Legacy

Sacrifice

The afternoon tumbled into evening as Thor stood on the balcony, ignoring the magnificent pinks and oranges of sunset sweeping over his kingdom. His mind was a jumble. He had so many issues to address. First of all, there was the giant wolf with the monstrous appetite parked outside the healing chamber. He kept sending Olllerus on kitchen raiding errands while he sat in furry vigilance awaiting updates from either Odin or Eir as they prepared Sif's cure. Her health was Thor's most worrisome thought. There was also the unexpected recruitment call from Tony Stark, which reminded Thor of his Midgardian commitments he had been neglecting, not only to the Avengers but to Jane. She was always present in his mind. How was he ever going to make her happy if he was bound to Asgard through birthright?

And then there was Loki, who has been absent since this morning.

Father had been avoidant on the issue all day, locking himself in his private chamber until called upon to assist Eir. This frustrated Thor. A couple of guards had reported seeing Loki and Odin on the Bifrost but no one, not even Heimdall has seen Loki since. What had Father said to him to drive him from Sif's side, and why in the nine realms had he chosen to say it now? Was he blind to Loki's volatility? The two should have, Thor reasoned, avoided each other's company wherever possible. Father's judgement was dwindling more by the day.

As reluctant as he was to admit it, Thor needed Loki present, in mind and body, not only to be there for Sif but for counsel. He was floundering as King.

He didn't want the title nor was he suited for it. As a boy, Thor saw only the King's commanding placement on the frontline, a spotlight to swagger and exercise his military expertise. He never considered the day-to-day pressures of the throne, the politics of pleasing the masses with delicate balance, the monetary puzzles, and the theater of diplomacy with the other realms, which he never realized until lately was nothing but ram dung wrapped in pretty words. This was a skill his brother excelled in, which was why Thor needed him here!

"Uncle Thor?" Ollerus peeped his head around the threshold. "May we join you?"

'We.' He meant the wolf too. "Of course." Thor gestured toward the railing, his eyes glued to the furry black mound stepping onto the balcony. Fenrir's talon-like toenails clicked loudly against the marble, and his cast shadow eclipsed half of the balcony. He nodded civilly and Thor, claiming a small relief, returned the greeting. It was a peace offering of sorts. "Any updates on your mother?"

"She's not my mother," Fenrir murmured, backhandedly, his hind legs folding beneath his dense coat. Even seated, the animal overtook Thor in height.

"He knows that, dummy." Ollerus hoisted himself to sit on the railing, swinging his skinny legs around to dangle over the kingdom. "He was taking to me." He turned to Thor. "No updates yet, but Fenrir did overhear Odin talking about Father and why no one can find him, something about a conversation they had this morning."

"Nothing escapes my hearing," Fenrir added, surprisingly dismissive of being called 'dummy.' How quickly these two have adapted as brothers. "Our king's bumbling father seems to have driven mine off."

Any other being would have to answer for disrespecting the All-Father, yet when it came to family his father had wronged, Thor often made exceptions.

"He'll be back," Ollerus assured. "He's going to be there when Mother awakens." Thor wished he had the boy's confidence. "Hey maybe, we could ask Heimdall what happened."

"It will do you no good," Thor said. "My father restricts Heimdall's reach into family matters, which includes conversations." Although Thor had still asked Heimdall about it this morning, hoping the watcher had broken the rules. Just because Heimdall was restricted from eavesdropping didn't mean he always abstained.