothing Loki couldn't easily handle. This prank would be fantastic! Nothing like a real large and scary snake; it was better than finding a smaller one from the wild or turning himself into one.
It briefly occurred to him that it might be unwise to expose Jormungand like this, but then, he figured the poor boy needed to have some fun and excitement in his life.
He felt Jormungand shift around him, felt his uneasiness. Loki stood still, eyes closed, until he calmed down. Then, a bright pair of wings unfurled from his back and spread. Jormungand was a little startled at first, but quickly relaxed and stared in awe at the shining pinions.
"Th-they're beautiful, Father..." whispered Jormungand, his tongue flicking madly at them.
To his credit, Loki didn't reply with a smug "I know," though he did smirk in a none-too-humble way.
Without another word, Loki took a leap into the air and flew above the trees of Ironwood. Jormungand gasped and curled a little tighter around his father.
"Where are we going?!" he asked.
"To Asgard, of course!" said Loki, doing a somersault just for fun. "You wouldn't scare anyone in Jotunheim, and the people of Midgard are so easily scared by anything that it's not even funny. Trust me, nothing is more amusing than pulling a prank on the so-called proud gods of Asgard!"
oOo
Jormungand was thrilled; never had he felt so genuinely happy or excited about anything. He was finally alone with his father, and his father was actually showing interest in him! He had even invited him to take part in one of his games. He had willingly touched Jormungand's scales and showed no disgust or discomfort whatsoever. He had showed Jormungand his magnificent wings and taken him flying.
Flying... What an amazing experience! Being a snake, he was unused to such heights. He had, of course, climbed up trees and whatnot, but he had never come so high before, and climbing and falling just couldn't be compared with actually flying.
As if that all weren't enough, his father was taking him to Asgard of all places! Even Fenrir, who was Loki's favourite child, hadn't had the honour of being personally taken to Asgard by Loki himself. In fact, Loki had pretty much kicked him out when he'd gone to Asgard on his own. Oh, this was too good to be true... Fenrir would die of jealousy when he heard about this.
He settled his head on his father's shoulder, content to feel the warmth of his body as well as that of the sun protect him from the cool wind up here, watching the world below them, so small and yet breathtaking.
"Did you hear something?" asked Loki all of a sudden. Jormungand raised his head slightly.
"Hm? No, Father, not―" he broke off when he did hear a progressively loud noise. He strained to listen. It sounded like a war cry of sorts...
The next thing he knew, a man-shaped figure was in the air, casting a shadow on them and growing bigger as it approached. Father and son cried out when the figure descended on them with a sparking hammer at lightning speed. Loki tried to dodge it and reflexively raised his arms to shield himself, but he wasn't quick or strong enough to ward it off.
The hammer hit Jormungand – not as hard as he had expected, but still hard enough to nearly cause him to pass out. The world became a black-tinged blur that swam and spun dizzily in his vision. Jormungand had never been in this much pain; it was much worse than when he had fallen from one of the higher trees in Ironwood, or when Loki had trodden on him when he had been about to shed. It wasn't only the strength of the blow, but he also felt as though he had been struck by lightning. His body was paralysed.
He only came to after hitting the ground. It hurt, but at least the impact jolted him back to awareness. He weakly raised his head and looked up in search of his father and their assailant. Loki had been thrown off balance by the attack and was awkwardly fluttering downwards while the hammer-wielding figure was landing on the ground. It approached Jormungand, seeming to have no interest in Loki. As it got closer, Jormungand was able to identify it.
It was a burly, dark-haired man about Loki's age. He smelled strongly of giant blood, sweat, and iron, and Jormungand could swear he also smelled electricity and triumph, if that was even possible. Jormungand recognised this man; he was the one who had years ago dragged Loki back to Asgard.
He was Thor the god of thunder.
Thor's dark eyes glimmered and his lip curled up in a predatory smile as he surveyed Jormungand's long, prostrated body. He raised the hammer over his head in preparation for a second blow. Too weak to try to defend himself, flee, or even speak, Jormungand only flinched and quivered, silently begging for his father's help.
"This is your end, you nefarious beast!" shouted Thor, looking very proud of himself. "This will teach you not to pick on my friends! Prepare to receive your rightful punishment from the great god Thor, the defender of justice!"
Why was this happening? Jormungand frantically wondered. Surely this must be a terrible mistake. He had never, ever picked on anyone – except maybe Fenrir, when he was on a vengeful mood, which was rare enough.
