Chapter Text
When they arrived back in Asgard, they were greeted with all sorts of fanfare that Thor had honestly not expected. He should have, in retrospect, but he hadn't. Perhaps because they weren't returning victorious from a hunt or a battle like was usually the case when Thor was met with cheers in the street. They were just coming home after being with their brother for a while. Loki seemed equally startled by the reception as they followed their Mother from the docks back towards the palace. The entire capital city surrounding the castle seemed to be in the midst of a festival of some sort with countless food stalls erected and children playing games in whatever open space they could find between clusters of onlookers. There were glittering bits of magic fluttering down through the sky and shiny instruments being played. "Mother, what's going on?" Loki asked as they walked along the high road and saw a stand selling hot boar skewers that had been glazed in some sort of sticky looking reddish sauce. "This can't all be just because we're home."
Frigga smiled down at her sons. "The people like you, darling."
"The people barely know us," Loki pointed out.
Thor nodded just a bit in agreement. He knew from experience that even though most of Asgard would recognize Loki and himself on sight easily enough, they wouldn't be real figures in society for a few more centuries when they reach their first majority. Most of their time was still taken up by lessons and training. "You are still the heirs to the throne," Frigga said, brushing Loki's slicked back hair behind his ear. "Not having either of you in Asgard make the people nervous and feeling insecure."
"I suppose..." Loki said although he still didn't look entirely convinced.
"There is also a celebration for beginning the last bit of construction," Tyr, who had come to meet them at the docks, commented from where he was walking on Thor's other side.
"Construction?" Loki echoed. "What construction?"
"To keep out the raiders?" Thor guessed. That was the only sort of construction project of any note he could recall from his first childhood, anyway. Although it hadn't been nearly as big of a deal then as the raiders had not caused anywhere near the ruckus that they had this time. Thor had barely taken any note of it at all and spent most of the time gallivanting with his friends.
Tyr nodded. "Yes. They've been constructing a barrier around all of Asgard. As you might imagine that has been taking a long time," he said with a gesture towards the mountains in the distance.
"Magical?" Loki guessed.
"I would assume, but I haven't been a part of it really," Tyr said. "You'd have to ask Father tonight at the feast."
Thor perked up instantly. "There's to be a feast as well?"
"Of course! We wouldn't give up a chance for one!" Tyr laughed before ruffling Thor's hair. "What do you take us for? Alfr? You've spent far too much time in Vanaheim."
"You seem in quite the happy mood, Tyr," Loki observed. "Did you miss us that much?"
Tyr waved his hand casually off to the side. "It has not been as quiet as I feared, but I suppose I did miss you terrors after the first year or so."
"We are hardly terrors, brother," Thor denied.
"Thor, you have returned from Vanaheim of all places with a near fully grown wyvern in tow... I think terrors to be quite appropriate," Tyr pointed out with a nod of his head at the large covered cage that was rolling along behind them and currently holding a still slumbering Ofnir. "I'm fairly certain that father didn't think even you two could get into much trouble in Vanaheim and you bring home a giant venomous lizard."
"That's Loki's fault," Thor said.
Loki shot him an annoyed look. "It is not my fault. I did nothing wrong to be faulted for. Getting a pet is not a crime."
"Of course, it's not, Loki," Tyr said, dropping his hand onto Loki's hair and ruffling it. Loki jerked his head away and glared at his older brother even as he flattened the black locks back into place. "But I think you are the only person I know that would end up with such an... exotic pet."
"A boarhound would have been so very dull," Loki said and folded his arms over his chest. Thor would never dare say it to Loki's face, but his brother looked almost adorable with a pout and his arms crossed like that. Such a comment would no doubt end with Thor being subject to any variety of pranks from Loki. Only their Mother had ever called Loki anything resembling cute without repercussions.
"You don't seem much like a dog person, brother," Thor admitted. Loki was much too capricious in nature. The straightforwardness of most dog breeds would clash against the younger Prince's moods too often to be truly compatible. In fact, the only canine that Thor could recall Loki getting along with for any significant length of time was Fenris, and that was an understandable exception.
