Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 68: Thor Odison (1)

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Thor Odinson Part I

Nine Realms

Asgard

'I would do much to wipe that long face away.'

Thor turned and smiled. 'I'm fine, Volstagg,' he reassured his friend, then turned back to keep packing. He always liked to do it himself, instead of letting someone else take care of it.

'Let him be, Volstagg,' Fandral interrupted then. 'We'll see plenty of smiles from our dear friend once we're off and away from Adsgard and all its worries.'

'I would sure hope so,' Volstagg said. 'Everyone is getting just a little tired of all the clouds.'

Thor winced, but his back was turned to his friends, so they did not see it. He would chase away the storm if he could, but whenever he did so they were back in a matter of hours once Thor was not paying attention to it. Leaving Mjölnir in his room all the time did not help either.

'They can take a little wind and rain once in every century,' Fandral said.

'Well, a little rain, yes,' Volstagg said. 'I wouldn't call this little.'

'If your hands would be as quick as your tongues, we would be done by now,' Sif told the two of them and Thor had to smile a bit at that. She was of course already packed and ready to go, just like Hogun, only Fandral, Volstagg, and Thor were slower. Thor did not get much done, because he was reluctant to leave, the other two because they kept gossiping like old crones.

'You'll see Thor,' Volstagg said then. 'This is just what you need. No war, no politics, just a good old journey with your friends, it'll cheer you right up.'

'Aye,' Thor said. He wasn't so certain about it, but he could not say no to his friends. They were right about leaving Asgard behind for a little time, he knew he needed that. First he thought that he should go back to Midgard, spend some time with his fellow Avengers, but it was true that it's been too long since he joined Sif and the Warriors Three on a journey. He was still no King, but his duties were weighting down on him more and more the closer he was to the throne. Once he was crowned there would be no time to travel with his friends. He could still visit Midgard and protect it as it was his duty, but there would be no idle travels just for the sake of enjoyment. Once he thought of that, he did not have the heart to say no, even if he did not think he would find much pleasure in the trip. He appreciated his friends wanting to take his mind off of... everything. And Midgard would just remind him of things he would rather forget.

'We should stop by that Inn, the one before the valley,' Volstagg said. 'You all know it. They had the most delicious roasted venison. It's been years since I had some of that.'

'You had plenty of other venison,' Fandral said.

'But this had the sweetest honey sauce I have ever tasted,' Volstagg said. 'And what good mead they served with it.'

'If you would just pack your things we could be on our way there,' Sif scolded them again.

'There, done,' Thor said as he turned around.

'See, he was not waggling his tongue uselessly,' Sif said, pointing at Thor and scowling at Volstagg and Fandral.

'Because Thor was never one for useless chatter,' Fandral said, shoving his things in his bag more quickly now that Sif was glaring at him from a few feet away. 'But only because he does not have the silver...'

He fell silent abruptly and kept packing like he was not talking a moment ago, not raising his head to look at Thor.

'Maybe they still serve those white mushrooms with the venison,' Volstagg said and off he was talking about food again.