Chapter 11
"So you gonna explain what you've got going on there?" Loki asked mildly.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."
"Oh, cut the attitude." He rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what I mean. You can apparently sense me like some kind of tracking hound. Your level of magical skill approaches mine. And I just froze your arm to which you apparently felt no effect." He listed off on his fingers. "What's your secret?"
She mock considered briefly, then replied "Nope. Not telling."
He sighed in frustration. "You know, you're being a right pain in the ass."
"This, coming from the long deceased God of Mischief." She raised an eyebrow at him.
He looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head and laughed despite himself. "You're a stubborn one." He pushed himself back up onto his feet. "But I will find out eventually, whether you co-operate or not." He offered his hand out to help her up.
"I know." She replied solemnly. "I'm just going to make it as annoying for you as I can until I do." She narrowed her eyes mischievously.
And it was annoying, so annoying to not get what he wanted. Especially when what he wanted was knowledge. But he didn't let it show. Loki just smiled sweetly and said "I look forward to it."
Both of them standing now, the demi-god began to pace as he thought. "So, we're on Vanaheim. As far as I know neither of us have any urgent matters to attend to back in Asgard…?"
Fey shook her head.
"Right, so there's no time pressure, strictly speaking, for us to get back." He thought for a moment. "Unless Heimdall, or whoever you told gets worried that you don't return. Though I suppose it's been three days, so if he hasn't already raised some sort of alarm he probably won't."
"He won't tell." She said.
He burned to know how she had managed to get the man on her side. Such a skill would be useful for him to learn, but he knew she wouldn't tell. "So I suppose that the Bifrost is an option. I will assume Heimdall knows or has guessed at my miraculous rise from death. Since him and I do not really see eye to eye, I doubt he would open it for me but perhaps there is something you hold over him that would make him do it…" he trailed off but Fey said nothing so he continued. "The other option is for me to take us both back through the shadows." He paused as an unhappy feeling settled into his stomach at the thought of returning that way. He pushed it aside. "But I need to know more about the beings I met in there and how I can avoid them before I'm happy to attempt that again." He pulled a face. "Those are our options."
After a moment Fay spoke up. "There is another option."
He waited.
"I believe I can get Heimdall to open the Bifrost for us both if you unshroud us. However…" she paused. "I'm not certain what kind of… reception we should expect to receive."
He sighed. Of course.
"There exists the possibility that he has created a decent cover story for my excursion in which case he would expect me to return with another, so you would be fine to return in disguise."
"What is the likelihood of this being the case? Of him willingly letting us back?"
The girl considered. "I would like to think it the most likely outcome." She stated.
"But…?" There was always a but.
"But we must be prepared for the possibility that he has turned one, or both of us in."
Loki nodded and turned, heading back towards where they had made their camp. "I'll think on it." He said over his shoulder. "Get some rest."
