Disclaimer: I only own my OCs. Any other characters belong to their respective owners.
God knows what is hiding in this world of little consequence
Behind the tears, inside
the lies
A thousand slowly dying sunsets
God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts
Guess the loneliness came knocking
No one needs to be alone
―Birdy, 'People Help the People'
Chapter Five: Catalyst
"So you understand now just why this is so important, and why it is imperative that you avoid the fight?"
Randar let out a long, tired sigh and flopped down onto the bed. This was far more complicated than he had expected. "Do you really believe it will work?"
Kaehra hadn't moved from her spot by the desk, but her head rested in the palm of one hand. The pain had mostly faded and her muscles were less tense, allowing herself to fully concentrate on the task at hand. At least she had stopped shaking. "Yes." She said. 'Or at least I hope so...' She thought.
Randar watched the muscles in her jaw tighten. It was a small thing, and only very brief but his sharp eyes caught the movement. "You're not telling me something."
The muscles clenched even more. "No, I am not." Kaehra replied in a voice that left little room for argument. "But it is better that way."
"You think I will do something foolish."
"You always do." Randar scowled at this. "But that is not why I chose to keep certain... parts of this to myself."
Kaehra shifted in her seat so she was facing the window instead of Randar, muscles shaking slightly as little twinges of pain worked their way down her spine. It wasn't as bad as it was before, but that didn't mean she didn't still ache.
She opened on of the drawers of the desk and took out several rollsof parchment, a silver inkwell and a red quill pen.
Kaehradipped the quill into the inkwell and guided it to the paper. Soon, neat curlicues covered the page. Within minutes, the surface was covered in words written in a language Randar knew to be Asgardian. He was passable at speaking and writing it, and his knowledge of the language of his homeland was enough to get him by. Kaehra however excelled at it, as she did with many other tongues of Midgard and the realms outside it.
Soon, several other pieces were covered, then rolled up into two identical rolls. Kaehra blew on each parchment, and the paper seemed to shimmer for a moment. She tied each with a pale blue ribbon and handed both scrolls to Randar.
"I trust you know where to take these."
Randar blinked. "Are you sure? With things the way they are, to get those two involved would be..." He said, trailing off.
"Dangerous?" Kaehra said, turning to face him once again.
"I was going to say foolish, but sure, dangerous will suffice."
Kaehra was silent for a long time. "I want them to know what has happened in case anything goes wrong."
Randar's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't like the way she was talking. It sounded like she was expecting her own funeral. "So you will not ask them to fight?"
"No."
Randar was growing tired of her cryptic answers but took both messages, albeit reluctantly. "You should go soon. It's nearly midday and I assume you made plans to visit the Midgardians again."
Kaehra nodded as she rose to her feet. Her legs trembled a little, and she inwardly snarled. She hated, no loathed it when she was so weak she could barely stand. Randar twitched, fighting the impulse to spring off the bed and steady her but that would most likely end with him in pieces on the floor.
"Should I bring you some medicine?" He asked, one dark eyebrow raised quizzically.
She shook her head. "I will be fine."
"I assume you will leave as soon as you bathe and get dressed. Your current attire isn't exactly suitable." He said, a smirk adorning his face as he gestured to her ruined, bloody clothes.
"I suppose so." Kaehra said. "I'm not sure when I will return. Just deliver the letters and do as I said."
"Fine. You know how to find me. Just send for me and I'll be there."
Kaehra sent him a pointed look. Did he expect her to fail? She was in a pitiful condition right now, sure, but she wasn't dead yet! Frowning, she said hollowly,"You should leave soon if you expect to make it to Aldcrest by tomorrow evening."
Randar let out a sigh. Aldcrest, the city where Kaehra's two rather secretive and often eccentric informants lived, was far away, located near the border between Midgard and Asgard. It was difficult to reach from this end, and he would have to enter through several passageways between the realms. It wasn't necessarily a difficult journey, just tedious and long. And then he'd have to deal with the two insufferable people Kaehra just had to go and chose to be her closest allies. If it were up to him, Randar would have just thrown the two imbeciles off the Bifrost. But apparently that never worked out well, if the rumours were to be believed. "Damn prince." He muttered under his breath, along with a rather... unsavoury string of words that would have made even the Allfather blush.
Kaehra raised a quizzical eyebrow, but ignored him nonetheless. She walked, or stumbled, rather, over to her closet in the corner of the room. It was mostly empty, but still held a few articles of clothing and some of her weapons and other possessions.
And apparently a pair of Randar's old trousers.
