Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!

AN: Thank you for the reviews! Since this is technically part two of chapter 8, I thought I might post it as soon as possible. So here it is. If you are desperate to find out what Thor's reaction is to seeing Loki's wounds, then read on! Some of you are picking up on my little hints to what is really going on, others are very close to the truth. Those that don't have any idea yet, keep reading and you'll find out ;)

~ Fields of Blood ~

Chapter 9

The blunt and insensitive oldest brother stopped dead in his tracks when he witnessed the horrid cuts on his little brother's back. He paled and all the words seemed to leave him and as Thor opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out.

Mýr entered again, holding clean bandages. Clearly he was surprised to find Thor now standing in the room and he seemed uncertain of what he was supposed to do.

Loki spun around to face the servant boy. "Get out!" He barked at him. With regret in his heart, he watched Mýr scurry away and Loki made a mental note to himself to apologize to the boy later. After all Mýr had done for him, he had not deserved to be treated so disrespectfully. Loki simply hadn't been able to stop himself.

Lately, he didn't seem to have much self-control.

Thor was still gaping. "Loki, your back…"

Very carefully, Loki slipped on his shirt. Since his wounds were still bare, the fabric of his shirt felt very uncomfortable on his hypersensitive and violated skin. For a moment, he feared the wounds would start to bleed again, but he felt nothing. It hurt, though, and he was forced to bite away the pain. He certainly did not want Thor to see his agony.

"Yes, Thor," he replied bluntly, "they are called wounds."

"I didn't know," Thor said weakly, unable to get over his shock, "I didn't know you were still injured."

Loki sighed heavily. Seeing the pity and concern on his brother's face was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. He also didn't want to explain how he gotten these wounds or why he still had them in the first place. That would only lead to more questions which he could not answer.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Thor asked more forcefully this time around. He closed the door behind him and walked further into Loki's bedchamber. For a moment, it seemed he wanted to hug his little brother, but then he decided against it.

Loki was very grateful for that. He wanted his Thor to leave him be, but he couldn't find the courage to tell him so. A part of him did enjoye seeing the pity and concern in Thor's eyes even though he kept telling himself he hated it. Was that pity and worry not proof that his family cared for him? That they loved him?

The problem was that he didn't deserve their love.

"Don't be so concerned," Loki said, feeling himself grow defensive, "the wounds are being taken care of."

"Arta did that," Thor said, more a statement than a question, "he had you whipped, several times it appears."

Loki was surprised that he had recognized the type of wound. Perhaps he wasn't so thick in his head after all.

"I thought you had only been beaten," Thor added.

"If that were true, then I wouldn't really have been tortured, now would I?" Loki asked sharply. Again, it was a defensive answer and he didn't even know why he acted in such a manner. Perhaps he simply had no choice? After all, if he let something slip, it could have dangerous consequences. Loki didn't even want to imagine it!

"What else did he do to you?" Thor demanded to know. His usually kind, blue eyes darkened at that instant.

"What does it matter?"

"It matters to me!"

Clearly Thor was back to being an arrogant and insensitive bastard.

"By the gods, Loki," Thor exclaimed when his brother stayed silent, "I made you walk all the way back to the palace! If I had known I would have carried you or I would have found us some horses to make it across the city."

"I managed well enough," Loki replied indifferently. He would have shrugged, but all the muscles in his back stood tense and he feared he could scarcely move at all. He hated the situation he was in and he wanted for it to end.

"Barely," Thor countered, "you were in constant pain. I was simply too stupid to realize it was this bad. You should have said something."

"No," Loki said angrily, narrowing his eyes. He wasn't going to stand there and allow Thor to make him feel guilty. That was not how this worked. "You simply should have understood! Arta never made it a secret he would torture me. I know he sent father a letter explaining how he would hurt me for every day that he did not receive the Infinity Gauntlet and you thought I received something as simple as a beating? That's hardly torture, don't you think?"

"You're right," Thor said morosely as he gazed directly into Loki's pained eyes, "so what torture did he make you live through?"

Loki sucked in a deep breath. He knew his Thor would not let this go. He was far too stubborn for that. However, Loki wasn't sure he could truly tell Thor everything that had happened. He was afraid to relive it in his mind and above all, he was afraid that in the end, Thor would laugh. What if his brother would find it ridiculous that he acted so hurt? What if he would claim that the torture was nothing? What if he would say Loki was acting childisch?

Apparently, Loki's thoughts were obvious.

"You can tell me, brother," Thor encouraged him, nothing but sincerity in his eyes, "you can trust me."

Loki began with a barely audible voice and said, "The first day I got beaten." He quickly cleared his throat and forced himself to speak up. Shivers ran down his back at the mere memories. "Then after the beating they gave me water. I was grateful until I realized they had poisoned it. I suffered through the cruelest hallucinations. Everything I feared came to life. You have no idea how that makes you feel, Thor. You know it's not real and yet…it was all true."