"Well, why would I be when I can be a dragon person instead?" Loki replied with an indignant sniff. "Dragons are definitely far superior to dogs. Ask anyone."
"Wyverns are not technically dragons, Loki," Tyr reminded.
Loki waved his hand dismissively. "Technicalities and semantics. They are within the same family."
"You're the very first to use 'technicalities and semantics' against us, Loki," Thor complained.
Loki rolled his eyes. He probably would have said something in response, but was interrupted. "Boys, try to not argue the moment you are home. You can start fighting tomorrow if you truly must, but I'd like at least one evening of enjoying having you two safe with us again," Frigga said from where she had moved a few steps in front of her three sons.
"Yes, Mother," the sons of Odin said together in the exact same tone of voice.
Thor glanced back at the festival of sorts that was going on and wished that he could slip off to go explore it. Some of his favorite market food was out on full display, and he could smell the mulled wine that he was particularly fond of steaming in the slightly chilled air. They were still at the very tail end of a chilly Asgardian spring even though they had left Vanaheim in the middle of summer. None of the realms were entirely in sync with their seasonal changes although Vanaheim and Asgard were closest. Summer would be starting properly soon enough, and the last bit of chill would melt away. Sometimes Thor felt as if Asgard really only had two seasons since Spring and Autumn were both so short compared to some of the other realms. He'd been amazed at how long Autumn lasted in Midgard's city of New York when he first lived there.
Odin was waiting for them at the top of the many steps leading to the palace entry hall with Gungnir in his hand and no real expression on his face. Thor wasn't put off by the lack of enthusiasm, however. They were still being watched by a vast number of the Asgardian population and Odin did prescribe to the practice of remaining aloof in public. He didn't always manage it, but he did try to.
"Father," Thor greeted even as he and his brothers sunk down to one knee and their Mother ascended the steps to stand beside Odin on his right. Loki murmured an echo of the greeting just a moment later.
"My sons. It is good that you have returned to us and in one piece," Odin said with a nearly imperceptible motion of his free hand to signal they could stand. Tyr moved off to Odin's left side. "I hope you enjoyed your visit to our sister realm of Vanaheim."
Thor nodded. "We did, but it is still very good to be home, Father."
"I trust it was informative as well?" Odin asked, his eye moving more towards Loki with meaning that would escape any not within the royal family. "And that you did not fall behind in your studies, no matter the topic you were given?"
"... of course, Father," Loki murmured although his eyes dropped to the ground in evident discomfort.
Odin nodded. "Good," Odin said before descending the few steps that separated him from his youngest two sons. He reached out and put a hand to Loki's shoulder and gave it a squeeze before turning his attention to the large cage sitting behind them. The large black cloth covering the cage fluttered near one bottom edge, and Odin brushed past to lift the fabric there with the end of Gungnir. Thor noticed one of the guards almost startle as Odin revealed the cause of the fluttering was Ofnir's breathing.
Ofnir was sound asleep with his head resting on his own thick tail. The quills along Ofnir's tail and down his spine had thickened and sharpened with age until they were like black daggers the length of Thor's forearm. The wyvern's teeth had also been replaced by his adult set and those averaged just shy of being a hand long. "He's gotten big," Odin observed as he studied the wickedly sharp claws at the top of Ofnir's wings. "Is he flying yet?"
"No, but he's trying to figure it out," Loki said. "He's gliding still mostly."
Odin grunted a little and studied the blue scaly beast for another moment. "I had an area of the garden cleared and separated so that your pet can stay there, but I want you to understand, Loki, that the moment he becomes a problem he'll have to be returned to a place he is more suited," Odin said firmly. "I won't have him becoming a danger to Asgard or her people."
"Yes, Father," Loki agreed.
"Good." Odin gestured to some nearby Einherjar. "Take the cage to the pen that was erected in the private garden. My son will be along shortly to ensure everything is as it should be." The golden clad guards bowed and went to push and pull the cage as large as a Midgardian eighteen-wheeled truck off to one of the entrances to the gardens. The younger ones still looked apprehensive
"Will he remain asleep for very long?" Tyr asked curiously. He had perhaps even less knowledge of magic than Thor did since he didn't have the benefit of growing up beside a seidmadr as powerful as Loki.
