Chapter Text
Thor crept quietly to the spot underneath the window of the room where Mother, Father, and Loki were talking. Loki himself had shown Thor that if you stood on it just right you could hear anything said in the room above just as if you were standing there yourself. He'd sworn he hadn't enchanted it but Thor wasn't sure if he believed his brother. It seemed to much like magic to not be enchanted.
He knew that eavesdropping was somewhat dishonorable, but Loki did it all the time, and he needed to know what was going on! Loki was his brother and he had the right to know what was wrong with him.
Thor remained still and silent (which he was quite capable of doing no matter what Loki said), and listened carefully to the voices drifting down to him.
"Oh, I wasn't in any danger father. It was just my friend."
That was Loki. He sounded very sincere. Thor frowned, where had Loki found another friend? And why had not Thor met him?
"...and what friend might that be then Loki? What is his name and where is he from?"
His father sounded as if he were holding himself back. Thor shifted his weight impatiently. He wanted very much to know the answer to those questions as well.
"I don't know. But I dream about him sometimes and I know he's safe. He really is my friend."
Oh. It might be harder to meet Loki's friend if he only showed up in dreams.
"Has he ever spoken to you?"
"No Mother, he hasn't. But I know he's there. I can't see him, it's just a feeling."
Thor's forehead wrinkled in thought. So he didn't even really show up in the dreams? What kind of a friend was that?
"And you had this same feeling when you were on the bridge?"
"Yes....he just wanted to cheer me up I think. And for me to visit him."
That sounded a little bit better. Atleast Loki's friend wanted to play with him now.
"What exactly did you see and feel on the bridge, Loki?" That was Father again. He sounded as though he were angry. Suddenly Thor was glad he wasn't in the room with his brother.
"I just wondered where the river went. Then....I saw it falling. Like in my dreams. He shows me things. And then I knew if I dove into the river and followed it I could be with him."
Thor thought it was Mother who made a soft sound, very like a gasp. She'd probably breathed in too quickly.
"...You must never do as this person tells you Loki. It isn't safe. If you had jumped into the river you might have been drowned, or even killed from falling over the edge of the world."
Thor had thought that swimming in the river sounded fun. If Loki's friend was there it wasn't like he'd be alone, would he? He thought that he would like to swim in the river. Not necessarily by the Bifrost. But the thought of Loki getting hurt or drowned was worrisome. Thor decided that if he went swimming in the river he would make sure that Loki didn't know so he couldn't come too and get hurt.
"But he's never wanted to hurt me! He likes me. I can tell. He just wants me to be happy."
"Taking you away from your family is not the action of someone who wants you to be happy, Loki," Odin replied, frustration sharpening his tone of voice. "Nor is it the action of a friend."
Realizing his own impatience, he sighed and continued on more gently. "Loki, it is not unusual for malicious spirits and other evil creatures to pretend to be a person's friend only to betray them. We know nothing of this creature, only that he has tried to take you away from us by promising you happiness. You cannot be certain that he would keep such a promise. You know neither his name nor where he is from nor what manner of creature he may be. You cannot trust him."
So Loki did not have a new friend? A foul creature was trying to hurt Loki! Thor would not allow it. He would stay close to his brother so when the creature came to hurt him he could save his little brother and kill it. He nodded his head, agreeing with his own plan. It was his responsibility to protect his brother and he so he would.
In the room above, Loki looked up at his father, his eyes full of uncertainty. Could he not even trust his own feelings? Was his friend really his enemy? How could he know of a surety?
"My son, you must promise me that you will never accept that offer. Your place is in Asgard. We know nothing of this strange being, and it most likely means you harm. Should you be further tempted you must come to us and we will help you resist it. But I must have your promise that you will not give in to its blandishments."
"Yes father, I promise," Loki quietly replid, his eyes wide with fear and confusion.
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Loki's parents had retreated to a private study. Both were deeply disturbed by their newfound knowledge that their son's dreams had been influenced by an unknown entity for years, and the revelation that this entity had tried to take their son from him only added to their disquiet.
Frigga wandered over to the room's largest window, pushing back the curtains as she sought an answer to how to protect their son, and just what it was they were supposed to be protecting him from.
"Perhaps an illvatte? A river spirit with a grudge could explain what happened."
Odin frowned in thought before replying.
"No. While it explains the incident on the bridge it cannot account for the dreams."
"A fylgja then? They appear in dreams and in real life as well. But...he did not see what called him, did he?" Frigga's voice wavered as she hesitantly asked the question.
"No, he did not. For which we must be thankful if it is a fylgja. If he'd seen one..." To see one's fylgja foretold one's approaching death. No parent would wish their child to see such a creature.
"But he did not. And this being, it was offering him a choice, was it not? Fylgja accompany one to one's fate. They don't give you choices, just guidance. And Loki said that he'd always had those dreams, ever since he was little."
"And that is what worries me. What is this thing that seeks to lure our son away from us?"
Frigga sighed. "If only we knew more about it. An image, even a name would at least give us something to go on."
Odin's eyes were grim as he looked out over his realm.
"We will do what we can. Loki will not be allowed near the Bifrost unaccompanied, and Heimdall will be watching for anything suspicious. If any knowledge of this creature exists in any of the nine realms, it will be found."