Loki: Storm of Swords

Chapter 54 - Abandon the Fray

Loki sent another fleet of boats away from the shoreline of Dorne and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was cutting it close and he knew it. There were still several villages that needed to be cleared before he could really rest easy. Rhaegal was always right behind him, the dragon a steady presence that Loki could rely on. As Loki watched the boats sailing away, he sagged back against Rhaegal's flank and the dragon nuzzled him close, its warm breath ghosting over his skin. "What is happening to me?" Loki murmured. He felt the droplets slide down his face and quickly shook his head. "Damn this! Damn Surtur!" As if on cue, there was a thundering boom from behind him and Loki spun around. He saw the Fire Giant appear over the tops of the hills, his flaming sword over his shoulder and his crown blazing. Loki swung into Rhaegal's saddle and urged him on. "Fly, Rhaegal! La oss komme foran denne monstrosity! (Fly, Rhaegal! Let us get ahead of this monstrosity)" Loki commanded and Rhaegal quickly took to flight. Surtur noticed the movement and grinned. He lowered the sword and pointed it at Loki and his dragon.

"You mean to stand between me and my ultimate goal? You? Such a small man," Surtur stated.

"I might be a small man, but I have such a great presence," Loki countered dryly. He shifted into his Jotun skin and Surtur laughed.

"So? You embrace the other half of your nature when it's convenient for you? Typical," Surtur said as he opened his palm and a ball of fire appeared. Rhaegal spouted his own flames at the giant and Surtur laughed. "Your little beast cannot withstand me. You two are about as opposite as opposites can get. He is fire and you are ice. How did you ever hope to be compatible?"

"We deal with it," Loki snarked as he summoned ice spikes and hurled them at Surtur. The fire giant batted them aside and Loki had to avoid the swoop of his mighty arm. Rhaegal breathed fire again and Surtur clearly got annoyed with the dragon. He swung again, this time, with clear intent on hitting Rhaegal. Fearing for his mount, Loki yanked very hard in the reins to veer him out of the way. The bit pulled rather painfully in Rhaegal's mouth and the dragon took affront to that. Rhaegal fought Loki's guidance. "Rhaegal, vi må flytte – Dykk! (Rhaegal, we must move – Dive!)" Loki cried out. The dragon must have sensed his master's fear for he took a steep dip and Loki all but came out of the saddle. "Shit!" he cursed as he latched onto Rhaegal's spikes. Surtur missed them by a hair. Loki's feet came out of the stirrups and he felt completely weightless. Once Rhaegal was out of danger from Surtur's sword and limbs, he swooped up and Loki landed with a thud on the saddle. "Oof!" Loki exclaimed as the air was forced from his lungs.

"You cannot escape me!" Surtur roared as he reached for them again. Loki felt a cold chill take over him. And it was not the chill of his Jotun origins. It was genuine fear that this creature would kill him and Rhaegal. He had to fight, to stop this monster, and yet...

"I can't beat him. Not like this," Loki whispered. Rhaegal sensed Loki's feelings and immediately started to evade and fly them further away from the former King of Muspelheim. "Vi kan ikke vinne dette, gutten. Ikke som vi er. Vi må ... trekke seg tilbake. (We can't win this, boy. Not like we are. We must... retreat)" Loki said between clenched teeth. The words were bitter in his mouth, the sour taste lingering on the tip of his tongue. Rhaegal snorted as Loki got his feet back in the stirrups. Rhaegal began to fly towards Kings Landing with renewed vigor. 

"Flee! Flee while you can! Everything will burn!" Surtur cried out after Loki as he flew away. Loki felt his own angry flame burning deep within him. Surtur was causing him a great deal of pain and inconvenience. He had terrified the people he called family and friends, and threatened to destroy the world he had fought for. 

Make no mistake, Surtur; I will end you. Whether by fire or by ice, I will end you, Loki thought. 

When Jon had first been transported to Ygritte's bedside, he had been sick to his stomach and almost let his breakfast come up. However, his wife's angry scream of, "If you're sick in my presence, I will castrate you with a letter opener!" was what he needed to come about. He hauled himself off the ground and crawled to her side. He gripped her hand and brushed sweaty strands of red hair from her forehead.

"Where's Bradyn?" Jon asked woozily as he stroked her palm.

"He's with Missandei and the royal children, Jon," Samwell Tarly said as he watched his hands. A Wildling wetnurse was holding some of Sam's instruments over a candle to sterilize them, just in case of an emergency. Jon hated the sight of those things, but he knew they would be necessary if there were any complications.

"So, Loki's spell worked. I'm here, by your side," Jon told her.

"Bully for him. Ah!" Ygritte cried as she clutched her stomach.

"Any time, my lady," Sam said encouragingly. "I'll tell you when to push."

"I'll tell you when to push! Ah, by the Old Gods!" Ygritte cursed. 

"And I thought delivering life draining babies was the clincher. Your wife still manages to claim the prize," Sam whispered to Jon. Jon grinned a little and kissed his wife's arm. Ygritte growled something unintelligible. Sam continued to keep an eye on her, and it was almost an hour later before he was satisfied. "I certainly had less screaming with her grace and the Lady Frostborn."

"Compare me to the queen and Lady Frostborn again. I dare you!" Ygritte hissed and Sam glanced up at Jon.

"I'm in genuine fear for my life," the maester stated. Jon almost laughed, if it were not for his wife screaming again and Sam telling her to push. Ygritte screeched, but Jon was by her side. 

"We are glad to see you returned safe and sound," Ser Jorah said when Daenerys landed with Drogon in the courtyard.

"As am I. Did the Greyjoy fleet return with the refugees from Dorne?" she queried as she removed her gloves. 

"They're in sight now, your grace," Daahrio answered. "We also have confirmed that the Hand is returning with his dragon." Daenerys breathed a sigh of relief, but they all cringed when they heard Rhaegal's screech. Daenerys heard the sad note in the cry and raised her eyebrow. She had been Rhaegal's mother for quite some time before she gave the reins over to Loki. When the dragon landed, Loki slid off his back and walked to his head.

"Jeg beklager, Rhaegal. Jeg er så lei meg for smertejeg har forårsaket deg. (I'm sorry, Rhaegal. I'm so sorry for any pain I've caused you)" Loki whispered as he unlatched the bridle and took it off Rhaegal. The dragon shook his head once his jaw was free and looked at Loki with his dark and smoldering eyes. Loki patted Rhaegal's face and pressed a quick kiss to his snout. The dragon nodded his head but did not take off. Drogon also remained in the courtyard. An odd thing as the dragons usually flew away once their riders had dismounted. Daenerys studied Loki as he approached them. His pallor was ashen, his clothes with burnt holes in them, and his armor grimy. But what really startled her were his eyes. His emerald eyes were blazing and seemed to possess a kind of insanity she had never seen in him before. "Where's Jon? Where is he?"