Chapter 2

Thor didn't move. He simply stared at his little brother, crumpled on the floor.

One…two…three…

Loki would stand up. Any second now his brother would stand up and glare at him.

Six…seven…eight…

Then he would tell his brother just what an idiot he was, because that had really hurt. He'd tell Thor that he had to remember his strength and that he was stronger than his peers. Not everyone was happy to be hit round the head with a tree.

Fifteen…sixteen…seventeen…

Any second now.

Twenty…twenty-one…twenty-two…

However, Loki seemed completely unaware that this was what he was supposed to do. Instead he lay on the ground, not even a twitch from his smallest finger.

Twenty-three…twenty-four…twenty-five…

The elder prince still could not move, a chill spreading through him, encasing him in ice so that he could do nothing but stare.

Thirty…thirty-one…thirty-two…

This was one of Loki's stupid jokes. In a heartbeat he would leap up, laugh at him and tell him that it was his own fault for pushing him so hard. He deserved the scare.

Thirty-six…thirty-seven…thirty-eight…

More than a heartbeat went by. Thor knew because he could feel his heart thumping against his chest, as if trying to escape. It seemed to beat twice when it would normally beat once and yet he could not breathe for the way his throat was knotted.

Forty-five…forty-six…forty-seven…

Loki should have moved by now, Thor knew that much and yet the smaller prince just lay there tormenting him.

Forty-eight…forty-nine…fifty…

This was wrong.

Fifty-one…fifty-two…fifty-three…

It…

Fifty-four…

Was…

Fifty-five…

Almost...

Fifty-six…

As…

Fifty-seven…

If…

Fifty-eight…

He…

Fifty-nine…

Was d-

And the spell was broken.

Thor took in a deep shaky breath as the reality of the situation hit home. He had watched and sparred enough in the training fields to know that head wounds could be very serious, even for an Aesir. It was rare, their bodies being so robust, but it took years for their physiques to fortify themselves against wears and tears to become god-like warriors. With all of Thor's sparring, it was easy to forget that his younger brother's body could not handle the abuse that even he and his friends could. The two years between them were significant, even Thor's body was a shadow of what his adult's self would be. The impact had sounded bad and there was no telling how much damage had been done…that he had done.

Thor dropped to his knees beside Loki and turned him over, trying to ignore the way his hands shook. He didn't appear to be particularly pale and his chest rose and fell with its usual steady rhythm, which made sense, because he could not have possibly killed his brother. The mere thought was laughable; it had never crossed his mind. He had no idea why his body sagged with relief and a weight was removed from his gut, because he could never kill his brother.

"Loki," he rasped out. "Loki!" When the boy remained motionless he felt the panic that had faded for oh-so-brief a moment, flare back into life. "Loki! Wake up! Brother!" He tapped the unconscious boy's cheek, shook him by the shoulder and still he received no response.

Looking up he scanned his room, searching for inspiration as to what he should do. His eyes fell on his bed; he supposed it was better for Loki to wake up somewhere comfortable than the cold floor. Placing the younger prince's arm around his shoulders, he pulled them both to their feet and half dragged, half carried his burden to lie on the bed. The blond shifted the boy around under the pretence of making him more comfortable, over-indulging in the hope that the younger sibling would wake up and everything would be fine again. Alas, it was not to be and instead Thor had to sit awkwardly on the edge of the mattress, useless and increasingly lost in his dilemma.

There had to be something he could do.

'Take him to the healing rooms,' a traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind.

No! Surely that was an overreaction. Loki had just hit his head a little hard, it wasn't as if Thor had caused any serious damage…had he? The elder boy hesitated, his finger twitching before he reached over and brushed the raven locks aside to peer at the wound. He breathed a sigh of relief. The injury was barely bleeding now, that had to mean it was a minor wound. Didn't it? No doubt his brother would wake in any minute now and then everyone would be none the wiser. This would all work out well.

As if confirming his thoughts, the younger prince groaned and Thor could not think of a sweeter sound at that moment. Loki's face contorted into a frown and he let out another moan, turning his head. As the wound brushed the pillow he winced and quickly rotated his head back. The other prince could have kissed his brother when he opened his eyes. He scrambled round the bed so he could crouch before Loki.

