Thread by @thekingofmyths

Thorki Viking AU w/ witch!Loki

Thor was only five years old when he first met Loki. He had heard tales in his village of a wicked witch who lived deep in the woods, that would lure in people and curse them. But some tales said the witch would help you in exchange for a price.

So with what little money his mother had saved, Thor wrapped his fur coat around himself and headed into the woods.

He didn't know how long he walked, but he was exhausted and on the verge of passing out when he finally spotted a little cottage next to a river.

The cottage was covered in vines and greenery, and there was a giant garden in the front with plants blooming and flourishing, allowed to grow as they please.

The cottage felt very...loved and cared for.

It definitely didn't look or feel like a witch lived there.

But regardless, Thor was tired and needed somewhere to rest, so he walked up and knocked on the door.

It opened, to reveal the most beautiful person Thor had ever seen.

The man had long flowing black hair, pale skin and vibrant green eyes.

He wore a green dress with intricate designs in gold and black woven in. A belt was tied around his waist where a small pouch rested, and on the other side of his waist, attached to the belt, was a sheathed knife.

"What are you doing here, child?" he asked, glaring down at Thor.

"I've been traveling all day," Thor replied back, looking down at the ground, "And I'm really lost and I'm tired and hungry."

"Ah, I see. Well, I suppose you may come in and rest."

The man let's Thor in and offers him some food, which Thor devours.

Thor takes a nap on the rug in front of the fireplace and when he wakes up, it's dark outside, but the fireplace was still blazing and lighting the room a bit.

The man is sitting in an armchair, his eyes on Thor.

"You really shouldn't be so trusting of strangers, boy."

The man gets up and crouches down, tending to the fire blazing in the fireplace.

"Haven't you heard the Tales of the Witch in the Woods? How the witch will kidnap and gobble up any naughty children who stray too far from home?" he scolds, narrowing his eyes at Thor.

"Yes, but...my momma is really sick," Thor says and suddenly, the tears he'd been holding in for days start flowing and he can't stop them, "And-and the healer said she's gonna d-DIE! I don't want her to die!"

Thor sobs unabashedly, terrified of the prospect of his mother dying.

The man leans forward and wraps the boy into a hug, "Shhh, it's alright. It's going to be alright."

It takes a few minutes of the man rocking Thor in his arms and soothing the boy with his words, for Thor to calm down. He's still crying, but definitely much less than before.

"Some of the tales said that...the Witch in the Woods can help with anything for a price. So I thought...they could help my momma," Thor admits, sniffling and wiping away a few tears as he did.

"So they do," the man said and gently places Thor into the armchair.

"I suppose I'll help you," the man sighs and snaps his fingers, the entire room suddenly lighting up in an instant.

Lighting up with /magic/.

Thor gasps, "You're the witch!"

The Witch isn't what Thor had expected - he seems..nice. And looks normal. And very pretty.

"I am indeed and you're lucky the stories about me kidnapping children aren't true or else you'd be dead," the Witch says, "But it is true that I sometimes help people. And I will help you cure your mother. I promise you, she won't die to whatever ails her."

"You'll help? Really? Thank you!" Thor exclaims and rushes over to the Witch, hugging his legs.

"Yes, you're welcome. Now shoo, I need space if I'm to make medicine for your mother," the Witch gently nudges Thor off of him and back towards the fireplace.

The rest of the night, the Witch works in the small kitchen, mixing various ingredients into a large pot before boiling it over the fireplace.

In the morning, the Witch takes a glass bottle and pours some of the red liquid from the pot into the bottle, before corking it.

"Mix a drop of this into her food every morning and she should recover in a few weeks," the Witch tells Thor, handing him the bottle.

Thor takes it and carefully places it into the small bag he brought with him, the bottle clinking against the few coins inside the bag.

The noise suddenly reminded Thor - the Witch needed payment for helping Thor.

"Um...I have a little bit of money...I dunno if it's enough," Thor offers the coins to the Witch, who chuckles.

"I'm afraid I have no use for coins, my dear boy. I require something else as payment."

"What is it?" Thor asks.

"Oh, it varies from request to request, but for you..." the Witch hums, looking lost in thought before turning to Thor and smiling, "There is no price, this time. That bottle I gave you is normal medicine, not magic. So there's no need to pay me."

"Now, go run along back to your mother," the Witch says, making a shooing motion at Thor.

The Witch escorts Thor outside of his cottage and Thor begins to walk off, before turning back around and looking back at the Witch.

"Um, thank you, again, for the medicine."

"A potion like that is no bother to make, there's no need to thank me," the Witch scoffed. "Now go on. You've spent enough time here, I'm sure the whole village is looking for your by now."

Thor doubted that, but he smiled and nodded, beginning to walk back into the forest.

He had only walked a few steps when he suddenly turned around and said, "You know, you're a lot nicer and prettier than everyones says you are," before running into the woods and back towards his village.

"Little brat," the Witch muttered, a light blush dotting his cheeks.

He walked back into his cottage, where the pot above the fireplace was still full of the red liquid (potion, medicine, whatever).

"I hate kids," Loki said, even as he knew his statement was far from the truth. It was more accurate to say he hated the way kids made him /feel/.

Soft, maternal, /nice/.

He wasn't nice! He was the wicked Witch of the Woods! He cursed anyone who crossed his path! He seduced men and ruined them for anyone else!

But children...they were Loki's weakness. He would always help a child in need, if it was in his power.

"I suppose I could give this to the village down south, so it doesn't go to waste," Loki mumbled to himself as he corked up more bottles of the potion until the pot was empty.

Loki hadn't been lying to the boy when he said the potion was no bother to make.

Did it take time and many ingredients? Yes, but Loki could afford it.

But Loki had lied about it being magical. It required a few magical ingredients, but Loki could always find more of those. There was no need for the boy to pay any price for a few plants Loki could recollect.

Besides, the smile on the boy's face when Loki had given him the potion to cure his mother, was all Loki had needed as payment.

It'd be another 12 years until Loki and Thor met again, but this time, Thor would have to pay a price to get help from Loki again.

Thor is 17 when he seeks out the Witch's help, again.

It's the middle of winter, and the land is frozen, a thick layer of snow covering everything.

It's been a very bad season and Thor's village is starving (although Thor knows the jarls and his earls weren't).

No one has died yet, but Thor is afraid soon someone will.

So Thor wraps his fur coat around himself and heads into the woods.

He finds the cottage much easier this time, suspecting it probably had to do with him not being a child anymore.

The cottage is exactly the same.

Vines and greenery wrap around it, and the garden is still blooming, albeit the plants are all covered in snow and frost.

It's beautiful.

Thor walks up and knocks on the door, suddenly feeling uneasy and anxious.

What if the Witch won't help him this time or worse, curses him?

But then the door opens and there the Witch stands, still just as beautiful and stunning as before.

(Thor can't help but notice that he's now looking /down/ on the Witch, even if he's only taller by a few inches)

"Oh, it's you," the Witch says, his eyes widening.

"Come in," he says, walking back inside the cottage and waving Thor in.

"Do you...remember me?" Thor asks once he's entered and standing awkwardly in the middle of the cottage.

"Of course. Your mother was dying and I gave you a potion to help her," the Witch replied back.

He sat down in the single armchair next to the fireplace, which was blazing strongly.

The Witch narrowed his eyes at Thor. "Now tell me, what would make you seek me out, again?"

So Thor told him. About how his village was starving while the Jarl and earls ate like pigs.

How Thor needed to do something before someone died, so he had gone to the one person who had helped him before, when he had no other option.

"I can help you..." The Witch said after listening to Thor's story, frowning. "BUT I require payment this time."

Thor had expected that.

He'd had a feeling that asking for the Witch's help in feeding Thor's village wouldn't be as a simple as a potion.

"What do you want?" Thor asked, taking the bag he'd brought with him and taking the contents out. He knew the Witch didn't want money, so he'd brought other things.

Jewelry, furs, books, whatever he could find in his and his mother's house that he thought the Witch might like.

The Witch looked over the contents of Thor's bags and was silent for a few moments, before glancing back up at Thor and smiling.

"I'll take that."

The Witch pointed to the talisman Thor wore around his neck - a present he'd received from his mother after succeeding on his first hunt. The talisman was silver, with a dark red gem in the middle that supposedly would protect him on future hunts and bring him good luck.

"What? No!" Thor grips his talisman in his hand, holding it possessively.

"While the things you brought me are very nice, I'm afraid they're not adequate payment for what you're asking me," the Witch says.

"But...why do you want my talisman?" Thor asks.

"Why not?" the Witch replies back, shrugging, "If you don't want to give it to me, fine, but I won't help your village with their little food problem if you don't."

Now Thor was beginning to see where the Witch got his reputation as being wicked.

Thor had no other choice.

He sighed and took his talisman off, handing it over to the Witch.

He was attached to the necklace and what it meant, but if it was the price Thor had to pay in order to feed his village, then so be it.

"Thank you," the Witch smiled.

He took the talisman from Thor and immediately wore it around his neck, the gem resting delicately on his chest.

He looked...really beautiful with it.

Thor felt his cheeks warm as he realized how nice the Witch looked wearing Thor's talisman.

Thor cleared his throat, ignoring the heat in his cheeks, "Are you going to help me, yet?"

"Of course. You paid me, so it's only fair that I help you. But it will take me a few days," the Witch said. "Go back to your village and when I'm done....well, you'll know when I'm done."

Thor left the Witch's cottage and returned to his village, without his talisman and still no clear solution to his villages food problem.

It's not that he didn't trust the Witch, but...he just wondered what on earth he could do to solve this kind of problem.

A few days later, Thor wakes up in his room and finds a small bag sitting on the floor in his bedroom, a note tied to it.

He opens the bag and finds a wood carving of a deer, and a corked bottle with a bright yellow liquid inside.

'Find a clearing and bury the carving in it, then pour the potion over the spot. The effects should last for a week,' read the note in neat handwriting.

The Witch's handwriting, Thor assumed.

Thor followed the instructions, going to a nearby clearing and burying the carving.

Then he poured the potion (which smelled horrible) over the spot he'd buried the carving.

He waited.

Nothing happened.

He waited for another hour, but when still nothing happened, he growled angrily and walked back home.

It hadn't worked! The Witch had lied!

Thor stewed in his anger for a few hours, doing menial tasks around the house and helping his mother.

Then, in the middle of the afternoon, Sif burst into their home with a smile on her face.

"Thor! Come quick! I just found a whole herd of deer!"

Thor followed her and lo and behold, there was a massive herd of deer in the clearing where Thor had buried the carving.

The Witch...hadn't lied.

Thor supposed maybe the potion had needed time to work it's magic.

He suddenly felt ashamed for assuming the Witch had lied.

With Sif and a several other people in Thor's village who were strong enough, Thor was able to hunt down many deer over the next week.

And when the week was over, the herd disappeared, only a few deer remaining behind.

Thor's village didn't starve that winter.

There was a grand feast when the week was over and while most of his friends were busy getting drunk the first night of the feast (because they never lasted 1 day), Thor snuck away.

He found himself in front of the Witch's cottage, which was a beacon of light in the dark forest.

Thor knocked and smiled when the door opened, revealing the Witch who frowned.

(He was still wearing Thor's talisman)

"Back so soon? Did the carving not work?"

"No, it worked! We have enough to last the winter, maybe more," Thor said, still smiling. "Thank you!"

"There's no need to thank me. You paid me for my help and I did a service for you in exchange. It's just business, boy," the Witch scoffed.

"I have a name, you know. It's Thor."

"I don't really care. The spell worked, so you have no reason to be here anymore. Goodbye-"

The Witch attempted to close the door in Thor's face, when Thor shoved his foot in the doorway to stop him.

"Wait! Don't you want this back?" Thor asked, holding out the small bag that had previously held the carving and potion.

The Witch sighed, "If I take it, will you leave?"

Thor nodded and the Witch snatched the bag from him, before finally slamming the door in his face.

"Thank you, again," Thor said from the other side of the door before walking away and heading back home.

"Finally, he's gone," Loki sighed and tossed the bag his dining table.

It made a very noticeable /thunk/ as it hit the table.

Loki frowned and walked over, opening the bag, his eyes widening in surprise at what he saw.

Food; meats, bread, fruit.

Thor had snagged some food from the feast and given it to Loki as thanks.

"Brat. His people need this more than me," Loki muttered, a blush appearing on his face.

He didn't know why Thor thanked him, why he was so grateful for Loki helping him and would go the extra step to give Loki something that wasn't involved in the agreed payment.

No one else did that. As soon as Loki gave them what they sought him out for, they'd leave (wanting to have nothing to do with Loki) and never return.

But Thor had come back, even when he hadn't needed to...so he could thank Loki.

That night as Loki nibbled on some of the sweet fruit, he had a feeling Thor would seek Loki's help again someday.

Although "someday" wouldn't be for another 8 years.

Thor's 25.

As he's gotten older, the rumors he once heard about the Wicked Witch in the Woods have become less...innocent.

Not that tales of a Witch kidnapping naughty children who misbehaved were innocent, but they were more appropriate to tell children and teenagers.

But Thor's been fully recognized as an adult and sometimes when he's in a tavern, he'll catch a drunken group whispering tales to each other about the Witch.

How he lures and seduces men into bed, ensaring the men into his spell, ruining them forever for anyone else.

How the village's own Jarl was once seduced, but his love for his wife was able to overcome the Witch's spell. The Jarl banished the Witch to the Woods and made sure the creature would never be allowed to set foot into the village again.

Thor's not sure if he believes the tales.

His memory of the Witch was a bit foggy, but Thor definitely remembered how beautiful and ethereal the Witch was (he hadn't seemed to age much either the 2 times Thor had visited him).

He looked even prettier wearing Thor's talisman.

(He wondered if the Witch still wore it)

Thor could see how a man could come across the Witch and easily be seduced, but Thor had a feeling it was less magic and more just the Witch himself (and how most young men in Thor's village would rut against anything that could get them hard).

Even so, Thor was a bit...apprehensive the next time he sought out the Witch. He wasn't scared, but he had no idea how their meeting would go or if the Witch would help him, again.

(He wasn't scared of being seduced. Probably)

He hesitated before knocking on the cottage door.

The cottage was still the same as ever, which eased some of Thor's anxiety.

But when the Witch didn't answer the door right away, Thor became anxious, again.

He tried knocking again.

Nothing.

He peered into the window next to the door and saw that the cottage was dark inside.

Was the Witch not home?

Well, that was...fine. Thor could wait until he returned.

A few hours later, the sun began to set and it was quickly becoming night.

And the Witch still hadn't returned.

Thor suddenly started to panic. Did the Witch not live here anymore?

Or had something happened to him?

Thor knows his village, nor any of the surrounding villages said good things about the Witch.

Had someone sought out the Witch, to try and harm him?

A strong feeling of rage came over Thor at the thought of someone harming the Witch.

Thor wouldn't let anyone get away with hurting the Witch-

"Thor?"

Any anger and panic in Thor faded away at the sound if his name being called by a familiar voice.

He turned and saw the Witch standing a few feet away from him, a surprised expression on his face.

He wore a cloak over his usual clothing and held a basket in one of his arms - clearly he'd been out traveling somewhere.

He looked...tired, but unharmed.

"You're ok!" Thor exclaimed, walking over to him and was about to pull the Witch into a hug, when he was stopped.

The Witch outstretched his arm, placing it on Thor's chest, "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. But clearly, you've spent too much time out here. Come on inside."

