Penance is Winter Cold: Part 5

Whistling as it rushed towards the Jotun’s head, the sword winked like a beacon of death, light flashing eerily off its sharpened blade. Though Thor dashed forward to prevent its happening, he knew there was no time. She was going to kill him, lop off his horns, bury the sword so deep in Loki’s skull that it might never be separated from the flesh and bone. She was going to--no! Thor screamed his agony, expecting the sound at any time. But….it never came. What he heard instead was the clang of metal meeting metal, chains snapping and spilling their broken links across the floor, and Loki’s laughter mingling with the witch’s outraged cry as the glow of blue ice and emerald magic channeled from his palms and spilled across her form. Sorcery, trickery.

Of course. He should have known better. ‘Trust is earned, Odinson.’ And Loki had done so much to earn his. His abilities were perfected, his seidr unquestionable in its strength. Above all, Thor knew firsthand how great of a warrior Loki truly was, his ruthlessness and trickery matched only by his cunningness with a blade. One glimmered now in his right fist, ice cascading down to the tip in a shower of white and eerie celadon as he slashed it across the flat of alabaster knuckles. They flickered, pulsed brightly, seeking a host in the thin red line oozing blood down the queen’s flesh. From there they crawled over her palm and wrist, then higher still, a steadfast layer of frost freezing her in place. It was a most chilling sight. How well Thor recognized it. This was the very same spell that had reduced him to a motionless, cold statue.

Clever Loki. Always doing the unexpected, but for what purpose now did his spell craft serve? He thought to ask, but the prince was speaking, and that silenced any and all questions Thor might have thought to ask. “So distrustful. Are you incapable of believing in anyone else’s power but your own?” Lowering his hands, Loki directed a smug look towards the thunderer. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Though for the sake of your subjects, I do hope you will amend this behavior before you take the throne. Arrogance has its charm, Thor, but when your eye turns inward, seeing naught but your own strength reflected back upon you, then you lose sight of what others may have to offer.”

“Our subjects, Loki. They are ours. And I do trust you.” Thor didn’t hesitate in approaching him, one of his large hands clasping Loki’s hip with a possessive squeeze. “Aye, I do. Perhaps I feared for your life, when the witch came at you with her sword, but I know better than any the sort of power you wield. Your seidr is a force of nature that I can never hope to comprehend. It’s truly frightening to behold.” He trusted Loki’s sorcery to keep him safe, when he could not.

Trust didn’t silence his wonderings though; Thor had to know why Loki had stopped him from killing the witch. Frozen as she was, she was still dangerous. Her eyes watched them with wrathful emotions churning in their dark depths, mouth twisted into a thin lipped scowl. She wanted them killed, to slay them and throw them aside, no more than lifeless corpses decorating the castle floor. Keeping her alive, even temporarily, was dangerous. Loki had to have a reason for his actions.

“Loki--”

“Hush.” A finger pressed to his lips; he could feel each of its individual whorls brushing the length of his lower lip as the Jotun trickster smirked and tapped it affectionately. “You claim to trust me. Prove it. Stand back, Thor, and allow me to do as I please. I promise, it will in no way hamper your plans. You’ll have your penance,” teeth flashed in bright smile, “and I my treasure.” Seeing Thor’s hesitation, Loki pushed forward and kissed one of his bloodstained cheeks. “That is what you want, isn’t it?”

Aye, it was. This simply wasn’t the way he’d wanted to go about things. Loki was meant to stand back while he dealt with the witch, and proved himself worthy of the Jotun’s affections. His forgiveness. How could he earn these things if he was hindered and forced to a lesser role in his own grand scheme? But it was what Loki wanted. Thor grimaced, glancing between him and their icy prisoner. It’s what he wanted……..and in the end, despite all his longings, that was what mattered most to him. This had never been about him. It was for Loki.

“Do what you must. But she can’t live. You must realize this.” He stepped back and granted Loki space, training his eyes on the crystallized, sharp features across from him. Such hatred burned from her. Potent as a serpent’s venom, she would lash out with it if given even the smallest chance. Odd that Loki didn’t seem the least bit concerned. They were in no real danger; Thor would never allow harm to come to him. To have such faith though, and the willpower to strut towards the queen with his broken shackles dangling from his wrists--it was empowering. Thor basked in it, slightly more content to stand back and give Loki leave to do as he wished.

