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

AN: Thanks for the reviews! It's always interesting to read your thoughts and ideas. I do want to answer a question posed by jaquelinelittle: 'If Loki is glad Thor knows now (about his back), why didn't he tell him right away?' I must not have written it clearly – my apologies for that – but I meant to say that Loki was afraid that if Thor knew about his wounds, that it would lead to unwanted questions. It would mean he has to explain why magic can't heal it (and that is an important detail). Loki was lucky, however, when Thor found it because he didn't ask any questions. I hope that makes sense… Anyway, here is the next chapter and I can't wait to hear what your thoughts are on this one!

~ Fields of Blood ~

Chapter 10

Loki hurried back inside his bedchamber and clamorously pulled the doors shut behind him. At that moment, he forgot all about his pain. His breathing grew aberrant and for a moment panic invaded his mind, but he swiftly pushed it away. He should only think of what he had to do. This is what he had been preparing for after all.

"Mýr!" Loki called out.

Normally, his servant was allowed to go home somewhere during the early evening. It was not as if Loki could not look after himself. But now he had insisted Mýr would stay during the night. After all, he might need assistance if his wounds started to bleed again. It turned out he would need Mýr's help for something else entirely.

"Mýr!" He shouted, louder this time.

The young servant boy, just a few years younger than Loki, rushed into the bedroom from an adjourning chamber. His kind brown eyes stood wide with concern and trepidation. He clearly had not expected to be summoned by his master. Loki wished he could reassure him that all was well, but then he would be lying.

Loki had never minded to lie, but he liked Mýr and he did not want to fool him.

"My Lord?" Mýr asked with a small voice.

"You must listen carefully to me," Loki said. He went to stand directly in front of his servant and placed both his hands on his narrow shoulders. He trusted Mýr and he trusted he could fulfill the task Loki was about to give him. "Mýr, you must go to the east wing of the Palace, to the corridor that leads directly to the library."

Mýr frowned, but Loki ignored it.

"There is a statue of a lion there," he said, "do you know it?"

Mýr nodded. "I know it well, my Lord."

Of course he knew it well. Mýr had been Loki's servant since they had both been boys. It had been Mýr's duty to follow Loki around, to help him if he so required and to serve him. Loki always went to the library and Mýr had often spent afternoons with him there. What Loki was about to tell him, however, was something Mýr did not know.

"Good," Loki said, "you must pull the lion's tail."

Again, Mýr frowned. What Loki was talking about did sound strange after all. Many had speculated that there were hidden pathways leading out of the Palace, but none had been rediscovered yet. They had been forgotten over the centuries. It was only because of Loki's insatiable curiosity that he had discovered such a pathway and he'd been smart enough not to tell anyone. Now he was telling Mýr.

"You must pull the lion's tail," Loki repeated, needing Mýr to remember this properly. This was important after all. He tightened his grip on Mýr's shoulders and forced his servant to look him in the eyes. "Then turn it left. A hidden pathway will be revealed to you. You must follow it for about three miles and you'll reach a hatch that leads you up again."

"Where will I end up?" Mýr asked doubtfully.

"In the lower town of Asgard," Loki answered, finally letting go of his servant's shoulders, "there you must wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

"For the Queen," Loki said casually. He knew he was asking strange things of his servant, but there simply was no time to explain it all. "Wait for my mother and bring her to safety. I trust you can do this, Mýr, I trust you."

Mýr nodded once, placed a hand over his heart and bowed. "I will not fail, my Lord," he said wholeheartedly.

"I know you won't."

~ 0 ~

With Mýr set on his way towards Frigga, Loki could finally begin the next part of his plan. He was risking much doing this, but he didn't care. He needed the assurance that his mother would be safe. Otherwise, nothing else mattered.

It was strange to sneak through the silent hallways of the Palace. He had done this before – mostly when he had been a boy – but now it felt different. He used to do this to cause mischief, to play a trick or to fool someone. It had been for laughs back then. Now it felt nothing short of dangerous and villainous. Loki despised the feeling, but what other choice did he have?