Thor dutifully followed the Witch into the cottage, watching as the Witch took hung up his cloak and set the basket down.

He was still wearing Thor's talisman.

Thor was glad, although he wasn't sure why.

"Go sit, while I put this away," the Witch said, gesturing to one of the chairs around the dining table.

"Where were you?" Thor asked, watching as the Witch took various items out of the basket.

Bottled potions, jewelry, and small cloth bags that Thor couldn't figure out what they contained.

There weren't many and the Witch had put the items away quickly before turning back to Thor. "I was in the west village, selling my wares."

So...the Witch /did/ travel to villages.

It was...odd to think about, since Thor had only ever seen him in his cottage, but it made sense.

Except...

"I thought you didn't accept coin in exchange for magic," Thor said, recalling what the Witch had said to Thor when they first met.

"Oh, I don't," The Witch said, "Nothing I sell when I visit villages are magical. They're just things I make in my spare time. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to sell a few so I could earn a little extra coin to spend, even if I don't need it. And it's just...fun."

"Fun?" Thor repeated.

The Witch chuckled, "Believe it or not, Thor, it does get rather boring out in the forest. I don't exactly have many visitors and you're the only person who has come back and who I expect to. Going out into the villages gives me a chance to socialize."

It was very interesting to learn about what the Witch did outside of his little cottage, but there was one part of his explanation tha stuck with Thor.

"I'm the only one who's come back?" Thor asked.

"You're not the /only/ one, but as of late...yes," the Witch sighed.

"I'm afraid most people are still scared of me, even after I help them, so they never returned. I expected you'd do the same, but then you...kept coming back," the Witch looked down at the ground and placed his hand over Thor's talisman, probably unaware of his actions.

"I'm not scared of you...at least, I don't think you'll curse me or anything," Thor admitted, "And you were the only one who could help me during a life or death situation. I was afraid you wouldn't help me sometimes, but I've never been afraid of /you/."

"You should be," the Witch chuckled darkly, "Afterall, you don't know what I'm fully capable of."

"Maybe, but...if you wanted to harm me, you probably would've done it by now," Thor replied back.

The Witch frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, "I could still curse you."

Thor suspected the Witch attempted to look menacing, but the way he pouted was too cute to be scary.

"I would prefer it if you didn't, since I came here to ask for your help, again," Thor said, suddenly remembering the reason he was here.

"Putting a curse on you would be too much effort, anyway," The Witch muttered and sat down at the table across from Thor, "Now, what do you need help with this time?"

"You were at the west village, so I assume you've heard of the dragon that's been terrorizing the area."

The Witch sighed and nodded, "Surtur. He's been in hibernation for years, but now he's finally awakened and is helbent on killing or chasing off everyone in the land. I tried talking him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. And some of my clothes were burnt for my effort."

"I'm glad you're ok. I've heard that several warriors have already perished trying to defeat Surtur," Thor said and sighed, "You see, the Jarl in my village is sick and dying. His heir died a few months ago, so he declared that whoever can slay Surtur will become the next Jarl."

The Witch's eyes widened, "You want to slay the dragon and become the next Jarl?"

"Yes...and no," Thor sighed, "I just want what's best for my village and I don't want some spoiled brat of an Earl to become the next Jarl."

"How very noble of you, Thor," the Witch said.

"What is it that you want me to help with, then? I'm not going to slay Surtur for you, that's for sure," he continued.

"No, I don't expect you to. I just want...some magical help to make sure I don't die trying to slay the dragon," Thor said.

The Witch was silent for a few moments, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Thor.

"Alright, I'll help," he eventually said, sighing.

"Thank you. What do you want in return?" Thor asked, used to this part by now.

"Your coat," the Witch said, gesturing at Thor's gray coat, "And when you slay the dragon, I'd like to harvest it's body and keep some of it."

"That's acceptable," Thor said and shrugged off his coat before handing it to the Witch.

"I need to make a few preparations, so you can go home for now. Pack whatever you need and get some sleep. I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow morning," the Witch said, escorting Thor out of his cottage.

"Thank you, for helping. I know it's a lot," Thor said.

"Like I've said before, there's no need to thank me. You're paying me to help you, it's as simple as that," the Witch shrugged, and nudged Thor towards the forest, "Now go. You'll need rest if you're going to attempt to slay a dragon."

Thor did as the Witch told him to and packed a traveling bag for himself with whatever he thought might be useful.

In the morning, his mother and friends sent him off, wishing him good luck and giving him extra supplies and a few gifts as well, to hopefully help him.

He felt a bit bad about not telling them he was receiving the Witch's help on his quest, but he wasn't sure that'd reassure them. (Plus he'd never told anyone he'd had help from the Witch before and he knew it wasn't the right time to reveal that yet, if ever)

Thor said his goodbyes to them and headed out towards the Witch's cottage. He was surprised at what he saw when he arrived.

Two horses, reigned and sadled, obviously ready for travel.

But what was most surprising was the Witch, who stood beside them.

He was wearing Thor's coat (which actually didn't surprise Thor that much), but the usual robes and dress he wore were gone, replaced with a simple tunic and leggings.

Clothing more fit for travel.

"Ah, Thor! Finally! I've been waiting all morning!" the Witch said.

"Sorry, my village wouldn't let me go without saying goodbye," Thor said and then gestured towards the horses, "Um, why are there two?"

"Oh, because I'm coming with you," the Witch replied back.

Thor stared at him in shock, "What? I thought you'd just give me a magical item!"

"Well, I could," the Witch said, "But this is a dragon, Thor. A very big, angry and dangerous dragon which could kill you. I would quite prefer it if you didn't die, so I'll come along to make sure you stay alive."

Thor couldn't really argue with that, it was just...unexpected.

He wasn't entirely sure what would entail while he traveled with the Witch and what would happen when they took down the dragon, but he was excited!

And also-

"You'd care if I died?" Thor asked, smiling.

The Witch paused as he attached a bag to one of the horse's saddles.

"No, I'd just prefer it if you didn't die, so I can receive my other end of the deal," he explained with a scoff. "Now get over here and tell me what you brought."

Thor showed the Witch the bag he'd packed and the sword he'd brought with him.

"I didn't know you owned a sword," the Witch commented.

"Well, I didn't, until this morning. It was given to me by the local blacksmith as a gift, to help me slay the dragon," Thor explained.

Loki narrowed his eyes at the sword, which Thor had handed to him to examine.

"This is a very well made. Quite expensive too. Seems like an awfully generous gift," the Witch finally said.

"I'm...friends with his daughter," Thor admitted, chuckling sheepishly.

"Ah, well that makes much more sense," the Witch said, handing Thor back the sword.

The Witch and Thor both made some final preparations before climbing on top of the horses and heading out towards the West village.

They were both quiet as they traveled. They didn't have a map since the Witch apparently had memorized the journey, after traveling so much.

But eventually the quiet was too much for Thor and he figured now was a good time as any to ask a question that'd been on his mind.

"You know...I've known you for most of my life, but I still don't know your name. Do you even have one? Or is "the Witch" actually your name?"

The Witch was silent for a few moments before he said, "I do have a name, but...no one's ever asked me before."

"I guess I'm the first then," Thor said smiling, "May I ask what your name is?"

"Loki. My name is Loki," the Witch-no, Loki said so quietly, Thor almost didn't hear.

"It's nice to meet you, Loki. You have quite a beautiful name," Thor said, still smiling.

"Shut up, Thor," Loki muttered, but Thor didn't miss the small smile and light blush on his face.

The rest of their trip was quiet, Thor and Loki sharing banter occasionally.

When night fell, they set up a small camp in a clearing.

They ate some of the food they'd packed and sat around a fire Loki had made (which Thor had been impressed by when he'd seen Loki easily conjure up a flame in his hands).

When they'd finished and before they headed off to bed, Thor pulled Loki down onto the cool grass to stargaze.

Loki said it was a waste of their time and they'd be better off sleeping, but he still laid next to Thor and pointed out different constellations.

"Thor...may I ask you something?" Loki eventually said.

"Of course, anything."

"You're from the central village, correct? Which means Odin Borson is the Jarl?"

"Yes, those are both true," Thor said, unsure what Loki was getting at.

"You know that means when you become the next Jarl, you won't just be in charge of your village, but all the surrounding ones as well?" Loki asked.

Thor sighed, "Yes, I know."

It was common knowledge that when Odin was young, he'd set out to conquer the land.

And conquer he did; taking over all surrounding villages and claiming them in his name.

The villages would still have their own Jarl who oversaw things, but ultimately they would yield to Odin. In exchange, Odin would help with any troubles or problems that happened.

"So you know that if you slay the dragon and Odin names you his successor...all that responsibility will fall to you," Loki said, sitting up and glancing down at Thor, "Are you prepared to take on that responsibility? Not just your village, but the ones around it?"

"I know and I'm prepared," Thor sighed, sitting up as well so he was eye level to Loki, "I'm just the simple son of a farmer, I was never trained to lead. but if were to become the next Jarl, I'd make sure to look our for everyone, especially the common folk."

Loki smiled and placed his hand on top of Thor's which lay in the grass, "You're a good man, Thor and I know you'll be a great leader - better than Odin. And I'll make sure to help you become the leader you're meant to be."

Thor enveloped Loki into a hug, "Thank you, so much."

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to slay a dragon first," Loki joked, pushing Thor off of him. "And I suggest we get some rest now. We have a long day ahead of us."

Thor nodded and they both retreated to the tent they'd decided to share ("safety in numbers" Loki had claimed).

In the morning, Thor woke up with a warm and heavy weight in his arms.

He looked down to see that Loki had rolled off his sleeping mat and was peacefully asleep in Thor's arms.

Thor smiled and pressed a kiss to Loki's forehead.

He wished they could stay like this forever.

Loki woke up around an hour later (an hour Thor spent just gazing at Loki and relishing having the witch in his arms) and gently pulled away from Thor, groaning, "Ugh, gross. I can't believe I've been cuddling with a viking"

Thor wasn't bothered by Loki's words.

Because Loki didn't seem genuinely angry or disgusted at waking up in Thor's arms. He just seemed to be plagued by the same grumpiness some people had in the morning, no matter how much sleep they got.

"Good morning to you, too," Thor replied back.

"Yes, morning. Wake me up in another hour," Loki said, flopping back down onto the ground and pulling the blanket over him.

Thor chuckled and stood up, climbing out of the tent.

He'd let Loki sleep some more, while he tended to the horses and checked their supplies.

Loki came out of the tent a little while later with a frown in his face, but he looked much more presentable and ready for the day.

There was no mention of how they'd woken up together as the two of them ate breakfast and packed up, which was fine with Thor.

They still had a few hours until they reached the west village and they made small talk as they traveled. Which was mostly Thor sharing stories of him and his friends adventures when Thor was a little younger, although Loki shared a few tales of people seeking his help.

But there was a question that had been in the back of Thor's mind since that morning.

Loki mentioning Odin last night...it had reminded Thor of the tales he'd heard.

Of how the Witch of the Woods had seduced Odin before he broke free and banished the Witch.

Had Loki really seduced Odin? Had Loki been banished from Thor's village because of that? Was Loki even the Witch in the story or were the tales referring to someone else?

Were any of the tales even true?

Because if they were, well...it'd be rather ironic.

It'd be ironic for Thor Odinson to befriend the same witch that had apparently seduced Odin.

That was partly why Thor didn't want to ask Loki - because Thor didn't want to admit his connection to Odin. He wasn't sure how Loki would react to finding out Thor was Odin's son.

Thor hadn't been raised by Odin (since Thor had been the product of an affair) and had no love for the man, but...what would Loki think, if he found out?

Thor didn't want to ask and end up ruining whatever relationship they had been developing on their journey.

It didn't feel like the kind of thing he could easily bring up, either - whether or not Loki seduced Odin and got banished later for it.

Because if it was true...Thor could imagine it was a sensitive topic for Loki.

So Thor didn't ask Loki.

It didn't matter if the tales were true or not because Thor's feelings for Loki wouldn't change.

The witch had been a part of Thor's life for so long and he'd always been kind, generous and willing to help Thor.

Thor would still be Loki's friend, no matter what would happen!

Eventually they reached the West village and it became quickly obvious that the dragon -Surtur- had recently been here.

The village was in ruins; smoke filled the air, most of the buildings had been burned down or destroyed and the streets were completely empty.

"The people have already fled and are hiding out towards a nearby lake," Loki said, "Surtur lives in a cave up in the mountains. We should head there and set up a camp nearby."

Thor had no arguments with that.

They took a small break and let their horses rest before continuing.

The closer they got to the mountains, more and more of Surtur's destruction was revealed. The entire forest at the base of the mountains had been burned down, barely any life remaining.

When they reached the mountain, Loki led them to an old path that would help them climb up.

The path eventually led to an alcove high up in the mountain and apparently was very close to Surtur's cave.

They set up a camp there and ate food from their supplies, before going over their plans to slay Surtur.

The best way to take Surtur out was to go for his heart.

A dragon's scales were impenetrable, which made them difficult to kill since they were covered in scales. But it wasn't an entirely impossible task and they did have their weak spots; namely their underbelly and the underside of their neck.

Which meant Thor and Loki's best options were to either behead Surtur or pierce his heart.

Loki said they should aim for Surtur's heart, since he would fall dead once it had been pierced, whereas his head would take longer to get rid of.

They went over their plans a few more times before they headed off to bed, so they could get plenty of rest tomorrow for when they took on Surtur.

The next morning, Thor once again woke up with Loki in his arms, but this time he woke Loki up.

There was no playful banter as they prepared for the day.

They went over their plan one more time before heading further up the mountain.

They left most of the horses and their supplies at their camp, bringing only whatever weapons and tools they'd need to help slay Surtur.

They hadn't walked for very long until they reached a massive cave entrance in the side of the mountain.

An entrance big enough for a dragon.

"Are you ready, Thor?" Loki asked as he stood by his side.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Thor chuckled. "But I'll admit, I'm...scared."

"You'd be an idiot not to be scared. Surtur is a force to be reckoned with. But don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me," Loki said, reaching out to hold Thor's hand.

"I so trust you, Loki. With my life," Thor smiled, taking Loki's hand in his own.

Together, hand-in-hand, they entered Surtur's cave.

Loki led them through as they walked deeper inside and the darker it got.

They made their way through multiple tunnels connecting different sections of the cave, until they eventually found where Surtur had made his nest.

And in the nest, sleeping soundly, lay Surtur.

Loki had explained to Thor earlier - the older dragons got, the more sleepy they needed for longer amounts of time.

Surtur was most likely taking a nap, but he was still sound asleep and it was a perfect time to attack.

But before either of them could make a move and strike, Surtur suddenly opened his eyes and spotted them.

He was awake in an instance, letting out a furious roar and lunging towards them.

Thor and Loki immediately separated heading to opposite sides of the cave.

Things went according to plan, at first.

Surtur went for Loki, which Loki had predicted he would ("He'll be mad at me for coming back a second time," Loki had explained earlier.

Surtur attempted to breathe fire onto Loki, but Loki was unaffected by the flames.

And while Surtur was distracted, trying to burn Loki and so confident in his fire, Loki quickly took a small pouch from his belt and threw it towards Surtur's face. It exploded as soon as it touched the dragon, and the dragon roared in agony as it was blinded.

That's when things went wrong.