"Thor! Stop!" shouted Loki just when Thor was about to swing his hammer down. Thor froze and looked at Loki, who had grabbed his shoulders and was trying to pull him back. "What in the nine worlds are you doing?!"
"Isn't that obvious, Loki? I'm saving you!"
"Saving me?" Loki gawked in disbelief. "Who says I need to be saved?"
"Oh, Loki, Loki..." Shaking his head, Thor put a sympathetic hand on Loki's shoulder. "No need to be ashamed. I saw you struggling in the air with this monster," he explained, pointing at Jormungand. "And you know me! I couldn't just stand by and watch anyone in distress – especially not my best buddy!"
"But―"
"And now I'm going to kill this beast to make sure it won't ever bother anyone else!"
"Thor!"
"What?"
Loki took a deep breath. "I wasn't being attacked. I was..." he trailed off, hesitating.
"You were...?" Thor prompted.
Meanwhile, Jormungand was trying to slither away, to no avail. All he did was wiggle helplessly in place. He felt so cold and weak, and so scared... Why couldn't his father just tell that horrible man to go away already?
"I was taking that snake to Asgard, to use it in a prank," explained Loki.
"A prank, eh?" Thor frowned. "Really, Loki, isn't this a little reckless, even for you? I mean, I could understand if you'd used an ordinary snake or something, but a snake monster? It could've seriously hurt someone!"
"It's not a monster!" Loki protested. "He wouldn't have hurt anyone."
"Not a monster?! Look how big it is! This is no ordinary snake! It's a monster of Jotunheim, a fiend. I've had much first-hand experience with the creatures of Jotunheim and I can tell you for sure that they are all evil, bloodthirsty demons."
"That's ridiculous, Thor," said Loki, with a long-suffering sigh. "I think I know more about the creatures of Jotunheim than you do. And –" he added pointedly, narrowing his eyes, when Thor began to protest "– I can tell you for sure that this one, at the very least, is very docile. And look what you've done! You've ruined my prank!" He swept past a miffed Thor and picked Jormungand up as carefully as possible without looking like it.
"Well, sorry..." muttered Thor. "I was just trying to help." He began to lift his hammer again. "At least let me put it out of its misery, won't you?"
"No! Just go already! I'll get rid of it myself."
"Hmm... I still think you were being attacked and are too embarrassed to admit it," said Thor under his breath.
Ignoring the god of thunder, Loki gathered Jormungand's coils in his arms and prepared to take flight again, this time heading back to Ironwood. Once in the air and hopefully out of Thor's reach, Jormungand allowed himself to relax a little. Through the haze of pain and fear, his mind was whirling, trying to make some sense of the exchange between the two gods.
He no longer felt so comfortable in his father's arms, and not only because it was physically painful. It had hurt a little when his father had called him an "it" and spoken of him as though he were a mere object, but Jormungand could see that it was because Loki didn't want Thor to know who and what Jormungand really was. What he couldn't figure out were Loki's reasons for all this secrecy. If only he had told Thor that they were related, Thor would have let go of his stupid prejudice.
He figured Loki must have a very good reason to keep his giant family a secret from the gods, and not to tell those reasons to his family. Even though Jormungand felt he had the right to know, since it involved him directly. But then, who was he to demand anything from the god Loki? He trusted his father's judgement. If and when Loki felt that Jormungand needed to know anything, he'd tell him.
As for Thor... What a lunatic! Granted, there were indeed many dangerous creatures in Jotunheim, some of them malicious, but that he actually believed all of them were like that was just mind-boggling. Maybe he had only met the wrong sort. Or, more likely, Thor was the kind of person who attacked first and asked questions later. At least that would explain why all the creatures of Jotunheim were hostile towards him. Even Jormungand, who considered himself to have a very cool temper, had never been so close to hating someone.
As if reading his thoughts, Loki said, "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. Thor isn't really a bad guy, you know. He's just... a thick-headed, overenthusiastic oaf." He landed in a darker area of the wood and carefully set Jormungand down to inspect his injury.
Jormungand squirmed and tried to have a look at himself. It wasn't an open wound, there was no blood, but it was quite sore and maybe a little swollen. Fortunately, he didn't think any of his bones were broken. Maybe it really wasn't as bad as it felt.
Loki, however, didn't seem so optimistic.