She didn't know how they got in there, and she wasn't sure she wanted to.
"Randar." She called, tossing the offending article of clothing at him.
His head shot up, only to receive a face full of fabric. "Yes?" He said, clawing the material off.
"Leave." Kaehra's voice was firm and left no room for argument.
Begrudgingly, he complied. As he walked by Kaehra, he grabbed her hand and pressed a bulky, paper-wrapped package into her palm before curling her fingers around it."I trust you know what to do with this." He said, before turning to he window.
Flesh gave way to speckled, brown feathers and bones shifted and shrunk. Turquoise eyes grew sharp and shrewd as they lightened into a pale amber. A small, curved beak opened to let out a long, piercing cry before extending tawny wings and flying out the window.
Kaehra's mismatched blue eyes followed the hawk. Her fingers were still wrapped tightly around the package. It was no longer than the palm of her hand, and half as wide. The brown paper that covered whatever it held was crinkled and worn, as if it had seen better days. Long fingers hesitantly unwrapped the paper.
She swore. "Honestly," She huffed, "Does he think of me as a child?"
Nestled in the paper was something that made her raise her eyebrows. Theitem, a longsilver whistle the length of her thumb on a simple black cord, was familiar to her. A summoning whistle. It was the very same one Kaehra had given it to Randar on his tenth birthday. When it was blown, it's sound rang clear and loud, but only to the one who blew it, and the one meant to hear it.
She scoffed at the gift. She was fully capable of protecting herself, or at least casting a summoning wind. The sentiment behind it was heartwarming, but unnecessary. Randar worried far too much. Kaehra just liked to be prepared.
She tossed the whistle onto the desk, where it landed with a rather loud, satisfying clunk. The sound was ignored as Kaehra turned back to the closet and stripped off the fabric that could hardly be called clothes anymore with a grimace. Her body was covered in grime and scrapes that were covered with old, crusted blood. She supposed it could have been worse.
By the time Kaehra boarded the Helicarrier, or so the Midgardians called it, bathed and dressed, it was a little past midday. She felt much better as her muscles no longer antagonized her. The sun was bright and harsh, but warming and clothed everything it touched in buttery yellow and golden hues.
Her leather boot clad feet touched the metal floor, not making a sound. Kaehra was dressed in black leather pants, a long-sleeved white shirt and a black lace-up corset under her bust. On her arms were her silver forearm guards and two belts were cross-crossed across her waist. The silver whistle hung on it's cord around her neck, the cold metal a comforting sensation against her skin.
She was silent and unmoving for a while as she stared down the long, dimly-lit hallway she had found herself in. Was Randar truly right? Was it foolish and suicidal of her to offer her support to the Midgardians? Surely it was better for her to offer her help and perish than to sit back and do nothing and the world collapsed around her.
The thought made her head ache. It was true that Asgard was her homeland and her birthplace, but she would never return. Or at least she doubted that she would. Midgard was her home now, along with Randar. If it were to be consumed by war, there was no guarantee that she could protect Randar or complete her goals.
There was nothing she could do. If she died, so be it. She had given up much to make it this far, and would gladly take the risk if it meant keeping her loved ones safe. With her gone, Randar wouldn't feel the need to stick to her like a barnacle to a rock. He would be free. 'That's what he wants, isn't it? That's what you want, for him to be happy.' The internal argument made her cringe. Wasn't the choice simple? It was clear what what best for Randar and Midgard, so why wouldn't her mind follow?
'Maybe you don't want to die.' A voice called from her head, slippery and cold. It was often that snippets of conversations of the past would worm their way into her mind, past ghosts haunting her, old lovers chastising her. And then there was the voice, this voice, constantly telling her to give up and stop fighting, to just break down.
'Would they do the same for you?' The voice hissed.
That was a silly question. It wouldn't matter if Randar or the other people she cared about, no matter how few, would sacrifice themselves for her sake. That wasn't their job; it was hers'.
'Don't you want to be selfish just this once and see how it feels to have no responsibilities, consequences be damned?'
'Not when the consequences could hurt the ones I love.' Kaehra snapped back angrily.
The voice let out a snort of disbelief before it was silent.
While Kaehra would never admit it to anyone, she found the voice unsettling. The way it knew what she was thinking, the way the voice crawled and slithered down her spine reminiscent of something dead, it made her shiver. Every living thing had that voice inside them, challenging their every move and telling them what to think, what to do. Kaehra's was simply more... demanding.
