Working Title : Loki & Annie

Chapter 36- Hammers and Lightening

Between putting all the groceries away, Annie had made the entire bag of French fries, sliced the French bread and cut all the roasted chickens up before placing three of them on a platter. She had used that as a plate for Thor, it was easier than having to repeatedly refill a normal sized plate as he ate. Their conversation was quiet, Loki was still sleeping on the couch while Thor sat in one of the large chairs and Annie sat in the other.

"You'll get a kick out of what I found for Loki." Annie hadn't lost her excitement about her purchases. "It's probably nothing like he's used to."

"No matter, as long as he's clothed he will be happy. Or at the least I will be happy." Thor set a chicken bone on the plate, "I had little time to gather anything for him, not that I would have been able to find anything in his size." He studied Loki with a considering look. "He is very small in size."

"That reminds me, how old do you think he is?" Annie dipped a fry in ketchup.

Thor paused in eating while frowning, "I do not know his age." He spoke thoughtfully, "Nor can I say that his age is matching with his size."

Annie nodded, "That's true." There was momentary silence while she remembered something else she had been wondering, "How did you find out what was happening to him?"

Thor finished his mouthful then swallowed some of the beer in the bottle he was nursing. Before speaking he seemed to be gathering his memories prior to starting. "It was brought to my attention by one of the royal healers. She arranged a message to come to me." He looked down at his plate with a sightless gaze. "I'm sorry to state that I ignored her words for a time. I thought it was simply mischief that Loki had somehow created, to place me in opposition to our father's will." He raised his eyes to contemplate Loki's sleeping form. "It would be just his way, to create conflict in my mind."

"But something changed your mind." Annie didn't make the statement into a question, they were here so something had happened.

Nodding Thor spoke with a growl, "I overheard a guard making jest of Loki's treatment." he briefly met Annie's gaze before looking down at the beer bottle he still held in his hand. He used a fingernail to pick at the label. "I had gone to a tavern I normally do not frequent. Just for a desire to drink alone in a dark corner, hidden and unknown." He glanced over at Annie, "Despite not believing the message, I was disturbed by it and wanted to think on it without distractions."

Loki shifted just slightly and they watched to see if he would wake but he continued sleeping.

In Loki's dreams he was again in his cell. The darkness was only softened by the faintest light coming through the opening in the door. Slowly the light grew brighter, flickering. A burning torch being carried down the corridor, coming closer, as did the murmurings of several voices.

Thor cleared his throat then continued explaining. "It's a tavern that is frequented by the lower ranking soldiers, which also includes dungeon guards. They were not speaking loudly but I could still hear them, they did not speak his name but when they spoke of the Prince, well, it could only be Loki they spoke of."

Annie watched Thor carefully, her meal forgotten. Thor rubbed his thumb against the tears in the label though he was unaware of it. His mind was clearly back in that tavern in Asgard.

"They were laughing amongst themselves, arguing whither the morning was when-" Thor stopped speaking. When he spoke again his tone was clipped and dark, "When 'the little Prince squealed the loudest' or if it were the afternoon." There was an unnatural stillness about Thor as he sat silent.

Annie didn't want to move. She didn't want to speak either which was good because the thoughts in her mind were a twisting storm of fury. Of course she spoke without thought, "How many times can Loki's story be just another example of how evil people can be?"