"You are awake," he beamed at him but it faded. Something wasn't right.

"My head hurts," the sable haired boy moaned.

"It is a small bump, nothing more."

"What happened?"

Something inside Thor twisted painfully. This was not good. "Y-you hit your head."

The boy frowned and for one glorious moment the elder sibling thought his brother was about to snap back that he hadn't hit his head, but Thor had practically thrown him across the room. Loki was prone to exaggerations.

It was not to be. "I did?"

Ice creep through his body. "Yes…you do not remember?"

"No," the boy sat up slowly, quickly screwing his eyes shut and halting. The colour drained from his face.

"It was only a small bump," the elder boy rushed, as if it would make it true.

Loki opened his eyes. "Really?"

Thor realised that his brother's usual sharp gaze was dulled. The first-born son swallowed. "Really, nothing a short walk will not take care of."

(&)

Thor had been right; all his brother needed was a little fresh air. He knew it would have been foolish to bother the healers over a small knock to his head. They would either simply worry everyone or be laughed at and turned away for wasting the healer's time. The latter seemed most likely. After one look at the wound, if it could be called that, and they would have be told to stop acting like infants who had tripped over a branch.

Thor's confidence grew with each step. Loki's colour returned to his cheeks, the spark returned to his eyes and by the time they entered the gardens. After an hour, he was bantering with his brother again. It really was as if none of that morning had happened at all, anymore, and he let himself be drawn into the illusion. Thor could finally allow himself to relax.

What broke the delusion was the younger prince's absent memory. His little brother's recollection had always been close to impeccable, the fact that he could not remember a thing since the beginning of their training session troubled Thor. It would come back to him though, he was sure of it, and for now the older boy did not have to worry about their secret of Bor's statue being spilled. In the meantime, Loki insisted on the gap being filled in with every detail of that morning.

Loki frowned across at him, "Three times in a row?"

Thor grinned. "Of course, do you really think you could best me in the sparring ring?"

"I have done so before."

"Only when you have cheated."

"Using your mind is not cheating, just because it is beyond your capabilities."

The boisterous boy felt his anger rising, easily taking the bait. He opened his mouth to retort, but the memory of Bor's head snapping off forced it closed again. His temper had caused one disaster today, nearly two; he did not need a third before noon. He was not completely lacking in self-control. No matter how much the other drove him to insanity he did not truly want to harm his only brother.

Loki frowned at him, clearly confused by the reaction. He'd been fishing for an ill-thought out retort and found none in its place. He knew his older brother was being suspicious, too calm for his normal self and apparently the younger boy had had enough of this game.

"What are you hiding from me?"

Thor swallowed. "Nothing."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "You are a poor liar, brother. Now, tell me what you hide."

"It is nothing."

"Then tell me. You are acting far too strangely."

"I-" Thor hesitated, not wanting to admit his guilt in the vain attempt that it would go away. "I simply do not want you to hit your head again. The last time you thought you were being clever it did not end well for you. You really must stop showing off." He tried to use Loki's methods, not really lying, but merely twisting certain truths.

He clearly was not as talented as Loki though, who did not look convinced in the slightest. Eventually the younger boy sighed. Rubbing his left temple he started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Thor asked.

Loki turned his head but did not stop walking. "You are beginning to give me a headache. I will see you in the library for our lessons."

Thor scowled, but let him go. At least he knew his brother was well now.

(&)

Loki was acting strangely. It was not overtly obvious, but enough to catch Thor's notice.

His younger brother had already been in the library when he arrived for their afternoon lessons. His book was on the desk, but it was closed. His arms lay crossed over it and his head rest on top. This, Thor reasoned, wasn't so odd. With the morning they'd had, it was little surprise that Loki was so tired.

As the elder prince approached, the boy looked up and straightened.

"I was beginning to think you would never arrive."

The blond pulled a very un-royal expression. "If I could, I assure you I would. Norns, is there any lesson duller than Law?"

"You think that of every subject."

Not entirely true, he enjoyed History…occasionally. He enjoyed learning about glorious battles, especially when his father told the tales. He was enthralled by how his father had defeated the Frost Giants or the epic tale of the downfall of the Mad Titan. The battles, that was where his passion lay, the rest was tedious beyond belief.

