"You're upset about something," Jane stated looking up from her studies, "Is it your brother?"
"Am I that transparent?" Thor asked as he kissed the forehead of his wife-to-be before sitting down onto her sofa.
"Yes," she asked, pushing him away gently, so he was forced to recline on the pillows, "When it's your parents you just walk up and down. If it's the councillors who are bothering you..."
"Except one, who never could," he said, which earned him the flash of a smile before she continued.
"If it's the other councillors who are bothering you, you sigh a lot. However, in case it's your brother you just... Stare ahead of yourself. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing – as if you're dead to the world. It can be quite scary, actually."
"I like how you notice things."
"Stop with the flattery, you're still not getting in my bed tonight. I want to finish this paper," she indicated at the long, long parchment, scrawled in the blackest ink, sitting on her desk beside the half-molten candle, "Also, you like nearly everything I do."
"Especially when you get ink on your nose," he said, scratching his own.
"What?" she yelled, then began scrambling quickly towards her mirror, across the hills of books and studies, "You'd have let me give a presentation with ink on my face?"
"And so? You're cute like that. Perhaps that could warm your contestants heart towards you."
"I don't want to be cute," she said with a frown which in his eyes just made her even more adorable, "What I want to be is finally recognised just as much of a scholar as any of them. Which I was, if you recall, in Midgard."
"Speaking of which; perhaps we could take a break sometime," he offered, "And then go and visit your homeland. Surely you must miss it."
"I do. Very much," she agreed, "But don't try to divert the topic. What's up with you and Loki?"
For a moment, Thor considered playing down the entire matter; but who was he to talk with about his worries, if not Jane?
"He's being... Withdrawn these days. And it worries mother. She knows he's up to something, but neither I nor her could get it out of him."
"And as she is worried, you're worried," she sighed, "All right, so unwanted piece of advice – don't be overbearing towards him, Thor. You mean it well, but I doubt that he is the kind to appreciate that."
Thor looked at her in shock.
"You think me overbearing?"
"You can be. A little. Yes," she laughed, her brown locks gaining a golden hint in the firelight as she turned once more towards her papers, "Just leave him be for some time. If he's not being self-destructive. It could be that he's still trying to adapt to his new circumstances. And anyway from what you told me, pestering him rarely brought you the desired outcome, did it?"
"Are you defending him from me? The big bad wolf from the golden prince"
"That better be only mock-hurt on your face," Jane said, flipping a page in one of the thickest books the crown prince had ever seen.
"Why? Is it working?" he asked, leaning in closer towards her.
"Get out of here, you big man-child," she answered, adding in a thrown empty pen-keeper for emphasis, "I have work to do."
None of them came. Not one of those big-faced, wizened, thrice-cursed cream-eater so called scholars showed up to discuss her results.
It was not like she wasn't used to such handling, but it still managed to strike her soul and pride where it hurt the most. "Urgent conference concerning actually important matters," was their excuse.
Loki, who arrived after he saw the messenger leave, looked at her symphatetically as she packed up her things and closed the windows opened only a few minutes ago to let in some fresh air.
Which was unneeded apparently.
"I don't even know what I expected," she fumed, "Just what was I thinking? That I, some measly Midgardian woman could just come and show them that real science doesn't have to be held back by tradition? That change is necessary to step forwards?" she slammed a book shut, "I mean, I get it that they lived already three times my life, but seriously? For people claiming to be the most honourable, they are really... Really... "
"I know."
"And I could just... Ugh!" she groaned, hiding her face in her palms.
"I know," he said once again, at which Jane looked up, her eyes shooting sparks.
"And how would you know?"
Loki smiled at her, flipping in one of the books that contained an intricate illustration of the World Tree which named even the smallest systems.
"You forget that I might have been a prince, but I was never well liked."
"Right," she said, flustered. Loki might have been the one present, but he was not the cause of her current distress, "I'm sorry, I'm just so..."
"Frustrated. I understand. This must have taken months of work and secrecy."
"Jus two," she said flatly, "Much good it does to me now."
