My first shot at a Thor Fanfiction.

This is set before the first Thor movie.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. All Characters go to their respective owners, the chapter and fic title to Nightwish.

Chapter Title: From Slaying the Dreamer - Nightwish

Chapter One: The lily among the thorns, the prey among the wolves

Oh, the feast. How Loki longed to leave.

It was not that he didn't enjoy a feast every now and then. In fact, he did enjoy them. Just not this particular feast. As a reminder of their victory over Jotunheim they celebrated this particular feast every year. It was always the same. It would start with Odin telling the stories of their victory, and then everybody would hail to the Allfather, and then there would be food and drink for days. But Loki didn't like that feast. It reminded him too much of the conversation he, Thor and Odin had so many years ago. That only one of them could be king. And Loki was sure it would not be him. It would be Thor. Thor, the Thunderer, the bright star on the sky of the Nine Realms. It was not that Loki was envious of Thor for becoming King of Asgard. He only ever felt inferior to Thor, to whom everybody in the Nine Realms looked up in awe, and where there was no place for The Trickster. He knew he was in fact inferior to his brother, and the only one who probably did not notice it was Thor himself. In rank, of course, but not for the rest. Thor treated him more of an equal than the rest of Asgard. Even now, at a feast of all things, Loki, although sitting with his brother's friends, somehow sat apart. Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg were jesting and laughing, yes, even Hogun had the traces of a smile on his lips, and Sif was listening to Thor as he recounted a story Odin had once told him. Loki sat with them, yet didn't join their conversation and was twirling the mead in his chalice, longing for an opportunity to leave. It didn't come.

At some point of the evening, Thor turned to him, "Why the sullen face, brother? Is this feast not to your liking?"

Loki sat the chalice down and smiled a faint smile, "It is, dear brother. I am just tired. Sleep did not come easily to me last night as I was excited to hear the stories of father's heroic deeds again." A blatant lie, but well, this was what gave him his names. The Liesmith, the Trickster, The Sly One. So give them what they wanted.

Volstagg patted him on the shoulder so hard he almost lost balance, "Ah, Loki, just wait. Soon you will hear about your brother's conquests during our feasts. When he becomes King of Asgard he will have his own tales to tell. Friend Thor, when is it going to be?"

Thor downed the contents of his chalice, "Soon, my friend. In fact, I have only now started to look for the perfect queen to be my partner as I inherit the throne." All eyes including Loki's immediately turned to Sif. Of course, the shield maiden, fair Sif, would be the perfect queen. Even Thor must have finally noticed it. "And you, my friends, my brother, will help me conquer this woman."

Loki frowned, but Hogun asked, "Why would she need any conquering?" It was obvious that Sif held feelings for Thor, even if she hid it well behind her armour.

"Well, the bards tell that Brynhild needs to be fought."

Loki almost laughed, "Surely you are joking, brother. Brynhild? The Valkyrie?"

"That very woman, Loki." Thor down another chalice of mead. "In a few days, I will travel to Midgard and ask Brynhild's hand in marriage. And I want you all to accompany me like you have done so often before. You, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral and Sif."

The Warriors Three cheered, even Hogun, but Loki waved them silent, "But Thor, are you aware that she has never been bested in combat before?"

"What combat?" Fandral asked. "Loki, tell us what you know." He shushed away the woman who was currently tending to him. "I must admit I do not know a lot about Brynhild apart from what you hear in the Bard's song. Tell us the story, Loki."

Loki was painfully aware of the eyes that rested on his lips. He took another sip of mead and started, "Brynhild is the fairest and strongest of the Valkyrie. Ages ago, the Allfather asked her to decide a war between two kings. He had his favourite, but the kindhearted Brynhild decided against his wishes. For that, the Allfather punished her. She was condemned to sleep for all eternity. A man called Sigurd, awaked her and promised to take her as his bride. However, he left soon thereafter. I do not know why. Odin decided to let Brynhild stay awake, but, still as a punishment, ordered her to ask every man who would ask her hand in marriage had to best her in three combats: throw a spear, throw a boulder, and jump over that boulder. The first to best her would be her rightful husband. The men who lose will die. So far, she is still unmarried…" He didn't add what everyone on the table should know by now; that every man who fought Brynhild had died. No man had lived to tell the worlds about what she looked like, what she sounded like. The songs about her however told of the fairest beauty, combined with strength no mortal had ever seen. "There are rumours that she will wait for Sigurd. Thor, trying to go there and beat her is insane."

Fandral laughed, and again Loki had to brace himself against a pat on the shoulder by Volstagg. "Ah Loki, for you it might be. She would not even have to try hard to beat you." Volstagg turned to Thor again. "When are we leaving?"

Thor dug into his plate as he spoke, "Of course I will have to ask the Allfather first, but I doubt he will refuse my request. After all, to have the Valkyrie marry his son and the future king of Asgard would assure her obedience. And he knows that I will best this woman."

"I doubt this woman will be obedient to a man who can conquer her body but not her heart." The heads of the warriors turned to Sif. "Loki has already said it: she might be a warrior, a Valkyrie, but she got herself into this situation because she let her heart speak, instead of following the Allfather's orders. This is a heart that will not be conquered with spears and boulders."

Loki had to admit Sif had made a good point, although he sincerely doubted Brynhild would be kind-hearted against the son of Odin. Loki had not much experience when it came to love, but he found it hard to believe any heart could be won in a battle. Although the Midgardian kings seemed to have made that a key factor in marrying their daughters off.

Sif added, "But of course, if you decide to go to this Midgardian Island to ask her hand in marriage, I will go with you."

"And so will we." Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral said in unison. And Fandral added, "And if you lose, I might ask her myself."

Thor laughed, "You might want to try first, then, because I will not lose." Then he turned to Loki, "Will you go with me as well, brother?"

Loki nodded and placed a hand over his heart, "Of course, brother." He could not let Thor go alone, not even with his friends. If Brynhild ever won this battle, it might be his silver tongue that saved his brother and the warriors and Sif from a certain death. If the Valkyrie's heart could not be won with violence, it could maybe be melted with sweet words. That was what Loki did best. He was not a fighter, not like the others, but he could talk. Talk his way out of any situation, like with the dwarves when they asked his head in return for Mjölnir. "It will be an honour for me to walk with you as you meet your future wife."

There were cheers all over the table and Thor raised his chalice, "To my future wife." The others joined in; only Loki hesitated.

Days later, they gathered outside to be transported to Midgard. They were all in full armour except for Loki; he had figured out a while ago that his heavy armour only hindered him in a fight where he could easily evade danger with the use of his magic or even just his agility. But the rest of them were fully clad, Fandral and Thor had even had their armour and weapons polished by the looks of it. Of course, on an island where only women lived, Fandral would have his fun.

Now Thor stepped towards Heimdall who greeted him, "Thor. The Allfather has given me orders to send you to Midgard." He smiled, "May you be lucky. She is a beautiful woman."

Of course Heimdall had seen her.

"What is she like?" Thor asked.

Heimdall turned around, "Her hair is long, the colour of gold and silver. Her eyes are green. Her body is worthy of being turned into the body of a Goddess."

The men, except for Loki, laughed. Loki however asked, "What else can you see?"

Heimdall smiled, "She has spirit. Much like our lady Sif. She is a skilled fighter, and if I can detect one weakness, it is archery. She is intelligent and well-read, polite and well-mannered. A woman fit to be Queen of Asgard. If you can win her heart, Thor, you are a lucky man."

The men cheered, and Thor replied, "Then let us not waste time, my friends." They held hands and waited for Heimdall to send them to Midgard.