“Don’t worry. Our lovely queen won’t pose a threat to us anymore.” The trickster’s smile turned to her, and Thor swore he felt the electrical charge of magic pulse through the air between them. Similar to Mjolnir’s, in a sense, but theirs was far more potent. Then again, they were sorcerers. It made sense that their power levels were so impressive. “Isn’t that right? You’re no more a threat to us now than a glimmer of sun to an icy storm.”

For a split second, her expression changed to one of amusement. “Is that so, little prince? You don‘t think me a threat?” Cold laughter trailed from her lips, made sluggish by the ice. “You must be strong, when even your beloved companion fears what I may do. But strength isn’t enough. This sorcery won’t hold me forever. I will break it, and when I do-”

“You’ll what? Kill me,” Loki taunted, moving face to face with the witch. She was so much taller than he yet Loki appeared the larger when faced against her pale limbs and unfeeling eyes. There was a power to him, a strength, as it were, that she just didn’t possess. Thor could see it, and he reasoned that so too could the queen. Her words were just that; words. All three of them knew who was the truly more formidable one between them. “You won’t so much as lay a finger on me. Otherwise, you’ll never have that which you so desperately crave. That thing which has plagued your every thought ever since you set eyes on us. On ME.” Loki brought up his hand and hovered it over her ghostly white cheek. “Isn’t that right?”

“Loki…” Thor took a step forward, staring at his lover’s hand. “Don’t touch her. You don’t know what she’s capable of!”

“On the contrary. I do. And so does she. That’s precisely why we’re in no danger here. You see Thor, she covets that which I have. That which I know. Until I either share my secrets with her, or she deciphers it for herself, I can’t be killed. By extension, neither can you. We’re perfectly safe.” He gestured to himself with his other hand, looking far more amused than Thor would have expected. “I only wish there were more like her back on Asgard. Perhaps then my talents might be better appreciated. It’s strange, feeling this coveted. But it’s not without its enjoyment.”

The trickster’s words were like a riddle. Try as he might, Thor couldn’t decipher their meaning. Coveted? What could she want that Loki had? She’d already taken his gold and jewels. His dagger was a creation of seidr, but surely it was no more spectacular than any other? “Speak clearly. What is it then?” Frustrated, he laid a hand on his consort, only to have it shaken off as Loki laughed and splayed blue fingers across his sternum, covering one array of delicate whorls patterning his skin.

“Isn’t it obvious? She wants me! Or, more specifically, my talents.” He turned a smile upon her and shook his head. “Unfortunately, this is no magic. Not in the sense that you’re thinking. The ice is a part of me, imbedded within my very core. It is my life, my blood. You may covet it all you want, but you’ll never have it as I do, I’m afraid. You aren’t Jotun.”

“Jotun…..is that the name for what you are, creature?” Ignoring Thor’s angry growl, her blank gaze turned down towards the small prince and took him in. This time, it was slowly, patiently, to memorize every inch of bare flesh that stood before her. “You hail from the ice. I sense it. As you say, it thrives within your very core, a part of you since birth.”

Her interest was unsettling. It took all of Thor’s innermost strength to keep himself away, and not gather his consort into his arms to carry him away, and hide him from those prying eyes. She may want Loki’s power, but he would sooner let all the realms burn than allow one hair on his head to be hurt. “If you even think of harming him, witch--!”

“Be silent. I have no interest in anything you have to say, fool.”

Thor reared back, ready to heft Mjolnir and smash it into her skull for daring to say such things to him. It was only Loki’s laughter that stopped him. He found this amusing? “Thor, don’t look so hurt! I meant nothing by it, you know. It’s only that you swore to let me do as I pleased. Remember? You gave me your word,” Loki leaned back and laid a hand on his wrist, applying enough pressure to make him lower the hammer. “Trust me. There is a simple solution to all this, one that I think will benefit us all. It is ice she desires, and I have more than enough to share. With the right incentive….”

“That’s madness!”