"Two?" he looked up, then nodded in acknowledgement, "Count me impressed, but I don't think you should give up just yet. Present it to Odin instead."
"Odin thinks I should just let Thor go and return to my fellow goats in Midgard."
"Ha. Classic him. But he has been wanting to get the Bifröst working again for ages and if your method truly works," he said, tapping at the device's plans she drew, "He'll be eternally indebted to you, whether he likes it or not which you could turn to your advantage."
"I don't know," she shook her head, feeling very tired suddenly, "If the translation is correct, it should but... We're just complete savages compared to the old ones."
"Talk to Thor, then," he said, handing her notes back, as they exited the room, "And he'll talk to Odin."
"I was actually thinking of asking you. Thor lately has a lot on his mind."
"I'm sorry," he didn't sound sorry at all, "But I'd be really pushing my luck."
"Why? You're actually in his good graces now."
"Ah, and that's where the problem stems from. His. Not the councillors. I can barely can get the door to discuss other matters."
"Speaking of which, how are the new reforms coming along?"
"Nicely. We even found a small number of enthusiasts concerning Shifter physiology and treatment, but..." Loki fell silent suddenly, and froze in mid-step. Jane followed his line of sight which led to a small, stunted woman with a wide grin on her face and only one sharp tooth in her mouth.
"I'm sorry Jane, I'm afraid our conversation must here."
"Uhh, yeah. Sure. You just... Go," she finished awkwardly as he was already walking away from her.
"What are you doing here?" the scholar heard the shifter hiss as he grabbed the crone by the arm and dragged her away towards a darkened hallway.
"I have news, Lo'd, and if yeh tea' my th'oat out befo'h I could speak 'em, yeh gunna be the so'hie fo' it," she answered as a matter of factly. Loki pressed down on her arm harder.
"Speak, then."
"My little ones found 'im," she said triumphantly, "The boy, I mean. Fa' fa' away in anothe's kingdom. Easy to get the'. Not easy to get to him."
Thor stretched as he placed Mjöllnir down on a stand, his back popping as he did so. Sif stood on the other side of the field, washing her sweaty face before attending to her sword in need of some honing. For some reason though, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him in a way they rarely did.
Surely she couldn't be that angry about being beaten in a fair match...
He nearly jumped out from his pants as a hand touched his shoulder.
"Thor," Loki said hurriedly, "I'd have words with you."
The man blinked in surprise.
"Now?"
"Yes," Loki said with a frown, pinching his nose, "Now. That is, if you still insist on knowing what business I am about."
"Uh, yes," he said, slowly. Something in his head was thumping. He must have hit it harder than he thought when he fell of the horse, "Just give me a second to clean up."
"Be meticulous about it," his trickster brother answered, "You smell like a pig. No. Wait. That's unkind to the pigs. And yet you gave me a hard time about wet dog smell..."
"All right, all right," Thor groaned, "But if you keep talking, I'll get to you later."
-f
"So?" Thor asked, sitting down as he was scrubbing his hair dry with a towel, "What is so urgent?"
"You can't tell about this to anyone. Not to your bride. I will be the one to tell mother."
"Yes, yes. So?" Loki turned. His face was white as snow, the remains of the scars glinting in the candlelight, but his eyes were ablaze with excitement.
"I have information on the whereabouts of my older son."
"But that's... That's good news, isn't it? Then why all the secrecy?"
"Because, he currently belongs to a trader who meddles in the pit fight business," his brother answered with distaste, "He's a slave per se. And what would an owner do when he learns that someone is looking for one of his slaves? Best case scenario, ransom him. Or he could kill and throw him in the gutter."
Thor nodded, however he felt as if something was something.
Just as Loki said, they could offer to buy the boy. But judging from his behaviour, apparently he didn't even consider that possibility.
"You want revenge, don't you?"
"That... Mongrel went to the lengths of spell-proofing his slaves. That is the reason why I was unable to find him for years. Tell me, would you settle for anything less?"
Thor sighed.
"No. You're right. What would you have me do?"
He wished he could wipe off the crazed smile from his face. He had the bad feeling he had seen it before somewhere.