"Another few hours at least," Frigga answered. "Loki and I tested how long a sleep charm lasts on him several times before we brought him along and we just renewed it before disembarking."
Loki watched the cage slowly move away before turning to Odin. "Will he be near my balcony? He does best there," he said.
"Not directly beneath but within sight," Odin answered. "Your mother helped pick out the best location for his pen. She even gave up part of her garden for it."
"Thank you, Mother," Loki said.
"You're very welcome, darling," Frigga answered with a smile. She happened to think that taking care of Ofnir had been good for Loki even if she wasn't entirely thrilled with her son's choice of pet. Helping her fears about Ofnir, though, was the fact that the wyvern seemed somewhat protective of Loki and a venomous, armored flying reptile was a fearsome guard animal.
Odin gestured to the front of the palace. "Come, my sons, you've been travelling for several days. You should take the time to clean up and relax while your things are unloaded from the ship."
The royal family all made their way into the palace and, once they were out of sight of the general public, Odin visibly relaxed. "I'm glad you're back in Asgard, sons," Odin said, allowing a smile to cross his face. "But we will all be much safer now."
"Seems us going didn't achieve much though," Loki grumbled. Thor was sure he hadn't actually meant for Odin to hear.
"I will not lose my sons to the plotting of our enemies, Loki," Odin said sharply. "You two are the heirs to Asgard and, as such, targeted. I'll not have you kidnapped and killed. No matter how unlikely you think it is, I've seen such things happen before, and I won't take that risk with you two."
Loki sighed but nodded. "I understand, Father. Besides, we're home now."
"You are," Odin agreed. "Now, off you get. I'm sure your little friends will be by shortly to see you both."
"Thank you, Father," Thor said before grasping Loki's wrist and dragging his brother off towards their rooms. Loki gave a slightly startled noise but otherwise managed to keep up enough to not get his arm pulled out of his socket or trip over his own feet. Once Loki was following him, Thor let his brother's wrist go.
The two brothers reached their rooms in their parent's wing quickly and Thor darted into his to quickly get out of the more formal clothes their mother had wanted them to wear (she must have had realized there were going to be many of the public out to see them) and into more casual clothes that Thor could ruin. Their mother would most likely not appreciate them destroying their nice clothes even though they could be easily replaced. After changing, Thor went down the hall and knocked on Loki's door. "Loki? Are you dressed?" There were a long few minutes of silence and Thor knocked again. "Loki?"
Still, Loki didn't answer, so Thor cautiously opened the door to peek in. He was glad when he didn't see his brother in the middle of changing, but that just leads to the question of why he hadn't answered. "Brother?" Luckily, it only took a moment for Thor to realize the doors to Loki's balcony were open. Thor went in and quickly spotted his brother leaning across the stone railing to peer out at something. Loki hadn't even changed out of his nice green tunic yet although he had shed his shoes, which Thor stepped over on his way to the balcony. "What are you looking at?" Thor asked.
Loki looked back in surprise. "Thor. You really can see Ofnir's pen from my balcony. Come see," he said before turning and pointing.
Thor hurried over and looked out at where Loki was pointing. Even if Loki hadn't been pointing Thor would have been hard-pressed to not notice the substantial change to the garden. About an eighth of an acre -Thor estimated- had been cleared out of the flower beds and paths and little courtyards that once occupied the space to leave one rectangle ringed with extraordinarily tall walls with iron spikes at the top. A large tree that Thor was sure hadn't been there before was now in the middle, and the terrain had been turned into rocky hillocks that scruffy tufts of grass sprouted up from. A large pool of water took up a large portion of the lowest level of the enclosure and even ran the full length of the wall that was facing the city, to deter Ofnir from trying to leave that way, Thor assumed. Other than the tree, however, the largest feature of the pen was a shelter made of vast slabs of dark rock forming a makeshift cave. Ofnir was visible where the Einherjar must have dragged him from his cage -and that was probably a task in of itself- on top of an unusually flat bit of rock just in front of the cave opening.