“And what is this incentive? What is it you desire?” The queen’s response overrode Thor’s outrage, a trickle of bemusement laced through her tone. “You speak truth when you say that I desire your control of the ice. Such power would be most beneficial to my plans. If I had some manner in which to wield it, as you do, then I would be unstoppable. Aslan himself couldn’t defeat me!” Fighting against the icy layer keeping her prisoner, she turned a greedy, ruthless smile upon them both. “What would it take? You came here to kill me, you two. The fair prince cries for my death, but you, Jotun, say differently. You must want something from me, to keep me alive. Tell me what it is!”

Madness--no. It was pure insanity! Loki couldn’t possibly be considering this. How would he even bestow some of his magic upon her? It was a part of him, as he said. Something from which he could never really be parted. Then how…Thor frowned, unable to hide his confusion before Loki could see it. And he did see it. There was no mistaking the sudden arch of his lips, nor the way his crimson orbs gleamed, as if he knew something Thor didn’t. In all likelihood, he did. Loki had been plotting something before they even stepped foot in this cursed castle, but only now was he realizing that it might be important; something he’d overlooked from the beginning. “What are you doing, Loki?” Thor hissed in the Jotun’s ear. “You can’t really be thinking of sharing your seidr with her!”

“Of course not. You have ears, do you not? It’s not my magic she wants, but the ice. Jotunheim’s ice. The smallest fraction of it would be enough to fuel her little war for years to come. Maybe even a hundred…” sly as a fox, Loki pet his nape and soothed the fury on his behalf that Thor was only just managing to contain. His attention was on her though, and with a wave of his hand the ice started receding from her skin, crawling back down her arms and legs until it flaked away, bit by bit. He didn’t give the queen time to properly respond either. The second it was done, Loki thrust his hand out with a smirk. Thor knew it then. It was all so clear. This was all a part of his plan, and things were progressing exactly as Loki wanted. All thanks to his trust, so freely given. Thor sighed, gripping Mjolnir tightly. No matter the consequences, it was done. And he wouldn’t change a--

“Your mantle then, if you please.”

What? Confounded, Thor swiveled the hammer in his grip, not entirely certain he’d heard right. Her mantle? She wasn’t even wearing one! He would have noticed such a thing. But the fair queen had no such questionings herself. Her head turned towards the far wall, where a throne carved out of stone awaited, and, sure enough, there was what Loki had asked for. It was heavy looking, made of white fur that Thor imagined was either coarse to the touch, or velvety smooth. There was no telling which without laying a hand upon it. Other than the white as snow coat there was nothing remarkably outstanding about it though. It was a simple cloak, nothing more. Then again, Thor was hardly the best judge of magical items. It might yet possess some powers he couldn’t see.

“This is what you would ask for? A fur cloak?” As uncertain as Thor was, the witch seemed just as amused. Taking her first steps since she had made to attack them, she walked over to the throne in a swish of fabric and long hair, dark nailed fingers brushing over the pelt. “That seems a small price to pay. There is nothing special about it, little prince. You could ask for so much more.”

“Oh, I’m sure. But it is a lovely thing, isn’t it? That’s more than enough reason to desire it.” Loki crooned. Every word dripped with mockery. “I’ve worn similar furs all my life. Most were left behind when I joined my dear consort at his home. Now I would have yours. It reminds me of what I’ve lost. What I left behind..” He glanced to Thor, who flushed irritably. It was true that Loki had had to leave behind much of his possessions in Jotunheim, but he’d never before spoken of his loss. Nor whether or not he wanted them returned. It was strange…

“You no longer live in your home. The land of the Jotuns.” It wasn’t a question. Caressing her mantle almost lazily, she blocked it from sight with her tall girth and sneered. “You only speak of my half of the bargain. What of yours?”

“Fear not. I never renegade on my promises, lady queen. In exchange for what I’ve asked, I can craft for you a weapon within which I’ll seal more than enough ice to aid your in your…ah….quest. You’ll be able to summon it at will, like I do.” Loki gestured with his left hand, where spirals of ice danced, flickering, then froze on his fingers like jagged claws. “You may even be able to manipulate it, change its form. That’s something you’ll have to discover for yourself, once you have it in your possession.”

“A weapon…..and when would I receive this mystical weapon, Jotun? Do you mean to craft it here?”

