Author's Note: So this chapter's kinda fluffy. I think. Not familiar with all terms used on this site. I'll get it eventually. Anyway. ENJOY!
Thor paced back and forth frantically. Odin had wanted to wait to try to contact Loki with the scrying stone. Thor so badly wished that he still remembered how he used to communicate with his brother so he could do it himself. When he heard someone on the other side of the door approaching, he straightened and stood next to it, waiting.
Odin looked down at him incredulously. "Thor, what are you doing standing there so early?" he asked. "I was waiting fr you to awaken so that we may attempt to find Loki with the scrying stone." he answered. Odin sighed. "Of course. But your mother has decided that she should train you-or retrain- you to use it again." Thor stared at him, mouth wide open.
"What! B-but Loki...! He is out there somewhere possibly being tortured to death." he exclaimed. Odin held up his hand. "I do not think it necessary to teach you magic, but she insisted that since the stone is originally yours, it would be best if you were the one to use it. And since you have forgotten how, she must teach you again." he said. "But father-" "She is the Queen my son. One day you shall understand that a woman knows best."
Thor looked behind his father as Queen Frigga emerged from the room. "Hello Thor. You are up quite early." she commented. He nodded. "Father tells me that you wish to train me so that I may use the scrying stone." he sai unhappily. She nodded. "It would be best if you did." she said, her tone suggesting that her word was final. Thor just nodded, knowing it would do no good to argue.
"So when do we begin practicing?" he asked. Frigga smiled. "Give me an hour." she said. He nodded, returning to his room to wait.
Loki sat in the snow, basking in the lack of warmth. He looked up when he heard a commotion to his left. He stood, and followed the noise. There he saw an unnaturally small frost rabbit being attacked by three much larger, regular sized frost rabbits. The only thing that was saving the smaller animal was its speed. He glare at the larger animals and took a step forward.
Loki summoned a ball of fire and threw it so it landed next to one of the larger animals, startling it, its desired effect of getting its attention succeeding. Then they turned, snarling and hissing at him. He summoned another ball of fire as one leapt at him and then veered off its course of attack at the force of the heat. The others circled him, hissing at the other frost rabbit.
As another approached him, he hit it with a fireball. It let out a scream, hopping away. Seeing what had been done to their companion, the other larger frost rabbits followed him.
Loki knelt next to the smaller frost rabbit as it tried to limp around him. He reached out and pulled the injured animal onto his lap, stroking its hard, sharply ridged skin.
"You are just like me." he whispered. The animal looked up at him, then went back to chewing on the edge of his shirt. "Yes you are. You are smaller than all of your kind. I bet the ones who did this to you are your family, are they not?" he asked expectantly, gently lifting its leg and examining it.
He smiled when it began to lick his hand as he tore a piece off from the frayed edge of his shirt and used it to tie onto the frost rabbit's leg. The rabbits gnawing had already torn it almost all the way off anyway.
"You know what, I will keep you. I shall name you...Lítt Bjarn-dýr. Or maybe Lítt Bjǫrn for short. Do you like that Lítt Bjǫrn?" he asked. He thought the name suited the little rabbit, since the name meant little bear and the rabbit was little and looked a lot like a bear. Lítt Bjarn-dýr stretched up and licked the god's face as if in agreement, and Loki's smile grew. He almost forgot about the pain he endured on a day to day basis.
"I know I cannot take you inside the castle. Not yet at least. I shall return to you as often as I can to see you. Alright?" he said. The rabbit's whiskers twitched. Loki really hoped that the rabbit would come back so that he could continue to see him, and then eventually keep him.
"Lítt Bjǫrn! You came back." Loki cried happily. He pulled a few pieces of food from the package that he was carrying. Thanos was beginning to allow Loki small freedoms and he allowed him to stay outside for longer periods of time. They were long enough to require food.
Loki smiled as Lítt Bjarn-dýr sniffed at the food being held out to him, then ate from the god's hand. After, he shook himself and laid down on Loki's lap. Loki sat against a rock, allowing himself to relax for the first time in months. As he di so, he released the magic hiding his appearence. Lítt Bjarn-dýr looked up at him, placing his paws on Loki's chest.
"This is how I really look. See, I told you I am just like you. Cast out by my own kind because of my small size. Having no one. But I can promise you that you shall always have me Lítt Bjǫrn. You shall always have me." he closed his eyes, smiling as the rabbit curled up again.
After a week of training from his mother, Thor began to insist that he was able to use the scrying stone properly enough to try and contact Loki. After hours of arguing, Frigga finally relented when Thor told her that the longer they practiced, the more certain he was that Loki was becoming closer to death.
Odin cleared the throneroom, allowing those who wanted to stay to . They all held their breaths as Thor began.
Loki continued to come back to visit Lítt Bjarn-dýr. The frost rabbit was content to just sit on his lap, being fed small pieces of fruit and bread and meat. In turn, the god was just as content to do the same.
While relaxing with his pet, he felt an increasing warmth on his arm. He frowned, thinking that Lítt Bjarn-dýr was urinating on him. 'No. That cannot be possible. The inhabitants of Jotunheim are all cold, even the animals, inside and out.' he thought. He reached under his sleeve and pulled out the scrying glass. He stared in disbelief at the sight before him.
The face of his brother stated back up at him, each shocked to see the other's face.
"Loki! It is you!" Thor cried out. "What has happened to you? Are you hurt? Where are you? Tell us." he demanded. Loki just looked down at him sadly. "I am afraid I cannot do that Thor." he said. Thor stared at him. "What are you saying Loki?"
Loki closed his eyes. "I must do this for Tony. You must understand Thor. I...I care for him." he said. Thor continued to look up at him, unable to say anything. Then Frigga stepped into view.
"Loki, you must tell us where you are. Tony...he is-" "Don't you dare tell me that Tony's life is not worth this. Not worth mine. It is my fault he is dying. I cannot let that happen. I...owe him." he hissed at her. She looked at him curiously. "And what do you owe him Loki?" she asked softly.
"Everything." he whispered.