"Angrboda is going to kill me..." he grumbled.
Jormungand felt a little guilty. He didn't want to get his father into trouble, didn't want his parents to fight. He had been Loki's responsibility, yes, but this hadn't been Loki's fault at all. In fact, if it hadn't been for Loki, Jormungand might have been killed by that brute Thor. (He solemnly ignored the fact that it had been his father's idea to take him so dangerously far from home to scare the gods in the first place.)
"It's all right, Father," he tried to reassure him. "It's not as bad as it looks. I'm feeling better already!"
Loki shook his head. "That's not good enough, Jormungand. You're obviously injured, and Angrboda is your mother. It's her job to notice these things. Even if she were blind and half-comatose, she'd realise that something is wrong with you, I wager."
While Jormungand did think that his father was exaggerating a little, he couldn't deny that Angrboda would indeed realise that he was hurt sooner or later. He thought fast.
"Leave it to me, Father," he said. At Loki's suspicious look, he added, "Don't worry. By the time I'm done telling Mother what happened, she will be calling you a hero."
oOo
When they got back home, Angrboda soon figured something had happened to Jormungand, who then proceeded to tell her that he and his father had been caught by surprise in the wood by an enraged giant, whom Loki had slain easily after regaining his bearings. Angrboda was upset about Jormungand's condition, as it was to be expected, but she was very pleased that Loki had saved their son's life and got rid of the menacing giant in the end.
Hours later, at dusk, Jormungand was resting in his room, alone. He was beginning to feel hungry, which he thought was a good sign of his recovery. His mother had been coming to check up on him at regular intervals, so he just had to wait a little longer until she came in again.
The door opened and Jormungand raised his head from the ground to look at his mother. Instead, however, his gaze fell on his father, who held in his hand a dead rabbit. His expression unreadable, Loki closed the door behind him and threw the rabbit before Jormungand.
"Your mother told me you'd probably be hungry, even though you're hurt," he said. "She says you starve yourself when you're about to shed."
"Thank you, Father. I really am little a hungry." Jormungand flicked his tongue at the rabbit. It had been just killed and smelled delicious. Trying to move as little as possible, he held the rabbit's head in his jaws and began to swallow. He was so absorbed with his meal that he barely noticed how Loki was staring at him, his mouth hanging slightly open in amazement. Only when he was done swallowing and had realigned his jaws did he notice the attention. He looked away, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Well, you weren't lying when you said you could swallow a rabbit whole," said Loki, unfazed at being caught staring. His eyes lingered on the rabbit-sized bulge in Jormungand's body. "So... Interesting story you told today. I didn't think you'd lie to your own mother, Jormungand."
Jormungand was silent for a moment and met his gaze levelly. He didn't feel proud for lying to his mother, but he didn't feel guilty, either. Nothing good would have come from telling the truth, so he didn't see anything wrong with his white lie. Still, being acknowledged by his father, seeing his approving smile and the pride in his eyes – pride for him, for once – knowing that he had been able to do something for his father... It really warmed his cold-blooded heart. Jormungand would have done it all over again, even faced the hammer-happy Thor, if only he knew his father would always look at him like that afterwards.
"It was nothing, Father. Um..." He shifted, feeling shy. "Maybe we could go to Asgard again, some other time?" he asked hopefully. He felt bad that their plans had been dashed in such an abrupt manner, as if it had been his own fault somehow.
"Hm? Oh, that," said Loki, his tone dismissive. "Yes, maybe..." The next moment, he was at the door. "You should rest. I'll go keep your mother, ah, company." He was out of the room before Jormungand had a chance to say anything else.
However, from the next day on, Loki never did spend any time alone with Jormungand again.
oOo
Unable to be with his father for a whole day, Fenrir had sought out Hrygda and the other wolves. The reception he got was very different from usual. No longer did any of them look at him with resentment, annoyance, or jealousy. Every one of them, both young and old, wolf and giantess, looked at him with respect, some bordering on reverence, a few with fear mixed in.
"Fenrir!" Hrygda gasped when she saw him. "I was wondering if you'd ever come to see us again! Is your Father with you?" She looked around in trepidation.
"No," answered Fenrir, frowning in confusion. "What made you think I wouldn't come to see you again?"
"Well, you know..." She gave a nervous laugh. "After I attacked your father and all..."
"Aw, don't worry about that, Hrygda! Dad wasn't upset at all! Actually, he wants to meet you guys."