When her feet began to move, taking hesitant steps that grew into confidant strides, her mind knew where they would carry her. When she looked up, her eyes met curved glass, dark leather and green eyes.
The two Asgardians watched each other, neither gaze wavering. Loki was the first to speak. "It surprises me that you visit me so soon after our last conversation."
"I told you I would."
"So you did."
Silence.
"You have my attention now. What did you wish to ask me?" Kaehra's voice was emotionless, just like her face. She would never admit just how much the man unsettled her. Unlike the voice that taunted her, he was tangible and she had a good reason to fear him, but at the same time, she wasn't sure what he was about to do. The way Loki's emerald eyes watched her every move, calculating and daunting, made her want to run away and never come back. But she couldn't. She'd made a promise. She had a responsibility.
There it was, that smirk. That 'I could rip you apart, limb from limb before you could even lift a finger' smirk. That smirk that reminded Kaehra that this was a man who truly believed he had nothing left to lose, that he had lost everything.
"Such an innocent face..." Loki said.
Kaehra said nothing. Randar had always teased her about her 'baby face' and how she could look so childish and faultless as she killed a man with her bare hands. She was never fond of the comment.
"But such innocence is an illusion. It masks pain and regret and knowledge about something that has not a shred of innocence left in it." He said, a feral grin growing on his face.
Still, she said nothing.
"Answer my question." He commanded.
"Ask me no questions and I will give you no answers." Kaehra said placidly.
Loki let out a short bark of laughter. "I suppose I didn't. But I am correct in my assumption, am I not?"
Kaehra didn't like the way his eyes seemed to turn over ever rock and stone, looking for something about her that would make her cringe. A dangerous game they were playing, and she had started it.
"I'll take your silence as a confirmation." He said, stepping away from the glass where he was nearly touching it. "But what is this? Where is your confidence and bravado that you showed me the last time we spoke? Was it just an act?"
"Circumstances have changed."
"Oh? Have they now? Last time I checked, I was still sleeping in a glorified fish bowl aboard a metal castle in the sky. What has changed?"
"Nothing for you."
Loki laughed once again. "Or perhaps you are scared. Of what? Me?"
"I would be a fool not to be." Kaehra bit back. She was loathe to admit her fear, but the prince reminded her of one of the Midgardian dogs that could supposedly smell fear. Could he smell hers?
"That you would be. But were you not the one to enter the lion's den and offer him your neck?" He sneered. When Kaehra remained silent, he continued. "But your curse... Ah yes... Something's changed, hasn't it? Just hours ago, you reeked of black magic and now," He paused, "Now I cannot sense it."
Kaehra fought off the urge to shiver. The way his eyes raked over her, judging her, looking for a weakness, it made her feel naked under his gaze.
"Are you toying with me? Perhaps I should just watch you as you quiver in fear as I take away everything you love to show you what happens when one goads me." He sneered.
Although she knew there was no possible way Loki could have known about Randar, his face still flashed through her mind, along with several others. Kaehra let out a low growl. It wasn't often that she was riled up but once threats were made towards the ones she protected, there was no crevice Loki could hide in to save himself from her rage.
In a flash her hand was around Loki's throat, pressing him him against the glass so that he couldn't move. Her hand was loose but firm, reminding him that while she wasn't squeezing now, she could.
"Did I strike a nerve? Love," Loki spat, "What a foolish sentiment. Useless."
Kaehra's hand tightened almost imperceptibly around his neck. She would have to strangle him with all the strength she possessed to truly harm the prince, but it was causing him discomfort nonetheless.
"The way you speak, it's as though you have never felt love." Kaehra said softly.
"Maybe I haven't."
Kaehra scoffed before releasing him and returning to her place on the other side of the glass with a small breeze. His hand touched his neck gingerly. "If you truly believe you have never felt love, I pity you. You are too blind to see what you have lost." She said.
"I don't want your pity." He snarled. Kaehra was suddenly reminded of a cornered beast, kicking and hissing in a last attempt to escape.
"I will give it anyways."
Loki laughed. Kaehra narrowed her eyes. The way he switched emotions so easily was disconcerting. He could be spitting threats one moment and then grinning the next. She was done being scared, but his actions sent shivers done her spine, not for the first time. "What a broken little songbird you are."
Kaehra froze. "I am nothing of the sort."
