Chapter 5 – Apprehensions
Thor and Tony entered a great hall, empty but a man standing in the middle. The man carried a short curved sword balancing on his left foot, holding his right foot out in the air. As Tony was about to let the man know he was not alone anymore, the man turned swiftly on his foot, swinging his sword around like it was part of his body. It was almost a dance, but Thor knew better than that. Every movement was intent on hurt and kill, should there have been people to hurt and kill.
"Vali, honestly, you show off." Tony said smirking, noticing his newest guard was quite impressed with his masters of arms. Vali said nothing, but bowed. When he straightened his back, he looked at Thor. He took in Thor's body, but lingered his stare on his eyes the longest.
"So ehm… This is Thor, he will be joining my personal guard, father's orders and all that." Tony said, uncomfortable with the long silence. "I would like to ask you to train him, if you can?"
"No." Vali said.
Both Thor and Tony stared at him with their mouths open. Thor was shocked. So ok, this man was a true genius in swordsmanship, but really to decline to train him before he had even seen what Thor was capable off… How rude.
"I'm sorry, I must not have heard you correctly, you've taken on every man I've thrown on you and now you decline? Have you seen this man's arms? He would be great, he wou.." But Vali cut him, the prince, short.
"He cannot kill."
"What?" Tony asked, not sure what Vali meant.
"He cannot kill. His style in fighting is different then mine. Every man you've, as you said, thrown at me was blank, a clean slate. Clean slates are easy to write on, but this man has a full slate. He can already fight, it's a different style to mine. My style is intent to end every battle with death, we rarely fight till blood is drawn, and even rarer for show. This man" and he points to Thor. "fights like the man of the north, where they'd fight to protect. This makes him a perfect guard, as he'd throw his body willingly between you and your assailant, whereas I would rather kill the man going after you, forgetting possible other assaillants. You've found a great guard." Vali looked at Tony now. "Plus he can't kill, I saw it in his eyes. This man cherishes life more then anything else, he's seen death, he's seen hurt, he will avoid fighting if possible. Which makes him an admirable human being." He sighs. "I will not taint him with my fighting style, which, as I've pointed out, is intent to kill someone."
Thor is not really sure how to react to that. Was that a compliment?
"Okay, wow, did not see that coming…" Tony said. "Would you at least try and find someone who can establish his strength, because, yeah Thor looks strong and I know he is, but father needs more than just that."
"I will battle him, with wooden swords, and give word to your father afterwards. IF he can last longer than the last man you matched against me." Vali said. He then walked to the far wall, placed his short sword against the wall, and grabbed two wooden swords laying on the floor.
"Thor would you be so kind to show me your skill?" Vali asked, handing Thor one of the swords. Thor nodded his head. He would love to show this man what he had been taught when he was a little kid. While Loki was being tutored by their mother, his father demanded his elder son to know how to protect himself. Living in the North meant people from across the border could always come and try and take the lands. Odin had hired the best tutors to teach Thor and he had been quick to pick up the style of his tutors.
Vali paced back a few steps, turned to Thor and inclined his head. As Thor did the same, the man rushed at him at a speed Thor knew he could never match. But speed wasn't everything, he would just have to endure until he could find an opening.
As Vali tried to place several blows on Thor's body, which Thor was able to dodge, Thor moved his eyes over Vali, trying to find an opening. It took maybe a minute or two, but Vali's blows already lost their strength and speed. Some of them had scratched right past Thor, and would these be real swords, several shallow cuts would've covered Thor by now. In one quick and powerful blow, Thor held his sword in one hand and as he blocked and pushed away the hands and sword aimed at him with his one free hand, he twisted around Vali, holding his sword high giving Vali a light blow with the flat side of the sword.
"Very well indeed." Vali said, chuckling. "You would have managed to knock me out, if you had wanted, even with the wooden sword. That would've given me an impressive headache for a week, I thank you. I do hope though, that when someone assaults you with actual ill intent, you put enough force behind it to knock them out? And if someone goes for the prince… I hope you'll twist that sword just a bit and spare them from the torture they'll get in prison… But like I said, I don't think you have it in you." Vali shook his head. "In all my life I've never been bested with wooden swords. All men Tony had matched against me left this hall with bloodied noses, a few splinters maybe, but never victorious. I would like to rematch you some time, but till then I have to inform your father "and he turned to Tony "that his son has a formidable new guard." And he left the hall.
"Oh. My. Ra." Tony chuckled, patting Thor on the shoulder. "That… was amazing!" He grinned a toothy smile. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Thor shrugged. "My father had tutors teach me, said it was every man's duty to protect those he loved. Where we used to live… there were many attacks on our village, so my father wanted me to be prepared."
"So that's why you're so protective of your little brother?" Tony asked, but didn't wait for the answer as Thor gave him a sharp look. "Come, let's celebrate and drink!" And he steered Thor outside, under loud protests of 'already? It's still early!' and 'you think that's wise?'
ooOOoo
Back in Abydos a dark man, alone, on a horse had just discovered multiple things. First off all, the hurt Thor and Loki used to share was empty. Loki was sorely missed by the local baker, who wished to know how the little fellow fared as well. But the man had been able to tell him Loki had left, to where, he did not know. A woman he'd normally avoid told him he was on his way to Thebes, to find his brother, in return of a copper coin. Rhodey dropped his shoulders. A man with almost no food or drinks leaving for Thebes…. On foot. He had not seen anyone that fitted Loki's description on his way here, and with the blistering sun… He was almost sure Loki would either be dead, or near dead in the next city, trying to scramble for food.
Rhodey asked the baker to tell Loki, should he return, that his brother is well in Thebes, and that he was going to return in a month to pick him up.