Hrygda paled and shuddered. "I'd better warn Mother and the others, then."
"Warn? He's not going to attack!" Fenrir snapped. "He just wants to talk to you. He's very friendly and easygoing, you know."
"Friendly and eas―Oh, Fenrir..." She sighed. "Do you really expect us to believe that?"
"What, you think I'm lying?"
"Fenrir, your father is the god of trickery and mischief! Just ask the elders! They know all about the feats of the gods, including Lord Loki."
"I'll do that," he growled.
Followed by Hrygda, Fenrir headed to the part of the cave where the elderly wolves and giantesses lived. Some wolves joined them on the way, and they all listened with the utmost attention as their elders obliged to Fenrir's request and relayed all the tales they knew about the so-called "evil" god Loki.
The tales were very similar to those Loki himself had told his family, only with certain differences. In some of them he was a hero, in others he acted for selfish reasons, and there were also instances when Loki just caused mischief or antagonised others for no apparent reason, simply because he could or thought it would be amusing. In some cases, he was even a little... evil.
However, all those tales had one thing in common, both in Loki's version and the wolves' version. Loki's intelligence, cunning, and sense of humour. If Hrygda and the wolves expected Fenrir to change his mind about his father after hearing their version of things, they would be very disappointed. If anything, they had only elevated his opinion of Loki. Fenrir half-suspected those stories were just rumours, but he sincerely hoped not. Truth be told, he rather liked this mischievous, slightly evil Loki. It was much better than being a sappy goodie two shoes, at any rate!
It was quite late in the night, or quite early in the morning, when the elders finished the last story. Fenrir would have to go home soon if he didn't want to worry his mother. However, there was one more thing that he needed to ask the elders, and for that he had to wait until Hrygda and the other young wolves were out of earshot.
Sensing that Fenrir had something to say, the elders patiently waited. Once they were alone, Fenrir told them about the young wolves' strange changes of behaviour towards him, wondering why they had resented him in the first place when he had done nothing wrong.
The elders were silent for a moment, until the eldest one, Grimnir, spoke.
"Well, Fenrir, it all comes down to Hrygda."
"Hrygda? What's she got to do with anything?" Fenrir asked.
"Well, she is Lady Herkja's daughter and heiress. When Lady Herkja dies, Hrygda will become our leader."
"Really? Well, that's interesting," said Fenrir, tilting his head. "But what does that have to do with me?"
"Be patient, young one. I was just getting to that." Grimnir made a pause, his tired, wise green eyes boring into Fenrir's. "The role of the leader is not only to rule the clan and ensure our protection. It is also her duty to bear our children."
Fenrir hummed in interest, though he still had no idea what all this had to with him and the wolves' mood swings. "So, you're all Lady Herkja's children?"
"Most of us, yes. The other troll-women can have children, but that is not so common. The strongest, bravest, cleverest wolves are to be solely the leader's potential mates, and she chooses one as her favourite. It is a great honour, so the wolves compete amongst themselves to prove their worth to the leader. It is instinctive; they can't help feeling hostile towards their rivals no more than they can help being attracted to the leader."
"So... they see me as a – um – a rival? That's so silly!" Fenrir wagged his tail in amusement. "I don't like Hrygda that way! If the others want to be her mates –" he made a face "– they can be my guests!"
"But you do feel something for her, don't you? Don't you enjoy her company more than the other troll-women's?"
"'Course I do, but so what? It's just a coincidence. I didn't even know she was supposed to be the next leader."
Grimnir and the other elders gave him knowing looks.
"But I don't want to be her mate!" he said, bristling. "That's just so weird and – and – well, icky!"
"Well, Fenrir, you are still young. Maybe you will change your mind," said Grimnir. "I'll be honest with you, though; we elders, including Lady Herkja, wished you would be Hrygda's favourite. You not only have all the qualities of a good mate, you are also the son of Lady Angrboda, a former leader of ours, and the evil god Loki. You are of noble blood; it would be the perfect match. Even the other young wolves, your supposed rivals, agree now that you are the best choice for Hrygda."
"Bah! Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not interested in that kind of thing. Excuse me, now, I've got to go home." Feeling he might have sounded a little too rude, he bowed quickly to the elders before leaving the cave.
He just couldn't wait to rejoin his dear father and forget all about this weird talk about being Hrygda's mate.
