His Dove (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 107 (Nothing to Fear)

"Relax, Thunder. I'm sure everything will be fine." I told the thunder god as we walked towards the bifrost. "You've fought bigger and badder armies, I'm sure." I toyed with the dagger in my hand, it being one Loki insisted I take with me.

Thor and the 4 other warriors accompanying me were incredibly on edge, but I felt rather calm, tranquil.

"I'm not worried about battle." Thor sighed. "You do understand how poorly this can go, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"If the Ylfings attempt to battle in your presence, Loki will most definitely slaughter them." Fandral commented, huffing out a bit of a laugh.

"If you happen to get hurt in said battle, he's slaughtering them and us." Sif added.

"Even if we all die. He'll take up necromancy just to kill us himself." Hogun continued.

"Alright! I get it!" I finally growled. "It won't happen. Loki will be slaughtering no one, and we're not even gonna battle. Just gonna go, see if we can come to an agreement, and leave."

"You're optimistic."

Landing in Vanaheim was rather unsettling. People were scuffling, frowns all around as we walked through the kingdom.

"Pr-" Fjolnir stopped himself, bowing. "Your grace." He corrected himself. "We're truly grateful for your arrival."

"Where are the... Unwelcome visitors?"

"Their blockades are a short distance from the palace walls." Fjolnir huffed. "My father thinks it unwise for me to go with you. He claims it would provoke an ambush to take me hostage."

I raised my eyebrows, and Thor scoffed.

"Just know, Fjolnir. If she gets hurt, Loki and I both will see to it you get the axe." Thor's voice wasn't at all his usual, jovial tone. It was far more gruff, far more burdened than usual.

"No fear, the best swordsman of Vanaheim will be accompanying." I heard a familiar, far calmer voice behind me.

"Sig!" I happily turned to look at him, taking notice of his now far shorter hair.

"Your highness." He bowed.

"Don't do that." I playfully scolded as I grabbed him.

"Couldn't help myself, dolk." He teased back, poking my cheek. "I'll show you where the Yflings are."

Walking passed the kingdom walls felt calm, the only sounds being footsteps along the terrain as we kept an even pace forward.

That was, until we could hear the chanting.

"Heads high, weapons stay in your hands behind you." Sigurd said.

"Behind us?" Volstagg's gruff voice questioned.

"It's a sign of good intention to their kind. Brandishing your weapon before them is to request combat."

We did as told, and I moved forward within the group to walk beside Sigurd.

"Sister." Thor warned.

"Relax." I responded casually.

I still had no sense of danger, in that moment. That lasted even as we walked in front of the brush, now seeing the large group of warrior men who all seemed to be more than prepared for our presence. Not a single set of eyes weren't on us, not a single body in an unprepared stance.

It was something I had truly never seen before. The way their war paint smudged onto their faces, the way their bodies bared so many scars and tears that proved they had seen countless battles. The way they gave an image of such immense strength just by the way they stood stoically awaiting our move.

"Asgardians?" One moved forward, the largest and most scarred of the group. "What business do you have here."

Thor opened his mouth to speak, his automatically protective feeling swarming around the air making me force him to stop.

"I am Dagny, daughter of Eir and Fafnir. My presence was requested by house Freyr."

The man's pitch black eyes searched me up and down, seeming to search my soul itself as he stared me down.

"The dragon's daughter died in the battle of the Isle." He quipped.

"And yet, here I stand." I responded back, though I was surprised to hear a name for what happened on the isle.

"You, come." He motioned for me to follow him, and as I did Thor and the other warriors continued to follow, only for a line of men to move forward as well, an attempt to block them off. "Not you."

"She doesn't go anywhere without us." Thor growled, taking another step.

"Does this Asgardian speak for you?" The leader questioned.

"You all, stay." I demanded of the group.

"D-"

"Thor, stay." I repeated. "It's fine."

He seemed overly hesitant, the look in his eyes demanding I change my answer immediately, but I only continued walking, hearing the sound of the Vanir line finish forming between the warriors and I behind me.

"You say you're the dragon's daughter." The man stated once we passed the barricade.

"I am."

"And I believe you." He responded causally, his accent so thick it was almost difficult to decipher. "Though we've all believed fables at one point in life."

"You mean to have me prove it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I do not." He laughed. "But, if you are the dragon's daughter, you will know this face just as it will know yours."

I was unsure what he meant by that as we approached a large, black tent set farther back from the barricade. The feeling I got the moment I saw it was indescribable, like a sharp spark of electricity had been throne up my spine.

The leader, or who I had presumed to be the leader, stopped several feet from the tent. "Go on, have a look." He said, gesturing to the tent with his hand. "If you're who you say, you will find no problem with it."

I furrowed my eyebrows, but couldn't manage to detect a lie from the man's words. As I stepped up the dirt path that led to the tent, the feeling only intensified within me, flowing up my spine and through my limbs. It felt like... Power. Pure power, the amount almost nauseating as I allowed my feet to carry me all the way to the closed opening.

I took one last look at the man a ways behind me, his expression almost uneasy, as if he wasn't quite sure what was to occur next. In that moment, the feeling engulfing my being as I saw the man's face, I considered calling Heimdall. I considered going home immediately, but something inside me told me otherwise. Something stronger than my common sense, stronger than my own sense of self.

I took a deep breath, allowing it to come out in full before my hand touched the thick fabric of the opening, grasping it tightly within my palm.

"I am who I am." I reminded myself. "Nothing to fear."