Loki raised one dark eyebrow in question. "Is that so?" Kaehra was silent, her eyes downcast. The was he had so easily read her made her uneasy. "You came to me to beg me to give up the Tesseract so that innocent lives would be spared. You hold no interest in the Cube but you still ask me to strike a deal in which you will receive nothing in return. And your curse," Kaehra flinched at the mention of it, "I doubted you wanted to show me something such as that. I goaded you, but you only reacted when your loved ones were mentioned. So I wonder," Loki said, long legs carrying him to the clear glass. He pressed his hand against the cool barrier as he stared at Kaehra, "Just what have you endured to become like this? You would willingly sacrifice yourself so that someone else would benefit, and yet you insist you are not such a broken little thing."
Kaehra was silent but her eyes were cold and the muscles in her jaw were tensed. "And yet you still say nothing." Loki continued. "Such a pretty little songbird in a gilded cage. Have you convinced yourself that what you do is right and just? Is that why you would willingly walk into the fire just to offer your neck. So what is the reason? Love? No, I think not. Sentiment would make you a weak, simpering mess and not this... this woman who would sooner jump from the Bifrost than take something for herself."
"Do not speak of things you know nothing of." She whispered.
"Then by all means," Loki said, grinning as he gestured towards himself, "Enlighten me."
Kaehra's mouth hardened. "I may have been a fool the last time we met, reckless and impulsive, but I am not so much so that I would spill my secrets to a man who kills for sport and takes pleasure in watching others squirm. I am not so easily manipulated."
The prince laughed. If it were any other person or any other time, Kaehra would have said she enjoyed the sound. But he wasn't another person, and this wasn't a different time. He was Loki, prince of Asgard and war was brewing. "No, you are not." He said. "But I suppose that is what intrigues me. You are like a game to me, but one not so easily won. And when I win, and I always do, I will break you and pry you apart. All of your secrets will be mine." He said, that smirk plastered to his handsome face. There was no denying that the prince was handsome, but he was someone who could kill her without a moments notice.
"Why are you so fixated on me? There are others in this realm, and on Asgard, who would be much more suited to your whims."
"That may be so, but few intrigue me such as you do. Rarely am I presented with someone who would dare look me in the eye without flinching. I feel as though I know you, although I cannot place your face."
"So I am simply entertainment? A game like that will not be so easily won."
Loki grinned. "No, it will not. I look forward to it."
While she was loathe to admit it, Kaehra realized that she and Loki had been speaking almost civilly. Perhaps the prince was insane, but he could just as easily be misguided. She was the same after she left Asgard. Shouldn't she be able to understand him? She had wanted revenge and had watched as all of her ideals and morals vanished in front of her just for her misguided brand of justice. Wasn't Loki the same?
Kaehra opened her mouth to reply, but her words froze in her throat as the telltale sound of the door sliding open cut through the air. It seemed their conversation would be cut short. Her blue eyes flickered to Loki's, conveying a silent message that they would continue their conversation later.
Heavy footsteps thudded in the hallway, growing steadily closer. Loki let out a soft sigh of annoyance. His green eyes betrayed nothing, but Kaehra was sure he knew just who was approaching, and was less than pleased by his -she assumed it was a man from the loud, clunking steps- appearance.
Even as the footsteps grew louder, Kaehra's eyes never left Loki's face, much like his. The two stood staring at each other, neither speaking a word.
The footsteps stopped.
Kaehra turned to meet the person who Loki was so adverse to meeting, and immediately regretted it.
A gasp of disbelief filled the air, nearly deafening to her ears.
Kaleidoscopic eyes met clear blue before travelling over an all too familiar face. He was older, of course. It had been years since they had last seen each other. His golden hair was longer, reaching his broad shoulders. He was muscular in every way, large and bulky. His mouth was parted in surprise and his strong jaw was covered in a scruffy-looking stubble.
"Thor." She gasped, unable to stop the word from escaping her traitorous lips.
With that, Kaehra found Thor's muscular arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace. He was so much taller than her now, her head only barely reaching his chin. His face was buried in her hair, trying to make sense of her.
Kaehra's mind was frozen and refused to function. Why was he here? Why now? Did he remember her? Dozens of questions flitted through her mind.
"Kaehra." Thor murmured. "I thought you were dead."
All Kaehra could do was blink in reply.
Author's Note: I think my favourite part about this chapter was the conversation between Randar and Kaehra. I think it's the way Kaehra is so relaxed and free with him when they talk. But yes, Thor has appeared and Loki's got a new obsession... Kinda. I just want to say thank you to all you beautiful people who reviewed. You inspire me to write, so keep giving me comments! Also, thanks to all the people who followed and favourited this story. I give you all virtual high-fives and cupcakes!