He managed to avoid all the guards and after two minutes, he reached his mother's personal bedchamber. He felt grateful that Frigga and Odin did not share a room. Otherwise he could never have protected his mother in the first place. Just outside of Frigga's room, however, stood another guard. That one Loki could not avoid so he decided to use him to his advantage.

With confidence in his steps, he approached the man.

"My Lord," the guard said, appearing startled.

"I must speak with the Queen," Loki said with an authoritative voice, "your assistance shall be required within a few minutes so stay here. Do not make a sound."

"Yes, my Lord."

Loki, without granting the man another glance, stepped around him and entered his mother's bedchamber. The noise of the door opening and closing woke the Queen and Loki quickly hurried to her side. He sat down on the edge of her bed.

"What's wrong, my love?" Frigga asked, her voice sounding tired.

"Do you trust me, mother?" Loki asked, knowing that he was scaring her at this moment. He could see so in her eyes. However, if he wanted any chance at protecting her, then he would need her trust.

"Of course I trust you," Frigga answered, looking thoroughly confused now, "what is going on?"

"Mother, you must listen to me," Loki said, ignoring her question. He saw her eyes sharpening and he wished he could comfort her. He did so by taking her hands into his own. "You must get dressed quickly and you must leave the Palace before it is too late."

"What?" Frigga breathed. She no longer appeared concerned, but terrified. "Why?"

"You must trust me," Loki repeated, "you must trust me with all of your heart."

He began to explain how she could leave the Palace by the use of the secret pathway. She looked surprised and a bit insecure as her son told her about the lion and his tail.

"A guard is waiting outside," Loki concluded, "he will escort you. When you reach the lower town of Asgard, you'll find my servant Mýr there. He will bring you to safety."

"But why?" Frigga tried again. "What is going on?"

Loki leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss on his mother's cheek. "You'll soon find out," he sighed, "now go."

~ 0 ~

Thor didn't know what woke him. Was it the sudden shouting just outside of his door? Was it the sound of metal clashing on metal? Was it because someone opened his door so deafeningly, not bothering the time of the night or the fact that he was the Prince of Asgard? Honestly, Thor did not know. It was probably all those things combined.

Crossly, he sat up in his bed and prepared to shout at whoever dared to disturb him. Only then did he comprehend what exactly was going on. She shouting, the metal sounds and now someone running into his bedroom could only mean one thing. Something was very, very wrong.

He jumped out of his bed and reached for a sword of his own. There always lay a weapon close by, but right now he hated that it was not his trusted hammer Mjolnir.

When he swirled around, ready to strike whoever had entered his room, he stopped dead in his tracks. Before him stood not an attacker, but Sif. He had never seen her like this before. Her black hair hung loose and wild around her shoulders. Her eyes spoke of nothing but wildness and intensity. Blood stained her hands, arms, sword and golden night dress.

She looked as if she had walked straight out of a nightmare.

"Sif?" Thor asked breathlessly.

More noise came from behind Sif, coming from just outside of the hallway. Thor quickly moved to stand before her, wanting to shelter her from whatever threat they were facing. Clearly Sif was in no need of protection, but it had been an instinctive move on Thor's part.

The noise vanished partially and a moment later, the Warriors Three rushed into Thor's bedchamber. They looked as wild and fierce as Sif did, with blood covering their clothes and weapons as well. Thor was in desperate need of answers and he wanted those now.

"What in the gods' names is going on?" He demanded to know.

"They are everywhere," Fandral said, sounding slightly out of breath. There was a strange tone to his voice which Thor had never heard before. Could that be animosity? But at who was it directed?

"Who is everywhere?" Then Thor realized he shouldn't have asked. Was the answer to his question no evident? Was it not ridiculously simple? Or perhaps he just needed to hear someone confirm it.

