Mother Dearest

Loki's Problem

"Die, villin!" Thor shouted as he thrust his wooden sword at an imaginary invader.

Thor ran through the halls of the palace with Loki fighting to keep up. Being younger and smaller, he struggled hard to do everything his big brother did. Although, at times, he became frustrated that parts of his body refused to do what he wanted them to do, especially when running. He'd just begun to walk, and he was still trying to get the hang of it. He studied other people around him, but try as he might, he just couldn't do it as good as they did. And Brother couldn't understand.

There was a noisy thud and crying followed shortly after. Sighing, Thor stopped and turned to see what happened. It wasn't the first time that day. For the umpteenth time, Loki lay sprawled tummy-down on the floor. He lifted a red, teary face to Thor as he struggled to regain his footing, his tiny legs not wanting to work with him. Thor knew he was more frustrated than actually hurt. Halfheartedly he ran to his little brother's side and scooped him up in his arms. The first several times of doing this action, he was gravely concerned that his brother had injured himself. But now, it was going toward being routine.

"There, there, Loki, it's otay," Thor said as he patted Loki's back. "I will be glad when you 'tart walkin' better. You gotta lern ta gain contol of your legs."

"Mup," Loki replied with a half-hiccup as he steadied himself. He would if they would just work with him! He couldn't understand why they wouldn't work with him. Legs were funny things.

"See? Like dis," Thor said as he moved one foot in front of the other. Loki looked on with curious eyes before turning his gaze up to Thor. "You don' run an' get 'em tangled up. You hafta put one in front of tha other." He brushed down Loki's messy hair curls and sighed again. He squatted in front of his little brother and checked him over for cuts. He noted that Loki had received many bruises over the past week. No wonder. Thor lost count of how many times Loki had fallen, sometimes into furniture.

Thor kissed Loki's forehead and straightened, taking Loki by the hand and gently leading him forward. "C'mon. You wanna go to tha garden?"

"Yiss!" Loki said happily, flapping one hand excitedly. The garden! Yes, always the garden! He loved the garden. He'd live there if Mommy would allow.

Thor led Loki through the hallways and finally into the gardens. He only had to stop twice along the way to pick his little brother up. When they got outside, he was relieved to let him fall down and roll on the soft grass.

Now this was what Loki wanted all along! He didn't have to walk out here if he didn't want to. He could just roll around in the grass and look up at the sky and the big, white fluffies and listen to the birds.

"Eeedah!" he squealed with glee, reaching toward the sky and clouds. He opened and closed his hands.

"Da outer walls are under 'tack by trolls agin, Lord Bahadur," said Thor as he slipped back into his imaginative play. He waved his wooden sword around, taking in the surrounding trees. "Whut should we do?"

Loki giggled.

"Cum, now, Bahadur, it is not laughin' matter."

Loki turned bright eyes to Thor and kicked at the ground, putting a thumb in his mouth.

"Gazooks! Lord Bahadur has been turned into an infint. It mus' be work of magic."

Loki only smiled. He didn't know what Brother was talking about, but it seemed to make him happy. And that made Loki happy. He watched Thor walk off in the opposite direction, lost to his own little world, and then he turned his head around to regard the patch of beautiful pink flowers on his right. They were really pretty!