Thor dropped heavily into his seat. "When I am king, I will be the law. Why must I study them now?"

"Because, Your Highness," Mimir's voice came from behind them, "You are not quite king yet and are still subject to the laws of your father." Their old tutor stepped round the table to take his place opposite them.

Thor snorted. "I would never be charged like some common criminal."

"No, I suspect that the All-father would deal out your punishment personally." The golden prince frowned, but a suitable retort evaded him. The tutor sighed. "The study of law can impart much wisdom onto you, if you care to listen. To understand the law is to understand the thoughts and reasons behind it, which in turn will make you a wiser king."

"I would make rather be a strong king."

"It would be better to be both," Loki cut in, smirking slightly. When Thor sent him a betrayed glance, he merely shrugged and turned to the adult. "What if the law is wrong and unjust?"

"That can teach us as much as a good law, but it is my place to teach you, not to judge what is fair and just, and we must not confuse these two concepts. They are similar, but not always the same. However, that is another discussion for another day, when you have advanced beyond the basics. If you will open your books…," and so on droned the lesson. Loki disappointed that an interesting debate had been evaded and Thor disappointed that the lesson had started at all.

Thor sunk deeper into a sea of boredom. He thought instead of the adventures and glorious battles he would someday have. How he would travel the nine realms and seek out the mightiest fiends, cutting them down in mêlées that would be worthy of the greatest songs. It wasn't until he realised that he was being asked questions more and more frequently that he shot his brother a glance. Normally Loki would supply all the answers, or ask his own questions, leaving Thor free dream the lesson away, free from pesky things like studying. Thor didn't know the answers, but Loki always did and in this area Thor was happy for his sibling to excel above him. He was a warrior, not a weak scholar.

However, he was becoming increasingly aware that his little brother had not answered a single question since the lesson began, nor did he ask any. Now that Thor thought about it, he didn't think the other boy had said anything for the last hour. That was…strange.

Loki was just sitting there, head resting against his hand in a manner that obscured the majority of his face from Thor's vision. He was not the only one to notice his brother's unusual behaviour. Mimir scowled across at the child.

"Prince Loki? Have you been listening to a word I've said?"

The youngest looked up, his expression slightly dazed. He blinked several times.

"Pardon? Oh, the Manslaughter Law. Shall I define it?"

Their tutor's frown deepened, but this time in worry. "That was the previous page…Are you well, Your Highness?"

"Yes," Loki supplied, perhaps a little too weakly to be truly convincing.

"You seem distant."

"A slight headache, nothing more."

Mimir nodded slowly. "Did you hit your head while training?"

A spike of alarm shot through Thor and before he could think he rushed out. "Training was cancelled today."

The old man turned to him and raised his eyebrows. "It was?"

Thor nodded, glad for the change in subject. "It was. A warrior was seriously wounded, and we were asked to leave the field."

"Little wonder you are so restless. However, you should have come straight here. We could have used that time to catch up on your Rhetoric studies." He shook his head. "Never mind," and he turned back to Loki. "Are you sure you are well, My Prince? You seem pale. "

Of course Loki was pale, he was always pale. However, he couldn't deny that his brother's current pallor made him look sickly. However the sable haired boy simple brushed away their concerns, letting his jaw fall against his palm. Long fingers of the hand curled round his head so that the fingertips softly messaged the skin close to where his head was bleeding that morning.

"Did you hit your head while training?"

Thor felt his heart drop into his stomach, which was silly because he couldn't have anything to do with this. Loki had hit his head hours ago, approaching three now, and he had been perfectly fine when he awoken. If the blow was going to cause side-effects, then they would have surfaced from the beginning. So, the two couldn't be connected.

Mimir seemed to think that he could be suffering from something that had occurred that morning though and if Loki was ill, he should go to the healers. If he was ill because of something that Thor had done…

The golden prince swallowed nervously, trying to still the nerves that churned like the ocean within him. No, he hadn't seriously injured Loki; it had just been a little knock, nothing more. Besides, what was a slight headache? If it was a severe wound then there would be other signs surely. He would have collapsed or…something, anything. What his brother needed was a rest. When Thor had a headache, he always seemed well again after slumber.

