All The Little Pieces

Anything For Her

"This is it, brother." Thor looked down at the map and then pointed forward to an open area ahead. The two had entered Jotunheim just over three hours ago and were making excellent time. They were traveling in a small Asgardian air boat, which Loki had been able to cloak completely, making them invisible except for a tiny ripple along the ground.

Loki glanced where Thor was pointing and steered carefully. They were traveling through a frozen mountain range, and he had kept the air boat almost touching the wall to their right. The icy blue crag was full of deep shifting shadows, and no one would notice their craft unless they walked directly into it.

"Here." Thor laid a hand on Loki's arm. They both peered through the dim light at the ground a few feet below them as the boat halted and drifted slightly in the wind.

Loki moved away from the helm and rummaged through their supplies. "Take this." He handed a shallow wooden box to Thor. "You hold it, and I'll get the flowers. It's easier for me to touch things here." He dropped lightly over the side and landed without a sound.

Thor landed heavily beside him with a loud crunch of the frozen ground.

"Gods." Loki shook his head in exasperation. "Can't you ever do things gently?"

Thor shrugged. "It's not really my strong suit. You've always been the stealthy, sneaky one. What are you doing?"

Loki paced along the rock where a profusion of bluish white flowers sprouted from a mixture of black earth and ice. His daggers materialized, and he bent to score the ground with the blades.

Thor frowned uncertainly. "Anything special we need to know about these flowers?"

Loki's daggers vanished and he glanced at Thor. "Well, they're attractive and they smell fragrant." He ignored Thor's irritated snort and lifted a section of icy earth and flowers with a wave of his hands before dropping the whole thing into the box Thor held. He brushed off his hands. "Done."

Loki vaulted into the boat. "Come on, put that in, and let's start back."

"That's it? That easy of a job?" Thor looked up at him in surprise.

"It's a flower gathering mission, brother dear. How difficult did you want it to be?"

Thor dropped in the box, then hoisted himself back in. "All right, you don't have to convince me. The climate here is not for me." He sank down on the seat and reached under it. "Would you like a flask of mead to warm you?"

Loki shook his head silently and kept his eyes fixed on the passing ice. Thor shrugged and opened the flask himself, drinking deeply. He relaxed for a while, then sat forward as Loki turned the boat away from the ice and angled it to the right.

"Brother, I don't think this is the way we came." His brow furrowed.

"It isn't. I need something else." Loki's mouth was set in a determined line. "It won't take long."

"What? What can you possibly need here?" Thor's breath made large puffs in the frosty air. "It's desolate."

"Believe it or not, brother, I occasionally have plans I don't always tell you about." Loki's eyes flicked to Thor, then back in front of them. "I promised Elora another item while we were here. It should only take us a few minutes out of our way home. We'll still be back to the palace by dinnertime."

Thor shook his head. "Fine, Loki, but you best be right about it not taking too long." He returned to the mead.

Within a few minutes, the boat stopped. They were outside a low overhang of rock that appeared to mask the entrance to a cave. As he had done earlier, Loki dropped silently over the side of the boat.