"It is larger than I expected," Thor said. "They must have removed at least three courtyards."
Loki nodded. "But he does need that much space... perhaps even more. Wyverns do like to roam quite a bit. In the wild, they go miles and miles just to hunt."
"Well, Ofnir won't need to do that," Thor pointed out. "You feed him whatever he wants."
"Not whatever he wants," Loki denied.
"Maybe I should get a pet," Thor mused as he leaned against Loki's railing. He did rather miss his goats. Though he hadn't been able to take the beasts to Midgard in his first life he had always wanted to. He imagined that his mortal friends would have found them quite amazing seeing how most normal goats didn't get anywhere near the size that his beloved Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr had. Of course, the mortal goats weren't the steeds of mighty Gods either, so that probably had something to do with it. Normally sized goats wouldn't have been able to pull his chariot even an inch.
Loki glanced at Thor sideways. "And what sort of pet would you want? One of those hunting hounds you were talking about before?"
"Though I imagine I would enjoy a hunting hound, I was thinking of something more interesting than a dog," Thor said. "Perhaps a goat."
"A goat?" Loki echoed with a face of distaste. "Why would you want a goat? We eat those, Thor."
"So?" Thor challenged. "We eat rabbit as well, and people keep those as pets."
Loki blinked several times in apparent confusion. "Who keeps rabbits as pets?" he asked. "That doesn't sound remotely interesting as a pet."
"Lots of people raise rabbits," Thor replied slightly defensively even though he had no real desire to have any hare for pets.
"People raise them to eat, Thor. Not to be pets," Loki said before straightening. "Anyway. I still don't think you should have pets that Ofnir would be very pleased to eat."
Thor waved that away. "Ofnir prefers aquatic mammals," he said.
"It isn't as if he's never devoured goats before, though," Loki pointed out. "But anyway, get out of my room so I can get changed. Then I have to go down and make sure Ofnir's pen is suitable."
"Can't you see that from here?"
Loki cast Thor an entirely unimpressed look. "I can hardly be sure of all the details from here," he said as if the very idea that he'd already seen enough was entirely ridiculous. "For instance, how deep is that water? Ofnir is quite large and if he were to try and get in the water would he even fit?"
"I think he'll survive such a thing, Loki..."
"It's not about survival. It's about comfort," Loki argued as he went to his dresser and pulled out a less formal outfit than the one he was currently wearing. "And keeping Ofnir comfortable means, he will be less likely to cause trouble and possibly bite someone. And then Father would get upset and send Ofnir somewhere else."
Thor sighed but decided against pointing out how mother hen-like his brother was being. Loki disappeared into his bathroom to change while Thor glanced back out at the new pen that took up a goodly portion of the private gardens. Idly, the young Thunder God wondered how Odin had convinced Frigga to give up so much of one of her passion projects. Then again, Thor thought, it was for Loki, and their mother would not prioritize plants over his happiness. As Thor watched, Ofnir rolled over onto his back, and his tail flopped to the side with a solid thump.
Loki came out again with his clothes changed. "Alright, let's go," Loki said. "Ofnir won't be awake for a while, but I would still rather be sure everything is as it should be now."
"Yes, Mother Loki," Thor said teasingly.
Loki glared at his brother but surprisingly just turned and left the room. Thor hurried after, glad to have gotten away with such an outright mockery. Up until he stepped out of Loki's room and his foot slid out from under him due to a thin layer of ice across the stone floor. Thor couldn't help the cry of surprise as he tumbled and landed hard on the ground, his head banging the door on his way down. "Loki!"
"Why, Thor, you should really be more careful," Loki said innocently before ruining it with a huge grin. Thor couldn't help the growl that escaped as he struggled to his feet. Loki just cackled madly and then rushed down the hall, leaving Thor behind still trying to not fall to the ground. He didn't quite manage it as his heel slipped on the ice again.