'Or maybe he should go to the healer's rooms,' the unfaithful voice in his head whispered.

"Prince Thor?"

The boy in question realised that he had become the centre of attention.

"I-" but he cut himself off as his father's angry face suddenly appeared in his mind's eye, shouting at him for his trespass against his brother. He could lie, tell them his brother had slipped and hit his head. They would want details though. Where? How? Why? Thor was such a poor liar. After a while something would slip out, whether it was about the statue or his pushing Loki. Either of those would send his father into a fury. All that over a minor pain.

"I," he repeated, "I think Loki should rest."

He was certain that that was the answer and if it was not he could take Loki to the healing rooms, not that he would need to.

Mimir looked thoughtful before nodding. "Perhaps it would be best. You can return later if you feel better."

Loki hesitated and slowly nodded. Pushing back his seat he rose, soon out of sight as he left the private study room. Thor found it easier to think without his brother there, as if Loki had scooped up all the worry and doubts and carried them away with him.

"Now, My Prince, it is just the two of us. Perhaps we should re-examine some of the laws you struggled with last week."

Thor cursed, swearing to himself that Loki had received the better deal.

(&)

Loki did not return for the rest of the lesson, being the sneak he was. Thor on the other hand, had to listen for another hour about the law of the land and right of ownership, followed by a lesson in Rhetoric. The only break in the tedium was when a messenger arrived to tell him that he would dine with his father that night.

As soon as the tutor had closed his book, Thor was up and out of the room. He ran straight to his brother's chambers to inform him how lucky he was that he had missed the single dullest lecture known to all the nine realms. He didn't bother knocking, he never did, and instead he just walked straight into his junior's room. A quick glance told him that Loki was not inside, so he walked straight across to the balcony. He frowned when stepped out into the sun, finding it apparently empty. It wasn't until he turned to leave that he spotted Loki resting against the wall, his eyes closed and his head back against the wall.

"By the Norns," Thor exclaimed, not noticing how his brother winced as he threw himself down next to Loki, "I have rarely been so bored in my life! If I had to listen to another word, just one more case of a farmer claiming King's land for his own then I was going to throw myself out of the window."

Grinning, Thor anticipated his brother saying some witty retort. Instead all he received was Loki moving to rest his forehead on top of his knees. Worried, Thor scooted forward and laid a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Loki?"

The younger prince shook his head, still bowed. "I feel most unwell."

"How so?"

"My head," Loki took a deep breathe, "and I feel nauseous."

Thor's fears from earlier returned, clawing their way up from his gut. He would have thought that Loki would feel better by now, but he looked worse than ever.

"Perhaps a walk through the gardens will clear your head and still you stomach. The air will do you good."

"You go," Loki brushed him off without raising his head. "I get all the air I need out here."

"Then the walk will keep your thoughts from your ills until they pass."

"Perhaps I could keep my thoughts from my ills if you would leave me be. I am in no mood for a stroll. I simply wish to sit here in peace."

Thor huffed irritably; he was only trying to help. "Well, you cannot sit here all day."

"I will if I wish to do so."

"No, you may not. We have been told to dine with father this evening."

There was a short pause. "I do not want to go. Tell father I am unwell."

"Do not be ridiculous!" Thor exclaimed grabbing his arm and pulling him up.

The moment Thor released his brother, Loki dropped back to his knees. Whatever complaint the older boy was about to utter was sharply cut off when Loki emptied his stomach onto the floor. Thor stumbled back out of range and stared slightly wide-eyed. That was most unexpected.

He blinked in confusion. "Brother, have you eaten spoilt food?"

The younger boy shook his head. Screwing his eyes tightly shut, he breathed deeply.

"What did you eat at noon?"

"Bread, honey and fruits."

"Perhaps it was bad."

"No, I am certain it was not." Loki took another deep breath. "Perhaps I hit my head harder than I thought."

A shot of anxiety raced up his spine and robbed him of his breath. He shook his head, a little desperate. "But, this is a sickness of the belly, not your head. This cannot possibly have anything to do with that small injury."

"Maybe it was not so small. I have not felt healthy since…"

"…Since you ate?" The elder youth offered.