Judging by his chuckle, that was precisely the sort of questioning he had been expecting, and waiting for. “Of course not. I cannot make what you need here. The container itself will have to be small…perhaps a sword, or a wand. Something you can wield expertly, both in the heat of battle and for more delicate use. Crafting it will take days, maybe even weeks! And with the amount of ice required, some intricate spell work will be required to bond it to the form. You surely don‘t expect me to do that here, when both my mate and I are under such emotional duress. No…. I will take your mantle with me, and assume work upon my half of the bargain after we return to our realm. The both of us. Safe, sound, and untouched by you and yours.” Loki gave her an innocent smile, bled through with mockery. “Never fear. I‘ll be more than happy to bring it to you personally once it’s finished. You have my word.”

The outraged cry she responded with sounded more to Thor like a banshee’s wail. Grimacing, he protected Loki from its blast with his arms, though it didn’t seem to phase the trickster in the slightest. “Loki, enough of this,” he growled under his breath. “Why do you pretend to bargain with her? If the cloak is what you want, then I’ll retrieve it for you! You needn’t bother with this charade.”

“You dare call my having fun a charade? For shame, Thor. Where is your sense of levity?” Still wearing that damnable smile, Loki shot one of the icicles coating his fingers through the air, where it smashed none too kindly against the enraged witch’s shoulder. But it caught her attention, which was precisely what he’d been aiming for. “Listen, and listen well. You will receive the weapon I’ll craft for you, as promised, but on my terms, witch. Otherwise, I’ll be more than happy to act upon my mate’s suggestion.” He pressed against Thor with a coy flutter of his dark lashes. “I’m afraid I’ve terribly disappointed him thus far, in denying him your death. If you find our bargain distasteful, I’d be more than happy to allow you two to continue attacking each other. Perhaps after your death I’ll explore the castle, see what other treasures hide behind these stone walls.” Loki hummed, as if in contemplation, daring to share with Thor a demure gaze. “After all, I was promised anything I desire….”

It was that playful sort of behavior that told Thor everything he needed to know. The trickster had done it all on purpose. Everything. From the very beginning, his assistance had only been a ploy to get them here, precisely in this sort of situation. He didn’t know why; it may have merely been Loki’s thirst to stir up trouble. He did so love to toy with others, making a show of it all. But now that they were here, Loki was using him to his advantage. Thor would ensure him his prize, in exchange for the penance he so craved. He was getting exactly what he wanted, and promised, though not in the way he’d originally imagined. And Thor couldn’t find it within himself to be angry. In fact….it was all rather amusing, wasn’t it?

Nay. Thor pointed Mjolnir in the witch’s direction, giving in to the fierce grin spreading across his lips. It was FUN. “You will listen to my consort, witch. Hand over the mantle, unless you crave the sensation of my hammer caving in your skull.”

“Never! You dare think to refuse me first claim, when you trespassed in my lands, and threatened my life? I could kill you both for this,” she spat venomously, curling her fingers into aggressive claws. Neither Loki or Thor were intimidated.

“You may certainly try. But between the two of us, your chances of making it out alive are despairingly slim.” Mjolnir sparked with lightning, pulsing hotly around Thor’s fingertips and illuminating his wild eyes. “I know of the travesties you’ve inflicted upon this world. As future King of Asgard, I could very well slay you for your crimes. And for the indignities you forced my consort to suffer.” He waved to Loki, who stood still in his nakedness, stripped of all the finery and brilliant gold. “What you’ve done to him is enough to be punished by death, witch.”

“I think you’re forgetting the most important point,” Loki interjected, stroking Thor’s nape with his fingertips. “If we take the mantle, then there’s no need to uphold my half of the bargain. A witch has no need for power when she lies dead within the grave. But if you give it to us now, of your own free will….” he looped a strand of blond hair around his finger; it was an affectionate gesture, and utterly enjoyable to the thunder god. “I’ll act in kind. You’ll have your weapon, and the ice it can conjure. On this, I swear.”

The witch appeared more ready to throttle them senseless than agree. Yet she didn’t have any other choice. Not really. It was either agree with Loki’s bargain, or death. Thor wouldn’t be adverse to the latter, if he got another chance. “Witch, it’s a fair bargain. You would be wise to accept. Otherwise--” he twirled Mjolnir, lightning dangerously shooting out through the air and crackling hungrily. “I’ll be happy to end this now. But be warned. Between the two of us, you have no hope of making it out alive. Choose your fate wisely.”