Thor struggled to his feet for a second time while cursing his brother and then managed to get back to unfrozen ground. Loki had disappeared down the hall, but Thor didn't let that stop him, and he ran along after. Luckily, Thor knew where his brother was going and managed to catch up to the dark-haired trickster just before they reached Ofnir's pen in the gardens. Thor tackled Loki with a roar, and his brother gave a yelp as they both went careening sideways off the path. The two of them ended up in a bush shouting at each other and struggling to get out of the scratchy tangle.
"Thor! Get off me!" Loki growled as he pushed at Thor's larger bulk.
"You brought it upon yourself!"
"I did not, oaf!"
Thor and Loki continued to wrestle while slowly falling out of the now mostly broken bush for several minutes until they became aware of someone laughing nearby. Both Princes stopped and looked over to see Fandral and Astrild standing just a few feet down the path at a crossroads looking entirely too amused. "I guess they're not as tired after their trip as I thought," Astrild said with a wide grin. "Nice to see they haven't gotten too Princely in their absence."
Loki frowned and finally managed to push Thor away. "It hasn't been that long since you've seen us," he said. "Besides, it's Thor's fault."
Thor rolled his eyes as he got up from the dirty and made a very halfhearted attempt to brush himself off. "What are you two doing here?"
"We were elected to come and get you," Fandral said cheerily.
"Elected? By who?" Loki asked.
"Sif," Fandral said with a somewhat wistful expression on his face.
Astrild rolled his eyes. "Ignore him. He's addled."
"I am not addled."
"Sif joined our training group since we last saw you," Astrild continued as if Fandral hadn't protested at all. "And she proceeded to introduce Fandral to the ground over and over again. He's been moon-eyed ever since. I think she knocked something loose finally."
Fandral took a swing which Astrild dodged by sidestepping. "Anyway. We are to come and collect you because she said so," Astrild told them. "And I'm not about to argue with Sif. The Valkyries have been teaching her all sorts of terrible tricks." Thor wasn't terribly surprised to hear that in his and Loki's absence Sif had begun to lead their group of friends. She was a very confident girl and always had been. That combined with a mean punch meant she easily could get others to follow her.
Loki sighed and shook his head. "Fine, we'll go with you. Just let me check on Ofnir first," he said as he started to walk again.
"Oh, is that what this big wall is for?" Astrild asked. "Everyone was speculating what the Allfather was having built in the gardens."
"Ofnir is too big now to be inside," Thor supplied as the three other boys followed Loki down the path towards a large metal door that had the world tree engraved upon the front. "And even if he wasn't, I don't think Mother would want a wyvern in the palace in the first place."
"Who can blame her?" Fandral asked.
Loki tossed a bit of a glare over his shoulder. "Ofnir is perfectly harmless and really quite loving. Just because he's venomous doesn't mean he's a monster."
Fandral held up his hands in defense. "Of course not," he said although he didn't sound entirely convinced of that.
"Best not agitate the one that owns said venomous reptile, Fan," Astrild drawled.
Loki huffed and held a hand out to the gate. The emerald green and gold of his magic wreathed Loki's hand and then flowed into the iron door. After a heartbeat, the World Tree on the front of the gate began to shift its branches, and smaller parts of iron banding rotated into different positions or slid away entirely. As the door moved, a thin seam became more and more visible. Finally, the door's decorative front -which seemed to be one giant lock- stopped changing and the gates slowly opened with a groan.
Loki went into the pen without hesitation, and Thor was only a few steps behind. Fandral and Astrild paused for a good five minutes before reluctantly entering as well. Loki didn't even seem to notice anyone else was in the enclosure with him. He was too busy wandering around and looking at various features in the pen with a vaguely disapproving frown on his face. "What's the matter?" Thor asked as Loki crossed his arms. Everything looked perfectly fine to Thor, but then he was substantially less exacting than his little brother.
"Nothing, I suppose," Loki muttered as he turned his attention to Ofnir instead of the rocky landscape that would serve to help keep Ofnir's claws maintained just by him walking across it. Ofnir was not on his back any longer, but he was sprawled out across the stones with one wing draped off the slight incline carelessly.
