Above All Shadows [Loki Timetravel fic - Completed]

10. Laufey

Laufey's answer came swiftly. His letter was two lines long and missing basic courtesies, but its contents offered Loki a modicum of hope. They would have a meeting - midday of the following day. Loki threw himself into preparations and contingency planning at once.

Twenty-four hours later, however, he felt no more ready than he had been the day before.

Loki pulled closer the papers Lady Eydis had laid out for him and rubbed his eyes. Eydis' records were full of terse notations and sharp underlines - just what Loki would have expected of Asgard's treasurer. His father too had been satisfied with Eydis' work. His notes were few and his elaborate signature featured on the bottom of each page. But no matter the hand that had written them, the numbers and the words no longer made sense to Loki. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, the pages blurred together.

'We have compensated everyone for the additional transport needed to bring the Einherjar, their equipment and stocks into the city. As you can see, the cost already incurred is not insubstantial,' Eydis said.

'It will be more challenging to bring goods into Jotunheim and therefore more costly,' Loki replied.

Eydis ran her tongue over her lower lip. 'The throne of Asgard is yours right now, your highness. Only you can determine which expense is justified and which isn't.'

Two tolls came from the belfry; it was half past the hour. Only half an hour more until the moment of reckoning.

'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.' Loki said in a sullen tone.

He began to gather up the treasury records, but Eydis caught his hand and shook her head. 'I will take care of these. You would be better served heading down and verifying all is in order there.'

'I suppose so,' Loki muttered. 'I doubt more figures will help me at this point.'

He rested his weight on Gungnir and pushed himself to his feet, feeling the weight of every hour he hadn't slept in the past week. As much as he was reluctant to leave the relative serenity of the Council Chamber, his treasurer had a point - he couldn't hide in here for the rest of time.

However, he was all of twenty feet from the chamber's entrance when Tyr descended upon him. The man had taken the time to change into his formal uniform since Loki had seen him last, but he had not paid any attention to his hair or beard, which left him exuding an air of ominous volatility.

'So it is true then. You are going through with this?' he hissed as he forced himself into Loki's path. 'You are willing to negotiate with them?'

Loki inched back until Tyr was no longer in his personal space. 'I am.'

'They are filth. It abases all of Asgard to even contemplate such a thing! You know what they did to your brother and the soldiers who were with him. You saw what they did to your father, to my daughter. It is merely another chapter in millennia of misdeeds. Death is the only thing we ought to offer them.'

'They will offer death to many an Asgardian should we pursue war.'

'Coward,' Tyr scoffed, moving towards Loki once more. 'You are soft, all sorcerers are. You are one-tenth a man my daughter was.'

'It's curious how you never had one positive comment about her while she was around to hear it,' Loki retorted.

Tyr's already agitated expression twisted into a grotesque mask of disdain and his skin flushed an unhealthy crimson. That had been a careless thing to say; Loki realised his mistake at once. Tyr was in a poor state of mind. Loki had been too busy preparing for his meeting with Laufey to enquire about Sif's condition this morning, but things had looked worse, not better late last night. But what was he to do now? Loki was presently the master of Asgard and Tyr had insulted him to his face. It would hardly be fitting for Loki to be the first one to attempt to make amends.