"It has nothing to do with what I have eaten!" snapped Loki.

"But you were fine before your meal." Loki hesitated so Thor ploughed on. "And you were well when you woke." No answer. "You see? It must be something else." The more he tried to convince his brother, the more he convinced himself.

Loki leaned back, resting once more against the wall before pushing himself to his feet. He walked steadily into his room and sat down on his bed, Thor following him and letting the curtain fall back into place behind them. Loki seemed a little better for the cool shade of his chambers, but still appeared too pale. The older brother watched Loki as he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, licking his lips as he wrestled with his conscience. Loki was not well, but not deathly unwell. He needed to see the healers, but it could wait an hour or two could it not? They had enough time to dine and then he could take his brother down to the healing rooms without their parents having to know. It seemed like a good plan. If Loki was still ill by night, they would go down to the healers together. For what could happen before then that had not already.

(&)

As his sons grew older, it was not unusual for Odin All-father to dine privately with his family. It was not something that he had always been in the habit of doing. As proud a father as he was, he had little to discuss with a drooling infant and had important work to do. However, after Thor had started his studies, the All-father had made the family event a weekly occurrence. As the boys continued to grow and the discussions became lengthier and more interesting, he increasingly joined them for meals until they broke bread privately together almost half the evenings of the week.

Usually a night like tonight, when there were important matters of state to dwell on, Odin would have eaten alone as he worked. However, tonight he had a particular purpose in mind for this meeting, and the troubles could be delayed until the morning.

A servant poured more wine into the king's goblet as Odin watched his family. His wife sat opposite him and his sons either side, across from each other. As always, Thor decimated the food on his plate. However, Loki had barely touched his food this evening, opting to move it around his plate instead. His youngest had never been a great eater, but he always ate what was put before him. This new lack of appetite was curious and made the father more suspicious about the issue on his mind.

"I was informed this afternoon that the statue of my late father has been broken," The king accounted out of the blue.

Thor stiffened as soon as 'statue' had left Odin's mouth. The boy's eyes became routed to his plate, his fork halting over his beef. The boy swallowed thickly.

"Really?"

Odin nearly sneered. 'Really?' indeed! The child could not look guiltier if he had been found at the scene of the crime with the head in his hands. However, he would give his son a chance to come forward; he always gave both the boys that opportunity and if they took it he would be lenient.

"What happened?" The king turned to his youngest at the boy's question. He was met by two curious green eyes that boldly met his father's without a trace of guilt in them. They lacked that certain sparkle that hinted at previous and current mischief, nor were they wide with 'innocence', the tactic his youngest had favoured recently. They were simply curious, but even that seemed duller than usual.

Odin felt a trickle of doubt. Thor's guilt was undeniable, but could have worked alone in this, without his brother's influence. It didn't ring true though. The brothers spent the majority of their time together, and not just because they shared lessons. When one got into trouble, they dragged the other down with them.

"The head had broken off and split in two."

Loki nodded, returning his attention to his plate and continued to push the food around with disinterest. Odin wondered if it was a trick of the light or if Loki really was so pale tonight. He would have expected Loki to probe him further, even if guilty of the crime, but instead he remained silent. As Odin thought about it, it occurred to him that Loki had barely strung together three words since arriving.

"Would you know anything?" Odin asked, noting how uncomfortably stiff Thor went. Loki looked back up, he was definitely uncommonly pale and Odin was certain that the boy must be falling ill.

"How could we, we were in lessons with Mimir this afternoon."

"The statue was broken this morning. I hear that your sparring ended early today. Where did you go?"

"Nowhere," Thor rushed out, wincing at his own answer.

Odin turned his gaze on his eldest who kept his eyes firmly on his food before him. The king needed no more confirmation that at least Thor had been involved in this. Loki on the other hand looked at his brother in confusion, clearly not understanding his brother's reaction. The younger prince was an intelligent boy, more than capable of putting two and two together, so why did he struggle with it now.

A look of realisation crossed Loki's face, his eyes widened ever-so-slightly and a pink tinge crept onto his cheeks, making the rest of his face seem even whiter. Green eyes snapped back down to his plate and that was all Odin needed. He set his cutlery down.

"What happened?"