Whether or not the threat was treated with the respect it deserved, it was enough. They got what they wanted. “Very well, little prince. You strike a difficult bargain, but, I accept. Only a fool would reject the sort of power you offer.” Fur piled up in her alabaster arms, she approached them and thrust the entire bundle into Loki’s arms, talons scratching his wrist as she grasped it in a warning grip. “Here. Have your spoils. Though know this first. If you don’t return…if I am denied what is rightfully mine--”

“You’ll…kill me?”

She would do no such thing! Thor growled, ripping her hand aside. “Do not dare insult my consort. He gave you his word. That should be more than enough to satisfy your greed.” He took the heavy cloak from Loki and glared, the force of which could have ignited storms across all the nine realms. “Now return that which you stole from him, witch. I’ll not have him traipsing about like some beggar’s child!”  

“Oh Thor, don’t bother. This is more than enough to make up for the loss of a few paltry jewels.” Loki’s hand caressed the soft cloak in his arms. With the way he admired it, eyes lit up like red jewels, he almost appeared a gleeful child. “You made the right choice. With the weapon I’ll create for your use, you’ll be unstoppable. No beast would dare cross paths with you.”

“Few dare it now.” Clearly seething from his trickery, she stalked away from them and retrieved her mangled sword; it had undergone much damage when Loki deflected it with his manacles. Likely some seidr was involved. “One month. You have one month to bring me what I’ve asked for. If you don’t return by then, I won’t care how long it takes, nor how many worlds I must cross. I will find you, child, and you both will suffer for your treachery.”

Thor tensed, pulling him towards the now unguarded doors but Loki waved off her threats without a backward glance. “Treachery? I wouldn’t dream of it.” He resisted Thor’s tug and called after her retreating form. “I’ll need a name, if we’re to strike this bargain proper! Or do you plan for me to craft a weapon for a stranger?”

Stubborn wretch. “Loki, enough. You have what you wanted. Let us-”

“You came to my world, had your golden boar attack me, yet you never knew my name? Fool boy.” No glance was spared. She spoke with her back turned, disappearing back through the wall’s crevice, just as she’d came. “I am Jadis. The Queen of Narnia. Know it well, little prince. It will be the name you whisper in broken breaths if you dare betray me.” The wall closed shut with a thundering groan, and they were left alone, the coldness of the room pressing in around them. Without her presence, it was less stifling, the sickly sweet rotting scent fading from the air. Nonetheless, Thor didn’t relish lingering. The levity of their situation was fast fading, and the consequences harrowed above their heads, overwhelming his conscience.

“We’re leaving. Now. Come Loki.” Thor wrapped a strong arm around the grinning Jotun and led him through the doors, leaving the oppressive weight behind. He wanted to hurry them out of this castle, and this damned world. Twice damned now, if Loki were to go through with his maddened plan. What was he thinking, striking that bargain with her? Thor had agreed to it, for there was little other choice, but it was no less mad. And now that he had time to give it thought, he realized what Loki had done. What they had done. It was all the truest workings of a crazed Jotun trickster. “You could have been killed. You realize this, don’t you? The witch would have slain you without a second thought.” The freezing wind lashed at them when they reached outdoors. Thor unfolded the fur cloak and threw it over Loki’s shoulders, unable to ignore how fetching it looked with his complexion and raven hair. The price of beauty was steep though. “And now you’ve given her a tool of greater power. Did you not think, Loki?” She will raze this world to the ground.”

“What she will do no is no less than what Asgard has done to all who oppose the Allfather‘s might. Or yours, for that matter.” Gathering the mantle around him, Loki purred and nuzzled into its soft fur, watching him from the corner of his eyes. “Do you think me a fool? I know what Jadis will do with the power I’ll give her. She’ll be unstoppable, with the forces of winter and ice at her beck and call. She could freeze this entire world if she really wanted to.” His smile teased, growing bigger. “Knowing this, don’t you think I’ve something planned? Or has your trust in me faded, now that the threat of danger is over?”