Loki felt he needed a moment. He needed to recollect himself because damn him. He was just recalling some series of events so why was he acting so vulnerable? Thor must think him ridiculous! He inhaled deeply, forced his tears away and continued without looking at his brother. Instead, he stared at his hands.

"Then on the third day, those three savages entered again. I already feared them even though I had no idea what they had planned. All I know is that I begged them to stop, I begged them to let me go, but of course they didn't listen. They simply removed my shirt and whipped me repeatedly. I tried not to scream, but in the end the pain was too much. I wanted to pass out, I wished I would fall into a darkness, but I remained awake for all of it."

Carefully, Loki glanced up and found that Thor looked as if he might throw up.

"On the fourth day you found me," he concluded. He was pleased that he had made all the way to the end of his tale without crying, without his voice faltering or his hands trembling.

Thor balled his hands into fists, anger radiating from him. "I will find Arta," he swore in a low voice, "I will find him and when I do, I will murder him slowly and painfully."

All of a sudden, the anger seemed to vaporize from Thor and his gaze softened. It was such a sudden change that it completely caught Loki off guard. He had no idea what it meant.

"I am sorry, Loki," Thor said softly, never unlocking his gaze with Loki's, "I have been an awful brother. I have been an arrogant, coldhearted, callous and egotistical jerk."

So Thor did possess some self-insight. Loki was surprised by that.

"For the past few days," Thor said, appearing deep in thought now, "I feel as if I have lived in a tunnel. One end was completely dark so I could not go there. The other end was full of light and the only way I could reach it was if I found you."

Loki wasn't sure how to react to that. In truth, he had been so absorbed by his own situation that he had failed to think of what Thor had been through. He was sure his brother had lived through hell as well. Only Thor's hell had ended and Loki's hell was still happening at this very moment.

"Back at the fort," Thor said, looking partially ashamed, "I uhm- I acted like a beast. I slaughtered everyone who stood between you and me."

That Loki had known. He could still vividly remember the one savage whose skull had been split in two. He had never seen so much blood in his life before. The truth was that at that moment, Thor had frightened him to the core.

"I know what you did," Loki said quietly.

"I didn't know what to do with myself," Thor admitted, "like I said; I only had one purpose and I would succeed in my goal. I had to bring you home again. What I am trying to say, Loki, is that you are my brother and that if anyone harms you, they harm me."

Loki couldn't remember any occasion where Thor had been so open to him. He knew Thor loved him – he loved Thor as well – but they never told each other that. Loki supposed something grave needed to happen for people to tell each other their feelings and thoughts.

"I only wanted to help you these last couple of days," Thor said when Loki clearly wasn't going to say anything, "and I had this stupid theory as well. I thought that if I pretended as if nothing had happened, you would eventually forget about what you've lived through."

"That is indeed a stupid idea," Loki replied, surprised to hear such softness in his own voice, "pretending as if nothing happened won't make it disappear."

"Exactly," Thor said, shaking his head, "that's why I am done being an idiot. I promise you, Loki, that I'll be the brother you need me to be. But you must promise me something as well."

Loki had no idea what Thor meant.

"No more secrets," Thor clarified, "if you are in pain, then you must tell me."

Loki couldn't help but chuckle. He certainly hadn't expected that. It was nice to know that his brother cared so. "Fine," he said, "I promise; no more secrets."

If only he was speaking the truth at that very moment.

Thor's face enlightened with a smile. "I'll get a healer for you," he said, "I'd suggest bandaging your back myself, but we both know what kind of brute I am. I'd only hurt you more."

"A healer would be nice," Loki agreed, "and thank you, Thor, I feel much better now."

"If there is anything else," Thor beamed, "just let me know."

~ 0 ~

The day had gone by swiftly without any other incidents. Loki was glad that his brother was finally aware of his true condition. He no longer needed to hide it which was a relief. It surprised him to learn how much energy keeping secrets required. Of course, now that Thor knew of his serious back injuries, his mother and father knew as well.

Luckily, Loki had not been present when they had learned that news. They had left him in peace so that he could rest properly.

But now the night had arrived and when it was just past midnight, Loki climbed out of bed. Very carefully, afraid of what he might find, he opened the doors to his balcony and stepped outside. The night was colder than the last one and he shuddered.

His eyes scanned the forest and for a moment he thought all was well. Then, when he turned a little more east, he saw it. It was a small fire, barely noticeable, but very much there. If anyone else would see it, they would think it to be a small campfire, but Loki knew better. The fire had a strange color after all. At times it appeared red, but then it would flicker and turn green for a few seconds.

Loki swallowed heavily.

It was time.