LOKI'S GAME

Loki is Bound

I was awoken, again.

By screams that echoed and pierced through the warm dawning, my thoughts instantly turned to Baldr. But he was dead.

No, it wasn't him, but his mother, Frigg. Damn wretch.

I lifted my dizzy head off the soft grass and my gaze was taken to the direction of Asgard. I could smell the mourning, I could hear the freshly wept tears dripping to the floors of the palace and I snarl.

'Idiots, the lot of them' I whisper to myself, 'But I must make haste back to Asgard'

I peel the rest of my body off the ground and stretch my sore muscles and crack my bony joints. That felt good. Wiping my face from sleep, yawning off last nights dream I stretch again.

'Best get to it then' I say a little louder, a little more awake.

'Stop, you fool' It spoke, ordering me to a halt.

'What do you want now?'

'All has not finished.'

'What do you mean 'all has not finished?'' I childishly gargled back.

'The Aesir, are in mourning, they blame you for the sorrow that has come'

'Ha, I doubt they do otherwise they would have come for me by now'

'The decision has been made, minds are set, yet their voices do not harmonise, yet'

'So I have time to change their minds?'

'That will be a foolish thing to do'

'Why? They are my kin after all!'

'It's too late, you have sealed your fate, going to Asgard will only hasten the outcome'

'My, fate? What do you know of my fate?'

'A lot more than you' It snapped back.

I paused for a moment to process what it was saying, I trusted it, it has gotten me in trouble and out of it for many years. I wasn't going to doubt it again.

'What do you propose I do?'

'Seek shelter, far from here, for a while'

I drew a deep breath, looked up at the sky and started to walk backwards, turning around as I did. Okay, lets go and hide for a little while.

...

The gushing of the water was somewhat relaxing, the sheer power that it held just by falling excited me, Franang Falls was ethereal and captivating, a tall monstrous sight worshipped by the pagans that did not accept us anymore. This was the best place to hide from the others. I have managed to stay here for weeks without being spied or caught, often turning myself into the form of a fish I call Salmon and lurking in the cool waters of the fall, snaking from boulder to rock and from pool to fast torrents, of course they wouldn't be able to tell it was me.

I felt safe for a while, but my thoughts often turned to Sigyn and our sons Narfi and Vali, I wonder what punishment they have had to go through, the torture they have had to endure, the questions and speculations, the rumours and discord. Sigyn hated that kind of stuff, she was pure of heart, loyal as they came, poor woman, poor children, please forgive me.