Thor looked up desperately. "I did not break it," tumbled from his mouth before he could stop it.

"Do you take me for a fool," Odin snapped, "You could not look guiltier if I had found you at the scene myself. Now spit out the truth and I maybe I will be lenient."

"We were not there," Loki insisted.

"Then what happened?" Odin was losing his patience quickly. He eyed the boys until, his cheeks deepening from rose to crimson, Loki answered.

"I hit my head." Odin frowned at the prince, but the boy continued. "We were nowhere near the statue. We were playing a silly game and I attempted to show off. Instead I slipped and struck my head. After that I had to lie down."

Frigga leaned forward and laid a hand on top of her son's. "Did you see the healers?"

Loki slowly shook his head, a ghost of a wince on his features. "There was no need. Thor took me to lie down and I felt better."

The boy avoided looking at them, but he appeared to be telling the truth. The king's eyes slide to Thor, who did not so much look as if he was guilty, but felt guilty and it was stronger than ever. Odin was most definitely not being told the entire truth; however he suspected it had more to do with the unfortunate fall than the statue. It would be prudent to check though; Loki was becoming a talented liar.

"Where was the blow?"

The young prince gave a rough indication and Odin moved to stand behind him. He brushed aside the raven locks searching for a wound. There was a sharp intake of breath as his thumb brushed the scalp and he turned his attention to the spot. It wasn't large, but it didn't need to be. It was on the way to healing, but the skin had definitely been broken.

"It was bleeding?"

"Only a little," Thor mumbled. "It had stopped by the time he wo-," he abruptly cut himself off.

Both the parents looked at their golden boy. Odin spoke calmly. "By the time he what?"

Thor seemed small and scared as he looked between his family, he didn't speak though, as if hoping they would simply move on if he didn't say a thing.

Frigga spoke softly. "You must tell us the truth Thor, we will not be angry with you if you tell us the truth."

'That remained to be seen,' Odin thought.

The prince swallowed and the words were deathly quiet. "By the time he woke up."

Odin's eyes narrowed. "How long before he roused?"

"I-I don't know."

"Then think."

"It was only a short time, a minute, perhaps five."

"And you did not think to take him to the healers?" Odin knew his anger was cracking through his voice, but he had never been so disappointed in his first born.

"It was no more than five minutes." The king bit his tongue against telling the boy how foolish he was. How could it not have occurred to him to take his brother to the healers to check? Unless it had occurred to him and he had deliberately ignored his common sense in favour for…for whatever logic he had listened to instead. Something must have filtered through as Thor rushed on. "He is well."

Frigga suddenly stood and moved round to crouch before her youngest, a smooth hand resting against Loki's cheek, guiding his eyes to hers. She frowned.

"Loki?" Her voice was soft, yet firm. "How do you feel?"

There was a pause and their son's shoulders slumped forward. "Ill."

"How so?"

"Headache. I feel nauseous."

"I will take you to the healing rooms," she said, straightening gracefully.

"And I will speak to Thor," Odin added.

The boy in question's eyes widened, barely managing to stutter out of few words in his defence. "But…but, he was well. I was sure. He went to lessons and was the same as ever."

"You should have taken him straight to the healers," Odin voice was stern.

Thor shrank back in his seat. "I did not know. I-"

He was cut off when Loki stood. As soon as the boy was on his feet his eyes rolled back and he plunged forward. Odin quickly reached out to catch his son before he crashed into the floor.

"Loki," he called his boy's name and received no response. He resisted the strong urge to curse as he swung the child into his arms. Not looking back he strode to the door, calling back to his wife. "I will take him to the healing rooms, stay with Thor."

The prince did not object, he simply stared wide-eyed and scared at his little brother and looked guiltier than ever.

A/N: I have to apologize to anyone who knows a lot about medicine/physiology. While I researched head injuries and decided on what I would use for Loki, I did take some artist license with it. Mainly running on the basis of them having slightly different physiology, I hope that hasn't ruined it for anyone.

I hope it wasn't too repetitive from Thor's PoV, if you think so, feel free to tell me.

Also, thank you VERY much to everyone who took the time to review and Fav/Alert. :D It is very much appreciated. I hope you all enjoyed it this chapter as well. :)