Thor scowled at him, more exasperated than angry. “I trusted your mad scheme, and look what happened. You denied me my kill, and played games instead, idly threatening when we could have slain her and-”

“What? Walked out as if nothing had happened?” Loki rolled his eyes, taking Thor’s hand as they approached the castle’s encampment. There were no souls about, the torches little more than slumbering coals in their holders. Thor was more concerned with the snow; it was several feet high, in piles that towered and gleamed against the mountainside. It would take hours for them to travel through.

“Nay. We could have fought! Between us two, her guards were hardly a challenge.”

“The guards, yes. But what of her army?” At his surprised look, the Jotun sighed and started leading him through the snow. In his cloak, he was all but vanished against its powdery white. “Without knowing their numbers, we’d have been fools to consider facing them. This was the smoothest course of action, and it ensured our continued safety. The Allfather would likely have my head if anything had happened to his beloved son. So what if the witch will possess a new power? This way, we’ve survived without suffering a single scratch, and there are relations between us. You have power over her now, Thor. She fears you. You faced her as a proud warrior, and were set to slay her, where others had failed. All I’ve done is take that respect a few steps further. There is a greater fear in life than in death. She will live, and remember this day. Remember what we‘ve done.” Loki shrugged. “And if the fate of this realm bothers you that much, then her fear will be all that more invaluable. It would be no trouble for you to return and stop her anew, pound her armies to the dust.”

Loki was trying to soften him up, singing praises and sweetness with his silken tongue. It was working well. “Aye…..this is true.” Thor murmured. There was something Loki had said that struck him oddly though, when he thought it through. Hugging him close to his side, he nudged the top of his horns and squeezed Loki’s forearm, gaining his attention. “What did you mean, when you said to have something planned? Is it to do with the weapon?” He saw the Jotun’s sly expression, hiding behind an air of innocence and ignorance. “Loki………”

“Do we not have more important things to discuss?” He turned about and caught Thor in a fleeting kiss, with every intention of distracting him from his purpose. It worked well. Thor couldn’t deny those sweet lips, nor their soft bite. “I fulfilled your own desire. The witch was defeated. Not with force, as you’d imagined, but the result was the same. Was it not? I have my prize.” Loki spread his arms to show off his gilding of fur. “And I’m quite pleased with it. Your penance is done. You can stop with all this nonsense.”

“It wasn’t nonsense. I had to prove myself to you, Loki. No matter the cost. You deserved to see for yourself my feelings for you, the lengths to which I would go..”

“Yes, and so I do. They’re exorbitant. I feel so cherished, I might very well smother under its weight.” The tease was lighthearted; sweet, almost, for Loki. “Stop your brooding. Killing Jadis and offering me her head would’ve been a grand display, but this was much better. You gave me leave to work my own schemes, Thor. You trusted me, like you would a fellow warrior. That means more to me than some bloodied corpse, witch or not.” Pushing back the first of many bough branches to cross their paths, he dusted Thor’s face in snow. It didn’t hide from him how Loki smiled, the purest one he’d seen in some time. “You’ve done enough. I hold faith in you, as I hope you do me.”

Thor emblazoned those words across his memory, praying never to forget their sweet sound. It was all he’d wanted, all he’d needed to hear. Loki was happy with him. Loki…trusted him. Were he to die on this mountain top, the thunderer would go to Valhalla with a light heart, his conscience soothed. “My faith is unquestioned, Loki. As is my heart.” He gathered those blue fingers to his lips and kissed their cold skin, almost warm in comparison to the night’s frozen skies. “Let us return to Asgard. Our time here has drawn to a close.” He fluffed the cloak higher around Loki’s face, smiling amusedly. “And you have a bargain to keep.”

“So I do.” Loki returned it, chuckling to himself. “Endless ice…..it is a brutal force to be reckoned with. If she can control it, this realm may yet give her a name to match.”

“Her skin is already white as snow. With her sorcery……” Thor dusted some snow off his shoulder; more flakes had already begun pelting them from the sky above. “The White Witch. That is what I would call her, were I one of them.”

“That’s brilliant, Thor. That’s truly brilliant.” It was his small laugh that told him yes, Loki approved. Or was at least amused. Whichever, Thor couldn’t possibly feel any more happier than he did right then.