"He really has gotten big," Fandral said from where he and Astrild were hanging well back. Though the rest of their group had met Ofnir on the times they had visited the Princes in Vanaheim, none of them had been terribly overjoyed by the giant lizard's existence. "How much does he eat now?"
Loki shrugged as he went to run his hands over Ofnir's long neck. "Oh, a full grown dolphin or a couple of large seals every few days seems to satisfy him well enough," he answered. "They have rather slow digestion, wyverns."
"Right..." Fandral drawled as he eyed Ofnir's muzzle full of sharp teeth.
Loki patted Ofnir's blue scaly neck fondly before going off to poke his head into the shelter that had been erected. After a few moments, he nodded and then waved his hands to summon his magic. A giant stuffed bear with only three arms, multicolored patches over most of its body, and a stitched smile that was obliviously unaware of the multiple and repeated repairs that had been done to it fell into reality right beside Loki. Loki pushed it into the cave with a little difficulty since the bear was bigger than he was and quite awkwardly shaped. When he came back out, he noticed both Fandral and Astrild staring. "What?"
"Does-does your terrifyingly deadly pet have a stuffed bear?" Astrild asked finally.
"He didn't like not being able to fit in my room with me anymore," Loki said defensively. "He does better when he has his toy."
"Okay, that's just unfairly adorable," Astrild said.
Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Let's just go," he said. "Ofnir is fine here and won't be waking up anytime soon anyway."
"Oh good," Fandral said. "We've got such things to show you two!"
"And we're anxious to see what's happened while we were gone," Thor chirped. "So where are we meeting the others?"
"Sif and Dagr's house," Astrild said.
"Great, let's go then." Loki didn't look enthused, but Thor hooked his arm around Loki's shoulders before starting to follow Astrild and Fandral. "Come, brother, it won't be so bad to see our friends again will it?"
Loki sighed. "I suppose not... but I think it'll be terribly boring." Thor suppressed a chuckle at that but figured that Loki would cheer up quickly enough. Or leave.
Councilman Dellingr lived in the aristocratic quarter of Asgard where large estates were everywhere. The estate was about a fifteen-minute walk from the palace and had two massive and slightly curved stones in the front that had been covered with carvings. Four curved stone benches were forming a circle around the base of those monolithic pillars. Sitting on one of those benches were the rest of their group. Dagr and Sif were bickering about something or another while Hogun just watched them looking mildly amused. But what was very surprising was the pretty blonde sitting on another bench. Thor felt Loki stiffen up beside him and couldn't help but glance over at his brother. Loki looked entirely thunderstruck but, Thor thought that was understandable. Neither of them had been aware that Sigyn had somehow entered their friend circle.
"There you are!" Sif said when she noticed them. "It took you long enough to find them!"
"It wasn't us," Astrild protested. "Loki had to go check on his pet first."
Sigyn looked up quickly at that and Thor had to suppress his amusement to see Loki's cheeks color almost immediately. "Hello, Loki. It's good to have you back in Asgard," Sigyn said with a sweet smile.
"Sigyn."
Thor was having a tough time not bursting into laughter, but Loki seemed to notice and elbowed Thor hard. Dagr seemed to be utterly oblivious to what was going on between Loki and Sigyn and started talking, "Well, now that you are here we can fill you in on everything that's been going on. It's really been too boring without you two here."
"That would be very appreciated, Dagr," Thor said as his smile again escaped. Dagr started rambling about things, and eventually, the others began to participate as well and all but ignored the younger prince and Sigyn who were still glancing at each other. Thor did his absolute best to not draw attention to it because he would hate to make his brother get defensive and closed off. Sigyn probably wouldn't appreciate it either. So, he also didn't draw attention to the fact that after they left the courtyard to go explore the changes in the city, Loki and Sigyn were several paces behind and walking a bit closer than was perhaps necessary. Maybe Thor would tease his brother about it later, but for now, he would let Loki just actually be with his not-my-girlfriend-Thor-stop-it for the first time in two years.