Kapitel 2: Chapter 1.2 A New Beginning Part 2

It was a two week's ride from where they were to the port that led to the southern edge of Jotunheim, and from there it would take another week to infiltrate Glefgir, so he would have to start his trip at dawn. As lovely and as entertaining as Sif was, he needed his sleep. No maiden would warm his bed tonight. He reached out with a careful yet purposeful hand when he couldn't take her chatter anymore and set it on Lady Sif's own, causing the woman's mouth to snap shut, a fierce blush spreading across her face. "Sif, I must retire to bed. I have an early day tomorrow."

Sif laughed drunkenly and intertwined their fingers boldly, which surprised Thor. He was aware that she fancied him, but he could not return her feelings, so he did his best to keep their relationship on a platonic level. The alcohol coursing through her veins seemed to give her a level of confidence and assuredness about pursuing him that she usually didn't show and she winked at him, causing him to feel uncomfortable. "You're sleeping alone, tonight?"

"I am," He answered, gently pulling himself out of Sif's hold. "And you should do the same. Goodnight, Sif." He could see the disappointment in her eyes and looked away, hoping that if he didn't address her feelings for him, she would take the hint. "I will see you in three months. Please take care of our settlement, and protect everyone in my stead."

His friend seemed crestfallen by his gentle rejection of her, but he headed back to his small home anyway, stripping off his clothing from the day and settling into bed. He hadn't been to Jotunheim before, but through his research knew that their capital city was often full of foreign visitors during all times of the day, so he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb upon arrival.

From the intelligence he'd gathered about Loki from Muspelheim's king, he'd learned that the niouvi was followed by no less than 15 giants at all times when he traveled throughout the city. The niouvi was also very skilled in the art of seidr, so Thor knew that he couldn't just "take" him. He had to plan out this heist very carefully.

Throughout his journey to the port of Glefgir, Thor thought long and hard about how he would take Loki, as this would undoubtedly be his hardest job yet. The niouvi was to be taken unharmed and kept safe at all costs so that only made his job harder. He began to wonder if he should kill Loki's bodyguards with his lightning when an opportunity presented itself, before deciding that he would experiment with stunning them instead, using the element. Having powers did make being a mercenary much easier, as it allowed him to get himself out of situations that a mere mortal could not.

He knew that once he kidnapped Loki though, he wouldn't be able to use the port of Glefgir to get home, as the king would most likely shut the port down once it was discovered that Loki was taken.

He would have to find another way.

After arriving in the city of Glefgir, Thor spent the better part of that month following Loki and his guards around discreetly - learning their patterns, their mannerisms, and their daily routines. He followed them from the shadows and watched quite intensely, carefully crafting his perfect plan. His men would be arriving in the city early that morning - only 5 men would aid him with this heist as if there were too many of them, it would break their cover - so he spent his final night alone watching Loki from the various windows of his room in the palace.

He could definitely understand why the King of Muspelheim wanted Loki as his own bride - the niouvi was more beautiful than any being Thor had ever seen. He walked with a certain grace, entrancing all who gazed at him. He truly was a god amongst men, and Thor still didn't know how he'd keep this powerful sorcerer restrained and bound to get him to Muspelheim.

Once his men arrived they would discuss this in length: determining the best way to kidnap Loki, and how to swiftly move throughout the city and kingdom without being caught and killed by King Thrym.

Thor could only pray that this would pan out the way he was needing it to.

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Loki was certain that someone was following him.

It'd started around the beginning of the month, in the markets. He'd been bored out of his mind in the palace and decided to travel to the market to get some items for his spells. Ever since King Thrym had asked to marry him, he'd had no less than 15 men guarding him everywhere he went, and knowing that King Thrym didn't plan on letting him be alone until their wedding day just added to his frustration.

He was a court noble descended from a line of nobles that dutifully served the kings of their kingdom, and Loki would be marrying the king in a few months. Then, he'd give the king a million sons, sit still, and look as beautiful as everyone believed him to be for the rest of his life.

Unless… someone provided a way out.

He believed that the Aesir following him through the streets of the city each day would be his one-way ticket to escaping the boring life that awaited him.

Although being Queen of Jotunheim was an admirable achievement, it wasn't what Loki wanted. No, Loki wanted to conquer the realm - he wanted to rule with an iron fist and become the strongest sorcerer alive. His betrothed, however, thought that his seidr use was "unbecoming" of someone as beautiful and as "kind" as Loki, and forbade him from practicing it - making it very clear that he wanted to be listened to and obeyed. Of course, his 10 dead wives that came before Loki proved what would happen to him if he didn't obey the king's every wish and command, so he needed a way out, now.

About a month after the strange Aesir began following him, the perfect opportunity presented itself. It was during the dead of night, and he was brushing his waist-length hair before bed. He'd gotten in trouble earlier that day because one of his guards reported his seidr use to the king, so after killing that guard and making it look like an accidental death, Loki's mind was running a million miles a minute.

He couldn't just run from the kingdom, as the king would pay people to get him back. And even if he did run, he wouldn't know how to support himself in the wilderness. He wouldn't know how to hunt, how to prepare food, how to survive. He wouldn't last a week out in the wilderness on his own, and no kingdom would take him in as a refugee, as they'd be too afraid to go to war with Jotunheim.

Living in Jotunheim as their king's 11th wife was a life he did not want, and he prayed to the Norns for refuge somewhere as he slipped into his nightshirt. He could sense the Aesir's presence outside of his window and debated about letting him in. He was powerful enough to stop the man with seidr if he tried to harm him, but he didn't know if the Aesir was working alone. It could be an unpleasant trap.

Imagining hordes of Aesir storming into his bedroom to ravage him did frighten him a bit, and he summoned a bit of his seidr to make a clone of himself, moving himself out of view from his window and sending his clone to bed. It was then that he watched and waited, using seidr to blow out his candles in his room to give the illusion that he was resting.

If this Aesir intended to kill him, he would kill the clone first, which would give Loki a chance to escape. If the Aesir tried to kidnap him though, he would cause his clone to dissipate, put up a believable fight, and allow himself to be taken. He rationalized this decision by reassuring himself that if he was kidnapped and taken to another land he didn't want to be in by force, he could always send for help and alert his king to his location if he found it unpleasant and unbearable.

Whether he was fond of this plan or not, this Aesir seemed to be his only way out of Jotunheim. If he could escape the hellish life that was waiting for him as the bride of King Thrym, he was willing to make that leap and take the risk that he could be falling into an even more hellish life than the one he was headed into.