Surtur lashed out and his powerful tail struck Loki /hard/, sending him against one of the cave walls with a loud crack.

He crumpled to the ground, motionless.

"LOKI!" Thor screamed and began to run towards him, when Surtur stopped him.

While Surtur had been blinded, he could still use all his other senses and he sent a blast of fire in Thor's direction.

Surtur's aim wasn't exact thankfully and Thor managed to narrowly escape the blast, hiding behind a few boulders on the side of the cave.

Thor needed to get over to Loki and make sure he was ok, but he couldn't do that unless Surtur was out of the picture.

Thor picked up a small rock near him and tossed it over to the entrance of the cave.

Surtur, relying on his hearing, immediately followed the noise.

Thor took the chance to pull out the magical item Loki had given him earlier, then came out of his hiding spot and crept towards Surtur.

He must've made some sort of sound or perhaps the dragon smelled his scent because when Thor got close enough, Surtur turned on him.

Surtur lunged at Thor, intent on sinking his teeth into Thor, but before he could, Thor threw the item he'd been holding - a small chain with rune stones on either end.

The runes on the stones glowed and the chain enlarged, wrapping itself tightly around Surtur's jaws.

Surtur began attempting to claw the chain off, but to no avail.

Thor knew the chain would only hold for so long though, since Loki had told him that when he'd given the chain to Thor earlier.

He'd have to strike now, while Surtur was blinded and temporarily muzzled.

Surtur was struggling, clawing at the chain, attempting to free himself and occasionally rammed into a cave wall in the process.

Thor ran up to Surtur, sword in hand, fully prepared to strike the dragon.

But Surtur, in his struggles, batted Thor with one of his giant claws.

Thor was tossed a few feet away and fell to the ground, dropping his sword in the process.

He heard something snap and looked up to see that Surtur had managed to free himself from the chain.

He let out a growl and turned, his gaze landing directly on Thor.

Clearly Loki's blinding spell had worn off by now.

Thor attempted to get up, but Surtur was faster, slamming one of his claws down on him, holding Thor in place.

Surtur reared his head back, to prepare to blast Thor with fire when the cave suddenly shook and the ground rumbled.

Giants pillar of ice erupted from the ground and slammed directly into Surtur, knocking him over and releasing Thor from Surtur's hold.

"Thor, now!" Loki yelled from where he was leaning against the cave wall before he collapsed, truly unconscious this time.

Loki had used what little strength he'd had left to cast the ice spell and to free Thor.

Thor, ignoring the pain in his body, stood up and grabbed his sword where it lay on the ground.

Surtur was still on the ground, trapped underneath some ice pillars that had collapsed.

Surtur's soft underbelly was exposed and Thor wasted no time, raising his sword before cutting into Surtur's chest, where he knew the dragon's heart lay.

Surtur let out a roar of agony as his heart was pierced before he fell silent.

Surtur was finally dead - Thor had slain him.

Thor dropped his sword and completely ignoring Surtur's body, slowly walked over to where Loki lay.

There was blood on the ground surrounding Loki and Thor carefully examined the witch, eventually finding that Loki was bleeding from his head.

Which wasn't good.

Thor ripped off a piece of his cloak, bandaging the spot before gently lifting Loki into his arms.

Thor carried Loki out of Surtur's cave, and eventually made it back onto the mountain, where it was raining heavily.

Thor shielded Loki from the rain as best he could and began walking down the mountain back to their camp.

He was soaked through and cold by the time he reached their camp, and carefully set Loki down on one of their sleeping mats.

Thor immediately found the bag of healing potions Loki had brought with them and eased some of the liquid down Loki's throat.

He stripped Loki of his wet clothing and put him into dry fresh clothes, then replaced the makeshift bandage on his head to replace it with a real one.

Loki stayed unconscious throughout it all and Thor tried to ignore the worry and panic rising in him.

Loki was a witch with magical powers and abilities! Surely he healed and recovered quicker than humans.

Thor tended to his own injuries in an attempt to take his mind off Loki.

It was still raining a few hours later when Loki eventually woke up.

"Thor?"

"Yes, I'm here," Thor said from where he sat besides him. He hadn't left Loki's side once.

Loki groaned and attempted to sit up, Thor immediately reaching out to help him.

Loki ended up leaning against Thor and while it put a bit of pressure on Thor's chest (where he suspected he had a few broken ribs), he was fine with it.

"Is Surtur dead?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Thor answered bacm simply.

Loki suddenly let out a sob and gribbed onto Thor's shirt.

"I'm so sorry, Thor! I was supposed to help you, but in the end I just ended up being useless and I put you in danger," Loki cried into Thor's chest.

Thor wrapped his arms around Loki, hugging him tightly, "No, Loki, you weren't useless. If it weren't for you, I would've died."

"The spell you used to blind Surtur and the chain you gave me, were just enough to hold him off until you cast that ice spell. I know I wouldn't have been able to last nearly as long without you. And I definitely wouldn't have been able to slay Surtur," Thor admitted.

Loki was still crying, but Thor's words seemed to have calmed him down.

"I should be the sorry one. I asked you to help me, but you got hurt and almost died because of me," Thor sighed, "I wouldn't able to live with myself if anything happened to you."

Loki was silent and Thor began to worry he'd fallen unconscious again when he finally spoke.

"I...think I need to lay back down. My head is starting to ache."

"Y-yes, of course," Thor said and helped Loki back down onto the mat, placing a blanket over him.

"Thor, it was my choice to help you. I could've said no, but I didn't because I know you're a good man, with a good heart, and you'll be an amazing leader," Loki said, smiling as he looked up at Thor, "Neither of us need to be sorry. We're both alive aren't we?"

Thor couldn't help but smile back at Loki, "Yeah, we are."

They spent the next day resting in their camp and tending to their injuries (Loki's healing potions doing most of the work).

Thor was still sore and he had a feeling Loki's head injury wasn't fully healed by the second day, but Loki insisted on going back up to Surtur's cave to harvest the dragon's body before it began to rot.

So they both headed back up the mountain to Surtur's cave.

Surtur's body was laying exactly where Thor had left him, when they reached the cave.

Despite still being injured, Loki immediately got to work, occasionally ordering Thor to help him with something or the other.

It took two days to harvest the dragon, but somehow they managed.

Thor had to force Loki to rest every few hours and when night fell, Thor managed to convince Loki to sleep if he moved their camp from the alcove to Surtur's cave.

(But thankfully Thor was able to convince Loki not to sleep in the part of the cave where Surtur's body was.)

When they finished harvesting the dragon, Loki began to focus solely on the dragon's scaly pelt that they'd previously skinned.

Before, Loki had told Thor all the uses of a dragon's body part as they dealt with them, but now Loki was silent as he worked with Surtur's pelt.

He refused any of Thor's help, shooing him away and all Thor could do was watch as Loki worked.

It took Loki another 2 days until he had finished.

The end product was a large cloak.

Surtur's black and red scales covered the outside, shimmering in the light.

The inside was lined with a red fabric Loki had pulled out from one of the bags he'd brought with him. He'd sewed an intricate design of vines and leaves on it, all in gold.

It was beautiful.

"This is yours," Loki announced, holding the cloak out to Thor.

Thor could only stare at Loki in shock, "W-what do you mean?"

"This cloak is for you. It's fire resistant, will keep you warm in the cold, and no weapon can break it," Loki replied as he placed the cloak over Thor's shoulders, "It will protect you from any harm."

"Loki, I-I don't know what to say," Thor said in disbelief.

"You could always start with 'thank you'," Loki teased.

Thor stared down at the cloak, running his hands over the surprisingly smooth scales, "Thank you, Loki...I...I don't deserve this."

Because he really didn't.

It wasn't a part of his and Loki's agreement, yet Loki had spent 2 days putting all his energy into making it. For Thor.

"Of course you deserve it Thor," Loki smiled, "You slayed the dragon, it's only natural for you to take some sort of trophy home to show proof of your deed."

"But...we agreed you'd be able to harvest the dragon and keep all of it," Thor reminded him.

"Maybe, but this a cloak befitting for only a true and good leader," Loki said, "So consider this my gift to the new Jarl."

An incredibly generous gift, if you asked Thor.

"Well...thank you, Loki. I'll wear it with pride," Thor said, smiling down at him, "And I'll make sure to be a leader worthy of it."

"I know you will be," Loki said and hugged Thor.

Thor hugged back, wrapping his arms around Loki and holding him close.

They eventually pulled away and smiled at each other, their eyes meeting.

It was in that moment that Thor had the sudden urge to lean down and kiss Loki.

It was a strangely natural realization.

Of course he wanted to kiss Loki because...he was in love with Loki.

Loki was beautiful on the inside and outside - he'd never turned Thor away and even if he'd been a bit prickly sometimes, there was a gentle and kind nature underneath his hostility.

It was hard not to love Loki and Thor had no idea why he hadn't realized it sooner.

But...he couldn't tell Loki. Not yet. It wasn't the right time. Now that Surtur had been taken care of, they'd have to return back home and Thor would present himself to Odin, to hopefully become his successor.

And...Thor wanted to make his confession to Loki special.

The next day, they packed all their supplies (Loki somehow fitting all of Surtur's various body parts into the bags he'd brought) and headed back down the mountain.

The village was still abandoned as they passed through it, but Thor saw a few signs of life - a deer, a rabbit.

Their trip back to Thor's village was uneventful and quiet. Which was good because Thor used that time often lost in thought, figuring out the best way to confess to Loki.

They reached Loki's cottage first, dropping off Loki's stuff and the horses Loki had gotten for their trip.

Now was Thor's only chance.

"Loki, I...was wondering if you'd come to my village with me?" Thor asked, after helping Loki put his things away.

Loki let out a laugh, "And why would I do that?"

"Well...I would like for you to be there when I present myself to Odin."

"I'd rather not," Loki sighed, "Crowds aren't really my thing and I know how you lot are. I have no doubt there will be a week long celebration when you're announced as the next Jarl."

"Then, how about at the end of the week?" Thor asked, hoping Loki would say yes.

Loki was silent for a moment, his brows furrowing and his hands fidgeting in that familiar way Thor knew meant Loki was thinking and planning.

"Alright, I suppose I could visit your village at the end of the week," he eventually said.

Thor and Loki agreed on a time and place (midnight at the abandoned house on the edge of the village) to meet before Thor headed back to his village.

He carried Surtur's skull with him, Loki insisting he take something to give to Odin, since Thor's cloak wouldn't do.

Thor was almost immediately swarmed as soon as he entered the village.

Somehow he made it to the center, where Odin's house was located and it seemed someone had alerted him to Thor's arrival.

Thor bowed his head, "Odin Borson, I present to you the skull of Surtur."

"Very impressive," Odin said, eyeing him, "You mananged to slay the dragon and come back in one piece."

Odin cleared his throat and the crowd around them went quiet, "I hereby announce that Thor Odinson, my son, will be my successor and the next Jarl."

Loki had been right - the celebration did last a week.

There was barely a moment that Thor was alone and he was constantly surrounded by others, asking him questions about his journey, how he had slayed the dragon and about his cloak.

He told the story of his adventure multiple times, but he always made sure to leave out Loki because he didn't want to focus unnecessary attention on the witch. Plus, he wasn't sure how others would react.

(But maybe that could all change after Thor confessed to Loki)

Things slowed down by the end of the week and Thor spent most of his time that day preparing for that night when he'd meet Loki.

He was in good spirirts as he walked to the old abandoned house on the edge of the village.

Tonight would be the night he finally confessed to Loki.

Meanwhile in Loki's cottage, Loki made preparations to head to Thor's village.

He slipped his recently sharpened knife into its sheath and smiled to himself.

Tonight would be the night he finally got his revenge and killed Odin.

The sun had just begun to set when Loki began his walk to the village, but paused at the border seperating it from the woods.

When he had first been banished all those years ago, he'd tried to pass the border many times using all the magic at his disposal but to no avail.

But now that Thor had invited him in...the magic that had kept Loki out should've fallen.

Loki took a step forward, preparing for the magical shield surrounding the village to stop him in his tracks -

Nothing happened.

Loki stepped into the village and nothing happened.

Loki cast an illusion spell on himself to prevent anyone from recognizing him and he easily walked through the village until he eventually reached Odin's house.

There were a few warriors guarding the place, but they didn't even glance at Loki, his spell working perfectly.

Loki reached the door to Odin's bedroom, the path familiar to him and hesitated for a moment before walking inside.

Odin was fast asleep in his bed completely oblivious and unaware of what was about to take place.

Loki locked the door and cast a silencing spell around the room.

He dropped his illusion spell and walked over to Odin's bed, standing above him.

He reached out and gently stroked the back of his hand over Odin's face.

Odin had grown old - his hair stark white and wrinkles marring his face.

And...he was dying.

Loki could sense a dark magic deep inside Odin, poisoning him from the inside out - making sure he died slowly and painfully.

Interesting.

Loki wondered who Odin had crossed to be cursed like this.

Loki had to give props to whoever had done it, though.

It was a shame it would go to waste since Loki was still going to go through with his plans and kill Odin.

"Get up!" Loki hissed, raising his hand and slapping Odin.

Odin woke up abruptly, and sat up, glancing around widely until he spotted Loki standing there.

"L-loki?" he gasped and then chuckled to himself, "No, y-you're not real, this must be another nightmare!"

"Trust me, I'm real," Loki grabbed Odin by the hair and dragged him out the bed, roughly dropping him onto the floor.

"W-what? How?! I banished you!" Odin sputtered.

The look of shock and fear on his face made Loki smile.

"You may have banished me, but the spell was finally broken when a member of your village invited me in," Loki said.

"B-but I made sure that could never happen! I spread rumors about how evil you were!" Odin insisted.

"Who would dare to invite-" Odin started to ask when Loki growled and kicked Odin, pushing him further down onto the ground.

"Shut up. None of that matters. The day you banished me, I vowed I would kill you someday and now I'm going to finally fulfill that promise."

"You're too late. I'm already dying," Odin said, letting our a cough and spitting blood onto the floor.

"Oh the dark magic? Yes, I sensed that in you earlier. While I'd love to see that spell finish its work, I would much rather just kill you myself," Loki said.

Odin, who had been slowly inching back towards his bed, reached under his pillow and took out a knife. He stood up, attempting to attack, but Loki was faster.

He took off the small chain he'd been wearing around his wrist (the one that had chained Surtur) and threw it at Odin.

It enlarged, wrapping itself around him.

Odin fell to the floor, completely immobile and defenceless.

"I loved you once, you know," Loki said, pulling out his knife, "We grew up together. You were my only friend and the only one who was never afraid of me and my magic."

"When you became Jarl and sought out to conquer the other villages in the land, I was all too eager to help you when you asked me to join you," Loki continued, walking around the room and noticing the various changes from when he used to live here.

"I used my magic to destroy the other villages armies and I helped you force Surtur into hibernation," Loki paused at a painting on the wall - Loki recognized Odin and next to him, a woman, who was holding a child.

Odin's family.

Loki slashed his knife, tearing the painting.

"When we returned home, many sought out to marry you, yet...I was the only one you ever allowed to share your bed," Loki placed his hand on the piece of the painting with the woman and child. "I was happy. I thought you loved me and that we could have a future together.

But then I told you I was pregnant."

Loki turned back towards Odin, glaring down at him. "And the great Odin Borson couldn't have a child with a witch, now could he?"

Odin, who had stayed silent the entire time, finally spoke.

"Any child of yours would have been a monster."

"THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR CHILD! THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN OURS!" Loki yelled and let out a sob, "I was so happy the night I found out I was pregnant and I thought you were happy, too."

Loki remembered the night clearly. He and Odin had fallen asleep together in this very room.

But then Loki had woken up alone hours later, to the sound of the door being broken down. Before he knew it he was dragged out by his hair into the middle of the street and chained up for all of the village to see.

And Odin had been there, leading them all.

"The witch! He seduced me into bed with him! So he could use me for my powers!" Odin had accused, "We must punish him!"

Loki had been tortured continuously and in the process, he had lost the baby. Which had been more painful than any torture and had broken Loki.

But Odin hadn't been done "punishing" Loki.

Using one of Loki's own spells, Odin banished Loki out of the village, making sure he'd never set foot in it ever, again.

Loki had vowed that day he would get his revenge on Odin, but he had never been able to.

Until now.

"Before I kill you, I just wanted to know...did you ever love me?" Loki asked.

Odin didn't hesitate answering, "No, I didn't. You were convenient and useful. Easy to string along and keep content so you'd grant me the power I needed and I could make a legacy."

"Well, when I kill you, your legacy will have ended and Thor will become the new Jarl. Unlike you, he's a good man and I have no doubt his legacy will be greater than yours," Loki said.

Odin's eyes widened before he seemed to realize something and suddenly began to laugh.

"I had wondered how Thor managed to kill Surtur and how he obtained that cloak! It was you, wasn't it Loki? You helped him? Oh this is wonderful!"

Loki felt his anger rise and he kicked Odin, "What? What are you talking about?!"

"Oh my dear Loki, has the boy not told you?"

"Told me what?" Loki growled.

Odin smiled, "Thor is my son. My illegitimate son, but my son nonetheless. Thor Odinson will be my successor and make sure my legacy continues and it's all thanks to you-"

Loki slit Odin's throat before he could finish.

The man could do nothing to stop it, chained up as he was, but choke on his own blood.

He fell to the floor, limp, blood flooding from his neck.

Loki raised his knife and stabbed Odin multiple times until his body was a bloody mess.

"Goodbye Odin Borson and good riddance."

Odin was dead.

Loki's legs gave out and he collapsed onto the ground, placing his hands on the floor to at least keep him upright.

He'd finally taken his revenge, yet the hole in his heart that Odin had left behind all those years ago, ached more than ever before.

He had hoped killing Odin would mend his heart and the pain would disappear, but it didn't.

He would never regret killing Odin, but he had never expected it to hurt this much.

He had pushed the memories of his banishment to the back of his mind and had tried to move on.

But then Thor had-

Thor.

Thor...Odin's son.

Maybe Odin had lied, had done it just to throw Loki off, but why would he lie about something like that?

If Thor was Odin's son, why had Thor LIED to Loki?

Loki pushed himself upright and stood back up.

He would ask Thor himself.

Loki was exhausted, his legs felt weak and his entire body ached. He knew he should rest, but he couldn't stop now.

He would've loved to just leave Odin where he lay, but he couldn't have anyone find Odin like this.

So with what little energy he had, he healed Odin's body.

The man was dead and there was no way to revive him, but he at least made Odin's wounds disappear. He cleared the blood in the ground and placed Odin's body back in his bed.

If Loki didn't know any better, it simply looked like Odin was sleeping.

Hopefully when Odin would be discovered, everyone would assume he died in his sleep.

If people knew Odin had been murdered, there would no doubt be a search for the killer and Loki didn't want any witch hunt to start or to be a part of that.

He recast his illusion spell, slipping out of Odin's room and the guards.

When he made out into the street, night had already fallen and it had begun to lightly rain.

Loki began the journey to the abanoned house on the edge of the village, where he and Thor had agreed to meet.

---
When it began to rain, it had dampened Thor's plans and mood a little, but it wasn't enough to ruin things.

The abandoned house was on a hill, overlooking the village, but the house itself wasn't visible from the village.

It was a perfect place to meet Loki.

He'd been planning the entire week and had figured out exactly how he wanted to confess to Loki.

In that time he'd also had a present made for Loki: a golden brooch formed into the shape of a leaf, with a green gem fitted into the center.

He hoped Loki would like it.

Thor had just set up a small area underneath a giant oak tree next the house and had been waiting there when he saw Loki walking up the hill towards him.

"Loki! You're here-"

He paused as Loki got closer, noticing the furious expression on Loki's face.

"Loki?"

"Thor, are you Odin's son?!" Loki demanded as soon as he reached Thor.

Oh no.

Thor hesitated before nodding, "I...am. How-how did you find out?"

"That doesn't matter! Why didn't you tell me?! Why would you keep that from me?!" Loki yelled.

"I wanted to tell you! But there never seemed to be a right time and...I was...afraid-" Thor started to explain before Loki cut him off.

"Afraid of what? Afraid I'd curse you? Kill you? Seduce you?" Loki hissed, "Or maybe you just wanted to use me, just like he did!"

"Loki-wait, please let me explain-" Thor started to say, but Loki wasn't listening.

Loki laughed bitterly, "That's it, isn't it? You wanted to use me, so you could gain power, like your father! So you lied about your parentage and befriended me and USED me, just like he did!"

"Loki, please! I would never use you, I love-" Thor reached out in an attempt to pull Loki into a hug.

Loki didn't react well.

He let out a yell and a knife appeared in his hands, which he swung directly towards Thor.

On instinct, Thor raised his arm to block it.

The knife's blade hit his cloak, the blade shattering into pieces on contact. Thor was unharmed, but he was knocked over onto the ground by the impact of it.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT YOU LOVE ME!" Loki yelled, tears streaming down his face, "You don't love me! No on ever has!"

"Never set foot in my woods or try to seek out my help ever again. Or I will make you suffer a much worse death than I made your father, Thor Odinson!" Loki vowed, glaring down at Thor.

There was the sound of thunder in the distance, followed by the bright flash of lightning.

And in that moment, Loki disappeared, leaving Thor all alone.

He didn't know how long he lay there on the ground, the rain pouring down on him as Loki's words echoed through his head.

Thor finally managed to get back up by the time morning came, and head down to his village.

Thor needed answers and if Loki didn't want to see him (which Thor tried not to process or think about too much yet) there was only one other person Thor could ask.

But Thor suspected he might already be too late.

"I demand to see Odin!" Thor growled as he stormed into Odin's house.

"He's resting-" one of the guards started to say.

"I need to see him now, it's URGENT," Thor said, glaring down at them.

They let him pass and Thor opened the door to Odin's bedroom, shutting it behind him.

Odin was in his bed, completely still.

Too still.

Thor walked over to the bed, standing above Odin and placed a hand on the man's chest.

No heartbeat.

Odin was dead.

Thor was about to turn away and alert the guards, when he saw black smoke begin to pour out of Odin's mouth.

It slowly moved down his body and gathered above his chest, forming into a shape.

After a few seconds, the smoke disappeared and all that was left was a pitch black stone laying innocently on Odin's chest.

Thor reached out and grabbed it, examining it in his hand.

Carved into it on one side was an image of a wolf, and on the other side were multiple symbols that Thor couldn't understand.

Thor couldn't make any sense of it, but he supposed he would just add it to the list of many questions he planned on finding the answers to.

He tucked the stone away, not planning on letting anyone know about it yet, then stepped outside of Odin's bedroom to tell the guards about Odin.

There was a grand funeral for Odin in the coming days.

Thor attended just as long as he needed to before stepping away.

He spent most of his time in Odin's house, practically tearing the place apart, trying to find something that could give him answers or at least a hint.

Nothing.

All Thor knew was that Odin had hurt Loki, and Odin's death was most likely Loki's doing.

And...Thor had also hurt Loki. He hadn't told him the truth about his parentage, had kept it hidden out of fear.

Thor wanted so badly to seek out Loki, apologize, hug him and tell him how much he meant to Thor. How much he loved Loki.

But he couldn't.

Loki had told Thor to stay away from him and Thor wasn't about to go against Loki's wishes.

However much it hurt Thor's heart to know that Loki was in pain because of Thor (and Odin), he didn't want to hurt Loki more.

So maybe it was better if he stayed away from Loki.

Maybe one day he'd try to approach Loki again and try to explain things, tell him how sorry he was, how he hadn't wanted to hurt him, how much he loved Loki.

But until then, Thor would stay away.

Thor stood on the hilltop where the abandoned house was, overlooking the village.

(Where everything had gone wrong)

He walked over to the old oak tree, where a small metal box lay at the base of it.

When Loki had attacked him that night, Thor had dropped the box and he had only come back up onto the hilltop now to retrieve it.

He crouched down and picked the box up, opening it to reveal the golden brooch he had planned to give to Loki.

He gently took it out of its container and attached it to his cloak, placing it so it lay just above his heart.

He hoped one day he could give it to Loki.

But until then, Thor would wear it. To remind himself of his mistakes and that there were still things he needed to fix and questions he needed answers to.

Unbeknownst to Thor, it would take 20 years until he finally saw Loki again and be able to offer the brooch to him.

Thor was 45.

He stumbled through the woods, struggling to find his way through with only one of his eyes working (the other in immense pain from where it had been gouged out). His abdomen screamed with every step he took and everytime the sword lodged inside of him shifted.

It had been years, but he still remembered the path to Loki's cottage and eventually the familiar building came into his view.

Sitting in the grass in front of the cottage, a crown of flowers atop his head, a kitten in his lap and surrounded by several more kittens, was Loki.

"Loki!" Thor managed to call out before he collapsed onto the ground.

"THOR?!"

Thor's vision was beginning to blur and he could feel his consciousness slipping away when Loki came into view, crouching beside Thor.

"Oh norns! Mother, help!" Loki yelled towards the cottage.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen...I know you said you'd kill me if I came to seek you out, but...I'm dying anyway," Thor chuckled and reached up, cupping Loki's face in his hand (oh how he'd longed to do this for years).

"Shut up, you're not going to die, Thor!" Loki insisted.

Tears began to fall down Loki's face as he placed his hand over Thor's, "You're not going to die, just stay awake for me!"

Oh no, Thor was making Loki cry, he was hurting Loki, again.

"I'm sorry, Loki," Thor said, stroking his thumb against Loki's cheek, "I'm sorry."

It was all he could say, his vision going dark as he lost consciousness.

"Just stay with me, Thor! You can apologize later! Just stay awake, please! Thor! THOR!"

The last thing Thor thought was that he hadn't been able to tell Loki he loved him before he died.

Thor was in and out of consciousness for a long while, unable to differentiate between his nightmares and the real world.

Sometimes he saw Loki or Odin or his mother. Sometimes Loki was accompanied by a beautiful blond woman, but sometimes she appeared alone.

Other times, Thor relived moments of his past; his mother sick and dying, Loki furious at him for lying to him, Thor's eye being gouged out as he heard his sister's laughter in the background.

But eventually, Thor woke up.

His body ached, but he wasn't in pain like before.

He attempted to sit up, until he noticed a warm heavy weight on his chest and looked down to see a pile of kittens laying on him, fast asleep.

Well. He supposed he was stuck then.

He glanced around, realizing he was in a small bedroom, and was laying in soft bed.

"Thor!" the door to the room slammed open and Loki burst in, rushing over to Thor's side.

"Loki," Thor smiled, so happy to see him, again.

Loki shooed the kittens off of Thor, although one stubbornly stayed put, meowing in protest as Loki moved them onto the ground.

Loki checked over Thor, specifically his abdomen where previously there had been a sword embedded in, there was now a stark white bandage covering the area.

"I...wasn't able to save your eye. I'm sorry," Loki eventually said, cupping the side of Thor's face with said eye.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Loki," Thor said, placing his own hand on top Loki's, unintentionally paralleling their actions from earlier when Thor had found Loki's cottage, again.

Loki smiled before a pained expression crossed his face and he pulled away.

"I should go," he mumbled, standing up and walking out of the room.

Thor wanted to call Loki back, ask him to stay, but instead Thor remained silent.

The kitten from before, a little black fluff with white paws and white chest, climbed back onto Thor and curled up on his lap.

"He seems to have grown attached to you," an unfamiliar voice said from the doorway.

Thor turned and saw the woman he'd caught glimpses of when he'd been in and out of consciousness.

She was truly beautiful, with golden hair tied up elaborately and a warm smile on her face.

She wore a blue dress, similar to the one he'd seen Loki wear many times, but it was accompanied by a golden shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

She looked older than Loki, but younger than Thor, and there was a air of kindess and warmth that radiated off of her.

She sat down in the chair next to the bed where Loki had previously been sitting. "You caused quite a commotion upon your arrival."

"I'm sorry for that, I...didn't know where else to go," he admitted.

"Well, I suppose you came to the right place. Any longer without medical help and you most likely would've died," she said, sighing, "Loki and I managed to pull the sword out and heal the wound, but the dark magic you'd been poisoned with was much harder to purge."

"Well, thank you for healing me. I am forever grateful," Thor said, inclining his head towards her.

"You didn't come here to be healed, though, did you?"

Her question caught Thor off guard and he felt himself shrink under her knowing gaze.

"You knew you were dying and came here with the intention to see Loki one last time. Am I correct?" she asked.

"...Yes."

Thor had no idea where she was taking the conversation.

"So, I take it that you still care for my son?"

Thor's eyes widened, shocked by her words.

"Oh, yes, Loki is my son. I'm Frigga - his mother. Adoptive mother, but his mother nonetheless," Frigga said, frowning down at Thor, "And you, Thor Odinson, are the son of the man who used and hurt my only child. Not only that, but you hurt Loki as well."

"I did hurt him. I didn't tell him the truth about my parentage and I am so sorry for not telling him sooner. You have every right to be furious at me," Thor said, "But I never used Loki, I swear! I care for him too much to ever mistreat him!"

"Well, you can explain yourself properly tomorrow morning, including explaining how you received those injuries of yours" Frigga said, standing up, "For now, I suggest you rest."

She left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Thor alone.

Well, almost alone.

The little black kitten had made its way over to Thor's chest and was sitting there, completely content.

"She's going to destroy me, isn't me?" he asked, stroking the kitten's head. It merely let out a mew before nipping at Thor's finger.

Outside of the bedroom, Frigga walked through the cottage and made her way outside, where Loki was once again sitting in the grass, playing with the kittens.

"Are you alright, Loki?"

"I'm fine, just needed some air," he said, keeping his back to her.

Which meant he wasn't fine

She sighed and sat down next to him, pulling him towards her into a hug. She wasn't at all surprised when he immediately clung to her, just like he had when he was a child and had been upset.

Thor still cared for Loki and Frigga knew Loki still very much cared for Thor.

Frigga visited Thor a few more times that day to bring him some healing potions and food. She didn't mention their conversation from before and she merely said how he seemed to be healing up nicely before she left.

Thor would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly scared of her.

She was kind and warm, yes, but Thor could sense she had a fierceness underneath it all.

And she was Loki's mother.

Which Thor had actually already known before he met her.

After Odin had died, Thor had tried seeking answers, but couldn't find any in Odin's house.

So he'd turned to asking the people in his village - surely SOMEONE knew something about Loki.

But no matter who he asked, no one had an answer for him. No one knew who Loki was (at least not by name). They only knew of the Wicked Witch of the Woods, who had seduced Odin.

No one knew anything other than that, which didn't sit right with Thor.

But while he went through Odin's house one last time, he finally found something.

There was an entry in a journal of Odin's from when he had been traveling the land, conquering other villages.

"Sought out Heimdall the Allknowing Witch to convince him to aid in my quest to unite the land, but he refused."

Another witch! Maybe they could help Thor!

Using the excuse of visiting the other villages to introduce himself of the new Jarl, Thor went to find Heimdall.

Finding Heimdall was easier said than done. He could find no one of that name in the villages.

(But while on his journey, Thor was able to help rebuild the village Surtur had destroyed, along with help other villages who had apparently suffered under Odin's rule)

But then, in the north village, Thor was told that there was a man named Heimdall who lived nearby up in the mountains, but who sometimes came down to have a drink in the tavern.

Thor stayed in the north village, and went to the tavern every night until Heimdall appeared.

One night, a man sat across from Thor at the table he had been occupying at in the back of the room.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but I'm waiting for someone-" Thor began to say when the man interrupted him.

"I know, Thor Odinson. You seek out Heimdall the Allknowing Witch. So, here I am."

It was then that Thor noticed the man's eyes - an unnatural golden color.

If Thor had any doubt the man was Heimdall, the man's next words just confirmed it, "You saw my name in one of your father's journals and you've come to ask me about Loki Friggason and his past with Odin."

Thor nodded, "Yes, I have. I'm willing to pay whatever you want for any information you have."

Heimdall chuckled, "You're familiar with the payment we witch's often require. Very well, I'll accept your sword as payment, in exchange for my knowledge."

Thor didn't hesitate to unclasp his sword from his belt and hand it over to Heimdall.

"This is the sword you used to slay Surtur, yet you'd give it me?" Heimdall asked.

"I can always get another sword," Thor replied back, "Now will you tell me about Loki?"

Heimdall nodded, "His mother is a witch named Frigga, who raised him in your village. She and him lived in the abandoned house on the hill, away from the villagers, but still close enough so they weren't isolated. And Frigga was kind, always helping others when they asked.

"Unfortunately she and Loki's magic was still feared and Loki's only friend was a young boy named Odin, who would visit Loki often. When Loki grew up, Frigga left the village, but Loki remained behind. For Odin. Eventually, Odin became Jarl and wanted to conquer the entire land."

"Odin asked Loki for his help, didn't he?" Thor asked.

"He did. It was all too easy for Odin to succeed in his quest with Loki's help and when they got back from their travels, Odin kept Loki around," Heimdall paused, "Are you sure you want to the know the rest, yoing Odinson?"

"I'm sure. I need to know the truth," Thor replied back.

(I need to know what Odin did to Loki, he thought to himself.)

Heimdall sighed, "Odin's lust for power was far greater than his fondness of Loki. Their friendship from when they were young meant little to Odin anymore.

"Odin kept Loki around, stringing him along and telling him he loved him, to keep Loki content and on his side. But then...Loki became pregnant and Odin decided to get rid of Loki, caring more about his reputation and role as Jarl than for Loki. So, Odin lied.

"Odin claimed that Loki had seduced him and he had Loki tortured, then using Loki's own magic, Odin banished him from the village."

"What about the baby?" Thor asked.

Heimdall merely shook his head, "Odin made sure to torture Loki just long enough so he'd lose it."

Thor had never hated Odin - at most he'd been bitter that the man had never been a part of his life, but Thor had never lacked love and support from his mother and friends to make up for it.

But now that he knew the truth, all Thor could feel was hatred towards the man.

"...Perhaps I shouldn't have told you," Heimdall commented, glancing at Thor's tense form.

"No, I'm grateful you did. I needed to know," Thor said.

"Hm. Well there's a bit more to the story, if you're ready to here it," Heimdall said, "Because Odin didn't just banish Loki."

"Odin used another spell, to erase the memory of Loki from everyone in the village...except of course, the memory of Odin accusing Loki of seducing him. No one remembered that Loki had once lived there - they only remembered a Witch who had attempted to use their Jarl."

Thor /really/ hated Odin. He wished Odin still alive so Thor could kill the man himself.

Speaking of...

"I have another question," Thor said, "Did...Loki kill Odin?"

"He did," Heimdall answered, "But he was only able to because you broke the banishment spell Odin cast."

Heimdall chuckled at Thor's surpised face, "The banishment spell is impossible to break using any other magic, but at a cost. Because it can be broken easily, if someone invites the banished person inside."

"I invited Loki to visit me after we defeated Surtur," Thor realized.

"Yes and in that moment, the spell broke. Loki knew it as well. So, on the night he and you were supposed to meet...he killed Odin," Heimdall said. "But before Loki did, Odin told Loki that you were Odin's son."

"Of course," Thor sighed, placing his face in his hands.

Now everything made more sense.

Odin had used Loki, then tossed him aside, making sure to hurt him. Then Loki had found out that Thor was Odin's son from Odin and not /Thor/.

Of course, Loki had assumed Thor would use him like Odin had, finding out the truth the way he had.

"Is...is Loki alright? I know he doesn't want to see me, but I want to know if he's well," Thor said.

Heimdall seemed surpised by Thor's question, but answered, "His mother is with him. In time, he'll be fine."

"That's good, I'm glad," Thor let out a sigh of relief.

Loki wasn't alone, he had his mother, who would care for him (at least Thor assumed she would, since Heimdall had said Loki would be fine).

"Thank you for your time, Heimdall and for giving me the answers I sought," Thor said, beginning to get up to leave.

"Is that all you wanted? To know about Loki?" Heimdall asked. "Your father once wished to recruit me, do you not want to the same?"

"I'm not my father," Thor growled, "All I wanted was answers to my questions and now that I've gotten them, I'll leave you be."

Thor said his goodbyes to Heimdall and left, expecting that to be the last time he saw the man.

So he was surprised the next day, when he had headed out to leave the north village and found Heimdall waiting for him at the border.

"I sense dark times ahead," Heimdall said, "If you'll accept me, I would like to accompany you back to your village and perhaps help you prepare for the darkness you'll eventually face."

"I'd be a fool not to say yes," Thor replied.

So Heimdall had joined Thor back home.

Thor's village had been wary of Heimdall at first, since he was a witch, but they soon warmed up to him.

And Heimdall had been right, when he said there would be dark times ahead.

Hela Odinson, who had supposedly died, returned to the village 20 years after Odin's death.

---
When Loki was little, Frigga had warned him about befriending Odin because she could only see bloodshed and darkness in Odin's future.

But Loki hadn't listened. Odin was the only kid his age who wasn't afraid of him and seemed interested in him and his magic.

(Only as an adult would Loki wonder if Odin had only ever been interested in him because of his magic)

When Loki had grown up, Frigga wanted him to leave the village with her. She was a wanderer by nature and had only stayed in one place for so long because of Loki.

Loki had refused to go with her. He wanted to stay behind because Odin had asked him to help conquer the land, when he became Jarl. And of course Loki had said yes.

Frigga and Loki had argued and fought, and somehow, Frigga let slip that she had adopted Loki.

She admitted that on her travels, she'd found Loki as a baby, abandoned on the coldest night in winter. She took him in and soon realized he was a witch, so she decided to settle down for once and raise him as her own and then when he was old enough, they could travel together.

Of course Loki didn't take it well at all and the truth of his adoption reaffirmed his decision to stay.

Frigga left, but not without leaving behind a golden compass, which she told him would lead him to her no matter how far apart they were.

Loki vowed never to use it.

He didn't need Frigga, who had lied to him, he was fine on his own.

Even after Odin had banished him, Loki hadn't used the compass.

He was fine on his own.

He had found the little valley in the forest and made his home there, and he was content living there all by himself.

Then he had met Thor.

And Loki realized...maybe he was fine on his own, but he was...lonely.

Whenever Thor was around, Loki felt less lonely and found himself smiling more often. Thor made him feel like happy and cared for.

But then Loki found out that Thor was Odin's son.

Finding out that Thor had lied to him had been too much for Loki.

After he'd confronted Thor and told him never to seek out Loki's help again, Loki had fled back to his cottage.

He'd ripped off Thor's talisman, which he'd worn so long to remember the one person who'd come back.

He'd thrown it, not caring where it landed.

In his emotional state, his magic had reacted and practically torn the building apart. By the next day, his cottage was in shambles, but it was at least still standing.

It took him a while until he eventually began to clean it up.

As he went through his things, attempting to reorganize and fix everything, he came across the golden compass.

He had once vowed never to use it, too angry at Frigga for lying to him (and worried she was angry at him for rejecting her), but...he didn't want to be alone anymore.

And he had no one else to turn to.

So after he had fixed his cottage to the best of his ability, be packed some supplies and headed out, following the golden compass.

It led him far out of the land he was familiar with and across the ocean to a small fishing village.

There, he found Frigga, walking along the beach and collecting various objects that had washed up.

She noticed him immediately, her eyes widening in surprise, "Loki! What are you doing here?"

"Mother..." he started to say before he suddenly started to cry, unable to stop.

Frigga rushed over to him and wrapped him tightly in her arms, holding him close.

Loki told her everything - about Odin, being banished, spending time in the woods, earning a reputation as the Wicked Witch of the Woods, and of course about Thor.

"I'm sorry, Mother, I should've listened to you! You were right, you always were!" Loki sobbed.

"Shhh, no, Loki. I'm the one who should be sorry," Frigga said, wiping his tears away, "I didn't tell you the truth because I was scared you'd reject me as your mother."

She sighed, "But because I kept your adoption a secret, I ended up pushing you away when you did find out and when you needed me the most. I shouldn't have left so easily, Loki. I should have come back to at least make sure you were alright. I'm so sorry, Loki."

They both ended up crying more before Frigga managed to lead Loki to the house she'd been living in while she took up residence in the village.

Loki stayed with her for another month, until Frigga decided to move on.

"You said you have a cottage in the woods?" she asked.

Loki nodded, "Yes, but...it got a bit destroyed before I left."

"Well, it's been quite a while since I've been around that area. Why don't we go back to your cottage and fix it up?"

Loki had been more than ok with the idea, glad to be spending time with his mother again.

Although Loki did feel somewhat anxious returning back to his cottage (in the woods near Thor's village. Near Thor), Frigga's presence eased him.

They rebuilt his cottage and made it even bigger than before, adding extra rooms and such.

Frigga stayed for a few months before leaving, while Loki stayed behind in his cottage.

But she had promised she'd return soon and wouldn't leave Loki alone for too long.

She kept true to her promise, visiting Loki every few years, staying for a few months before leaving.

They fell into that routine and while Frigga tried to convince Loki to join her a few times, he was content to stay in his cottage.

He wasn't a wanderer like her. Sure he traveled sometimes, but it was never for very long and he always was relieved to be back home.

He was happy, again.

But sometimes, when Frigga was gone and Loki had been alone in his cottage for too long - Loki thought about Thor.

A small part of him hoped that Thor would ignore Loki's threats and come seeking his help anyway.

Because Loki missed him.

He missed the friendship they'd developed; their easy conversations, Thor's kind and earnest nature, the smiles Thor always seemed to have for Loki, waking up in Thor's arms-

But Thor had lied to him about being Odin's son and that wasn't something Loki could easily forgive.

While he still had held onto the hope that Thor would seek him out again someday, it didn't prepare him for the day Thor stumbled out of the forest with a giant sword embedded in his abdomen and one of his eye sockets a giant bloody mess.

Any anger or grudge Loki held against Thor, disappeared in that moment.

All that had mattered was saving Thor and making sure he survived.

Loki had been grateful Frigga had been visiting him then - he wasn't sure he'd been able to handle Thor's sudden presence on his own.

Together they managed to remove the sword from Thor's body and clean Thor's eye socket (there had barely been any eye left to save).

But the hardest part had been purging the dark magic from the wound the sword had left behind.

It had taken weeks with Loki and Frigga's magic.

But somehow, they did it and Thor survived.

Now that Thor was awake and recovering, Loki had a feeling sooner or later...Thor would ask for Loki's help once again (to deal with whoever had attacked Thor and poisoned him).

And Loki...already knew what his answer would be.

The day after Thor woke up, Frigga left the cottage in the morning claiming she was going to gather some herbs.

Leaving Loki and Thor alone.

(Loki had a feeling Frigga had planned it.)

Loki had just finished feeding the kittens in the kitchen, when Thor walked into the room.

He looked a lot better than he first arrived, no longer on the brink of death.

Thor had changed in the last 20 years - he was older, bigger, his hair and beard had grown out, but...he was still Thor.

Even with a new eyepatch over his missing eye, he looked nothing like Odin.

Loki couldn't see any trace of Odin in Thor.

"Ah - good morning, Loki," Thor said, clearly surprised to see him, "Frigga said she'd meet me for breakfast this morning..."

So his mother had planned this.

"She went out to collect herbs. I expect she'll be gone for a few hours."

"Then I'll just go-" Thor said, starting to walk back towards the guest bedroom he'd been occupying.

"You can stay," Loki said, "Sit down and eat breakfast at least."

Thor hesitated before he nodded and sat down at the table where Loki had set out food earlier.

They ate in silence, Loki observing Thor while he did.

"That's an interesting addition to your cloak," Loki said after a while, referring to the golden brooch on Thor's cloak, "Something from your wife?"

Loki was familiar with the old courting tradition in Thor's village.

A suitor would have a brooch made for their intended, and if they accepted the item, the two would start a courtship.

Thor chuckled, "I don't have a wife."

Loki was caught off guard by Thor's answer, "You don't?"

"Nope," Thor shrugged, "I never got married or had kids."

Loki was shocked.

Thor would've been made Jarl after Odin's death, which meant Thor would've ruled for around 20 years now. Surely he would've been pressured to marry and have a perfect little family (Odin had been).

But in 20 years, Thor had remained unmarried.

(Why did the knowledge that Thor was unwed make Loki feel happy)

"I had this made for someone I love dearly, but unfortunately...I never got the chance to give it to them," Thor admitted with a sad smile, placing his hand over the brooch.

'Love'. Present tense.

"Well...I'm sorry to hear that," Loki said.

"It's fine. It's not your fault," Thor said, smiling kindly at Loki.

It unnerved him for some reason.

Loki cleared his throat, "Yes, well, anyway. If you're done eating, I think it's time you explain how you were injured."

"Of course. You deserve to know after healing me," Thor said and let out a sigh, "It started several weeks ago. Something had been killing our livestock, along with sightings of an enormous black wolf. I wasn't concerned, until Heimdall, my lookout, told me he couldn't see it."

Loki eyes widened in surprise, "Heimdall?! The Allknowing Witch?!"

Thor nodded, "The very same. He's been in my village for almost as long as I've been Jarl and has helped me protect the land from threats. But when he couldn't see or track the wolf, I knew something was wrong.

"So, I lead a party of my best warriors to try to find the wolf, but...while my party was out hunting, my village was attacked. By my sister, Hela Odinsdottir, who had supposedly died years ago. It turns out she's actually alive."

Something clicked in Loki's brain.

"Was she Odin's heir that died when Odin became sick and gave you the chance to become his successor?" he asked.

Thor nodded, "There's more to the story than that. Before Odin became sick, Hela planned to go out on a crusade to try to conquer other villages and gain more land.

"But Odin wouldn't let her and threatened to strip Hela of her title if she went through with her plan. Hela thought Odin had become too soft and weak, that she needed to get rid of him, so she could go on to conquer more land. So, she poisoned him using dark magic.

"Apparently the dark magic would make him suffer for months, degenerating his physical and mental states until he was just a shell and eventually died. But I guess Odin found out what she'd done and retaliated by casting a spell which would put her into a deep sleep.

"He got rid of her body and told everyone she had died at sea when attempting her crusade," Thor finished and sighed, "But Odin's spell didn't last forever and she came back. She used the wolf as a distraction to lead me out of the village, then attacked it."

"Heimdall was still inside the village when it happened and sent me a message warning me about her before he fled with some villagers. Obviously, I tried to fight Hela, but...I lost," Thor grimaced.

Loki was silent as he processed the information.

Hela Odinsdottir.

Thor's story was undoubtedly true, since the dark magic he'd been poisoned with had the same energy as the dark magic Loki had sensed on Odin (before he killed him).

Hela was most likely incredibly powerful, to have cast such destructive magic.

Thor was lucky to be alive.

"So what will you do now?" Loki asked.

"I'll go back and face Hela, make sure she's truly dead this time," Thor replied.

"By yourself? You've already lost to her once and would have died if my mother and I hadn't healed you! What makes you think you can defeat her?" Loki said.

"I can't just do nothing!" Thor snapper, "Hela means to conquer other villages by any mesns necessary, including killing innocents. Countless will die and suffer if I let her remain in power! I have to stop her before it's too late! I've already wasted enough time here."

Thor stood up abruptly, in an attempt to leave the room, but double-overed in pain, clutching his stomach.

Loki rushed over to him, helping him back into the chair.

"You're not fully recovered yet, Thor. I know you want to deal with Hela, but you can't in the state you're in."

"But I have to do something!" Thor insisted.

"...Why not ask me for my help?" Loki quietly suggested.

Thor shook his head, "No, I could never ask you to help me with Hela. I'd only be putting you in unnecessary danger. Hela is my sister and my responsibility."

"It doesn't matter if she is your sister or not. If she means to conquer all the land, sooner or later she'll find me and want to use me for my magic. Or kill me if I refuse," Loki stated, glaring at Thor, "I won't let you face her alone. I'm going to help you defeat her."

Thor seemed surprised by Loki's statement, but didn't argue, instead he simply asked, "And what do you want in return?"

Ah. Payment.

"Nothing. Hela is a threat to us all and I'm just looking out for myself." Loki said. "If anything, you're helping me by telling me about her."

"In that case...may I request something from you, in exchange for my help?" Thor asked.

"That's not how it works, Thor," Loki said, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Just...hear me out, please," Thor said, placing his large hand over Loki's, encompassing it completely.

"After we defeat Hela...I want to talk to you about that night on the hill, when you told me you knew I was Odin's son," Thor said.

Loki felt himself stiffen at the memory. He was about to say no and refuse, when Thor continued.

"I wasn't able to explain myself then, and I was hoping you'd give me another chance. If you still want nothing to do with me afterwards, I'll accept it and leave you alone. I'll never seek out your help, again. I just...want another chance."

Thor wasn't asking for much.

In all honesty, Loki was curious as to what Thor had to say.

In the years that had passed since the fateful night, Loki had begun to doubt if Thor had used Loki like his father had.

Afterall, Thor had always given Loki payment and he'd gone out of his way to thank Loki.

He had taken care of Loki after Surtur had injured him, when he could've left Loki for dead.

Maybe...it wouldn't hurt to listen to Thor.

"Alright, after we defeat Hela... I'll give you a chance."

Thor smiled and surged forward, pulling Loki into a hug.

Loki let him before pulling away, "That's enough talk for today. You need to get back into bed and rest."

Thor nodded and let Loki help him back into the guest room where he laid down.

The little black kitten immediately joined Thor in bed, laying down on top of him.

Loki turned to leave when Thor spoke.

"Thank you, Loki. For everything. I came here prepared to die. I didn't expect you to heal me, but you did. I'm going to make it all up to you, I promise."

"We'll see," Loki said and left the room.

---
Hela was in Odin's old war room when Skurge burst in looking rather frazzled.

"What?" she snapped, looking up from the map she'd been examining.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but...someone just walked into the village and requested to see you," Skurge said.

That was...surprising.

"Who?" she demanded.

"He says...he says he's the Wicked Witch of the Woods."

Hela was able to keep her shock from showing in her face and replied back calmly, "Bring him in."

Skurge left and a few minutes later, he returned with the supposed Witch.

"Hela Odinsdottir, it's a honor to meet you," the Witch said, bowing to her.

Well at least he was respectful, unlike the warriors in the village had been.

"You are the Wicked Witch of the Woods, I assume," she said and when he nodded, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Prove it."

The Witch raised his arms and the weapons lining the walls of the room suddenly began to shake before they fell to the floor with a large clatter.

"Will that suffice?" the Witch asked.

Hela nodded, then snapped at Skurge to clean up the mess before she turned back to the Witch.

If this truly was the Wicked Witch of the Woods she'd have to be careful. Like everyone else in the village, she'd heard tales of him. Not only that, but Odin had always warned her never to seek out the Witch or ask him for help.

That the Witch was clever and sly, could easily seduce and manipulate others, and his magic was a force to be reckoned with.

But Odin had never told Hela what to do if the Witch sought /her/ out first.

"Why are you here, Witch? Why did you request to see me?" she asked.

"Can I not simply pay my respects to the new Jarl?" the Witch joked and at Hela's unimpressed gaze, the Witch sighed, "Fine. I came here to strike up a deal."

"And what would this deal be?"

Hela was intrigued as to what the Witch had to offer her.

"Well, a few weeks ago, a man on the brink of death stumbled into my woods before falling unconscious. I healed him, hoping he'd repay me when he awoke, but when he did wake up...he had quite and interesting story," the Witch said, "And told me his name was Thor Odinson."

Hela gripped tightly onto the edge of the table and forced a smile on her face, "Oh? Do go on."

"He told me how his sister, Hela Odinsdottir, attacked the village and attempted to kill him. Then, he requested my help to try and defeat you," the Witch continued.

"I told him I would help him once he recovered," the Witch smiled, "But he already lost to you once, and I doubt he could win in a fight against you even with my help. So I came here to make a deal with you, instead."

"I'm listening," Hela said.

"I don't care about this village or any of the people here. Really, it doesn't matter to me who is Jarl and who isn't. I'd rather just be left alone. So, Hela Odinsdottir, I'm willing to give you Thor Odinson and in exchange, I'd like to continue being left alone in my woods."

It was...an interesting request and one that Hela was willing to accept.

But...

"First, I'm going to see if you're telling the truth about my brother being alive. Only then we can talk business," she said, "Where is Thor currently?"

"In my cottage in the woods," the Witch answered and gave a more detailed description of directions to his cottage.

"Lead Fenris and some of my army to the cottage to retrieve, Thor," Hela ordered Skurge before turning back to the Witch, "As for you..."

She concentrated hard, feeling the dark magic gathering up inside of her and snapped her fingers, releasing the magic.

Black spikes erupted from the ground and surrounded the Witch, trapping him.

"Is this really necessary?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Until it's confirmed my brother is alive, yes," Hela replied back.

She was tempted to leave the room, but she didn't exactly trust him on his own. She kept an eye on him as she continued to mark out routes to other villages on the map in front of her.

"Thor Odinson has been captured!" Skurge burst in once again a few hours later.

"So, you weren't lying," Hela said, narrowing her eyes at the Witch before released him from his prison.

He yawned and stretched, completely unfazed by Hela, "Of course I wasn't."

"Well, I suppose I should go visit that dear brother of mine," Hela said and snapped at the Witch, "You're coming, too."

"Fine by me," he shrugged, dutifully following behind her as she headed out into the center of village.

A large crowd had gathered, but immediately parted when they saw Hela approaching.

She frowned at the sight they revealed.

Thor, in chains, kneeling on the ground. Fenris, the gigantic black wolf was behind him, and members of Hela's undead army stood around Thor.

"My dear brother, what a surprise it is to see you, again," Hela said, walking up to him.

"It's a surprise to see you, too, Hela," Thor growled, glaring up at her before his gaze slid past her and landed on the Witch.

"YOU! You sold me out to her! You traitor!"

The Witch shrugged, "Oh please, did you really think you could convince me to risk my life to save a village I don't even care about?"

Thor let out a growl, attempting to charge at the Witch, but the chains stopped him and he fell to the ground.

Hela laughed at the sight.

A sword formed in one of her hands and she placed it under Thor's chin, tilting his head up and forcing him to look at her.

"I made a mistake last time, dear brother. I let you live, hoping you'd bleed out or my dark magic would consume. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Hela turned to face the crowd, raising the sword in her hand, "Tomorrow, I will publicly execute Thor Odinson! Anyone who objects or tries to stop me can be executed after him."

There were gasps of horror and sobs in the crowd, but no one objected to Hela's words.

"Good," she said and turned to Skurge, keeping her voice low, "Chain my brother up in the basement and make sure he doesn't escape."

Skurge nodded and began to lead Thor away, who attempted to resist, but seemed too weak to.

Now Hela just had to deal with the Witch.

He'd handed over her brother and now she'd be able to properly get rid of Thor this time.

But Hela couldn't simply just let the Witch go. This was a rare opportunity to get him to work for her, to use him and his magic (his natural magic) to help her conquer and remain as ruler.

She held out a hand to him and gently directed him back towards the war room, "Come. We have much to discuss. Including negotiating you're deal."

The Witch chuckled, "I'd be happy to."

Unbeknownst to Hela, she had just invited the snake into the lion's den.

Whereas Loki saw nothing of Odin in Thor, Hela resembled Odin almost perfectly. Her mannerisms, the way she spoke, how she kept complimenting Loki to try and appease him (to win him over).

She was so much like her father and that meant Loki knew exactly how to deal with her.

He was uncomfortable and anxious the entire time, yes, but he was able to lie and play the part of the Wicked Witch of the Woods for her.

(Although he'd almost broken character when he'd seen Thor in chains and had wanted so desperately to free him right then and there.)

"I used to hear stories about you, Witch. How you'd curse people or require a payment from them if they wanted your help. I even heard that you once seduced my father," Hela said once they were back in the war room. "I wonder if you'd try to do the same to me."

Loki laughed, "Oh, no. I seduced your father hoping for power, but I learned my lesson after he banished me. Now I simply just want to live comfortably in my woods."

"Yes, I heard you were also banished. So how were you able to enter the village on your own?" Hela asked.

"There's no magic spell I can't break," Loki said, smiled at her. Of course it was a lie, but Hela didn't need to know that.

"Then, perhaps you can stay a bit longer here and help me with a...problem I've been having," Hela said.

"And what problem would that be?"

Loki already had a suspicion as to what Hela needed his help with.

The moment he met Hela, he sensed a dark energy inside her, centered around her heart.

It didn't take him very long to notice the stone in the middle of her chest that seemed to be...infused into her armor.

The stone was pitch black, sometimes reflecting green in the light and seemed to be the source of the dark energy coming off of Hela.

But the fact that the darkness was also inside Hela...wasn't good news.

It would make Loki's plan that much more difficult.

"Let's discuss your little deal and payment first" Hela said after a moment, "You've given me my brother and I thank you for that, it was a very smart decision. I'm willing to let you go back to your little forest, but I feel that would be a waste of your talents."

"Oh?" Loki raised an eyebrow at her.

"You are undoubtedly very intelligent and powerful - a truly impressive combination. Surely, you want more in life that to sit around in a cottage all day and wait for some traveler to seek you out?" Hela said, smiling at him.

Loki sighed, "Well, I'll admit that it does get boring out there. But I'm a witch, I can't exactly go out to villages unless I want to be hunted."

"I understand. Normal people hate magic and other who can use it. But we could change that!"

"...We?" Loki asked.

Hela nodded, "There is countless land out there, just waiting to be conqured. I plan on making a kingdom unlike anything anyone has ever seen, with me as the queen. But while I no doubt could accomplish that with my powers, having an equally powerful ally wouldn't hurt."

"You'd want me to help you conquer?" Loki asked.

"Yes. You could be my magical advisor and work alongside me. You could have opportunities no other witch has ever had before!" Hela said, "Those who once hated you would now fear you! They would bow to you and your power!"

Maybe after he'd been banished by Odin, Hela's idea would've appealed to him. He'd been broken and grieving, but most of all he'd been so /angry/. Angry at Odin and everyone in the village who had done nothing help him, even when he'd begged and cried for help.

While Loki didn't think time could heal all wounds, it could take care of most of them. Loki's anger had dissipated over the years. He'd gotten his revenge against Odin and although Loki still grieved sometimes for the child he never had, he was content these days.

Hela's offer would never be something Loki wanted.

But it would be something he'd have to accept.

"That is a most generous offer. I'll admit, I had once dreamed of people bowing to my powers," Loki said, "I would be honored to accept and to be your magical advisor, Queen Hela."

He bowed, submitting to her.

"A very wise choice you've made, Witch. You may rise," Hela said after letting him bow.

Earlier you said there was a problem you had. Is it anything I could solve as a magical advisor?" Loki ventured once he had stood back up.

"Yes, my problem," Hela said, placing her hand on the stone on her chest, "I am not a witch, but with this stone I've been able to use spells and cast amazing magic. But the more I use it, the more energy I use and the more tired I am afterwards. The more...in pain I am."

"You're in pain?" Loki asked, feigning concern.

Hela nodded, "My heart specifically. It almost feels...numb at times, and after I use magic, it feels like my heart has been stabbed."

Loki raised his hand towards her, "May I examine you with my magic?"

"You may," she said.

Loki took a moment to concentrate before a soft golden glow emitted from one of his hands. He placed it a few inches away from the stone.

He could feel the stone, laying against her chest and he could feel dark claw-like tendrils extending from the stone, sinking into her body.

They had spread out throughout her entire chest, and most importantly - they had reached her heart. The tendrils has wrapped themselves tightly around the organ, engulfing it in darkness.

The stone was draining the life out of her.

He lowered his hand, and frowned.

It would be best to tell her the truth. (People were easier to trick if you told them the truth)

"The stone is killing you," Loki admitted, "Everytime you use magic, it takes some of your energy - but it takes too much. Eventually it will take your very life away."

"I suspected as much. Is there a way to stop that from happening?" Hela asked.

"Yes, I believe there is. I'm not that knowledgeable on dark magic, but I know with the proper tools I could find the cure," Loki assured her.

Or he could find a way to destroy it.

"I can provide you the tools you need," Hela said and turned behind her, walking over to a large tapestry covering the back wall.

She pushed it to one side, revealing a door.

She opened it and beckoned Loki forward, to follow her into it.

The door led to a dark staircase that winded downwards. They walked down it before eventually reaching a ginmorouse room filled with bookshelves and various items displayed throughout.

"This was my father's vault, where he had hidden all forms of magic," Hela said.

"Years ago, I found this room and discovered the stone, gaining it's power," Hela stood in front of a pedestal where a small wood jewelry chest lay open. "The books I could never understand, but perhaps you could read them? And find something to help me."

Loki approached one of the bookshelves and pulled a book out, easily reading the runes etched into it.

"These are written in an old language, only taught from witch to witch. I can understand it," Loki said, turning towards her, "I will do my best to find a cure for you."

Hela smiled, "Excellent."

Loki smiled back, more confident now.

Hopefully one of these books would tell him some way to destroy the stone and strip Hela of her powers, leaving her a regular human or at least tell him someway to kill Hela (or speed up the stone killing her).

Not only that, but Loki also had to find Thor, free him and tell him what Loki's new plan was.

All before tomorrow, when Hela planned to execute Thor.

Hela stayed with Loki for an hour, watching him as he went through a few books. Eventually she left the room before returning a few moments later with a young girl, who was holding a platter of food.

"This is Roskva, your servant. She will obey your every order," Hela explained.

"I have other duties to see to, but I will check in with you later tonight," she said before leaving.

Loki observed the young girl, apparently his servant. She couldn't have been older than Thor had been when he first visited Loki. Definitely too young to work yet.

She had her head down, avoiding Loki's gaze and was visibly trembling, clearly terrified.

"Q-queen H-hela had this made for y-you," she stammered out, offering him the platter out to him.

"Thank you, dear. You can just set it down," Loki said, smiling at her.

She set the platter on a nearby table and stood there, anxiously fiddling with her hands.

"You may leave," Loki said, but she merely shook her head.

"Queen Hela told me to stay with you."

Loki had a suspicion Hela had ordered Roskva to keep an on eye on him for her.

Rather clever of her to use a child, since most people underestimated or never suspected them.

Good thing Loki wasn't most people.

"Well, if you must stay, then you might as well sit," Loki said.

She was obedient and quietly sat down, watching him from a distance.

Loki continued to pull out various books and read as much as he could of them for a few more hours, until the sound of a stomach rumbling broke him out of his concentration.

He hadn't eaten anything on the platter, too busy reading, but he knew the sound hadn't come from him.

Which left the only other person in the room.

"You know, I'm not very hungry. You can have my food, if you want," he said, waving his hand towards the platter.

"N-no, I'm not hungry," Roskva said quietly.

"When's the last time you ate?" he asked.

She hesitated before replying, "T-this morning."

"Then go ahead. I don't plan on eating it and it would be a shame to waste it," he said dismissively and turned back to his books, pretending to read, but keeping an eye on Roskva.

She stayed seated for a minute before slowly getting up and inching her way towards the platter. She hesitated, glancing from Loki to the plate a few times before deciding it was ok and began devouring the food.

Good. Loki wouldn't have her fainting on him from hunger.

"T-thank you," she said once she had finished.

"You're welcome," he replied and instead of going back to reading, turned his attention back on her. "You seem a bit young to be working as a servant. Where are your parents?"

Rather unexpectedly, Roskva suddenly burst into tears.

Loki instinctively walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms, hugging her. He didn't tell her it was ok because...he had a feeling it wasn't.

"I don't know where they are!" she sobbed, "We got seperated when trying to flee! Q-queen Hela caught me and s-she-"

She wasn't able to continue, more tears flowing down her face.

Loki just kept holding her, hoping he could comfort her in some way.

Eventually, Roskva's tears slowed down enough for Loki to feel like she wouldn't start sobbing if he tried to talk to her, again.

"What did Hela do to you, dear?" he asked, keeping his voice calm and quiet.

"H-hits me. S-sometimes kicks me. A-and...one time...she grabbed my neck and I c-couldnt breathe."

Roskva didn't start crying again, but she did bury her face into Loki's neck, clinging tightly to him.

"You didn't deserve any of that, I promise you," Loki said, keeping his voice calm even as he felt his anger rise.

It had always made him furious to see a child being abused by an adult - be it parent or stranger. Children were a gift and should be cherished - not abused.

More than once, Loki had come across a child in his woods who was either lost or hiding (usually both). They'd tell him their story of how they'd run away from home or escaped from someone trying to hurt them.

Of course, Loki helped the children he came across.

He'd take them far away, to a village on the outskirts of the land and introduce them to a couple or a single adult who hadn't been blessed with a child of their own, or were always willing to have more. Loki always made sure the child would find a family who would love them.

Once Loki was sure the child was safe and would be ok, Loki also made sure whoever hurt them, suffered for what they'd done.

This time would be no different.

Roskva ended up falling asleep in his arms -which he wasn't surprised about- probably exhausted from crying.

A quick summoning spell and he laid Roskva on a pile of pillows before setting a blanket over her.

One thing was clear to Loki - he wasn't going to be able to find a way to destroy Hela, at least not by tomorrow.

He'd only gone through a few books, and still knew very little.

Even without being setback by comforting Roskva (which he wouldn't regret doing), he probably still wouldn't have found anything.

So there was only one thing he could do, for now.

He cast the familiar illusion spell and climbed up the stairs to the war room, slipping out of it.

He ran into no one along the way, which he was thankful for (he had no idea if Hela's magic could see past his). He made his way to a hatch to the side of Odin's house that he knew led down to the basement.

Skurge was gaurding it, but he didn't notice Loki.

The basement was pitch black and Loki created a small ball of fire in his hand which he used to light up the lanterns in the room.

Barrels (no doubt filled with mead -ugh-) lined the walls, but chained up to one of the walls and laying rather pitifully on the ground, was Thor.

He hadn't noticed Loki but he had noticed the sudden presence of light in the room.

"Hello?" he called out.

Loki walked over to him and dropped the illusion spell.

No amount of light could compare to the way Thor's face lit up and the warm smile that appeared when he saw Loki.

"Loki! You're ok! Does that mean our plan worked?" he asked as Loki crouched down, examining Thor's chains.

"It did work," Loki said, frowning, "But that doesn't mean I was fine with just giving you over to Hela. Anything could have gone wrong."

The plan to infiltrate the village and get close to Hela may have been Loki's plan, but Loki giving up Thor's location had been all Thor's idea.

Thor sighed, "I know, I'm sorry. But it was the only way to get Hela to trust you. What else could you offer her except for me?"

It was something they'd argued over immensely, but Loki had conceded when Frigga had sided with Thor.

"I could have won her over. I know how her type works," Loki said, concentrating on the chains around Thor's wrists and ankles until they released with a loud snap.

"Well, it worked, right? And we're both still alive," Thor said, standing up and stretching, "Did you find a way to defeat her? Any weakness?"

Loki nodded, "Yes, she has a weakness - the stone in her armor is connected to her heart. If we destroy it, she'll most certainly die."

Thor frowned, "I'm sensing there's a 'but'."

"But...I have no idea how to destroy it," Loki sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "That stone is a giant mass of dark magic and can't simply be destroyed by a normal weapon or purged away by magic."

"Then...what do we do?" Thor asked.

"Not 'we'. 'I'," Loki said, "I'm setting you free and you're going to leave the village to go find Heimdall and my mother. And...I'll stay behind to try to find some way to destroy Hela or at least stop her."

"No! I won't leave you!"

Thor reacted immediately and it didn't surprise Loki at all that he objected to Loki's plan.

"You have to Thor!" Loki argued back, "Hela will execute you tomorrow and I know I won't be able to find a way to destroy her by then! You have to leave!"

"But then you'll be alone with Hela! I can't abandon you! I won't!" Thor insisted.

"Don't try to argue with me, Thor! Hela will kill you tomorrow if you don't leave now and I won't let you die!" Loki yelled back at him.

"But what'll happen when Hela finds out I escaped? She'll probably suspect you," Thor said.

Unfortunately, Thor did have a point.

"She might, but right now, she believes I'm on her side and that I can help her. She can't afford to get rid of me," Loki said.

Thor was silent, crossing his arms over his chest and turned away from Loki.

"I don't like the idea of leaving you alone with her. Anything could go wrong," he said.

"Well now you know how I felt when you suggested I give you up to Hela so I could gain her trust," Loki said.

"Fair point," Thor grumbled. "I guess...I don't have any other choice, but to leave you behind."

"It's our best option right now," Loki agreed.

He held out his hand to Thor, who took it in his own, Loki's illusion spell extending over to Thor.

They made it out of the basement, unseen by Skurge and carefully walked to the edge of the village, avoiding Hela's undead army and the giant wolf -Fenris- along the way.

"I still don't like this," Thor muttered once they'd walked a good distance away from the village.

"I feel like I'm abandoning you," he said, sighing.

"I'll be alright, Thor. I know what I'm doing," Loki attempted to reassure him, "And don't think of it as abandoning me, think of it as...living to fight another day. You'll defeat Hela eventually, just...not today."

"Just...be careful, ok? Don't do anything too risky," Thor said and pulled Loki into a hug.

"I'll try my best," Loki said, hugging Thor back tightly.

Truth was, Loki was scared of being left on his own with Hela, but he couldn't let Thor know or else he'd refuse to leave.

Thor had to live, so after Hela was defeated, he could lead his people and help them rebuild from the damage Hela had caused.

Thor had to live because Loki wouldn't be able to live with himself if Thor died.

Because...he loved Thor.

The sudden realization hit Loki hard.

Moreover, this might be the last time Loki ever saw Thor because while Loki had no doubt he could keep fooling Hela, anything could go wrong.

When their hug ended, Loki didn't let go of Thor and instead placed his hands on either side of Thor's face.

"Loki?" he asked, confused.

(This would be easier if Thor wasn't so tall, Loki thought to himself)

Loki reached up and pulled Thor down into a kiss, their lips smashing together awkwardly.

Thor's response was immediate, changing the angle of his head so he could kiss Loki back more easily.

Loki pushed up against Thor, who in turn wrapped his hands around Loki's waist, keeping him close.

It was a desperate, messy, passionate kiss, yet it was the best kiss Loki had ever had.

Thor was the first one to pull away and Loki whined at the loss, not wanting it to end yet.

"You have no idea how much I want to keep kissing you Loki. But we can't. Not yet. When this is over, we'll have all the time to talk stuff through and do things properly," Thor promised, smiling down at him.

Loki would much rather Thor ravage him here and now, but he was right.

They really did need to talk and now wasn't the time for that.

Loki nodded and regrettably, loosened his hold on Thor, letting him go.

"I'm just...scared that we'll never get another opportunity like this. That something will go wrong," Loki admitted.

(Because something always went wrong.)

Thor frowned and suddenly reached into his shirt, pulling something out from underneath it.

Thor's talisman.

Loki had worn it for years before ripping it off in anger and he hadn't seen it since then. Until now.

"I...found this in your cottage earlier. My mother gave it to me years ago and told me it could protect me and grant me luck. I doubt it can actually provide those things, but...I'd like you to hold on to it for me, until we meet again," Thor said, holding it out to Loki.

"I'll keep it safe," Loki said, gently taking the talisman and putting it on, being careful to hide it underneath his clothes (no need for Hela to see it).

It felt good to wear it again, as a reminder of Thor and that he could return to him, once this was all over.

But Loki couldn't just let Thor leave without giving him a reminder of Loki, as well.

Taking the (new) knife he always made sure to keep at his belt, he unsheathed and raised it towards his head, cutting off several strands of his black hair.

Thor seemed to know exactly what Loki's intentions were and bowed his head to Loki, who braided the strands into Thor's, creating a lovelock.

"You don't have to return that, you can just keep it as a reminder of me," Loki said, smiling at his handiwork.

"I shall cherish it," Thor said and hesitated before leaning down and pressing his lips to Loki in one last kiss.

It was slower this time, both of them more sure and careful, but still just as desperate.

"Please stay safe, Loki," Thor said, once he'd pulled away.

"You as well. Don't do anything stupid or heroic. Or stupidly heroic," Loki replied back. "Find Heimdall and my mother, and stay with them until I figure out a way to defeat Hela. I'll figure out a way to contact you when I do."

"Thor, one last thing," Loki said, "There's a little girl named Roskva, who got seperated from her family when they tried to flee and Hela is now making her work as my servant. If you find Roskva's family, could you tell them that she's alive and ok."

"If I come across them, I'll make sure they know," Thor promised.

"Thank you," Loki said, hugging Thor.

Neither of them said goodbye to the other, the word seeming too...final.

Instead, they simply let go of the other and began walking in opposite directions - Thor deeper into the forest, to find Heimdall and Frigga, while Loki went back towards the village.

Loki didn't turn back once, no matter how badly he wanted to run back into Thor's arms.

They'd have time later, to talk and work out things between them, like Thor had promised.

For now, Loki had to focus on finding out how to defeat Hela and staying alive in the meantime.

(He hoped Thor's talisman would protect him and give him luck because he needed it).

It was almost morning by the time Loki managed to sneak back into the village and back into the war room, where he dropped his illusion spell.

When he made it back down to the storeroom, Roskva was waiting for him -now wide awake- in the nest Loki had built for her.

"I woke up and you were gone. Where'd you go?" she asked, with all the innocence of a child.

"It was getting rather stuffy in here, so I just stepped out to get a bit of fresh air," Loki replied back.

"Oh. That makes sense," she said, believing his lie.

She seemed much more comfortable around him than she did yesterday - no longer trembling or stuttering. Which was good, he didn't want her to be afraid of him.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

She nodded before a horrified look suddenly appeared on her face.

"Queen Hela is going to be mad at me! I wasn't supposed to fall asleep!" she said, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

"She won't get mad, if she doesn't find out," Loki said, placing his hand gently on her shoulder, "I won't tell her you fell asleep. It can be our little secret."

"R-really?" she asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Yes, really. Sleep is necessary and you don't need to be punished for that," Loki reassured her.

That seemed to relax her, although she didn't go back to sleep, and instead set aside the pillows and blanket.

As soon as she had, Loki heard the door to the war room upstairs slam open, followed by Hela's voice.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Oh dear.

Loki stood there calmly, even as his heart began to race.

Hela soon stomped the stairs and enteres the storeroom, her face red with fury.

"Where is he?!" she demanded, the stone on her chest sparking rather dangerously.

Oh so it responded to her emotions as well. Wonderful.

"Where is who?" Loki asked innocently.

"My brother! THOR!" Hela yelled, glaring at Loki, "He's missing! Where is he?!"

"I'm sorry, Queen Hela, but I'm afraid I have no idea where he'd be," Loki said.

"You're the one who brought him here! You could very well be working for him and freed him from last night!" Hela accused, a black sword forming in her hand.

Loki expected her to threaten him, but instead she directed her gaze towards Roskva, who had been doing her best to hide.

"YOU!" she snarled, grabbing Roskva by the collar of her shirt and slamming her into a wall, "Did the Witch ever leave this room?!"

Loki expected Roskva to tell Hela the truth -which he wouldn't blame her for- and that he'd somehow have to come up with a lie that would appease Hela.

"N-no! He didn't!" Roskva said.

"TELL ME THE TRUTH!" Hela yelled, raising her sword above her, ready to strike Roskva.

"I am, I swear! He never left the room!" Roskva exclaimed, tears pouring down her face, "Please, don't kill me!"

Hela let out a frustrated growl and let go of Roskva, who fell to the floor with a loud thump.

"If you didn't free Thor, then who did?" Hela said, glaring at Loki.

Loki shrugged nonchalantly, "Well, I don't know how secure Thor was kept, but I'm sure he has a few allies out there who could have freed him. But I honestly have no idea, Queen Hela. As the child said, I've been here all night - reading and researching dark magic."

Loki reminding Hela why she wanted him as her ally seemed to finally calm her down.

"Fine. I suppose I...let my temper get the better of me. But trust me, I'll be watching you, Witch" she promised and stormed up the stairs to the war room, slamming the door behind her.

As soon as she had disappeared, Loki rushed over to Roskva. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and Loki let out a sigh of relief.

"Why did you lie to her? She could have killed you," Loki said. Of course he appreciated what Roskva had done, but he didn't want her to die for him.

"Because...you're nice to me and I didn't want you to get in trouble," she said quietly, " 'It can be our little secret' just like you said."

Loki had mixed feelings about convincing a child to lie and keep secrets, but in the situation, it was necessary.

Hela's dark magic seemed purely physical; creating weapons, rocks and spires, and could poison a person with dark magic. He doubted she could cast any type of intricate spell to make someone tell her the truth, so she relied purely on threats and making people fear her.

Clearly she thought a child wouldn't even think about lying to her, but she was wrong.

"Well, thank you, but please don't go risking yourself like that, again. I'm fully prepared to deal with Hela if things go wrong," he said.

"Ok," Roskva agreed, "Um, can I ask you something?"

"You may."

"/Did/ you help Jarl Thor escape?"

Loki let out a sigh and nodded, "I did."

There was no point in lying to her now, if she had already come to that conclusion. Children were smarter than most people gave credit to.

"So you're a good witch then! You're not wicked at all!" Roskva said, smiling at him. "My parents used to tell me stories about the Wicked Witch of the Woods and how scary he was and that he kidnapped children! I was really scared when Queen Hela told me I'd be serving you."

"But you're not scary or wicked! You're nice and good!" Roskva finished.

"I suppose the tales of my wickedness are a bit...exaggerated," Loki said, "But Hela believes otherwise and that I'm on her side."

"It'll be our little secret! I won't tell anyone!" Roskva said.

"Thank you. But please remember that if Hela threatens you again, don't risk your own life to protect me. It's the job of adults to protect children, not the other way around," Loki said.

Just as he finished speaking, he heard the door to storeroom open.

It wasn't Hela this time, but Skurge.

"Queen Hela asked me to escort you out," he said simply.

Ah, so now Hela had assigned an escort, who would most likely follow him at all times.

That was fine, Loki could deal with that.

"Of course, lead the way," Loki said, smiling.

---
It wasn't long after Thor and Loki went their seperate ways that Thor eventually ran into Heimdall.

Thor wasn't that surprised to see him (Heimdall was allknowing afterall and had probably seen Loki free Thor), but he was relieved.

"Follow me," Heimdall said simply.

"Up in the mountains, there is a stronghold that was built many years ago by witches. I and many villagers have taken refuge there," Heimdall explained as they walked, "They will be overjoyed to see that you're alive."

"I hope you're right," Thor said with a sigh.

He'd failed his people - he hadn't been able to protect them from Hela. Instead he had accepted his defeat (had accepted he would die), and had abandoned his people.

Now, he was doing it, again. He still was no closer to defeating Hela than he was a few weeks ago.

These thoughts were on the forefront of Thor's mind as he and Heimdall walked up the mountain to the stronghold.

When they finally reached it, Thor felt a dread settle over him as Heimdall performed a spell that revealed the stronghold's door to them.

The doors opened and Heimdall stepped inside, Thor following him.

Dozens of people from his village occupied the space inside the stronghold, and while Thor still dreaded facing them, he was glad to see that some people had managed to safely escape from Hela.

Thor and Heimdall's presence was noticed immediately, but before anyone could approach them, Heimdall spoke.

"Jarl Thor has returned," Heimdall announced, his voice echoing throughout the stronghold, "He will address you all tonight, but for now he needs some rest."

"Thank you," Thor whispered to him as Heimdall led him away.

"You do need rest after a long night, but first there is someone you should see," Heimdall said.

Thor was curious as to who Heimdall meant, until Thor heard a familiar voice.

"Thor!"

In a small alcove, sat Frigga and next to her, walking over to him, was Jord - Thor's mother.

"Mother!" Thor exclaimed, rushing over to her and wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"Oh, Thor! I thought you were dead!" Jord sobbed, hugging him back.

"I'm sorry, mother. I'm so sorry," Thor said. It was all he could say to her.

"It's okay, Thor. You're alive and you're here. You're safe now. That's all that matters," Jord said, reaching up and wiping a few tears off of his face (he hadn't even realized he'd begun to cry).

"Heimdall told me you were still alive, but it was...hard to believe after having to flee the village. Why don't we sit down and you can properly explain to me what happened," Jord suggested, gently leading him towards the alcove where Frigga had been sitting.

She and Heimdall had wandered off, giving Thor and Jord some space (although Thor caught glimpses of Frigga out of the corner of his eye, so she was obviously staying close).

"I'm...not sure where to start," Thor stated after he had settled down next to his mother.

"Then I'll start," Jord said, "When Hela attacked the village, Heimdall gathered me and some of the other villagers to flee, but I went back to try to find you. I saw you and Hela fighting. I saw her impale you with her sword and I thought...I thought she had killed you."

Thor knew one of Jord's greatest fears was Thor dying in battle. Ever since he was old enough to hunt, she had feared she'd end up outliving him.

Seeing her fear become a reality must have been incredibly hard for her.

"I'm sorry-" Thor began to say when Jord interrupted him.

"Enough apologizing, Thor. None of this is your fault," she said and let out a sigh, "Heimdall brought the others and I to this stronghold. He told me you were alive and that you were in safe hands, but he wouldn't tell me any more than that. Then Frigga arrived a few days ago."

When Thor and Loki had been making their plans to infiltrate the village and for Loki to gain Hela's trust, Frigga had expressed her interest to help.

They had decided Frigga was best suited to find Heimdall and the other villagers in hiding.

Since she was a skilled healer and warrior, she could heal any injured and could help Heimdall defend the villagers if Hela somehow found them.

"Did Frigga tell you anything?" Thor asked.

Jord nodded, "She told me how you stumbled into the woods, half-dead and barely conscious. How it took ages to heal you and as soon as you had recovered, you were eager to go back to the village so you could try to defeat Hela. And she told me that her own son was helping you."

"He is," Thor confirmed, "If it weren't for him, I know I wouldn't be alive."

"He's...a witch, isn't he? I gathered that Frigga is, so I assumed her son is as well," Jord said, "How do you know you can trust him, Thor? That this won't end badly?"

"You trust Heimdall," Thor replied back, keeping his voice calm, "And you've been around Frigga, so you must know by now she is kind and gentle person. Her son is as well. I trust him with my life."

His life, his soul, his heart. Thor trusted Loki with it all.

Jord sighed, "Yes, you're right, but some things that Frigga said...make me believe her son is the Wicked Witch of the Woods. Is he not?"

Thor should have expected this.

His people's opinion of witches had improved over the years due to Heimdall living in the village.

But biases still remained - specifically against Loki.

The stories of the Wicked Witch of the Woods still existed and were shared throughout the village.

Once Thor had learned Loki's true story and how Odin had betrayed him, Thor had wanted to tell his entire village.

But Heimdall had warned him not to.

"They won't believe you. They've been told these stories of Loki for years and they don't know him like you do, Thor. The people need to see Loki for who truly he is, before they will believe the truth."

So, Thor had kept quiet.

Mostly.

If anyone asked about or told him a tale of the Wicked Witch, Thor would simply say he didn't believe it or that there was probably another side to the story they didn't know.

The laughs and teasing he received was all he needed to know that Heimdall was right.

But this was Jord - his mother.

It would feel wrong to keep the truth from her now, to not tell her about the man Thor loved and trusted.

To not tell her about the man who had saved not only Thor's life, but Jord's as well.

"Mother, I'm going to tell you a story about the Wicked Witch of the Woods, that very few people know," Thor started, smiling at Jord, "I want to tell you the story of how I met Loki Friggason."

Thor told her everything.

How when he'd been just a child, he'd sought out the Wicked Witch of the Woods, hoping the witch would help him cure his mother. How the Witch had been kind, not even asking for anything in exchange for the medicine he'd given Thor.

Then years later, during that harsh winter when the village had been starving, Thor had visited the Witch again to ask for help.

And when Thor had become an adult, he'd once again sought out the Witch, asking him to help Thor slay Surtur, so he could become Odin's successor.

He told her about how time and time again, Loki had helped Thor whenever he had asked.

Not only that, but he told her about Loki's past as well and how he'd been involved with Odin, before being betrayed.

And Thor admitted to his own faults; how he hadn't told Loki that Odin was his father, only for Loki to find out on his own and forbade Thor from seeking him out again.

How even after that, Loki was still willing to help Thor defeat Hela, had refused to let Thor face her alone.

Jord was silent as she listened to Thor recount everything, only speaking up once he was done.

"It is...rather a lot to take in," she said, "But...I believe you. Afterall, I know all too well how easy Odin tosses aside those who aren't useful to him."

Thor knew what she was referring to - the affair she'd had with Odin, resulting in Thor (he had been an accident, completely unplanned).

"I never loved Odin, I had merely liked the attention he had given me," Jord admitted, "I was his mistress, nothing more and nothing less."

"It stung a bit when Odin rejected me once I discovered I was pregnant, but I wasn't heartbroken and I was content to raise you on my own. I can only imagine the type of pain your witch was in when Odin hurt him..." Jord trailed off, her voice quiet and sad.

"Loki has been through...a lot, but somehow he's still a kind and generous person," Thor said and let out a sigh, "I only wish others would see him the same way I do."

"I think they will Thor. When this is all over, I think they will," Jord reassured him with a smile.

Jord was silent for a moment, gazing at Thor with a soft expression.

"You love him, don't you?"

Her statement caught him by surprise and he stared at her in shock.

"Thor, you've never been best at keeping your emotions hidden. Especially not from me," she said.

When Thor had told her about Loki, he'd carefully left out any mention of his feelings. Telling his mother the truth about Loki was one thing. Telling her Thor's feelings about him was another and Thor hadn't thought she was ready for that knowledge.

But apparently she was.

"I remember sometime after Odin named you his successor, you had that made," Jord gently pressed a hand against the brooch on Thor's cloak, "Everyone knew you were planning to court someone, but you never did give it to anyone. Was it meant for Loki?"

"Aye. I had planned on giving it to him, but then he found out I was Odin's son," Thor admitted. "I kept it, to remind myself of my mistake and to hopefully give it to him one day."

Jord let out a thoughtful hum and her gaze wandered upward, to the lovelock in Thor's hair.

"And does he love you?"

She didn't ask if the black hair in the lovelock belonged to - she clearly already knew.

"I don't know for certain, but I know that he...doesn't want me dead," Thor said.

And Loki had kissed Thor earlier, but that didn't necessarily mean he loved him.

Thor smiled remembering the kiss, "I know he cares about me enough to save my life, despite everything. Whether or not he loves me...I don't know. We agreed that after dealing with Hela, we would discuss things and I'll apologize properly then, and tell him my feelings."

"What if he doesn't return your feelings?" Jord asked, her voice taking on an unusually serious tone.

"Then I'll be content having been able to apologize properly and to tell him how I feel," Thor answered without hesitation.

"And if he does love you...then what?"

Thor looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but...I believe witches don't age like normal people do. If Loki returns your feelings, if you get together...you will outlive him, Thor. You're already over 40 years old," Jord said sadly.

Thor eyes widened as he registered her words.

Loki hadn't aged at all in the time that Thor had known him - he still looked the same as he did when Thor had first met him as a child.

Thor had never thought about it before, but now it was all he could think about.

Loki would remain youthful for many years, while Thor would grow old and eventually die. There was no doubt about that.

If their feelings were mutual, could they even enter a relationship, knowing Loki would outlive Thor? That he'd continue to live centuries after Thor died?

Thor knew he'd cherish the years he'd be able to spend with Loki, but the thought of leaving him behind...possibly hurting Loki when he died...

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up," Jord apologized as she saw Thor's expression darken.

"No, it's alright. I'm glad you did. It never crossed my mind before," Thor said and let out a sigh, "But I can't dwell on it too much. I still have to focus on defeating Hela before anything else."

That was the main crux of the matter - he would have to defeat and survive battling Hela, if he even hoped to see Loki again, much less imagine a future between them (if there was one).

He couldn't afford to worry about his relationship with Loki, with Hela still around.

Jord seemed to understand and didn't press him more about it, instead she suggested he rest up for the time being.

She led him to a small sleeping area she had apparently claimed as her own and it took him only a matter of seconds to fall asleep once he laid down.

When Thor next woke up, Jord wasn't with him, but he wasn't alone either.

Sitting next to him, sharpening her swords, was his oldest friend - Sif.

"About time you woke up," she smiled, noticing that he was awake.

"Sif! You're here!" Thor exclaimed, sitting up.

She'd been with him when Hela had initially attacked but he'd lost track of her when he'd gone to face Hela alone. It was a surprise to see her here, but not an unwelcome one.

"Of course I'm here. Your mother asked me to watch over you while she got her own rest," Sif replied.

"I got this for you. Figured you'd be hungry after sleeping for so long," Sif said instead, grabbing a small bowl next to her and handing it to him. It was filled with what looked like a simple stew and Thor took it graciously (he hadn't eaten since the day before).

They sat in companionable since, Sif continuing to sharpen her swords while Thor ate.

"Everyone thought you were dead. That Hela killed you," Sif said quietly, once he had finished eating. "The witch that came her recently, Frigga, she said she healed you."

"She did...as did her son. I would be dead if it weren't for them," Thor said. He didn't say anything more about Loki. He had a feeling if he did, she wouldn't take it as well as Jord had.

"Well, I'm glad you're still alive," Sif said, smiling at him.

"And I'm glad you are as well. Although I'll admit I was never really worried about you. You've always been a better warrior than me and make the smarter decisions," Thor said, smiling at her.

"You're not wrong," she laughed, nudging him playfully.

It was nice, talking with her and being in her presence. They'd always had an easy friendship and he felt comfortable around her.

He knew when they had been younger, and just become adults, everyone expected them to get married, especially after he became Jarl.

(Thor suspected Sif had been more than alright with the idea of them getting married, even if she'd never said so outloud.)

Obviously, marriage had never happened and both remained unmarried to this day, but they'd stayed friends.

"Sif...are there any other warriors here?" he asked after a moment.

Sif hesitated before nodding, "A few. Like me, they helped Heimdall get the villagers escape when Hela attacked. But the other warriors stayed behind to fight Hela and hold her back."

Sif didn't need to say it for Thor to know that Hela had killed all the warriors who had fought her.

Thor wanted to grieve them, but he knew he couldn't let himself linger on the lives that had lost. Not yet. For now he had to focus on the people still alive.

As if she had read Thor's mind, Sif spoke up, "I could take you to the warriors that are here and have you meet with their families, along with the families of the warriors who went against Hela.

"I'd like that, Sif, thank you. I need to address everyone, but I don't want to make an announcement. I'd much prefer to check in on everyone individually," Thor said and sighed, "I suppose I should do that now."

"I'll accompany you," Sif stated.

"I'd be glad to have you accompany me," Thor said and smiled at her.

Sif took him around the stronghold and Thor talked to many people that night, recognizing lots of faces of the people in his village and feeling a pang of grief whenever he realized some faces were missing.

He offered his condolences to those who had lost someone and reassured everyone that he was planning to defeat Hela (he didn't say how, but most accepted his answer as is).

He was even able to find Roskva's family -her mother and brother- and tell them she was alive, that Thor had a friend in the village who was looking out for her.

He didn't tell anyone about Loki, that he was currently in the village and trying to figure out a way to defeat Hela.

He couldn't risk Hela somehow finding out Loki wasn't her ally and it was better if his plans were kept a secret.

After he had met with everyone, Thor split off from Sif and went to Heimdall, to ask about Loki.

"I can't see him," Heimdall admitted with a sigh, "Hela has surrounded the village in darkness and I can't see anything past it. I'm sorry, Thor."