"Arta's men," Sif answered in Fandral's stead, "there are hundreds of them, all inside of the Palace."

Nothing made sense anymore. "How is that possible?" Thor asked, not really expecting an answer this time. The Warriors Three and Sif exchanged unknowing glances. "That damned bastard. I will kill Arta!"

"No one has actually seen Arta yet," Volstagg said almost regretfully, "only his men. They have overrun us. We were completely caught off guard."

"And where is my father?" Thor dreaded to think what would happen to Odin should Arta's men find him.

"He was last seen in the Throne room," Sif said.

"We have to protect the King," Thor said decisively. Odin was the most important figure in Asgard after all. His safety was all that mattered right now since he had to lead Asgard. If a war was imminent, then the people needed a leader to follow. "And the Queen. Has anyone seen my mother?"

Sif shook her head.

"Warriors Three," Thor said, knowing that everyone was expecting him to lead the men until they would reach Odin, "go to my mother's chambers. Find her and protect her at all costs."

"Of course," Fandral replied.

"Sif," Thor continued, turning to face his friend, "we are going to the throne room. We are going to protect our King."

~ 0 ~

The Warriors Three and Sif had not been exaggerating when they had said Arta's men were everywhere. The hallways were swarmed with the savages and it made Thor wonder where Arta had found these men in the first place. They hardly looked decent men which caused Thor to believe that most of them were mercenaries; all thieves, rapists and murders and those without any values.

If only I had Mjolnir, Thor thought dismally, then I could slay them all.

When he and Sif made another right turn, they found a dozen savages fighting a group of Asgardian guards. The fight was loud and brutal and Thor eagerly joined in. He sliced off arms and legs and all the blood made the floor slippery. When the guards appeared to have control of the situation, Thor and Sif moved on. They had an important mission after all.

However, luck was not on their side. As soon as they turned left twice, they found themselves looking at about twenty savages currently slaughtering five guards. Everyone else was already dead.

Sif reacted quickly and she pulled Thor into a small cupboard. The savages had not seen them and continued to beat the guards to death with the mere use of their hands. In truth, it had been a terrifying sight.

"Keep still," Sif breathed, barely daring to move.

Thor knew Sif was a great warrior and he was too, but together they could not fight off all those enemies. Not while they looked so barbaric and thirsting for blood. No, it was better that they waited here until they would move on. Then Thor and Sif could easily get to the throne room without any more delay.

After waiting five minutes, Thor carefully opened the door of the cupboard and found the hall empty. He stepped outside and gazed at the corpses of the Asgardian guards. He could hardly recognize any faces anymore. They had been mutilated. It made Thor hate them more even though he hadn't thought it possible. He would make them pay.

Every fiber screamed at Thor to pursue those savages and kill them, but he was aware of his more important mission. He simply had to reach the throne room. He had to protect his father. He just hoped the Warriors Three had found his mother.

He and Sif hurried into the next corridor. His heart began to race inside his chest. Just one more turn and he would find himself in the hallway that leads to the throne room. Noises erupted from behind him, however, and Thor spun around. Savages were coming their way and if he judged by the sound of their footsteps, they were with about fifteen.

"Go on," Sif urged Thor, "I'll fight them off."

"No," Thor said stubbornly. He would not leave his friend behind. "We'll fight them together."

"There is no time," Sif said heatedly, "you must find the King, Thor, you must."

She was right and Thor hated it. "I'll find my father," he told her, "and I'll bring him to safety. I'll come back for you, Sif, I promise."

"I know you will," Sif smiled faintly. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Now go!"

Thor turned around and ran down the hallway. He made another right turn and made it easily across the corridor. It was awfully silent around this part of the palace, but Thor shrugged away the feeling of impending doom. He tightened his grip on his sword and pushed open the doors of the throne room. His hand was instantly covered with blood.

The sight Thor was greeted with shocked him to the core.

AN: So what do you think Thor is seeing right now?