On his way back he constantly looked around him for signs of the man, despair growing with every hour. How was he going to tell Thor that his brother was most likely dead, caused by Thor's departure? It was because he was looking around him so well that he notices his assailant just in time to dodge the arrow aimed at his head.
"Whew! Almost had ya!" The man shouted. "Give me a break, I never miss, it must be because it's two days since I last had something to eat. Now be a good man and give me your food, drinks and money, maybe even your horse, and I'll let you live!"
"The notorious Hawkeye… what poor sod did you steal last from? A poor rich salesman perhaps, defenseless? Or maybe a woman… you always tend to pick on the ones not able to defend them! Why then I ask did you pick on me this time?" Rhodey countered, unsheathing his short sword.
"Just because you have a sword doesn't mean you're dangerous. You lot at the palace think themselves so high with your washed clothing and pretty swords, but it's not going to save you from an arrow between your eyes. And it was a poor bastard who was going to die in the desert anyway, he didn't had enough food to even make it to Thebes and all he had to trade was his pretty eyes, but that won't do you good in the desert now does it?" Hawkeye, or to his friends Bhar-Thon, except he didn't had friends, grinned.
"Sorry, did you say 'pretty eyes'?" Rhodey asked.
"What? You're looking for pretty face with emeralds? It was a dude! Though that never stopped you palace-folk before, now did it?" Hawkeye sneered.
"I'm merely looking for him as a request." Rhodey answered. "Now then, if you want to earn yourselves some honest money, and avoid a fight, you'll show me where that was and who knows I may get you something to eat and drink something as well."
"That's a pretty good offer you have there. I'm not sure I could fight you, on an empty stomach. Plus it's not that far from here…" Hawkeye thought it over. He actually didn't enjoy fighting, but it was all he was good at and he had to get his food from somewhere. "You have yourself a deal, no follow me." And he turned his horse as Rhodey followed him. Rhodey wasn't stupid though and he kept a constant eye on the notorious thief. He knew the man wasn't known to kill his victims, so he figured he could at least try and get results without bloodshed.
Bhar-Thon figured, after he showed the man where he had last seen the raven-haired man, he might as well follow Rhodey a little further, he needed to trade his coins for beer in Thebes anyway. And in the desert it was known it was best to travel in pairs unless you wanted to die solo. Rhodey didn't mind, Hawkeye had by then packed his bow on the back of his horse, though the constant lingering of his hand on his chest insinuated a dagger for emergencies was present. When they stopped for a little rest later, Rhodey found horsetracks, and a lot of moved sand. Something had been going down here, but he wasn't sure what. He did find something remarkable though. Hidden in the plants near was a neatly, but old, folded papyrus. He looked at the names written on the outside in elaborate handwriting and saw it was Thor's… and Loki's. There was no mistake. Loki had been here, but seeing the sand, the horsetracks. This might have been a group of robbers, or maybe some wilde horses ran him over. No sign of blood or bodies in the immediate area was found though, so Rhodey decided either Loki made it, or he had been taken by the robbers.
Hawkeye told him he was going on further alone, as he couldn't been seen with a palace guard, he had a reputation to think off. Rhodey was fine with that and without further delay headed to the palace.
ooOOoo
In the palace garden Tony was getting stupidly drunk, while this time, Thor remained as sober as possible. He would not celebrate anything anymore until he had word on his brother. He had tried to pry the glass out of Tony's hand as he was starting to act as drunk as he must've been.
"Tony, please, it's starting to get embarrassing.." Thor tried.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" a loud, demanding voice asked.
When both Thor and Tony looked up, he saw the pharaoh standing there with two guards around him. "I came to congratulate you on your new able guard, and here you are, getting drunk while being familiar with him as if he's equal to you." He yelled at Tony.
Before Tony could answer anything, he turned to Thor. "And you! How dare you not bow in my presence, you call your prince 'Tony' which is both demeaning and disrecpectful. From now on you will not talk to your prince, unless it's absolutely necessary and when you do you'll address him as 'your highness'. You will keep a good distance from him, far enough to not hinder my son, close enough to oversee him. Understood?"
Thor bowed his head. "Yes your highness." No point arguing, he was the pharaoh after all. He stepped to the wall, looking at nothing in particular, keeping his head up high.
"Tony, you ought to spend your time with the courtesans I send you. They are from high families, each and every one of them groomed to be an excellent wife, should you wish them to be so." The pharaoh shook his head, disappointed. "If you know what's best for him" and he pointed to Thor. "you will not talk to him unless necessary, talk to the girls instead." And the man, the insufferable harsh man, left leaving a grumpy Tony behind. He looked at Thor, who dodged his stare by looking to the far end of the garden, and sighed. With guards around every corner, some of them placed by his father to keep an eye on him, it would be impossible to interact with Thor now, without getting the tall blonde man into trouble. The blonde man winked though and Tony grinned. Yes he indeed liked his new friend.
Unknown to Tony, Thor would suffer a punishment in the shape of a whipping later that night, at order of the pharaoh, for that one insolent wink he thought would go unnoticed by the other guards. As he lay on his bed later that night, with his back covered in cuts and bruises, Rhodey entered his room. The sight told him all he had to know, as his back was covered in small little scars as well.
"I see Tony got you in harm's way already…" he sighed. "More bad news I'm afraid. Your brother tried and followed you. He made it pretty far, but either he got taken by robber, or he's dead. He didn't get to Thebes though… the city guard would've remembered someone with eyes as his, as you and the man that did see him claim he owns. I'm sorry." And he left, leaving a healing balm next to the bed.
It was only later that he remembered he had the papyrus, placing it on his own desk, thinking he would have to give it later, when Thor was up again.
A/N Wow, and entire chapter without actual Loki… and he really is a main character… Hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless.